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ACIM Lesson 34 2025

I could have peace instead of this.

This lesson came along at the perfect time! I woke up feeling strangely anxious and didn’t know why at first. Then I remembered. So here is what happened. Yesterday, while shopping for groceries, I picked up some cookies for my son. I noticed some sugar-free cookies, and since I don’t eat sugar, I thought about buying some for myself.

I looked them over carefully. They were sweetened artificially, and I am careful to keep the amount of those sweeteners to a minimum. I decided that I would get a package of them and eat two of them a day when I wanted something sweet. Then, on my way home, I ate half the package of cookies. Well, so much for that plan.

The problem was not that I bought cookies or that I didn’t stop with two. The problem was that I felt guilty. I felt afraid of my own out-of-control behavior. But I decided that this was just the kind of thing to use yesterday’s lesson with. So, I reminded myself that there was another way of looking at this and went on to bed, thinking I was done with the problem.

This morning, I discovered I was not done with it. When I looked at the lesson for the day, I felt immediate relief. Oh yeah, I could have peace instead of this. Just reminding myself of that truth was enough to lift the dark cloud of guilt from my mind. I chose to buy cookies and to eat them. I chose to feel guilty about that. Now, I will make a better choice, a choice for peace.

The cookie drama (or comedy) is just another episode of “The Life of Myron” and is not important in itself. But the choice to be anxious or at peace is important. Each time I make that choice, I move toward God or toward ego. That is why it is important. And each time I decide for God, I am teaching myself that peace is what I want. Having done this for a long time now, I generally find it easy to choose peace. Making the choice for peace repeatedly is why it is easy for me now.

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