Ask: Is it part of the path that everything I enjoyed is gone or disappointing?


“I've been a student of ACIM for four years now. I feel I have been making steady progress in remembering who I am and my relationship to the ‘world’ and ‘others’, but lately I've been hit left, right and center by what I call ‘disappointments’. It seems that everything I once enjoyed about life is either gone, changing for the worse, or just plain a big disappointment. Is this a natural part of waking up, is it aging, or am I completely on the wrong path since I feel this way? I've been talking this over with the Holy Spirit, which feels very comforting, but I can't help but feel sad these days…” – JB

What you feel is typical for a new student of A Course in Miracles. Disillusionment, lack of motivation, lack of interest, depression, etc. often occurs in the first few years. Even though you are still in the intellectual stage, you have learned to question the ego (personal thought system) and your values are changing. The meaning you gave to the things you enjoyed is no longer there. And you have not yet imbued those things with new meaning. This is the beginning of the “period of sorting out” (M-4.I.A.4).

The first shift students make is to see every situation as a classroom where they learn of the Holy Spirit rather than as an end in itself. The first part of this shift is releasing the meaning you gave to things. So everything seems empty for a while. This will change as you learn to use everything as a way to be with the Holy Spirit. All things will then have one purpose for you, giving them meaning, and simplifying your life.

So give your interests, work, relationships, etc. to the Holy Spirit. The purpose for doing this is not for some desired outcome, but to grow your awareness of the Holy Spirit. Eventually, It will become your Constant Companion and this relationship will supply all the meaning you need in any situation.

>>>> 
The period of sorting out is the most uncomfortable stage. You do not have to go through it alone. Email me at Liz@acimmentor.com to set up a telephone appointment. Learn more at www.acimmentor.com.

If you have a question the answer to which you think will help others, email it to me at Liz@acimmentor.com and indicate that you want it answered in the newsletter/blog.

Comments

will said…
I wanted to post something that just happened that is extremely helpful to me and hopefully will be to you if you’re are having the same problem I had.

I have spent my entire spiritual life up to 15 minutes ago with the mindset of waiting for the Holy Spirit to, ‘take action.’ Kind of a, “OK I’m ready now Holy Spirit, fix me.” Liz just posted a comment on last weeks blog that says:

Will, I went into shock for four years because, after much preparation, I could handle that level of shock. If you could handle it, it would happen. No one is holding you back. You will accept it when you are ready to accept it. You are not separate from the Holy Spirit. IT IS YOU. And It is taking very good care of you.

Do you see? It was the ego telling the Holy Spirit to hurry up and fix me. Why? Because it increased the pain of doing spirituality.
11:18 AM
will said…
Doing what I was talking about increases: Impatience, Disbelief in the Holy Spirit, Jesus and the Course, frustration, beating up on yourself for not making progress, all that stuff. Very much an ego thing.
11:26 AM
will said…
Doing the Course has to be more than just us as individuals on a spiritual path. Jesus encourages us to accept the joy in sharing.
11:42 AM
will said…
When I was getting sober in AA I learned a life lesson.I would have thoughts, ideas, and they would be rolling around in my head and I'd be thinking how smart I was and couldn't wait to get to tonight's meeting and my chance to talk. It would blow them away. So I'd raise my hand and launch into all this stuff I'd been thinking. It only takes a minute or a second when you get it out of your head and it is out there where you can see it to realize, "Oh my God I must be nuts." But if you don't say it or write it down you will never know this. It's how you learn. I write stuff on the blog and look at it tomorrow and I say " For God's sake Will". But I learn.
11:00 PM
JontheArtist said…
...Will, always apprecite your comments::)))
12:10 PM
will said…
I was a counselor for many years in mental health and alcohol and drugs. I went to counseling myself for a number of years. I was only marginally good as a counselor. You have to have some natural skills with people that I don’t have. My ex wife was the best. She was raised as the oldest child in an alcoholic-mentally ill family with seven kids. She had skills up the wazoo.
In a very simplified form this is what counseling is. You sit in a room and talk out loud to another person. A lot of the therapeutic value is talking out loud, getting it out in front of you so you (and the other person) can see it. I say “see it” because I picture the words coming out in the open in front of you. You have taken the thoughts out of the immediate grasp of the ego.
For those who don’t like to write or talk about these things to other people that’s fine. If you talk to Jesus or the Holy Spirit “out loud” in your car driving or at home, whatever, you get the same result. You are putting the thoughts out there in front of you and Jesus. You will get results from this guaranteed. They will show up in your mind or life in a day or days. Maybe sooner.
The thing is if you don’t say or write these things they just roll around in the mind with the ego doing whatever negative things it wants to you. This is also a good way to break repetitive thoughts if you have that problem.
1:26 PM
Christine said…
Will, right on! (write on!)
2:01 PM
Witness to Peace said…
I hear a lot about giving it to the Holy Spirit but I really don't understand what that means or how to go about it. I really after all these years don't have any sense of the Holy Spirit at all.

I don't quite understand everything you're saying Will but it's interesting I read your comments in the midst of feeling very low because I'm getting nowhere fast - not opening to Spirit, not experiencing miracles and hearing about friends of mine and their experiences of wholeness and eternity just depressed me. If it takes willingness and readiness, I don't understand what made me so unwilling or unable to release my fear and guilt - how come Jesus just came in to THEIR mind and spoke to them and not me. It just doesn't make sense to me.
7:28 AM
will said…
Witness, I would not want you to think I didn't not read your comment or think it was not important. But Liz is such a better resource for help than me I will leave it to her to respond.
12:13 PM
ACIM Mentor said…
WTP, often when I speak one on one with clients I find they DO hear the HS, they are just expecting something different. It's not always a Voice. Usually, it's an unformed idea rising or just a knowing. Sometimes we hear the HS through others, through a book, a movie, etc.

If you have obstacles to the HS, they come up when you try to hear the HS, when they go to meditate, etc. Some thought arises indicating the obstacle. What I've noticed over the years is that those who do hear the HS are those who believe they can. So look for thoughts of unworthiness as well as attachment to being a victim or to being the "special" one who CANNOT hear the HS!The ego will make you special even in negative ways.
2:31 PM
will said…
Witness, That thing about being "The One" who "cant" hear the Holy Spirit was the go to attack mode of the ego in my life for years! It is just the most nasty stuff. It feels so righteous to feel special that way.
4:02 PM
Witness to Peace said…
Thanks for your comments Will and Liz. Can you say more about what it means to give things over to the Holy Spirit and how you truly do that? Thankyou
6:09 AM
ACIM Mentor said…
WTP, "giving over to the HS" means being willing to let the HS lead the way in whatever it is. It is a feeling of openness and willingness within. There's nothing you have to "do", as in say the right words, etc. It's all about the feeling of willingness. If you cannot find the willingness, then you need to look for your obstacles to being willing.
7:41 PM
Deb said…
Liz, can you touch on the idea of being complacent on the path? Does this tie into your previous comment about willingness?

Thank you, Deb
10:27 AM
Deb said…
Oh, too funny . . . I just heard, being pleased with "oneself".

So I am getting, being stuck in the "I know" mind which can be anobstacle?
10:44 AM
ACIM Mentor said…
Yes, Deb, complacency would be an obstacle to being willing. No one who thinks they already know is open.
10:55 AM
will said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
4:07 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ask: What is meant by "extend Love"?

I wonder exactly what is meant by "extend love" or how one extends love. Is it a loving intention toward the person, or a wish for them, or what? Can you give an example? – JO “Extending love” means replacing unloving thoughts in your mind with the awareness of Love in your mind. For example, your peace of mind is disturbed while watching something on television. Your peace is gone because you believe that what you see is reality. You extend Love in this situation by turning inward to Truth (God), feeling Love’s Presence within you, and remembering that It, not the images appearing, is What is Real. It may take you a while to accept that only your own thoughts cause you pain. So at first you may feel that you need to extend Love “out there” to the images that seem to be causing you pain. Or you may extend Love to another who is sharing their painful story with you. You can do this by imagining the situation or the person in a Loving Light. Or you may use some other image to
Read more

Committed to the Spiritual Process

If you’ve been reading my blog/newsletter for the past few weeks then you know significant things have occurred in the life of this mind. Four years ago the ego (personal thought system) fell away. I didn’t realize it fully and I spent three and a half years personally in a rather barren place in this mind, though there was peace in the rest of my mind. I did feel done with the world, but I didn’t know what that meant. I just stayed with the feeling, wondering what would come next. The next thing arrived in this mind last summer with a subtle shift from emptiness to a delicious Spaciousness. This was followed by beautiful Golden Light, Love, and Joy filling the Space. Bewilderingly, an effect of this was a romance novel! From there, the Light and the shifts continued. During this time a client in Australia whom I have called Zelda in these articles, but whose real name is Hannah, became a friend as well. We grew closer over several months and began to experience a lot of sync
Read more

Evolving Practice with ACIM

           The Course was dictated to two who had a sense of Spirit working in their lives. After all, they were taking down the Course itself! The Universal Christ Mind sought to develop and grow their awareness of Spirit through the lessons in the Workbook as well as simply in discussion with them, privately and through the Course . And for those who find the Course and already have an awareness of Spirit, even if only dimly, the Course functions in the same way. Through the practice suggested, they develop their trust in Spirit. But for many who come to the Course , the discernment of Spirit within has not yet occurred. For them, practice is the means of opening to the awareness and experience of Spirit. Those who do not understand this often feel frustrated and even angry with the Course for suggesting that they should be having experiences that they do not yet have. They feel that they fall short when they read the instructions and descriptions in the lessons, when the appr
Read more