Change your thinking

For decades now I have believed that by changing the way I think about the world I change my experience of the world.

For example, if I am sitting in a room with a number of people and I think they are supportive of me, I more than likely will experience peace. In the same way, if I am sitting with this same group of people and believe they are out to get me, I will experience fear. Whether I experience peace or fear is dictated by my thinking. And if someone acts in a way that I believe is insanely, and my thinking is that they are good yet behaving in a way that is not helpful to him or her, I will feel love, not fear; I will give peace, not judgment.

Likewise, if I declare that I don't like someone, my experience will be dictated by that. Or if I decide that I like the person, my experience will be dictated by that as well. And since your experience of the world is dictated by how you think about it, change your thinking about the world and you change how your experience the world.

However, while this belief has indeed been true in my life, I am now learning that the belief in itself is far too limiting! Take a look at this excerpt from Lesson 132 from A Course in Miracles.

"Belief is powerful indeed. The thoughts you hold are mighty, and illusions are as strong in their effects as is the truth...The world is nothing in itself. Your mind must give it meaning. And what you behold upon it are your wishes, acted out so you can look on them and think them real...There is no world apart from what you wish, and herein lies your ultimate release. Change but your mind on what you want to see, and all the world must change accordingly."

Yes, change your mind about the world and you change your experience of the world. But this excerpt is telling us that as we change our thinking about the world, we change the world!

As I continue to progress along this path of making practicing forgiveness a daily part of my life, I am seeing this more and more. And if this is my dream, how could it not be changed when I change my thinking? Healing of situations suddenly appear as I change my thinking. Broken relationships appear to suddenly repair themselves as I practice forgiveness. People's seeming destructive behaviors cease as I release my judgment and project forgiveness instead.

As we walk through this week, let's look for times when the world changes as we practice forgiveness. It's really quite remarkable!

As we change our thinking about the world, we change the world.

In Joy,

Michael