LESSON TWENTY-ONE

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: The Course text is in bold face. The Guidance is in normal type In His Guidance, He has asked Me to capitalize the pronouns You and We as an acknowledgement of the Divinity of All of Us, an acknowledgement of Equality, an expression of His Love and respect for You. When You see the word ‘YOU’ capitalized in the Guidance, know that He is not just speaking to YOU, He is honoring YOU.

I am determined to see things differently.

SCRIBE: Anything that’s less than all Good cannot be the view of God, which is My real Vision.  Why would I want to see another way? It has not been at all rewarding.

I realize now that it has been a direct attack on God, insisting on a view so ugly and attributing it all to Him to be Creator of a world so unlike to Heaven.  How insane.  And how obvious. How could I have ignored it for so long, this dichotomy?  I hear You say that time becomes irrelevant as We begin Awakening.

Our Father-Mother wants Us Home.  There are no recriminations, for We are seen – even now – only with the eyes of Love.  And this is encouragement so clear that this is how I must view all My Brothers.

These Lessons are a golden opportunity to do so.

Your Gift is beyond any gratitude, dear Elder Brother.  From Your Love so tireless, so patient, so kind, I see how to Love My Brothers.  With Your help, I will.

¹ The idea for today is obviously a continuation and extension of the preceding one. This time, however, specific mind searching periods are necessary in addition to applying the idea to particular situations as they arise. Five practice periods are urged, allowing a full minute for each.

² In the practice periods, begin by repeating the idea to yourself. Then close your eyes and search your mind carefully for situations past, present or anticipated, which arouse anger in you. The anger may take the form of any reaction ranging from mild irritation to rage. The degree of the emotion you experience does not matter. You will become increasingly aware that a slight twinge of annoyance is nothing but a veil drawn over intense fury.

Would You be that: a seething mass of self-righteous anger?  For thus is the ego.  Anger is its tool for self-protection. You can watch it bare its teeth at the slightest provocation.

Will You be that, for Christ comes to You so very gently saying: Dearest Sister, choose again.  Dearest Brother, choose again.  And this time choose with all the strength and Love of the Christ You are.

³ Try, therefore, not to let the “little” thoughts of anger escape you in the practice periods. Remember that you do not really recognize what arouses anger in you, and nothing that you believe in this connection means anything.

– Your beliefs are more than useless to You. –

You will probably be tempted to dwell more on some situations than on others on the fallacious grounds that they are more “obvious.” This is not so. It is merely an example of the belief that some forms of attack are more justified than others.

This is but self-righteousness in action: this belief that anger is justified, called ‘righteous anger’.  ‘Righteous’ indeed, for what it does is make You more ‘right’ than Your Brother, in Your mind.  Real Love eschews it: this ‘righteous anger’.

⁴ As you search your mind for all the forms in which attack thoughts present themselves, hold each one in mind and tell yourself:

⁵ I am determined to see _____ [name of person] differently.
I am determined to see _____ [specify the situation] differently.

Please be at least as determined as You have been to be ‘right’!  The fruits of Your determination will be far more delicious than self-righteousness could ever be.  Wait till You taste them.  You’ll want no other.

Love is sweet indeed.

⁶ Try to be as specific as possible. You may, for example, focus your anger on a particular attribute of a particular person, believing that the anger is limited to this aspect. If your perception of the person is suffering from this form of distortion, say:

⁷ I am determined to see _____ [specify the
attribute] in _____ [name of person] differently.

This exercise is but geared toward the letting go of anger, and all the tension that accompanies it.  Can You imagine life without it?  Think of the freedom.  No reason left to get upset, no more need for ruminating on the problem.

Therefore, the healing of what You term ‘Your’ anger – which is really self-righteousness – is necessary.  For anger blocks the Love You really are.

Where before You were determined to get justice, now do You look for the healing of Your mind instead. … And those fruits of Love.

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