We cannot find peace if we continue to remember and replay hurtful events from the past.  Are you happy being stuck on automatic thinking about an old event?  Are you replaying blame, pain and guilt?  Was it their fault or yours?  If it was your fault  you  feel guilty.  If it was theirs, you feel victimized.  Neither are happy making!

What part of your mind is doing the replaying?   Ask Yourself: Do I want peace and joy rather than guilt or victimhood?

If the answer is YES, then decided to STOP replaying the past!

HOW?  It is up to you……yes YOU!  You are doing the replaying yourself!

You could choose to look at it another way.

Say:  “OK – I’ll look at this another way for the sake of my own peace.”

Begin to think of the people involved (or the situation) and realize that you are denying them peace and joy  (that is their right under the equal laws of God) AND you are ALSO denying peace and joy to yourself.

WOW:  If you hold a grievance against someone….it is held in your MIND!  You are trapped in the grievance with them.  Are you happy? You are trapping your light and joy!

Think of the people involved a little while and tell them in your mind:

* “My brother/sister/:  peace and joy I offer you,

That I may have God’s peace and joy as mine.”  

We don’t think that just because we have denied peace and joy to someone that we are in effect really denying peace to our Self.  If you hold hate or a grudge in your mind, you are the one doing the HOLDING, so you are the effect of your own suffering!   Do you like how you feel?

Do you think your brother is suffering?  We don’t know but we know you are.

Would you rather say to that brother?

My brother/sister/myself: misery and suffering I offer you

That  I may have the ego’s misery and suffering as mine.

Which version do you choose?  If the word God bothers you, take it out.  God won’t care.  That mystery which is love, never condemns.  It doesn’t know how to.  Make a copy of the pledge and paste it around the house.  Take yourself on as a student and train yourself to accept that peace and joy is your inheritance and that you are worth it.

* The quote is from A Course In Miracles, Workbook lesson 105 God’s Peace and Joy are Mine.  Visit  www.acim.org  go The Workbook lessons and then click the lesson selector. You can also click “hear” and listen to the entire lesson and close your eyes.   Choose peace!

Hint: When you give you also receive!