Monday, October 18, 2010

A healed mind does not plan

This is today's Course in Miracles lesson for me and it's perfect. I've been driving myself crazy thinking that I should be doing something, when I really don't know what to do. My next paycheck will be quite small, and there may not be another one after that. Should I look for another job? What kind of a job? Should I move? Where should I move to? I don't have a clue. And so right now I am doing nothing about the future. I am just doing what shows up each day to do. The next couple of weeks I will be busy with work as it is quarterly business review time. After that God only knows.

One thing that I have learned is to not take action if I am afraid, unsure, unclear, or doubtful. Nothing good ever comes of that. One of the first things I heard my spiritual teacher say years ago, is "If you don't know what to do, if you are thinking "Should I do this or should I do that?, then don't do anything. When it's time to move the decision will be clear." When I first heard these words I felt such a sense of relief. Whew! I could relax until I knew what I needed to do.

I have followed this advice since, and it's one of the hardest things I've done. Our culture doesn't support us doing nothing, especially in a crisis. Our culture cries out: Do anything! Just move! Don't just sit there! What horrible advice. It results in a lot of energy wasted and inevitably the wrong decision being made. If you hang in there at some point there will be clarity and you will know exactly what to do. And it will flow, and it will be easy. I know this from personal experience, though sometimes I forget it when fear starts showing its ugly head.

This morning the Course in Miracles reminded me that I don't need to plan my future:
A healed mind does not plan. It carries out the plans that it receives through listening to wisdom that is not its own. It waits until it has been taught what should be done, and then proceeds to do it. (p253)

What would the world look like if we stopped our frantic busyness and only did things when we were clear that it was time to do them? Life would flow much more gracefully and we would be much happier. I promise.

No comments: