An “empty shell” is empty of self and empty of self-will. Today’s reading points out that we will not immediately become the permanent empty shell. We need practice in order to learn that we prefer emptiness to self-will. That is the same as saying we need practice in order to learn that we prefer harmony to conflict. You might think you prefer harmony to conflict now, when you don’t, at least not yet. You see, the ego mind likes harmony as long as it gets harmony “my way.” The ego is attached to self-will, which means that when it comes right down to it, it prefers conflict to no self-will.

We need to learn that we want harmony over conflict to the point that we are willing to relinquish self and self-will in order to realize harmony.

If we are willing to let go of self-will, we will be given opportunities to practice. Conflict will arise in our lives, so we can see that the cause of conflict is self-will, and then we can decide if we are ready to lay aside self-will in that moment  in order to experience harmony.

It reminds me of the opening to Lesson 185 in A Course in Miracles:

I want the peace of God.

To say these words is nothing. But to mean these words is everything. If you could but mean them for just an instant, there would be no further sorrow possible for you in any form; in any place or time.

It’s important to note that harmony is experienced within, not on the outside. If I let go of my self-will in a conflict with another person, but the other person doesn’t let go of her self-will, she may still experience conflict. If I want her to experience harmony, that is simply my  self-will. (i.e., I want her to experience harmony.) I can release additional self-will by letting go of my desire regarding her experience.

Today’s reading says:

Your willingness to practice will match with your brother’s willingness to learn, so he may be brought to you, and you will be given your opportunity to practice.

In NTI Romans 13, we learned that the world is “set up for your learning.” It is set up so we can learn the answer to these questions:

What if nothing was as it is?
What if I could make something completely different,
and make it whatever I want?
What would that be like?

Regardless of whether a person is on the spiritual path or not, he is learning the answer to these questions. When his readiness to learn more about, “What would that be like?” matches with your desire to let go of self-will, you are matched in what may appear to be a conflictual relationship, so he can learn more about the experience of self-will while you let go of self-will.

Today’s reading says:

You are eternal and beyond limits of any kind.

The ego has an interpretation of “limitless,” which is a distortion and not related to truth realization. The ego’s idea of limitless is:

I am not limited. I get my way all of the time.

It is better to see limitless as:

I am not affected by anything. Everything can be exactly as it is.

You know yourself as “limitless and beyond all fear” when you have no self-will and you are  absolute, unqualified love.

Note: The next tip will be available tomorrow morning after 3:50am ET at this link.

Yesterday’s tip defined the “empty shell” as being empty of self and empty of self-will. The willingness to be empty is never an ego desire. Therefore, it is a safe desire. It is also a goal or focus that is helpful in both the purification and service phases. Therefore, it is a worthy goal for the individual who wants to awaken and realize truth.

In addition to being a worthy goal for the individual, the desire to be empty is the one individual goal that serves the whole.

Most individual goals create conflict, because most individual goals come from self-will, which is highly personal and conflicts with other persons. It is extremely fair and honest to say that all conflict comes from self-will.

The desire to be empty of self-will, however, is different. It is the only individual goal that does not create conflict, because there is no self-will in it.

As today’s reading says:

As an empty shell, you are filled by Me.

The “Me” in that sentence is the natural wisdom and love of awake consciousness. There is no selfishness in awake consciousness, because awake consciousness knows all things as its Self and loves all things as its Self. Therefore, a human vessel that is moved by awake consciousness is a vessel that serves the greatest benefit of the whole.

A human vessel that is empty serves the whole in two ways:

1. It can serve at the level of dream to reduce suffering and to point toward truth.
2. It serves at the metaphysical level to communicate truth throughout consciousness.

Today’s reading refers to “mind.” For example, it says:

That which has opened itself to the Spirit of God by becoming as an empty shell has made a statement unto the mind that is its own.

In this context, “mind” is the intelligent faculty in consciousness.

Everything is consciousness, but as you know, consciousness does not recognize itself as consciousness when it is focused outward on thoughts, body and world. Yet, consciousness that does not know itself as consciousness is  consciousness, and its truth is communicated to itself through its intelligent or comprehension faculty whenever a part of itself realizes itself.

Today’s reading is short, but its meaning is far-reaching, since it provides an opportunity to help awaken the entire universe by choosing to become empty at the individual level.

Note: The next tip will be available tomorrow morning after 3:50am ET at this link.