Download to Color: MandalaoftheWeek.com
Lesson 284: ”I can elect to change all thoughts that hurt.”
Reframe: I choose to release harmful thoughts and embrace loving perspectives.
Suggested Practice:
From now on:
Once in the morning and once in the evening for however many minutes feels sufficient. Then every hour remember/recite the idea for the day.
Prayer For today:
(feel free to swap out the wording to whatever resonates with you best)
“Father, what You have given cannot hurt, so grief and pain must be impossible. ²Let me not fail to trust in You today, accepting but the joyous as Your gifts; accepting but the joyous as the truth.” (ACIM, W-284.2:1-2)
OR… “I accept joy as the truth.”
For Lessons 281-290: What is the Holy Spirit? is the theme for the next 10 days. Read the whole article here.
”The Holy Spirit mediates between illusions and the truth. ²Since He must bridge the gap between reality and dreams, perception leads to knowledge through the grace that God has given Him, to be His gift to everyone who turns to Him for truth.” (ACIM, W-pII.7.1:1-2).
OR put another way…
”We are gifted with a mediator who points to truth when we are lost in illusions.”
From the PART II Introduction: Read the whole introduction here.
“Words will mean little now. ²We use them but as guides on which we do not now depend. ³For now we seek direct experience of truth alone. ⁴The lessons that remain are merely introductions to the times in which we leave the world of pain, and go to enter peace. ⁵Now we begin to reach the goal this course has set, and find the end toward which our practicing was always geared.” (ACIM, W-pII.in.1:1-5)
View timelapse of the coloring of today’s mandala
on My YouTube Channel:
https://youtu.be/AY8MZTfe8Hs?is=AtEGXtvv454237bM
Message
From the Lesson:
“Loss is not loss when properly perceived. ²Pain is impossible. ³There is no grief with any cause at all. ⁴And suffering of any kind is nothing but a dream. ⁵This is the truth, at first to be but said and then repeated many times; and next to be accepted as but partly true, with many reservations.” (ACIM, W-284.1:1-5)
This is a challenging idea for me. At first glance, it seems to say we’re not supposed to feel loss, pain, or suffering because they aren’t possible—they’re nothing but a dream. From my human perspective, that seems preposterous.
But upon further review, I think I understand what it’s saying—or at least this is my interpretation. Because of free will, we can change our thoughts of hurt, suffering, and loss to thoughts of peace, love, and joy. Granted, this can be especially difficult with something we perceive as a major loss. I don’t think the Lesson is telling us not to feel hurt, suffering, or loss. I think it’s telling us to be aware of our thoughts so we can consciously choose them rather than have them dictated to us.
I’ll be honest: I’m not sure I fully accept the metaphysical claim that pain is impossible. That’s a bigger leap than I can make right now. But I don’t need to accept it to use what’s practical here—that my thoughts are mine to choose.
For instance, last week when I had that challenging highway drive, part of the reason I looped and spiraled so badly was that I didn’t allow myself to acknowledge when I was triggered by what I saw as a bad driver. Rather than being present with the anger and frustration, I immediately went into resistance, as if to say, “Oh no! I’m not supposed to feel anger. I’ve got to stop it because the Course teaches peace, love, and joy.” I didn’t allow myself to be okay with what I was feeling, so it got stuffed rather than released.
Looking back, had I taken a moment to be present with what I was feeling and recognized the ego mind’s role in it, I could have consciously chosen to change that hurtful thought—or consciously chosen to keep it. Either way, it would have been my choice rather than the ego’s. And had I not resisted the thoughts in the first place, I probably would have handled the drive so much better.
But why would I want to hold onto thoughts that hurt? I admit that sometimes when I’m angry it feels good, because I’m finally releasing feelings I stuffed long ago. I try to do that in safe ways—a brisk walk, a messy piece of art, screaming into a pillow. That’s not the same as choosing to keep the hurtful thought. It’s clearing the ground so I can choose something else.
My takeaway: if I don’t like the thoughts that feel hurtful, instead of resisting or stuffing them, I can elect to change them.
“Once I set a belief in stone, my psyche goes out to seek confirmation.” — “The Course in Miracles Experiment” by Pam Grout
Blessings & Peace,
Maureen,
The Mandala Lady
transforming soul whispers into mandalas & channeled messages
for clarity, peace, and joy
About the 2026 Mandalas of the Day — ▶️ A Note About A Course in Miracles
