Since Lesson 156, I walk with God in perfect holiness, we have spent the majority of our days noticing awareness-life-presence. We have noticed it is always present. We have noticed it is what we are. And yet, most of us do not fully realize our Self as awareness-life-presence. Why?
The answer is, the mind denies truth, and we continue to believe the mind.
Here are some common doubt thoughts that arise in the mind of a spiritual aspirant:
~ I do not want truth enough.
~ I do not practice well enough.
~ The truth is out of reach.
~ I do not give enough time to practice in order to realize truth.
~ I do not know what truth is.
~ I will never realize truth.
~ I am not good enough to realize truth.
~ Truth does not exist.
All of these doubt thoughts deny truth. When any one of these thoughts is believed, it keeps us from noticing awareness-life-presence now. And as yesterday’s lesson said, “What time but now can truth be recognized? The present is the only time there is. And so today, this instant, now, we come to look upon what is forever there.”
Today’s workbook lesson encourages us to practice with hope, because hope counteracts doubt.
What if we replaced every thought of doubt with a thought of hope? For example, we could replace, “I do not want truth enough” with “I must want truth more than I think, because spirituality is an ongoing focus in my life.”
Which do you think benefits the purpose of awakening more: negative thoughts of doubt or positive thoughts of hope? Which do you think benefits the ego more?
Let’s do two things today:
1 – Pay particular attention to discover the thoughts of doubt that you listen to. Look at those thoughts with reason, meaning notice that those thoughts serve the ego and discourage spiritual aspiration. Look for reasonable thoughts of hope to replace them with, thoughts that encourage you instead of discouraging you.
2 – Continue to notice awareness-life-presence. Throughout the day, each time you remember, take a moment to notice that you are aware and you exist. Even when you are distracted from awareness-life-presence by doubt, you are still aware and you still exist. Doubt does not change the truth; it only denies it.
