From Crisis to Calm During Challenging Times:

30 Days of Simplicity with “A Course in Miracles”

 

Uncertain times can increase fear and stress but can also evoke Love, empathy, and purpose. The difference depends on where we direct our thinking. The following are thirty daily contemplations and supporting quotes from A Course in Miracles to help you experience the ideas presented above more deeply. Please consider taking a little time in the morning and evening, and perhaps a few minutes each hour, to contemplate and apply these to your life.

 

 

 

Day One: In Quietness are All Things Answered.

 There is usually far more finger-pointing during a crisis or unwanted circumstance than responsibility and empowered action. There is no single "right" response in grief or shock, no clear or easy answers when fearful. But, with the intention to do so, we can begin to hear practical solutions born from Love. There is a quiet and calm voice within us that will show us our part in bringing compassion to the situation.

 

“In quietness are all things answered, and is every problem quietly resolved. In conflict there can be no answer and no resolution, for its purpose is to make no resolution possible, and to ensure no answer will be plain.”

A Course in Miracles

 

Day Two: Together We Can Heal with Gentleness and Love.

I look around the small community where I live and the world and see those suffering from the trauma that has become part of daily living. Yet, in all of this, I find opportunity beyond despair because I firmly believe that all of us can take steps to move beyond our suffering and toward great healing and change. Why? Because tragedy can open us up to the experience of our common humanity with others. Significant shifts in how we perceive others can occur when we are in such a space.

 

"His plan for your awaking is as perfect as yours is fallible. You know not what you do, but He Who knows is with you. His gentleness is yours, and all the Love you share with God He holds in trust for you. He would teach you nothing except how to be happy." 
A Course in Miracles

 

Day Three: We Can Move from Fear to Love.

We have come to a point in history where we are desperately searching, whether we're aware of it or not, for solutions to an accumulation of personal and global pain. The following years can be a wake-up call and a reminder of who we are and beliefs that need undoing. We can overcome so much of our suffering by changing how we think about ourselves and each other, moving from a reality founded upon fear and separation to one of Love and interconnection.

 

“What am I?

…What you think you are is a belief to be undone. But what you really are must be revealed to you.”

A Course in Miracles

 

Day Four: There is but One Problem.

There is but one problem, one truly lethal world condition, one cause of many of our personal and global tragedies – lack of Love. To move beyond misunderstanding and viewing our small world as composed of separate interests, the path begins with seeing and removing the obstacles to the awareness of Love. This is as true in our personal lives as it is on the world stage and is a problematic belief system to confront because it ultimately means that we must look at the lies we have told ourselves.

 

“Whatever lies you may believe are of no concern to the miracle, which can heal any of them with equal ease. It makes no distinctions among misperceptions…In reality you are perfectly unaffected by all expressions of lack of Love.

 A Course in Miracles

 

Day Five: There is but One Remedy.

 

If we are to have true peace, if our children are to live in safety and security, if our planet is to survive, we must, amid our pain or busy lives, begin to address the gaping wound that hatred, dualistic thought, and violence have created.

 

"Whatever the sickness, there is but one remedy. You will be made whole as you make whole, for to perceive in sickness the appeal for health is to recognize in hatred the call for Love."

A Course in Miracles

 

 

Day Six: Our Strength is Our Ability to Love.

Seldom do we know when tragedy will come, be it a pandemic, war, accident, or natural disaster, and no amount of preparation can make the world a “crisis-free” place. The key to maintaining peace of mind in such an unpredictable world is not giving our strength—our ability to love—over to fear. Finding opportunities to love, to bring compassion no matter what life brings us, is the doorway to freedom and empowerment.

 

"Strengths turned to weakness are tragedy indeed. Yet what is not given to the Holy Spirit must be given to weakness, for what is withheld from Love is given to fear, and will be fearful in consequence.”

A Course in Miracles

 

Day Seven: Choose a Love-Based Purpose.

Overfocus on what you believe the complexity of the problem may prevent you from seeing the real problem and solution. Our primary task is not looking to the tragedy itself for solutions or purpose, but rather to see the real problem—perceiving separation— and let this set the course for our response to what is happening. Here, we have a choice and can discover a love-based purpose that makes us better individuals and brings us closer to one another.

 

“All this complexity is but a desperate attempt not to recognize the problem, and therefore not to let it be resolved. If you could recognize that your only problem is separation, no matter what form it takes, you could accept the answer because you would see its relevance. Perceiving the underlying constancy in all the problems that seem to confront you, you would understand that you have the means to solve them all.”

A Course in Miracles

 

Day Eight: Listen for the Call of Love.

The human experience is not pain-free, but we can learn to be more compassionate and aware of calls for Love through our anguish, no matter how significant it is. Together, hearing such calls, we become healthier as individuals and society. Unfortunately, holding onto hatred-filled grievances about the past prevents us from creating compassionate awareness and blocks healing.

 

"You who were created by Love like itself can hold no grievances and know your Self. To hold a grievance is to forget who you are."

A Course in Miracles

 

Day Nine: Love Never Abandons Us.

You can create depth in your spiritual life by approaching the challenges life presents as teaching love. Each challenge is your teacher in growing in your capacity to love. Of course, don’t wish tragedy for anyone, but be grateful and in awe of our individual and collective capacity to love, especially in the worst times. Love never abandons us.

 

“The universe of love does not stop because you do not see it, nor have your closed eyes lost the ability to see.”

A Course in Miracles

 

Day Ten: Choose not to Shrink in Fear.

Nobody is the same during or after trauma. Whether we grow in Love and compassion or shrink in fear and anger depends on subsequent choices.

 

“Be not afraid of blessing, for the One Who blesses you loves all the world, and leaves nothing within the world that could be feared. But if you shrink from blessing, will the world indeed seem fearful, for you have withheld its peace and comfort.”

A Course in Miracles

 

Day Eleven: Decide if You Want Challenges to Make You Better or Bitter.

For all of us, the world has been full of turmoil as of late, for some lifelong loss. The challenge is to decide if you want change to make you better or bitter. Your decision will create the quality of your future and whether you are part of the problem or solution. To become better is to find the peace of God. To become bitter is to succumb to fear.

 

“You will not find peace except the peace of God. Accept this fact, and save yourself the agony of yet more bitter disappointments, bleak despair, and sense of icy hopelessness and doubt. Seek you no further. There is nothing else for you to find except the peace of God, unless you seek for misery and pain.”

A Course in Miracles

 

Day Twelve: Accept Responsibility for Healing Your Mind.

If we feed the flames of our anger, blame, and despair, we will never fully overcome and heal from the challenges before us. Because we often don't recognize the relationship between anger and fear, we can become confused and lost in what feels like very justified anger and blame. Taking responsibility for our state of mind is not an easy road but the only one that leads to freedom and healing.

 

“The relationship of anger to attack is obvious, but the relationship of anger to fear is not always so apparent. Anger always involves projection of separation, which must ultimately be accepted as one’s own responsibility, rather than being blamed on others.”

A Course in Miracles

 

Day Thirteen: Recognize What You Already Have.

During challenging times, find time to focus on the gift of Love you already have. Worrying about the future and guilt about the past prevent healing and effective responses. Prayer, contemplation, and meditation in the present moment are how we transform our fear and upset into compassionate action, thus accelerating healing.

 

“Prayer is a way of asking for something. It is the medium of miracles. But the only meaningful prayer is for forgiveness, because those who have been forgiven have everything. Once forgiveness has been accepted, prayer in the usual sense becomes utterly meaningless. The prayer for forgiveness is nothing more than a request that you may be able to recognize what you already have.”

A Course in Miracles

 

 

Day Fourteen: Look for Opportunities to be Kind.

It is possible to go through life believing that all situations – both good and bad – hold within them opportunities to become more compassionate and loving people.

 

“Have you really considered how many opportunities you have had to gladden yourself, and how many of them you have refused? There is no limit to the power of a Son of God, but he can limit the expression of his power as much as he chooses.”

A Course in Miracles

 

Day Fifteen: Observe Your Mind Very Carefully.

Many people during challenges find themselves unconsciously waiting for the next piece of bad news and feel increasingly cynical and believe there is little they can do. However, we can always choose to step into our peace of mind and away from fear and cynicism. Say to yourself, "Whatever I may experience today, whatever turns my life may take, may my heart be touched in some way that allows the awareness of the love of God to enter." Then, observe your mind throughout the day for thoughts that lead elsewhere.

 

“Watch your mind carefully for any beliefs that hinder its accomplishment, and step away from them.”

A Course in Miracles

 

Day Sixteen: Perfect Love Casts Out Fear.

Though many people may pray for good things to happen, today use the power of prayer for something a little different. Say, "Whatever may occur in my personal life this day, whatever I may witness in the world, may I cast out fear and worry by bringing more Love, kindness, patience, and tolerance to each moment. When I go to sleep tonight, may I feel the gifts of loving so fully today. If tempted to suffer or be over-whelmed, may I have the strength to ask what I might do to bring a little more compassion to those whose paths I cross today."

 

"Perfect Love casts out fear. If fear exists, Then there is not perfect Love. But: Only perfect Love exists. If there is fear, It produces a state that does not exist. Believe this and you will be free.” 

A Course in Miracles

 

Day Seventeen: Come to the Present Moment and Choose Love.

By taking the time to direct our thoughts wisely and compassionately, we choose a healthier and more loving future. What thoughts and attitudes you choose at this moment is everything. But, if you choose wrongly, you can choose once again. This is the beauty of our life, always able to come to the present moment and choose Love.

 

“Love is incapable of any exceptions. Only if there is fear does the idea of exceptions seem to be meaningful.”

A Course in Miracles

 

Day Eighteen: Happiness is an Attribute of Love.

To feel powerless is a common human experience because of the focus on changing the outer situation. However, even in situations where we feel such impotence, we can still empower ourselves by bringing Love to the moment, and when we do, the seeds of happiness grow. The truth is that during or following a challenging time, healing is greatly influenced by our thoughts and actions being directed to Love.

 

"Happiness is an attribute of Love. It cannot be apart from it. Nor can it be experienced where Love is not. Love has no limits, being everywhere."

A Course in Miracles

 

 

Day Nineteen: Be a Creator of Freedom.

We create freedom with our thoughts and actions. When you want to see Love everywhere, you are on the path to true freedom and healing.

 

“When you want only love, you will see nothing else.”

A Course in Miracles

 

Day Twenty: Remember Who You Are.

If you forget who you are, you begin to obsess and worry about past and possible future misfortune. You will undoubtedly create a life filled with discomfort, anxiety, fear, and frustration. If this way of thinking goes unchecked, it snowballs, and you become plagued with negative thoughts and emotions. Healing begins with an instant of knowing that you are Love and why.

 

“God is but Love, and therefore so am I.” A Course in Miracles

 

 

Day Twenty-one:  Develop Peace of Mind instead of Building Barriers to Love.

Those who take the time to develop inner peace and strength by removing the barriers to love create a very different outcome in life from those who react to their challenges with fear, anxiety, anger, and bitterness.

 

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”
A Course in Miracles

 

 

Day Twenty-two: Turn to the Voice of Love.

While two individuals may have experienced the same event, there can be a tremendous difference in the experience that follows based solely on the attitudes they hold and how they direct their minds. Therefore, choose your experience by learning to turn to the voice of Love within you.

 

"Love cannot judge. As it is one itself, it looks on all as one. Its meaning lies in oneness. There is no love but God's and all of
Love is His." 
A Course in Miracles

 

 

Day Twenty-three: Trust that Every Loving Thought Makes a Difference.

Remember, our outlooks and attitudes are never genetically preprogrammed, unchangeable facts; they are fluid and changeable by our direction and choice. Rather than being judgmental and harsh toward ourselves and others, we can see calls for Love. Succinctly put, how much we suffer or heal is up to us.

 

“Every loving thought is true. Everything else is an appeal for healing and help, regardless of the form it takes.”
A Course in Miracles

 

 

Day Twenty-four: Have Faith that Perfect Love is In You.

To respond to a crisis more effectively, have faith in the power of Love. Accepting the perfect Love that is within you, you will see things less negatively. The Dalai Lama states that “…it is very rare, if not impossible, to find a situation which is negative, no matter how we look at it.”

 

“You have so little faith in yourself because you are unwilling to accept the fact that perfect love is in you, and so you seek without for what you cannot find within.”
A Course in Miracles

 

 

Day Twenty-five: Create Your Experience by Choosing Your Attitude.

Love does not hide; you hide Love. The ego-mind wants to run amuck with fear, worry, and anxiety about the future in a crisis. It can feel like Love is nowhere to be found. When faced with a challenge, ask, "Have others gone through something like this and not only survived but grown from the experience?" In surviving the holocaust, Viktor Frankl stated, "Everything can be taken…but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

 

“Love has no darkened temples where mysteries are kept obscure and hidden from the sun.”
A Course in Miracles

 

 

Day Twenty-six: Welcome Love.

Will feeling helpless and angry solve anything, or will it only perpetuate your suffering? Is it helpful to believe something needs to happen before you can forgive? Those with spiritual wisdom and peace would likely tell us that their most extraordinary strength came during their most profoundly difficult times and learning to welcome Love rather than remain in fear.

 

“Love waits on welcome, not on time.”  A Course in Miracles

 

Day Twenty-seven: Forget Mastering Fear. Instead, Find Mastery Through Love.

While trying to master fear may seem practical during a crisis, it takes you down a rabbit hole. Therefore, a vital task in the days, weeks, months, and years during and following a crisis is to overcome the downward cycle of negative emotion and transform our suffering and loss through positive vision and loving action. 

 

"Attempting the mastery of fear is useless. In fact, it asserts the power of fear by the very assumption that it need be mastered. The true resolution rests entirely on mastery through Love."
A Course in Miracles

 

 

Day Twenty-eight: Stop and Instant and Be Still.

Some people lose hope at even the smallest of challenges, while others become better human beings in the face of tremendous loss. Know that both are possible for all of us; choose your direction by finding a quiet place within that awaits you. It’s there, even amid the most chaotic times.

 

“The miracle comes quietly into the mind that stops an instant and is still.”
A Course in Miracles

 

Day Twenty-nine: Miracles Depend on Cooperation and the Laws of Eternity.

Listen beyond the voice that proclaims, “If only this were different, then I could be happy." In doing so, you open the path to an expanded awareness of our interconnectedness. Now, your ability to love flows more freely.

 

“Miracles make minds one in God. They depend on cooperation because the Sonship is the sum of all that God created. Miracles therefore reflect the laws of eternity, not of time.” 
A Course in Miracles

 

 

Day Thirty: Love Never Changes or Leaves.

When upset with an outer situation or relationship, ask yourself, "How would my awareness of myself, this person, and the world change if I put all of my energy into loving action rather than blame? How would I approach this if I have faith in the abundance of Love available to me right now? What would I say and do if embracing my power to create instead of self-pity?”

 

“Under all the senseless thoughts and mad ideas with which you have cluttered up your mind are the thoughts that you thought with God in the beginning.”

A Course in Miracles