“What keeps the world in chains but your beliefs?”
–A Course in Miracles 
Every town has one. The mumbling guy on the street. The woman in all-black who frequents coffee shops carrying a three-foot cross. Those intriguing characters that always make you wonder. In Lawrence, Kansas, where I live, we have a whole contingency of such characters. Dennis, who typically wears a Spiderman outfit, never leaves home without his “daughter” Cheryl, a plastic doll he either carries or pushes in a stroller. Over the years, Cheryl has “grown up” from a baby doll to a bigger doll until now she’s the size of a storefront mannequin which, in truth, she actually is.
Pranksters kidnapped Cheryl the other day and the local police force, taking it quite seriously, put out an A.P.B., which thankfully resulted in an immediate recovery. Dennis and Cheryl are local celebrities. Dennis even has his own fanpage on Facebook.
The point I’m trying to make is that Dennis is no different than the rest of us. His world, although a slight deviation from what’s considered normal, is very real to him. Just as the world we’ve made up in our minds is very real to us. But both—Dennis’ world and the world we “see” and believe in with such a tenacious grip—is fiction. Neither constitutes Reality.
Reality, according to physicists who study these things, is that we are all connected. We are all one. In fact, the biggest secret in the world is we all really love each other.
We only “see” this other reality, this separate, divided, ugly world, because we imagine it to be that way. Illusions are as strong in their effects as is truth.
Because we continue to repeat and believe in the world we see on the six o’clock news, we continue to see the all hell-breaking-loose world of destruction and limits. Because dodging minefields is our source of vision, we continue to see a world of doom. Through our rote insistence on fear, we have created a fearful world.
But it’s no more real than the world of Dennis.
We have enslaved the world with our fears, doubts and miseries. By simply changing our vision, by imagining what “could be” instead of believing in “what we think is” we can literally change the world. The inner always creates the outer.
Instead of swimming in the insane culture-wide obsession with pathology, we should revel in the endless flood of miracles.
Isn’t it time to give up the world we keep re-running in our mind, to overthrow the status quo? A new more imaginative and free world is possible. But we must retrain ourselves to look through optimistic eyes. To say “thank you” and recognize all the beauty and largesse in our lives.
Pam Grout is the author of 17 books including E-Squared: 9 Do-it-Yourself Energy Experiments that Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality and the recently-released sequel, E-Cubed, 9 More Experiments that Prove Mirth, Magic and Merriment is your Full-time Gig.
19 Responses
Going through a major life transition right now and trying my best to keep the good energy flowing. I can only create my reality, this I know, but how to live with someone who’s reality is so negative? This is where my mind struggles.
I live with a very negative person too! And she is loud and in my face all the time just trying to bring me down to her level 🙁 I would also love to know how to overcome all the negativity she puts out on a daily basis. BTW Pam, I love both E Squared and E Cubed and am working on changing my reality for the better!!!
Hi Pam, I agree and enjoyed your post, but what is a tip I/we can take when we see the front page of the horrible issues of Kenya? Iran? and all the horrible front line headlines that break my heart?
Great question. The best.
I always hold on to the knowledge that the only way I can change the world is to change MY world first. I have to change my inner struggles, my inner murdering thoughts, my inner angst. Then, the world out there (a reflection of my world in here) begins to change accordingly.
looking forward to the answers to these questions as I can relate.
That is the creation of the people in Kenya , Iran, and anyone who is living that reality. The more we focus on all the bad stuff, the more we will see it, in their lives, and if we continue to focus on it, and obsess about it, the more we will see it in our lives, maybe even in our very own lives, even in our own illness. I know, it sounds selfish, but we can’t help the world as long as we focus on “giving away our power” and not loving ourselves unconditionally.
Right to the point!
A resounding YES! So well said as always. Thank you Pam for sharing these insights we love to be reminded of.
Yes, I believe that my outer world is a reflection of my inner world, however…to be on the safe side I am not going to Mosul or Takrit any time soon.
Thank You Pam! Incredible Feel-Good dose that could Only come from the One Source that permeates, penetrates and activates EVERYTHING! Survival of the Fittest is OUT! We Truly Are that One Source, I AM God having the Jeff Quickle Experience! YeeHaw!
What a great way to illustrate the idea of duality!!! We are all one…an interesting and easy concept when I think about being one with you…it does get a little more complex when thinking we are one with Isis…BUT that is THE thing we have to get comfortable with…Much love to you…In Oneness.
Love you too, Denise!
I loved this post. I have also been following Matt Kahn and he said to love your heart as many times as you can because we are all one and loving your heart loves all hearts. That if everyone did this the world would change rapidly for the better. It’s all about love. It may feel strange at first to say I love you to yourself but once the subconscious hears it enough it becomes part of us. So I ‘m giving it a try.
Reblogged this on Spirit In Action.
Reading over the first few comments, I’m reminded of two stories related by Wayne Dyer (paraphrased below).
A man who stuttered came up to Wayne after his presentation and asked for helpful advice. Wayne asked him if he could imagine himself NOT stuttering – but if not, he couldn’t help him.
The other was about walking on a Florida beach when two strangers from out of town asked him what the locals were like. Wayne asked them what the people back home were like – one had a positive description and the other was negative. “That’s how you’ll find the people are here too,” he told each.
Probably one of the most difficult things to realize (and accept) is that we receive as we give. And judging others negatively IS giving – because mind is the builder.
The world you see merely shows you your power to create.
My wife in Lawrence, Kansas once. A strange town.
As to whether reality is real, if it is not real, then neither is God.
Pam,
I like your article but it reminds me the John Lenon inmortal song “Imagine”…
Thanks for the reminder pam, it was much needed at the moment,<3