Course in Political Miracles: Lesson 18

"In place of frustration or anger, I quickly substitute love."
There is never any reason to worry. There is never any reason to fear. These themes have been introduced in earlier lessons and were actually major lessons taught by Ayn Rand in her novel Atlas Shrugged.

But if there is never any reason to worry or fear, then there is never any reason for frustration or anger ... because just as night falls out of dusk, frustration and anger can only be the fallout of worry or fear.

In earlier lessons I have endeavored to eliminate or reduce worry and fear, thus reducing the possibility of creating feelings of frustration or anger inside myself, but how do I quickly get rid of anger or frustration if I happen to take the fall?

The answer of course is to rise back into my spiritual nature, which doesn't have feelings of frustration or anger. But how easy is it to return to peace when I am in the middle of anger? How easy is it to turn to joy when feeling frustrated?

The easiest way to return to my spiritual nature when I am feeling anger or frustration is to love. Love casts out anger and frustration faster than any other emotion.

No matter how closed-down I become, there is some place or something or somebody I can love. When I turn my attention to that which I love, it takes very little time for the love to burn up and dissipate anger and frustration.

This week I vow to practice utmost diligence in substituting love whenever I notice myself becoming frustrated or angry. To make this substitution, I merely think of whatever or whoever I really love and say over and over again:

"I love you (specific name of person, place, or thing). I really, really love you."

I don't merely say this once or twice with minimum feeling. On the contrary, I say it many, many times in an attempt to bring forth the deepest feeling of love. When love is felt strongly enough, frustration and anger disappear.

Each day as I awaken, I ask myself what situations might plausibly occur during the day which could engender frustration or anger in me. While visualizing each situation and imagining myself substituting love in the way mentioned above, I say aloud to myself:

"I quickly substitute love for frustration or anger in this situation. I love you (specific name of person, place, or thing). I really, really love you."

Similarly, each hour during my hourly five minute meditation I think of plausible situations which might possibly arise and engender frustration or anger during the next hour. Again, with each situation, while I am visualizing I declare aloud:

"I quickly substitute love for frustration or anger in this situation. I love you (specific name of person, place, or thing). I really, really love you."

At the end of each day this week, I review my progress. As usual, I do not dwell on the times I lapsed in my practice, but allow myself to feel happy and pleased with myself concerning the times when I remembered to quickly pull myself out of frustration and anger by substituting love. Finally, I might declare to myself a fun statement which summarizes this week's lesson, such as:

"This is a great lesson! Tomorrow and always, when I feel frustration or anger, I really love substituting love."




The device which more deeply prepares freedom lovers for success, A Course in Miracles , talks about our ultimate need to free ourselves from every kind of slavery:

You have been told to bring the darkness to the light, and guilt to holiness. And you have also been told that error must be corrected at its source. Therefore, it is the tiny part of your self, the little thought that seems split off and separate, that the Holy Spirit needs. The rest is fully in God's keeping, and needs no guide. But this wild and delusional thought needs help, because, in its delusions, it thinks it is the Son of God, whole and omnipotent, sole ruler of the kingdom it set apart to tyrannize by madness into obedience and slavery.



Also available free of charge online:
Course in Relationship Miracles