If one would take time, once a day at least, to let go of all that is not true, and lay hold of Reality…
~ Ernest Holmes ~
Have you ever learned something, gleaning what you could at the time, but then, after going away and learning a bunch of other stuff from new resources, come back to the original information and seen it in a new light? This is the source of my inspiration as I read through The Science of Mindtext this year, again (for probably the 15th time).
What did Ernest Holmes, who wrote the book, mean by “reality” in the quote, above? This is a big concept, and an important one to understand.
We have our personal reality which I will refer to as “small ‘r’ reality”. It is personal because it is composed of the stories we make up about things… what we have thought about ourselves, and the life we have created as a result of our thinking. In this reality, perhaps we play the role of a victim, a villain, or a hero who ‘has to’ solve everybody's ‘problems’. In this reality, perhaps we totally buy in when the media writes stories. Yet, this reality is a subjective one, in which two people can be in the same place at the same time and wind up telling two totally different … stories… based on their experiences. This is “small ‘r’ reality” in action. It is always changing and always debatable.
“Capital ‘R’ Reality” refers to a Truth that is indestructible, incapable of decay; that is unchanging and never-ending. The “Real” Self is Perfection. In “Capital ‘R’ Reality”, Good is everywhere present. (For instance, “Capital ‘R’ Reality” is Faith in an Infinite Universe). When we are talking about “Reality”, we may talk about “Absolute Power, Peace, Love, Joy, Beauty, Light, Life” … Absolute means that is ALL there is. It is COMPLETE in every way.
Though Reality cannot be diminished or depleted, many times we turn our backs on this Truth to engage in gossip, fears, complaints, etc instead.… We may give lip service to a belief that there is Infinite Goodness at the core of all Being, but the stories we tell ourselves can make it seem like that Good is ‘over there’ somewhere, and we have to find our way to It. So often, we act like we believe the One Infinite Life is somehow elusive, cunning and moody. This is illogical reasoning. If Good is Omnipresent and Infinite… then it follows that there is no place it does not exist, regardless of appearances. It has no beginning and no end. It is present everywhere. Think about it for a moment… “It” either is, or isn’t… “It” can’t be both here and not here.
Ernest Holmes wrote, “Appearances would limit future possibility to the uses already made of Life, and thus circumscribe the Infinite. Hence, we are told to judge accurately, and not by appearances”.
So let’s go back and finish that Ernest Holmes quote from the top of this article:
“If one would take time, once a day at least, to let go of all that is not True and lay hold of Reality; let go of doubt, distrust, worry, condemnation and fear, and lay hold of Life in Its expressions of beauty, truth and wholeness, their mental congestion would be healed.”
What are some other examples of mental congestion you may have engaged in?
Limited thinking?
Hate or greed?
Hoarding?
Harsh judgements?
Restrictive protection behaviours?
I am sure you can think of more.
What happens when we heal our “mental congestion”? We regain our ability to actually see Life as it really is. The “stories” drop from our minds. It becomes clear that things or opportunities that we have desired but imagined were out of reach or non-existent, have been available to us all along.This healing of our minds is Forgiveness in action. Life doesn’t happen TO us, it happens THROUGH us. All our experiences are filtered through our individual minds, and this is where our personal story writing begins…. This storytelling becomes our lived, “small ‘r’ reality”. As we become conscious of the stories, we become able to see beyond them to the Truth: Infinite Possibility… a world expanding in Good.
It is important to note that what we focus on expands. OF COURSE IT DOES! We see the world through the lens of our stories. We build our “small ‘r’ reality” through our interpretations of what is going on. The more we focus on the smallness, the more of it we experience. “Capital ‘R’ Reality”, meanwhile, remains unchanged and available, awaiting our recognition of It.
Ernest Holmes pointed the way: “The sense of condemnation which people hold about themselves weighs them down, and it must be removed. We exist in Limitless Opportunities, which are forever seeking expression through us. Know that there is no condemnation, for nothing can condemn unless we believe in condemnation.”
I forgive myself for all my condemning thoughts…. Holmes agreed with this approach: “Destroy the thought that would place limitation or bondage upon any situation or condition. Loose it and let it go.”
What we seek to change in our experience isn’t ‘out there’. It is inside each and every one of us. As you come to the realization that you live the results of your beliefs, you must be so kind, gentle and loving in reckoning with this revelation. The human condition keeps tricking us into believing we are powerless. Self forgiveness is the path to empowerment.
Once again, Holmes had wisdom to share about how to navigate the journey: “Talk to yourself, not to the world. There is no one to talk to but yourself, for all experience takes place within. ‘Conditions’ are the reflections of our meditations, and nothing else. There is but One Mind, and that Mind is our mind now. It never thinks confusion. It knows what It wishes and how to accomplish what It desires. It IS what It desires!
“How often we condemn when we should forgive, how often censure when we might praise! What untold grief of heart might be relieved by words of cheer and forgiveness? It is scientific to consciously let go all our troubles. It is most unwise to hold them.” Life is FOR US! All that happens to each and every one one of us is a reflection of our strongly held beliefs and well-worn underlying stories. At our Centre we don’t teach you what to think, that is your choice. We do teach you how to think for yourself. What part of your life feels like it isn’t working for you? Don’t condemn it, or “them’. Instead, begin with forgiveness. Make a list of all your grievances… and then, one by one, forgive them. Forgive yourself first.
One of Ernest Holmes’ teachers, Emma Curtis Hopkins, advised the following:
“This life is indestructible to your hope, to your joy, to your friendships, to your loving. There is nothing to hate. Forgive everybody and everything. Give to the pain you experience a loving word…‘I forgive you.’ To the cutting circumstance… ‘I forgive you.’”
“We have a reservoir of healing oil that we pour over the affairs of our daily lot, in [saying], ‘I forgive everybody and everything’”.
“[There is] nothing to hate. Did you suppose there was any merit in your hating politicians? Tell them that you forgive them. They will lose their stings. The sting of them is your hate. You have the power to take up any deadly thing and it shall not hurt you. All is the One Reality, [Capital ‘R’]. Hate nothing”.
Everything is Love, Light, Peace, Power.… Once you KNOW this, you will not be ‘hurt’ any more. As the saying goes, "The Truth shall make you free."
TRANSFORM Your Experience…. PRACTICE
~ Write out 3 forgiveness statements pertaining to the transformation of your personal life. ~ Make sure at least one is directed towards yourself, and at least one is directed towards someone or something else.
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