Cleaning up our ego with our ego, clearly makes for a happy ego because it leaves no room for the Holy Spirit to be involved. The ego stays doubly happy when we then realize that we’ve failed to “get rid of” negative thoughts. The negative thoughts and judgments keep coming, and so we further judge ourselves for “not doing it right.” Again, this delights the ego because “the ego grows strong in strife” – even strife that is directed within when we mentally beat ourselves up.
As Course students, we’re asked to refrain from taking on the Holy Spirit’s job, and instead allow the Holy Spirit to do Its job, which is to UNDO the mistaken thoughts and perceptions that we hold in our mind. We’re not asked to clean up our own minds (what a relief!). We’re simply asked to take every thought, every belief, and every perception to the Holy Spirit in exchange for a miracle (a shift in perception).
This does NOT mean that you are going to stop having negative or judgmental thoughts. It simply means that you have no thoughts which you would keep from your Inner Teacher.
“The necessary condition for the holy instant does not require that you have no thoughts that are not pure. But it does require that you have none that you would keep.” – A Course in Miracles FIP T-15.IV.9.
So next time you notice that judgmental thought, don’t try to fix it, deny it, or change it by yourself. Simply acknowledge that it is there, and be willing to give it to the Holy Spirit, asking for a miracle to replace it instead.
Complexity is only of the ego. Truth asks us to do so little.
thank you again , just in time the right thing to read !! Love it ! Love you !!
Thank you Annemieke! Sending love to you too! xo
Thank you! This is what I needed to hear….again…and again 🙂
Thanks Susan! Me too 🙂
I have recently been discussing this with Sean Reagan and you might be interested in the conversation
http://seanreagan.com/attention-is-the-holy-spirit/comment-page-1/#comment-17316
The most important message in your post and one I have to keep reminding myself to do is:
“Simply acknowledge that you are making a judgment by yourself, and be willing to give it to the Holy Spirit, asking for a miracle to replace it instead.”
Thank you Corinne
Thank you Xavier! I read through your discussion and it was powerful indeed! Thank you so much for sharing it.
The “attention” you talked about in that discussion is that exact attention that we need to use to acknowledge that we’re (yet again) making a judgment by ourselves. When we use that mindfulness to become aware that we’ve taken on the Holy Spirit’s job (again), we can mindfully step back and be willing (again) to ask for that miracle. This is moment-to-moment work!
Thank you again 🙂
Lovely my friend! I love the simplicity of this. It is such a relief to know that I could never undo the tailspin of the ego with another tailspin! I’ve tried so hard in the past, thinking fighting back would win the fight, but it’s actually the easiest, simplest, gentlest route that not only works..but feels the best! ironic 🙂 thank you for the reminder 😉
Thank you Jen! Love how you put this: “It is such a relief to know that I could never undo the tailspin of the ego with another tailspin!” It is such a relief that we have to do so little 🙂
Thank you so much for the reminder! How much easier than struggling with the ego. I think I am finally beginning to really understand some this. I’ve been studying the Course about six months and oh how my life is changing…for the good. 🙂
Thanks for your comment Susan! The Course definitely has that transformative effect… thank goodness!
Hi, Corrine! I discovered your ministry while searching the Internet for Course related pics for my ACIM posts on Facebook. I was DELIGHTED to find a meditation expert with a background in ACIM. I Immediately ordered your 5 minute Mindful meditation CD, which I can’t get enough of. Then I found your email today with your Let Things Be meditation and now I’m hooked and loving every minute of it. Is there a way for people in Michigan to follow along with your ACIM teaching, perhaps by teleconference or Skype?
Hi Rhett! Thank you so much for such kind words about my meditations and CD! Would you be interested in joining our weekly ACIM study group over the phone? We meet every Sunday night at 8pm Eastern. Contact me through my web form and I can send you the details 🙂
Many blessings!
Hi Corinne,
This is SUCH a great post! And so timely for me, as today I’ve been trying like the dickens to “undo the tailspin of the ego with another tailspin”. (Thanks for the spot on term, Jennifer!) I get into these tailspins because I feel so ashamed of myself for my negative thoughts and feelings, and I project my self-judgment on to the Holy Spirit, so I think I have to fix myself first. Having grown up in an abusive home I got used to the people who I loved, and who had authority over me, being very harsh and unkind. I’m working on seeing things differently and letting in that the Holy Spirit only sees me with love, and I can bring everything to Holy Spirit. That still feels really unnatural and “wrong” to me, but your posts and videos and teachings are helping me relearn what it means to be loved. Thank you!
Hi Tanya!
The awareness you’re writing about is so key… seeing the patterns can be so helpful in giving them to Holy Spirit and in truly letting them go. That trap of thinking we have to fix ourselves first is something we ALL slip into (including myself!). I’m so grateful we’re remembering “what it means to be loved” together (I love how you put that). xoxox
In addition to ACIM, I also do Inner Family Work/Loving Parent (ACA– 12-Step related– see The Loving Parent Guidebook on Amazon) work. When doing this work, I don’t offer any of it up to the Holy Spirit, but I do feel some relief. But your essay here seems to suggest that anything not offered to the Holy Spirit is just ego, and will fail.
Hi Lenny! Thanks so much for your comment. In this post I’m writing specifically about the Course in Miracles framework. Ultimately, our work is less about the language we use (or how we conceptualize what we’re doing) and more about not keeping our judgmental thoughts but instead allowing them to be transformed by something greater than ourselves. The fact that you’re doing ACA – 12-step related work and seeing the difference, shows that you’re doing this work (just in a different form). There are many paths to the same place. I hope that helps!