This Zendala represents the journey to Love. The ultimate goal, the center, is sure.  We may get caught in fear and stray off the path, but when we look within, we find our way back to peace. There is nothing to fear.

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       Forty million Americans suffer from anxiety disorders.  I considered myself one of them at one point in my life. Anxiety is an experience so common that there are many helpful treatments available, but ultimately, for me, there was only one approach that truly helped.  It was "A Course in Miracles."

       The Course states unequivocally that, "Depression is an inevitable consequence of separation. So are anxiety, worry, a deep sense of helplessness, misery, suffering, and intense fear of loss" (Original Edition Workbook p. 52). If anxiety is a consequence of the separation, the problem needs to be worked on at this deep level of mind.  Although we believe we really are these separate ego identities that have separated from God, the Course, thankfully, assures us that we are mistaken.  A Course in Miracles gently leads us to this realization, and as we slowly begin to trust the Holy Spirit's Voice more than our fearful ego voice, we find that the blocks we have put up against truth (like anxiety) begin to fall away. 

       When caught in the terrifying state of anxiety, however, what can one do?  There are a number of lessons and ideas that help to begin the shift out of a fearful state. Practicing lessons such as Lesson 48, "There is nothing to fear" or Lesson 199, "I am not a body I am free" or focusing on the thought that "God is with me, I cannot be deceived" can begin to shift the mind away from its fearful thought patterns and bring an opening, allowing the negative thoughts to be replaced with the healing thoughts of the Holy Spirit.

        We need to remember that the Course is asking us to look WITH the Holy Spirit at EVERY belief that we hold.  So the way through the anxiety (or any difficult period), is to not evade or avoid it but to look at what thoughts we are holding onto in our minds and then, WITH the Holy Spirit, keep turning them over to Him every time the thoughts come up. We are asked to be vigilant and watch our minds.  It is also helpful to question what the anxiety is for.

        Well, what IS anxiety for?

        The Course says that the purpose of pain (psychological or physical) is to keep us believing that we are our bodies.  Pain shrieks loudly. It hurts, so we make our first mistake and make it real for ourselves by our judging what the bodily sensation is and then labeling it. Identifying and then holding to this familiar sensation, our perception assures us that this pain-body is who we are, and therefore we do not look beyond it. In fact, we must finally come to a place where we want to look beyond it with the Guide God has given us.

      Lesson 136 offers a great way of explaining what our struggle is for: "Sickness is a defense against the truth." You can substitute many different words for the term sickness.... Depression is a defense against the truth, addiction is a defense against the truth, anxiety is a defense against the truth..." and so I have used anxiety to defend against the truth, because when it is present to me, it is all consuming, and it becomes very difficult to listen to the Holy Spirit.

        The process of working through anxiety (or any problem for that matter) is by working at the root of the problem - my identity with my small self and my belief that I am separate.  I am not this body-identity called Corinne - I am a holy Son of God, as is each and every one of us.  As we playfully say in our Course in Miracles group, "You are not _____{insert your name here}!"

        Here is a nice perception shift about anxiety ....  

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*Corinne Zupko, Ed.S., M.A., C.P.C., is a speaker, adjunct professor, coach, writer, and meditation teacher. Corinne began her work with the Course in 1996 after struggling with debilitating anxiety and panic attacks. By practicing the Course principles, "what appeared as terrifying and unresolvable, ended up being one of the most growth-enhancing experiences in my life." Her growth and healing journey led her into a career in the helping professions where she is passionate about helping others find and connect with their inner truth. 

For more information, Corinne is a regular contributor at : www.ecourseinmiracles.org  and  www.innerbalanceliving.com   

The contents of this article are not medical advice. See a medical or mental health professional if you need to.  The Course says that there is nothing wrong with doing so.

 

Gaff and the Clamorous Clan
Thoughts of a Fisherman
By Dr. Lorena Peter*

  
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~*~

*Lorena Peter, Ph.D., writes entertaining mysteries, romances and wisdom books. All have strong spiritual underpinnings and paranormal elements. She blends a medical intuition and healing practice (and travel) with her writing. For more information go to WWW.LORENAPETER.COM. You may contact her on Facebook. For her understanding of the Course, she thanks Carmen Cameron and the class in Louisville, KY. Dr. Lorena Peter is also the author of the delightful book: Gaff: Wisdom from the Sea.

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        I found myself bored the other night with nothing to do. I thought it would be a good time to practice my inner work. I decided to continue reading The Impersonal Life, which I am finding extremely helpful. I recommend this to anyone with those deep, basic, nagging questions.

        A Course in Miracles is obviously great at addressing these things but it is interesting to read something different and a bit prior.

        After some reading, I felt peaceful and decided to head up to my room by the window where I like to absorb information and ask God what he would have me do (many times out of boredom J). I just started doing this and am finding it helpful.

        After sitting by the window awhile, the floor started looking comfortable so I sprawled out next to my cat and drifted into a light nap.

        As I woke, a louder-than-usual voice said "True inspiration comes from doing, not wanting". I don't get these loud voices very often but it got me thinking how The Impersonal Life stresses that we are our own masters and that our true self and spiritual work are all within; that the physical world is all a reflection of that. It also emphasizes that God is in us, just begging for us to listen and create as he would.

         Basically, it calls us to keep the focus within, to let creation spring from that place of wisdom, and that materialistic pursuits are only helpful in leading us back to see that the journey is entirely within.

         I began to think how all the answers I need are already inside me. I have gone to other people and places before, hoping to get answers, but I always knew that those "answers" would be filtered by my ego anyway; that they were usually things I already knew but had not yet accepted.

         If we already have all the answers then it is important to listen. I recently went to the Course in Miracles Conference in San Francisco where Pamela Silberman spoke about her book, Simply Being. In this book, she has journal entries in which she asked God a question and wrote down the answer she heard. I decided to try this for myself and it was a lovely experience.

        The following is my conversation. I'm not proclaiming there to be any deep wisdom for others here but it was very therapeutic for me and I want to share. I think this will be a helpful practice going forth. It may have been the ego speaking, it may have been Holy Spirit, or God, but it made me feel good so it doesn't matter. I personally believe that all acts are acts of creation and thus involve the Holy Spirit. So if I am one with God and the Holy Spirit, then I can say I wrote all of this. If somebody writes something wonderful, then they are the author because they are an amazing co-creator with God. Whether it is a shopping list, The Cat in the Hat, or a work that inspires millions of people, they are holy acts of creation. So let's take credit for our grandeur. I think this is what the Course calls us to do.

         Moving on now, here is how the conversation went after my nap:

Higher Self: (Words that jerked me from my nap) True inspiration comes from doing, not wanting.

me: If this is a world of illusions, how do I keep from feeling withdrawn?

Higher Self: If you were not delusional, you would not see illusions. Do not hide from them. Confront them that your perception may be healed. Go experience as a child. If you think you want something, do something. Wanting enlightenment is not the same as being enlightened. You are already enlightened, so go be that.

me: Why do I get so bored lately and what should I do?

Higher Self: Boredom is .........

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 * Daniel Tipton resides in Omaha, NE and is a member of  the Course in Miracles Society study group. He is enrolled in the ACIM Ministerial Program offered by the Community Miracles Center and attended the 2011 Annual ACIM Conference in San Francisco. 

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