Ask: Can you take us through how forgiveness has changed for you?
Wondering if you
could just take us through a day in the life for you in regards to
"forgiving". And maybe how you
first started "forgiving" versus how you do it now.
From forgiving
the whole world to forgiving a hang nail.
Sometimes it seems when I read about child abuse for example, and I say
"it's not real" it kind of feels like I'm discounting the horrible
pain the child has gone thru…it's just my projection seems kind of like a cop
out or something.....I really do understand it's all a dream, but still. I've
been doing my forgiveness work for almost 3 years now and I really don't feel
any happier or peaceful and it's starting to zap my motivation.....
I
do what the Course says:
1. Notice it - acknowledge it's you/your
projections
2. Realize it isn't real/truth
3. Release it to the Holy Spirit
Am I doing
something wrong ? –
DC
The reason you cannot forgive is
that the world and your projections onto it are still very real to you. You are
trying to forgive from the ego.
In the beginning it was the same for
me. I finally gave up trying to forgive or to do anything that I thought I read
in A Course in Miracles. I decided
one day that I would focus on what I knew already worked for me: Communing with
God (True Being) daily and maintaining my relationship with the Holy Spirit. I
did this for a while, and nothing else, and lo and behold forgiveness happened of
itself! This is why I emphasize growing your awareness of Truth rather than
trying to forgive. Growing your awareness of Truth is the way to forgive. You do not forgive the world by looking at
it and trying to convince yourself that it isn’t real. You forgive the world by
looking away from it and toward Truth instead. To let go of the world you must
become aware that the Truth is Reality. Otherwise all you’ve got is the ego and
its projections.
So when something comes up that
disturbs your peace use it as a reminder to turn your mind to Truth. Don’t try
to forgive it; just use it to remember Truth. As the Truth becomes true for you
the world will become less true for you. Then you will not feel that you are
copping out when you say it isn’t real. You will truly know that it isn’t real.
Now I spend my day maintaining my
awareness of Truth and forgiveness happens of itself. In fact, I don’t even
think in terms of “forgiveness” anymore because there’s nothing there to
forgive.
>>>>>
Learn about the books The ACIM Mentor Articles, The Plain Language A Course in Miracles, 4 Habits for Inner Peace, and Releasing Guilt 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
Good question, good answer. Seems like everyone has to go through what you’re talking about. It has only been fairly recently that the Holy Spirit showed up for me. It was a long haul doing forgiveness with the ego. There never was any positive feedback or change and I couldn’t keep it up consistently. I don’t know how many times I said to the Holy Spirit “Come on let’s get with it! I’m tired of doing this!” If I hadn’t been really sure of what I was doing in studying and practicing the Course I’d have quit. Maybe there are spiritual changes taking place that we are not consciously aware of and until we reach the right point not much is happening. I don’t know. When the HS ‘finally’ showed up things began to change fairly rapidly. Not just forgiveness but spiritual communication too. Maybe give up on the way you’re doing forgiveness and try something new? For a while now I have been picturing everything as a giant neutral screen that I’m looking at. Everything is neutral, people, places, things like Liz is always talking about. When I project a judgment out at someone or something it won’t stick to the screen and comes back at me. After a while I realized I live in a fantasy world. The ego tells me what to think or what to feel or do and I go about trying to make that true. But it’s not, it’s just crap going round and round in my head, trying to live out a fantasy that is only real to me. Of course I have been told by good friends that I have been doing this forever but what can you do, I didn’t see it until I could.
I finally downloaded via Kindle your e-book Releasing Guilt!I had a computer geek come over last week to fix some other issue and I asked him to help me install the Kindle feature...I asked him to help me get "this book I really have been wanting to read for so long"...I got it, he saw what the title was and he said, "Releasing Guilt? That's the book you really wanted? What, are you Catholic?" Ha!
Great stuff, as usual.. it's funny how we all try to make this so difficult, when the Course clearly states we need do nothing... aaahhh, the ego loves how we "try to make it happen".
As Liz states, and I've confirmed in my own experience, the real key to effective change is to focus on the connection to Truth... the mind can only hold one thought at a time, and once I made the commitment to only think of the Truth (by constantly consciously repeating my "daily mantra"), I found that IT was there (here, now) on a more consistent basis... after all, I made this dream, and I see what I've chosen to see... I now choose Truth!!
That's it.. it's that simple.. I either choose the ego, or I choose Truth... and the proof of which one I've chosen is the world I see... a dream of evil or the Happy Dream... how perfect and simple!!
In the Light and Love we ALL share in the One Mind of God...
Frank
Jacomina
I'm laughing too. There are a number of one liners in the Course like 'I have to do nothing.' Their true but also have a Catch 22 to them. So basically yes you have to work your ass off. lol
AAArrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhh
That's all I got left
hahahaahh
Frank
Good one. Thanks man.
Love to All
Layla
All people need to know is their doing great just like everyone else. Struggling with the Course means you are doing it correctly (in my opinion). None of this stuff I'm writing is directed towards anyone it's just a rant. lol
Also Google Peace Pilgrim she was a trip.
I know reading other literature, or even going to a church service somewhere sometime doesn't mean you are taking in that mode of thought - just being normal - I even take the pamphlets the Johosephs Witnesses give me at my front door - I read it, too! I was walking one of my dogs last week - and every time I turned around I came upon a pamphlet from Born Again Christians! On the grass at the park, on the sidewalk, and even when I went to mail a bill - There was a pamphlet placed where you open the mailbox! They were all about fire and brimstone and a condemning God! Oh my! I had a good laugh thinking jokingly - oh, here we go, it's a "sign"!
Had some typo's above
When I see a need for "help" or "correction" in someone else, I'm just reinforcing the belief in what I want to see: a world I made to "prove" that I am a body, separate and in danger of being attacked, and therefore "justified" in my "need to fix it" before it "gets me". In an instant, I am returned to sanity as I forgive myself for what I thought was real, and return to TRUTH in my mind, where I let the Holy Spirit correct my error in perception and remind me that "As the Light of the world, my only function is forgiveness". Now, I receive my brother's gift as I remember we are always One in the Mind of God.
Further on in the text is one of my most favorite quotes: "do you prefer that you be right or happy"... and, along with this, another that keeps popping into my mind (may not be exact wording)" if you are thinking, you are attacking"... WOW, can it be any more clear than that!? I think not... LOL
This is not aimed at anyone in particular... my intention is to only share my insanity, so that I can remember than I am already always in the the TRUTH, despite my wish to think otherwise. After all, there is only ONE of us Here, NOW... ;-)
I rest in PEACE... Amen
let the past go... I have the most impact on reality when I accept MY healing , now...
J. G.
do you think we're intellectualizing it too much instead of experiencing it more?