No anxious state exists apart from the illusion that the security, happiness, and wholeness you long for exists somewhere outside of you -- "in a time to come." Then why do we go on embracing anxious thoughts and feelings that do nothing but steal from us our love of life? The surprising answer to this question is the same as opening the door to a life free of anxious thoughts and feelings. W...

Human beings suffer from a kind of spiritual amnesia produced by having assumed a false identity without knowing it. How is that possible? This temporary false self feels real. There's no mistake about that! It is animated and driven along by the flood of reactions we have as we run around seeking fulfillment. But the fact that this lower nature is driven doesn't mean it is alive. A bulldoze...

We don't know much about real feelings, and in order to learn more about them, we must first discover what are not real feelings. When a thought suddenly comes to you, such as the thought of eating your favorite food, and your mind begins to go through all of the details associated with that thought, the desire for that food is strengthened by the image that the mind has produced. And also str...

Is there anything in the Universe that isn't touching something and being touched at the same time? None of the creatures that you find in nature can choose what touches them or what they touch. They are involuntarily moved by great nature for the purpose of perfecting the whole of nature itself. As human beings we have been created with a unique possibility, which is that we can be aware of...

The better the instrument, the nearer the actual replication to the original principle. We are meant to be sensitive instruments whose purpose is to let God's hand play His notes through us. And in fact we are created to actually enjoy the "sound" of reality that is being played. As a result of the natural enjoyment of the notes that are being played, we can become for others a reminder that...

Do your best right now to feel everything that is happening. Most of the time we do not feel anything other than the pain and constriction of a mind that is busy trying to work things out. Feel life as it is--not as you don't want it to be, nor as you want it to be. Feel life as it is. You are invited to feel everything. The reason that our lives are repetitious is that there is "no room at t...

Unlike lesser-level creatures that are not conscious of their own nature -- and that cannot choose any other world of experience apart from the one they are drawn to by their own lower nature -- we, as human beings, are unique in creation. We are created to be self-conscious. In spiritual terms this means we may have an awareness of any of the infinite number of qualities that form the charac...

Blaming conflict-filled feelings on any condition, or person, outside of yourself is like getting angry at your shoes for being laced too tight. Most men and women recognize the need for a healthy balanced diet because good eating habits nourish the body. Good nutrition helps keep us agile and strong. And we also like to learn new skills to expand our interests. Challenging mental activities...

A man who doesn't know his true identity does not know that he doesn't really know. The fact that he is confused, frightened and still searching for himself remains almost totally unsuspected by him because he has unknowingly assumed a false identity. This temporary, false self feels real because it is animated and driven along by the man's reactions as he seeks himself. The fact that thi...

When we find ourselves looking for something outside ourselves -- anything -- to complete us, to make us feel whole and happy, what is the nature of this force within us? What kind of power compels us to move heaven and earth to find a way to fulfill ourselves in this way? The answer is surprising! We are driven on by our sense of being incomplete. None of us would feel this compulsion to co...

There is one power of a free mind you already possess which can not only build a ladder that reaches from one life level to the next, but this same power helps you climb that ladder so you may enter each successive realm. What is this secret strength at the source of self-elevation? You can learn. These three words -- I can learn -- are the most powerful three words in any language. Not...

There is no such thing as a shaky situation, so any time you start to tremble, don't look around you for the fault. Look inward. It is the inner-ground you are standing on that is not solid. That seemingly scary condition, whatever it may be, is not the problem. It's your reaction that has you shaking. And that's why, if you'll become conscious of a fearful condition instead of afraid of it,...