If you ‘focus in on what is wanted’ you are effectively focussing in on whatever gives you joy, bliss or satisfaction. Those things can pretty much only be experienced by being in the present moment, right? So learn better to live in the present moment?
***ACIM+5minMED***
M-13.7. Do not forget that sacrifice is total. 2 There are no half sacrifices. 3 You cannot give up Heaven partially. 4 You cannot be a little bit in hell. 5 The Word of God has no exceptions. 6 It is this that makes it holy and beyond the world. 7 It is its holiness that points to God. 8 It is its holiness that makes you safe. 9 It is denied if you attack any brother for anything. 10 For it is here the split with God occurs. 11 A split that is impossible. 12 A split that cannot happen. 13 Yet a split in which you surely will believe, because you have set up a situation that is impossible. 14 And in this situation the impossible can seem to happen. 15 It seems to happen at the “sacrifice” of truth.
Sorry to put this para in with no context… But I really want to pick up on something crucial, which was fundamental to my first reading of ACIM (2009-14). It is about thoughts of attack, or judgment, towards a.n.other. I recall now that they are effectively the destroyer of our inner peace.
I became judgmental in recent years. I found ways to criticise, complain about or hold people up for judgment or censure. How did I forget this one key facet of ACIM?!
Two extracts on ‘thoughts of attack’:
Workbook Lesson 22: What I see is a form of vengeance. W-pI.22.1. Today’s idea accurately describes the way anyone who holds attack thoughts in his mind must see the world. 2 Having projected his anger onto the world, he sees vengeance about to strike at him. 3 His own attack is thus perceived as self defense. 4 This becomes an increasingly vicious circle until he is willing to change how he sees. 5 Otherwise, thoughts of attack and counter-attack will preoccupy him and people his entire world. 6 What peace of mind is possible to him then?
Workbook Lesson 23: I can escape from the world I see by giving up attack thoughts. …W-pI.23.2. If the cause of the world you see is attack thoughts, you must learn that it is these thoughts which you do not want. 2 There is no point in lamenting the world. 3 There is no point in trying to change the world. 4 It is incapable of change because it is merely an effect. 5 But there is indeed a point in changing your thoughts about the world. 6 Here you are changing the cause. 7 The effect will change automatically. ….W-pI.23.6. Besides using it throughout the day as the need arises, five practice periods are required in applying today’s idea. 2 As you look about you, repeat the idea slowly to yourself first, and then close your eyes and devote about a minute to searching your mind for as many attack thoughts as occur to you. 3 As each one crosses your mind say: 4 I can escape from the world I see by giving up attack thoughts about _____. 5 Hold each attack thought in mind as you say this, and then dismiss that thought and go on to the next.
Please speak to me of Attack Thoughts.
We see you taken by this concept, and reminded of the power these lessons had on you in your earlier reading of ACIM. None of your learning is lost. You are building upon what has been learnt and practised already.
Your interest today is to replace your Attack Thoughts with Peace Thoughts. Use the recognition of an Attack Thought to pivot towards a Peace Thought. Someone who you would Attack with your thoughts is definitively someone who would benefit from your Peace Thoughts. Is that not so?
Absolutely! I can see clearly, the people I would utter judgmental comments about, or recoil from in my days, are those for whom a loving Peace Thought would go a long way…
Yesterday, I did a Breathwork session. The 7 other people in the session began the session by describing their troubles and concerns. I watched the wonderful teacher, D., meeting each person where they were, and loving them right there. That love brought forward the person’s gentler and more positive and lighter self. They presented their pain; she loved them; they affirmed they felt less pain. That is the power of non-judgment.
And the non-judgment is a 360 degree device. As you attack another, you are attacked. As you love another, you are loved. As you attack yourself, you attack another. As you love yourself, you love another.
I’m going to work with Attack Thoughts, and Judgment today. Just spot it and give it up, as in Workbook Lesson 23.
And Pivot?
And Pivot to Peace Thoughts!
I am pivoting from Attack Thoughts to Peace Thoughts today