“It is impossible to conceive of light and darkness… as joint possibilities.” …ACIM
No truer words could be found than these. Can you simply imagine trying to have light and darkness at the same time? Try to imagine it in your mind and see what you come up with. Try as you may it just won’t work, because whenever light approaches darkness it scurries away in a hurry.
There are some things that just can’t be in the same place at the same time – and light and darkness are two of them. There are many others; how about health and sickness? What about life and death? None of these conditions are joint possibilities. They simply won’t fit together – where one is the other must be absent. This is also true about that which we believe we are. If we are one thing – a body for example – then we cannot be Spirit, again it’s simply not a joint possibility.
We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. …The Buddha
Here we go again, back to those pesky things called thoughts. And I keep coming back to them, because in my own view of existence there’s nothing else that matters. And our thoughts also fit into that place of joint impossibilities. This is so because it’s an impossibility to think of two conditions at the same time. Try it, and see for yourself. Try to visualize a sick body and a healthy one at the same time – it’s not a joint possibility. If a person is healthy, then they’re not sick – that’s not difficult to understand.
It seems that The Buddha believed that thoughts meant something also. He said, We are shaped by them; we become what we think. If you hold the thought of sickness in your mind there’s no possibility of finding a thought about health. And the opposite is just as true. If you hold the thought of health in your mind there’s no possibility of finding a thought about sickness. It’s simply impossible to hold onto both thoughts at once.
“Any thought that is held in the mind that is emphasized; that is either feared or revered will immediately begin to clothe itself in the most appropriate physical form available.” …Andrew Carnegie
Many people have misunderstood this stated idea by Andrew Carnegie, and have been sorely disappointed when it didn’t give them the results they were looking for. Carnegie gave this idea to Napoleon Hill, who wrote, Think and Grow Rich. Bob Proctor expounded upon it in his book, You Were Born Rich. Most people who take these statements to mean that a thought will literally turn into physical riches are placing their faith and hope in magic, and are most always disappointed.
When I write these posts I’m not writing about physical riches, although I think that our thoughts have a very important role to play in that too. I once heard Jerry Hicks say something to this effect; I’m paraphrasing him from memory. I‘ve achieved a good amount of material wealth; worth millions. But I don’t consider that as success. My idea of success has nothing to do with material wealth, it has everything to do with joy. How much joy do you feel? That, to me, is what defines your success.
I feel as though I must digress a bit in order to explain some things as I keep emphasizing the power of thought. I think Andrew Carnegie, Napoleon Hill, and Bob Proctor all understood – in Proctor’s case it should be understands because he’s still in physical form – the power of thought very well. And they’ve helped many, many people with their teachings on it. But the thing is, their teachings are mostly about business and financial success, and I’m not knocking that. For I realize that this type of success is important in this physical dimension.
“I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.” …Jim Carrey
And this is why using the power of our thoughts in the pursuit of physical riches only, fails so many – there’s more to it; as Jim Carrey and many other rich and famous people have discovered.
If riches, fame and freedom to do what you dreamed of aren’t the answer, as Jim Carrey should know, and seems to believe; then the question arises; what is? I think Jerry Hicks explained the answer very well: It has everything to do with joy. How much joy do you feel? That, to me, is what defines your success.
And once again I revert back to the wisdom of The Buddha, we become what we think. And with his words in mind it would be a good idea to take a second glance at Andrew Carnegie’s quote which I used earlier. He said, Any thought that is held in the mind that is emphasized; that is either FEARED or REVERED. Those two words, feared and revered, are the key that separates thinking from simple mental activity – and there is a huge difference.
“The Power of decision is your one remaining freedom as a prisoner of this world.” …ACIM
Wow! The one remaining freedom we humans have left is, The Power of decision. But have no doubt that it is a very powerful attribute that God, in His mercy, has ensured that we have kept in order to escape this prison that we have placed ourselves in. This wonderful Power is all we need if we will exercise it. The truly best use for it is to decide which type of thoughts we’re going to hold in our minds.
If fearful thoughts, such as those that concern an incurable disease for example, are allowed to enter the mind, and then held there, they will, as Andrew Carnegie pointed out, immediately begin to clothe themselves in the most appropriate physical form available. And I’m sure that we all know what that form looks like.
But if, on the other hand, revered thoughts such as those that concern joy, happiness, health, healing, prosperity, abundance, etc., are allowed to enter the mind instead, then the fearful ones must leave. For the two types to be held in the same mind at the same time is not a joint possibility. And as the other type would have done, these too, will immediately begin to clothe themselves in the most appropriate physical form available. And again, I’m sure that we all know how much different these look from the others.
Again, I’m going to close by repeating the same advice I used last time: Learn then the happy habit of response to all temptation to perceive yourself as weak and miserable with these words: I am as God created me. His Child can suffer nothing. And I am His Child.
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