Friday, January 16, 2015
Lesson 16: “I have no neutral thoughts.”
We don’t usually notice particularly what our thoughts are. We are totally programmed to have them. We just let this process happen because it seems as basic to life as any other rudimentary aspect. It seems like there is no stopping the thoughts. We just let the ego run rampant in our consciousness. We don’t stop and really sit with the consequence of all this thought actually is.
The Course teaches us a magnificent practice of paying attention to our thoughts. We practice until this becomes second nature. We want to notice what is the nature of all of our thoughts but also while we do that, we want to come to terms with this amazing feat our ego accomplishes at making nothing neutral. The ego adds judgement to everything. Nothing is left away from the ego’s firm grasp. The ego makes everything some form of meaning.
The ego makes some things good, some things bad, some things harsh and some euphoric, but nothing is simply a neutral evaluation to what we see. This is the root of our disquiet when we give everything the meaning of upsetting us. This is a terrible road to take when we let the ego do it’s song and dance about all we see. The ego makes everything some story of drama.
The ego thinks it can just make this our calling card because we can’t stop the ego in time for us to keep it at bay. The ego displays every effort to give everything some cause and meaning. It’s just trying to keep us away from God’s path of righteousness. Our thoughts are meant to be empty so that we can leave space there for God to write His Word. When we fill our minds with drama our thoughts keep us on a fitful roller coaster where we feel no surety of safety.
We can change our thoughts. We simply need make the effort to notice them initially, and see them truly for what they are- a way to perpetuate our pain. Then we can choose thoughts of God’s making as the alternate option that brings us the surest peace. This is how we make friends with our thoughts. We see them, love them, and give them back to God.
We just need our own conviction be strong in the willingness to forgive the ego’s thinking process. Forgiving is the way to soften the seeming wounds the ego causes.