Step Two Hundred and Fifty-Two

"There is One Great Truth on This Planet"

Step 252. Review

Let your review of each lesson in the past two weeks be a confirmation of the presence of Knowledge in your life. Review each lesson and practice. Review objectively the extent of your involvement and realize the opportunities to give yourself more fully and more completely. Realize how meaningless your denial is and how great the promise of your reward, given your participation in life. You will realize this as you review your practices, for your practices demonstrate your ambivalence towards Knowledge and the presence of Knowledge itself.

You will learn in time that as you come closer to Knowledge, all things that are meaningful and valuable will be affirmed, and as you go away from Knowledge, you will enter the darkness of your own imagination. This, then, will convince you of where you need to apply yourself. This will convince you of the great presence that is with you to assist you. This will convince you that you are included in life and that your Teachers are with you. Whatever obstacle or inadequacy that you can recognize or imagine can be easily overcome with Knowledge. It is your desire for Knowledge and your capacity for Knowledge that need to be strengthened. And once this is done, Knowledge will express itself and you will be the beneficiary of life’s greatest gift.

In your longer review today, allow yourself to undertake your practice with great depth and sincerity. Allow this day to affirm your studenthood. Allow this day to affirm that you have been saved.

Practice 252: One long practice period.

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.

February 3, 2014 Round One: There has been a lot to digest in the last two weeks. This review has taken me a while, but I feel I have drawn the salient points from it. I have made notes of what spoke to me in each step in my journal for future reference.

I am becoming more and more present to this sentence in the review:

"as you come closer to Knowledge, all things that are meaningful and valuable will be affirmed"

And "This, then, will convince you of where you need to apply yourself. This will convince you of the great presence that is with you to assist you. This will convince you that you are included in life and that your Teachers are with you."

I am becoming convinced of these things.

My desire for Knowledge and my capacity for Knowledge are being strengthened. I can affirm this today.

April 15, 2015 Round Two: I decided to share my journal notes from the first time I did this review, as well as add any new insights this time. I have to admit though, there have been no major shifts in my thinking and outlook in the interim. What I wrote the first time pretty much still holds true today. One major outer shift, however, my long-cherished dream of living in the country is about to manifest.

Step 239 - 1) the freedom to be with Knowledge, freedom from undue strain and speculation, freedom to allow my greater purpose to arise naturally, as it will if I am following and reclaiming Knowledge. 

2) Being free from fretting and worrying, trusting that all is working for my good, there is nothing to fear.

Step 240 – 1) ideas are only the beginning, I shall not be satisfied by ideas alone, ideas start me off, but it is Knowledge that leads me on to what is true and great. My need for Knowledge is great, I want to be a vehicle for Knowledge in the world, I will not ask or petition, but allow Knowledge to show me the way. 

2) I have an idea, and if it sticks with me and feels right to the core of my being, I can use it to propel me further. I ask Knowledge for an answer, and Knowledge says “yes” or “no” or remains silent. So I sit with the idea and see where it takes me.

Step 241 – 1) anger has many faces, beware of pitfalls, be discerning and watchful. Clean away the weeds and chaff that clog up the airways with anger, but do not dig out and throw away the seed. The seed of anger is where the true communication is. I write this but do not fully understand it as applied to my own experience.

2) A little more clarity this time, but not entirely. What I understand this time is that anger as an emotion, anger as an outburst in response to something is unjustified. However, there is an underlying motive for anger and this is the true communication, this is what anger is expressing. When the underlying motive is recognized, anger dissipates, the distortion is cleared, and true communication can be expressed.

Step 242 – 1) giving Knowledge is my greatest gift. I cannot qualify and delineate it, I can only receive it and allow it to flow back out of me to others. I hope I am doing this. 

2) One of the fundamental laws of the Universe is when you give to others what you wish to have more of yourself, it will be returned to you manifold. I am practicing this to the best of my ability, even though I still do not have evidence of my giving.

Step 243 – 1) What is special in me is my unique form of expression of that which is inherent in all life. I am no more unique than anyone else, and no, I do not want to be special. It rubs me up the wrong way when attention is drawn to me, even if I may think I seek this attention. I do not want to be special or apart from everyone else, I only want to play my part in the whole.

2) Everyone has a unique gift to give to the world, something that is part of their design and nature. This applies to me too, it is nothing I cannot handle, it arises naturally from me since it comes from my soul.

Step 244 – 1) I gain my strength through others being strong, I help others to be strong by showing I am strong. “Your greatest teaching in this life is the contribution of your life as it is demonstrated to others.” This speaks to me loud and clear. 

2) Ditto. I continue to strive to make the best demonstration of my life to others as possible.

Step 245 – 1) others fail because they do not have Knowledge, this is not a reason for condemnation, it is reason to move closer to Knowledge, failure being a sign of absence of Knowledge and a need to seek it out and reclaim it. 

2) I am paying special heed to this today, on the lookout for pitfalls, missing the signs, for I do not wish to fail in a situation that is presenting itself to me today, it means too much to me.

Step 246 – 1) I can only justify error as an excuse not to come to Knowledge – do not justify, do not condemn, do not judge, just get on with what I know how to do best without complaint. 

2) Error is committed through ignorance, and ignorance is merely a sign of insufficient enlightenment, a stage along the way. We will all get there eventually. 

Step 247 – 1) listening to inner teachers, paying attention to the messages I get, ongoing contemplation, not always meditation, since meditation comes hard, I can listen to my inner teachers at all times, in all places. 

2) An inner state of wellbeing, comfort and joy tells me my teachers are with me, surrounding me with love and support, guiding me.

Step 248 – 1) rely on the wisdom of the universe, it is everywhere, in everyone, I am not alone, and I cannot do things alone. I will listen to what others say, take it in, filter it through myself to hear the truth. The wisdom of the universe is expressed in many ways – Douglas speaks the wisdom of the universe for me, he confirms that I cannot do anything alone. Is this because I like it when he encourages me and says things, good things, about what he believes I am doing and how I am progressing? 

2) Can I do this? I can, for I must. I must rely on the wisdom of the universe and trust it to guide me. I cannot find the home for my soul alone.

Step 249 – 1) I cannot do anything alone. I am getting over my feelings that I want to isolate and remain aloof, that I want to walk alone and do my own thing. I cannot. This is the community I think William talked about (as heard from Mum) all those years ago, working together to promote a clearer future. 

2) Without the community of others, I will not survive. There are connections to be made, I can do nothing alone.

Step 250 – I will not hold myself apart. There is a paradox for me – wanting to reach out and be seen by others, and wanting to hide behind this scenes. I am willing to project myself if I don’t have a face, but I don’t want the finger pointed directly at me. This step brings up the rapport I feel with some people instantly, when I have that rapport I do not need to hide behind masks, wonder how I am coming across, or act unnaturally. I want to be the person I really am, a natural part of life. 

2) It is becoming clearer how I need connections with others to accomplish anything in this world.

Step 251 – 1) "You know who to be with and who not to be with, and there is no blame in this." 
I understand this to mean primary relationships, intimate relationships, life-mate relationships, but I am applying it to all people. I changed my primary partner. I was with my first husband as long as it served both of us, then it was time to change. Our paths went different ways. I chose another partner, an unlikely match, but it has worked, we are still together after 25 years and I am still learning and growing from the experience. I know I need to be with him. I also know not to pursue certain relationships with people who ask for help, I feel I cannot help them in the way they are asking, they drain my energy, I do not feel vitalized by my communication, it is drab and forced. I feel drawn to many people in the New Message community. I feel I am beginning to be discerning in whom I choose to have relationships with. 

2) This is an empowering Step and I draw succor and encouragement from it.

To sum up, I am entirely happy with what is happening in my life today.