ACIM Daily Inspiration with Anthony Gold

In this episode I talk about how and why the laws of physics were made the way they are. And how that relates to all our experiences.https://livebeyondtheillusion.com/spooky-action-at-a-distance/Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In this episode, Anthony discusses the Course's definition of "forgiveness" - which has nothing to do with forgiving others for what they did to us.https://livebeyondtheillusion.com/acim-lesson-62/Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In this episode, Anthony discusses why we care about things in the world. For example, why we get joyful or upset when our sports team wins or loses. https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/why-do-we-care/ Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In Lesson 61 we remember how important our function is and to always be aware of how the ego will try to trip us up. We ARE the light of the world. That IS our only function. That is WHY we are here.https://livebeyondtheillusion.com/acim-lesson-61/Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In Lesson 50 we learn about the ego, what it has to offer (hint: not much) and how we can make a different choice and experience perfect peace.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In the episode, Anthony discusses this line from Lesson 281: "I can be hurt by nothing but my thoughts."Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In Lesson 49 we learn about the two voice in our mind. One that speaks of fear (the ego) and one that speaks of love (God's voice).Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In this episode, Anthony shares what we, who buy into the ego thought system, have in common with cult members. Cognitive dissonance.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In this episode, Anthony shares some beautiful lines from Lesson 121 and what forgiveness truly means. Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In this episode, Anthony discusses how memory keeps us trapped in the illusion. As well, how we can use memory to help escape from its insincere embrace.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In this episode, Anthony discusses overcoming past trauma and how well-meaning advice can often be non-loving.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In this episode, Anthony explores the nature of seeing every problem as it truly is, leading to an escape from all pain. Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In this episode, Anthony discusses gentleness and how, in every moment, we can make the choice for the peace. Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In this episode, Anthony presents a devilish experiment surrounding the parable of the Good Samaritan. He also discusses the nature of time and techniques we can use to help us practice our lessons of growth and forgiveness. Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In this episode, Anthony discusses the nature of self and explores practices we can leverage to help us become more self aware and peaceful.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In this episode, Anthony discusses self-rejection, self-acceptance, and practices we can use to become channels for peace. Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In this episode, Anthony discusses the distinction between brain and mind -- and the real alternatives we choose between. Our choice in the mind directly correlates with our experience of either peace or pain.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In Lesson 48 we learn that all our fear - despite everything going on in the world - comes from our choice for the ego. And we can make a different choice.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In Lesson 47 we learn where true strength resides, as well as practice exercises for reaching that place of peace.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In Lesson 46 we learn this provocative definition of forgiveness: nothing and no one needs to be forgiven, because nothing happened.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In Lesson 45 we learn that the source of all thought comes from our mind. When we choose the mind of peace, all our thoughts will be loving, peaceful and inclusive.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In Lesson 44 we learn that light and seeing - as we’ve come to understand those concepts - are actually their opposites. True seeing comes from within.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In Lesson 43 we learn that when we are looking with the ego as our teacher - which, if we’re honest, is most of the time, then what we see is not reality, but rather delusion.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In Lesson 42, we learn that success is this course is guaranteed. Not through any strength of will of our own. But rather through the power of our source - to which we are always connected.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In Lesson 41, we learn that deep within is the remedy for everything that troubles us. We’re learning to connect with our source.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In Lesson 40, we learn about why this lesson focuses more on reminding us to do the lesson that it does on actually describing the lesson.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In this episode, Anthony talks about why traditional mechanisms to overlook sin don’t work and how we can truly see beyond error in a way that actually works.https://acimlife.com/how-to-overlook-sinSupport the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

Our guilt runs much deeper than we might imagine. And it's the cause of all our suffering. But there is a way to escape it.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

From the vantage point of the right mind of spirit, we experientially understand that there is nothing our holiness cannot do.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

As much as I think my judgment is correct - especially when its based on logic, experience, and a strong gut feel - my intention is far from loving.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

Charity is a way of looking at another as if he had already gone far beyond his actual accomplishments in time.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

When we choose the mind of spirit, our bodies take on the holy purpose of channeling love and recognizing the sameness in everything.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

Whenever we find ourselves judging anything, that's a reminder that we aren’t seeing the holiness that envelops everything around us. In which case, we can make a different choice in our mind and experience a completely different outcome.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

When I first started in the business world, I was taught (and I believed) that the pie was limited. If I didn’t take my slice, then someone else would.For instance, each year there was a limited pool of money for salary raises. Every dollar one person received meant there was one less for everyone else. Only a certain percentage of people could be rated a one - which was the top rating.This obviously cultivated a culture of competition.And while it may have produced increased output, it certainly led to a fair amount of disgruntlement.Yet this is the way much of the world works.And it’s intentional. Not just to drive conflict, but to keep us rooted in a mindset of lack and limitation. Even if we get what we want, there’s a part of us that knows deep down it’s at the expense of someone else. The guilt grows - often unconsciously - creating a gnawing sense of fear of losing whatever we’ve gained.Gain and loss teeter on the world’s precarious balance scale.But there’s another way of existing in the world - a different mindset - that leads to a completely different experience.Consider this quote from A Course in Miracles: “What your brother loses you have lost, and what he gains is what is given you.”When we see others as one with us - a shared purpose to awaken from a dream of hell - then all sense of judgment, competition, and lack melt away. And in their place is a quiet, gentle peace that embraces everyone.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In this lesson, we are asked to search our mind for how we see ourselves. For instance, we might say: *I see myself as imposed on. I see myself as depressed. I see myself as failing.* Or, *I see myself as charitable. I see myself as victorious.* And so on.And then what we’re taught is that those are all unreal.We only believe we are those things because we’ve surrounded ourselves with an environment that seems to prove it.In other words, we made it all up.All our experiences, day-in and day-out, are intentionally architected to lead us to these images of ourselves - either positive or negative - so that we never question their source.And by staying out of the mind - or mind-less - we continue to reinforce this false identity.This lesson is helping us understand what real vision will show us. It describes our true identity, which is that our mind is part of God’s and that every one of us is very holy.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

This is one of the most commonly practiced lessons in the workbook. The reason is that it can be used in every single situation in which we’re upset.On the surface, it’s hard to imagine how we could see peace in the midst of a challenging experience - especially if we are clearly being victimized.How could I see peace when this awful thing is happening to me?But what this lesson is teaching us - and these lines are right at the beginning of the lesson - is that “peace of mind is an internal matter. It must begin with your thoughts and then extend outward. It is from your peace of mind that a peaceful perception of the world arises.”Consider the metaphor of a movie theater. When we’re watching a movie that is particularly well-written, acted, directed, and produced - we get sucked in to the characters and the script. So much so that our emotions resonate with the drama. We totally forget that the real us is sitting in the movie theater.In the same way, we’ve gotten totally sucked in to the drama of what we call life. So much so that we’ve forgotten it is not real. That it’s just a dream.And that’s what the Course means by “I could see peace instead of this.” It’s the recognition that the real me is sitting in the movie theater - so to speak - watching an incredibly engaging movie.As we practice returning to our mind (or, sticking with our metaphor, returning our awareness to the movie theater) - then we can use this helpful lesson any time we’re feeling depressed, anxious, or upset by remembering, “I could see peace instead of this.”Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

I used to measure my success as a businessperson by how well I could outsmart the market and competition. Armed with sufficient data and an understanding of human nature, it wasn’t too hard to create winning solutions.Yet I wasn’t happy. Instead, I was filled with dread and anxiousness. The source of which would elude me for many, many years.I eventual learned that what I valued as one of my most finely-honed skills was actually my biggest deterrent.And that’s judgment.My ability to judge everything around me - and myself - to such a degree is what enabled me to navigate the business world.If I had a chip on my shoulder, I would prove a naysayer wrong. If I could accurately judge a company’s weakness - which really meant I was judging the people behind the company - then I’d know how it could be fixed.And if I judged myself with enough criticism, I’d be able to generate enough motivational fuel to keep me working 100-hour weeks for years on end.Judgment was the best arrow in my quiver.And it made me miserable.I might have been smart, but I was definitely not wise.I really love this line from A Course in Miracles: “Wisdom is not judgment; it is the relinquishment of judgment.”By letting go of judgment - which doesn’t mean letting go of analysis - but by letting go of the emotional, psychological, value-based judgment of myself and others, an extraordinary weight was lifted from my shoulders.There is nothing more freeing, more sublime, and more joyful than the release of all judgment. It’s a practice worth cultivating over and over.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

Looking is one of the most prominent themes in A Course in Miracles. In fact, the book could easily be called "A Course in Looking."But, like so many other things in the Course, there is another interpretation for the concept.Looking does not mean seeing with our eyes. In the same way, vision is not about what our eyes see. Looking has everything to do with observing our thoughts - and, ultimately, understanding our mind. Or, more specifically, which mind we've chosen.So, today's lesson of there being another way of looking at the world means that we carefully consider our thoughts regarding whatever we see with our eyes (or any other experiences our senses report to us).It is our thoughts that lead to the emotions we experience. So as we practice paying attention to our thoughts, we get back to the source of how we feel in every moment.Whenever we're not happy or not at peace, this lesson is telling us that there's another way of looking - which in this case would mean looking with our right mind instead of looking with our ego.Our thoughts will always tell us which mind we've chosen. So let's practice paying attention to our thoughts in order to have more peaceful experiences.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

Whenever I needed to make a tough decision, I would weigh the various pieces of data I had in order to drive to what I felt was the best conclusion.If the topic was something I considered to be substantial in nature, then I would often create a pro/con list for each choice I was considering. That would help me rank the better options over the lesser ones.And if I still couldn't come up with a final decision, then I would go with my gut.So how has that worked out for me?Well, in retrospect, despite my seemingly scientific, objective approach - I've made some pretty bad decisions.The reason is that I wasn't really being objective. More like selectively objective. My judgment of how I wanted things to turn out always crowded out the voice that knew better.It's not our brains that think and decide. It is our mind. Of which we have two choices: the ego mind and the mind of spirit. The Course teaches us that "the mind is the mechanism of decision."Whenever we judge or have a vested interest in the outcome, then we've chosen the ego mind. And our decisions will always lead us deeper into pain. As my choices often did.But when we choose the mind of spirit, the most helpful direction automatically flows through us with a guilt-free sense of ease. There's no better, more peaceful way to make any decisions.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

Just when we thought it couldn't get any more challenging than yesterday's lesson - which was "I am not a victim of the world I see" - comes this lesson.There are multiple layers to this concept that the world isn't real.On the metaphysical level is the idea that in reality, we are at home in heaven. There's isn't even a "we" since heaven is a state of undifferentiated oneness, infinite love.But even on the level of the illusion - where we believe we are - this lesson truly means what it says. The world we experience is a shadow - or an effect. The cause is the mind.Said another way, what we experience in the world is the result of which mind we've chosen - either ego or spirit. When we chose the ego mind, we experience a world of pain, suffering, and perhaps temporary, conditional joy that will eventually end.But when we choose the mind of spirit, we experience a world of shared interests, calmness, and a freedom from conflict. And as we'll learn in upcoming lessons, by practicing returning to our right mind we can lessen the time between pain and peace.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

This is yet another very challenging concept that is so hard to accept.What this lesson is teaching is that the world - and other people - cannot victimize us. One of the more popular lines in the Course is this: "Beware the temptation to perceive yourself unfairly treated." And then it goes on to say, "You cannot be unfairly treated."Clearly we experience ourselves as being unfairly treated. We have plenty of examples and lots of people who will agree with us.But that's the point of grievances - their purpose is to keep us mindless. To keep us looking for solutions in the world: by trying to make other people or situations change.When we recognize how this works, we can begin the undoing process. There's a line in this lesson that reads, "The inner is the cause of the outer." In other words, what's going on in our mind is what causes our experiences out in the world.So if we want to change how we feel, then we need to return our awareness to our mind, and make the choice against victimization and instead make the choice for peace.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

Going through life has taught us plenty about grievances. All the times we’ve been trampled by the world can leave us weary.Bank account not where we’d like it to be. Bodily health not ideal. Family challenges that seem to regularly persist. Relationship problems. Fear or anxiety about the future. Anger or regret or shame over the past.The list goes on and on.Just when one problem seems to be solved, another one quickly takes its place.But what we’re missing is this: our pain is not coming from all those things going on in the world and our body. Rather, our pain comes from holding grievances.Consider this line from A Course in Miracles: “He who holds grievances denies he was created by love.”It might seem very hard to believe, but letting go of grievances in our mind returns us to a place to peace.And a helpful thought to remember is this: our goal is not be without grievances - that would be nearly impossible for us as bodies in the world - but rather, our goal is not to have any [grievances] that we want to keep.So the next time we catch ourselves in the grip of fear or pain, we can remember our connection to infinite love and say to the grievance, “No thank you - I don’t want to hold on to you any longer.”And then we gently let it go.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

This is a very radical concept to those of us who grew up in any western religious culture. “God is in my mind.”We think of God as some powerful entity residing in Heaven who brought the universe into existence and somehow oversees the goings-on of various things - perhaps even including the fate of our lives and the entrance criteria into Heaven.But what if we have it all wrong?A Course in Miracles (and many other spiritual thought systems) teach that God is not an entity. Just try imagining the concept of infinite love. We can’t. We use words to approximate an indescribable state of never-ending bliss.And the way we can experience a glimpse of that wonder is by returning to our right mind - which is a reflection of that incredible state.In fact, everything we experience in the world is a projection of what we’ve chosen in our mind with our thoughts. And by closely watching our thoughts, we can tell whether we’ve chosen our ego mind - which will always show us a world of pain and lack and fear. Or if we’ve chosen our right mind - in which case we’ll see infinite love - or God - in everything.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

This is such a beautiful lesson.Like many of the lessons we’ve studied so far, and many yet to come, it is difficult to accept. “What do you mean, ‘God is in this table?”In fact, the lesson suggests we will likely find the idea not only hard to grasp but even silly and senseless.But what we are asked to do is “to begin learning how to look on all things with love, appreciation and open-mindedness.” The fact is, we don’t see things as they are now - we only see them through our filter of judgment.But as we practice seeing the infinite oneness in everything, we will find our judgment lessening and peace increasing.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

As we’ve discussed before, seeing in the course is not what our eyes see. Rather, it’s the meaning we give what our eyes see - and what our ears hear, and what all our other senses inform us about.And the meaning we give things is based on which teacher we’ve chosen in our mind: ego or spirit. We’re always choosing one or the other.The ego will always judge and give everything a meaning from the perspective of lack. Is what my eyes are seeing (for instance) helpful or harmful to me? If helpful, I’ll call it good, otherwise, I’ll judge it another way. There is no ambivalence from the ego because it is always judging.Conversely, from spirit, there is no judgment. None whatsoever. And without judgment, we can’t experience any differences between anyone or anything. And that we can experience is the love that unites everything.That’s why A Course in Miracles says “all things I think I see reflect ideas”.The ideas that are reflected are the ideas contained within the mind we’ve chosen.What ideas are in the ego mind? Sin, guilt, fear, lack, separation, and pain. And that’s exactly what we experience when we choose the ego.What ideas are in the mind of spirit? Only love. Without exception.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

In this lesson, we’re now getting specific.From the last lesson we learned that when we have chosen the ego mind, the meaning we give what our eyes see will always be some form of lack and fear.But when we change to the mind of spirit, we no longer judge what we see and instead experience the peaceful oneness in everything.This lesson uses the example of a table and teaches us that when we say “above all else I want to see this table differently” that we are “making a commitment to withdraw our preconceived ideas about the table, and open our mind to what it is, and what it is for.”In the course words, we are “letting its purpose [the purpose of the table] be revealed to us, instead of placing our own judgment upon it.”And that’s what true seeing is all about. Stepping out of the mind of judgment and letting the infinite oneness of everything reveal itself to us.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

The Course is teaching us that what our eyes see isn’t true seeing. In fact, our eyes see what our ego mind instructs them to see.True seeing is when we choose against the ego and for the mind of spirit.When we do that, then our seeing completely changes - but not in the way we might think.When the course talks about seeing - it isn’t the physical images we see. Rather, it’s the meaning we give whatever our senses sense.So, seeing from the right mind means that our eyes still see what is around us, but we no longer judge anything we see. Instead, we experience a oneness that unites everything. No differences that matter concern us. And we are filled with a peace that truly surpasses understand.So this lesson is asking us to practice repeating that idea (“above all else I want to see”) - and to pay attention to how often we remember. When we forget, it isn’t because we got sidetracked. Rather, we got sidetracked because we got fearful and chose the ego mind.And then we simply try again.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

A great technique for starting the morning is to decide for a happy day.When I first heard of this concept many years ago, I thought it was silly. “What do you mean, decide for a happy day? How do you decide something like that?”My confusion was due to the belief that the quality of my day had less to do with me and much more to do with what was going on around me. If circumstances went the way I wanted, then I would be happy. Otherwise I would be disappointed, frustrated, angry, sad, or whatever.But when I came to realize that happiness is a choice, not a consequence - then my life changed.The choice for happiness is within. But it’s not some woo woo, self-delusional, positive-vibe mantra. No amount of words we chant to ourselves will make us happy.Rather, it’s the choice to no longer side with our ego mind. Which in practice looks like seeing everyone the same. Recognizing there are no meaningful differences between any of us. No exclusions.I love this passage from A Course in Miracles: “Your judgment has been lifted from the world by your decision for a happy day.”Letting go of judgment - of ourselves and everyone else - and seeing the love that unites everything is the choice for a happy day.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

This lesson is teaching us that by having attack thoughts - which we’ll discuss in a moment - but having attack thoughts is what makes us vulnerable.And what is an attack thought?Not just a thought of negativity toward another person. An attack thought is any thought that is not filled with peace. So when we’re concerned about something. Or when we’re afraid of something. Or sad. Those are all attack thoughts.This lesson is also teaching us is that our non-peaceful thoughts always attack ourselves first. Because by having any such thoughts we are “proving” that we are vulnerable.If we understood our true nature as spirit - which is completely invulnerable - then we could never have any attack thoughts.These lines from this lesson help clarify: “Nothing except your thoughts can attack you. Nothing except your thoughts can make you think you are vulnerable.”And that’s why we learned in Lesson 23 that by giving up our attack thoughts we can escape from all pain and suffering.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

Today’s lesson is setting the stage for meaning or purpose. One of the recurring themes throughout the Course is the question: “What is it for?”In other words, in every situation, we’re asked to consider the purpose behind our actions. But as this lesson points out, while we may think we know the “why”, we really don’t. Consider this passage:“You perceive the world and everything in it as meaningful in terms of ego goals. These goals have nothing to do with your own best interests, because the ego is not you. This false identification makes you incapable of understanding what anything is for.”Said another way, when we identify with the ego - which is anytime we’re feeling anything other than an all-inclusive, blissful peace that embraces everyone and excludes no one - which pretty much means all the time - then when we’re with the ego, we have lost the ability to know what is best for us. And if we don’t know what is best for us, then we don’t know what anything is for.So this lesson is asking us to give up all our goals since we don’t yet understand what is best. And by doing so, we open ourselves to learning from a different teacher who guides us on a journey toward true meaning.Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)

The single most challenging concept related to A Course in Miracles is the idea that the world is not real. It’s a projection from our thoughts.The reason that it’s nearly impossible for us to grasp is because our experiences suggest otherwise. All our senses convince us that the world, our bodies, and everything going on around us is very real.But our senses lie. Everything in our body and the world has one purpose - and that’s to keep us mindless.By remaining mindless, we believe that all our problems - and all our sources of joy - come from things in the world. And when we believe that’s true - we’ll keep seeking externally to fulfill our sense of lack.However, when we remember that our true identity is not this body but rather within our mind, then we can begin to understand and practice what the Course - and many other non-dualistic thought systems - teach.These lines from the Course help us understand what reality is really like:“Seek not escape from problems here. The world was made that problems could not be escaped.”When we return to our mind, we can now address the source of all our problems - which is the choice for the ego. And as the Course gently encourages us, “My brother, choose again.”Support the show (https://www.livebeyondtheillusion.com/contribute)