Day 309: The Book Hadn't Changed. I Had.
I read in A Course in Miracles this morning that Spirit's voice is as loud as your willingness to listen.
Our growth, our happiness, is all on us. It's our responsibility.
We have to ask for guidance and be willing to take it in whatever unexpected way it shows up.
And while our lives are our responsibility, yes, there are always outside influences. And it's up to us how we let those things affect us.
If it wasn't up to us, every person who has the same experience you do would all react exactly as you do. But they don't.
People who immediately look for the silver lining react one way; people who look for the solution handle it another; people who put themselves in someone else's shoes and try to see it from their perspective process it another way.
Some people check their own perspective, beliefs, and thoughts.
And others get angry, upset, sad, and look for someone or something outside of them to blame, never asking how they can transcend this. Life is something that happens to them.
It's our willingness to listen to that higher voice that makes the difference. The voice that will guide us through anything we find ourselves in, no matter how difficult or insurmountable it may appear.
That's why we've talked so much about getting in touch with our emotions so we can feel our way to better thoughts and a better place.
We've talked about quieting the noise with meditation so we can hear our inner voice.
And then there's also the part about being ready within ourselves. Doing the inner work so we understand what we're hearing or seeing or the knowledge we're receiving.
When I was in my early twenties, I took what was called a productivity course sponsored by the local real estate association.
As it turned out, it was one of the most pivotal things I've ever done.
Because it really wasn't about productivity as much as it was about how to gain control of your subconscious and make it work for you. So, in a way, you could call it productivity, I guess.
In the last class, there was a list of books to read. And it was a progressive list starting with books that wouldn't be too mind-blowing, like The Magic of Believing, and then slowly took you deeper into spirituality and mysticism.
I remember how people were talking about this one book, Think and Grow Rich, like it was a big deal. I read it. I didn't see anything special. So at a Realtor meeting I mentioned that to a group of people who had taken the class, and they told me I just wasn't ready for it.
That was like waving a red cape in front of a bull. I was insulted and hurt. I felt like they were saying I wasn't smart enough. And I was determined to prove them wrong.
I re-read the books leading up to that one and read it again. Still nothing. Now I was really frustrated with myself.
So I dropped it. I didn't go any further. How could I? All these books supposedly built on one another, and I was at an impasse.
Then one night a year or two later, I was sitting on my sofa, and that book started calling to me. I went over to my bookcase and decided to give it another shot.
It was like a completely different book. It lit a fire in me that has never gone out.
It was like I was given the keys to a secret room in my mind. I put the things they talked about in that book, and all the others on that list, into practice, and my life changed dramatically. All of a sudden, everything came to me so much more easily because I was directing my mind. And I was clear and focused on what I wanted.
I was the one responsible for what my life looked like, and I was determined to make it fabulous.
Back then, that book cost about $2. And it changed the trajectory of my life.
Don't ever let anyone tell you that a book can't change you. I've been changed by several books and mentored by even more.
And the truth is, as much as I didn't want to admit it at the time, I wasn't ready when I had read it before. I didn't understand it. I wasn't equipped to see what it was offering me.
I continued to grow and change to the point I was ready. And that made all the difference.
The willingness to listen on our part also contains our ability to hear and know the value of what we're hearing.
If the message comes, but it falls on deaf ears, we may think what we asked for was never answered. But it was. We just weren't able to hear the answer at that time.
We have to do the work to get there if it's important enough to us.
Almost fifty years later, I'm still doing the work every day. And every year or two I read through that entire series of books again.
They are my foundation. Yellow pages, covers falling off, books falling apart. Underlined in so many colors (before highlighters) that I've had to buy another copy of a few.
These are my prized possessions that sit right next to my bed. They are a constant reminder to me of my willingness to listen to Spirit.
Today's Gentle Practice
Think about a book, teaching, or piece of advice you encountered in the past that didn't particularly resonate with you at the time.
Ask yourself:
Is there something I've dismissed or overlooked that I might understand differently with the awareness I have today?
You might revisit something you've read before or simply remember an idea that didn't make sense to you years ago.
Notice whether your life experiences have given you a different perspective.
Sometimes we discover that the wisdom was there all along, and we can finally recognize what it has to offer us.
With you,
Lynn
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