Easy button – Pam Grout

Super God to the rescue

February 12, 2018 28 Comments

“It didn’t really come up that much, the need to yodel.”—Elizabeth Berg

When George Eastman introduced the first commercially-available camera in 1888, he had a goal. He wanted to make photography “an everyday affair.” Or as his company Eastman-Kodak later rephrased it, to make it as “convenient as a pencil.” Their marketing slogan was: “You push the button, we do the rest.”

That’s sorta how I see A Course in Miracles. I don’t have to understand it. I don’t even have to like what it says. I just have to push the button.

ACIM Lesson 43 (God is my Source. I cannot see apart from Him) is one of those lessons I really don’t like all that much. It’s preachy and strikes me as not much fun.

So here’s what I do when I feel grumpy about one of the lessons.

1. I flip through the text and find one of the lines I’ve underlined, ones that I DO like. For example, today I opened to:

Only you can deprive yourself of anything.

The laws of happiness were created for you.

Lack does not exist in the kingdom of God.

2. I replace the word God that, as I said in E-Squared, has more baggage than the Chicago airport with one of my trusty synonyms: the Divine Buzz, Source, the Universe. Here’s a big shout out to the person who suggested in the comments on this very blog a synonym that has become my current favorite: Super God.

3. I turn it over to the Holy Spirit. Relying on an unseen spirit that happens to be holy (and a badass at that) is kinda cool, much more fun than turning it over to that misogynist “guy” that some churches pontificate about.

4. Lastly, I remind myself that, in the end, none of it is really up to me. My only job is to push the button.

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.

Just because credentialed experts say it’s true, doesn’t mean it is

January 18, 2016 65 Comments

“You have to decamp from normal reality.”—Eric Weinstein

I am happy to report that, while it took me awhile, I finally replaced the word “thong” with “flip-flop.”

When I was growing up, rubber beach shoes like havainas were called “thongs.” Sometime in the 1990’s, the word thong took on a different connotation. My daughter cringed whenever I mentioned I was donning a thong.

“Ooo, gross,” she’d say.

So I decided to teach this old dog a new trick. I decided to rewire my neural pathways that have associated beach shoes and the word thong for five decades.

And that’s what I’m doing now with the word “hard.” I’m changing it to “unfamiliar.”

As I’ve said many times, the word “hard” is the most dangerous four-letter word in the English language. It’s especially damning when combined with something you’re trying to do: lose weight, attract money, get a hot date.

Because our beliefs are so powerful, literally sculpting our lives on a moment-by-moment basis, to believe (and especially to say out loud) that something is difficult is counterproductive.

Still, even those of us who know about (and happily use) the power of our thoughts sometimes speak that ugly word.

“It’s hard to change old habits.”
“It’s hard to find a better job.”
“It’s hard to empty my mind when meditating.”

I noticed yesterday in my power posse, it was said 18 times.

So, yes, it might be unfamiliar to get up and dance your way to the bathroom or to pretend to exude confidence when giving a presentation or to give up your fears to the universe, but it won’t be unfamiliar for long.

Being hard could last forever.

Because I occasionally still see limitations, still believe the headlines, still believe in old school conditioning, I’m much better off going for unfamiliar and turning things over to the big guy.

I’ve discovered the less I do, the better things turn out. The more I hand over to the universe (the field of potentiality that is SO much smarter than me), the better my life becomes.

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 its equally-scintillating sequel, E-Cubed, 9 More Experiments that Prove Mirth, Magic and Merriment is your Full-time Gig.