My thoughts* on ACIM Urtext Lesson 21, for January 21, 2024. And a footnote. :)

I am determined to see things differently.

1. The idea for today is obviously a continuation and extension of the preceding one. ²This time, however, specific mind-searching periods are necessary, in addition to applying the idea to particular situations as they may arise. ³Five practice periods are urged, allowing a full minute for each.

2. In the practice periods, begin by repeating the idea to yourself. ²Then close your eyes and search your mind carefully for situations past, present or anticipated that arouse anger in you. ³The anger may take the form of any reaction ranging from mild irritation to rage. ⁴The degree of the emotion you experience does not matter. ⁵You will become increasingly aware that a slight twinge of annoyance is nothing but a veil drawn over intense fury.

* I love this last line. “⁵You will become increasingly aware that a slight twinge of annoyance is nothing but a veil drawn over intense fury.” While believing that anything in the world of separation from God is real one is bound to have sore spots of all kinds. Truth is you are just “pissed.” And rightly so in my opinion. Lol, only you can undo it though with an awareness that there could be NOTHING outside of God that is REAL.

3. Try, therefore, not to let the “little” thoughts of anger escape you in the practice periods. ²Remember that you do not really recognize what arouses anger in you, and nothing that you believe in this connection means anything. ³You will probably be tempted to dwell more on some situations or persons than on others, on the fallacious grounds that they are more “obvious.” ⁴This is not so. ⁵It is merely an example of the belief that some forms of attack are more justified than others.

* Belief in a world without God living it, yep, I wrote “living it” is just plain unrealistic.

* Attack is attack is attack. No matter how justified one believes they are in their grievance.

* I do not feel that cussing out the illusion and confusion is the same thing as attack. NOW, I DO RECOGNIZE THAT I COULD BE WRONG ABOUT THAT. Hahaha!

* I have to admit that my cussing tendency is turning into the chuckle that Jesus said would come as we understand the Atonement.

4. As you search your mind for all the forms in which attack thoughts present themselves, hold each one in mind while you tell yourself:

²I am determined to see ____________ [name of person] differently.

³I am determined to see ________________ [specify the situation] differently.

5. Try to be as specific as possible. ²You may, for example, focus your anger on a particular attribute of a particular person, believing that the anger is limited to this aspect. ³If your perception is suffering from this form of distortion, say:

⁴I am determined to see ____________ [specify the attribute] in ____________ [name of person] differently.

* This may be premature, but I feel prompted to say it, there are prominent public Course Teachers who say you can substitute love for the anger but when we do not allow God in the picture, nor His Son, we eliminate any connection to true love and only apply a malignant form of hate that we currently are calling love. This gives us “peace” in the world of form BECAUSE it is a form of hate which does not SHAKE UP the false paradigm that the frightened guilt-based ego has us dwelling in.

* There is ONLY ONE WAY out of this confusion and I suspect that it is going to look VERY SHAKEY for a while in the world of form.

(ACIM, W-21.1:1–5:4)

Till next time, God bless, debi.