Step Two Hundred and Nine


Step 209. I Will Not Be Cruel With Myself Today.
Do not be cruel to yourself by attempting to wear your crown of thorns, which represents your system of beliefs and assumptions. Do not project upon yourself the weight of blame and unforgiveness. Do not attempt to force your mind to exemplify those qualities that you hold dear, for they will arise naturally from Knowledge.

Instead, enter into stillness in your two deeper practice periods, realizing once again that all things you most highly value will be naturally exemplified through Knowledge. All those things you find abhorrent will naturally fade away. A mind thus liberated can bestow the greatest possible gift upon the world.

Consider this, then, upon the hour as you attempt to apply today’s idea to all you see, hear and do. Do not be cruel with yourself today, for there is no justification for this. Allow yourself to be blessed so that you may bless the world. Allow yourself to bless the world so that you yourself may be blessed.

Practice 209: 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.

October 28, 2013 Round One: I am going to take the plunge and say that I have taken off my crown of thorns and laid it aside for the duration. I see the futility in being cruel to myself, it serves no positive purpose, it only detracts from my ability to serve the world and be of some use. And it is liberating indeed to be free of the weight of those thorns. It gives room for the qualities I hold dear to arise naturally from Knowledge. I embrace the idea presented by this Step today, it feels true and noble.
February 27, 2015 Round Two: If I am cruel with myself, I cannot be kind to the world and the people around me. And the world and people need kindness. If I am cruel with myself, I am being selfish, since in that state of mind I cannot share my gifts. I cannot share what I value most highly, I cannot spread Knowledge, and this is what I came here to do. If I am cruel with myself, I am defeating the purpose of being here.

 July 28, 2017: Revisiting this step today. And today I am on Step 76 in the Continuation Training "I am here to serve the world." This I hold to be true, so I cannot be cruel with myself. If I am, then yes, it defeats the purpose of being here.
February 1, 2019 Round Three: Rabbits, rabbits, rabbits! I don’t feel that this Step applies to me any longer. I do not wear a crown of thorns. If I ever did in the past, it was only briefly, at times when I was drinking. I agree with my past observations. If I am cruel with myself, I cannot serve the world.

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