Have you ever been fired from a job and knew it was a blessing?  I have.

Have you ever had a relationship break up that felt awful in the beginning, but then you realized it was a HUGE blessing?  I have.

A Course in Miracles tells us that the only problem we have is that we believe we’re separate from Source, and since we’re not separate we actually have no problems. ALL of our problems have been solved. Yet, we have free will to believe we have problems and to label things as problems even though they may not be – they may be a blessing.

I’ve really come to see that my biggest challenge is to stop labeling things as good, bad, right, wrong, better and worse. The ego thought system is one of separation. The best tool it has is to evaluate things in this way. However, what the ego values the Spirit does not, and vice versa.

Ego values being special. Spirit values awareness of Oneness, Unity and sameness.
Spirit values extending Love and compassion. Ego values punishing and criticizing.

They are opposing thought systems, which actually makes it SO much easier. However, many spiritual students, myself included, spiritualize the ego thought system.

I used to be so critical of spiritual teachers until I became one FOR REAL.

I realized that the reason I was so critical of spiritual teachers is that it was old karma.

For me, it was karma come up for healing. The karma was the guilt I felt for having been a religious teacher, leader, priest or whatever in a past life where I was out of integrity myself, or I’d been wounded by religious leaders who were out of integrity. This realization helped me to have compassion for all spiritual leaders and teachers. I could stop criticizing them and start having compassion for them.

This extension of compassion is fundamental to the teachings of ACIM.

Practicing it is entirely different than reading it or talking about it.

My active practice of extending compassion to those I would criticize became the healing of my self-judgment. It became my practice of self-forgiveness. It is one of the most helpful things I’ve ever discovered.

Now I look for ways to extend more compassion, and with it comes the Peace of God.

I still find there are times when I’d like to be right, and I know when it is immediately, because I feel a sense of discord. And that discord is so precious to me, because it alerts me to an opportunity to heal my mind. I’ve trained myself to make the most of those moments, and to Partner UP and call for a healing rather than argue to be right or think that something is wrong.

If I’m upset, the ONLY thing that’s truly wrong is my stinking thinking. Phew! I don’t have to change the world to be happy! I am SO GRATEFUL!

NEW ACIM PODCAST EPISODE: my topic is Choosing Heaven on Earth. ACIM teaches us that we can choose heaven or hell – it’s our decision. In this week’s episode, I share how we can help ourselves out of the low vibration of guilt and shame and live at a higher vibration.  It’s not natural for us to suffer.