March 8, 2016
We have spent a lifetime making the life we live in this world. We have done the best we could. We have been exposed to many teachings, ideas, and experiences that we have considered and applied or not applied to the world we live in. We may not understand all of it or be happy with it, but we are here now and have made an identity for ourselves. This is an identity that we believe is true and we consider this identity who we are. Perhaps over the years we have let go or thrown out some ideas about our identity that didn’t seem to work or be right. Perhaps we have held on to some ideas of our identity that we aspired to yet always seem unreachable. Many of us, having embarked on our spiritual journey, have made changes but struggle to make the perceivable progress we desire.
When asked what the conditions for learning are, I have said that they are being willing to ask for Spirit’s guidance. Sounds so simple. I think it is that simple. It may not be easy if we are not willing to be open to it, but it is a simple concept. It boils down to preparing our minds to be receptive to the different ways of thinking that Spirit will offer us. Nothing will be forced on us for we are created with free will to create our thoughts. The Course gives us many ways to begin preparing ourselves. One is to rest in the One. Another is to let go of our attachments to our thoughts and beliefs. Surrendering to “what is” is another. Opening our mind is also suggested. Looking within to who and what we really are is another. We are asked to be open to the idea that we are whole, complete, limitless and holy, with the willingness to consider that this is our true nature and the essence of our being. We are asked to let go of our mistakes, the guilt we hold on to and the fear we feel toward others and ourselves. All of these suggestions and requests are gentle changes we can be willing to be open to as we allow Spirit to change the way we think about ourselves. It is a process that is designed to open us up to the freedom, peace and joy we already have, but have blocked from our awareness.
We have spent our lives denying ourselves the awareness of who we really are- our true Identity. Yes, we did the best we could with the world as it came to us, but we blocked our awareness of our true being as we focused on this world rather than our true Oneness Identity. Any direction we took was nothing more than a mistaken thought.
Any direction that would lead you where the Holy Spirit leads you not, goes nowhere. Anything you deny that Spirit knows to be true you have denied yourself, and Spirit must therefore teach you not to deny it. Undoing is indirect, as doing is. You were created only to create, neither to see nor do. These are but indirect expressions of the will to live, which has been blocked by the capricious and unholy whim of death and murder that your Source does not share with you. You have set yourself the task of sharing what cannot be shared. And while you think it possible to learn to do this, you will not believe all that is possible to learn to do. T-14.I.4.1-7
We have spent so much effort denying who we are. We have spent so much effort supporting that mistaken identity we believe ourselves to be. It seems impossible that allowing the conditions for learning could ever be so simple. Even the words of the Course seem difficult and seem to require great effort. Look beyond the appearance of the worlds. Look beyond the appearance of all you have experienced in this world. Releasing our identification with this world is the key. Release everything no matter how precious you value it. If it has real value it will remain with you. That which is not real will fade in importance as Spirt guides your mind in Its teaching. You will learn what you already know as you allow Spirit to guide your mind to the awareness of who you really are – the healing of your mind. Release, surrender and let go and you will have set up the conditions of learning – the openness to Spirit’s guidance.
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