Step Ninety-Six


Step 96. God’s Will Is For Me To Be Unburdened.
God’s first step in your redemption and your empowerment is to unburden you from things that are not necessary for your happiness, to unburden you from things which cannot possibly satisfy you, to unburden you from things which only cause you pain and to lift from your head the crown of thorns that you wear, which represents your attempt at fulfillment in the world. A Greater Will exists within you that wishes to express itself. When you experience this, you will finally feel that you are known to yourself. You will finally experience true happiness, for your life at last will be integrated. You must be unburdened to make this discovery. Nothing of value will be taken from you. It is not God’s intent to make you lonely and forlorn, but to give you the opportunity to realize your true promise so that you may proceed with strength and true motivation.

Therefore, accept this first great offer to unburden you from the hopeless conflicts that you attempt to resolve, from meaningless pursuits which lead you nowhere, from false promises of this world and from your own idealism which paints a picture the world cannot possibly support. In simplicity and humility the greatness of life will dawn upon you, and you will know that you have given away nothing for something of the greatest value.

Upon the hour repeat this statement and think about it. Observe its meaning in terms of your current circumstances. Observe its demonstration in the lives of people all around you. Observe its reality in terms of your own existence, which you are now learning to witness objectively.

In your two longer practice periods today, attempt to concentrate on this idea and apply it to your life specifically. Actively engage your mind and try to think of the meaning of this statement in terms of your current ambitions, your current plans, and so forth. Many things may be cast in doubt as you do this, but realize that Knowledge is not affected by your schemes and plans or by your hopes and disappointments. It is only awaiting the time when it can emerge naturally within you, and you will be the first recipient of its great gifts.

Practice 96: Two 30-minute practice periods. Hourly practice.



Here you will find the entire book free for download http://stepstoknowledge.com/

Here you will find pointers for getting started if this is your first encounter with this practice: Taking the Steps to Knowledge.

March 19, 2013 Round One: I am realizing more and more how lucky I have been in my life so far. I was reading Healing Relationships yesterday and realized that none of my relationships in the past or present have hampered me in any way, I have always had the freedom to move with Knowledge. And this realization speaks to me in this Step because I see how it has been God’s will for me to be unburdened. Dare I even go as far as to say that I feel known to myself and that my life is integrated? Maybe so… I won’t rush to any hasty conclusions though, but continue my studenthood and allow the Truth to emerge.

October 19, 2014 Round Two: Life is meant for enjoying, not for suffering through. I have always believed that I make my own misery, so if I can do that, I can just as easily free myself from my own fetters. No one says I need to suffer and be miserable. It is all a state of mind anyway. Even in physical prison, I can choose to be free. No one and nothing can put a weight on my mind unless I allow them to. No one can make me wear a crown of thorns, let alone place that crown on me themselves.
"A Greater Will exists within you that wishes to express itself. When you experience this, you will finally feel that you are known to yourself."
I cannot say with any complete confidence that I am known to myself, sometimes I fall back into doubt. But I take comfort in what Dan, another person inspired by Steps to Knowledge, wrote “And those precious moments where ‘you will finally feel that you are known to yourself...’ Savor those! You're going to have to refer back in times of doubt!"

Have I experienced this Greater Will that wishes to express itself? I don’t know. Are there still things that shackle me, keep me burdened, that I am not aware of? Could it be there are things I do on a daily basis that confine me and stop me from experiencing this Greater Will? Maybe so.
"Knowledge is not affected by your schemes and plans or by your hopes and disappointments. It is only awaiting the time when it can emerge naturally within you, and you will be the first recipient of its great gifts." 
I too am waiting in anticipation of this time.

October 2, 2018 Round Three: I thought I might not do this Step today because I would not have the time. I wanted to talk to El. I did read the Step though and am feeling it. And I talked to El about Greg. Good news is that she told me Garrett’s brother lives in a suburb of Charleston, another contact if things do not work out as expected. Not such good news is that she is a bit suspicious of the job and what Greg will find there when he arrives. It may be some dinky motel and a grungy place to live. It may not be a bone fide job at all. I expressed these concerns to Greg and he assured me everything would be okay. I said I hoped he had checked out the source himself and was not engaging in some scam. It just seems strange that foreigners would be invited to work when the economy is in such a bad way and regular Americans do not have enough work. At least other family are near and Greg seems confident that things will work out.

Sasha was looking at videos of Charleston today through the eyes of Russian visitors. He was also looking up job vacancies. It appears quite possible that Greg found the job on one of those sites. The videos were encouraging, saying how lovely, friendly and interesting Charleston is. It has a lot of quaint hotels, so maybe Greg will be working in one of them. I feel better, although I would still like more information from him. But at least Sasha is more positive and I feel that all will be okay. Greg will be protected.

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