Those who seek rewards in the afterlife
strive to be good people while still alive, but not for rewards while still
alive. This form of reward seeking as a spiritual pursuit that transcends life
and living in this lifetime is the basis of all religious and spiritual
thought, and is often embraced by those who HAVE nothing while they are alive,
which is not to say this belief is entirely wrong, but religious life considers
life a means to an end of rewards after death as this mortal life offers them
nothing most of the time.
Those who do not seek to attain paradise
after death as most do, (the secular world) will seek to attain "real
estate" in Paradise while still alive, with material possessions, career advancement, pleasure, power,
influence, fame fortune, popularity, authority, respect, and status. People who
seek this latter group of attainment for the most part do not put much stock in
what happens to them AFTER they die. They're either afraid or in denial there
is any existence of anything or any continuation of existence or feeling after
death, so they set out "live life to the fullest cuz there ain't nothing
waiting for you afterward". This latter group tends to follow the most
ruthless trail while alive. This group considers life a means to an end while
still alive, often because much prosperity has simply been given to them on
some level.
The problem with both groups is both the
secular and religious world have grown into a form of existence in THIS
lifetime that says "Keep your eyes on the prize. The prize will be awarded
to you either while you are still alive or after your dead, on a spiritual
level. Both encourage one to neglect the true meaning of life, which is living
and taking action in the Now. Living in the Moment, from moment to moment. No
one on earth or in the history of earth is as powerful as someone who has truly
acknowledge, realized, and figured out how to live in the Now Moment.
