Mary Claybon's Middle Way Health Blog

Choosing Second to be First

Todays Course in Miracles Lesson is 328,I choose the second place to gain the first.

This lesson is a deep reminder that usually we choose the world as our first priority.  Since we are a special person in the world, we then choose to be right about who we are and what we think. Although in truth God is first and our relationship with God “should” be top priority, we may say this, but not mean it. This lesson is saying that if we choose the second place in our minds (God) that essentially we will gain a deeper understanding of life and will be more satisfied and happy. The course often teaches, “Do you want to be happy or do you want to be right?” If we are honest we would pick being right much of the time, Choosing God and true happiness will have us question all of our rightness and we would humbly admit, I probably have it all wrong. “Do you want to have peace or do you want to have conflict?” We will say we want peace, but usually we choose conflict-again, holding onto our judgments and righteousness in the name of knowing. What freedom when we let go of what we think is true and right; let go of the idea of winning; and accept the second place with a smile.

If I could only own one book!

If you were only allowed to own one book, what book would you choose?
Submitted by The Private Library.

 My first thought was A Course in Miracles, a book that became the philosophy of my life and spiritual path over 20 years ago. The Course brought me back to a new relationship with God and helped me to sort out some of my religious and philosophical questions. Also, being an intellectual myself, and having an interest in health, both mental and spiritual I was very attracted to its origin. Helen Schuchman,(great discussion about Helen at Oprah.com) the woman who listened to a Voice and put her ego aside to transcribe the powerful words, was someone I could relate to. She was a doctor of psychology and taught at Columbia University. She was raised with a variety of "tastes" of a variety of religions and as an adult atheist, was not looking for God but simply looking for a way to find peace in her department. She also had studied Freud and wrote scholarly works on psychosomatic illnesses. She essentially was interested in the body/mind experience. I was also attracted to Kenneth Wapnick, another psychologist who was searching for an authentic path while contemplating his Jewish roots, but finding himself attracted to Catholicism. Ken found Helen during the transcription of the Course and from then on it became his path. Being a Catholic who married a Jew and have found myself in both worlds, found peace in the teachings of the Course and its definition of Jesus. Although not peaceful to study, if we finally get it, it is a path to true inner peace.

The only other book I would own would be a blank journal for my own thoughts and writing.

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