ACIM Workbook
Healing Perspectives

Lesson 96

“Salvation comes from my one Self.”

While I was quieting my mind as I worked with today’s exercise, I observed the thoughts that wandered through. I observed that all these thoughts were in some way tied with the image I hold of myself as a body: memories of things the body did, things I plan to do with the body, things people said to me as a body identity. I realize all these thoughts come from a mind perceived split apart from other minds and from God.

While focused on these thoughts I cannot experience or be aware of the thoughts of the mind of my one Self which are shared with God. It is impossible to experience the unity of the one Mind I share with God while my thoughts are focused on a separate identity with private thoughts. With this focus I am not aware of my true Mind that is unified with the Mind of God. These thoughts so fill my awareness that it is only in fleeting moments that I experience a glimpse of the brilliant Light of the Mind of my one Self, which I share with God.

I am grateful to this Course and the exercises of the Workbook, for they have helped open the door to these glimpses. With continued practice, I experience these holy instants more often.

It is important to realize that I cannot reach God through little-self analysis. I reach God by resigning as my own guide and letting the Holy Spirit in my mind guide my thoughts and perceptions. The Holy Spirit will help me recognize the meaninglessness of an image set apart from all and guide me to the recognition of the Light I share with all Creation. Here there can be no conflict, for there is no opposite to conflict with the one Reality of Light. That one Reality is my one Self. Here, in this unity is perfect peace and perfect joy. This is why salvation comes from my one Self. Salvation is perfect happiness and perfect peace.

Holy Spirit lead me to the place in my mind where my one Self resides. Lead me to the Thoughts I share with God. Lead me to the peace of God. You know they are there and how to find them.

It is only my unwillingness that delays the process. Right now I focus on opening my mind to be led to the truth. I open my mind to receive God’s comfort and peace. I open my mind to the certainty of God’s eternal Love, Which is my true Identity. God’s certainty is mine. I only experience conflict when I wander in dreams. These dreams seem so enticing at times, so important to focus on. I am now getting an inkling of how meaningless these dreams are.

As I open to my one Self, I feel a little stream of peace that gradually grows larger. As I follow the stream of peace, it gradually feels fuller and fuller. I keep moving forward into this ever-widening flow of peace. I feel strengthened and encouraged by it. I keep moving forward. I see that my little self identity must fall away as I continue forward. I let it fall away, first a little and then a little more.

The peace of God feels so strong now in my awareness. Nothing else matters. This is my one Self’s gift to all who are willing to be led here. Here and only here is safety. God’s ocean of Love is the one Identity. I am willing to return often today to this ocean of Love That resides in my mind. It is all I want. It is all I need. Here is my happiness and my joy. I am determined to let this be my practice today. “My salvation comes from my one Self.”

I didn't get much sleep last night and my mind was not working very well, so when I tried to do my lesson, I found my mind wandering a lot. I decided to walk along the boardwalk. Water always calms and the wind is blowing some of the heat and humidity away.

I've often found that walking with no distractions seems to help me focus my thinking. I act as if I am talking to someone and so my mind doesn't wander so much. Immediately my mind settled on a problem that has been ongoing for sometime now, a relationship that needs healing but that I have been unwilling to release.

I went over it in my mind and thought about how it all began and what fuels the problem. I thought about why I am so unwilling to allow healing and wondered what to do about it.

Toward the end of the walk, I stated my intention to allow healing and realized that "allow" was the operative word here. Always before I was saying I wanted healing but I was placing my solution in the hands of ego. This is tantamount to saying I want to pretend to do something about it to assuage my guilt and then go on with everything exactly the same only not so obvious. How can I expect my ego to change something it doesn't understand? Anyway, my ego likes things just the way they are. It is like putting the fox in charge of the hen house and then feeling surprised at the result.

I am so grateful for today's lesson. Maybe my self doesn't have a clue, but my one Self holds the thought of salvation for me and wants me to use it. No longer is salvation just a word, an abstract concept. Salvation is possible. Today I practice reaching thoughts of salvation in my mind. I have a clear goal and my intention is strong. I am surrounded by help. How can I fail?

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