Idle
Thinking
“Besides
your recognizing that thoughts are never idle, salvation requires
that you also recognize that every thought you have brings either
peace or war; either love or fear.”
A
Course in Miracles
The
idea that we create our experience of the world with our perceptions
is beginning to get traction with me. At first blush, it seemed
naïve, but once I began working with it, I discovered that it's
simply common sense. We observe, or experience something, and then we
interpret it based upon our personal history, our ideology, and our
world view. The event or experience in and of itself is neutral; it
is our interpretation of it that causes us to feel either positive or
negative. In other words, we are the ones who give it meaning, and we
choose, whether consciously or unconsciously, what that meaning will
be. We create enormous suffering for ourselves and others when we act
on fearful perceptions.
This
may sound like pure psycho-babble to you—there are goings on in the
world that are very real and dangerous. We cannot think them away,
nor transform them with our thoughts. Other human beings have other
ideas, experiences and motivations, and some of those are extremely
negative. That has always been true—at times we ourselves are
filled with hostile intent. What it does mean is this: we are
the ones who decide how we will respond. We can respond with
fear, and add to the negative energy circling the globe, or we can
respond with sanity and positive intent, and begin reducing the level
of anxiety in ourselves and the world.
Our
thoughts are never idle. They generate energy and take form in our
perceptions of the world. When we are consumed with fearful thoughts
and radiate that energy, the world looks terrifying to us. When we
think through our perceptions, and consciously choose how we want to
respond, we exercise some control over the energy we put out into the
world. Our “salvation” here suggests that we save ourselves from
the misery generated by our own negative perceptions. We can be
instruments of peace or instruments of war, love or fear. It's up to
us.
Affirmation:
“Today, I will be an instrument of peace.”
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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