On Day 251, we read stories about Job and Peace Pilgrim. Job and Peace Pilgrim were not confused about what abundance is. In the story about Job, the wrong-mind (represented by Satan) was confused about what abundance is. Since the wrong-mind thought that abundance was found in manifestation, it thought Job would curse God when his manifested abundance was taken away, but Job did not curse God when manifested abundance was taken away. Job continued to praise God, because he knew true abundance.
Today’s reading says:
Teach yourself only that your abundance is now,
without any separation from you,
and you teach yourself everything that is true about you.
Another way to say that is:
Teach yourself that you are abundance now,
and you teach yourself everything that is true about you.
If you were fully enlightened, there would be no confusion about this. Abundance is what the enlightened know, see and feel. However, the mind’s concepts block one’s awareness of abundance with ideas of lack. Ideas of lack can look like this:
- I am not good enough.
- To be good enough, I have to …
- To feel fulfilled, I have to …
- I will be happy when …
- I don’t have enough …
- I can’t be happy because …
- You just don’t understand the burden I live with.
- I need ________ (fill in the blank with a material or experiential idea)
- Things should be different than they are.
- Etcetera
Some spiritual teachers say that unhappiness is caused by our belief in lack (& then go on to teach how to attract what you want). It’s true that unhappiness is caused by our belief in lack, but it isn’t caused by our belief in material or experiential lack. Unhappiness occurs because we are unaware of our true nature. One who is Self-realized does not experience lack; that one is happy regardless of his/her material or experiential situation in form.
Today’s reading says:
It is true that there also seems to be something else within you…something that does not seem to be light, but dark…
Whatever you find inside that feels different than divine abundance is an untrue concept about what you are. You know these ideas are untrue, because when you believe them they block natural happiness.
Remember this:
Whenever you are not happy
or content with what is,
you are touching a false concept.
You touch false concepts with attention. Attention feels and experiences, so when you touch a false concept with attention, you feel and experience that concept. It’s like tasting food. When your tongue touches food, you taste it. In the same way, attention tastes the concepts it touches.
Today’s reading says:
It is okay to stand within it for a moment and feel it. But then remember that I have taught you that the judgment comes only from you. Decide in that moment to choose to see your Self truly. Then reach within your mind, and turn on the Light.
Judgment is the decision or declaration that something is real or true.
If you are the one deciding a specific concept is true, you are the one who can choose to decide differently.
You choose to decide differently by removing attention from the concept and placing attention with your true Self—with awareness or existence.
Some people may wonder if today’s teaching is different than rest-accept-trust. It isn’t.
When today’s reading says, “turn on the Light,” it doesn’t mean that you should stop feeling whatever is being felt. It means:
Notice awareness or existence
as you feel a temporary experience.
When you choose to focus attention on awareness or existence during an emotional experience, you make a decision regarding which is true and meaningful. That decision is made by where you place attention. When you place attention with awareness or existence, you “turn on the Light,” because by placing attention there, you’ve decided that life-awareness is supreme.
Note: The next tip will be available tomorrow morning after 3:50am ET at this link.
