I am so grateful for this fun, clear, inspiring series of 4 hour-long videos (with meditations) from Mark Anthony Lord and Aaron Abke‘s Forgive 2020 Challenge. These cool guys help us let go of guilt and resentment so we can accept life on life’s terms–in peace and gratitude. Fabulous!
This 4-part series draws on A Course in Miracles (ACiM*) to help us join a wave of love and forgiveness that sets us all free from the perceived difficulties of 2020. Each part has a video and a meditation (In the video, click on “More” to find the meditation link –you may need to download it to your “music” folder for it to play) .
Day 1 – Forgive Yourself. This series was created to support you in being a part of a wave of love and forgiveness that sets us all free from the perceived difficulties of 2020.
Day 2 – Forgive Others. How to forgive others, and why it’s so necessary for your true freedom. Learn a key teaching from A Course In Miracles: “Projection Makes Perception” What????
Day 3 – Forgive the World. Now, that’s a huge undertaking, but not when you take the time to learn what it means, as well as how and why you should do it. Check it out!
Day 4 – Forgive My Perception of God. By the way, God doesn’t need our forgiveness, for God is perfect Love. But we DO need to be released from all the projections we have placed upon God. All the false expectations, the fears, the lies we were told about God. This day helps you dissolve them all.
* A Course in Miracles is a unique spiritual self-study program designed to awaken us to the truth of our oneness with God and Love. Through the study of ACiM, we learn to heal all of our relationships through the inspired practice of forgiveness.
Gigi Langer has been sober 34 years, and holds a PhD in Psychological Studies in Education from Stanford University. Formerly crowned the “Queen of Worry,” Gigi resigned her post many years ago and now lives happily in SW Florida with her husband, Peter and her cat, Murphy.
In Worry Less Now, Gigi shares her personal journey as a prisoner of fear, worry, and substance abuse, along with practical techniques anyone can use. Award-winner with rave reviews. Amazon rating: 4.8 stars. Buy signed copy HERE
More than 30 years ago, feeling beaten down by my seedy lifestyle, I asked my mentor, Jane, how she remained so peaceful. She said she studied a book called A Course in Miracles (ACiM).
A few years later, Jane sent me Love Is Letting Go of Fear (a summary of the Course’s main principles), and I clung to it like a life raft! At 35, I was in my third marriage which was already in a shambles due to my lying and substance abuse.
Three years later, I quit drinking and asked a sponsor to help me work the Twelve Steps. It was no coincidence that she also studied ACIM, and soon included me in a study group. Since then I’ve joined a few different groups, and have found this to be the best spiritual path for me.
Why does it fit me so well? You might recall that I refer to myself as the “former queen of worry.” My study of ACIM teaches me how to dissolve my fears, anxiety, resentments, and selfishness. And, during the year 2020, I have needed every lesson it has taught me to live with peace and trust!
What is A Course in Miracles? (from Wikipedia)
The purpose of the book, A Course in Miracles (ACIM), is to bring about a “spiritual transformation. In 1965, Helen Schucman began working at a medical center as Bill Thetford’s research associate. When their weekly office meetings became quite contentious, Thetford concluded that “[t]here must be another way.” Schucman believed this interaction triggered a series of visions, dreams, and heightened imagery, along with an “inner voice” that told her: “This is a Course in Miracles, please take notes.” The next day, she explained her “note taking” to Thetford. To her surprise, he encouraged her to continue the process. Schucman said that the writing made her very uncomfortable, though it never seriously occurred to her to stop. The transcription was completed in 1977. ACIM is published by the Foundation for Inner Peace in Novato, CA.
General Principles of ACIM : Gigi’s Ideas (Workbook lesson number in parentheses)
A miracle is a shift in perception. We choose God’s loving thoughts over ego’s fearful thoughts. We can align our minds with either Love or Fear.
Love: God. Spirit. The only reality. Everything that comes from love is good: e.g., peace, service, care.
Fear: The ego. Illusions. The part of the mind that knows only fear: judging, separating, attacking. God did not create the ego. It’s driven by bodily instincts for survival and competition. When people operate out of fear, it’s simply an appeal for help.
Who Am I, Really? “We’re spiritual beings living in a human body.”
I am a beloved child of God. I am spirit. (But I’ve forgotten this.) (114)
I am not a body. I am free, for I am still as God created me. (201)
God is in my mind. My mind holds only what I think with God. (141)
Don’t Trust Ego’s Thoughts
Ego’s voice is the first one and the loudest one we hear. It tells us happiness is not in God; that it’s in worldly people, places & things.
I’m never upset for the reason I think. (5)
I’m upset because I see something that isn’t there. (6)
I see only the past. (7) I have no neutral thoughts. (23)
The world I see holds nothing I want. (128)
We Are Free
We’re sinless in God’s Eyes: We love ourselves and others because God does. Fear (ego) separates us from our own spirit AND one another.
When people operate out of fear, it is simply an appeal for help.
What I see is a form of vengeance (attack/defense). (22) (but it’s not true)
My grievances hide the light of the world. (69)
There’s Only One of Us Here
What we see in another is what we believe about ourselves. As we love and forgive others, we dissolve our sense of separation from God and our fellows. We’re students and teachers to one other.
To give and receive are one in truth. (108)
All that I give is given to myself. (126)
I’m not alone in experiencing the effects of my thoughts. (18)
How to Escape Ego and Fear
Every time we’re disturbed, we need to reject ego’s negative perceptions and ask God (Love) to help us see things differently. According to ACIM, there is no “order of difficulty” to either problems or miracles. They’re all the same: either misperceptions or the truth.
Gigi Langer has studied ACIM since 1988. She now attends Course study groups in Michigan and Florida. Langer is a certified facilitator of Gerald Jampolsky’s Attitudinal Healing, a program that helps children and adults struggling with disease apply the ideas from ACIM.
Have you ever heard this phrase and wondered how it could possibly be true when you look around and see all the trouble in this chaotic world?
Don’t we all sometimes wonder, “Why do so many bad things happen?”
In this 4-minute video I explain how I think about God’s world and man’s world.
But first, a warning: When I made this video, I woke up, put on my robe, had my coffee, and went to a Zoom meeting. Then I had the bright idea to record my 7-minute share. And here’s what we got!
In Worry Less Now, Gigi shares her personal journey as a prisoner of fear, worry, and substance abuse, along with practical techniques anyone can use. Award-winner with rave reviews: Amazon 4.8 stars.
Get special offers on the paperback, e-book, and audiobook HERE.
Gigi Langer has been sober 34 years, and holds a PhD in Psychological Studies in Education from Stanford University. Formerly crowned the “Queen of Worry,” Gigi resigned her post many years ago and now lives happily in Michigan with her husband, Peter and her cat, Murphy.
For years, people told me I was too “thin-skinned” or “high–maintenance.” When I looked around at others, they didn’t seem to take things so personally, or to be bothered by loud noises and bright lights. What was wrong with me? About ten years ago I discovered the answer: I’m a “highly sensitive person” and I’m NOT alone. Indeed, about 20% of the population shares this trait.
You’ll be happy to hear that these characteristics are quite respected in many societies where the sensitive ones become advisors and sages.
But, in our Western culture, being highly sensitive isn’t always understood or valued. That’s why some of us so often feel on the outside looking in.
So, if you think you might be a highly sensitive person or have a loved one that is, take the quiz on Aron’s website and check out her blog, “Comfort Zone.”
The healthiest path for us sensitive folks is to value who we are and take good care of ourselves.
Self-Care for Highly Sensitive People
If you can relate, here are a few suggestions for self-care.
Reduce your exposure to loud, dramatic input: news programs, social media, argumentative friends/family, etc.
Schedule downtime to rest, meditate, read, and renew after a busy day or after lots of social activity.
Sleep enough, eat well and limit caffeine intake.
Treat yourself to the enjoyment of beauty: take a walk, savor a sunset, etc.
Hang out with loving people who like you exactly the way you are.
Avoid bright lights and loud background noise (if they bother you).
Remind yourself that your sensitivity makes you creative, empathetic, and loving.
If, like me, you are highly sensitive, please share a few of your insights here. Thanks!
In Worry Less Now, Gigi shares her personal journey as a prisoner of fear, worry, and substance abuse, along with practical techniques anyone can use. Award-winner with rave reviews: Amazon 4.8 stars.
Get special offers on the paperback, e-book, and audiobook HERE.
Gigi Langer has been sober 34 years, and holds a PhD in Psychological Studies in Education from Stanford University. Formerly crowned the “Queen of Worry,” Gigi resigned her post many years ago and now lives happily in Michigan with her husband, Peter and her cat, Murphy.
