THE UNIVERSAL CURRICULUM

By Lawrence Wilson, MD

INTRODUCTION

This article presents a non-dualistic thought system, sometimes called the Universal Curriculum. A Course in Miracles states that we will all follow this curriculum some day. I'm sharing it because it has been extremely helpful for me and for others. I guarantee it will cure you of negativity, despair and cynicism if you assimilate it into your consciousness and really live the principles. For more depth, The Real Self, a small book I wrote, is an expanded and refined version of this article. Also, I found most helpful three series of tapes called The Way of the Heart, The Way of Transformation and the Way of Knowing. These are offered through the Shanti Christo Foundation or at (505) 216-7541.

The principles in this article flow together as one system. Picking and choosing among them will not work, as they depend on each other. It is a holistic system in which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This is most important. If an idea below rubs you the wrong way, sit with it a while. Perhaps it needs more explaining, or it needs to be viewed in context. At some time I will expand the sections below to include more explanation.

Here are the ideas, followed by explanations.

* I Choose to Love Myself

* I Am Sovereign and All-Powerful

* I Remain in the Present

* Every Thought is Powerful

* I Take Full Responsibility For My Life

* All Events Are Neutral

* My Past is Perfect

* No Seriousness Allowed

* All the World is a Stage

* I Choose to Radiate, Not Absorb

* I Give From Fullness

* I Do Not Seek For Love

* I Allow, Rather than Strive

* I Choose for Peace

* I Forgive Seventy Times Seven Times

* My Stuff is Not My Stuff

* I Choose To Let My Light Shine

* Love Alone Heals

* I Stop Seeking. I Have Found

* There is No Guilt

* There Are No Victims

* Failure is Impossible

I CHOOSE TO LOVE MYSELF

This is a central principle. It is based on the idea that I am always one with God, always loved, and never alone. This is a real feeling, but it begins with a decision. Only after one makes the decision to love the self will the feeling begin to be experienced and felt. The decision must come first, and the feeling will follow.

Love yourself as God loves you - totally and unconditionally. No ifs, ands or buts! Love all your creations, even what you consider mistakes, incompetence, selfishness and all else because only love heals. You can only know the Father by loving his children - including you. Include yourself in the circle of your love, in the circle of your giving.

Most people love some parts of the self, but not others. As a result, you may accept people, ideas, and things into your life that are not really worthy of you, and reject goodness, prosperity, and love that is yours. So look carefully for thoughts of unworthiness, undeservedness, and even self-loathing - and let them go.

Loving the self does not mean indulging the ego. The ego is here defined as the confused mix of fears, anxieties and other baggage learned from the world. It is a substitute for the real self, which is all-knowing and one with the Creator. Living the new thought system involves discerning which voice is speaking to you, the ego or the real self.

Exercise: Say, many times, "I am loved, I am loving, I am lovable". If any of these statements are difficult for you, work with them until they feel totally comfortable.

I AM ALWAYS SOVEREIGN AND ALL-POWERFUL

Restoring a feeling of power is central to the new thought system. You are a sovereign master. That is your nature as a spiritual being. Even if you are in prison, this does not affect your basic identity. As a result, no one does anything to you without your permission. Note however, you can use your power to give your power away. This is what most people do most of the time. Then they mistakenly blame others for circumstances and misfortunes.

Sometimes one hesitates to take back power because one fears it will be abused, or that one does not deserve it. You may look at politicians or others and see what seems to be the abuse of power. Let us address this concern.

Within this new thought system, there is no such thing as abuse of power. Everyone operates from his or her power all the time as a co-creator of their lives. There may be an agreement with another that one will oppress the other. But this is done from a position of sovereignty of BOTH participants.

The senses deceive one into thinking some are powerful while others are not. This is never the truth in the new thought system. Full power is the reality of spirit. Therefore, let go of the fear of power. If you must feel powerless, say "I use all my sovereign power to become terrified of my power".

A logical extension of this idea is that you have no power over others, as they are all-powerful, too. Therefore you cannot hurt another. Therefore, guilt is always unreal. This does not mean that guilt, or the judgment of culpability, is not real in the system of thinking. If one robs a bank and is caught, one is guilty. However, in the new thought system, it is impossible to hurt another without the consent of the other party so that guilt is unreal.

Exercise: Repeat often, "I and I alone created this situation. Thus I have the power to correct it". Repeat often, "I and I alone am sovereign in my life". The opposite of sovereignty is victimhood or 'subject to'. Note whenever you feel like a victim and you will know when you have given your power away. Keep loving yourself and take your power back.

I REMAIN IN THE PRESENT MOMENT

Only the present is real. All power is in the present. Concerns over the past or future must be handled in the present. All information is available in the present. Living in the present is the best preparation for the future. In fact, in the new thought system time is unreal, as it is a function of the ego. Any issue that you must clear up from the past must be handled in the present, so staying in the present is not a way of avoiding problems. It is merely a perspective.

Exercise: Repeat often, "I am in the right place at the right time". If you find yourself in guilt or remorse, you are in the past. If you find yourself anxious or afraid, you are in the future. Most people live in the past or future 95% of the time. Pull yourself back to the present, thousands of times if necessary, until the mind is potty trained not to go there.

EVERY THOUGHT IS POWERFUL

Be vigilant with your thoughts. Your thoughts are like pebbles thrown into a pond. Each creates a ripple that spreads out to all of humanity, influencing not only your life but that of everyone around you. The saying, "you can't afford a negative thought" is far truer than one might imagine.

Many people pray, affirm and strive hard for what they desire. Results are often slow in coming because in between these prayers and affirmations one indulges the opposite thoughts - fear, anxiety, and thoughts of undeserving. This weakens or neutralizes the positive thoughts. The phrase from the bible for this principle is "be vigilant for the Kingdom". A Course In Miracles expresses it as "remember only your loving thoughts, and teach only love."

Exercise: Learning to observe your thoughts takes some practice. It helps to practice by slowing down. Walk slower, eat slower, talk slower and breathe slower and deeper. This will slow down the thought process and make it easier to listen to your thoughts. You can always speed up later, once you understand your thinking process better.

I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY LIFE

Taking full responsibility for your life is taking back your power. If you are not responsible, it means someone or something else is controlling you, and you are not powerful.

Our modern welfare society teaches people they are not responsible for their lives. We are told that parents, governments, corporations, or genetic 'accidents' like race and sex cause our problems. This is always a lie. It is the victim mentality and the opposite of responsibility and personal power.

In many people's minds, responsibility is linked to guilt. If one is responsible, it means one is guilty of something. It is important to separate these. Responsibility means the ability to respond. Guilt is a judgment of blame. Let go of any negative associations with the idea of responsibility.

Responsibility for one's entire life may feel burdensome. Remind yourself that although responsibility is yours, of yourself you do nothing. The Father or God does it through you.

Many people feel that being responsible is a heavy burden. This is usually because they have taken on more than their share. They believe they are good people for feeling responsible for the problems or situations of others. You are not responsible for others, as they are sovereign, even if they seem dependent and helpless. A partial exception is minor children. Parents are responsible under the law. However, even minor children have chosen their situation at a spiritual level.

Exercise: Notice whenever you feel like a victim - of your birth, your genetics, your friends, your job, your spouse, your children, your dog, illness, poverty, misfortune and so forth and so on. You will be amazed at how often this old pattern surfaces.

ALL EVENTS ARE NEUTRAL

Events just are. We judge them and give them meaning. A rainstorm can be judged as negative if you are planning a picnic, or very positive if you are a farmer and depend on the rain for your crops.

If events were not neutral, one would be a slave to them or a victim of them. You and only you give meaning to events through your perception and judgment of them. A key to the new thought system is shifting the way you perceive events.

The ego mind will ask, "How can you say the holocaust was a neutral event!" "What about the destruction of the planet?" Perhaps the holocaust was a huge cleansing of the planet, needed to wake up many sleepy minds. Maybe the destruction of life on the planet is necessary to allow a more advanced civilization to develop here. And of course, these events only affect physical life, not the spiritual side of life, which cannot be harmed or destroyed. Challenge your friends and your ego to prove these possibilities incorrect.

I AM HERE TO WAKE UP

The holy spirit is orchestrating your life to help you wake up. It is only the ego that wants the "comfortable life". The spirit wants to wake up, and brings about whatever is best for your particular ego structure to jolt the soul into awakening. If you don't get the message, don't worry - another situation will be presented.

Exercise: Repeat often: "I can be at peace with this."

MY PAST IS PERFECT

Re-viewing your past offers many opportunities to change your perception of events. The fearful ego loves to dwell on the dramas of childhood, past relationships, illnesses, abuse, etc. The fact is, it was all perfect because it brought you to your present place of open-mindedness and wisdom.

If things had been different, you might never have arrived where you are today. Besides, if things had been different you might well be dead of a car accident or something else. Notice how insane it is to say "what if", or "if only". Let go of any such crazy thoughts as they come up.

This does not mean to deny pain you may feel about your past. You can still realize that the past was perfect, even if you experienced it as painful. By so doing, painful memories will begin to subside.

ALL THE WORLD IS A STAGE

This principle can help one understand the apparent insanity around us. It states that the world we see is but the projection of people’s thoughts, somewhat like a motion picture, which is just a projection. It may appear insane because many minds are very mixed up. They think violent thoughts, thoughts of lack, thoughts of famine, disease, etc. In Buddhism, the world is called maya or illusion.

The idea is that the world is a kind of stage play where ego minds act out their dramas. In fact, we are the actors, the directors, the audience, and the critics who write the reviews.

Some people choose for their parts to be the oppressor, the oppressed, the cowboy, the villain, the comedian, the murderer, etc. Some choose life as a tragedy, a comedy, or a thriller. At the end of the story, they all pack up and go home together, and all is well. This principle can help you not to take things too seriously.

Exercise: Imagine playing different parts in a play. Realize they are all equal in value. Try on different parts for yourself and don't be afraid of your 'image'.

COMMITMENT, BUT NO SERIOUSNESS ALLOWED

If the world you see is but a projection of the thoughts of billions of people, it is definitely unreal, just as a movie is not real life.

Taking the world too seriously invariably leads to problems, just as if you took every fantasy movie you saw seriously. Playfulness is a quality of enlightenment. A sense of humor is a mark of wisdom.

The ego mind may scream, "How can I laugh when I have no money, or I feel terrible?" You can! And often it will break an impasse.

Originally, we only played with this reality. Things got crazy when we took things seriously. Too much seriousness is pathological - a sign you've been 'on the path' too long. This does not mean do not be committed. Commitment is necessary, but it needn't be somber.

Exercise: See the humor in everything. Be silly. Play. See what events or subjects cause you to be serious - politics, religion, environmentalism or others, and don't let it happen! See the world as a stage play only.

I CHOOSE TO RADIATE RATHER THAN ABSORB

This interesting principle states that one is here to extend love, not to absorb all the apparent misery that is in the world. This idea is especially important for those 'sensitive' people, who pick up others' vibrations. Taking in the vibes around you, instead of putting out your truth and your love, can really trip you up.

The idea of taking in the misery of others and sharing it is an integral part of the old thought system. One is accepted and feels one is a good person because one commiserates with others, that is - joining others in their misery. However, it is possible to be empathetic without soaking it up.

It is a poor choice to constantly absorb the energies of others, and worse, to believe that it means you are good person or that you have no choice. You are here to radiate or extend the love and the peace of God, and it is a choice.

Exercise: Imagine you have a light bulb in the middle of your chest, and you are radiating or extending your light outward in all directions. This is in fact the truth of what you are here to do. Shift your thinking. Say I am here to radiate and extend love. I am not here to take anything in. It doesn't matter what others do or say.

I GIVE FROM FULLNESS

Giving is wonderful. How you give makes a difference. There are two ways to give, from fullness or from emptiness. Giving from emptiness is based on separation or lack of self-love. One gives out of obligation, guilt, fear of consequences or to compensate for feelings of low self-worth. One often feels one has not given enough, which just creates more guilt and even self-loathing.

Giving from fullness is totally different, and based on full self-love. One allows oneself to receive and to be filled, and when one feels filled, then one simply allows this fullness to overflow onto others. There is no obligation, no guilt and no compulsion to give. It is totally natural. If the feeling of fullness goes away, one knows one has either given too much for the moment or that one has temporarily cut oneself off from the divine supply. To avoid burnout, it is critical to give from fullness.

Exercise: Imagine holding a cup under the faucet. After it fills up completely, it begins to spill out onto your hand, and everywhere else. That is how you want to give. You are so full of love that it literally overflows and spills out onto others and onto all your activities.

Notice the feeling when you give. Learn to discern the difference between giving from fullness and giving from emptiness, compulsion, guilt, fear, even anger. If the latter is occurring, stop and reflect. Realize you will burn out if you continue to give for the wrong reasons and from emptyiness.

I DO NOT SEEK FOR LOVE

You are the expression of the creator’s love in physical form. That is another central principle of the new thought system. Love in this thought system is not an emotion or feeling. It is an energy, like the force in Star Wars or the tao in Taoism. It has nothing to do with romance, family or friends.

This is a most important principle. You are not someone’s son or daughter, husband or mother. You are the way the creator expresses on this physical planet. You need a body here because that is how others can see and interact with you. However, in fact you are the extension of the creator’s love into this world of form.

If you seek this kind of love outside yourself, in people, places, things, or pets, you will become frustrated because you have denied who you are! You have lied to yourself. It is like the person who travels the world seeking treasure when the treasure is buried in their own back yard. Let go of the idea of seeking for love. You can seek for companionship or support, but these are not love. Keep the distinction clear. Love, again, is the primal energy of the creator.

In fact, in the new thought system, any use of the body to get anything is a mistake. Your body is a communication device, a way to connect with others to spread the love that you are. The only relevant question regarding it is, What do I wish to communicate?

Rather than seeking for love, be the presence of love, using the criteria for giving from fullness outlined above. Love will return to you, because everything is an aspect of yourself. Also, as you give, you will receive. By the same reasoning, teach only love, because as you teach, you learn.

Exercise: Repeat "I am loved, I am loving, I am lovable". Especially note if you have difficulty with any of these phrases.

I ALLOW, RATHER THAN STRIVE

This is a subtle principle. The ego strives to get what it wants. Striving involves effort, such as working hard, reading, affirming or studying hard. Striving assumes one is powerless and separate from God, and must somehow make one’s life happen. One is often fixed on some future goal, oblivious to opportunities and events in the present.

Allowing is very different. It assumes one is all-powerful and totally loved, and the things one desires are already there. One just needs to receive them. Allowing is not a struggle. It is about becoming open, relaxed, aware, receptive, available, staying in the present, knowing that the things one wants just need to be received. One can be grateful for them, even if they have not manifested yet.

The difference between striving and allowing is similar to the difference between judging and discerning. The fearful ego strives and judges. The spirit discerns and allows. These feel very different.

Exercise: Be aware of the differences between striving and allowing in your daily life. If you want something, can you allow it to come to you, rather than strive to ‘make it happen’?

I CHOOSE FOR PEACE

Much of the new thought system is about choices - often about choices you don't believe you have. Abraham Lincoln once said that people are about as happy as they choose to be. Yet how often do we believe that our happiness depends on something or someone outside ourselves?

Peace and love are choices, as are their opposites, conflict and fear. The choice for peace, and the choice to love, can be made at any time, no matter what the circumstances. This is a function of your sovereignty and your power.

Choosing for peace does not mean to be a doormat, walk on eggshells, bend over backwards or give in to anyone or anything. It is about being at peace within, no matter what the outside circumstances are. One may have to grab a gun and shoot, but it can be done from a place of peace within, not out of rage or fear.

Choosing for love is also about a place within. It does not matter if others are loving toward you. You can choose to respond with love no matter what. One can decide for love and peace, and then say or do whatever the holy spirit guides you to do. If you do this, your behavior may shock others. You may yell, scream, or hit someone. However, it will not be from anger or fear. It will simply be the most appropriate response in the moment.

Exercise: Repeat often, "I choose to teach only love". "I can be at peace with this".

I FORGIVE SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN TIMES

Forgiveness is a key to transforming the mind. It is an expression of one’s love and power. It also goes against the world's system of judgment and blame. Therefore it helps one let go of the old thought system. Forgive, forgive and forgive some more.

Forgiving others does not mean to condone another's words or behavior, nor does it mean one needs to hang around others or even be friendly with them. One might even send another to jail, because actions have consequences. However, it can be done with a forgiving attitude, not anger or fear. Forgiving means one holds no grudges, and that one chooses to see the Christ in everyone, with no exceptions.

All forgiveness is really forgiveness of oneself for one’s misperceptions. Because no one can hurt you, no one has ever wronged you. You have just misperceived events. Forgiveness is not really necessary if one is living the new thought system. After all, why would you need to forgive anyone if they never really did anything to you without your consent? However, forgiveness is necessary until one is fully committed to the new thought system.

Exercise: It is wonderful to forgive everyone, over and over. Try it with other drivers on the road, your friends, family, police, politicians, and the IRS.

MY ISSUES ARE NEVER JUST MINE

This idea states that one’s problems or concerns are not necessarily personal, although they may appear that way. In fact, one does not know if the issue originated with oneself, or if one tuned into it from others. For example, money is an issue for many people. Is it really just just an individual issue, or is it possible one could tune into this issue, out of compassion to help heal it, since it affects millions around the world?

It may sound strange that one would take on other's issues. But think for a minute. You probably have many more resources, support, access to books, etc. than for instance a person living in total poverty in Bangladesh. Why is it so strange that you might volunteer to help the less fortunate this way? It is part of God's 'case load'. One assumes a part of the burden out of compassion and love for humanity. One will never be given more than one can handle.

In fact, there are only collective issues, because there is only one Mind in the new thought system. It is often written with a capital M to distinguish it from the little ego mind. Each one is part of that Mind, so each is affected by collective issues. NO issue is just yours. We come to earth to take on certain issues and heal them - not just for ourselves, but for all of humanity.

The key is not to take anything personally!!! Instead, celebrate your greatness, your compassion and your power to take on certain issues. Do not waste a moment trying to figure out whose issue this is, or why you have to deal with it. Instead, just heal it! I know that goes against most psychological teaching, which encourages one to dig into one’s past to find the cause of the problem. The new thought system is only concerned with healing.

A common trap people fall into is self-judgment and guilt about the nature or magnitude of one's problems or situation. This trap can produce paralysis that stops the healing process. Time to let that one go! Realize that no problem is too large, and it is never just your problem.

I CHOOSE TO LET MY LIGHT SHINE FORTH

Many people are afraid of being different, afraid of not being accepted by friends or family, afraid of standing out in the crowd, afraid of being persecuted for their views, and definitely afraid of their greatness.

There is a paradox here. One will connect most with others when one is most thoroughly one’s individualized self. This is because at those moments, one is operating from essence and will connect best with the essence of others.

One will not connect well with others when seeking to please others or win their approval. That is just repression or manipulation, which blocks the love and light that one is, blocking the true connection with others. The masters Jesus, Buddha and countless others only accomplished what they did by breaking free of conventions, being a little outrageous and then letting their light shine.

This principle is not a license to become crazy or rebellious for its own sake, or to run away from problems. It is about being authentic, honest and genuine. As the teenagers say, get real and stay real. Always come from a loving place. However, if others refuse to take responsibility for their lives and insist that you share their misery, the most loving solution may be to let them go their way and you go yours.

Exercise: Be a little outrageous every day. Check to see if you are dressing, eating, talking or thinking in ways you believe will be acceptable to others, rather than being honest. Why conform to an insane world? Drop the phoniness and stay real, even if it costs you a few friends or family members. You will gain new friends and new family, as there really is no such thing as loss in the new thought system.

And do not hide your light under a bushel. Let it shine forth.

LOVE ALONE HEALS

Bring your love to EVERYTHING that comes your way. This means to love your hurts, your fears, your anger and all other stuff! All of it. Hold nothing back from your love. When you hold back your love from some part of yourself or another, you are really saying this aspect, this problem, this relationship is too awful for God (who is Love) to handle. Examine that thought, see how insane it is and let it go.

Love yourself for judging yourself. Love yourself for being able to use your infinite power to be so fearful or petty. Do not deny love to any part of yourself. You must embrace a thing in order to transcend it. To embrace it means to wrap it in your love.

Exercise: Repeat many times: "Love allows all things. Love embraces all things. Love trusts all things. And by so doing, Love transcends and overcomes all things."

I SEEK NO MORE. AS I HAVE FOUND

Many people pride themselves on being a seeker. This is like priding yourself because you are trying. What matters is not trying, but doing. Similarly, what matters is finding, not seeking. Many waste years and years seeking for truth. However, the very act of seeking sends a message to the brain that one has not found.

Another strategy that is more effective is to begin with the realization that one has found. This may seem odd. But it is not. It sets up a different dynamic in the mind that allows it to move forward, rather than keep assuming that it has not found. The same principle is used in many visualizations. Basketball players, for example, are taught to visualize getting the ball in the hoop, not seeking the hoop.

This is a good start, until you realize you as spirit already know the answers. Realize the ego loves to seek, but not to find. For if it found, the game would be over - and with it, the ego's purpose. So searching becomes the important thing, and the goal is forgotten.

By deciding one has found, a new mental pattern arises. First, the ego is relieved of its duty to seek, and the mind can rest. Second, saying one has found affirms that this is the truth. Saying one is a seeker, one perpetuates seeking, not finding. The ego loves seeking, but not finding. Finding would mean it has no more reason to exist, which is the truth in the new thought system.

A Course In Miracles is very clear there are two phases to spirituality. The first is called The Journey to the Kingdom. This is the 'spiritual path'. This has an end, and one is to get there as fast as possible. One spends the rest of one’s life, hopefully a lot of it, in the second phase. This is called The Journey Within the Kingdom. One looks the same, and life might look outwardly similar, but one is transformed.

An old Zen parable expresses it well: Before I was enlightened, I chopped wood and carried water. After I was enlightened, I chopped wood and carried water. However, people will notice a different energy about you.

Some will say this idea is a cop-out. It is a way out of having to process your issues. Saying one has found, rather than are seeking, may sound arrogant, and seems to deny the 'process' of your journey. This is not so. One is always to stay in the present, and therefore experience and embrace everything that comes up. And the only arrogance is to deny the reality of spirit, the one who knows.

The spiritual search begins from the point of view of the ego mind. As old tactics fail to bring happiness, the ego looks for new ones and comes across the spiritual seeking mentality. It is just another subtle ego trip. Saying one has found derails this ego ploy and sets one on a fast course toward mastery.

THERE IS NO GUILT

Guilt can waste more energy than one can imagine. It can even dominate one's life - all a waste of time. Examine it logically. How can one be guilty of anything if the others involved chose the event from their power and sovereignty? The mind reels and says, But, But, But - it was just a child that I abused. It was an innocent bystander that I hit with my car. What about those poor people who were tortured and murdered for no reason.

Guilt is deeply imbedded in the mass consciousness. However, it has no place in the new thought system. Your mission is not to wallow in guilt, but to acknowledge it, rethink it, and realize why guilt is always unreal in the new thought system. This takes some practice, as do living all these principles. However, it gets easier each time one corrects oneself and live by the new thought system.

Exercise: I acknowledge the sovereignty of others and I give everyone permission to experience all. Love allows ALL things, no matter how horrible they may seem to the ego mind! Spirit, our true self, is untouchable and perfect forever.

THERE ARE NO VICTIMS

All beings are co-creators of everything in their lives in the new thought system. So how can there be victims? There cannot. This is an important idea because the mass thinking is so focused these days on victimhood. The news announces daily who are the latest victims. The legal system spends billions deciding who is the victim of whom.

The politicians continuously create more victims so they can feel good saving them with more welfare programs - that just create more dependency. This is a deep shift for a nation founded on the idea of the sovereignty of the people, not the victimhood of the people.

The ego much prefers victimhood, because it is relieved of responsibility for its condition. That is the key. Anytime one feels like a victim of anything, it is because one would prefer not to take responsibility for the situation. Victimhood denies one’s power and the truth of one’s being.

Often those who do not buy into victimhood are accused of being cold, uncaring, prejudiced, racist or sexist. The ego screams: How dare you not feel sorry for ......? (you fill in the blank). How can you be so cold as to say that innocent children create their abuse? This block keeps many people believing in victims.

Let us answer by clarifying a few points. Not believing in victims does not mean one has no compassion. It is not a reason to sit around and do nothing about suffering. In fact, the person who accords each person his or here sovereignty and responsibility for their lives is often more effective at correcting injustices in the world. This is because they are not blinded by victim emotionality. We all know the insanities perpetrated by well-meaning do-gooders. It is said, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Nor does denying the reality of victims imply that another deserves his suffering or punishment. That is insane. All people deserve the best. No victims means that one does not know the intent of every soul, and one does not know what is best for another. The soul may choose pain for many possible reasons - to get attention, to teach others, to learn about fear and powerlessness, to wake up another, and on and on. All that is asked is to stop judging by appearances when in reality one does not know the whole truth.

Instead, when you come upon a situation of apparent victimhood, go within and ask the Holy Spirit, or your guidance: What shall I do in this situation? Then listen.

If you come across a homeless person, on one occasion the guidance may be to give him some money. On another occasion it might be that this person can work and is not taking responsibility for his life. Help would just spoil him further. Or the guidance might be to use all your money to build a soup kitchen and shelter for these people. Let the answers come, rather than jumping to the victim conclusion. Victimhood, and the belief in victims, is deadly for the spirit. I wish more of our leaders understood this and were not afraid to say it.

THERE IS NO FAILURE

Life is not a win-lose game, though one is free to perceive it that way. It is an expression of the Creator's love. Events may not turn out the way one expected, but that is because the desired outcome may not have served the greater purpose - to wake up.

If things do not work out, celebrate just as much as if they worked as one hoped. Realize one really does not know what things are, or what they are for. Life is ever a mystery, and failure in the game of life is not possible. Failure, along with the word loss, are judgment words best left out of one’s vocabulary.

CELEBRATE

Once one understands the principles above, one realizes one is already the presence of love in physical form. There is nothing to achieve, nothing to become, nothing to be gained from this world.

One begins to celebrate all the time the oneness with the creator. Although it may appear that one goes shopping for food or clothing, in reality all one does is use the occasion to celebrate the oneness or atonement (at-one-ment) and radiate the creator’s love into this world. The same is true of going to a movie, or seeing the doctor. These are just excuses to celebrate and be the presence of love for others.

Life becomes a never-ending joy as one allows the holy spirit to direct one to people and places that need one’s love. Life also becomes so much simpler as one does not have to figure everything out, and indeed realizes that all is working for good, in ways that the limited mind cannot understand. The mind rests and life takes on a new meaning. One can truly live the happy dream of being the presence of love in a world that needs it.

SHIFTING PERSPECTIVE

Shifting one's perspective from the old to the new thought system is the task at hand. In A Course In Miracles, this is considered the wisest use of one’s time, and the true purpose of time. Anyone who has undertaken the task knows how subtle the old system can be, as one delves more deeply into the old ideas that one holds.

I feel it is very important to employ any methods, gimmicks, reminders, etc. to help shift one’s perspective into the new thought system outlined above.

PROBLEMS ONE MAY ENCOUNTER

A common problem is the new system is so positive that many people have difficulty allowing it. It just sounds too lovey-dovey. I had this problem. I just couldn’t swallow all the positive implications of these ideas. It took several years of reading and listening to a series of tapes offered by the Shanti Christo Foundation before the ideas and the new feelings began to sink in.

Some people want to hold onto their perceptions because it keeps them from making real changes in their lives. These changes appear scary and uncertain. Others are so steeped in another thought system, such as Judaism, born-again Christianity, even New Age or others, that they are unable to entertain other views. Others can accept the ideas, but are so caught up with daily rituals and activities they cannot allow the essence of these ideas to take precedence in their lives.

To change, make room in your life for change. Start questioning everything you believe. Allow the new to take root. Refrain from judgment. Avoid discussing the new thought system with skeptical friends and instead seek out sympathetic friends. There are more and more groups forming to discuss A Course in Miracles or the Jeshua material offered by the Shanti Christo Foundation.

Surround yourself with that which you wish to learn and practice, and let go of all else. Holding on to the false only slows or stops progress. Slowly, the ideas and the feelings behind them will take hold and one will be changed forever. Healing will occur as the mind is freed from bondage. The world becomes one’s playground. It is the second coming of Christ spoken of, only it comes through you. To quote one of my favorite tapes, through you a new consciousness steals gently across the mind of mankind.