I am never upset for the reason I think.
This idea, like the preceding one, can be used with any person, situation or event you think is causing you pain. Apply it specifically to whatever you believe is the cause of your upset, using the description of the feeling in whatever term seems accurate to you. The upset may seem to be fear, worry, depression, anxiety, anger, hatred, jealousy or any number of forms, all of which will be perceived as different. This is not true. However, until you learn that form does not matter, each form becomes a proper subject for the exercises for the day. Applying the same idea to each of them separately is the first step in ultimately recognizing they are all the same.
When using the idea for today for a specific perceived cause of an upset in any form, use both the name of the form in which you see the upset, and the cause which you ascribe to it. For example:
I am not angry at ______ for the reason I think.
I am not afraid of ______ for the reason I think.
But again, this should not be substituted for practice periods in which you first search your mind for “sources” of upset in which you believe, and forms of upset which you think result.
In these exercises, more than in the preceding ones, you may find it hard to be indiscriminate, and to avoid giving greater weight to some subjects than to others. It might help to precede the exercises with the statement:
There are no small upsets. They are all
equally disturbing to my peace of mind.
Then examine your mind for whatever is distressing you, regardless of how much or how little you think it is doing so.
You may also find yourself less willing to apply today’s idea to some perceived sources of upset than to others. If this occurs, think first of this:
I cannot keep this form of upset and let the others go.
For the purposes of these exercises, then,
I will regard them all as the same.
Then search your mind for no more than a minute or so, and try to identify a number of different forms of upset that are disturbing you, regardless of the relative importance you may give them. Apply the idea for today to each of them, using the name of both the source of the upset as you perceive it, and of the feeling as you experience it. Further examples are:
I am not worried about ______ for the reason I think.
I am not depressed about ______ for the reason I think.
Three or four times during the day is enough.
2 Responses
Leave a Comment
May 14th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
I am never upset for the reason I think.
What does today’s lesson mean to me?
This is such a rich lesson. There is such treasure in it. First, overall, it means that when I get upset, I think I know why I’m upset. I think something happened to me, or someone did something to me. I think I lack something. I can come up with lots of “causes” for my upset. What Jesus is telling me here is that I am wrong about all of them. This makes sense when I think about yesterday’s lesson which reminded me that my thoughts do not mean anything. How then could I believe that I know the reason I am upset.
I love that Jesus is telling us that the form of upset doesn’t matter and even though the form can look very different, they are really all the same. I love that I can use the different forms of upset as if they really were different to learn that they are not different. Isn’t that great? My favorite concept from this lesson, though, is that there are no small upsets. They are all equally disturbing to my mind. What does it matter the cause of the upset? How can I see it as big or little? Either I have peace or I don’t. I can’t have a little peace. It is peace or it isn’t. So every upset disturbs my peace and so they are all the same. I am so grateful to know this.
How can I apply this lesson to my life right now?
My mind wants to go to “what does this mean?” If I am not upset for the reason I think, then why am I upset? How does this work in my mind? There is a problem with doing that. When I try to logic my way through things, I am using the ego. The ego doesn’t know anything, and so I just go in circles getting more and more confused. I’m not going to go there today. I just accept that Jesus knows what he is doing and so I will just do the lessons. I will remember to use the many helpful tips he gives in this lesson to take full advantage of it. I will especially use, “I cannot keep this form of upset and let the others go”, to remind myself that to be useful, I must recognize that the Course is unequivocal in what it says. It applies to all things all the time, or it doesn’t work.
My message from Holy Spirit.
Myron you understand that all upsets are the same, and that each one must be forgiven (seen differently). You understand that none can be kept. Continue to practice this to increase your willingness. The peace that you will achieve will motivate you even more. Remember that one is not more or less in any way. It is only your resistance to releasing the past that makes it seem so.
You are right not to try to do anything more with this now. You are still using these lessons to undo ego concepts. Focus on that alone. Focus on doing each lesson as it comes up, doing it only as asked to. Let us now release, in these simple easy steps, all that you once believed was true. God will write the truth in on the blank slate you have made.
My message to Holy Spirit.
My heart is filled with gratitude, my dear Teacher. Thank you so much.
September 19th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
A Course in Miracles explains that each action is either a call for love or an act of love. This means that when I’m angry I’m actually calling for love.
This is so very true – as almost always when I’m angry someone I care about or respect has either hurt my feelings or bruised myself concept. All we/I really want is to be loved and cared about. To realize that we are love – what a fabulous realization.
Lynn Pierson
author of the spiritual thriller compared to “The Da Vince Code” meets “A Course in Miracles.” http://www.thegreatawakeningsaga.com