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What does guilt have to do with grapefruits? Let me explain…
I wrote this article because I totally needed it. Today is the day that I declare, “I AM DONE WITH GUILT” and I’m asking you to join me.
Guilt feels HORRIBLE! It sucks. Worst feeling EVER!! It doesn’t promote any kind of health or well-being, doesn’t help you progress closer to your goals or to God and it certainly doesn’t make you more well-behaved.
It makes you feel like crap. I’m done.
Let’s start by shining a light on guilt. As always, I’m going to simplify chapter 13 of A Course In Miracles for us both. I’ll explain the grapefruits in a minute.
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First, let’s briefly define the ego.
Ego is simply the part of the mind that thinks it is separate from God. It is never, ever, not in any way and not for a minute… REAL. Think of it like a corrupt computer program that has been downloaded into a tiny corner of your mind and you set up shop there and mistakenly made it your identity. It is artful, sneaky and insidious. It has brilliantly, BRILLIANTLY concocted rules, judgments and fears to keep itself alive. This is its primary objective.
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Now, let’s define guilt…
Guilt is central to the ego thought system. It’s the power train that keeps it running. Ego must have guilt to maintain its “existence”. Guilt is what keeps us stuck in believing we are separate from God. Guilt feeds off of judgment and threatens punishment. And now our world is full of images of fear! This fear now blocks the Love that is always being offered to us everywhere. So… the condemnation, guilt, punishment cycle keeps repeating like a malfunctioning computer virus.
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And THAT is guilt’s only function.
To keep you stuck.
When you feel any level of guilt, big or small…
you have been duped!
Guilt has 1000 voices. All of them lies.
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Guilt can feel intolerable, so dark and ugly that we want to unload it any way we can. So what do we do? Instead of seeing it as false, we try to displace this guilt outside of us… onto our bodies or onto our brothers and sisters.
This projection seems to alleviate some of the fear, but what it’s really doing is hiding the real source of guilt. As long as we’re unaware of the real source of guilt, we won’t rid ourselves of it. And this brilliant scheme is exactly how the ego maintains guilt! It keeps the pain at a low enough level that we won’t seek a better way. Genius I say!
But now I’m onto you!!
Jesus says that when we project guilt onto others, it is NOT a real relationship because a real relationship only comes from unity. Instead, we’re in a relationship with our own projected image! Not so fun, huh? We’re not seeing the other as the Holy Spirit sees him. Instead we’re seeing the guilt in our own minds projected onto him. I’ll say it again because it’s so important…
This projection actually maintains our guilt rather than releasing us from it.
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I live in New England and a huge AHA moment came for me after the Boston Marathon bombing some years ago. The belief around here was that the bomber was a horrible waste of skin, an evil being who should be extinguished. There were death threats, Facebook rants and angry mobs. It was scary on top of yucky.
Then, someone said to me, “I Forgive Him because He is my brother and He just forgot who he was, temporarily. I do it all the time.”
WOW! Truth bumps! As soon as I took that into my heart I felt my entire nervous system rest. It was like the TV news cameras backed up a million miles and I could now see the Big picture. Not only was I seeing the Truth and the innocence of that brother, but I was now sensing the same in myself. I literally had just healed the 2 of us.
We are not seeing the other as the Holy Spirit sees him. Rather we are seeing the guilt in our own minds projected onto them. It’s a brilliant scheme to conceal our guilt.
We’ve got to choose to see guilt for what it is:
Trickery.
Whether I’m projecting my guilt onto a serial killer or my daughter when she takes a phone call and leaves me with all the dishes, it’s never about them and always about me and my belief in separation. More importantly, it’s ALWAYS a healing opportunity. I can use it to stay asleep or I can use it to wake up.
Another thing about guilt is that it keeps you out of
the moment of being where you are.
Here’s where the grapefruits come in.
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I was on a retreat with 50 other people and we were asked to do a group exercise where we go around the room and REALLY give the each other a hug. I mean a GOOD hug! The full-on kind where you wrap them in love and stay long enough to feel them wrap you in love. It was GOOD!
What many of us didn’t know, was that several people were privately given a grapefruit at the beginning of the hugging exercise and told to put the grapefruit somewhere on their person and not to let ANYONE know they had it during the hugging exercise.
When the exercise was finished, we were asked to share our experience hugging and being hugged. It was a heart opener to say the least. There were strong, tall, masculine hugs, warm motherly embraces, heartbeats, shy and tender moments, tears, we let Love in…well, you get picture. There were so many unique experiences!
However, when the people with the hidden grapefruits were asked to share, every one of them said that they barely even remembered WHO they hugged, never mind what it felt like, because they were so intent on not letting anyone know about the grapefruit they were hiding. It was like they weren’t even in the same room with us! They missed the whole thing!! This is exactly what guilt does to the quality of our lives… of our present moments. There is Love all around us but we are oblivious to it!
So, I want today to be the day that you join with me in disarming all guilt… big and small! Here’s why:
God’s Son is Love.
We are perfectly safe and at peace.
The ego is the opposite and totally unaware
of who the Son of God is.
Everything in the dream of separateness seems so real! Why? Because of our belief in it.
That’s why God gave us the Holy Spirit; a helper in our minds; a wake up call that reminds us of the Truth. If we practice letting the Holy Spirit guide our feelings of guilt, He will lead us to let go of what holds us in the world of illusion so we can awaken to the Love that we are.
Listen to this awesome quote from my main man Jesus. “God gave the Holy Spirit to you, and gave Him the mission to remove all doubt and every trace of guilt that His dear Son has laid upon himself. It is impossible that this mission fail.” (5:1-2)
Jesus reminds us that the only thing of real value here
is to awaken in Christ and we can’t fail at it.
You can’t do life wrong!
You don’t need to feel guilty about anything!!
You’re here to learn, to grow, to gain experience and wisdom. Jesus says, “You will first learn of peace and then awaken to it.” SHAZAAM!
Jesus also says that the Holy Spirit will gently guide us away from fear and guilt. Take that in! We are gently guided so we don’t get scared. Relax. Don’t over think it. Be patient and trust this Loving process with an outcome that is sure. IT’S GUARANTEED.
So, Let’s be done with guilt. Are you with me? From this day forward, our job is to practice seeing the light in every brother. Simply stated, as we accept the truth, we will see the truth. This is how we delete the corrupt “program” of guilt.
You can not do this without your brother.
The guiltless Son of God is all there is to see.
The Holy Spirit will show us our brother’s innocence
so we can see it without fear.
So, from this moment forward, when you feel guilt creep into your mind, whether in yourself or in another, don’t try to remedy the illusion to make yourself feel better. Instead, see it as merely a mistaken belief and toss that grapefruit up to the Holy Spirit who has the perfect remedy.
Holy Spirit will turn our illusions to Truth instead of
us giving truth to our illusions.
Today is the day. I’m asking you to take my hand and we’ll do this together.
I love you,
Linda Leland
Teachers of God Foundation Team Member
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> Please feel free to share your thoughts on any of the above in the blog comment area below! <[su_spacer]
Love love love it! Just what I needed right this moment. You are very good at writing these articles Linda! Thank you! Hugs and love to you…and no grapefruits! 🙂 ♡♡♡
Thank you I need all the reminding I can get. Loved it.
Great article. Loved the story about the grapefruit. You’re wonderful.
Perfect Lnda…..I am so in need of this right now…and I loved your reference to the Boston Marathon bombing…I am no doubt projecting so much ‘guilt’ around these sorts of issues in the world right now….no doubt for very good reason!!! Thank you! Sx
Thank you, Linda, that was beautiful! It’s wonderful getting this extra input.
Great article Linda. I loved it … and the “hook” of the grapefruit was brilliant. Plus you have a gift for making things simple. Thank you 🙂
Thank you for More clarity on this issue of guilt that I’m leaving behind.
I AM IN! The end of guit. Love the writing and U.
Great, many thanks.It sneaks in when I am not attending!!!!!
Thank You Soo much for this timely message…It has released Me and strengthened My Love for Our Saviour Jesus Christ..Praised be His Name Forever! Amen
Your lovely article shines the light on living in the forgiven world….easy peasy! Bless you for taking the time to bless us!!…with great love, xo, Barbara
Linda,
My gorgeous friend you knocked my socks off. This is so deliciously good and true. I am loving all the blogs you all are writing for us. Videos are great too. This so helps with the Ministry and Mastery we are all striving for. I so love you.
Namaste
Rebecca
Thank you so much Linda! ! You gave me a gift today that will affect my whole life!
Discerning on guilt is a priority in our lives & most of it, it will help us to be more in touch with LOVE, our natural essence.
Thank you Linda for sharing so openly and with clarity and simplicity. We need all the reminders we can get to awaken and stay awake!
Love you and Lisa and Bill and Judy and all the others at the Foundation for shining your light and taking us all Home together!
Love & hugs,
Seema
Great blog…..thanks so much!
Thank you so much! What a wonderful and inspiring post! Lots of love and non-grapefruit hugs! 🙂 <3
Great Article.. thank you I AM DONE with Guilt too.
After partying Easter weekend I woke up Monday morning with a boat load of guilt. I am not ready to give up drinking all together but I am ready to release the guilt and take the next step to drinking less and spending less money on it. This was perfect timing for me. I very much appreciate your love and your time in putting this spirit enhancing message together. Love n light, Tony Villaseñor
Thanks Linda
It is crystal clear on guilt
love
So well written and explained. Thank you so much!!
Thank you Linda for this beautifully written and so timely reminder. It was exactly what I needed to hear right now. The simple prayer ” Let me see this through Your eyes” has worked miracles in my life. It is wonderful to be reminded to apply this little prayer to what has been feeling like a complex and overwhelming problem in my life at the moment.
With gratitude and love …
Fabulous article. So long guilt-guilt
Begone! I choose Light and Holy
Spirit’s guidance. Gratitude and Love,
❤️ And hugs!
Thank you Linda.
I am on a long road to finding inner peace and feel more connected to God. It’s words such as this I need to read and absorb. God bless xx ❤️
Thank you Linda, this helps me a lot.
I loved reading this article, great, I am joy , I am peace , I am Love. Now I know and feel it…..
That sentence “He is just a person who forget who he is and I do it all the time”Oh yes, I will remember that, that is full of Love and compassion, that is the way I will live and be in this world.
Thanks Linda. Beautiful story and that grapefruit is a really good reminder and also about your daughter phoning instead of washing dishes. I can use that one with my son playing computer games instead of washing dishes or cleaning his room. Very helpful.
Thank you! What a simple and helpful illustration of, how guilt works ❤️
Dear Linda, thank you so much for this — I totally understand it, ’cause I had similar experiences… I also wrote about it in my blog some time ago:
http://www.jeannejess.net/blog/category/spiritual-themes
Divine Blessings to You, Jeanne
Wow, thank you so much. This reminder came exactly in time for me, after I felt my old pattern of feeling guilty came back in a situation yesterday evening. Thank you so much.
I love the passion and power of your expression, Linda!
Time to remove our hidden grapefruits I say –
we might even eat it and be done with it;)
YOU ARE BLESSED….BEAUTIFUL MESSAGE THANKS
I’ll walk and hold your hand in Truth,
Beyond the Beyond
Linda, thank you!!! Perfect timing as I’d been indulging in a load of guilt and comparison.
Blessings to you.
Here’s what I was prompted to write.
You
So intent on comparing and coming up short
So full of self judgement and regret
I forgot to see you
You who have been appointed my teacher in this moment
You who are silently uncovering my self perceived shortcomings
For me to release to the light
You who like me, just wants to be accepted for who you truly are
Love, a smile, a hug, an accepting
Just who we are
Neither revered nor belittled
Just a fellow traveller
Waiting to be embraced in love.
GL
Linda,
What a very helpful article. All this time I have been thinking guilt was what I felt when I thought I had done something wrong. Now I see that when I am judging another, I am projecting my own guilt on to them. So thank you for this new way of looking at this!! Love to you, Candace
Thanks for this article. I needed it
Awesome, Awesome, Awesome Blog Linda Leland! Something that we all needed to hear. This is a keeper… Thank you so much for sharing this message. I love you <3
Gracias Linda! 🙂 <3
Absolutely wonderful! You had me at “grapefruit!” and, wow! It developed into a wonderful, encouraging, beautiful lesson.
Thank you. I love you.
Wonderful and so helpful
Linda,
Thank you for this wonderful article and illustration that showed up for me at the perfect moment. I love the computer virus and grapefruit reference. It is a great visual that will be helpful for me when I am falling backwards into my old ways of thinking.
Thank you!
Kate
Beautiful reminder Linda of the grapefruit retreat! You have a beautiful simplistic way of writing. Thank You for simplifying guilt and helping me see me….
So glad I finally read this. Exactly what I needed to hear right now. Thank you so much.
Lovely Linda! You my friend are a most brilliant teacher. Your explanations are easy to understand as you lead us along on this beautiful journey.
I am very grateful for you!
Blessings
I love you
Thank you Linda. I have been practicing ACIM on and off for 30 years but always struggle with it and drop it.. Then my wife Susie discovered your’e work and you really provide us all with a great gift of clarity. So, I am giving up guilt as of now and giving up my projections onto this insane world as of now and preparing for May 1 and forty days on the mountain.
The grapefruit story is a great analogy for what we do to hide what we think are our flaws and guilt–I love it! I had a huge insight this morning seeing how I have felt guilty all my life and often do things so I won’t feel guilty and how this guilt energy has blocked me from being authentically me. Readint this article later in the same day is so timely as I am struck by how guilt has ruled my life & the need and desire to finally release it and live in Christ and joy! Thank you for sharing this message, Linda! And for all the posts also!
Great message linda, thanks
What a revelation to see it like this. Ego is a trick of the mind. A computer glitch. Would be so cool to change the dictionary definitions to yours– it’s a game changer and could heal the world. Well today it will heal mine. OK so new tape begins today, “here’s my guilty grapefruit HS” 🙂 I choose to see myself and my brother/sister as one/love! Thanks Linda for articulating so well how to correct this glitch. Love all the responses.Thanks LIP community.