Recently
I have been receiving some of the most hateful and
vicious emails. And of course, the first impulse is
to react. But then, I took a deep breath and asked
the Holy Spirit for guidance, interestingly enough,
no matter what I say, regardless of how loving I
think I may be, the attack comes right back.
Apparently, no matter what I say, the recipient of
my emails finds a way to turn them around and
viciously attack right back.
So when I decided not to reply, I could see my
ego wanting to say something, trying to justify
itself. Then I realized what was going on. If
everything I see is a projection of my guilt, it
does not matter what I say, it is like trying to
bargain with my own darkness. In other words, here
is how the game is played; I project an illusion,
let's call it a set up, then I react to it,
thinking it is real. So I set myself up, then I try
to use love to diffuse it. The problem is, I am
trying to be loving, while at the same time I don't
feel very loving deep within. In other words, I am
trying to sugarcoat the experience with what I
think are loving thoughts.
But once again, if I am projecting it all, and
down deep within I know I am still feeling
disturbed, who am I trying to fool? So
understanding what A Course is telling me, such as:
"Who would send messages of hatred and attack if he
but understood he sends them to himself?",
T-19.IV.i.14:11 it is helpful in reminding me that
the only one I am crucifying is myself, therefore
it would help me not to attack. However, the
intellectual understanding of what the Course is
teaching is not enough. How could I transform these
discomforting feelings into loving ones? Very
simple, not easy, but simple:
"He bids you bring each terrible effect to Him,
that you may look together on its foolish cause and
laugh with Him a while." T-27.VIII.9:3
Another one would be: "
"If you are willing to renounce the role of
guardian of your thought system and open it to me,
I will correct it very gently and lead you back to
God." T-4.I.4:7
Another one would be:
"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 let my
own past be the light to guide me now."
T-14.XI.6:6-9
As you can see, they all say the same thing in
one form or another. Let go of your thought system
and offer it to the Holy Spirit. DO NOT try to
figure anything out, or do anything. Just let it
be. As for me, I do my best to keep my heart open
and to keep loving no matter what! This remind me
of Dr. Wayne Dyer's words on a radio interview when
he said: "The way people react to you is their
karma, but the way you react to them is YOURS!
Those who want to judge and hate me, all I can
do is to love them. Because if they are my
projection, healing has nothing to do with them,
the healing is in me. As the Course reminds me,
what they truly are is: "...the outside picture of
an inward condition." T-21.in.1:5
That does not mean we have to let people attack
us, it simply means we do not judge them for what
they do. Those who attack are not aware of the
following: "I am responsible for what I see... And
everything that seems to happen to me I ask for,
and receive as I have asked." T-21.II.2:3;5
As I always say, I am on this journey looking at
my own stuff. I am not perfect, fall of the wagon a
lot, but keep practicing. And for every thought of
hate I may receive, I thank all the people in my
life for their loving support. I am truly blessed
for having those who are willing to look beyond my
personality and see the perfection I often forget
to see in myself.
Nick Arandes was part of the
self-help movement for close to 20 years. Published
4 books, produced CDs and DVDs, wrote countless
articles and touched the lives of many people
worldwide
before becoming homeless, broke
and diagnosed with a thyroid tumor. Then something
happened that forever changed his life! A
miraculous turn of events led him to the teachings
of
A Course in Miracles. As a result of
putting the principles of The Course into practice,
and experiencing a powerful inner transformation,
he published
What Happens When You Let
God. To find out more about Nick's work, or
to order your copy of the book, simply log on to:
www.TruthAndMiracles.com