ACIM Inspiration with Anthony Gold
228 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 16 ratingsEach week Anthony shares an inspirational quote from A Course in Miracles along with some brief commentary on what it means and how we can practice the teachings of the Course. You can see all posts and essays on Anthony's site, Live Beyond the Illusion: www.LiveBeyondTheIllusion.com
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Episodes
On Vision Boarding
July 15, 2019 19:15 - 1 minute - 1.32 MBAre you where you’d like to be right now? Do you have a sense that what you are doing and how you are living aligns with your path? So much has been written on goal setting, vision boarding, and manifesting a life you desire. But all that presupposes you are not where you should be. The truth is that when we’re aligned with our ego, we will always believe there is more. We buy into the scarcity principle that says there is something missing in us. It might be improved health, increased wea...
There is nothing outside you
July 09, 2019 18:10 - 1 minute - 1.09 MBIt’s tempting to believe that everything around us is real, substantial, and capable of impacting us. And as long as we believe we are these bodies, that is true. But think about dreams at night. During the dream, it seems as if the contents are real. And the main character in the dream - what we consider to be “I” - is affected by the goings-on of the various dream figures and situation. However, when we awaken, we realize that nothing happened. We made it all up. No matter how serious th...
When judgment enters, reality has slipped away
July 02, 2019 19:45 - 1 minute - 1.18 MBIn every moment we can only experience one of two possible states: fear or love. Fear has many derivatives including guilt, sadness, shame, worry, loneliness, anger, boredom, and every other negative emotion you can identify. Love is simply an unconditional joy that embraces everyone and everything. Love is our true reality. Fear is what we experience when we deny reality. Consider this line from A Course in Miracles: “Whenever judgment enters reality has slipped away.” So when we’re not ...
The images I see reflect my thoughts
July 01, 2019 17:24 - 1 minute - 964 KBCan you imagine what it would be like to experience peace all the time? Totally independent of anything that’s going on around you. It’s so tempting to believe that our sense of well-being comes from situations and experiences in the world and our body. We have metrics we’ve decided are the threshold of peace: things like money, bodily health, relationships, and so forth. We believe achievement of those metrics leads to happiness. But what if we have it all wrong? A Course in Miracles (a...
Those who would see will see
June 25, 2019 17:37 - 1 minute - 1.01 MBIt’s tempting to believe that the key to happiness lies in having our needs met. Whether that’s financial, health, relationship, reputation, or whatever - getting those needs fully met will lead to the joy we desperately desire. But that belief - and the seeking for such fulfillment in the expectation that happiness will follow - leads us no where. It actually leads us into exactly what we don’t want. Which is more and more seeking but not finding what we truly want. There’s an old adage t...
If You Knew Who Walks Beside You
June 24, 2019 18:36 - 50 seconds - 642 KBAt times we can feel terrifyingly alone. Even if we’re surrounded by others. Deep down is the knowledge that this is not our home. And our journey here seems long and winding. But this quote from A Course in Miracles helps us on our path: "If you knew Who walks beside you on the way that you have chosen, fear would be impossible." Our practice for today is to remember that in every step we take we can turn to our guide, the loving presence in our right mind, who gently leads us home. Wi...
No substitute you made for Heaven can keep you from it
June 21, 2019 17:26 - 1 minute - 1.13 MBWhen I was very young, I would list out the things I believed would make me happy. The first one I remember was a computer. My family didn’t have enough money for a computer, but I persisted in wishing for one year after year. Then it was a bicycle. As I got into middle school, it was popularity. And on and on it went. If only I had such-and-such, then I would be happy. It took me a long time to realize that no matter what came into my life - no matter how adored by worldly standards - it ...
I am never upset for the reason I think
June 19, 2019 19:14 - 1 minute - 1.14 MBThe only reason we can get upset with another person is because they remind us of something distasteful in ourselves. While we might not actually do the things they are doing, their actions (and more importantly, the meaning we give their actions) stir something that resonates in us. Something we aren’t particularly fond of looking at within ourselves. One of the early lessons inA Course in Miracles reads “I am never upset for the reason I think.” We think we are upset because of this othe...
These eyes, made not to see, will never see
June 17, 2019 21:19 - 1 minute - 1.09 MBI recently visited the eye doctor’s because my close up vision - like for reading - was not what it used to be. The words on the page or the screen weren’t as crisp as I was used to. And if you’ve ever sat in one of the testing chairs, the doctor puts a bunch of different lenses in front of you comparing image after image as they fine-tune the prescription. And what amazed me was how crystal clear everything looked with the right lens - compared to how things looked with my regular eyesight...
Do not interfere
June 14, 2019 18:43 - 1 minute - 878 KBThere’s a powerful sentence in Chapter 17 in A Course in Miracles that reads “Do not interfere.” And what that line means is this: when we think we need to DO something in the world - either with our body, someone else’s body, or in some situation - then we are essentially exclaiming to the universe that: (a) something needs to be done (b) I know what it is (c) and I will do something to make it happen But we can only be listening to the voice of the ego when we think we know what is be...
There are two ways to experience every situation
June 13, 2019 21:02 - 1 minute - 902 KBThere are two ways we can experience every situation that we find ourselves in. And those two ways are based on which teacher we’ve chosen in the mind. Either the mind of the ego, or the mind of the Holy Spirit. Let me start by reading this line from A Course in Miracles: “Every situation in which you find yourself is but a means to meet the purpose set for your relationship.” In other words, if we choose the ego mind then the purpose of our experience is one of perpetuating some form of l...
Today I will judge nothing that occurs
June 12, 2019 21:07 - 1 minute - 841 KBImagine a day with no judgment. Just an in-the-moment acceptance of everything that occurs. No matter what other people say or do to us. Let them be as hateful and vicious as they’d may. They can’t affect our calm presence unless we choose to throw peace away. No matter what is going on with our body or other bodies we care about, we can gently accept the “is-ness” of each moment recognizing we aren’t these bodies. When we let go of judgment, we return to our right mind of love where peac...
The mind made the body to deceive itself
June 11, 2019 19:30 - 1 minute - 1.06 MBIt is very hard not to equate ourselves with our body. Our entire sense of well-being is based on how the body is doing. If my body is sick, then “I” am sick. If my body is attacked, then “I” am attacked. If my body is calm, then “I” am calm. If bodies I care about are doing well, then “I” feel good. But we have our focus of attention in the wrong place. Consider this line from A Course in Miracles: “The body is the instrument the mind made in its efforts to deceive itself.” In other word...
Behind every desire is an attempt to overcome the past
June 10, 2019 17:16 - 1 minute - 929 KBThere’s a very insightful, thought-provoking line in A Course in Miracles that reads, “There is no fantasy that does not contain the dream of retribution for the past.” If we’re willing to honestly look at every desire, fantasy, or goal that we have, then behind them we’ll find some form of trying to overcome or improve on the past. I am the victim. My life isn’t how I’d like it to be. And if I can make this fantasy come true, then things will be much better. That kind of thinking binds u...
Whatever suffers is not part of me
June 06, 2019 17:51 - 1 minute - 835 KBWhen we’re in pain, it’s very hard not to feel like a victim. Whether we believe we’re deserving of the suffering or an innocent bystander makes no difference. Someone or something did this to me. But what if our locus of identity is misplaced? What if the body has nothing to do with our reality? Consider these lines from A Course in Miracles: “Whatever suffers is not part of me. What is in pain is but illusion in my mind.” Pain and suffering aren’t real. They are projections from the ego...
No one demands our sacrifice but ourselves
June 05, 2019 18:29 - 1 minute - 914 KBDo you spend a lot of your time in the service of other people? Perhaps a boss, co-workers, family members, or friends and partners? If so, do you feel a sense of sacrifice - as if you are giving up something to benefit others? Anytime we use our time (and energy) in the service of others, it’s easy to believe that we are sacrificing something of ourselves. However, consider this line from A Course in Miracles: “You think that everyone outside yourself demands your sacrifice, but you do no...
There is no hell
June 04, 2019 15:27 - 1 minute - 806 KBHell is not a fiery pit of eternal damnation that awaits us. In fact, hell is nothing more than our belief in the ego thought system. Consider these lines from A Course in Miracles: “There is no hell. Hell is only what the ego has made of the present. The belief in hell is what prevents you from understanding the present, because you are afraid of it.” Escaping from our hellish experience in the world merely requires choosing against the ego mind. And we can take comfort in these words fr...
The body is the symbol of the ego
June 03, 2019 18:48 - 1 minute - 1.09 MBWe think our body is the seat of “me”. In fact, whenever anything is “wrong” with the body, we say things like “my head hurts” or “I am sick”. But the body isn’t our home. The body is nothing more than a projection from our mind. Consider this quote from A Course in Miracles: “The body is the symbol of the ego, as the ego is the symbol of separation. And both are nothing more than attempts to limit communication." When we choose our ego mind, we believe we are these bodies and that other ...
My body is a wholly neutral thing
May 29, 2019 21:54 - 1 minute - 960 KBOur bodies do nothing. They don’t love. They don’t hate. They don’t get sick. They don’t get well. They aren’t attacked and they don’t defend. Consider this line from A Course in Miracles: My body is a wholly neutral thing. We give so much weight and significance to our body and other bodies. We think the seat of me-ness is within the body. When asked, “Who are you?” we answer in terms of bodily roles and functions. Yet the body is nothing but a neutral thing. All of our experiences - ou...
All anger is nothing more than an attempt to make someone feel guilty
May 28, 2019 15:24 - 1 minute - 985 KBWhen I’m upset with someone I care about, I am saying you did (or didn’t do) something that I wish you hadn’t. In fact, I am judging them - or at the very least, I am judging their actions. But if I were looking through the eyes of love and saw their true nature, there could be no judgment. Consider these lines from A Course in Miracles: “Love brings no guilt at all, and what brings guilt cannot be love and must be anger. All anger is nothing more than an attempt to make someone feel guilt...
The ego establishes relationships only to get something
May 24, 2019 19:28 - 1 minute - 945 KBThe ego is a very slippery character. It convinces us that we can find joy in other people. But what the ego never tells us - what it actively hides from awareness - is its cannibalistic nature. Consider this line from A Course in Miracles: “The ego establishes relationships only to get something.” In other words, we enter into relationships with people because they have something we believe we need. On the surface, most of us would agree that our close relationships are rewarding to us. ...
Love, which created me, is what I am
May 23, 2019 17:45 - 1 minute - 1.08 MBI remember being surprised the first few times I attended cocktail parties and networking events. The first question people always seemed to ask one another was, “What do you do?” Of all the things we could ask a human being we just met for the first time, why would it be “What do you do?” Obviously simplicity and cultural norms play a role, but there’s also an ego aspect behind it. We want to see how this other person compares to our ideals (and to ourselves). I much prefer asking people,...
Perfect Love is in You
May 22, 2019 20:59 - 1 minute - 870 KBWhen we seek for things in the world (or other people) to make us happy, we are convinced that the source of joy is somewhere “out there”. Our belief system might be something like, “Once such-and-such happens, then I’ll be happy.” And as always happens with such a focus, we will be disappointed. People will let us down. Situations will go differently than we hoped. Our body will betray us. The reason this is so is because we are looking in the wrong place. Consider this quote from A Cours...
God Knows You Now
May 21, 2019 22:51 - 1 minute - 799 KBWhen we get angry or frustrated with someone, it’s because of something they did (or didn’t do) - in the past. Likewise, if we feel shame, regret, or guilt - it too is based on something from our past. In fact, nearly all of our judgment is based on the past. But the past is gone. It’s over. It doesn’t exist. Yet we often cling to it as if it were real. Consider this line from A Course in Miracles: “God knows you now.” In other words, our only reality is the present moment. There are no si...
Host to God; Hostage to Nothing
May 20, 2019 16:48 - 1 minute - 879 KBHow are you feeling right now? Are you at peace without a care in the world? If not, then you are hostage to pain. Which we can all relate to. But consider this line from A Course in Miracles: “You are host to God, and hostage to no one and to nothing.” We all too often forget that we are “host to God” and that perfect peace is within us - simply being our right-minded choice for love. The Course further challenges us to consider this: “Would you be hostage to the ego or host to God? Let...
Truth is simple. Complexity is of the ego.
May 17, 2019 16:26 - 1 minute - 914 KBThink about a complicated situation in your life. Maybe it’s a challenging relationship or a particular grievance you’re dealing with. Our natural inclination is to prefer peace over conflict, simplicity over complexity. Yet we seem to continually find ourselves dealing with problem after problem. And that’s because we are secretly attracted to complications. From A Course in Miracles: “Truth is simple. Complexity is of the ego, and is nothing more than the ego’s attempt to obscure the obv...
Every decision you make is for Heaven or hell
May 16, 2019 18:09 - 1 minute - 948 KBIn every moment we are choosing between the ego mind and the mind of spirit. We’re not aware of this choice since it occurs outside of consciousness, outside the realm of time and space. But what we are aware of is the effect of this choice. When we choose the ego mind, we will always experience some form of unhappiness. Whether that is fear, anger, regret, shame, sadness, etc. makes no difference. When we choose the ego mind, we will not be at peace. But since we don’t realize the source...
Be not content with littleness
May 15, 2019 19:54 - 1 minute - 933 KBWe don’t strive for too much. We strive for too little. Everything we search for, our desire to get ahead, to reduce pain, to make life easier - all of those are setting the bar too low. There is nothing in the world that can bring us real peace. Consider these insightful lines from A Course in Miracles: “Be not content with littleness. Everything in this world is little because it is made out of littleness, in the strange belief that littleness can content you. When you strive for anyth...
Forgiveness sees there was no sin
May 14, 2019 17:11 - 1 minute - 1.15 MBWhen we’re mad, is it not because we’re upset at what someone did (or failed to do)? Or something that occurred that we believe should not have happened. Our anger shouts to the world that something or someone is in the wrong. But what if nothing happened? Imagine you’re dreaming at night, and in the dream someone is unkind to you. When you see the person the next day, could you be mad at them for what happened in your dream? Of course not. But that’s exactly what we do here in what we co...
There is no hell.
May 13, 2019 18:06 - 1 minute - 817 KBWhen I am stressed, it is because I am either anxious about the future or upset over the past. Sometimes both. We spend most of our lives dwelling on what has already gone by or anticipating - with hope or fear - what is yet to come. But rarely are we present in the present moment. And this is what makes life hell. Think about this quote from A Course in Miracles: “There is no hell. Hell is only what the ego has made of the present.” When we choose the ego mind, we give up the present “n...
Call not upon the ego for anything
May 10, 2019 18:05 - 1 minute - 880 KBWhenever we listen to the voice of our ego, we will be led astray. How do we know that we’ve chosen this guide? If we feel any sense of discomfort, stress, fear, pain, annoyance, guilt, shame, or sadness - then we know. The purpose of the ego is to convince us that we are bodies, that we can suffer, and that the world (and other people) are the source of our pains and joys. And every grievance we hold reinforces this belief. But there is a way out. A Course in Miracles teaches us: “Call no...
Earth can reflect Heaven or hell; God or the ego.
May 09, 2019 19:44 - 46 seconds - 597 KBIn every moment we experience joy or pain, peace or sorrow. And as much as we may think it’s a function of what’s going on in the world around us, it isn’t. All our sense of well-being comes from a choice we make in the mind. Consider this line from A Course in Miracles: “Earth can reflect Heaven or hell; God or the ego.” What we reflect is determined by that choice in the mind. And if we don’t like our experience, we need merely choose again. Support the Show.
I do not know what anything, including this, means.
May 08, 2019 19:27 - 1 minute - 789 KBIn every situation, we have an opportunity to choose our response. And our response will be based on how we interpret the moment. But what if our interpretation is wrong? Consider these lines from A Course in Miracles: “I do not know what anything, including this, means. And so I do not know how to respond to it. And I will not use my own past learning as the light to guide me now.” If we are wrong about the meaning we give each situation, then there’s no way we can respond in a way that ...
Where God is, there are you.
May 07, 2019 18:22 - 45 seconds - 589 KBThere is no place we can be that takes us out of union with everyone. There is nothing we can do that excludes us from the oneness of which we are a part. Anything that seems counter to that is a mistaken belief, a “tiny, mad idea”, an illusion. A dream. But we will all awaken to the oneness we never left. And we can take comfort in that awareness. As A Course in Miracles so beautifully reminds us, “Where God is, there are you.” Support the Show.
Happiness is. It can neither be lost nor sought nor found.
May 06, 2019 17:12 - 1 minute - 995 KBWe all want to be happy. And we all want to experience blissful love and peace. Thus [therefore] everything we do is in the belief that it will bring us one step closer to the goal. But what if those things cannot be sought after? Consider these lines from A Course in Miracles: “The search for truth is but the honest searching out of everything that interferes with truth. Truth is. It can neither be lost nor sought nor found.” The same is true for love and peace. The more we try searchin...
What do you keep apart from love?
May 04, 2019 15:51 - 48 seconds - 624 KBConsider this line from A Course in Miracles: “What is kept apart from love cannot share its healing power because it has been separated off and kept in darkness.” What and who do we keep apart from love? Each one represents a “speck of darkness” that we want to keep hidden within ourselves. A fear that we’re not quite ready to release. But once we are ready to finally let go of our burdens, we can bring each of these grievances to the light of love and watch them dissipate into nothingne...
Choose Guiltlessness
May 02, 2019 18:06 - 53 seconds - 679 KBWhen you look out on the world and see other people, particularly people you don’t like or don’t agree with, how do you feel? Do you believe that you are in the right, and they are not? A Course in Miracles teaches us that we can only see truth or illusion, innocence or guilt. And in every moment we can only experience one or the other. “The ego sees everyone as guilty. The Holy Spirit sees only guiltlessness.” We can only see guilt if we’ve first chosen the mind of the ego. But when we c...
Teach Love
May 01, 2019 20:07 - 59 seconds - 744 KBEveryone has something to teach us. Without exception. But when we judge or look down on someone, when we feel any sense of resentment or anger or frustration with another, then we are missing out on a perfect learning opportunity. What we, and everyone, can learn from each situation is that we are united. The only differences between us are superficial and meaningless. This line from A Course in Miracles helps put that into perspective: “To attack those who have need of teaching is to fa...
No one is unworthy of perfect love
April 30, 2019 19:55 - 1 minute - 802 KBWhen I dislike or complain about anyone, I am clearly not seeing their holiness. Instead I am seeing their ego in all its pretentiousness. But I cannot see the ugliness in someone else unless I am looking out through my own lens of ugliness. Instead, when I choose my right mind, I’m reminded of these lovely lines from A Course in Miracles. “No one is without holiness, nor anyone unworthy of perfect love.” From this perspective, I see the love that unites all of us. And the peace that surr...
To accuse is not to understand
April 29, 2019 17:03 - 54 seconds - 695 KBWhen we accuse anyone of anything - which is simply a form of blame - then we are not seeing them as they truly are. We are seeing them as we want them to be. By seeing them guilty, we hope to perceive our own innocence. But it doesn’t work that way. When we see someone as at fault, we are reaffirming our own guilt, even though it may remain deeply unconscious. Check out this line from A Course in Miracles: “To accuse is not to understand. Blaming others does nothing but increase our own ...
You cannot understand how much you are loved
April 26, 2019 19:12 - 1 minute - 755 KBWe strive so hard to find peace and relaxation in the world. All our efforts are geared toward making life better for us and the people we care about. And deep down, we all want to be loved and cared for. But there is a love that “surpasses all understanding” which embraces everyone. Check out these beautiful lines from A Course in Miracles: “You cannot understand how much you are loved, for there is no parallel in your experience of the world to help you understand it." When we see beyond...
Differences in form do not matter
April 25, 2019 16:44 - 2 minutes - 1.79 MBIn 2nd grade, I had a dream one night that the teacher re-arranged the classroom such that I was sitting next to my best friend Robbie. The next morning, sure enough, the teacher announced she was changing all the desks. And I was seated next to Robbie. I was less interested in the coincidental premonition and much more attuned to my joy at the new seating assignment. I had other friends, but Robbie was my best friend. As I progressed through school, I had some teachers I liked, some not s...
The purpose of the world is to obscure your function
April 24, 2019 17:36 - 1 minute - 1.2 MBAll the drama in our lives is purposeful. But it’s not the purpose we think. The reason we believe things happen the way they do is the result of our efforts, or because of other people, good or bad luck, or other worldly causes beyond our control. But it’s none of those. The reason things occur the way they do is to keep us rooted in the belief that this is real and consequential. In other words, it’s a giant smokescreen. As we learn in A Course in Miracles: “The purpose of the world you ...
This world is not where you belong
April 23, 2019 18:02 - 1 minute - 1 MBHave you ever had the feeling that this world is not your home? It might be an incredibly brief feeling - the sense that you’re an outsider in a strange land. If so, then you will relate to these lines from A Course in Miracles: This world is not where you belong. You are a stranger here. But it is given you to find the means whereby the world no longer seems to be a prison house or jail for anyone. The reason we experience so much pain and suffering in the world is because we set it up t...
Teach no one he has hurt you
April 22, 2019 18:14 - 1 minute - 1.03 MBEvery time I feel unfairly treated, I am mentally (if not literally) pointing a finger at someone and saying, “You hurt me.” And if there are others who witness my wounds, they too will agree with my assessment. But is my evaluation fair? In not one circumstance! In fact, anytime I perceive myself as unfairly treated, I am judging incorrectly. These powerful lines from A Course in Miracles make it so clear: Unfairness and attack are one mistake, so firmly joined that where one is perce...
The cost of giving is receiving
April 21, 2019 18:48 - 1 minute - 1.15 MBWe get what we give. Figuratively. And literally. When we give a gift to someone, how often do we expect or hope for some form of gratitude? Perhaps even the slightest nod of appreciation. Of course, that’s not giving from the heart. That’s “giving to get”. When we freely offer a gift, we are completely divested from any form of acceptance. But when we expect or desire some form of “thank you,” we are giving from a place of lack. And that’s exactly what we get back. No matter what the oth...
Misery Loves Company - But There's a Better Way
April 19, 2019 16:35 - 1 minute - 1.01 MBMisery loves company. When things are not going well, the last thing we want to hear about is others whose lives seem superb. They have what we want. And if we’re honest with ourselves, we feel a sense of bitterness and perhaps even resentment. On the other hand, when we learn of others who are clearly worse off than we are, we might experience pity or sadness. And we might even feel compelled to want to help them in some way. But, once again, if we’re really honest, there is a part of us ...
It is your thoughts alone that cause you pain
April 18, 2019 18:46 - 1 minute - 1.16 MBHave you ever tried to watch your thoughts? Just observe them without judgment. It’s very, very hard to do. For one thing, we get so easily distracted. One moment we are observing, and the next thing you know, we’ve gone for a ride with one or more of the thoughts deep into some story.I can’t believe she did that. I should have said this in return. I wonder how that meeting will go tomorrow. I’m worried about next week’s doctor’s appointment. That rabbit trails are endless. Cat: Where do y...
Lay down the cruel sword of judgment
April 17, 2019 16:56 - 1 minute - 1020 KBWe are all our own worst enemies. Yet it’s an enemy we made up. The reason we judge ourselves - the reason we look down on ourselves - is because we believe we are sinful. We aren’t good enough. All the mistakes we’ve made, all the ways we’ve let other people down, all the misery simply prove this is so. But it’s not so. It’s a mistaken belief. Purposive, but still mistaken. The purpose of choosing such negative thoughts is to perpetuate the ego’s belief that we are separate from one anot...
You will look upon that which you feel within
April 16, 2019 18:06 - 1 minute - 1.31 MBEverything I see is an experience of what I’m feeling within me. That idea runs so counter to everything we’ve taught ourselves. Namely, that our feelings result from the experiences we have in the world. But we have it backwards. Whatever we feel, we then project out onto the world and experience it there. This vivid passage from A Course in Miracles makes it so clear: “You will look upon that which you feel within. If hatred finds a place within your heart, you will perceive a fearful wor...