Our "normal" way of dealing with pain is to ignore it until we can't any longer -- at which point this mounting pressure drives us to ask ourselves those familiar "What can be done about this?" questions -- our perception being that coming upon the correct answer to the cause of our concern will eliminate the ache being felt. And any time we don't know the immediate answer to some pressing question...

In this answer to a viewer's question, Guy talks about how we often find ourselves in situations wondering how we got there, and how that relates to the fact that we do not own our attention.

The whole idea of turning straw into gold is connected to using any unwanted moment to gain a whole new level of understanding and to connect to a higher level of consciousness that is not afraid of the moment.

Classroom Talk: 6/1/2022 - Trying to assess, and then assign blame to the stress that exists between you and whatever you may be struggling with in life... is like trying to judge which side of the rope in a tug-of-war is to be blamed for the tension (in it).

Topics Covered: Observe where and by what your attention is taken; Identification is blindness; No reaction can reconcile another reaction; The task of the observer is to realize that it can't change what it sees, but that what is observed needs to be changed by what is higher; Every condition is the perfect place for revelation; Thank you, I didn't know that about myself...

Topic: How to Transform Discouragement into the Truth that Sets You Free (9/1/19 Classroom Talk)

Classroom Talk: 8/21/2019 - We cannot rise above the suffering born of "running into" unwanted moments without realizing the unwitting nature responsible for creating this kind of pain: (it is) the dark and hopeless work of a lower level of "self" that has nowhere else to look -- let alone to find itself -- other than in the "waters" of passing...

Classroom Talk: 2/10/2019 - Part 1: The contempt inherent in any sense of (unconscious) familiarity is innate in the false sense of security it seems to provide. Part 2: The real meaning of any unwanted moment can never threaten the truth of our innermost Self. In fact, the present moment reveals what it does...

Guy provides deeper insight into ideas from recent talks as students report on their experiences and observations while working with various exercises. Topics include consciously choosing not to go with old patterns, bearing the pressure of painful thoughts, and working to allow revelation.

Classroom Talk: 9/10/2023 - We remain convinced that if we feel like something is missing in our life, then the answer must be to acquire it; this has always been our go-to solution when suffering over some discontent. But as long as our hope for contentment is remanded over to a search for something outside of ourselves, we will never see the fact that this discontent is inseparable from our present level of self...