It is Your Fault But You are Not to Blame

Resting my Sunburned Feet

For the month of May we will be exploring the theme "Spiritual Guidance and Personal Responsibility." This theme contains two of the most important principles of the Science of Mind. First, that we believe every person can be a revealer of truth. To me that means that we can, and do, directly connect with Source and It can, and does, guide and direct us. Secondly, that our experiences do not come to us , but rather come through us.

Each one of us has an inner guidance system. This system is always guiding us. It always knows what is  our highest and best good. Sometimes it speaks quietly so that you have to be still to hear it and at other times it screams so loudly that we can not ignore it. 

Over time I have come to be thankful for and expectant of Its guidance. There were many years that I didn't believe in It and could not hear It.  On a recent trip to Costa Rica, I had a private two-hour ride to the resort from the airport. I was guided to ask my driver for Spanish lessons. He was delighted to teach me. It made my trip fly by and gave Roberto, my driver, an opportunity to be in service. Guidance can be a simple idea like that or a feeling of "not going in the right direction." By the way, I also ignored my personal guidance to get out of the sun in Coasta Rica. Hence, sore, swollen, sunburned feet!

The second part is personal responsibility. In the past, I felt that personal responsibility was heavy and unpleasant. The words felt heavy and burdensome. But after studying the Science of Mind, I had a new idea about it. I realized that if everything came through my consciousness and absolutely no other way, then in order to change my life, I simply needed to change my deep beliefs. What a sense of joy and freedom it has given me! I am not a victim any longer. I accept everything in my life exactly as it is and as it is not. "I once was blind, but now I see."

Shakespeare penned these words in the play Julius Caesar, spoken by Cassius, one of the men opposed to Julius Caesar becoming a monarch:

 "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in the stars, but in ourselves."

If one thinks he is doomed to a certain life, he will be. If he thinks that he is going to prosper happily, he will. Nothing outside ourselves ever creates our experience. Rather it is the choices we make from our deep beliefs that will make life be whatever it is. We learn to notice our results and circumstances with compassion and love. The idea of personal responsibility always inspires me. I know that if my consciousness created a result that is less than satisfying, then shifting my consciousness by changing my mind and heart, can change it into something I do want. Yes, it is my fault but I am not to blame.

What to Do When What We See Is Not Welcome

In yesterday's Joyous Living Journal we read: "The Journey to Cosmic Consciousness starts with an ability to see what is.Take a good long look at your life.Where are you taking the material world as Reality and finding yourself stuck with conditions you don't like?  By first seeing what is, you can discover what you believe."

I am much better now that I truly know that life is lived from the inside out. What I used to believe was that I was my body, my job, my roles. No matter how many roles you play -- daughter, sister, friend, mother, minister, care-giver, worker -- you are not your roles. Your life is not your bank balance or your travel plans. You are not your past. 

The symbol above shows the Creative Process. We have an idea, which we plant in subconscious medium and it becomes our experience. Since all forms are caused by an idea, then you see that we are all more than we can see.

When I was a younger woman, I was certain I would be happy if only my husband would be a certain way. If he would not drink too much, he would not embarrass me. If he would get a University education, I would be more comfortable when he was talking with my friends. If he would get a more prestigious job, I would have more of the money I made to spend on myself. All of these ideas are spiritually untrue. No one can make me happy but myself. It was my own insecurity that was raising its ugly head, it had nothing to do with him. 

The truth is I didn't learn to accept responsibility for my life until much later. Now I know that no one can embarrass me but myself. And furthermore embarrassment is a belief that something is not as it should be. No one can make me happy except me. No one can increase my prosperity except myself.

Now  that I know the nature of life is to respond to my cherished beliefs, I have  a tool for spiritual living which can help me live more harmoniously. I can change my deeply held beliefs through affirmative prayer. In fact I use this tool constantly to expand my awareness of the limitless potential in which I live.

For anyone who may be clinging to blame of others or of circumstances, I offer this prayer. Read it daily with feeling and your life will change.

Deep in the Center of Life is First Cause, the Creative Process, the Presence of God. This One loves Its creation unreasonably, constantly, unconditionally. This one is everywhere present, all-knowing, all-powerful. 

Turning to It now, I speak my word for myself. I know that Divine Life flows through me now. I see with the perception of the Divine Mind. Everything is connected and everything is good. I know that my word is powerful because i am one with the all-powerful.

Here and now, I choose to accept greater joy in my life than ever before. I choose to expand my awareness of the Presence of God within me. I know that this Presence guides me to new, healthy-minded ideas about myself, others and life.The pure waters of Spirit wash clean my subjective mind of old, out-worn beliefs of insufficiency, lack, unhappiness or blame. No longer do I blame others or circumstances for my experiences. I know causation is invisible to the eye and felt with the heart. I love myself and honor myself by filling my awareness with the good that is at hand. My life is so good for i am the beloved of God.

I give great thanks for this awareness. I am grateful for the perfect Presence that always guides me and the perfect Law that fulfills my intentions.
With peace of mind, I release my word into the Law of Mind. It is complete. And so it is.