Hi Sheri,
I'm reading your book and have read Don Miguel Ruiz also. I was raised Catholic in an extremely fearful environment. I have recently gone through major life changes and deaths of loved ones. All this has me facing my own mortality and mistakes in my past. Most difficult is that years ago I had an abortion. It was very bad circumstances and I saw the abortion as my only option. The abortion occurred within the first 3 months and was a DNC. I thought I had forgiven myself but I'm losing sleep and my sanity over it and am struggling. The agreement "thou shalt not kill" is one that keeps going over in my head. I respect all living things and feel I am a good person. However, I can't seem to get past this. Can you offer any words of wisdom? Thank You
Dear Concerned,
All of us make many decisions that when we look back at them, cause us great regret and angst. However, no matter what we have done, we cannot change it now and so the only thing we can do is forgive ourselves for taking actions that we might not take right now with the level of consciousness and resources that we have today. Spirit/God gives us free will to be able to take action in life and grow and learn from those actions. As long as you see it for what it is and "repent" for your actions (so to speak as I am using Christian terms here), then that is all you can do. By repent, I mean that you understand that you actions caused suffering and you realize this and do not want to cause suffering again.
God in my experience is not judgmental, nor is God a punishing God. That is something we are taught to scare us. In my experience, God is unconditional love and absolute consciousness, and when we die we merge back into God and into that unconditional love. The rule - thou shalt not kill - is a rule to guide people who do not know better from harming others. When you finally have the experience of God you realize that God is everything and everywhere - and if you kill another you are killing yourself as there is only one entity and we are all part of that entity we call God. I believe that this is why Jesus specifically taught, do not judge lest others judge you, have compassion like your father, and forgive so that you can be forgiven. No one is going to smote you - except those mean thoughts in your own mind. You have paid for your actions many times in your own self-punishment. Forgive yourself and God/Spirit will forgive you too as you are one and the same. You did what you could at that time and the only thing that matters now is how you love others right now in your life and how you love and respect yourself. Surrender that burden and let it go. Forgive and love boldly. God will take good care of you angel.....always.
Love, Sheri
Hello Sheri,
I read your article on Accountability and Responsibility and I have some questions to ask. From my understanding is that we take full responsibility for ourselves, our actions and who and what we manifest into our lives. However, does this mean we need to take full responsibility for everyone and everything that is in this world because ultimately we are all one?
If so, how can one not take things personally if we are all one?
I look forward to your response. Thank you.
Dear Angel,
Not taking anything personally includes even not taking yourself personally. Not taking things personally gives you emotional immunity to the things we do with ignorance in life. It helps us not to judge. The only way you can take something personally is if you judge it to be bad and get mad at yourself or another for it. And taking something personally is just the ego making everything about itself.
We create everything in our reality even as other people are creating us at the same time! So we can only view life from our point of creation. We understand we are not in control of others - yet in a way we are because once we change (we are the action) everything else changes (they are the reaction). The reason this seems like it does not make sense is because we are functioning in a world of seeming duality. But the duality is not truth. Once you deeply experience that you understand that you are a divine being and it is simply the point of view you chose to see from. You can see from both points of view even though they will never reconcile - in this reality.
Does this make sense?
Love, Sheri
Hello Sheri,
I understand what you have explained about taking things personally. However, is this your answer for responsibility also? Is responsibility and not taking things personally the same? I appreciate your insight!
Dear Angel,
No, they are not the same. Not taking anything personally is the outcome of letting go of the ego. Taking responsibility is something the ego does not like to do because it believes in judgement. It feels it will be judged and punished and it does not want that. It will avoid taking responsibility and blame what it can on others. Knowing yourself as god means that you know you are creating your life and why would god blame something on anyone or be a victim of anything? It does not make sense.
Does that help?
Love, Sheri
Dear Sheri,
Absolutely!! Just so I have this clear between the 2: Taking things personally is us judging ourselves and others; our self importance gets in the way of what really is. Responsibility is being accountable for ourselves, actions, thoughts etc and even what we manifest in the world, consciously or unconsciously. However, everyone is on their own path and what they do or not do is their responsibility. It is of utmost importance for us to do our best to become aware of our doings and/or not doings and especially where we come from because we are all one and the same.
Did I get this straight? Thank you.
Dear Angel,
That is much better! We do not take anything personally because truly nothing is about us (other people are god in the process of creating their dream). Yet, we take absolute responsibility for everything we are creating in our reality (from our point of view as us being god manifesting our reality). Both are truth in this world of duality even though there is only one being. We can only view life from our point of view, that is why we word it in this way.
Love, Sheri
