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For today’s article, I would like to share a story with you. You may or may not already know a little bit about my story and a dark place that I was in in my business about 3 years ago. If you don’t, you can read about it here.
rnFor right now, I’d like to share with you about one moment during that time period … it took place during a very intimate retreat I attended with 25 other people led by Marianne Williamson and Robert Thurman way up in the depths of the Catskill Mountains in New York State.
I had set my intentions for that retreat (which I am a big believer in). I arrived for the opening evening session and to my dismay neither Marianne nor Robert asked for our intentions! They gave a beautiful introduction and then Marianne did end that first evening by saying, “Tomorrow morning I’d like to hear from you.”
I had a very restless sleep and I knew, I could just feel that something very big was about to happen for myself. I knew that I was about to face another level and layer of my own opening, my own growth and my own transformation.
The following morning I was sitting with 24 other people who were part of this retreat in a beautiful space, hardwood floors, windows all around looking out into the greenery and the forest of the Catskill Mountains. Marianne began the morning and she said, “I would like to hear from you. What is it that’s brought you here?”
My heart was beating a mile a minute; I was practically sweating. However, there was something bigger than me that just took my hand and put it up right into the air. Marianne came over and stood in front of the meditation cushion I was sitting on and she said, “Tell me your story. Why are you here?”
I said to her, “I’ve been studying A Course In Miracles for almost 25 years now since the loss of my mother when I was 14 years old. I believe in this work; I teach this work. It’s a part of everything that I do." Yet, and I just looked her in the eyes and I said, "There’s still this part of me, this very, very tiny part" - and I put my thumb and my forefinger together to make this tiny round circle and I put it just underneath my heart - "This little tiny part of me, this hole that just doesn’t believe in truth that Jesus (please insert whatever language works for you here) is actually there for me." (To this day when I think about that moment it just makes me so emotional.)
Marianne looked at me. She looked me in the eyes and she said, “I hear that you’ve been studying The Course. I hear that it’s a part of your work.” She said, “Are you studying The Course every single day?” I said, “Yes. Yes I am.” She asked, “Every day?” I had my journal in my lap and I opened it and showed her my notes. She said, “How do you work with this?” I said, “Well, I’ll just open the book and something will standout to me and I’ll read it and write it down and I’m working through the lessons.” She nodded her head and she looked me in the eye again and she said, “Page 1.”
Right in that moment I got it. I understood what she was saying.
She went on to explain, so often we’re so ensconced in what we believe is true deep commitment and, really, we’re just skirting around the edges. And by not committing to studying The Course in it’s entirety starting at page 1 that’s what I had been doing. I was only partly committed.
From that day I committed myself to starting at page 1 and I’ve continued with my study of The Course – in order - every single day since, without a day missed. Some days it’s one sentence, some days it’s three pages, but I haven’t skipped around and, again, I haven’t missed a day.
I share this with you as a demonstration of commitment.
According to A Course In Miracles, the act of substitution, which is what I was doing by sort of studying The Course but really only skirting around it, the act of substitution leads to fragmentation. Fragmentation leads to exclusion. Exclusion means you miss out on opportunities. You miss out on real deep growth and transformation. Then you lack peace and wonder why you don’t have the success you want and why you aren’t happy with your business or our life.
Your Call to Action:
1. Take A Look Around. If you aren’t sure what you’re committing to in your business just look around you. Your physical experience is your direct evidence of what you’ve been giving your attention, energy and beliefs to.
2. Make A Decision. Are you happy with what you see? If no, then decide what you’d like to be experiencing differently.
3. Commit Fully. Choose one area that you'd like to see changed and commit to it. You don’t need to do anything or everything differently in that area tomorrow. Just begin with the commitment.
4. Take Baby Steps. What is your “page 1”? Where is one small place that you can begin to make this change today?
5. Get Support. It’s so much easier when you have others on a similar journey cheering you on.