The term "chemicalization" was used by H. Emilie Cady in Lessons in Truth to describe the process by which our new thoughts, new beliefs, and fuller understanding break up the old, hardened beliefs which have held us in bondage to the illusion that "life is hard and then you die." While this earthly life does come with challenges, it also holds within it the endless and very rich possibilities of discovering All that God Is, All That We Are.

If we look and if we listen, over and over and over and over, we will find the Truth which sets us free. It probably won't all happen full-blown in a blazing moment of enlightenment (but it could). More likely it will be the result of daily, steady, regular, spiritual work, methodically replacing one negative thought with one True thought, one after the other.

In the never-ending creative process which is unfolding within us, this chemicalization process can be viewed as a repeated return to the void or chaos of Infinite Possibility. Each time we let go of an untrue thought, we are again reminded that everything changes. If I thought my life looked like this ... then I see that really, that path was contingent upon holding onto this certain belief... if I now know that belief is untrue, what does the new path for my life look like?

It is easy to recognize how chaotic this can feel! When we think metaphysically about earthquakes, they generally represent change- shifts in consciousness represented by the ground beneath us falling away. It isn't comfortable, it sure isn't easy, and it is Good. In the biblical creation story, we hear God pronounce each step along the way to be "good" and we must make the same claim.

Once we awaken to Truth, we can't "unawaken". Even if we find ourselves blindly moving into chaos with our habitual reactions, there is a point within us which knows Truth, and knows that It knows. At some point we begin looking at the challenges of life as opportunities to practice making peaceful choices. This is where we will find our path to the calm center within us which is the Christ.

This work is done one thought, one situation, one moment at a time. Today, I will bless the driver who cuts me off in traffic (even if it's through gritted teeth!). Although I still feel the human emotions of anger and resentment, I can choose to respond from a place of Truth and peace. Perhaps tomorrow, when I start to tell a hurtful story about someone, I will notice what I am doing, and simply stop speaking. And the following day, if I find myself in conflict with someone else, I can allow them to speak, thank them for their opinion, and ask that we continue the conversation at a later time, when my own emotions are more calm.

Each of these moments is an opportunity to change. If we have ears to hear and eyes to see, we can claim Light and receive understanding. We replace untrue thoughts with True thoughts. We hear the voice of wisdom within us, and we see the next steps on the ever-changing path which leads to the Kingdom of Heaven.