1. May Cause Miracles Workshop Led by Kim Trotto Week 4: Relationships
Written by Gabrielle Bernstein
Workshop Led by Kim Trotto
Week 4: Relationships

2. Meditation
Meditation Music Youtube

3. You practice loving God by loving another human.
-Olivia Harrison

4. Ego Based Relationships are Nightmares
When relationships are run by fear crazy stuff comes up!
Jealousy
Judgement
Attack
Anger
Resentment

5. From Week 3
The ego uses the body to create more separation in our relationships to others
Through comparison
When you perceive yourself as a separate body, you have projected yourself as better or less than someone else

6. “Special Relationship”
Not the usual special, meaning good
This implies we are better or less than others, which raises our belief of separateness rather than oneness

7. Ego Nightmare
Whether you are judging yourself or judging others you are in the same ego nightmare.
ACIM teaches that judging others is the same as judging yourself, since we are all one

8. We All Have Special Relationships
Best friends
Parents
Siblings
Many of these can come with what we perceive to be very high expectations
We can create idols of people or make ourselves more special than others

9. The Biggest Special Relationship
Romantic Love Partner
Some see as the answer to all of your problems
Or key to happiness
But can be a tortured breakup
Most of us have experienced this kind of ego torture, because this is the ego’s best play

10. The lover can save us?
The ego persuades us that this one special lover can save us
Substituting the special romantic love, for the divine love inside of us
This is based on the false premise that something outside can make up for a lack inside

11. Recognizing the Presence of Love Within Us Offers True Power

12. Special Love is Based on Dependency & Lack
“Ego convinces us that we are alone, which leads us to desperately seek our completion in others” MCM
This lack comes from our deep sense of separation from our real spiritual identity

13. Special Love Relationships
Can lead to jealousy, envy, and constant state of fear of abandonment
Keeps us in the dark shadows
This can make us all kinds of crazy

14. The Unforgiving Ego
When ego perceives attack, it immediately attacks back
Forgiveness can be a distant afterthought
In reality we are protecting our ego

15. Making Matters Worse
Sometimes bringing past resentments from prior relationships into new ones
Placing doubt and blame onto innocent people and draining the new relationship

16. Happiness Always Outplays Being Right
I’ve experienced this enough to know
The ego speaks first and loudest

17. My Favorite Examples
The times, when I am sure I am right about something, but I choose to be happy instead, and that opens me up to see something I hadn’t realized and perhaps I wasn’t as right as I thought
My Matthew

18. ACIM asks “Would you rather be right or be happy?”
The loving response is clearly to choose happiness over the ego’s need to be right
This can be hard when you feel you have been deeply wronged
Easier if someone cuts you in line at the movies
Not so easy if someone steals your new iphone

19. Ego’s Unforgiveness Leads to Ego Personas
The Daily Victim: Holding tight to past hurts, replaying them in our mind feeds the victim mentality and it seeps into more of our relationships

20. Ego’s Unforgiveness Leads to Ego Personas
The Angry Boxer: When attacked, ATTACK! Believes we are held in a cruel world and is ever ready to fight. The defensive thoughts and energy bleed into other areas and create more in a wicked cycle

21. Ego’s Unforgiveness Leads to Ego Personas
The Shutdown and Protected: Those that the ego has convinced to shut themselves off for fear of being hurt again. They live small, hiding out and avoids intimacy altogether.

22. Forgiveness is the way out, Surrender to its miraculous ways
Forgiveness is the way out, Surrender to its miraculous ways. You will be more free than you could ever imagine. Many times, you may only be forgiving yourself.

23. How to Forgive?
ACIM doesn’t suggest that we pretend like nothing happened
I could see peace instead of this.
Throw down the F word (forgiveness)
This shows that you are willing to see it differently

24. More on How to Forgive
ACIM doesn’t suggest that we pretend like nothing happened
Instead we choose to see it with love
Another affirmation
I’d rather be happy than right.
Choosing happiness is always the path of least resistance

25. Still More on How to Forgive
Commit to releasing the victim mentality
ACIM Affirmation
I am not the victim of the world I see
Use it as a gentle reminder

26. Choosing Happiness is a Full Time Job
Many obstacles
If we surrender to love the job becomes a pathway to joy

27. Transforming Relationships
Change the intention from ego and its traits of attack, judgement, jealousy, fear, cheap drama, control, crazy thoughts and actions, “protecting” ourselves

28. Transforming Relationships Continued
Change the intention to a miracle worker’s, which is peace, love, healing, surrendering fear to our inner guide for the ability to fully forgive
Surrendering is a spiritual act and opens us up to guidance of a new purpose of the relationship

29. The Ego Won’t Like the Transformation
It wants to be in control
Expect some backlash
Expect miraculous shifts

30. The “Holy Instant”
The moment you let go of the ego’s drama and let love host the relationship rather than the ego, you will sense relief and freedom
Sometimes the other person in the relationship will be uncomfortable with your change

31. A Break-Up?
Possible, if the other person is so uncomfortable with your changes
But, if the relationship has changed through forgiveness, while you may feel sad, you still have the gift of spiritual growth

32. My Thoughts on Soul Growth
When you step back and look at soul growth, it can be hauntingly painful, but beautiful none the less.
When you choose to let love host the relationship, it doesn’t matter what happens, the shift to love is what matters.

33. Outing Your Ego
When you are stuck in the ego-zone of anger,resentment, judgement or attack, Out Yourself
This helps to restore your miracle mind-set
Invite your ego to your inner guide for healing

34. Apply This Week’s Exercises Everywhere
To all of your relationships
Even those casual that last for moments
They all offer holy bliss

35. This Week
Day 22 We will pay attention to what we think about others
Day 23 Surrendering your ego to your inner guide for healing
Day 24 Kindness created me kind, we came from love, the way to return is through love

36. The Week Continued
Day 25 Helps us understand the principle that what we project onto others we reflect back onto ourselves
Day 26 Understand the difference between the ego using forgiveness to get what it wants and the inner guide using it to return to love

37. The Week Continued
Day 27 Paying attention to the holy instant
Day 28 Reflect and Prepare

38. What to Expect This Week
All thinking produces form on some level
Each thought you have directly affects your life on some level
Letting go of negativity and resentment will help you see oneness and love in everyone
You won’t feel comfortable comparing and gossiping
You’ll want a more loving connection with everyone

39. Questions and Answers

40. Nature Spirit Card

41. Closing Meditation