Changing Perceptions
by Dan Joseph
Cleaning Out the Mind's
Cubbyholes
Let's imagine our minds as being filled with rows of cubbyholes. Each
cubbyhole represents a particular relationship in our lives. We have cubbyholes
for our parents, our children, and our friends. We even have cubbyholes for
people we haven't seen in years.
In each cubbyhole, we store various thoughts toward the particular person.
Some of these cubbyholes contain largely benevolent thoughts. Others are filled
with grievances and other dark thoughts.
We may think that everything is stored away neatly. After all, we rarely
"look" into most of these compartments. However, the fact that we're not aware
of our stored-away thoughts doesn't mean that they're not affecting us.
The Course in Miracles asks us to open up each cubbyhole, and clean out any
dark thoughts that we're storing inside. In doing this, we clear out the
darkness from every corner of our minds.
As an example of this, I may have a row of cubbyholes that represent people
whom I haven't seen in years. I may not think that it's important to identify my
thoughts toward these people -- after all, I may never see them again.
The Course, however, points out that my thoughts toward these people are
still in my mind, and those thoughts may be blocking the full experience of a
miracle. The Course asks me to open each cubbyhole, and let God flush out any
dark thoughts I'm storing inside.
I may decide to "take a look" at my thoughts toward a handful of people whom
I haven't seen in twenty years. As I begin to think of those people -- and
honestly identify my thoughts toward them ? I may find a significant amount of
resentment or anger stored away. As I give over those resentful thoughts to God,
and let Him exchange my grievances for miracles, my overall sense of peace is
increased.
The Course wants us to open up every cubbyhole -- open every relationship to
God. Although this process may seem overwhelming (after all, most of us have
thousands of these "relationship cubbyholes"), I find that the practice forms a
momentum. The first dozen, or hundred, compartments that we open may require a
reasonable amount of effort. But then our minds become comfortable with the
process, and things begin to flow more smoothly.
This, in my opinion, is one of the most powerful practices in the Course. By
identifying and releasing the "stored grievances" in our minds, we create a wide
opening for God's miracles to flow in. The practice requires honesty -- even some
courage. But the results can be felt in a very practical way. I often feel an
increased sense of peace by allowing just one cubbyhole to be cleaned out by
God.
To summarize, there are two main points that I'm building on in this chapter.
The first is that our dark thoughts are the primary blocks to miracles. The
second point is that grievances are among the most common forms of dark
thoughts. As we open up our grievances to God, and let Him replace them with
miracles, our minds are healed.
Before moving on, I'd like to share an observation from my work with this
type of practice. I occasionally find that there is some discomfort that arises
when I first open a door on a locked-away relationship.
Someone may come to mind whom I haven't thought of in years -- someone whom I
have some grievances against. I immediately feel uncomfortable, and want to slam
shut the door on that compartment. But if I take one more step, and say, "God, I
have some dark thoughts toward this person. I didn't realize it until this
moment, but I don't want to lock those thoughts away. Please take them, and
replace them with your miracles," I am taking a powerful step.
The real challenge in this process is to turn the dark thoughts over to God
instead of locking them back away in their cubbyhole. If we bury them away, says
the Course, they won't suddenly be resolved. They will simply be hidden. If we
want our minds to be healed, we need to give God permission to wash these
thoughts away, and give us a new perception instead.
Having said that, I'd like to present an exercise that builds on these ideas.
This exercise is one of the most challenging in this book. As I mentioned
earlier, you're welcome to work with these exercises in whatever way is
personally meaningful. I will, however, try to be as comprehensive in my
presentation as possible.
Step 1. The first step in this process is to choose a person in your life who
troubles you. It could be someone who seems quite irritating, or someone who
seems just mildly annoying.
Step 2. Next, describe why this person troubles you, using as much detail as
possible. You're encouraged not to "censor" your current perspective. This step
calls for a great deal of honesty.
(ex. Debby constantly gossips, she always asks me to do things for her, and
she acts very petty. I just don't like being around her. No one really likes
being around her.)
Step 3. Even though these things may seem to be "facts" (and on the worldly
level, some of them may be), let's reframe them in terms of our thoughts. Let's
restate step two in the form of, "I'm choosing to see (person) as (quality).
"We may have some resistance to this. Part of our mind wants to say, "I'm not
choosing to see things this way; they just are this way." Although things
may indeed be this way on a behavioral level, the Course wants us to take
responsibility for our thoughts about them.
Again, our job in this step is to rewrite each sentence from step two in the
form, "I'm choosing to see _________ as __________." This is a powerful step
because it involves taking full responsibility for our thoughts. By doing this,
we're identifying the contents of the cubbyhole.
(ex. I'm choosing to see Debby as someone who constantly gossips, who always
asks me to do things for her, and who acts very petty. I'm choosing to see Debby
as someone I don't like being around. I'm choosing to see Debby as someone whom
no one likes being around.)
Step 4. Now we can evaluate how we feel about what we're thinking. We're
pulling these stored-away thoughts out into the light.
Let's ask ourselves: How do we feel about these thoughts? Are they bringing
us peace? If not, might we be willing to accept a new set of loving thoughts and
inspired perceptions?
If we find that we are willing to receive a new perception -- a new set of
thoughts for the cubbyhole -- let's say the following prayer:
God, I lay these thoughts before you.
I have no idea how I should look at this person.
But I am willing to receive a new view.
I give you my thoughts in exchange for your vision.
Then let's sit for a full minute and exchange, to the best of our ability,
our view of this person for something new. God can show us a spark of beauty in
this person that we may have never before seen. In seeing this spark of beauty,
we will strengthen it in ourselves.
This can be a very holy process. It can bring peace to our minds and
gentleness to our hearts. Our goal in this minute is to let our personal
thoughts about this person be replaced with God's loving thoughts about him or
her.
We can use imagery in this practice. We can, for example, imagine this person
stepping out from behind a costume. The costume is the old way we've been seeing
her. But that isn't who she really is. We can envision this person shedding her
old role like an actor at the end of a play, and coming forward to greet us.
Regardless of whether or not we use imagery in this process, our goal is to
let a spark of God's light be revealed in this person. We want to exchange our
old ways of seeing her for God's new way. Every time we do this with anyone in
our lives, we're letting our own minds be healed.
In the Course, this type of exercise holds a central place. According to the
Course, we can't find a real sense of peace if we're storing dark thoughts
toward anyone. The Course teaches that there is an exact relationship between
holding resentments and feeling unhappy. Every dark thought that we hold toward
anyone causes us pain.
When I first read this idea in the Course, I was stunned. My dark thoughts
toward that slow driver on the road are causing me pain? My judgmental thoughts
toward those people on television have an impact on me? The Course says
yes. But it also says that if I let God show me a spark of innocence in those
people, I'm doing the best thing for my own state of mind.
That is why it can be so valuable to identify our current thoughts about a
person, and become willing to exchange those thoughts for miracles -- God's
loving thoughts. As we do this, our own minds are healed.
If we do indeed take a minute to trade our thoughts for miracles, there are a
couple things that can happen. We may begin to feel a lightening of our hearts,
or we may feel stuck in our old perceptions.
If we feel stuck, it doesn't mean that we've failed. The simple act of
practicing strengthens our desire for a change. It is a statement of willingness
to let God step in. If we hold our focus -- regardless of immediate results -- we
may find changes in our perspective slipping in over time.
As always, a sense of peace is an indication that we're on the right track.
God's miracles bring peace to our minds and lighten our hearts. That is what
we're aiming for.
In the example that I gave above, the person admitted that she held a
negative view of her co-worker Debby. If this person is indeed willing to
exchange her thoughts for miracles, she may find a warm sense of appreciation
coming to fill her heart. She may see qualities in her co-worker that she had
overlooked before.
Regardless of how the miracle transforms her perceptions, she will end up
feeling more peaceful than before. In letting God heal her view of another
person, she is letting her own mind be healed.
This
article was excerpted from:
 Inspired By Miracles
by Dan Joseph.
Reprinted with permission of the publisher, Quiet Mind Publishing, LLC. ©2001.
www.quietmind.info
Info/Order this book.
About the Author
Dan Joseph is the author of Inspired by Miracles, called "up-lifting,
rewarding, strongly recommended" by the Midwest Book Review. Dan can be reached
at
www.DanJoseph.info
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