Another Way

A plea: 

he spoke for us all, unknowingly, but those heartfelt words were from the collective soul and meant for every one of us. William Thetford, head of the medical psychology department at Columbia University, gave an impassioned please for another way, a more peaceful means of communicating with his colleagues, particularity with his assistant Helen Schucman - and this is generally considered the energetic birth of of A Course in Miracles. I love that this is a personal as well as universal prayer and the beginning point for us all, being a birthplace for miracles to now unfold. 

my own plea was mostly silent, 

it was loneliness,

an alcoholic daze.

there was nothing spoken aloud that I can recall, but a pleas through so many little things - such as books that I felt compelled to read, a deepening dedication to meditation and yoga. It was as if my mind gave voice to a prayer that my body could not yet comprehend, a deep sense that there was, indeed, another way. A better way. And of course there was. It was during this time that repeated references to A Course in Miracles made themselves known, and not long after that I was gifted the means to buy the book for myself, an intuitive hunch that this was "another way" for me to go. 

being an answer to my silent plea.

that was over 30 years ago, 27 of them miraculously sober. 

grace given.

my friends, yes, there is another way. I don't know what the way is for you, which path is designed for your own healing, and ultimately, for your awakening. But there is another way....and maybe through words, or presence, or even the transmission of a loving smile or simple act of kindness - 

we'll help each other find it.

together. 

you are not alone.

ever.

I love you.

~

Eric 

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Consistence Courtesy

Consistent courtesy: 

the original edition of A Course in Miracles calls it a "very healing habit to acquire" referring to the practice of consistent courtesy, which is really a very zen like mindfulness act of direct recognition of the inherent holiness of others. This is a new line for me, recently discovered, and I instantly fell in love with it, clearly recognizing its importance. Consistent courtesy, for me, and how it seems presented here, is truly the practice of continuous forgiveness - meaning that I'm reminding myself of the depth of our connection and then living each moment in this awareness. 

a very healing practice, 

indeed.

~

I love you, Eric

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Best Writing

Best writing: 

my best writing is not entirely my own, containing words and phrases and deepest insights that are clearly beyond my imagination. That this doesn't happen all the time is a testament to my stubbornness, some buried need to still prove my cleverness to the page. Yet after decades of daily writing, a streak of 27 years I believe, the one thing that has gotten easier is surrendering my cleverness for silence, allowing just the right words to grace their way to me and easily reach the page. In my best moments I'm not actually a writer, more of a temporary vessel serving as a conduit between inspiration and the page - a vital part, yes, but only in service to the entirety of writing. What's really happened is that my trust has developed to the point that I've outsourced my ego for the sake of completion. It's still allowed to claim authorship of course, signing a name, taking credit for the best of words and defending the worst. Ego stuff. That's what it best after all, boasting of ownership, rushing for the completion of a delicate task, and basking in the smug satisfaction gained from hearing its own applause. 

and yet the best writing happens on it's own.

unhurried,

words gifted,

with no authorship to claim.

a shared grace. 

~

I love you, Eric

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A Peaceful Mind

A peaceful mind: 

it's those lessons that interrupt thought patterns that are so important to me, vital in arresting those downward spirals into judgement and resentments. A Course in Miracles has become a mind-reference for me, while decades of practice hasn't rid me of every grievance, there's a quicker return to peace now, with a quiet mind more natural than the chaos of  the ego's every demand. And it's so often those early lessons that come easiest to mind, especially the reminder that I am never upset for the reason I think being an abrupt full-stop, almost urgent in it's arrival - and my ego's almost instantly in check, a readiness prevails, and the Holy Spirit then speaks gently through my mind. So after decades of practice it all comes down to this....just a little willingness to forgive. 

and everything else seems to happen on it's own.

natural,

easily. 

a peaceful mind abides.

~

I love you, Eric

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Awakening

Awakening; 

it's a direct path, and the reason is that it's very beginning is also the endpoint of our journey. A Course in Miracles offers zero detours, at least not in its purest sense. If everything is to be forgiven, with no exceptions made, then whatever confronts us, even if we feel ill prepared, is at the very least examined before we forgive or decide otherwise. Nothing is demanded of us, but we are asked to choose which internal teacher we wish to learn from right then, and we always have the option of choosing once again when we feel more ready reexamine whatever it is that troubles us. Personally, each time I forgive, in the truest sense of the practice - I'm awakening. By this I mean, quite literally, that I experience the light of reality right then and there, directly, and then there's the grace of letting go...

if only for the moment of my practice.

until once more,

I'm asked to choose again. 

and so indeed, 

awakening never ends.

~

I love you, Eric

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My Errors

My errors: 

it seems a sobering thought though, a reminder given in lesson 115 of a Course in Miracles that my only function here is to forgive the world for all the errors I have made - and who could blame me for not being ready for such a heavy task? This could definitely feel like a burden, believing that is's my job to the do the work of fixing all of the innocent mistakes I've made, and worse, that there are many grievances I feel completely justified to carry with me. Yet, indeed, these are all my errors, every perceived sin is a mistake I've made in judgement on the world. It's all me. And now, many years into my practice of forgiveness, I find that this isn't a burden at all, but a great joy that frees me from having to carry the weight of my own misjudgment. The truth is, there's only one thing to forgive and that's  the misperception that there's a world actually here that needs forgiveness. What I'm forgiving is the singular belief that created the world to begin within - that I am separate from the love of God, and worse, that I have caused this separation through my wish to feel more special. 

that's the one error.

multiplied through the illusory appearance of t's aftereffects. 

and the great news is that the separation didn't really happen, the impossible never actually occurred, and I am guilt free and at home in God right now. And with this in mind forgiveness simply becomes a joyous remembering of my own innocence. The world is full of opportunities to remember, and yes, some feel very painful in their blessing, and it's okay to not feel ready to receive them - but what a relief to deeply know that when I'm ready, whenever that might be....heaven is revealed in a forgiven world.

and my only function here is to see it. 

as often as I'm able.

~

I love you, Eric

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A Instant Grace

An instant grace: 

here's the possibility that's offered in the closing words of chapter 20 of A Course in Miracles - coming almost in a soft urgency of a whisper, asking me to think 'but an instant" on the holiness of God's son and then consider the possibility that there is nothing else to ever see. The Course says it in beautiful and powerful language, creating a zen moment of instant awakening if the reader is ripe for such a thing. There are moments, brief and often lengthy between them, when I truly behold only the holiness of another. A near lifetime of practicing forgiveness has sometimes given me a glimpse of this reality. I have been blessed by this holy sight...an instant grace of eternity it seems. 

and the world after this is never quite the same.

as I found myself in the very same light that holds you...

a holy son as well. 

~

I love you, Eric

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Words Appear

Words appear: 

there was a time I chased the muse each morning, an intense pursuit of inspiration that often left me creatively exhausted and with only a few satisfying words given to the page. Writing was a difficult task because I feared failure, more so, I feared emptiness, silence, an unfilled page that matched my own loneliness and lack of meaning in life. This wasn't too many years ago, but I'm a different writer now, content with whatever words arrive, at peace with the intervals between them, and unafraid of the sheer potentiality an an empty page presents. The only real difference through those years was my deepening practice of forgiveness. 

no longer reserved for major events and the most troublesome people, forgiveness has become a softer approach to life, gentle, and even the slightest agitation is handed over to the Holy Spirit with a smile. Maybe not right away - but sooner now than ever. It seems that words flow to a forgiving mind, with a void left in their absence inspiration readily arrives in replacement. What feels most meaningful to me is that I'm now content to sit in silence until words appear, not in anticipation, just a quiet wonder at the trade of emptiness and form that plays across the page. 

yes, forgiveness offers me everything I could possibly want, and even provides meaning where none was found before. I have forgiven that struggling writer of just a few years ago, a false image really, yet the suffering certainly felt very real. Whatever struggle, anxiety, or blocks to inspiration are forgiven - and I am blessed by the silence of their absence. 

and in that creative, primordial space,

words appear.

~

I love you, Eric

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Transcendence

Transcendence: 

I see it now as transcendence, a meditation that quite literally takes me beyond the ego's realm of time and judgement to seamlessly touch upon eternity and the bliss of love's awareness. Forgiveness has become my continuous practice, not as a need to get it right, but as a means transcending the mundane experience of what my ego always seems to offer. There's no battle here, much like mantra meditation it's a soft return to ease my wandering mind back towards the quiet fields of peace. But here, with forgiveness, the mantra is my own petty grievances, my slightest resentments, and they all serve for my release from a self-created world of harsh judgement and condemnation. This is why nothing can be bypassed, everything is brought directly to awareness and examined for it's sense of worth - asking does this thought bring me peace is the predecessor to forgiveness.  

and as it is with meditation, a shift of mind comes completely on its own.

I'm not the one that makes anything happen. 

transcendence,

being the grace of pure awareness...

shows me a forgiven world.

~

I love you, Eric

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Turned Over

 

Turned over: 

my entire life has been turned over, a higher source has  now been given charge. This takes me right back to one of the earliest lesson in which I'm reminded that I don't know what anything is for, a profound realization that has proven itself true through the years. And yet I'm also told that there is a connection to the divine source of all answers, a guide that gives voice to me every sure direction and that I only must be still enough to listen to

and so I do.

finally.

as completely as possible right now. 

it's a relief to understand my own misguidance, to surrender every past mistaken and give each future choice to a wiser source than relied upon before. I don't need to know what anything is for - the Holy Spirit most certainly does and it's voice is ever available for me to turn to whenever I need sure and steady guidance. I've known this for quiet sometime and it seems that life has been preparing me to turn within, to listen more intently...to trust. And now I'm ready. 

I don't know what anything is for.

and I don't need to.

as the Holy Spirit, my sure and always present connection to God...

is always here to guide me. 

I love you, Eric

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Self-Inquiry

Self-inquiry: 

and so really, A Course in Miracles is the deep practice of jhana, the yoga of self-inquiry, but with a bit of a twist to this ancient practice. In traditional jhana we might ask the question "who am I?" in a curious and persistent fashion, allowing silence to eventually supply our sought out answer. The Course asks us to rely upon out internal teacher, the Holy Spirit, to reinterpret the world through our inquiry - we ask 'what is this for?" and the Holy Spirit has the single reply:

salvation.

all inquiry ends with a revaluation, we're shown the soft shine of holiness that resides beneath the surface of the world, our innocence is revealed through the practice of forgiveness, and we know exactly what everything is for - we are here in service of salvation. That's it. 

everything serves to bring us home.

~

I love you, Eric 

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God-Aligned

God-Aligned; 

and there's a reason we try and be a little kinder, of course there's many really, but for the sake of our practice it all comes down to seeing the tender expression of God hidden just beneath the surface within each other - and that becomes the mirror of our own true existence. What I find is that kindness is my natural expression when I'm God aligned, flowing freely as a choiceless love affair through and with my every small encounter. Sometimes though, it seems that the little cruelties of life add up and I get lost in self-absorption, momentarily forgetting who I truly am. But kindness always brings me home, serving as a reminder of my God-alignment, drawing me back from self- absorption to being a loving participant in the world - in whatever way that I am guided. So kindness is a practice, but only briefly, until I am again realigned with God's will...and love is all that's given.

~

I love you, Eric

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Overflow of Kindness

Overflow of Kindness: 

so I appreciate the metaphysics of A Course in Miracles, it's cosmological story of how the world came to be, and then tying it all  together into a logical necessity for the practice of true forgiveness. This might be singularly unique to the Course as a spiritual system, providing a solid foundation for the reason of a particular practice. The metaphysics are important for the consideration of forgiveness, they help us make sense of a illusory world and the suffering that entails - and with that logic in place we're given an all important tool for our awakening. 

but I don't practice metaphysics...

I practice forgiveness. 

and kindness is the natural outcome of forgiveness, an end result of letting go of every previous judgement and simply resting in the spaciousness of their absence. I don't have to try and be kind, it's not an act, but just an overflow of love's awareness that's now being offered to the world. So everything becomes a reason for forgiveness, a continuous practice of seeing reality in place of the illusion of separation, and genuine kindness is it's ultimate expression. 

I appreciate the backdrop of the metaphysics.

but I love the overflow of kindness that's given to the world.

and so my practice is forgiveness.

always.

~

I love you, Eric

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Unseen Arms

Unseen arms: 

every once in a while my morning yoga aligns for the near perfect expression of vrksasana, as if gravity itself cooperated with my body and allowed for this experience. Tree pose is my bellwether posture, it's often a measure of trust  and my willingness to surrender to the present moment's grace. It's sometimes a shaky experience even after decades of practice, a single thought can cause me to sway and bring my entire foundation down. But not too often anymore, it's a reliable pose most morning, steady, firmly rooted to the ground as I reach my arms skyward. 

and sometimes there's a certain grace that's given.

a slight suspension of gravity.

everything aligns.

I love those moments, being a rare gift through decades of practice - and yet I know that they're always possible, that at any moment the weight of thoughts can drop away and I'm left with what feels like an endless reach towards heaven. It's a blissful experience, calm, as if nothing can ever sway me and cause me to lose this sense of balance. Rare moments indeed. But here's the thing, a gift is most truly appreciated through the trials of learning to trust in their arrival. It's my practice that most often brings me here. Grace itself is ever present and only waits for my acknowledgement. I'm learning this, developing trust in the eternal grace of spirit and surrendering to the daily practice of remembrance. 

and my real practice is the yoga of forgiveness.

it's seeing the softest light shine through my every sway and shift of balance, being unafraid of falling from any of life's endless postures. Forgiveness is my return point, rooted in trust and a firm knowing that this is exactly where grace will meet me. 

right here,

now.

and then even if I should  fall...

especially so,

I trust in the unseen arms of grace to catch me. 

and they always do.

~

I love you, Eric

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On The Battlefield

On the battlefield: 

sometimes there's still a bit of lag between situations and forgiveness, it isn't quite an instantaneous practice for me as of yet - but more often now it's a soft underflow throughout my day, always present and available, being a constant returning point that brings an immediate sense of peace. I'm reminded of the lesson that Krishna offered Arjuna on the battlefield, that we're entitled only to our actions, the choices we make within any given moment, and that whatever falls after belongs to God alone. Forgiveness is my choice, the option of purest action...

and the peace that follows is God.

it's my battlefield choice most often, and much sooner now,

finally.

~

I love you, Eric

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Joining Liechtenstein's Army

Joining Liechtenstein's army: 

sometimes even a social media meme can offer some deep insight - and an amusing one the other day informed me that Liechtenstein's last military engagement was in 1866 when 80 men were deployed to their border and upon return their unit had increased by one. Apparently they had made a new friend who accompanied them home. This is a true story, my doubts caused me to do some quick research, and indeed, on deployment during the Austro- Prussian war, the Liechtenstein's army increased by the count of one due to friendship. 

there's no reason why they couldn't happened now.

of course not in the same details, the world is much more complex and complicated now, and warfare has gained a sophistication of easy use that seems to make it a ready made solution to certain affairs. But this isn't about  geopolitical issues - it's about friendship, increasing the number of those we love by a single digit. Every war begins with the decision that we would rather destroy instead of extend love. It's a choice, with even the smaller battles that we face everyday in our personal lives being chosen in an instant of forgotten options. Every one of them. Warfare is also the abdication of personal responsibility, surrendering our goodwill to political leaders in an easy shrug for battle. 

so obviously, I have no solutions for such complex issues.

I'm not a soldier, nor politician.

but I do have a choice -

and I'm joining the, now defunct, Liechtenstein army.

I'll simply make friends. 

I'll be kind.

and leave my battlefields behind.

~

I love you, Eric

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Nothing Unreal Exists

Nothing unreal exists: 

and at a certain point the metaphysics of A Course in Miracles prove themselves true, what at one time felt like a workable theory to guide my practice shows itself to be of ultimate value. The introduction of the Course gives is away completely and provides the most useful tool throughout the entire book for my awakening. 

nothing real can be threatened.

nothing unreal exists.

those words have become a lifeline meditation for me, a connection to reality, pulling back from the dreaming of the world to the safety of the peace of God. They're a continuous inquiry into what is real, a gentle probe into the solidity of all my problems and every fear. And it's this practice that eventually shows the falsity of the world, that while it might still appear solid in existence, reality becomes more and more apparent as the dream begins to flickers and waver through the day. That's the value of practice, taking the metaphysics to the extreme of proof, applying and testing concepts to see if they hold true. A Course in Miracles says the world is unreal - is that true? 

nothing unreal exists.

and all that feels and appears to be threatening is there to reveal if this is so. We don't wake up from a dream by believing in the dawn. It's the actuality of the experience that proves itself as light. Nothing unreal exists is the working premise of my life, a gentle test of my every belief system, an inquiry that actually takes me from the unreal to reality. 

it's a continuous waking point,

dawn, 

a guideline through the dark. 

~

I love you, Eric 

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A Form of Prayer

A form of prayer: 

there's an empty screen before me, and then in an instant words are given and some meaning begins to show. Every morning starts this way for me, a writing ritual of trusting that just the right words will appear without me having to reach for them. This once was a moment of anxiety for me, every artist knows the blank intimidation of a waiting page or canvas, and I would struggle with this early morning confrontation of emptiness. There was an underlying fear that perhaps it was this morning that inspiration might finally abandon me. Most mornings now I face the screen with a complete trust that I will be given the exact words needed to fulfill the sacred purpose the page. I am here for a very specific reason, a holy obligation to share myself through words, and I have complete faith in the flow of inspiration. What I write is really and only meant to display this trust. 

it's a form of prayer.

and so the purpose is built into the very fabric of page, emptiness serving as the capacity to receive, and this early morning ritual is meant to convey that sense of trust through every aspect of my day. It's a beautiful beginning...a prayer that's always answered.

holy spirit,

thank you for these words.

amen.

~

I love you, Eric

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Awaken

Awaken: 

truly, forgiveness becomes the ultimate expression of Jhana yoga, being a deep means of self inquiry that takes us directly to the heart of the matter. This is forgiveness as taught by Jesus in A Course in Miracles, an entirely different practice than what's commonly known as forgiveness. What we're asked to do is to see beyond the perception of an open wound shared between us - to the reality of the seamless expression of love. Our true identity. One Self. Realizing who we really are makes animosity impossible, no grudges nor judgement exists within an open realm of pure awareness. So forgiveness simply asks us to be aware, to rest in the comfort of who we truly are - at least for the moment of our practice. And as we forgive, stringing these eternal points of practice together for a lifetime...

we awaken.

~

I love you, Eric

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Heart-Reach

Heart-reach:

I'm not exactly sure when I finally got it, truly understanding that it's the entire world that needs forgiven, and that my smallest part was to simply forgive each moment as it came to me. The initial stage of my practice was to confront the big issues that haunted me, paring them down to manageable thoughts of past events that could no longer hurt me in the present. I thought of forgiveness as a tool of self-improvement, a means of setting myself free from the resents of the past. And of course it certainly is an effective means of healing and I felt considerably better for my practice. But through years of deepening study of A Course in Miracles, developing a sincere and committed wish to opening fully to its message - 

forgiveness became what I offered to the world.

by this I mean that, while yes, there's still ongoing issues to forgive, it's a much deeper and ongoing practice that touches every aspect of my life. It's not about forgiving "things' or people, not solely at least - it's more profound, I see it now as a continuous meditation on the presence of the holiest of lights that shines from within us all, animates the world, expanding my heart-reach through every small act of grace and kindness. 

forgiveness is living in that heart-reach of love.

continuously so.

and even when I forget, as I still often do....it becomes another aspect of my practice.

just one more thing to be forgiven.

~

I love you, Eric

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Blessing the World

 

Blessing the World: 

the real is question is:

are you blessing the world with your practice, 

are you kinder,

gentler,

more patient in your care for others?

yes.

and still I continue with my practice.

~

those words above seemed to float towards me while I was sitting in meditation, the initial question asking if my practice is actually blessing the world or am I lost in the details of my daily rituals - it provided a wonderful opportunity to review the depth of my practice. Forgiveness is hands on affair between myself and the Holy Spirit, a continuous blessing that's quietly offered to the world. It's not showy or dramatic, no big rituals in place, nor are any invocations needed. I simply forgive at the first sign of any grievance or judgement, no matter how slight in their appearance, recognizing my own internal error of misjudgment, and then ask the Holy Spirit for help in its release. It's often a seamless practice now, more immediate than ever before - but not always. 

yet eventually, 

I always return to forgiveness.

so this has become my blessing to the world, that it's such a relief to no longer carry the weight of all those concerns, being released from petty judgement, my deep wounds healing, and letting go of each resentment as soon as it appears. I am lighter now, more at ease, and yes, kinder and more gentle - towards myself and to others. But it's a continuous practice, moment to moment, and it's that which actually brings me the greatest peace of mind. I no longer have to entertain a single grievance, not even for an instant, I can forgive, and forgive, and still forgive some more. 

as often as it's needed.

and with this my practice truly has become...

a blessing to the world.

~

I love you, Eric

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Arriving From Grace

Arriving from grace: 

yes, I am a bit surprised to find myself drawn to the rosary, with my own long time mantra now being replaced by an almost forgotten childhood prayer, beads slipping through my fingers in a silent count of trust. But it feels familiar too, ancient, even feral, as if I'm returning myself to the womb of the great mother herself. There are a few changes in the wording and process, a spontaneous replacement of the closing word "death" with what feels like a more natural expression - awakening. The Lords Prayer is most often omitted and as I reach those larger beads I am reminded instead of these oft repeated lines from A Course in miracles - I am not a body, I am free, as I am still as God created me. The prayer has become my own, it feels alive, 

and I allow the words to be whispered to me from their Source. 

indeed, arriving from grace.

blessing me.

~

I love you, Eric

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Rosary

Rosary: 

lately, and surprisingly, I have felt a call to return to prayer, a soft repetition of the Hail Mary counted on my mala beads. My Catholic days are far behind me, left back in childhood with my rosary - and even with my commitment to Jesus and A Course in Miracles I don't identify as Christian. I think there's a great need for the sacred feminine today, it feels vital that we invoke a healing force that calls for the opposite of what's being practiced right now.  Maybe I'm just being asked to play my part in these difficult times, to be a small link in a holy chain of invocation. 

it feels right.

soft and healing.

exactly what's needed...at least for me.

and so each morning, 

for however long I'm asked to do so - 

it's what I offer to the world.

~

I love you, Eric

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Beautiful Lines

Beautiful lines: 

and I trust that by the end of whatever time I spend here writing - that there'll be a few meaningful words arranged across this page, perhaps even a beautiful line or two that fill me with a small joy when I consider where they arrived from, having been inspiration sent, and given only to this quiet moment of writing. My great wish is to carry this trust even further now, with my entire life being a page and receiving only those beautiful lines whispered by the Holy Spirit. 

it starts here,

with an empty page...

and my trust in inspiration.

~

I love you, Eric

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My Practice

My practice: 

it's the simplicity of true forgiveness that makes it such a viable path, everything's forgiven, an entire world dreamed into existence is subject to my practice. The most challenging part with this was coming to terms with what forgiveness means here, as it's not the traditional pardoning that I once offered others for their wrongdoings. It's a much deeper practice of clear seeing all the way through to the very spirit of the matter - and that's meant literally, refusing to believe in the illusion of body, the myth of the world's solidness, and only dealing with the subtle force of love. 

forgiveness is my return to love.

repeatedly so.

and in every situation.

here's the simplicity of this practice as stated so beautifully in the introduction of A Course in Miracles: 

²Nothing real can be threatened.
³Nothing unreal exists. (ACIM, T-in.2:2-3)

so forgiveness is seeing what is real and true about each other, relating only to that which exists independently from whatever issues are at hand. It's a silent communication of the Holy Spirit's goal of recognition and looking past the discord of the ego. Whatever appears to be solid is forgiven, anything that seems to threaten is given to the Holy Spirit for its truth to be shown. 

my practice is living in the peace of God.

it's so simple:

anything that takes me from this...is forgiven.

and that's my practice.

~

I love you, Eric

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Empty Tomb

Empty tomb: 

this Easter I take the symbol of the empty tomb and extend it's energy throughout my mind, a cleansing effect that wipes away all resentment, releasing every grievance, and seeing you only in the light of this holy instant. This tomb is indeed empty. Of course tomorrow, or perhaps even the very next moment, my thoughts will rush to fill this void again. Fresh resentments and ancient grievances will once again occupy my mind. Yet Easter remains a present possibility, the living energy of the resurrection is always my choice to make - and so I will crucify myself no longer with any thought held against you. Today is Easter, tomorrow too....and every moment onward I will choose the resurrection. 

emptying this tomb,

continuously so.

~

I love you, Eric

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Small Graces

Also, please visit to buy: A Course in Miracles

Thank you.

Small Graces

Small graces: 

so before even a single thought crosses my mind, not a word yet spoken, and the day begins in perfect trust - without any doubt at all my body knows that air is available, my heart is already beating in perfect rhythm, blood flowing in just the right direction, and the universe aligned to greet me with a sunrise. None of this is asked for and there's a purposeful  grace in their arrival. Most mornings I wake up grateful, my first spoken words are "thank you" repeated three times, and then my wish is to continue with this sense of certain grace. This is when I consciously choose to surrender, with my own sense of purpose given over to the Holy Spirit, asking to be guided throughout the day. A Course in Miracles describes this process in chapter 30, the first section on rules for decision, and it's a beautiful way to begin my mornings. 

I will be entering my 61st year in just a few days, and more so than ever now I only want my day to be guided in service to others, being truly helpful in the most meaningful way. Yes, I want my bills to be paid, food available, and even the small comforts of buying the occasional book for myself. And at this point in my life I am willing to trust that all will be cared for, keeping true to my function and placing my faith in the will of God.

 I know that I am loved beyond measure.

and I trust that small graces will be shown to me in numerous and immeasurable way - my morning begins with this prayer of surrender and I attempt to live it throughout the day. 

what would You have me do today/

where would You have me go?

what should I say, 

and to whom,? 

and so my day begins.

~

I love you, Eric

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: A Trusting Prayer

Also, please visit to buy: a Course in Miracles

Thank you. 

A Trusting Prayer

A trusting prayer:

moment by every moment, a shift towards the voice for God, however slight, and with this I learn to trust in the Holy Spirit. It's not complicated, there's no real plan for learning how to surrender. Right now I don't know what anything is for, nothing in my life provides any true meaning at first glance.That's the first truth that I acknowledge - and from here's it's just a simple matter of asking to be shown the real value of whatever life delivers. So each moment is the entirety of the plan, proceeding from this initial willingness to let go of my own immediate demand to understand something, and then offering up a little prayer that I wish to be shown what this is truly for. My trust is then demonstrated through forgiveness, a practice of choosing light over what appears to be present moment darkness. 

that's it, 

the entirety of my life's plan. 

a trusting prayer.

~

I love you, Eric

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: A Radical Path

Also, please visit to buy: A Course in Miracles

Thank you.

A Radical Path

A radical path:

We're asked to awaken. That's really the radical thing about A Course in Miracles, providing an actual road map to what could be called enlightenment. There are side benefits of a better life, a "happier dream" as the Course calls it - but the truth is that practicing forgiveness is as radical as Zen, maybe more so even as it becomes such a continuous practice throughout every aspect of our lives. Forgiveness is both gentle and demanding, it's healing, and yet we're asked to examine the wound to see if it's actually there. This is such an introspective path, deeply so, as eventually we look past the thought of the world all together and see only the holiest of light being present. 

that's the thing with forgiveness,

it doesn't lead anywhere.

there's no end result with its practice....only awakening. 

and that happens right now.

~

I love you, Eric

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: A Gentle Path

Also, please visit to buy: A Course in Miracles

Thank you.

A Gentle Path

A gentle path: 

it's endless in depth, whatever binds me to the dream is there to be forgiven, and at this point in my practice I'm committed to going as deep as needed to be free. Yet this isn't a quest, I'm no longer a seeker and there's no frantic energy to arrive anywhere - life will present me with what needs to be forgiven and I will simply proceed from there.

 it's a gentle path now. 

~

I love you, Eric

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Whatever The Task at Hand

Also, please visit to buy: A Course in Miracles

Thank you.