Life can be very confusing and frustrating when we believe in ‘nice’ and ‘helpful’ people. Almost always, we find their nature is the exact opposite of what it appears to be on the surface. Vernon Howard offers us perfect protection:
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“This world that you live in is not governed by human beings at all. This globe is not run by human personalities. It is not run by events at all. Already this may be something of a surprise to you because our minds are slanted so much toward believing that people — men, women, great men, ungreat men — that they control the events of the world. Nothing could be more distant from the truth.
This world that you live in, that you exist in today, is controlled by attitudes. It is run by unconscious attitudes. Human beings have billions of attitudes toward billions of objects. Now whatever the attitude of another person is should be of no concern to you. You’re not here on earth to worry over what other people think. You’re not here on earth to even be concerned that the world is governed by dark unconscious beliefs rather than by conscious human beings.
You’re here on earth to study your own unconscious attitudes. Because if you study them far enough, deeply enough, you’ll see that they’re the cause of all your difficulties. The world out there doesn’t do a thing to you. Everything that happens to you that is wrong, painful, that’s confusing, is caused by the fact that all you have is attitudes which is what we’re going to explore now.”
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Inner Life Exercise
Have no concern for your status with others.
Pleasantly Astounding
“You once predicted that these teachings would become more pleasantly astounding as we went along. You were right. I am thinking of a specific area. The exact opposite happens from what we thought would happen. Instead of being punished by the truth we are released from punishment.”
“Yes, it is indeed a pleasantly astounding process. Take the act of letting go of stubborn ideas. The more you let go of yourself while fearing to do so the less afraid you become.”
~Vernon Howard, There is a Way Out
Marvelously uplifting! Again I am so gratefully reminded that my happiness, my contentment, my ascension to a better place inwardly, is a personal choice… The deeper I dig, the more is revealed and the less burdensome are the assumptions and hidden attitudes that once ruled my days. Blessings to all of us with these provocative and personally accessible methods for True Life. Singing like a bird!!
Without this wonderful information as given to us by such mystical masters as Vernon Howard, I would have went about my self-absorbed, depressed life in a confused daze, blaming the whole world for my self-inflicted problems… Attitudes, attitudes and more attitudes! I have a world of Truth inspired work to do right here, right now, alone… Alone = all one! (Just a interesting observation)
After reading this, I thought the nicest thing I can do for someone is simply be present and refrain from expressing negative opinions. We are so asleep we don’t realize how we hurt people by doing this. These attitudes are constantly searching for allies to prove their real. It will never work because that is not our true nature.