What’s your goal for life? The higher your goal, the more easily you’ll deal with trials and defeats.
I learned this lesson in tennis years ago.
If my goal during a tournament was to win the match, I’d feel exultant if I got the highest score. If I lost, I felt defeated, miserable and like a failure.
But I soon decided the goal was not to win tennis matches, for inevitably an opponent was better than me. The goal became to improve my tennis game, learn valuable spiritual lessons and become a better all-around person for the experience.
With this goal in mind, I could turn every game-defeat into a life-victory.
My goal in playing was to win moral and spiritual victories that benefited me long-term. If I got the most points, terrific: it would give me a temporary high; but if not it was no big deal. There was another match right around the corner and I gained the spiritual growth I came for anyway.
This lesson translates into all human endeavors.
Women have goals. Men have goals. Lawyers have goals. Politicians have goals. Children have goals. Teenagers, college students, retirees have goals. Everyone has some type of goal. But these goals are not always reached on the first, second or third try. Great effort, persistence, and perseverance may be required. But if the long-term goal is to grow spiritually, live morally and bring a greater degree of heaven to earth, the short-term defeats won’t stop or stymie our long-term progress. They’ll make us stronger and more able.
Short-term goals are fine, but their outcome should not define our life.
I still like to win tennis matches, when it happens. But often, I don’t win. Someone better on court defeats me. But I don’t feel defeated. I find reasons to be grateful, look for ways to improve my game, and play better next time.
Such should be our modus operandi for all human experience. Every event, activity and outcome is a stepping-stone to heaven, to learn more about who we are as beloved children of God.
Keep the high goal in mind and don’t let the temporal slog you down.
“The discoverer of Christian Science finds the path less difficult when she has the high goal always before her thoughts, than when she counts her footsteps in endeavoring to reach it. When the destination is desirable, expectation speeds our progress.” Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health, p. 426
I was just thinking about my goals for gym, running, losing some weight, how to achieve them, when saw your article.
Yes, God is always sending us messages, answers for our questions and prayers, no matter the vehicle.
Thank you and Him so much!!
Hi Evan,
So does it mean that in cases of a physical challenge the aim for freedom is the short term goal because it is a want? And of course the high goal is to understand the deeper meaning of God is All in all or All is Spirit therefore there is no matter?
Thanks much!
I learnt a lesson in goal searching just yesterday. I am cared for by Nurse Aides 24/7 and every month I have to go to the hospital out-patient for a minor adjustment. I am taken there by Ambulete and home again. The adjustment takes only 10 minutes but waiting for a Ambulete to take me home could be 4 to 6 hours. Well I prayed knowing that God takes me all the way and there is no time element, and after that first appointment, the Ambulete drivers would wait and take me home. The whole thing would take 1.5 hours. Then last month it took over 10 hours, and I felt as if I failed. Well, I was determined not to have that happened again and yesterday, I again had to pay a visit to the Clinic. The Ambulete drivers couldn’t wait for me even thou it took only 4 minutes to make the adjustment. I refused to get depressed about it and kept thanking God for all the good that he has done for and now is doing even thou the nurse aides complained about the Ambulete drivers not waiting. Instead of 10 hours, it took only 2 hours. Thank God for C/S.
To anon above,
The most productive and healthy short and long term goal is always going to be spiritual, to grow in our understanding of what is spiritually true. That blesses today and tomorrow, and meets all human needs.
Thanks again Evan for your your clear answer.