Have you ever heard the expression “it is what it is”? What does that expression mean exactly?
Before I understood the deeper meaning of this expression, I envisioned an emaciated yogi guru in the lotus position floating above the ground imperiously imparting wisdom that would take scholars multiple lifetimes to interpret. Seeing as how this is my last life on earth and the lotus position would put me in traction, I knew that consulting the Course In Miracles would help me clarify its meaning.
What’s the IT that people are authoring here? According to the Course in Miracles, IT is truth, specifically God’s truth. Exactly why is it important to emphasize that it is God’s truth? Because God’s truth is not available to interpretations whereas a human’s facts are. Multiple versions of human truth have lead to an array of religions. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia defines religion as a “system of thought, feeling, and action that is shared by a group and that provides the members an object of devotion.”
course in miracles Who devised the machine of thought? On whose feelings are these thoughts based? Are actions really necessary? Based on the Course In Miracles, God just is and our ultimate goal would be to return to a perfect state of being. There is no thought or action in hawaii of being, you merely are. What must not be forgotten may be the underlying thread of all religions: God is creator, God is love and we are all perfect and infinite children of God.
Most find it very unsettling to consider the theory that choice is actually an illusion, or the illusion of preference, as stated in A TRAINING COURSE in Miracles (ACIM). You make choices everyday, therefore the idea of choice not being real seems highly illogical and to say the least, improbable, given its consistent daily use. Although choice is necessary when you are here, it ultimately remains part of the illusion and is not a part of God. Choice is unsettling because you believe it to be necessary, not because it is an illusion.”
It stands to reason that you will be in what you think of as this world because you have made a decision, or choice, because of this world to be real. If you continue making that same choice, it keeps on becoming more and more real. ACIM clearly points out that ideas do not leave their source. Who then will be the source? What choices are you really making?
Choice, Perception and Judgment:
You imagine this world is real as you made the choice to trust the ego’s version of reality from the original separation. Those initial perceptions are followed by the next choice that is to judge the results, thereby producing further consequences which reinforce the belief nowadays. It’s a vicious, no-win cycle. As you perceive you’ll judge; so when you judge you will perceive. Error is made real by this simple twisted deception. Withdraw your decision to believe in the outcomes and the error could be corrected.
Choice and Source:
Would you not then function as source since you are the one making the choice to believe? You do not understand that original separation; however, you are making choices now, and you are doing so all the time. Every moment you are choosing between thoughts, feelings and ideas, etc. If it is not you, then who do you want to claim is responsible? Be careful, because claiming another is responsible is really blame and you have no power to change if you think another is in control. You are simply making yourself a victim. Both these are ego tricks.
Accepting responsibility for everything, including choice and its own consequences is the fastest way to change. This allows one to choose again because you can see the results and realize that you’ll want chosen in error. It really is your thoughts and beliefs combined with decision, or choice, to make them true that becomes the effect of everything you see in your world. The Law of Cause and Effect is very simple: Based on the mind you pick from, as cause, you will notice the corresponding effect.
So long as as you have a split mind, you are constantly choosing between the wrong mind of the ego (error) and the proper Mind of the Holy Spirit (correction). You will see the effect depending on choice of actually use as cause. You cannot have two masters. In the ego world, it will always be one or the other. Choosing the correction of the Holy Spirit undoes the error of the ego and returns the mind to the peace of God. This process is also known as forgiveness.
Choice for Correction:
Forgiveness is nothing more than your mind being returned, or corrected, back again to the Truth as you decide for it to be this way. Handing over the ego’s judgments corrects the mind and correction is what? Forgiveness. A different cause results in a different effect.
Choice is, therefore, necessary in this illusion since there is something to select between. However, the best usage of choice is served by knowing both error and correction sides of the split mind, or what you opting for between. Then, simply understand that your goal is to return the mind to True Perception and choose again! It will help to keep in mind the coinciding terms for True Perception: Correction, forgiveness, salvation, atonement, truth, Holy Spirit and God. There is no difference.