Beliefs Are Not Truth

We people believe what we want to believe.

3 weeks ago, when I first went to the sports doctor, I came away thinking I had a torn meniscus. Since I believed it, I acted like it. Then I had an MRI. Then I went back to the sports doctor for the results. The report said I had a mild ACL strain but no meniscus problems. The doctor approved me for any exercise that was not a side to side or twisting stress on the knee.

So, besides my ex-machines, I ran alot. This week, I ran 50 miles. Yesterday, I slogged out a 2.5 hour jog in the pouring rain. Today, after a 15 mile LSD, my knee is not swollen. But my point is that I am still behaving like I believe whatever the doctor said. I changed my beliefs based on what an authority figure told me.

In the mean time, my knee was getting better regardless of what the doctor said.

So the next step is to realize that my beliefs about God and reality itself, humankind itself and so on, are products of what I have heard plus choices. I may hear something but I choose whether to believe it. My choices are based on what I want. Often, I want someone else to suffer so that I can be victor. Yes, tis true. Every one is like this but few admit it.

I may not have any beliefs that come straight from God.

People believe the Bible (or other spiritual works) because the have been told that they are the truth, the WORD of GOD. But there is no proof of this. There is only a long standing human tradition that makes it so.

Last night, as I meditated quietly, I allowed my dark companion to surface. My dark companion is fear. My companion can point to a situation and tell me to be afraid. Looking deeper, I see that the fear came first, then the situation was pointed out. The basis for all my beliefs is this fear. I am better off allowing the fear to surface than to pretend it is not there. See, A Course in Miracles teaches that we can learn to see things differently, perceive things differently, choose something else.

If I want to know the truth, I'm sure I need to step aside from what humans teach, mainstream society, religion as we know it.

In the town where I live, a banner went up over main street advertising race weekend. As I drove under it today, I sort of teared up. See, I am entered in 2 half marathons in 2 days for race weekend. It looks like I am ready to complete the Pelican Challenge.