Step Eighty-Four

Step 84. Review

Review the practices and the instructions for the preceding week. Review your progress objectively. Realize how great your learning must be. Your Steps now are small, but substantive. Small Steps lead you all the way. You are not expected to take great leaps, yet each small Step will seem like a great leap, for it will give you so much more than you have ever had before. Allow your external life to become rearranged as your inner life begins to emerge and to shine its light upon you. Maintain your focus and accept change in your outer life, for it is for your benefit. Only if Knowledge is violated will the indication of error be evident to you. This will lead you to effective action. If Knowledge is not offended by the change around you, then you need not be. In time, you will achieve the peace of Knowledge. You will share in its peace, its certainty and its true gifts.

Therefore, conduct your review in one long practice period today. Review with great emphasis and discrimination. Do not allow yourself to miss the recognition of your learning process.

Practice 84: 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.

March 3, 2013 Round One: This review has shown me that each small Step does indeed seem like a great leap, since I truly do have much more than I have ever had before. And my external life is becoming rearranged as my inner life emerges. I am able to deal with challenges and problems with greater peace and less emotional upset because Knowledge is showing me how to shift the focus from myself to the people I am dealing with. Of course, I still have a long way to go, but I do recognize that I am making progress, and it is very comforting to know that errors will become evident and that if Knowledge is not offended by the change around me, then I need not be.

October 6, 2014 Round Two: There is not much I can add this time.

I like what another person inspired by the New Message wrote on the Free School Forum yesterday. He said he looks at each Step as being a sort of ‘switch’ in his awareness. As soon as I read that, I thought, yes, that’s how I feel too. Like a light bulb going on. Each Step opens up greater awareness and stays with me. I am gathering gems of wisdom as I progress further along the Way of Knowledge. Each one sparkles individually, while together they form a treasure-trove of wisdom to be tapped into whenever I choose. All I need to do is open the lid of my deeper mind and there they are. My inner life is emerging and shining its light on me.

Step 78 – I can do nothing alone – I am not alone, I am constantly supported and assisted by my Teachers

Step 79 – I will allow uncertainty to exist – if I am uncertain, I am flexible, I am not doggedly pushing forward with what I think is right, I am humble, I am ready for life to take me in a different direction.

Step 80 – I can only practice – I practice anyway, so it would be best to practice something productive.

Step 81 – I will not deceive myself today – I will not deceive myself into thinking I am lesser than I am, I will not be self-denigrating.

Step 82 – I will not judge another today – I will not judge another, for others know not what they do, they are not to blame, they just do not know any better.

Step 83 – I value Knowledge beyond all things – Knowledge will take me where I need to go, Knowledge knows best, if I keep my mind uncluttered and open, Knowledge will let me know what I need to do.

All in all, I am for seeing the humor in things. I think having a good sense of humor and being able to laugh, particularly at myself, is indispensable. I really like the songs in this video. I like the humor of these ladies. I like the message they convey.

September 19, 2018 Round Three: This time last year I was in Moscow for Potemkin’s recital. There was that (after which I did not feel good about continuing my relationship with Potemkin, but it lead to Michael getting a job with him), then there was finding out Tom had a new girlfriend, Liana, and there was clearing out my stuff to make room for Ursula. I brought a lot of personal items back to Krasnaya Ushna. 

Allow your external life to become rearranged as your inner life begins to emerge and to shine its light upon you. Maintain your focus and accept change in your outer life, for it is for your benefit. Only if Knowledge is violated will the indication of error be evident to you. 

I felt as though I was breaking the bonds with Moscow and wondering about the wisdom of it. But a year later I am feeling no violation of Knowledge or that I made an error. I feel I made the right decision to withdraw further from Moscow and ensconce myself here in the village.

I shared my AA story (in Russian) with the boys and Sasha yesterday. Sasha said it was a good read and wanted it to be continued… Then this morning I shared it with Ursula.

I feel pleased with my progress and the way I am integrating Steps into my life. This Step is perfect for where I was a year ago, so time is really of no essence, time does not exist. I can see the connection between my Step today and where I was a year ago. All is coming to fruition. All is falling into place. All is becoming understandable.