Wanted: Peace of Mind, No Worries and Freedom from Worldly Woes

“You must unlearn what you have learned.” — Master Yoda

Everywhere we look today, we’re offered ”peace of mind” from an increasing list of misfortunes said to be just waiting to befall us out in the harsh world - sufferings and hardships of all sorts lingering out there in the darkness ready to snatch away our happiness, our sense of security and our contentment in life. Insurance of every type, extended warranties, identity theft protection, more control over this possibility, more over that… the list goes on and on and on. This “peace of mind” can be bought for a price - a price that we must continue paying indefinitely… a price we pay because we fear.  

If there was ever a genuine treasure to be found here in this world then - one freely given us that would actually deliver on the promise of true and enduring peace of mind - would it not be priceless to discover? In my lifetime of seeking such a treasure I’ve found many wonderful gems from a wide variety of traditions. One I’ve come across in particular has been truly illuminating… a single, solitary paragraph that provides crystal clear directions for experiencing an ever deepening peace and sense of freedom that is beyond description.

Here are all fears laid down…

“Simply do this: Be still, and lay aside all thoughts of what you are and what God is; all concepts you have learned about the world; all images you hold about yourself. Empty your mind of everything it thinks is either true or false, or good or bad, of every thought it judges worthy, and all the ideas of which it is ashamed. Hold onto nothing. Do not bring with you one thought the past has taught, nor one belief you ever learned before from anything. Forget this world, forget this course, and come with wholly empty hands unto your God.” — from A Course in Miracles*

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For those of us unsure about what it means to “live in the now” or to “be in the present moment,” here in these few sentences is absolute clarity given. Bringing nothing the past has taught us into our present
experience is to be wholly open-minded to what is and what can be - it is to have the ability to look at everything as fresh and new rather than through a lens of perception and judgment forged from past experience. This idea may seem in total opposition to the world’s thinking, which puts its reliance on accumulating and recalling worldly knowledge, but in fact it’s at the very root of modern innovative thought leadership tools like ‘thinking outside the box.’ When practiced in a spiritual or philosophical sense, the result is genuine peace of mind – a complete freedom from the past coupled with the total absence of anxiety over the future; the ability to be wholly content and present in this instant, now, which is the only ‘time’ we actually have to participate in and experience life.

For those of us baffled about what it means to “turn it over” or “let go and let God,” here also is the answer revealed. Emptying the mind of everything it thinks one way or another about this or about that (including both our beliefs and disbeliefs in God), allowing the mind to be a clean canvas upon which the world can be painted for us is to surrender the brush to the one true Artist. In this way our perception of the world is based not on our limited and often distorted vision, but rather on a vision that far exceeds what the human eye can see or the human mind can comprehend. Such releasing of the world from all we think it is opens us to the grace, dignity and integrity to accept what actually is, exactly as it is in the present moment. When practiced, the result is an enduring state of peace and sense of stability regardless of what seems to occur in the world around us.

For those of us struggling with what it means to have genuine faith, here is unshakable faith demonstrated in its purest form. Laying aside all thoughts from the past - all beliefs and stories imprinted on our mind about the world and all its trinkets, about who we are, who God is, about what our sciences and religions have taught us of such things – this takes great courage. Doing so with full trust in our Creator, however we have understood Him/Her to be up to now, is to open ourselves wholly to fresh, pure inspiration. To “forget this world” is a demonstration of profound trust in our Creator. It is also an act of remembering, acknowledging and exalting the holy relationship we have with our Creator above all else - above all our attachments to this world. When such a faith is practiced and nurtured, the result is the complete absence of fear, an awareness of our eternal, untouchable innocence and a deep sense of unity and connection with each other and all of Creation.

Following and practicing the simple guidance contained in just this one excerpt from A Course in Miracles, eventually and undoubtedly leads to:

• freedom from the past and from anxiety over the future
• enduring peace within amidst seemingly turbulent external events
• a sense of ease with letting go of attachment to specific outcomes
• the complete absence of fear and sense of loss or lack
• the awareness of an eternal, wholly innocent nature within
• a deep sense of connection with each other and all of Creation

Here is treasure indeed - unlimited and lasting wealth beyond imagination - far beyond any of the transient trinkets this world has to offer.

So for those of us seeking to experience a lasting peace that surpasses all understanding – to know a deep sense of lightness and freedom in our daily adventures in this world – simply do this: be still, and lay aside all thoughts of what you are and what God is; all concepts you have learned about the world; all images you hold about yourself. Empty your mind of everything it thinks is either true or false, or good or bad, of every thought it judges worthy, and all the ideas of which it is ashamed. Hold onto nothing. Do not bring with you one thought the past has taught, nor one belief you ever learned before from anything. Forget this world, forget this post, and come with wholly empty hands unto your God.

We may choose to continue to have our insurance policies and other worldy safeguards, but in following these simple directions we connect ourselves much more deeply to our true source of peace and security… from there, the rest is cake. Of course, one might also enjoy studying more than just this one paragraph from A Course in Miracles… in my adventures I’ve found it to be an enlightening and deeply inspiring masterpiece.

May your path be peaceful and well illuminated.

* Excerpt from A Course in Miracles workbook lesson 189