¹Beginning with today, we will have a series of review periods. Each of them will cover five of the ideas already presented, starting with the first and ending with the fiftieth. There will be a few short comments after each of the ideas which you should consider in your review. In the practice periods, the exercises should be done as follows: 

Reminder: We are now emphasizing the relationship and connectedness among the first fifty lesson ideas that we have covered, and the cohesiveness of the thought system to which they are leading us. This is the purpose of the review. It continues with the integration of this new thought system. Therefore, determine to stay open to this review as a totally new and deeper experience, making it as meaningful as the past fifty lessons have been. So in this review it is about the power of our minds to choose. And we will only use this power of choice if we see the world as it is, a place of misery, disaster and death. It is not created by God but made as an attack on God, a place where we can hide from Him. It sounds very dark when put this way but unless we see it as it is, we will have no motivation to choose the alternative given us here. Yes, there are beautiful aspects to this world that reflect the beauty in our own minds, but there is no question about the reality of suffering, demise of the body and death.

These review lessons are for us to start to look at the relationships and connectedness of the thought system. Spend at least two minutes on each lesson and again it is not necessary to go back to the original lesson but to focus on the discussion that accompanies each one. Also if there is one thought you particularly resonate with, you may wish to stay with that thought for the day. For me, because of the thoughts that have come up so far, I find that the thought "I am determined to see things differently" is really connecting to where I think I am. Also one that I really resonate with and try to remind myself regularly is:

"I do not perceive my own best interests."   

The lessons in this review point to the confusion that is in our minds. This confusion is ultimately projected on the world we see. Our unhealed minds project a world of vengeance, a world of attack, with "signs of disease, disaster and death."  We have all "shared the mad idea of separation" which has formed the world we see. It is a collective nightmare.  The motivation to wake up from this dream comes when we look clearly at the nature of the world by seeing it as a world of attack. By looking at our own attack thoughts, we acknowledge that what we are seeing in the world comes from our own minds. If we deny our own attack thoughts we project them on others and see our guilt in the world instead of in our own minds. We don't understand God and His love. If we did, we would not be here working to uncover our own attack thoughts. When we are willing to see how we serve our own self interest at the expense of others, we can see how this is the foundation for the separation. It is based on the original attack thought on God where we believed we won our independent self at His expense. Thus attack got us something we wanted.

When we change our minds, we change what we see. "As forgiveness allows love to return to my awareness, I will see a world of peace and safety and joy. And it is this I choose to see, in place of what I look on now." (3.3-5) Thus forgiveness takes us to the real world. When the guilt in our minds that has projected this world is healed, then only blessing shines from the mind. Thus the world is seen as blessed. That is why efforts that are made to bring peace or harmony to the world will never work. The only way that we can bring peace, safety and joy is to find our way to peace through forgiveness.  This clearly requires a high level of awareness, self honesty and courage to look at our true motivation in every situation. We need to look at our desire to gain at the expense of others.

But we it is important that we not judge ourselves for what we see within. It is only by looking at unloving thoughts that the loving ones that are being blocked can shine through. If we don't look at our unloving thoughts they remain intact and are then projected out. The world is not the problem. The problem is my perception of the world which starts in my own mind. Nothing has meaning except the meaning that I give it. It is therefore my interpretation of events that is the problem. But nothing is a problem to the Holy Spirit. If love is the ocean, and the problem is the floating seaweed in the ocean, it is clear that the ocean is not changed because there is seaweed floating in it. Thus the ocean does not see the seaweed as a problem and we need not see it that way either when we look from above the battleground of this world.

As our guilt is released, "it is therefore in my power to change every mind along with mine, for mine is the power of God." (W. 54.4.6) This shows us how Jesus and other healed minds had such influence on the world because there is only one mind. We have the same power. We just need to do the work to achieve awareness of our true reality. And this work involves turning over our attack thoughts for healing. It is our attack thoughts that show us the content of our minds which we see reflected in the world. They are what give rise to this picture of the world of attack.

What are attack thoughts?  They show up as guilt, worry, sickness, vulnerability, fear, condemnation, unhappiness, grievances, addictions, loneliness, boredom, doubt, worthlessness, blame, expectations, demands, lack, expectations, and anything that keeps us from our peace and joy. They may also include thoughts of revenge, anger, frustration, needs, wishes...everything that comes with our choice for the ego. But the trap is to see these thoughts as 'bad' instead of recognizing them as nothing. When we define ourselves as bad for holding such thoughts, we are judging ourselves instead of being the watcher of these thoughts. Watching them without judgment is what healing is about. We are not these thoughts and they do not define us. There is nothing that we need to do to make ourselves holy. This is not about making a nicer character in the dream.

With the fear that plays in our minds constantly, we try to figure out our best interests. We ask ourselves, what should I do with my life? Why am I not happy? Where can I find the right relationship? How can I achieve success? We strategize, plan, and try to manage our way through this world of illusion. We can never see the entirety of the plan for our Atonement so we can never figure out our own best interests. We think we know what they are but how can we when we don't even know ourselves. We think we know what would make us happy. Yet "what I think are my best interests would merely bind me closer to the world of illusions." ( 4.3)Why is that? Because we would just keep trying to find happiness in the world, convinced that there is an answer here somewhere when, in fact, there never will be. But more important is the question that arose in our separation which is "what am I?"   Since we don't know ourselves as the Son of God, then what would we know of our best interests?  The self that I think I am and thus think I  know keeps looking for answers in the world for happiness. We try and try to find it, until disillusionment sets in which is the beginning of the forgiveness work. And when we realize that we don't know how to be truly happy in this world, only then will we ask with sincerity of One Who does know.

Our motivation and willingness now increases "to follow the Guide God has given me to find out what my own best interests are recognizing that I cannot perceive them by myself."(4.4) So more and more we learn to step back and to admit we don't know and thus we become willing to ask for help.

"Those who remember always that they know nothing, and who have become willing to learn everything, will learn it. But whenever they trust themselves, they will not learn. They have destroyed their motivation for learning by thinking they already know. Think not you understand anything until you pass the test of perfect peace, for peace and understanding go together and never can be found alone. Each brings the other with it, for it is the law of God they be not separate. They are cause and effect, each to the other, so where one is absent the other cannot be". (T. 14.XI.12)

So we are stepping back from thinking that we know how to manage the circumstances of our lives and increasingly turning over our trust to God. We can only do that as we uncover the thoughts that keep us from Him. Those thoughts keep us in fear. They keep us flying with the tiny wings of the sparrow "when the mighty power of an eagle has been given him." (M.I.2.2) "When this Power has once been experienced, it is impossible to trust one's own petty strength again" (M.1.2.1).

We have all been induced through our life circumstances to make a shift. Otherwise we would not be studying the course or reading these words. Somewhere in our minds we do know that the way of the ego as our guide has brought us lots of heartache and disappointment. There truly is a better way. Thank goodness there is a Guide that is available to us in our minds that leads us out of the insanity of this world.

By attending to this practice, offered through these lessons, we are provided with a doorway out of what would otherwise be a closed system managed by the ego. So instead of looking for answers outside of ourselves and trying to figure things out, we go inside and bring awareness to our thoughts and willingly give them up. Through this process, of letting go of our stories, our problems, and our interpretations, we forgive the world for what it has not done to us. We are not the victims. We are the cause of everything we see.  We have the power. But first we must admit that our current way is not working.
 
"Do not be concerned about how you can learn a lesson so completely different from everything that you have taught yourself. How would you know?

Your part is very simple. You need only recognize that everything you learned you do not want. Ask to be taught, and do not use your experiences to confirm what you have learned. When your peace is threatened or disturbed in any way, say to yourself: I do not know what anything, including this, means. And so I do not know how to respond to it. And I will not use my own past learning as the light to guide me now."  (T.14.XI.6)

"By this refusal to attempt to teach yourself what you do not know, the Guide Whom God has given you will speak to you. He will take His rightful place in your awareness the instant you abandon it, and offer it to Him." (T.14.XI.6)
 
So let's just resign as our own guides. Let's just keep bringing awareness to our thoughts and turn them over to One who does know. That is all we need to do. His gentle love helps us to see the complete meaninglessness of the ego. We can find the quiet place deep within our minds and be helped to let go of the turbulent prison of perpetual conflict that defines our illusory life. But we can't do it without the Holy Spirit. Thank God we have this support or we would simply continue this cycle of birth and death with no resolution. Our part is only to bring our darkness to the light. It is to get very honest with ourselves.

My final point is related to purpose. Our purpose in this world is to prove that illusions about ourselves are real. In fact, to prove that we are real.  "It is for this purpose that I attempt to use everyone and everything. It is for this that I believe the world is for." (5.3-4)   The world was made to prove that we are right about ourselves. We want to prove our individuality, our specialness, our self worth, our story. But now we can use the world for another purpose which is to heal our false perceptions about everything. Are you ready to let go of this "I know" mind and concede you don't know so that you can be taught? It is quite a challenge for us because we are still very resistant. We are still trying to preserve and defend the 'self' we think we are. That is what makes learning this course seem so hard. We resist withdrawing our own beliefs, opinions and judgments that we put on the world. But it is up to us to change our minds about it by first admitting that maybe we have been wrong.

"Let me open my mind to the world's real purpose by withdrawing the one I have given it, and learning the truth about it." (5.7) It is all about the power of our minds to choose. And we will only use that power when we are sufficiently motivated by recognizing that the world will never bring us happiness. Happiness is in the mind.

 

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