Words of Wisdom from A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles by Marianne Williamson
A Return to Love is one of the most comprehensive books I’ve ever read on “love” – in all its many forms. In fact, I believe this book is essential reading for everyone, and I will be gifting a copy to each of my children when they are 18-years-old (along with these books I consider “essential reading” for life).
Marianne frequently references God throughout this book, and if you are uncomfortable with this for religious reasons, do as I do and substitute the word “God” for “Universe” or “Spirit”. I believe A Return to Love is a spiritual book, not a religious book – it’s the message that matters, not the religious persuasion. Here are my favourite learnings from A Return to Love…
- We are all connected
“We are like the spokes on the wheel, all radiating out from the same centre. If you define us according
to our position on the rim, we seem to separate and distinct from one another. But if you define us according to our starting point, our source – the centre of the wheel – we are a shared identity. If you dig deep enough into your mind, and deep enough into mine, the picture is the same: at the bottom of it all, what we are is love.”
2. Don’t push, attract
“If you have a pile of iron shavings and you want to arrange them in beautiful patterns, you can do one of
two things. You can use your fingers and try to arrange the tiny pieces of iron into beautiful, gossamer lines – or you can buy a magnet. The magnet will attract the iron shavings. It symbolises our feminine consciousness, which exerts its power through attraction rather than activity.”
3. Love the world
“The world loves us when we choose to love the world. Surrender means a decision to stop fighting the
world, and to start loving it instead.”
4. The only thing we truly have control over is ourselves
“We’re all assigned a piece of the garden, a corner of the universe that is ours to transform. Our corner of
the universe is our own life – our relationships, our homes, our work, our current circumstances – exactly as they are. Every situation we find ourselves in is an opportunity, perfectly planned by the holy spirit, to teach love instead of fear. Whatever energy system we find ourselves a part of, it’s our job to heal it – to purify the thought forms by purifying our own. It’s never really a circumstance that needs to change – it’s we who need to change.”
5. Every moment we have the opportunity to start again
“We don’t realise that the present is always a chance to begin again, a light-filled moment.”
6. Treat others as you wish to be treated
“If I choose to bless another person, I will always end up feeling more blessed. If I project guilt onto another person, I will always end up feeling more guilty.”
7. Fear is the source of negativity
“All negativity derives from fear. When someone is angry, they are afraid. When someone is rude, they are afraid. When someone is manipulative, they are afraid. When someone is cruel, they are afraid. There is no fear that love does not dissolve. There is no negativity that forgiveness does not transform.”
8. Love is the opposite of fear
“Darkness is merely the absence of light, and fear is merely the absence of love.”
9. Look for the lesson in every relationship
“Just because someone has a lot to teach us, doesn’t mean we like them. People who have the most to teach us are often the ones who reflect back to us the limits to our own capacity to love, those who consciously or unconsciously challenge our fearful positions.”
10. Love is essential
“Love is to people what water is to plants.”
11. Do what you love
“Joy has no cost.” Do what you love. Do what makes your heart sing. And never do it for the money. Don’t go to work to make money; go to work to spread joy. Seek the first the kingdom of heaven, and the Masaratti will get here when it’s supposed to.”
