Lesson 5: I am never upset for the reason I think.
Thunderbolt! We are never upset for the reason we think. What’s more, Jesus suggests that, eventually, we are going to learn that form does not matter, period.
Initially, we will apply today’s idea to specific forms in our individual lives. But that is only in order to become aware, over time, that all forms are the same. All forms are symbolic of the ego idea of separation from God.
This brings us to cause — the underlying source of upset. Jesus, in A Course in Miracles, is nothing if not logical. He offers us this statement to acclimate our minds to being indiscriminate in practicing the exercise:
“There are no small upsets. They are all equally disturbing to my peace of mind.”
In case we find we are resistant to applying today’s ideas to specific upsets, Jesus further offers this:
“I cannot keep this form of upset and let the others go. For the purposes of these exercises, then, I will regard them all as the same.”
We are asked to name the source of our personal upset and the feeling as we experience the upset. Getting to know our human selves better is part of the paradoxical process of A Course in Miracles, which, ultimately, uses separation to separate us from our toxic attachment to the ego and restores our ability to discover ourselves as Mind.
