OCTOBER: Is This Just The Way It Is? Or Is There Another Way To See This World?
IS THIS JUST THE WAY IT IS?
OR
IS THERE ANOTHER WAY TO SEE THIS WORLD?
“The real world shows a world seen differently through quite eyes and with a mind at peace. Nothing but rest is there. There are no cries of pain and sorrow heard, for nothing there remains outside forgiveness. And the sights are gentle. Only happy sights and sounds can reach the mind that has forgiven itself.”
A Course in Miracles
Hello dear friends,
In gratitude, I join with you once again in shared moments of silence. As we shift our thoughts to peaceful ones, and release concerns, and as our prolonged “time out” due to Covid seems to be winding down we might also be aware that there has been a shift in perspective throughout parts of our American community. Many are seemingly reevaluating their lives and their purpose. They are no longer willing to go back to a way of life that drags them down and suppresses meaningful living. They are taking a chance that there is another way.
Yet, regardless of the avenues to happiness that we pursue, none will satisfy us until we find inner peace.
“I could see peace instead of this.” ACIM
I recall that after my life-altering, out of body experience of visions when I was 22, I was shocked to find myself even considering that life could be anything but what I knew. In those visions, I’d stepped outside of time into a world of indescribable beauty. Upon returning to the “reality” of a world of limitation, time itself seemed like a trick . . . even a form of imprisonment. People do insane things, and admittedly I have crazy thoughts, too. For years I wondered why am I even in this abusive life, this fear-filled dream I called my life? What’s the point? Bad things had happened that caused deep sadness. It all seemed to be rotting inside of me.
Then, as I allowed myself to let the Holy Spirit lead me . . . that power which I found residing within me, but not of me, was able to use my symbolic images from my visions to alert me to release the past, as I’ve written about in my book. It was then, and when I found A Course in Miracles, that I realized I didn’t know what I didn’t know. There is another way to look at this world.
A Course in Miracles says that God’s will for each of us is perfect joy and happiness, right here, and right now. As I began a daily practice of shifting my perspective to see the world through love and forgiveness, I’ve learned that I am the one that is happier . . . indeed I am seeing myself as a victim if I don’t forgive.
I began to see a path, a journey . . . a purpose. No matter what circumstance I seem to be in . . . in a world of duality where there is love and fear . . . life is crazy. But ultimately, I realized that I am on a path of awakening to my own divine sanity, and the Real world of non-duality where there is only love.
Although many of the visions I experienced did later manifest in scary, life altering circumstances forcing me to make gut-wrenching decisions, I look back with grateful tears and see the purpose of the path. Joy always came through. My own resurrection is in progress when I’m able to truly forgive.
“I sighed in surrender. I recognized that much of the last decade of my life had been woven with mystery, surprise, and learning experience, that I could never have predicted. I had no choice but to wait and see what all these dreams meant in my life.” THANK GOD I’M CRAZY (LINK TO TGIC)
The following are a few personal guiding concepts which help me to come back to right-mind thinking whenever I find myself in fear. I hope they can also be helpful for you:
I have forgotten who I am. I am an innocent, divine creation of God.
No matter what it looks like, my brother is an innocent, divine creation of God.
I am the dreamer who projects guilt upon my brother, who is really me. Love is letting go of guilt.
The ego tells me this fearful world is real, and I am guilty for making it. The voice for love tells me I have always been innocent, but I’ve lost my way.
My only power, and job, is to choose between love or fear.
Then I let the Holy Spirit do the rest. I wake up to joy one choice at a time by remembering who I am, who my brother is, and by accepting that the dream is not real. This IS forgiveness.
😊 Don’t forget to be normal—laugh and let go of judgment.
(Course: “Who you truly are is incapable of being tired, but judgment makes it so”.)
Thank God, we can always laugh at ourselves, and others’ absurdities. Love is all-encompassing, and the sanity of love transforms life into a happy dream, when we can no longer let fear make us crazy. Turns out, my misery is only because I have been in an insane state of mind, whew
. . . Thank God I’m crazy!
So, until next time,
When you find yourself staring into the headlights of fear, I hope you can stop . . . allow yourself to laugh at your temporary insanity . . . and say, as I often do, THANK GOD I’M CRAZY! 😊
***** SEE ONLY LOVE FOR THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE *****
Thank God I’m Crazy available in paperback and e-book on:
Thank God I’m Crazy includes pictures of places which took place in Grace’s life, as seen in her visions. Grace Avalon, teacher and intuitive counselor, has taught A Course in Miracles for nine years. She gives presentations, seminars and workshops for anyone whose known abuse, thought they were crazy, or wants to live a joyful life.
*** Marianne Williamson, (NY Times bestselling author, teacher, and internationally renowned speaker) , has said, “Grace Avalon inspires all of us to trust the wisdom of our hearts. Here is spirituality in practice.” ***