Question: When I try to feel something flowing in my meditation, I feel that I get complacent. Should I try to work harder at it?

Sri Chinmoy: At the start of a race when the judge says, "On your mark, get set, go!" there is so much alertness and tension. Then, after covering thirty metres, your arms and your legs get a kind of coordination. At that time you feel that you are totally relaxed, that you are not running at all. But your speed is in no way slower; it is still very fast. Just because your mind is not convincing you that you are making some unusual effort, you imagine that you are not running fast enough. But it is not true.

When I do my paintings or write poetry, at that time I go very fast. But I am totally relaxed while I am doing it. So when you are doing something, don't think of the start. At the time of the start, alertness, eagerness, indecision, tension, fear and doubt all come and make you feel that you are doing something. Then, once you have started, these forces leave you. At that time you are in the process of completing your journey. If you think of the start, you will only make a comparison between the start and the point halfway through the race. But this is a mistake. When you are at the halfway mark, only try to reach the goal. Look ahead and don't think of the thing that you did before.