Regina’s Tip for Lesson 5
Today’s Workbook lesson asks us to apply the exercise to all upsets indiscriminately. As you do today’s exercise, you may notice a temptation to select certain upsets as worthy of this exercise, while quickly deciding other upsets are too small or unimportant to mention during the exercise. For example, you may decide to practice with the argument you had with a family member while deciding to overlook the minor annoyance you feel about the noise outside your window as you do the exercise.
Deciding some upsets are worthy of the exercise while others are too small or unimportant to mention is an ego preservation strategy. That’s why today’s lesson asks you to say to yourself, “There are no small upsets. They are all equally disturbing to my peace of mind.”
The perfect peace of true perception has no upsets in it. Some people will argue this point, but that is only because they have not yet fully undone the ego filter.
You need not settle for less than perfect happiness, because perfect happiness is your right. Perfect happiness is your natural state, which you will experience when the self-referencing habit is undone.
If you learn not to self-reference during conversations with family members, and as a result, you no longer argue with family members, that’s great! However, if you still self-reference regarding noises in the environment, traffic patterns, smells and weather, you will still experience discontent and possibly outright rage. In order to experience “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,” self-referencing must end completely. (Ref: Philippians 4:7 in the Bible.)
This is what the Introduction to the Workbook meant by “transfer of training.” Transfer of training is learning something, and then applying what you learn in all circumstances, instead of just some circumstances.
As a reminder, the Introduction said:
“The exercises are planned to help you generalize the lessons, so that you will understand that each of them is equally applicable to everyone and everything you see.
Transfer of training in true perception does not proceed as does transfer of the training of the world. If true perception has been achieved in connection with any person, situation or event, total transfer to everyone and everything is certain. On the other hand, one exception held apart from true perception makes its accomplishments anywhere impossible. …
“… be sure that you do not decide for yourself that there are some people, situations or things to which the [exercises] are inapplicable. This will interfere with transfer of training. The very nature of true perception is that it has no limits. It is the opposite of the way you see now.”
Homework for the week:
- Homework Assignment A: ACIM Workbook Lessons 1-7
- First, read the lesson all the way through and then practice the lesson according to its instructions
- If you have done the ACIM workbook before, you may add what you hear and feel to the exercises for Lessons 1-3
- As you do exercises 1-3, you may notice the meaning you have given to things. Just notice and continue with the exercise
- Tip for Lesson 4: Sometimes people have trouble remembering to do the workbook lesson when it is to be done more than twice per day. They get on with their day and forget all about the lesson. Here’s a tip: When you finish the workbook lesson 4 in the morning, make a decision about when you will do it next. After you do the lesson the second time, make a decision about when to do it again. After the third time, make a decision about when to do it for the fourth time. If you make a conscious decision about when you will do the exercise next, you are less likely to forget to do it.
- Homework Assignment B: Read NTI Luke, Chapters 12 (p151-155), and Chapters 16-17 (p161-167).
- Do not read all at once. Read a little each day contemplatively.
- Explore the reading through journaling. Journal clarity, questions, confusion, resistance, willingness, etc.
- If there is a Bible icon before a verse reference, read those verses from the Bible before reading that interpretation from NTI
- Listen to Adyashanti video in Gentle Healing Playlist: Click Here to Watch
