An \u201cempty shell\u201d is empty of self and empty of self-will. Today\u2019s 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 \u201cmy way.\u201d The ego is attached to self-will, which means that when it comes right down to it, it prefers conflict to no self-will.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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 \u00a0<\/em>in order to experience harmony.<\/p>\n It reminds me of the opening to Lesson 185 in A Course in Miracles<\/em>:<\/p>\n I want the peace of God.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n It\u2019s 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\u2019t let go of her self-will, she may still experience conflict. If I want her to experience harmony, that is simply my<\/em>\u00a0 self-will. (i.e., I want\u00a0<\/strong>her to experience harmony.) I can release additional self-will by letting go of my desire regarding her experience.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s reading says:<\/p>\n Your willingness to practice will match with your brother\u2019s willingness to learn, so he may be brought to you, and you will be given your opportunity to practice.<\/p>\n In NTI Romans 13, we learned that the world is \u201cset up for your learning.\u201d It is set up so we can learn the answer to these questions:<\/p>\n What if nothing was as it is? 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, \u201cWhat would that be like?\u201d 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.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s reading says:<\/p>\n You are eternal and beyond limits of any kind.<\/p>\n The ego has an interpretation of \u201climitless,\u201d which is a distortion and not related to truth realization. The ego\u2019s idea of limitless is:<\/p>\n I am not limited. I get my way all of the time.<\/p>\n It is better to see limitless as:<\/p>\n I am not affected by anything. Everything can be exactly as it is.<\/p>\n
\nWhat if I could make something completely different,
\nand make it whatever I want?
\nWhat would that be like?<\/p>\n