“There are only two thought systems, and you demonstrate that you believe one or the other is true all the time.” …ACIM

Who among us even realizes that there are two sources of thought available to us at all times? There are a few people who understand this, but relatively speaking it’s a small number indeed.

“We live in a thought world, which is part of a thought universe.” …Wallace Wattles

As we can see from the above quote, way back in 1910 Wallace Wattles understood the importance of thought. But since his observation it seems not much progress in awareness has been made. Most people are still under the impression that their thoughts don’t mean that much. However, as Mr. Wattles understood, everything in the universe is thought, including you. You are a Thought in the Mind of your Creator; an Idea with the ability to think. All of your thoughts have power; there is no such thing as an idle thought. Once a person begins to be aware of this truth much of the mystery surrounding this experience we call life begins to drop away.

Those who can accept this idea begin to understand the need to consciously discriminate  between those thoughts that are positive and loving and those that are negative and fearful. As my opening quote points out, there are two thought systems, from which we can choose our thoughts. And we demonstrate that we believe one or the other is true all the time. There’s no escaping this truth; we are thinking beings. We were created by thought; we exist by thought; we make our life experiences with thought. Life itself is thought!

“Our life is shaped by our mind, for we become what we think.”   ..Eknath Easwaran

This quote is mostly attributed to The Buddha, and in fact, the above rendition is from Eknath Easwaran’s translation of the first verse of the Dhammapada. Which, according to Wikipedia, is one of the most widely read and best known Buddhist scriptures. Even though they lived around 2500 years apart The Buddha’s experience and observation and Wallace Wattles’ information  actually enhance one another. They augment each other in informing those who may be ready to learn that their thoughts determine the type of experiences that make up their life.

But that being said, I think a bit of discernment in in order here. Does the above quote mean that if we think about a specific person – such as a very wealthy individual whom we may envy, for example – we actually will become that person? No! Absolutely not! When some closed-minded people hear this information they usually will blurt out a sarcastic question like this. But that’s not what it means at all. Only those who aren’t yet ready to learn do this, and it’s usually out of frustration with something that they’re not at the point where they can understand.

So then, what does it mean? Well it sure doesn’t mean that what God created can be changed in any way. If we take the time to think about what the first part of the quote says; Our life is shaped by our mind, then it should be pretty self-explanatory.

“The ego always speaks first.”   …ACIM

The two thought systems are these: First, there’s the ego’s system of negativity and fear. And it’s from this fear-filled and negative system that most humans choose their thoughts. Then there’s God’s system of Positivity and Love. This is the system from which those who want to improve their life experiences try, as much as possible, to consciously choose their thoughts. The thoughts that come from this system are always Love-filled and positive.

That’s it – there are no others. And again, as mentioned above, we demonstrate that we believe one or the other is true all the time.

When you reach that point where you realize you need to discriminate between the Holy Spirit’s loving thoughts and the ego’s fearful ones, this is how you can tell if it’s an ego thought. It’s the first one to reach your awareness on any given subject that you may want to contemplate upon.

For example, let’s look at a couple questions that most every human being that has ever visited this planet asks at one time or another, such as; what am I; who am I; where did I come from? These questions hardly ever get answered because they’re usually asked of the one source that doesn’t know – the ego. It usually gives some sort of frivolous answer, but it’s always the same old worn-out theory, which never satisfies the questioner.

Usually the first petty thought that comes from the ego is; there’s no sense in asking stupid questions. You’re a physical entity who began at conception and will end at death; that’s it – no more than that. But the thing with this answer is, no one ever really and truly believes it. It leaves an empty space in the mind that it can’t fill; a hole that projects a sort of there must be more thought.

And it’s this thought that will persist until it eventually creates a longing and subsequently a searching for the one and only thing that can, and eventually will, fill that empty space – the Holy Spirit’s Answer. His answer is exactly the opposite of the ego’s, because it comes from God’s Thought System. First He tells us to keep asking these questions – a thousand times a day if necessary – until all doubt gives way to certainty as to what and who you are, and where you came from.  His Answer informs you that you are a Child of God, a beautiful Being of Light, created by Love and from Love. You are, and you will eternally be, just as your Creator created you.

I’m going to close with this advice from A Course in Miracles: Learn then the happy habit of response to all temptation to perceive yourself as weak and miserable with these words:  I am as God created me. His Child can suffer nothing. And I am His Child.