When one looks back at one’s life it may all seem rather fleeting. All the effort that went into school, university, careers, relationships, travelling, moving house, etc. was it worth it? And where are we now? Sooner or later we will probably realise that we are no longer as interested in the world as we used to be. After finding a spiritual path, the unreality of the world may eventually become apparent, and that’s when one realises that it doesn’t really have any meaning. One may, in fact, feel caught between two worlds—the unreal and the real, not quite sure how to completely let go of the unreal and not quite sure how to reach the real world. If turning away from things of the world seems like a sacrifice, then all that means is that one has not yet become satiated, and perhaps enjoying the many pleasures of the world of form is the right thing to do, for the present moment. At some point, though, we will all awaken from the dream and we will all want to.

One may begin to develop a sense of longing for what is true and what is real, i.e. for God and heaven, and our desire to awaken from the dream will intensify. The futility of running after transient pleasures will become more and more apparent, and so there should be no sense of loss when one turns one’s back, to a certain extent, on the world of form. And we can take comfort in Jesus’ promise in the Manual of ACIM: “Forget not once this journey is begun the end is certain.” p.91. What is needed is patience, faith and trust and, of course, forgiveness—letting go of illusions. We have to completely let go of this world if we want to reach the real world. This is not the sort of thing that will happen overnight. It could well take several apparent lifetimes!

Spiritual teacher David Hawkins has this good advice. He said when we feel attachment to anything in this world, we need to ask ourselves: “Is this worth giving up God for?” The obvious answer and the only answer is “No.”