A Course in Miracles (Introduction)

Background: Welcome to my year-long exploration of "A Course in Miracles," where each day unfolds a new layer of understanding and healing using this unique and vibrant text. This blog chronicles my personal exploration through daily text readings and workbook exercises, offering insights into the profound teachings of forgiveness, love, and perception shifts. The day’s text reading and exercise numbers are in the title of the entry. Join me as we uncover the miracles behind healing and transformation into the spiritually powerful beings we were created to be. 

I also want to keep things transparent with you. Some of the links you’ll find on this page are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them—at no extra cost to you!

These articles come from my genuine love and experience with the resources that have helped me on my journey. I only share products and services that I truly believe in and think will add value to your life. Your support helps me continue sharing insights and inspiration, so thank you for being part of this amazing community!

Todays Entry 11.19.2024:

I’m holding the physical soft-covered book in my hands. Shorter in stature than I expected—perhaps I can get through these 1,300 pages faster than anticipated? Only time will tell.

But first, a reflection back into the life-altering occasions that brought me here, to buying the book—to even knowing of its existence.

It happened in three stages:

Stage One:

“May Cause Miracles” by Gabrielle Bernstein. I still have no idea how Gabby’s books crossed my plate. It’s not even her most popular or most recent publication—not that I had heard of those or her before either.

I didn’t know the book nor the author until I read “May Cause Miracles.”

The genesis of “May Cause Miracles” entering my life is still unknown. What I do know is that I read the book while in Buenos Aires—where I was around late February 2023—and I can say it drastically changed my life.

Perhaps it even made my life what it has become.

“May Cause Miracles” is a somewhat mini version of A Course in Miracles—or so the author stated. Gabby also referred back to A Course in Miracles often and frequently during her book.

A Course in Miracles impacted Gabby herself, she stated, but it was the foundation and setting for her entire book, “May Cause Miracles.”

Gabby’s book was a series of morning, midday, and evening prompts with mini lessons—so to speak. You’d read a mini affirmation or meditation prompt, then sit for a few moments to breathe it in and have a mini meditation on those words.

Each day focused on a step in the healing process that flowed in a repeatable order over the week with six lessons and a recap or reflection day on day seven. The following week would follow the same six-day process with a reflective day but focus on a different topic or life context.

For example, one week would be trying the six concepts for the first time to get used to incorporating them into my daily routine and life. Then I recall applying the six steps to a week for finances, a week for relationships, and a week for one’s relationship with themselves.

By the end of my first run-through of the book, I had changed my thoughts and observations of myself.

I recall being able to sense my thoughts, my inner guide, and my emotions not only apart but apart from my ego itself. I could hear their voices come from within me differently in tone and words, as well as where the sounds sourced from within me.

I saw myself inside and out so differently—so clearly. I couldn’t fool myself anymore.

There was still inner growth to be done, as I had been doing for years before picking up Gabby’s book, but the simplicity of it all, the clarity, and the inner acceptance of loving observation of me and by me was profound.

I did the exercise for fun—as a way to get into a daily habit of meditation. By the end, it was as if my personal growth was by divine intervention.

Now, looking back, I say with complete and ultimate certainty this book was ordained into my life.

I don’t know how I picked up the book, not even where I sourced it from, but I can say it was destined for my life, and that is clearer in Stage 2 of my experience with this book that happened just months later.

Stage 2:

The shooting. A man walked into my new high-rise condo building with a gun and began shooting while my mother and I were feet away.

It was a traumatic experience.

I experienced post-traumatic stress disorder. My mother stayed with me for a few days, and I held it together while she was around (mostly). But she lived in another state and needed to return home.

Her absence left me alone in a new home in a new city where I didn’t know anyone. I was overwhelmed in many ways and had to face my trauma head-on.

But it wasn’t my first time facing trauma. I had healed from a series of traumatic events in my childhood and twenties. I wasn’t new to healing myself.

But I also didn’t like having to do it.

Facing the pain and the heavy emotions that get trapped inside one’s body and mind during survival mode is not a fun and delightful choice.

Yet, I knew it was a necessary one.

I refused to let the hard work of clearing my past be undone by this new traumatic experience.

So I let the tsunami of pain tears and trauma pour over me. I let it rise to my eyes in the form of tears, screams from my gut, and in my mind—the horrid visuals my eyes captured that day.

The tide was rising, about to hit the precipice within me… Then the most curious of things occurred.

As if a superhero sprang from the shadows leaping over the high waves of emotion: a thought shot from the back of my subconscious mind. Like Cupid’s arrow striking me with love as if from nowhere.

A thought that was so random in the moment but had been born of a seed planted months earlier. The thought was a paraphrasing of those lines “May Cause Miracles" had me repeat week after week:

“I can choose to see this differently. I can choose to see love instead.”

In that moment, the world shifted for me. My mindset, my emotions, the tears—it all shifted…into a belief of hope, possibility, and readiness!

I knew I was seasoned at trauma recovery and that I would find my way through; but I didn’t know I was ready and armed with a shortcut.

I had assumed my healing process would be along the same lines as those I had gone through before—just less tedious and drawn out now that I knew what I was doing.

But quick? Easy? Simple? No. It had never been that before.

That’s what the book’s line did for me. It took me from ready to face months of emotions to nearly done with processing them—in a split second!

Even I was in disbelief. It couldn’t have been that easy, could it?

I’d check in with myself over the coming days—“You sure you’re good?”

“Yup!” My inner guide would holler back. “We’re good in here!”

Parts of me healed in the very moment the thought sprang to my mind. Another part healed that day as I applied the words to my mind’s memories as I chose to see them with love instead.

The more I looked at the event through the lens of love, the faster it all healed. What used to take me years became moments this time.

So fast. So sudden. So simple.

Gabby’s book did that for me—through me? Via me?

A blessing unlike any other.

That’s not to say I didn’t struggle or that there was no healing timeline.

One part that lingered for me was something I had neither been through before nor was it contextual; this part involved my job.

It took me a few months to accept and honor that the event had changed me as a professional.

With my previous traumas being before my legal career, I was not in the same professional space to balance my professional identity with my healing.

At the time of my healing, I was in a star position as a professional; however, my spotlight was slipping no matter how tightly I tried to hold on.

Once I accepted that I had changed as a person—and therefore it was reasonable for me to have changed as a professional—that’s when the final healing point happened.

It was the final domino to fall. And when it fell, it fell like all other dominos before it—it was over.

I was free.

Without the book, I wonder how long it would have taken me to heal from the shooting? Had those words, phrases, and daily mindset shifts not occurred day after day for weeks—what thoughts would have been in my subconscious instead?

How long would the inner pain have lingered?

The book May Cause Miracles changed if not saved my life that day; May Cause Miracles is an offshoot of A Course in Miracles.

Without A Course in Miracles, where would I be?

I wonder what would happen if I read and completed A Course in Miracles. What would I be capable of then?

…but am I ready yet?

Stage 3:

Wow! That course is long!

Over the next year, A Course In Miracles came up numerous times—sometimes from financial coach Amanda Frances; she mentions A Course In Miracles several times in her content.

I sense there may have been another author or leader or two who mentioned it as well. It drizzled in and out of my ears and mind for a year.

I sat down and tried to read Gabby’s book again too... Things are never as good the second time—or perhaps I was putting too much pressure on it?

Yet it was clear—I craved the routine I'd gained while reading Gabby’s book.

I’ve had a daily spiritual practice for quite some time; however, her book was minimalistic about it yet somehow very effective.

I could spend five minutes healing faster than an hour-long meditation session could provide!

And what about aftereffects?

I became an example of long-term benefits—the efficiency meets effectiveness combo became addictive!

I had also weakened my muscles at identifying my ego from my subconscious mind—and wanted to beef that up again too!

I recall looking up A Course In Miracles several times; however—in my head—I thought about needing to do it every day for over a year—and wasn’t sure if I'd rise to that level of commitment!

Even now as I'm ordering this book—I see it's over 1,300 pages long—and question: “Am I really that committed?”

It took some time for certainty and determination to set in—but yes! It is time!

I am ready!

The time is now!

The Book; The Plan

It is 10:12 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov 20th 2024. The book arrived via Amazon earlier today!

It’s shorter in height than expected; visions of one of my law school textbooks came to mind when seeing its cover design—and assumed it’d be that size!

It’s more like Webster’s boxed dictionary/thesaurus set from growing up—making it both positively nostalgic while still carrying textbook formality's essence!

My worries about 1,300+ pages were quelled when realizing this book is actually three books: Text; Workbook for Students; Manual for Teachers—as well as additional resources!

Don’t get me wrong—the main sections are still over 600 pages each! This is not going to be weekend reading project!

It is intent approaching this text much like Gabby did—a little each day! Tonight I'll sift through pages; get sense structure; see how workbook fits text; decide how want proceed!

As excited/eager as am—I know road long & will become irritable discipline—but isn’t reason purchased this text first place?

Also know benefits come repeated practice—and more repetition/opportunity retain behavior—the greater habit becomes ingrained!

Another reason selected this text many coaches/names look up have taken course! When people accomplished what want share similar behavior/habit/experience common—it likely not coincidence!

It’s MY time! MY turn! Wish ME luck!

Time open cover; break binding; see what lies within…