Ask: What is a day like for you, Liz?


…Liz, I would like to know what a current day is like in the mind of an Advanced Teacher of God. Specially, I'd like to know spiritually what a whole day is like for you from waking to bedtime…some real life situations as to what you do in your mind relative to practicing ACIM with everyday practical situations. What is your waking hour like in terms of meditation or prayer? How do you deal with life situations that arise during the day like finding out your water is off due to a pipe in the street bursting, like what words do you say to the Holy Spirit relative to frustration? You see someone on TV who is in your eyes stunningly beautiful. Do you laugh with the Holy Spirit knowing it's just an erroneous belief in the ego? What words to think in your mind and can you allow yourself to continue to watch without any serious investment as to that attractive person being "salvation"? I think I'm struggling to understand the daily practical application as to exactly how an advanced teacher of God actually converses with Spirit… JK

            Before I answer this I want to caution you that you should not try to make your mind as my mind is. You must let your awareness of God (Truth) grow naturally and let this have its natural effect on your mind. Be where you are now and learn the lessons that are in front of you today. The only way to move forward is to take the step in front of you, not to stretch to one somewhere down the road that you have not reached yet. You will only fall over and delay yourself.
I cannot speak to the day of an advanced teacher of God because I am not one. I am advancing but hardly advanced. I have spent the past few years coming to the understanding that the next step for me is true release of the ego (personal thought system). If I have even begun that I have only barely begun. I am at the very beginning of the end.
My mind is, however, very different from the way it was. It is much quieter. I am able to live in the present with Truth. I have Everything right here right now within me so I blissfully have no goals for myself in the world. Peace is always in my awareness to some degree. When I have been absorbed in something in the world I turn my mind back to peace very easily now. The line between me and the Holy Spirit (Teacher of Truth) has blurred. It is no longer “other”. I do not “call on” It anymore. It is What my mind is when I release the ego. The world does not seem dense and real to me anymore. I am not really aware of this, however, until I speak with someone for whom the world is very dense and real. Then I remember how dark it used to be for me and I gratefully see how my mind has changed. My whole experience is lighter, both in terms of brightness and weight.
My life is like meditation in action because peace is always in my awareness to some degree. Just as in formal meditation, where I am in ego thoughts, then I dip into peace, then I’m back into ego, then back into peace, and on and on - I dip in and out of peace all day. Sometimes the peace dominates and it is in the forefront of my experience. Sometimes it is in the background and the ego’s clamor dominates. But I always have some degree of peace. So I no longer need structure with regard to formal meditation. I meditate at least once a day when it seems natural to do so.
If something unexpected like a burst pipe occurs, unless I’m really centered, I do the usual swearing and ranting and getting into a whole story about how this is ruining my day and how are we going to pay for this? I let this pass and then I bring my mind back to the present with Truth and do what needs to be done to take care of it.
When I find someone attractive on TV or in person I enjoy the view. I am whole right here right now in Truth so the ego’s forms of “salvation” no longer tempt me. I am so aware of Wholeness within and the passing nature of the personal experience that I do not cling to the ego’s pleasures or suffer over its pains. I let it all come up and I let it all go, without judging any of it
When the Holy Spirit seemed like something “other” to me, I conversed with It as I would with any friend, albeit one Who was wise and all-knowing. At first It was Something that seemed far from me. Then for a long time It was my Constant Companion, always right here to talk to. Finally, the line between us blurred and I went from calling on It to simply experiencing Its Thoughts as my own. But it was never the words I used or their formality or informality that invited the Holy Spirit into my awareness. The words were for me to focus my thoughts for myself. The Holy Spirit didn’t need them. The Holy Spirit came into my awareness because I was open and willing to experience the Holy Spirit. 

>>>>
Learn about the books The ACIM Mentor Articles, The Plain Language A Course in Miracles, and 4 Habits for Inner Peace at www.acimmentor.com.
If you have a question the answer to which you think will help others send it to Liz@acimmentor.com and indicate that you want it answered in the ACIM Mentor Newsletter/Blog.

Comments

will said…
An excellent question. If you think of anything else Liz please post.
3:58 PM
Jo Chandler said…
Hey, what a wonderful sharing. I found it so helpful to see how your process works. Gives me great hope.

Jo
7:55 AM
Frank C said…
Hi, Liz...

This pretty much describes how my life has become, too, although I'm certainly not implying that our experiences are identical. I've found that, although there have been some undeniable major "breakthroughs", the changes I've experienced have been mostly very subtle and totally transparent to my everyday "normal" world-view. At first, I was expecting some kind of "earth-shattering miracles", but I've found that my shifts in consciousness, and the subsequent persistent background peace that has resulted, came to me very slowly and in almost imperceivable increments. In retrospect, I now understand that it had to be that way for it to be permanent and to not cause any personal trauma.

How it shows up for me is that the gap between some external "stimulus" (upset, breakdown, setback, etc.) and my "automatic response", has widened, and I'm able to choose which part of my mind I want to listen to before I take action. And, on even those few occasions when I "slip up" and listen to the ego, I'm able to return to my peaceful center more quickly. The extent of my internal transformation is hard to measure until I step back and remind myself how I would have reacted to the situation in the past.

PEACE!!
8:03 AM
will said…
Well said Frank. Having people who are further along the path tell whats happening is invaluable, at least to me. If you get to drinking coffee and want to say some more I for one would like to read it.
12:30 PM
Frank C said…
Hi, Will

It's always nice to connect with other sincere ACIM students/teachers. It would be difficult to share my experiences here, but if you want to connect with me, check my profile by clicking on my name and you will find my blog and email address. My blog is kind of a random bunch of miscellaneous thoughts and I'm inconsistent with my posts, but it would give you some insight into what my experiences and beliefs are.

Whatever you choose to do, it will be perfect for you!! ;-)
9:05 AM
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