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

will said…
DC,
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.
Christine said…
I just finished re-relistening to a tape collection by Kenneth Wapnick from one of his classes, made in 1999 or so called, "Climbing the Ladder Home". I have a number of these and I listen to them from time to time and get something "new" out of them every time I listen. On "Climbing the Ladder Home" Ken is not joking or laughing as much, but going right to task explaining certain aspects of the ego, etc. he is so focused, sharp, and clear here. One of the things he said about forgiveness on tape 5 was that one has to not only "forgive" (the Course's meaning here) but also to forget!! And the forgetting is to release the meaning we have given to something outside of us that disturbed our peace.
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!
Frank C said…
Hi all, you imaginary parts of my One Self...

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 said…
I can only be even slightly aware of Truth when I'm around nature. Trees, birds, billowing clouds. But as soon as I get on with my day my senses feed me hell again. Then I berate myself for being weak and incapable of sustaining the Four practices for Inner Peace. Then I remember Truth again. Back and forth, back and forth. If this is doing "nothing" I'd loath to see what "work" would be. I'm chuckling as I type this.

Jacomina
will said…
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
jacomina said…
Hi will

AAArrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhh

That's all I got left

hahahaahh
Frank C said…
Really? Why would you want to have a belief like that? I'd much rather "laugh my ass off"... LOLOLOL

Frank
jacomina said…
Hey Frank.


Good one. Thanks man.
Layla M said…
As for child abuse "not being real", many people have a question and confusion about this, and the mixed feelings it brings about. Just remember, the whole world isn't real, but you still wake up and eat breakfast, even when choosing Holy Spirit as your teacher. Why? Because when in Truth, our presence and form in this unreal world is a communication device for extending God's Love. So in Truth, whenever we, as God's extension, see or hear or witness something, be it abuse or a papercut, we let go, we listen and we follow the guidance at hand, which could be to turn away, call Child Protective Services, or for the papercut, go get a bandaid. Living in Truth does NOT mean you never extend God's Love into this world of form "because it's not real", it means just the opposite! You ALWAYS extend God's Love into this world, every second. What that extension, that Love will translate into as word or deed moves through us in the Holy Instant, which is why we seek to stay in this Holy Instant -- to be in service to God's Love.

Love to All
Layla
will said…
I put a post up last week about reality that was written by Joel Goldsmith (you can Google him). It's just my opinion but to walk around saying the world is not real when it clearly is to our mind is silly. If you're doing the Course in Miracles then you're able to grasp there are two levels we are forced to work in. The Text is a spiritual book and defines things like 'reality' in that sense. It is not possible for the personal mind to grasp what the spiritual definition of reality is. We have responsibilities here, we are supposed to be responsible people. We have families that depend on us, jobs to hold down and we're supposed to be 'happy learners.' We are involved in a long term spiritual program with long term goals. Our program says that it is experiential which means the changes come from the Holy Spirit not from our personal mind. We are asked to reframe reality in our mind to move towards a spiritual existence, if we couldn't do both what good would the Course be? The ego loves it for people to walk around saying the world is not real when it clearly is if we are still in that place. There comes a time when definitions of the world drop away and gradually we move into a spiritual existence that the Course is teaching.
jacomina said…
That's why Liz keeps telling us to focus on our awareness of the Truth. Instead we continue to focus on the world. I seem to understand that what Liz is saying is you needn't extend love where you "see" its lacking. You wont need too. With a firm experience of Truth, the abuse wont manifest for you anymore.
will said…
You have no choice but to focus on the world while you practice having an awareness of Truth. When you first sit down at the piano you may have a long term goal to play Beethoven but you realize that there is going to be a lot of practice before you get there. You can't just sit down and start pushing down on keys saying "I'm playing Beethoven" although a lot of people are tempted to do that with the Course. The Holy Spirit understands what is going on and if your long term intent is clear you can relax in the knowledge you are covered.

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
Christine said…
"Seek for what's false - unhealed in my mind"...Truth will always be Truth - it takes care of itself - don't have to worry about it. The Course is not easy - but it is simple...we do try to make things complicated, that's for sure. I look forward to hearing from my "split selves", too!
christine said…
Will, every time you mention a book, I have to buy it. I had heard of Joel Goldsmith on a Wapnick cd...thanks for mentioning his work again.
Christine said…
AND - what's "unhealed in my mind" is guilt! It all boils down to guilt. Just discovered this fact recently.
will said…
If your going to buy one of Joel's books get The Infinite Way it gives the foundation of what he is doing.

Also Google Peace Pilgrim she was a trip.
will said…
And again, if your new to this blog site I'm no expert on the Course, I just like to write down what I'm thinking. Half the time and more after 24hrs I have to delete what I wrote because I have been corrected. Liz is the expert and of course the literature.
Christine said…
Oh thanks, Will - no, 13 years into studying ACIM: I learned early on that Ken Wapnick said when new to the Course people try to blend and mold it to their previous learning ie., another religion, etc. Can't do it - it's One path, cannot be mixed or added onto or taken away from...like having one leg in one canoe and the other in another canoe then they split apart - gotta be on one boat to be clear.
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"!
nicci said…
extending gratitude to liz and everyone else here for the help you extend to me with your sharing. today's practice: to return gently to present moment with this, "i do not know", and then resting in His Love. endlessly, nicci
will said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
will said…
Right Christine. If your going to read Joel Goldsmith there is some very good information in there but IT IS apples and oranges as far as the Course teaches. Goldsmith died a year before Helen began scribing. His program which he called The Infinite Way is bible based. He lived from the 1880's up to the 1960's(?) I believe. You just have to take what you can use and leave the rest behind. You don't want to try to squeeze the two programs together. I'm sure everyone can figure it out.

Had some typo's above
will said…
"Our task is but to continue, as fast as possible, the necessary process of looking straight at all the interference and seeing it exactly as it is"(p.322). I'm beginning to see some of my comments about reality may be more about me than the Course.
christine said…
Yes, but the Course isn't just a theory, or a book, or just an idea: it is experiential...it's really wonderful to read/hear the contributions here on Liz's Blog to see the experiences we are perceiving, how we've reacted to them, what we've learned - and to see progress, undoing, unfoldment, etc. Even though "nothing is happening", only God is real, and we're dreaming of a figure (our split selves) who has all these stories going on - I love to see when something dawns on someone - it enlightens all of us.
will said…
The first five years I was studying the Course were spent sitting on my bed with the Text, a dictionary, a pencil and paper, Wapnick’s workbooks, Liz’s correspondence sitting in front of me trying to figure out what the heck was going on. That is a long time to be confused. Years ago when I got sober as soon as the alcohol and drugs were gone I was faced with an ego on steroids. A true monster that took no quarters. I felt like I had a hurricane going on inside my head. While starting the Course is not as dramatic as that, you are still faced with a formidable foe plus you don’t understand the information that is there to help you. My goal in writing about my life with the Course is to reach the person sitting on the bed, to break things down to that level. I try to not use the jargon just so others will know how far along I am in the Course. There are plenty of people and literature out there doing that. When I am willing to drop the pretense the Holy Spirit can come rushing in.
Frank C said…
Today, I'm reading T29.VII: Seek Not Outside Yourself... so perfectly synchronistic to counter my temptation to see a world in need of "help"... the message is so clear and perfect: there is no lack or error "out there"... it is always only in my mind.

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... ;-)
will said…
Very Good Frank. My memories of starting the Course were of reading each sentence three times trying to figure out what it was saying before moving on to the next sentence. I'm beginning to see that I thought everyone had to go through that and that just isn't the case. Typical for me to put everyone into my paradigm. Putting the Course into some kind of usable whole was years down the road.
Frank C said…
I stand firmly in my conviction to perceive only Perfect Innocence in my Brother (and Sister) as I let go of my wish to see a world of separation, sin and death. Together, we now live as One in the Happy Dream, free of all littleness and limitation as I invite, with all my heart and will, the Holy Spirit to assist me in looking upon my error, that it may be corrected through His perfect forgiveness. I thank my Brother and Sister for their gift of Love, and in their reflection, I see my Holy Self, and remember I am One with everything in God's Creation. Thank you, Father, for your Perfect Son (and Daughter;-)

I rest in PEACE... Amen
will said…
That's a great prayer. Your covered. But there was a time when you weren't aware you were covered or how to get there. You had 'littleness and limitation' in your mind.
will said…
It's a quandary Frank. When I read the text it says exactly what I understand you to be saying. Kind of like the quote "I need do nothing." And that is how I practice the Course every day, very much like your prayer. But then there are people out there like Liz who are writing all these books and have web sites to try and simplify the Course. It's a quandary or maybe I just don't understand what your saying. Probably both.
Frank C said…
Time is an illusion, so that never happened (in reality, that is) Ok, so maybe I thought it was real, but I feel that the sooner we commit to living in the Present (where none of that limiting stuff ever happened), then sooner we actually ARE there (here, now;-)

let the past go... I have the most impact on reality when I accept MY healing , now...
will said…
“It is one thing for me to acknowledge that the Christ is incarnated in you and for you to acknowledge that the Christ is incarnated in me. It is quite another thing to reach the place of recognizing that there is no “you” and there is no “me”: there is only Christhood. You are going to discover, as everyone has on this path, that there are some painful steps before you reach the Promised Land. Problem after problem we overcome in ourselves until eventually we rise to where problems no longer enter consciousness because we have attained Christhood. But until that point, it is overcoming, overcoming, and overcoming, and overturning and overturning until the Christ is incarnated in us.”

J. G.
will said…
So along this very difficult road people have put books or websites to act as road markers so you will know you have not wandered off on some side trail.
will said…
And I would say to you Frank, there has not been one thing you have said that is not spot on; that was not exactly right. But that is why it is a quandary (a difficult situation; a situation in which you are confused about what to do) to the person just breaking the binding on the Text.
will said…
Well after sleeping on it I'm not sure most if not all of what I wrote wasn't just ego based stuff. I usually just delete everything but I'll let these comments stand and people can come to their own conclusions and perhaps find some clarity for themselves.
Christine said…
Just confusing Levels (Level 1 and Level 2 stuff) trying to combine them, it gets muddled. Level 1 is that none of this is true...Level 2 is, BUT since we have the BELIEF that it is real, and that we're here, and that there is a here...we just have to (or need to) become aware of inner peace/ self forgiveness...thus return to heaven, the perfect state of Mind, in reality, we've never left.
jacomina said…
Liz.
do you think we're intellectualizing it too much instead of experiencing it more?
ACIM Mentor said…
You will intellectualize it until you experience it more. If you feel that you are getting bogged down in thinking about it too much then stop and invite the experience.
jacomina said…
okay. a kabillion thanks. i am bogged, clogged, fogged and logged. love jacomina

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