Together, We Light the Way

Click link to go to:
Previous Article • Next Article
Together We Light the Way Index

Lesson 17 2026

I see no neutral things.
1. This idea is another step in the direction of identifying cause and effect as it really operates in the world. ²You see no neutral things because you have no neutral thoughts. ³It is always the thought that comes first, despite the temptation to believe that it is the other way around. ⁴This is not the way the world thinks, but you must learn that it is the way you think. ⁵If it were not so, perception would have no cause, and would itself be the cause of reality. ⁶In view of its highly variable nature, this is hardly likely.
2. In applying today’s idea, say to yourself, with eyes open:
²I see no neutral things because I have no neutral thoughts.
³Then look about you, resting your glance on each thing you note long enough to say:
⁴I do not see a neutral _____, because my thoughts about _________ are not neutral.
⁵For example, you might say:
⁶I do not see a neutral wall, because my thoughts about walls are not neutral.
⁷I do not see a neutral body, because my thoughts about bodies are not neutral.
3. As usual, it is essential to make no distinctions between what you believe to be animate or inanimate; pleasant or unpleasant. ²Regardless of what you may believe, you do not see anything that is really alive or really joyous. ³That is because you are unaware as yet of any thought that is really true, and therefore really happy.
4. Three or four specific practice periods are recommended, and no less than three are required for maximum benefit, even if you experience resistance. ²However, if you do, the length of the practice period may be reduced to less than the minute or so that is otherwise recommended. (ACIM, W-17.1:1–4:2)
2025
The point of this exercise and the ones before it is to be sure we understand cause and effect and get the order correct. Thought comes first, always, with no exceptions. From thought comes the illusory world I used to believe in. Now, I sometimes believe in it briefly, and then I go back to remembering that the world is the effect of thought. Also, how I see it, that is, my perception of it, is the effect of my thoughts.
This is a very different way of looking at things. Even noticing that nothing I looked at was neutral was interesting, not having thought about that since I last did this lesson. What I am learning is not just that thought comes first, but that my experience faithfully follows it.
For a while, like many people, I got caught up in politics. I would read about some politician and judge his or her behavior. But here’s the thing. Whether I thought they were wonderful or awful, those judgments came before I saw them in the person.
I wasn’t seeing a politician and deciding who it was. I was looking for guilt or innocence and found what I was looking for.
No wonder we are told that we shouldn’t judge. We don’t even admit to ourselves that we decided what we would see before we saw it. Clearly, with such a fundamental error, we don’t know or understand anything.
People want the world to be a better place. In other words, we want other people to do better, so we like our world better. Now that we have cause and effect in the right order, there is only one effective thing we can do. We can look within for the source of the problem and let the Holy Spirit correct our thoughts.
2026
Having decided that I want the Holy Spirit to make all decisions for me, I expect to level up. I might need to practice this because it is not my accustomed way of thinking, not the paradigm I’m used to. But maybe not. Listening to a Rabbi talk about this, I saw another way. He said that if trauma can happen in a moment, healing can too. An insight, an inner seeing, can create a shift instantly, and I am open to that as well.
Can you imagine your life if the Holy Spirit made all your decisions for you? Can you see that life would be utterly peaceful, joyful, interesting, and carefree? Do you feel a little pang of resistance, like, maybe that would be boring? I used to think that, but even with the incomplete healing I have experienced, I have not found my life boring at all. It is full and very satisfying.
I look forward to seeing what it is like to live a fearless life, free of guilt and judgment. With these things gone, all that is left is love, peace, and joy. I have experienced enough of that to know it is what I want all the time, without these interruptions that occur when I make decisions with the ego. I know that what I see begins with what I think, so I have a clear mirror to reflect back the problem should I stumble along the way. It will always be a thought, a belief that needs to be seen and forgiven, let go, so that my mind returns to peace.
If I look on a world in chaos, I ask the Holy Spirit to correct my thoughts. When my mind is single, there will be no divisive thoughts, and I will no longer see chaos. At first, I wondered how that could be when so clearly there is chaos everywhere I look right now. But then I heard someone say that they didn’t understand that. They thought everything was great right now. Oh, yes, that’s right. I always see what I look for, not to fix it in the world, but to heal it in my mind. So I asked the Holy Spirit to help me see differently.
Then I saw divisiveness rising up before me, but only so that I could heal it. Same thing with hate and fear, coming to my attention so that it could be healed. The world is delivering that message to me, and I am finally becoming aware of it. I know what to do now. I look around and see brothers and sisters not lost in their fear, but rather each finding their own way through this illusion, and I just want to help. I do so as I let the Holy Spirit replace judgment and suspicion with love and trust.
My vision of the world looks different now because my thoughts are different. That’s always the way it works. Thought first, then sight. I see what I choose to see, and my thoughts determine my choice. I am happy to look to the Holy Spirit for correction when what I see alerts me to an error in my thinking. The Holy Spirit will give me another way to view the world, and each time I do this, my mind clears a bit more, bringing me closer to true perception and a happier, more peaceful life.
Video: https://youtu.be/t9zejxMH0ng

© 2026, Pathways of Light. https://dev.pathwaysoflight.org
You may freely share copies of this with your friends, provided this notice is included.

Tell a friend about this post.

Printable Page

Posted by Rev. Myron Jones.

<< Back to main page of Together, We Light the Way

Has this page been helpful to you?
Make a tax deductible donation. Your support for this site is greatly appreciated.

Featured Store Items

Spiritual Counselor Training — based on principles of A Course in Miracles, including ordination. More….

24 ACIM Practitioner courses including 50-page study guide, CD's or MP3s, with facilitator. More….

Healing Inner Child 8-week program will help you nurture your inner child, connect with your Higher Self and heal relationships.

Listen & Receive 30-Day Home Study Learn to receive insight for your life in a form that is perfect for you …heal fears, find joy & peace. Learn more.