Good Morning!
Today's leading sentence - I am not the victim of the world I see - is really a huge step forward that many of us are reluctant to take. But as the lesson tells us, it is truly a "declaration of independence in the name of your own freedom." How often do we think of ourselves as victims of circumstances in the world? Especially in today's economic meltdown and terrorism threats and wars and just plain rude behavior when driving around town - all around us it appears that we are "innocent" victims of uncontrollable forces. So today we are asked to apply the idea that we are not victims of the world we see - at all! Notice that the distinction between the inner and outer worlds produces the awareness that the "inner is the cause of the outer." This may not be apparent immediately and that is why the exercises are geared towards helping us along to achieve this realization.
Today we are asked to vary our practice periods from previous days. Not only do we do the longer practice period of quiet introspection, but we are to apply the idea several times throughout the day - as often as possible. I find that this is very helpful, to repeat the idea every half hour. I set my cell phone to buzz every 30 minutes so that I can remember. It is through repeated application of the lesson that we will begin to understand it. It is like learning a foreign language in that repetition is the key to mastering it. That is all that is asked of us today - just that we do the exercises and see what comes from it.
Joan