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IDEALISM IS THE ATTEMPT NOT TO ACCEPT THE WORLD AS
IT IS. It justifies blame and condemnation. It establishes expectations of a
life that does not yet exist and thus renders you vulnerable to grave
disappointment. Your idealism fortifies your condemnation.
ACCEPT THE WORLD TODAY AS IT IS, not as you want it
to be. With acceptance comes love, for you cannot love a world that you want to
exist. You can only love a world that exists as it is. Accept yourself now as
you exist, and true desire for change and advancement will naturally emerge
within you. Idealism justifies condemnation. Recognize this great truth, and
you will begin to have a more immediate and profound experience of life and of
that which is genuine and not based upon hope or expectation but upon true
engagement.
THEREFORE, IN YOUR TWO 30-MINUTE PRACTICE PERIODS
TODAY, concentrate on accepting things exactly as they are. You are not
condoning violence, conflict or ignorance in doing this. You are merely
accepting the conditions that exist so that you may work with them
constructively. Without this acceptance, you have no starting place for true engagement.
Allow the world to be exactly as it is, for it is this world that you have come
to serve.
PRACTICE 55: Two 30-minute practice periods.
Picture: There are many
aspects of the world that we will need to learn to live with as it has become
impacted by many forces, including cumulative human action. This machine
visualizes data relating to the individual aspects. I found it in the terminal
of Love Field, Dallas, Texas.
From the journal Step
54 - I will not live in idealism.
October
12, 2000 – 7:35 a.m.
"I
will not live in idealism." Step 54
Observe
what: (1) I want myself to be; (2) I want the world to be; (3) I want my
relationships to be.
(1)
I want to be handsome, healthy, attractive, entertaining, rich, influencing,
revered, listen to, consulted,
(2)
I want the world to be logical; cooperative; growing; non-violent; diverse, but
not divisive; problem-solving; fun; challenging – but not impossible; not
self-centered –
(3)
I want my relationships to be happy, easy, uncompromising, loving/or friendly,
cooperative, fulfilling, beneficial to all parties,
Being
in body – is work – it seems most people accept their place – seek to survive &
prosper… And live. My idealism wants more and is continually frustrated, though
I'm a more realistic than many – a systems worker, paradigm shifter.
7:29
p.m. In Warrenton~ #2 I will not live in
idealism.
Observe
(1) What I want myself to be; (2) What I want the world to be; (3) What I want
my relationships to be.
(1)
– there for important contributions; understander of the universe; explorer of
understanding of the world; safe; successful in risk-taking; invisible when I
want to be; sought for advice; doing my part in the world; part of the growth
of Knowledge, wisdom, regional intelligence.
(2)
– a fertile garden for my ideas: a safe place for me and my family; a fair
place that accommodates differences; a kind place where the golden rule is
practiced from a positive perspective; a forward-looking environment where
problems and disasters are avoided; challenging yet fair, peopled by good and
honest folks; stimulating of my creativity; easy to manage
(3)
– communication – being heard and understood – in all relationships; learning
& teaching dialogues & explorations; give & take; accepting of
me/recognizing my kind heart, good mind and positive intent, mutually
beneficial, loving & respecting, open, low cost – easily maintained, easily
remembered names/places –; enriching/wealth creating – like that with the stock
market (NOT)
…
When
I first did this practice in 1999, there was no record in my journal. This day
there is a complete record; two versions of idealism. Not much to disagree
with, but what is really possible? Working on that every day. Let us continue.
NNC
Note: If you’ve some interest due to this or other
Steps, you should go to the beginning blog post. From here you will learn about Steps to Knowledge
and can begin it on the day that makes sense; then progress as needed. You can
use the posts on this blog as a companion if it helps. They will remain in
order in the archives - one post per Step.
Often it takes 18 months to get through the Steps
once. For this blog, the pace is one-a-day, but it really makes no difference
how fast you do it, only that you begin, persist and repeat. Posts here provide
a trail that may let you have a virtual companion when and if you want one. One
may have to study alone, as I did in the beginning. There are other Steps
students blogging their experience and you might find a person more like you as
a companion, or use a number of such Steps journeys. There are options as well
through the Free School of the New Message.
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