“Do not bend reality to your tiny experience or limit its purpose to your little personal thoughts.”—A Course in Miracles
The universe is kinda like Home Depot, offering an unlimited selection of tools to further my good.
ACIM Lesson 25 (I do not know what anything is for) assures me that every single person, every single thing that happens is in my best interest.
And since my best interest right now is to head to pickleball, I’m going to re-run one of my favorite posts from 2013. Enjoy!
Hans Schultz is the fictional sergeant to Colonel Wilhelm Klink in the old TV series, Hogan’s Heroes.
Even though Schultz knew about the shenanigans of the Allied POW’s who were running Special Operations from Stalag 13, he was famous for proclaiming to his inept colonel, “I know nothing” in a clipped, German accent.
I repeat that line (complete with the accent) quite often. In fact, it has become an important piece of my spiritual practice.
I have learned that any time I think I’ve figured something out, any time I believe I’ve found the route to this intention or that dream, I promptly proceed to get in my own way.
My understanding is sorely limited. But when “I know nothing,” like Hans Schultz, I leave the gates wide open for blessings to rush in.
Last week, for example, I got an incredible response to my first post on The Daily Love. It’s a popular website run by Mastin Kipp, a young entrepreneur who recently appeared on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday as one of the Next Generation thought leaders.
I happened to catch that episode, looked him up and discovered that, lo and behold, he grew up in my hometown. I decided that I wanted to write for The Daily Love and I did everything I could think of to interest Mastin in my “brilliant wisdom.” I even wrote an article about him in the local Lawrence magazine. I mean, c’mon, we talked in person.
Those initial pitches? That initial scheme I came up with for getting on The Daily Love? Futile. Nada. Didn’t work.
However, when I let go of my plan, repeated the Hans Schultz “I know nothing” and forgot all about it (“Set it and forget it” is a new mantra of mine), Madeline Giles, the editor of The Daily Love or the Love Curator, as she’s known, contacted me.
Out of the blue, she wrote to me, said she liked my new book and wondered if I’d be up for contributing to The Daily Love.
So, Hans Schultz, thank you for proving that inspiration and important spiritual practices can come from anywhere.
Pam Grout is the author of 19 books including E-Squared, E-Cubed, Thank & Grow Rich and her new book, Art & Soul,Reloaded: A Year-Long Apprenticeship to Summon the Muses and Ignite Your Daring, Audacious, Creative Side.
24 Responses
Thank you Thank you 💖
You’re welcome. You’re welcome!
Thank you, Pam. “I know nothing” was perfect for today. I’ll be using this one for the rest of my life.
Me, too! It’s so useful!
Hey! Thank you! Today’s re-post reminded me of my own theory of pushing and wanting to control outcomes ie trying too hard. I don’t always follow my advice, “if you try too hard the worse it gets”. As you stated, “set it forget it” is a sure-fire plan to avoid burnout. Experience has shown me that if stay on the push-pull-plan of trying to control results, I am too tired to enjoy it if whatever it is I am desiring comes to fruition!
One question regarding Course in Miracles. I do own a copy and with new year the intention to start working it. Well, things happen, and it’s day 25! Do the workings of the Course allow for jumping in say at day 25 or is it necessary to start day 1 with each cumulatively building on from the previous day’s lesson. Cheers!
The thing I LOVE about the Course is there’s no one way to do it. You can start any place or any time you like. It’s recommended not to do more than one lesson a day, but even that is just a suggestion.
Thank you Pam for these ACIM posts. They are making it so much more fun than when i started reading the Course it on my own. I have already felt a lot of shifts in my life and especially – i have noticed where i have been holding back love and being petty in some relationships. I know nozsing! Yes, it is good!
Love, light and giggles, Kim
Shifts? Did someone say shifts? I love when that happens.
I went to the Home Depot last nite, checked my emails and was like, “whoa!” But anyway read your words of wisdom and decided i am letting go of finding a bldg or room to work my business!
Thank you Pam Grout
The most remarkable part of doing this practice is you get help from the bigger thing. You no longer have to make all those decisions yourself. That’s why I keep at it.
I remember that show and loved it. I know nothing is so much better than being a know it all. 😉 Takes off a lot of pressure. Thank you for this.Hope the pickleball went well. You deserve the time. 🙂
Oh, I have plenty of time. I only write these posts because I enjoy them and they help solidify my own practice.
It’s very much appreciated.
Love the video and post! Thank you! I live my life by one thing and it is this: It’s all in Divine Order. I trust and have faith that sometimes, in fact most of the time, we can’t see the big picture. We might have 20/20 later or we may not. It’s now more than trusting for me, it is a knowing. 😉
That’s beautiful. And I’m going to borrow your mantra: It’s all in Divine Order. Perfecto!!
Hey Pam, thank you for another great post! I wanted to ask for your advice on something that has been bothering me for a while and I haven’t got a clue where or how to start. I have a small cyst on my right hand and its been there since 2009 I think. I have been trying to rid my body of it by asking the FP for healing. Maybe I’m asking wrong? I don’t know.. please help
Dear Priscilla, Send your address to my contact page and I’ll send you an awesome book about healing. And know that you are a perfect child of the Universe and perfect health is your Divine Right. Love, only love.
This is perfect for me today! I am self employed and have had a down turn in business over the last 2 months. I have been madly scrambling around looking for new clients, making plans, calling people, completing To DO lists …lots of huffy puffy with precious little to show for it. So today …I’m going to head north to Byron Bay ( a beautiful part of the world ) and sit on the beach and chill for a while. Maybe throw in a couple of Margaritas and just go with the flow….
Now, that’s a powerful spiritual practice–margaritas, Byron Bay (I was fortunate to visit when I lived in Sydney) and chilling. Can’t think of a better way to start an upturn.
Thank you mucho! 🙂
De nada mucho!!
I give up…never mind… you’re teaching people in e-squared to stick hard with all your believe to your dreams and take the “puppy out when it’s going to pee on your slippers”, but in your ACIM posts you are telling us to let go of it, because we know nothing, we are nothing, we are not seeing things like they are, etc. So, we are manipulated from something outside in space, whatever effort you are doing to earn your money, to love, to achieve whatever dreams you have, stop doing it, stop trying to have a promotion at the job, stop trying to keep the person you love, as, according to the posts, it doesn’t make sense. We are a puppet on the string. No need to “stick to dreams”, the thing outside is doing whatever it wants. That’s what I said already in one of my previous comments. Sorry that I’m not part of those “believers” who send you blessings every day. Reading e-squared and e-cube had helped me to overcome big problems or at least to give me hope, now, I’m only disappointed and feel destructed.
Dear sweet Lissy,
So sorry you feel confused. What happens is when we give up our crazy thinking, when we erase from our consciousness old psychological structures, miracles just start happening. We get the money, the love, the dreams. The universe, I’ve discovered, has MUCH bigger and more exciting plans than anything I could cook up.
The Course in Miracles isn’t for everyone.
I send you giant balls of love and joy,
Pam
Dear Pam,
“Set it and forget it” – I embrace this!!
Last year, I was “set” on writing for Kansas! Magazine. I sent pitches, entered their photography contests and even trekked to Lindsborg for a photography event. That was also about the time I read E-Squared and Thank and Grow Rich.
While I have yet to write for Kansas!, one of the staff members gave my name to Topeka Mag. Since then, I’ve written one inset and two features for them. The one I am most proud of comes out in March.
Because of you, I have learned to set the intention, fill my life with the vibration of gratitude, and then get out of the way so I can watch the magic happen.
Thank you for opening an entire new world to me!
Michelle