Article January 16, 2006 Issue

IT'S SPIRITUAL GOAL-SETTING that really mattters

BY KATHRYN DUNTON

Before I found Christian Science, I was very goal-oriented—materially goal-oriented, that is. I would set my sights on an objective, figure out how to achieve the goal, and go about doing what was required to succeed. I derived a certain amount of pleasure from my successes, but also learned that striving for and achieving merely material goals left me feeling somewhat empty, with an "Is this all there is?" feeling.

But I've learned to transform my goals. I've discovered how to have a deeper, more spiritual sense of striving and succeeding. Before my commitment to the ideals of Christian Science, the purpose of success for me was to feed my ego and to impress others—some basically selfish goals. I always wanted to have and to be the best.

As I learned more about Christ Jesus, I discovered that success in life is about expressing God and blessing others. I learned that I am (as we all are) God's precious, beloved creation, right here and now. God's love for us is unconditional. We don't have to do anything to be worthy of receiving this love. All we have to do is to acknowledge God's presence and open our hearts to His infinite care.