Many labor hard and long—making many sacrifices to reach various human goals (as distinguished from spiritual goals)—only to find that peace of mind and a deep sense of accomplishment still elude them.

Human activities can so claim one's time and attention that the doing of what counts most becomes relegated to the background or to a never-coming future. Should human demands and pleasures merit the greater proportion of thought and effort?

The world's concept of achievement needs an about-face. "With all thy getting get understanding," ^{Prov. 4:7;} the Bible urges. Lasting accomplishment is the development of spiritual understanding.

Christian Science differentiates between the mortal, physical sense of life and true, spiritual existence. This teaching awakens us to the wonderful fact that God's creation is entirely good. It shows us how we can prove that materiality and evil are no part of God's creation and must therefore be illusion. They seem real to a mortal sense of things, but mortal sense itself is illusory, insubstantial. As described in Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy, "substance is that which is eternal and incapable of discord and decay." ^{Science and Health, p. 468;}

Spiritual sense is inherent in everyone. However, it needs to be acknowledged and utilized. True accomplishment includes learning to love, to express spiritual, impartial, all-inclusive Love. It includes the uncovering and overcoming of character faults. It includes knowing God, and man in His image, as well as understanding His laws and applying them. These are the "treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal." ^{Matt. 6:20;}

What is to be done in daily living to gain greater capacity to love? Starting our day with prayer is essential. Reminding ourselves often to love everyone we see, everyone we think of, is a great help. This means we need to see the perfect, spiritual man in everyone, regardless of mortal sense testimony. The eyes may see impatience or irritation or injustice, but we can learn to see with spiritual vision and see the flawless, complete man.

As we hourly remind ourselves that everyone is God's perfect child, what do we achieve? Our love becomes deeper, more spontaneous, more universal. Harmony becomes the aura around us. Walking through a crowded store, I found myself thinking, "Why don't these slow people move so a person can get through?" Then the praying I had done earlier in the day came to my rescue, and I changed my thought to: "I love every one of these persons." The impatience disappeared, and I passed easily through the crowd with joy instead of friction.

Mrs. Eddy writes: "What has not unselfed love achieved for the race? All that ever was accomplished, and more than history has yet recorded." She adds: "Let one's life answer well these questions, and it already hath a benediction: Have you renounced self? Are you faithful? Do you love?" ^{Miscellaneous Writings, p. 238;}

Keeping the pure, spiritual model in thought helps us detect and master character faults in ourselves. For instance, when a decision is to be made by ourselves and others, and our way is much better, we think, than the one others are insisting on, we can pray not to be influenced by self-will but to know that God's will is really being done and to quietly realize that nothing can keep anyone concerned from recognizing ever-present good.

Each of us can achieve significant progress by steadily proving his God-given dominion over his own consciousness. Let's not allow ourselves to be pushed by willful or fearful thoughts of "hurry, hurry!" Knowing that God, the only Mind, is our consciousness, we can remain calm, poised. Inward peace is more precious than any material gain.

When a problem seems slow to yield and we sincerely and scientifically pray to God to show us what we need to know to resolve the situation, Christ, or Truth, inevitably comes to the receptive thought with a concrete answer. Step by step mortal weaknesses are uncovered and replaced with patience and meekness, with purity, kindness, and wisdom. "He that ruleth his spirit [is better] than he that taketh a city." ^{Prov. 16:32;}

Knowing God is knowing good. To expand our knowledge of God is to hold thought to the allness of God, good, to let good operate as a law of annihilation to what is not good. Study and application of Christian Science are enabling many to demonstrate, in varying degrees, dominion over material law.

Perhaps we believe we'd feel a full sense of accomplishment if only we had written a well-received book or invented a clever contrivance or were high up in a chosen business or profession. Human attainments are fine and can contribute to human progress, but they should be subordinated to the gaining of spiritual understanding.

"If a postal service, a steam engine, a submarine cable, a wireless telegraph, each in turn has helped mankind, how much more is accomplished when the race is helped onward by a new-old message from God, even the knowledge of salvation from sin, disease, and death," ^{Message to The Mother Church for 1902, p. 11;} says Mrs. Eddy.

If you're being pulled down by a feeling that you've attained no significant human goals, take comfort. You may be doing more than you realize.

Are you a happy person? Being happy is an accomplishment. The glow of happiness is contagious to all within its radius. It uplifts and encourages. We can be happy by being grateful. Let us dwell on the good freely given us by God—and rejoice.

Are you loving more—seeing the spiritual man in yourself and your fellowmen, helping others, learning more of God, good, and applying His laws in your day-to-day living? If you are, you are accomplishing much; you are reflecting the light that "cannot be hid." ^{Matt. 5:14;} And by putting spiritual accomplishment first and practicing it in everything you do, worthwhile human activities and the attainment of important human goals "shall be added unto you." ^{Luke 12:31.}

If you have attained many of the human goals you've set for yourself and still feel empty and dissatisfied, take heart. You have learned that true satisfaction does not reside in human activities or aims per se. Putting God first—expressing His spiritual ideas and qualities in whatever is right for you to do—you will gain freshness and the capacity to enjoy honest, unselfish, truly fulfilling accomplishments.