OLD PROGRAMS

It is a beautiful day on Laughing Water Farm; brilliant Sunshine! It is cold. It is still below zero at 10:20AM. We have had a spate of below zero nights. Tonight is forecast for -11F and that should be the last for awhile. It suppose to reach thirty by Thursday.

Old programs, both in the larger social context and in individuals die hard. Even though the light is shining more intensely on the Earth, many of us have recurring negative programs to deal with. In a sense it is because of the increasing light that old personal programs are coming to the surface. These old programs are behavior patterns that have developed around old hurts, abuse, abandonment, humiliation etc. We may have thought we dealt with them but they were buried deep along with the concomitant anger, shame and guilt.   

We know it is time to come clean and rid ourselves of these old programs. The fortunate among us benefit from the insight the first or second time they emerge. Their awareness increases to the point where they are no longer burdened by them. For many of us, however, these old programs don't die easily they need to fade away.

I think it is the Course in Miracles that states that we are never upset for the reasons we think. When we find ourselves getting into squabbles with those close to us, again and again, for what an outsider would deem petty; that is a clue that an old program has been triggered. These reactions can go on for a lifetime if no intervention happens to encourage awareness.

The list of things that can trigger one of these old programs is endless. They can be simple things like leaving dirty socks on the floor or putting something away in the wrong place or a minor miscommunication. What they have in common, is that the emotional response, whether it be anger or withdrawal is out of proportion to the incident. Until we become aware, we will focus on discrepancies, in the others behavior, to justify our behavior. We can be very righteous and sure of our ground until we realize that is not what is upsetting us at all. We are feeling abandoned or abused, mistreated in some way, and we are reenacting an old program. 

Awareness and a firm intent are the key to helping these old programs fade away. Sometimes we can recall the initial pain that caused the old program. Then it is remembering, reliving and bursting the bubble. We see, we forgive and it is over. But that is not the usual case. For most of us these old programs were laid down by a succession of events, sometimes beyond recall. The key is remembering that we are not upset for the reason we think. If we can be aware every time one of these programs are triggered, we can learn to back ourselves out of the situation.

The person we are having the upset with, will often have a program that will be triggered by our reaction, both people are stuck acting out their old programs. We must be aware of our own program and also not fall into reacting to the others' program. Many of us stay stuck a long time because we see the other persons program but not our own. We must learn to disregard the other persons reaction, especially because we triggered it anyway.

We have a built in quest for truth. One truth is our true nature of Oneness. With the increase of love and light on the Earth we are seeking oneness. These old programs that have kept us apart, both at the societal level and the personal level, are being challenged and are eroding away.

Know that if we have the intent to dissolve these old programs we will. Awareness, as always, is a key. With awareness comes love. We will succeed.

Happy Monday.

Love and Peace,  Gregg