When we let our minds be drawn to things that are not worth desiring, we end up what most of us describe as stressed, or in some cases even sick. Its time to lay down a criteria by which to test all of the things we want, and decide unless the clear criteria is met, we will and move on.
A Course in Miracles teaches: “ All things are valuable or valueless, worthy or not of being sought at all, entirely desirable or not worth the slightest effort to obtain. Choosing is easy because of this. You say, “I will not value what is valueless, and only what has value do I seek, for only that do I desire to find.” Should you begin the let yourself collect needless burdens, or believe you see some difficult decisions facing you, be quick to answer with this simple thought: “ I will not value what is valueless, for what is valuable belongs to me.”
The Course also suggests if you forget this rule and begin to focus on negative or useless things, say to yourself, “ Today I seek and find all that I want. My single purpose offers it to me. No one can fail who seeks to reach the truth.”
Most of us suffer with choice, because we believe choosing can impact so many things, and we worry about the results. I myself have struggled with this many times and joke to myself on occasion that we are so lucky to even have the power to choose and I give thanks, it does not always make me decide right away but it gets me in the right direction or allows me to sit back and let myself meditate on it. Going back to gratitude anytime we are stuck, stressed, sick or unhappy is the quickest way to get clear, feel better and decide powerfully, from a positive state not a state of suffering. But it is imperative that each of us designs our own way to determine what is true value and what is not. In doing so we can operate from a pure bliss space, even when things feel uncomfortable, if we are following the law of value or not we cannot misstep.
The simplest way for me I have learned is to ask myself the following questions: 1. What does my heart feel? What does my head think? 2. How does each option resonate within my body, do I tense up or relax, is my breath short or long? ( a great test I learned in Mt. Shasta is stand upright and say “My name is ______” see which direction, if any, that your body moves, sometimes a person will stand still or lean forward or back even. Then say your name is someone else’s name and see what your body does. These two body movements can give you your truth ) 3. Does each choice belong to me or do I want what actually belongs to someone else? We must never want what another has, its one thing to admire their having and bless them and ask the Divine to bring us what is divinely ours with grace, it is another to want what is another’s. 4. Which option is going to bring me closer to my dreams? 5. Allow yourself to write out feelings, experiences, or think, meditate and listen to your inner voice. 6. Make your choice, and make it when you feel most powerful and happy, and know that whatever you choose, as long as it is not harming another, you will get the best results for your life. Trust yourself.
Originally published at medium.com