“We made the world we’re living in and we have to make it over.”–James Baldwin 
So my new book about A Course in Miracles debuts in exactly four days.
So while I’d love to tell you about my travels, my upcoming speaking gigs, the 100 applicants for this year’s 222 Foundation award, I figure I owe a mention to those of you who insisted I turn my ACIM musings into this book.
More than anything, the Course is about the F word. Everything, it tells us, boils down to forgiveness.
But like most important concepts, forgiveness is widely misunderstood.
So I’ll let this story about Brad Pitt illustrate what the Course means when it suggests making forgiveness our chief goal.
The hunky heartthrob’s first job in Hollywood was dancing in a chicken suit in front of El Pollo Loco restaurant.
If he’d have stayed in that job, he’d have never landed his role in Thelma & Louise, he’d have never stunned us all in A River Runs Through It. He’d have never…well, I’ll let you look up his IMDb for yourself.
Brad’s willingness to surrender his first “acting” job is a classic case of forgiveness. All forgiveness means is letting go of where you are now. Letting go of what you’re just sure is true.
When we hang on to our certainty, to our beliefs that this is just the “way the world is,” we literally imprison ourselves. Life, the Divine Buzz, can’t get in.
Forgiveness simply means recognizing that today is a completely new day and that anything–absolutely anything–is possible. Forgiveness breaks the pattern of false perceptions. It allows us to experience reality unblinded by yesterday, unblinded by past beliefs.
It means letting go of the chicken suit.
Pam Grout is the author of 20 books including E-Squared, E-Cubed, Thank & Grow Rich and her latest book, The Course in Miracles Experiment: A Starter Kit for Rewiring Your Mind (And Therefore Your World).
25 Responses
Thank you, thank you, Pam, for your work! I was just talking with a group of women yesterday how “I can change“ (I can let go of what I thought I knew was so true, I can let go of grief, that whole identity, etc.! ) and they didn’t get what I meant. They wanted me to stay as “the grief singer“. Nah. Life is too good! Rock on, Danielle
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Nothing stays the same. That’s the beauty and the mystery and we can either dive in or build a dam. I suggest diving in.
Hi Pam No matter how hard I’ve been trying, I can’t seem to forgive a betrayal and the memories of humiliation and disrespect. I want to be free of it but when my mind goes to an experience that could have been avoided, it was deliberate, I’m taken right back to shame, humiliation and abandonment. And other people are part of the equation which makes it harder. I want to be free and I want to forgive but it seems disrespectful to myself in some ways. I welcome your thoughts. ♥️ Brigitte
Brigitte Bard | 310.773.6336 | http://www.BrigitteBard.com
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To me, it’s disrespectful to myself to hang on to old slights and humiliations. Especially when this other reality is available.
Image that Brigitte Bard has no past. That the words betrayal, humiliation and disrespect are meaningless given you have no past. Is there even anything to forgive?
Who is Brigitte Bard now?
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Love you, birthday girl!!
Here is something I wrote about Forgiveness in 2016 when I was starting on my spiritual journey and knew I needed to ‘clean house’.
To forgive is to let go of hate leaving room for love. It’s letting go of anger to reave room for calm. It’s letting go of intolerance so there’s room for compassion. It’s giving in to understanding the imperfections in others so I can recognized the imperfections in myself. To forgive allows me to move forward to a better place rather than stagnate in past injustices. To forgive is not easy, but the challenge reminds me that I have the strength to become a better me.
I keep this on my fridge so I never forget…
Beautiful! We could all put this on our fridge. Thanks for sharing!
Carol this truly is beautiful and I agree with Pam – we could all put it on our fridges and benefit from your clear and gentle description of forgiveness. Thankyou. 🌹
Jenny Louise
Thank you. We are in probably the same marital problems as B. I’m placing this on my fridge too. I have to say in my darkest hours I’ve also found Ho’oponopono to be very helpful. If nothing else I can get a good nights sleep with the 4 phrases
I love this. It means each morning you have amazing possibilities that you can tap into, just being in a magical state of mind 🙂
That’s how it works. There is NO reason for today to be a repeat except for our expectations that it will be. Forgiveness, as ACIM defines it, opens up brand new possibilities.
Pam I have been looking so so forward to your upcoming ACIM book! You have an ability to “translate” the lessons into such meaningful, applicable nuggets of knowledge to use throughout ones day and life; messages I don’t tend to get from just reading the Course lessons on my own. Would you ever consider teaching a class/leading an online group (anything of this nature) ,FOR PAY, as an adjunct to those going through your lessons in the book? There are a lot of ACIM groups out there, but one led by you would definitely be a dream come true for me and I’m sure countless others. And since “anything is possible….”, I just thought I’d ask!
What a wonderful suggestion. I’ll put it in my idea file. Thank you for the kudos!
Regarding the new book(s)- I have reserved both titles, are they essentially the same?
Thanks for all you do!
So, this is a great reminder to stop using So!
And seriously, I love what you have to say- so there!
Thankyou Pam. I think I can get a handle on forgiveness much more easily if I think of it as simply just letting go. Letting go of feelings, behaviours, attitudes, beliefs, ideas, choices, situations etc that are not helping me to give and receive love, or not helping me be authentically me. Anything holding me back or keeping me stuck. Cool! I reckon I can embrace forgiveness a lot more easily if it’s simply letting go. Amen! And Thankyou 👍🏻🌺😁
Forgiveness….. is a clean start on the canvas of your day.
Really good post Pam,
Monica
Good Morning..love seeing you in my email box❤ ordered your book from Barnes and Noble and looking forward to holding it in my hands. Thank you for whatever you will share with us in the book. We are all in this together helping one another along the journey. Thank you for being a part of my life journey. A hug, Linda/Shanti
“Forgiveness is the scent the violet leaves on the heel that has crushed it”
Forget who originally said this…but Wayne Dyer quoted this often in his talks!!!
Thanks Pam .. forgiveness is a tough pill to swallow…yet the only way for peace🙂
I’m just wondering why do you call it forgiveness rather than letting go of the past?
They said my book is to be delivered today! I can hardly wait!
Love this one! Thanks Pam!!
Can’t wait for your new book!
Amor Fati, Catherine
Your life is what your thoughts make it.
– MARCUS AURELIUS , ROMAN EMPEROR
I just started your new book. I think I own all of them. Years ago, I tried SOOOO hard to get through The Course in Miracles. I still have a copy on my book shelf. I am SOOO positive that your new book will help me get through The Course this time. I also wanted to mention that I am re-reading ALL of your books, starting with “God Doesn’t Have Bad Hair Days”, and I just manifested a bald eagle. LOL. Every day, I was going outside looking for a bald eagle as my message that “The Dude Abides”. I had JUST finished telling a friend about it when just a few minutes later, a beautiful bald eagle flew right over my house. It always helps to keep open and keep looking for The Dude.