Lesson 4: “These thoughts do not mean anything.  They are like the things I see in this room (on this street, from this window, in this place).” 

It is always a treat to go back to the beginning of the Workbook and start again. 

We get to another time get back to the basics of the Course and truly engrain its teachings when we do it again. 

It gives us more ways to get to that place of automatic when we then actively apply the Course to our daily lives, which is the whole purpose.  

One thing I absolutely love about the Course is it stresses so heavily and repeatedly that the reason for the Course is so that we can apply it. 

Learning things is helpful for sure. In my teens and twenties I used to own and had on my book shelves- literally- every self help book ever made, because I thought eventually I would learn them so I kept buying them. 

But finally at last I was ready to really do the Course, and eventually I donated almost all of the self-help books.  

I am endlessly grateful that I was finally ready with the Course to actually make it my reality instead of just talking about it. 

We can read new age philosophy over and over and that is part of the learning process of getting to that point of truly embodying the messages.  But the whole purpose is to apply what we learn.

One reason I was, in the end, not satisfied with standard religions- and I tried many of them full- is because I never saw that emphasis on embodying the principles. 

I seemed to go to church on Sunday, and then still make “sins” and mistakes anyway, and I certainly saw many other people attending church doing the same thing. 

So, when I was a teenager, after I had tried many religions, I became vexed with Christian churches largely because of this reason, and I stopped going to them because of this.

I adore the Course because I feel like this idea of applying the Course is one of the most important tenets. 

I love that we are asked to be consistent with ourselves, in thoughts, words, and deeds. 

I love that we get the true scoop- that this amazing book has God’s corrections for Christianity, and reinterpretations that are totally kind and compassionate and helpful and clear. 

I love that the message is simple, and it makes me want to go out and practice the Course because this is what makes me truly happy. 

The whole purpose of the Course is to wake us up, and help us step into a true awareness that we are the ones who made up reality. 

Our ego’s favorite pastime is to dictate our perception. 

The ego is always in the midst of making how we see things. 

The problem is that we are really numb to this process. 

I am grateful that the Course starts at the beginning of the Workbook with this discussion and conversation about what the nature of the mind does.  

The problem is that we are not aware of this.  

This can be shocking indeed.  We all on some level are numbed out to the reality of this truth, even if we are fully functioning adults, we are all in some ways not fully functioning, because it can make us squirm to know the truth of things. 

But the Course reminds us that it is our job is to just start to open our minds to an alternate state of mind.  

We need to start first undoing the old way of things in our minds.  The Course’s Workbook is really gentle, and holds our hands through the whole process of the Workbook, but especially through the undoing part, where we learn to understand that our minds are full of what we put there.

We just need to realize that nothing out in the world is anything other than figments of our imagination. 

The Course invites us to get to a place where our minds are less cluttered, so that we can be open and available to enjoy and embody Godly Love.  We declutter our minds with needless thinking. 

The ego is an addict for thinking and will fill our minds, absolutely to the max, and there will be no space left for the awesomeness of God.  

The purpose of the Course is to help us to step back and see this truth for what it is, and then to be willing to  change this eventually so that we will in fact be happy. 

We are asked to be really kind and forgiving to ourselves in this process because this is the Energy of God.

All love,

Laurie Prezbindowski

Licensed acupuncture