There are others who were confident about having accomplished their assignment.

St.Paul, in his second Epistle to Timothy, says, "I have run my race. I have finished my course and there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness."

What is secret of this satisfaction and how did they reach stage of satisfaction? I have looked through life stories of many great men and women. I feel confident that I found secret. I applied that in my life many times and it worked. I shall share that secret with you. The secret is listening, listening to your inner voice. Sit in silence and listen to inner voice. We can call it communion, meditation, introspection or cogitation.

There are many systems to develop this communion. The easiest is what Myrtle Filmore did. In her private room, she placed two chairs. She sat on one and invited Jesus to come and sit on other. In silence, she asked questions and in silence she received answers.

Edison used to sit with marbles in his hand on a chair placed on a metal try. During deep thinking, he used to enter a hypnagogic state. Just at point of entering into sleep, he would get solutions for his problems; marbles would slip out from his hand, drop onto metal tray and wake him up. If he did not wake up, solutions would fade away as dreams.

The same thing happened to Newton. He wrote that he got all his ideas during "a profound shrinking from world ... a rapt, consecrated, solitary pursuing his studies by intense introspection." He himself wondered how he happened to get all these ideas.

Joan of Arc testified to hearing voices. Swedenborg "discoursed with spirits even while he was in company of men. To him, they were as real as men of flesh and blood. Their voices were no different from those of his friends yet none of his fiends heard them and he wondered why."

Socrates talked about a constantly present inner voice. When he was condemned to die, he said, "What happened to me is good. If it were otherwise, oracle would have opposed me ... Hitherto familiar oracle within me has constantly been in habit of opposing me if I was going to make a slip or error about anything. The oracle made no sign of opposition, either as I was leaving my house... or when I was going up to this court.

Some people receive their answers through Bible as St. Augustine did. He heard a voice say, "Take up and read." He opened Bible which he carried in his pocket and saw words, "Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in lechery and wantonness... but in Lord is thy trust." This was quite apt to his situation and he took it as God's message to him.

When my mother in Travancore went into a forest and sat in a cave to find strength to overcome effects of witchcraft her in-laws had set upon her, she opened Bible and her eyes fell upon words, "God...hath sent his angel and delivered his servants that trusted in him... that they might not serve nor worship any god except their own God." This was a very apt message, for she was fighting witchcraft with witchcraft. She realized that she was worshipping other gods. This made a drastic change in her. Thereafter, witchcraft had no effect on her. She escaped many attempts on her life. She received power to heal sick and did set free a lunatic who was in chains for nearly forty years. and she did cast out devils from possessed.

For me voice is not really a voice. It is an idea coming into my awareness. Sometimes ideas I received were not to my liking. Sometimes, no ideas came. Bishop George Berkeley, after whom Berkeley in California is named, said, "The only thing which we ever experience are perceptions, thoughts, and feelings within our own minds."

However, not always do we find answers we are seeking. Newton struggled lifelong but never did find solutions to problems such as transmutation of metals, finding Philosopher's stone or discovering secret of universe from Book of Revelations.

The answer to St. Paul, apostle, for his prayer to remove thorn in his flesh ( a stomach ailment) was "My grace is sufficient for thee." It is not what we ask, but what is good for us that is granted.

So, sometimes we have to accept these situations as they are. Though they may appear to be calamities at moment, they turn out to be blessings after a few short years. This is what happened to me when my house burned down. I thought it was a great calamity. The house was underinsured. I could not understand why such a thing should happen to me. But I knew that nothing bad would happen to me. Therefore, it must be for my good and I said so openly. I went through struggle of building a house, fighting city hall at every stage, and, when it was completed, I called underwriter to come and insure my new house. He told me then, "Dr. Simon, when I came here to see burned down house, I thought it was a great calamity. but now, I can see that it was a blessing as you said then. You have three beautiful apartments where one old house existed.

Things do not happen without hard work and persistence. The harder you work luckier you get. So, follow inner urging you receive at moments of introspection, persist to follow through, and work hard. This is your passport to success.

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