My present happiness is all I see.
Unless I look upon what is not there, my present happiness is all I see. Eyes that begin to open see at last. And I would have Christ's vision come to me this very day. What I perceive without God's Own Correction for the sight I made is frightening and painful to behold. Yet I would not allow my mind to be deceived by the belief the dream I made is real an instant longer. This the day I seek my present happiness, and look on nothing else except the thing I seek.
With this resolve I come to You, and ask Your strength to hold me up today, while I but seek to do Your Will. You cannot fail to hear me, Father. What I ask have you already given me. And I am sure that I will see my happiness today.
Miracles I'm noticing:
Yesterday I was having coffee with an acquaintance who asked if I would be willing to help him work out some things he is struggling with in his professional life. I don't know him very well - have just met him in the past 3 weeks - so it was really interesting that he would want to meet with me.
He said he is struggling with finding his true purpose, and feels that he's sabotaging his own success because he just doesn't feel his work is fulfilling. He's worried about money, even though he knows all about abundance thinking as opposed to scarcity thinking. He says he finds himself thinking about what he doesn't want instead of what he does want and he wanted to know from me how to change his mind about this.
What I found really interesting about this situation was that he was willing to do something about his situation by calling me. I think that's huge. Awareness is the first step to making any changes. It's what caused this course to be written - the awareness for the writers that there must be a better way in their working relationship.
We learn here that the Holy Spirit will enter at the slightest invitation, and that's what I felt yesterday. As I shared my observations and insights with this guy, things were occurring to me that I didn't plan, but that just showed up when I needed them.
One thing I recalled and shared was my experience at my chorus rehearsal on Monday night when our president was giving the announcements. She said that if anyone was wondering why they might be feeling a little down it's because it has been cloudy and gloomy for 12 of the first 15 days of October. When she said that, I occurred to me that that was the first I'd noticed the weather. As I was sharing that story with this guy, I glanced through the window of the coffee shop where we were and noticed the Lowe's sign across the street. It hadn't occurred to me how very blue that sign is. I told him that I probably wouldn't notice the blue of that sign if the sky behind it had been blue that day. Because it was very white, all the colors really popped in all the signs I saw.
It was a matter of perspective.
We also talked about how he may be sabotaging his results in order to be right about them. But with awareness, everything looks different. He might just notice what he notices and observe what that tells him. If happiness is his goal, it will always elude him, because happiness is not a destination, it's part of the journey. It is only the pursuit of happiness that we are guaranteed in our constitution; the achievement is beyond our grasp when we make that the goal. Again, it's a matter of perspective.
I'm not sure exactly what else we talked about, but he thanked me and told me he felt a lot better. When I was able to consciously be a conduit for the Holy Spirit, I could see his eyes light up and I knew that's exactly what was happening. That was my first miracle.
The second was at our course gathering last night. Although the group was smaller than usual (there's a lot going on in everyone's lives this time of year), those of us who were there really talked about a lot of great things. This course allows each of us to share our questions and struggles, and try out new ideas with support and love, and without judgment. I really noticed last night how very grateful I am to have this amazing support for helping me move beyond my current reality into the mode of creation, where there is no competition.
Today's lesson reminds us that we will see whatever we are looking for. Happiness is all there is - anything else really isn't there at all. Whatever we ask has already been given us. As we look for happiness, that is what we will see.
Blessed and grateful!
Conversations With God
The Four Agreements
A Course in Miracles
The Disappearance of the Universe
A Return to Love
2 comments:
Hi Jodee.
I was thinking about your conversation with your friend the other night, and I don’t know if he is into ACIM or not, but this may be of general interest to those who are.
So anyway, I was considering what you shared in regard to the following quote from the text Chapter 13, Part 10:
“Determine, then, to be not as you were. Use no relationship to hold you to the past, but with each one each day be born again. A minute, even less, will be enough to free you from the past, and give your mind in peace over to the Atonement.”
Most people of this world don’t allow themselves the freedom of considering they even have the option to make a clean break with the past. Facts are the narrow fences they build around their lives.
But gladly, The Course informs us that the ability to choose is an important aspect of our destiny-making power, and by turning our back on the “facts” we can say no to their offer of continuation into our future.
This is from Chapter 7, Part 6:
“Your ability to direct your thinking as you choose is part of its power. If you do not believe you can do this you have denied the power of your thought, and thus rendered it powerless in your belief.”
Beyond knowing of this ability, however, is the strongly implied suggestion that consciously deciding to disconnect from the influence of the past is actually a skill to be developed, and is the key to, not only physical healing or the alteration of relationships with others, but in regard to ANY situation where change is desired.
I know from personal experience that a focused visualization technique can produce astonishing results - as my wife and I successfully obtained a rather expensive house we’d had our eyes on - and at a time when we’d both quit our jobs to relocate to another state and go back to school.
The house wasn’t even for sale when we found it, and “sensible” people told us it would be impossible to get the place, anyway, without jobs or money. But I continued my evening visualization technique, undaunted (mostly) by changing circumstances as the events unfolded; seemingly against us at times.
It was Labor Day 1982 we first noticed the place on a scouting trip to our intended new destination, and on April 1, 1983, (April Fool’s Day!) only seven months later, we moved in.
We lived in that house for three years and then sold it for a profit.
Of course, many “unlikely” developments had to happen for the successful realization of our goal; too lengthy to go into here, but I’ll relate just one such (typical) event, early on in the process when I’d agreed for us, by telephone, to come look at the place subsequent to discussing the price.
And when I hung up the phone realizing that the house was of a size and value much greater than we would have anticipated, (we’d only seen it from the road, which did not reveal this) I was wondering what to do next. Just then I heard the mail being delivered through a slot that dropped it into our coat closet. Deciding I would look for guidance there, one of the items I retrieved was a copy of the “A.R.E. Journal” from the Edgar Cayce organization. Opening the magazine randomly, my eyes fell directly on a sentence midway down the page: “The next step will be given if you would but begin.”
That was my answer. I called my wife at work and we planned the trip.
Yes, there were times when doubts crept in, and we certainly got a lot of “cautionary” input from well-meaning family members. But we remained determined, and as each door opened, we walked through.
Here’s one of my favorite quotes from The Course. Chapter 11, Part 4:
“Only you can deprive yourself of anything. Do not oppose this realization, for it is truly the beginning of the dawn of light. Remember also that the denial of this simple fact takes many forms, and these you must learn to recognize and to oppose steadfastly, without exception.”
And if you get a chance to discuss the matter with your friend again, you might want to consider sharing this following one with him. It’s from the Chapter 10 intro (and worth tapin’ to the ol’ dashboard, in my opinion):
“When anything threatens your peace of mind, ask yourself, ‘Has God changed His Mind about me?’ Then accept His decision, for it is indeed changeless, and refuse to change your mind about yourself. God will never decide against you, or He would be deciding against Himself.”
Dennis
Dennis:
I am blessed and grateful for you and your wonderful insights! This friend is not into the Course (that I know of), but if we get a chance to talk again, I will use some of your wisdom to give him other things to think about. Thank you so much for your thoughtful and articulate response. The house is a great example of how this really does work. Although we may have "naysayers" in our lives, we can be sure that they are only seeing the world through their own perspective, and trying to be helpful when they caution us. After all, what they think of me is none of my business! I can't worry about their opinions of me - I can only keep my thoughts and intentions on my relationship with God and be a conduit for the Holy Spirit.
Thanks again, Dennis, for your diligence and faithful journey!
Jodee
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