What scares us most about financial success is not that we may fall short, but that we may actually take flight.
I see it in so many women. I saw it myself. We’re terrified to discover that we might be ‘powerful beyond measure.’ And for good reason.
When we claim our power, we raise the stakes. Power insists we become responsible adults, the primary authority in our life…autonomous, accountable, and as singer/songwriter Helen Reddy crooned, “too big to ignore.”
For the first time in 30 years, I’m teaching a class that’s not about money. It’s based on A Course of Miracles (ACIM), a profound spiritual text.
I believe this book was written precisely for these turbulent, conflict-ridden times. And I’m convinced, if the masses lived by the Course’s message, we’d see a saner world.
ACIM calls itself a course in mind training. It’s stated purpose is “to restore the awareness of the power of the mind.’
“What you do comes from what you think,” the Course explains. “All power is given to you through your mind.”
This is great news. Because your mind is the only thing you can control. I certainly can’t stop the fighting in the middle east, but it doesn’t have to destroy my peace. And this applies not only to global disasters but to daily annoyances.
I’ve taken on an Ambitious Challenge for 2024. Well, it’s actually not ‘ambitious’ in the conventional sense.
In fact, most would say it was the exact opposite. But if you feel spiritually adventurous, I invite you to join me.
I call it the No-Goals Challenge. Here’s why I’m doing it…
Anna, my youngest daughter, and I have a “God Box” ritual we do every January 1st. We write down our goals for the year on slips of paper. Then we read each one aloud as we drop them in our God Box, deliberately giving those goals up to the Divine.
There’s a line in A Course in Miracles that, long ago, had a big impact on me: “What you share you strengthen.”
It was when a coach gave me an intriguing assignment that the line really came to life for me. For 2 weeks, I was to simply observe my conversations, without changing a thing. Just notice what I talked about, the words I used, my typical reactions…you know, the stuff I was sharing with others.
What I saw was not pretty. I was constantly putting myself down, without ever realizing it. I’d dismiss my skills (“Oh, that’s no big deal”). I’d deflect praise (“I thought I was awful”). I’d diminish my successes (“But I could’ve done so much better”).
Recently, I stumbled on an unfamiliar book title, A Course of Love. It got my attention since it’s billed as a sequel to A Course in Miracles.
I was intrigued enough to click a link that promised to send me a chapter.
I haven’t read the book, so I can’t offer my opinion on the entire manuscript. But the chapter they sent had me sit up and take notice.
In the chapter were 3 questions that were so profound, I wanted to share them with you, especially if you’re facing a perplexing challenge.
These questions could be asked in situations as commonplace as balancing the checkbook, the chapter explained, or as momentous as a doctor’s diagnosis of a disease.
In other words, ask yourself these questions anytime you’re overwhelmed, anxious, confused, or even mildly puzzled.
