Starting the Day Right... Mindedly
It's interesting to watch your thoughts in the first few moments upon waking. Your eyes are not yet open, but your thoughts race ahead imagining all the many ways you might find physical and psychological comfort in the day ahead. That's what the day's purpose seems to be: to fill that deep sense of lack, to "put by [our] suffering" (W-pI.182.2:2). To numb, the best we can, our relentless feelings of homelessness. We seek a home in food, in games, in the pursuit of specialness - "A thousand homes he makes, yet none content his restless mind... There is no substitute for Heaven. All he ever made was hell" (W-pI.182.3:3,6,7). This is why starting the day spending a little quiet time with the Holy Spirit can be so helpful. (M-16.2:6)I like to begin each day with this quiet thought: "Today is another opportunity to weaken my identification with the ego." It gives my day purpose and meaning, and an underlying sense of joy.
posted by acimmonk @ 7:55 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
ACIMMonk and other Blog Friends,
This article reminds me that we need to focus on stillness instead of being overtaken and consumed by our constant stream of thoughts. I realize that my own chatter primarily focuses on events in the future, anticipating particular outcomes or acting out dialogs with people I will encounter. At times the imaginary dialog is an attack upon the other person. Because of the Course I am now able to recognize the attack and correct my thinking. I realize that the dialog is a symptom of my own emotions of anger, frustration or worry. It seems so pointless to spend so much time and thought dwelling on imaginary events. There is no peace to be found there.
In a practical sense, I understand that we need to plan the activities of our day, but we should not fall victim to dwelling on all the various outcomes and dialogs. I see that balance needs to be reached so that we are not enslaved by the events, but have frequent opportunities to just enjoy stillness.
I will try that. "Today is another oppoortunity to weaken my identification with the ego". Great. Thanks!
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