A Course In Miracles Lesson 35
My mind is part of God’s. I am very holy.
🌿 After learning that I am not a victim, that I have invented the meaning I see, and that peace is available even in the middle of the storm, this lesson lands with surprising weight. It makes a claim that my history, my record, and my inner critic all want to argue with: I am very holy.
For someone shaped by incarceration, addiction, and the chronic stress of the stigma of re-entry, the word holy can feel inaccessible—or even dishonest. Holiness sounds like something reserved for people who never messed up this badly. But on the MovingStill Path, holiness is not about my behavior; it is about my Source. It is about original worth. To say my mind is part of God’s is to say that what I truly am was never broken, never criminal, and never disqualified.
The mistakes I made were real, and the consequences were real—but they were not the truth of me. They were actions taken from a frightened, fragmented state, not evidence of a corrupt core. This is where the warrior in the garden finds their true strength. The warrior is holy not because they have never seen a battlefield, but because they have preserved their spirit through it. Our holiness is our resilience; it is the part of us that survived the yard, the addiction, and still has the capacity for care.
This lesson removes the final weapon of shame. If my mind is part of God’s, then my capacity for clarity, conscience, and creativity did not disappear when I failed. It only went quiet under the noise of survival. Re-entry, then, is not about becoming someone new—it’s about remembering who I’ve always been beneath the armor and the regret. I am no longer trying to "earn" my way back into humanity; I am acknowledging I never actually left it.
Today, I practice holding this idea without the need to "prove" it. I allow for the possibility that my deepest identity is not defined by my worst moment. When self-attack arises, I pause and remind myself: This mind did not come from fear. It came from something whole.
I am MovingStill
#iammovingstill #reentry #healing #spirituality #deepthoughts
In my personal experience, embracing the idea that "my mind is part of God’s" has been a profound turning point in overcoming the feelings of shame and unworthiness that often come with a troubled past. Like many who have faced incarceration or addiction, I struggled to accept the concept of holiness, as it seemed reserved for those without significant flaws or mistakes. However, this lesson helped me realize that true holiness is not about perfection but about the unbroken spirit within. Practicing mindfulness and frequent inward reflection, as suggested in the OCR content, has been essential. Taking time each day to search my mind for anxiety, fear, or self-criticism and consciously replacing these thoughts with peace and compassion fosters clarity and resilience. This spiritual practice serves as a shield against temptation and emotional turmoil, enabling me to reconnect with my original worth. The challenge lies in holding onto this identity without needing to prove it to myself or others. When feelings of self-attack arise, pausing and reminding myself, "This mind did not come from fear. It came from something whole," creates space for healing and self-compassion. Re-entry then becomes less about earning acceptance and more about remembering the inherent holiness that has never been lost. Moreover, understanding that mistakes reflect moments of fear rather than the truth of who I am has allowed me to release persistent guilt. The warrior spirit described in the lesson resonates deeply—surviving difficult battles with an unyielding care for oneself and others is a form of sacred strength. Incorporating these insights into daily life continues to transform my perception of self and the world. It encourages ongoing healing, empowerment, and spiritual growth, making peace of mind not just a distant ideal but a living, accessible reality even amidst adversity.