In no situation that arises do you realize the outcome that would make you happy. Therefore, you have no guide to appropriate action, and no way of judging the result. What you do is determined by your perception of the situation, and that perception is wrong. It is inevitable, then, that you will not serve your own best interests. Yet they are your only goal in any situation which is correctly perceived. Otherwise, you will not recognize what they are.

If you realized that you do not perceive your own best interests, you could be taught what they are. But in the presence of your conviction that you do know what they are, you cannot learn. The idea for today is a step toward opening your mind so that learning can begin.

The exercises for today require much more honesty than you are accustomed to using. A few subjects, honestly and carefully considered in each of the five practice periods which should be undertaken today, will be more helpful than a more cursory examination of a large number. Two minutes are suggested for each of the mind-searching periods which the exercises involve.

The practice periods should begin with repeating today's idea, followed by searching the mind, with closed eyes, for unresolved situations about which you are currently concerned. The emphasis should be on uncovering the outcome you want. You will quickly realize that you have a number of goals in mind as part of the desired outcome, and also that these goals are on different levels and often conflict.

In applying the idea for today, name each situation that occurs to you, and then enumerate carefully as many goals as possible that you would like to be met in its resolution. The form of each application should be roughly as follows:

In the situation involving ______, I would like ______ to happen, and ______ to happen,

and so on. Try to cover as many different kinds of outcomes as may honestly occur to you, even if some of them do not appear to be directly related to the situation, or even to be inherent in it at all.

If these exercises are done properly, you will quickly recognize that you are making a large number of demands of the situation which have nothing to do with it. You will also recognize that many of your goals are contradictory, that you have no unified outcome in mind, and that you must experience disappointment in connection with some of your goals, however the situation turns out.

After covering the list of as many hoped-for goals as possible, for each unresolved situation that crosses your mind say to yourself:

I do not perceive my own best interests in this situation,

and go on to the next one.

𐑦𐑯 𐑯𐑴 𐑕𐑦𐑗𐑵𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑼𐑲𐑟𐑩𐑟 𐑛𐑵 𐑿 𐑮𐑾𐑤𐑲𐑟 𐑞 𐑬𐑑𐑒𐑳𐑥 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑢𐑫𐑛 𐑥𐑱𐑒 𐑿 𐑣𐑨𐑐𐑦. 𐑞𐑺𐑓𐑹, 𐑿 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑯𐑴 𐑜𐑲𐑛 𐑑 𐑩𐑐𐑮𐑴𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑱𐑑 𐑨𐑒𐑖𐑩𐑯, 𐑯 𐑯𐑴 𐑢𐑱 𐑝 𐑡𐑳𐑡𐑦𐑙 𐑞 𐑮𐑦𐑟𐑳𐑤𐑑. 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑿 𐑛𐑵 𐑦𐑟 𐑛𐑦𐑑𐑻𐑥𐑦𐑯𐑛 𐑚𐑲 𐑘𐑹 𐑐𐑼𐑕𐑧𐑐𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑝 𐑞 𐑕𐑦𐑗𐑵𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯, 𐑯 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑐𐑼𐑕𐑧𐑐𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑦𐑟 𐑮𐑪𐑙. 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑦𐑯𐑧𐑝𐑦𐑑𐑩𐑚𐑩𐑤, 𐑞𐑧𐑯, 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑿 𐑢𐑦𐑤 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑕𐑻𐑝 𐑘𐑹 𐑴𐑯 𐑚𐑧𐑕𐑑 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑼𐑩𐑕𐑑𐑕. 𐑘𐑧𐑑 𐑞𐑱 𐑸 𐑘𐑹 𐑴𐑯𐑤𐑦 𐑜𐑴𐑤 𐑦𐑯 𐑧𐑯𐑦 𐑕𐑦𐑗𐑵𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑢𐑦𐑗 𐑦𐑟 𐑒𐑼𐑧𐑒𐑑𐑤𐑦 𐑐𐑼𐑕𐑰𐑝𐑛. 𐑳𐑞𐑼𐑢𐑲𐑟, 𐑿 𐑢𐑦𐑤 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑩𐑜𐑯𐑲𐑟 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑞𐑱 𐑸.

𐑦𐑓 𐑿 𐑮𐑾𐑤𐑲𐑟𐑛 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑿 𐑛𐑵 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑐𐑼𐑕𐑰𐑝 𐑘𐑹 𐑴𐑯 𐑚𐑧𐑕𐑑 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑼𐑩𐑕𐑑𐑕, 𐑿 𐑒𐑫𐑛 𐑚𐑰 𐑑𐑷𐑑 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑞𐑱 𐑸. 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑐𐑮𐑧𐑟𐑩𐑯𐑕 𐑝 𐑘𐑹 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑝𐑦𐑒𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑿 𐑛𐑵 𐑯𐑴 𐑢𐑪𐑑 𐑞𐑱 𐑸, 𐑿 𐑒𐑨𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑤𐑻𐑯. 𐑞 𐑲𐑛𐑾 𐑓 𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱 𐑦𐑟 𐑩 𐑕𐑑𐑧𐑐 𐑑𐑹𐑛 𐑴𐑐𐑩𐑯𐑦𐑙 𐑘𐑹 𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑕𐑴 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑤𐑻𐑯𐑦𐑙 𐑒𐑨𐑯 𐑚𐑦𐑜𐑦𐑯.

𐑞 𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑼𐑕𐑲𐑟𐑩𐑟 𐑓 𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱 𐑮𐑦𐑒𐑢𐑲𐑼 𐑥𐑳𐑗 𐑥𐑹 𐑪𐑯𐑩𐑕𐑑𐑦 𐑞𐑨𐑯 𐑿 𐑸 𐑩𐑒𐑳𐑕𐑑𐑩𐑥𐑛 𐑑 𐑿𐑟𐑦𐑙. 𐑩 𐑓𐑿 𐑕𐑳𐑚𐑡𐑧𐑒𐑑𐑕, 𐑪𐑯𐑩𐑕𐑑𐑤𐑦 𐑯 𐑒𐑺𐑓𐑩𐑤𐑦 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑕𐑦𐑛𐑼𐑛 𐑦𐑯 𐑰𐑗 𐑝 𐑞 𐑓𐑲𐑝 𐑐𐑮𐑨𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑕 𐑐𐑽𐑾𐑛𐑟 𐑢𐑦𐑗 𐑖𐑫𐑛 𐑚𐑰 𐑳𐑯𐑛𐑼𐑑𐑱𐑒𐑩𐑯 𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱, 𐑢𐑦𐑤 𐑚𐑰 𐑥𐑹 𐑣𐑧𐑤𐑐𐑓𐑩𐑤 𐑞𐑨𐑯 𐑩 𐑥𐑹 𐑒𐑻𐑕𐑼𐑦 𐑦𐑜𐑟𐑨𐑥𐑦𐑯𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑝 𐑩 𐑤𐑸𐑡 𐑯𐑳𐑥𐑚𐑼. 𐑑𐑵 𐑥𐑦𐑯𐑦𐑑𐑕 𐑸 𐑕𐑩𐑡𐑧𐑕𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑓 𐑰𐑗 𐑝 𐑞 𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛-𐑕𐑻𐑗𐑦𐑙 𐑐𐑽𐑾𐑛𐑟 𐑢𐑦𐑗 𐑞 𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑼𐑕𐑲𐑟𐑩𐑟 𐑦𐑯𐑝𐑪𐑤𐑝.

𐑞 𐑐𐑮𐑨𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑕 𐑐𐑽𐑾𐑛𐑟 𐑖𐑫𐑛 𐑚𐑦𐑜𐑦𐑯 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑰𐑑𐑦𐑙 𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱'𐑟 𐑲𐑛𐑾, 𐑓𐑪𐑤𐑴𐑛 𐑚𐑲 𐑕𐑻𐑗𐑦𐑙 𐑞 𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛, 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑒𐑤𐑴𐑟𐑛 𐑲𐑟, 𐑓 𐑳𐑯𐑮𐑦𐑟𐑪𐑤𐑝𐑛 𐑕𐑦𐑗𐑵𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯𐑟 𐑩𐑚𐑬𐑑 𐑢𐑦𐑗 𐑿 𐑸 𐑒𐑳𐑮𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑤𐑦 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑕𐑻𐑯𐑛. 𐑞 𐑧𐑥𐑓𐑩𐑕𐑦𐑕 𐑖𐑫𐑛 𐑚𐑰 𐑪𐑯 𐑳𐑯𐑒𐑳𐑝𐑼𐑦𐑙 𐑞 𐑬𐑑𐑒𐑳𐑥 𐑿 𐑢𐑪𐑯𐑑. 𐑿 𐑢𐑦𐑤 𐑒𐑢𐑦𐑒𐑤𐑦 𐑮𐑾𐑤𐑲𐑟 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑿 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑩 𐑯𐑳𐑥𐑚𐑼 𐑝 𐑜𐑴𐑤𐑟 𐑦𐑯 𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑨𐑟 𐑐𐑸𐑑 𐑝 𐑞 𐑛𐑦𐑟𐑲𐑼𐑛 𐑬𐑑𐑒𐑳𐑥, 𐑯 𐑷𐑤𐑕𐑴 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑜𐑴𐑤𐑟 𐑸 𐑪𐑯 𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑼𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑤𐑧𐑝𐑩𐑤𐑟 𐑯 𐑪𐑓𐑑𐑩𐑯 𐑒𐑪𐑯𐑓𐑤𐑦𐑒𐑑.

𐑦𐑯 𐑩𐑐𐑤𐑲𐑦𐑙 𐑞 𐑲𐑛𐑾 𐑓 𐑑𐑩𐑛𐑱, 𐑯𐑱𐑥 𐑰𐑗 𐑕𐑦𐑗𐑵𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑩𐑒𐑻𐑟 𐑑 𐑿, 𐑯 𐑞𐑧𐑯 𐑦𐑯𐑵𐑥𐑼𐑱𐑑 𐑒𐑺𐑓𐑩𐑤𐑦 𐑨𐑟 𐑥𐑧𐑯𐑦 𐑜𐑴𐑤𐑟 𐑨𐑟 𐑐𐑪𐑕𐑩𐑚𐑩𐑤 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑿 𐑢𐑫𐑛 𐑤𐑲𐑒 𐑑 𐑚𐑰 𐑥𐑧𐑑 𐑦𐑯 𐑦𐑑𐑕 𐑮𐑧𐑟𐑩𐑤𐑵𐑖𐑩𐑯. 𐑞 𐑓𐑹𐑥 𐑝 𐑰𐑗 𐑨𐑐𐑤𐑦𐑒𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑖𐑫𐑛 𐑚𐑰 𐑮𐑳𐑓𐑤𐑦 𐑨𐑟 𐑓𐑪𐑤𐑴𐑟:

𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑕𐑦𐑗𐑵𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑦𐑯𐑝𐑪𐑤𐑝𐑦𐑙 ______, 𐑲 𐑢𐑫𐑛 𐑤𐑲𐑒 ______ 𐑑 𐑣𐑨𐑐𐑩𐑯, 𐑯 ______ 𐑑 𐑣𐑨𐑐𐑩𐑯,

𐑯 𐑕𐑴 𐑪𐑯. 𐑑𐑮𐑲 𐑑 𐑒𐑳𐑝𐑼 𐑨𐑟 𐑥𐑧𐑯𐑦 𐑛𐑦𐑓𐑼𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑒𐑲𐑯𐑛𐑟 𐑝 𐑬𐑑𐑒𐑳𐑥𐑟 𐑨𐑟 𐑥𐑱 𐑪𐑯𐑩𐑕𐑑𐑤𐑦 𐑩𐑒𐑻 𐑑 𐑿, 𐑰𐑝𐑩𐑯 𐑦𐑓 𐑕𐑳𐑥 𐑝 𐑞𐑧𐑥 𐑛𐑵 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑩𐑐𐑽 𐑑 𐑚𐑰 𐑛𐑦𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑑𐑤𐑦 𐑮𐑦𐑤𐑱𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑑 𐑞 𐑕𐑦𐑗𐑵𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯, 𐑹 𐑰𐑝𐑩𐑯 𐑑 𐑚𐑰 𐑦𐑯𐑣𐑧𐑮𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑦𐑯 𐑦𐑑 𐑨𐑑 𐑷𐑤.

𐑦𐑓 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑼𐑕𐑲𐑟𐑩𐑟 𐑸 𐑛𐑳𐑯 𐑐𐑮𐑪𐑐𐑼𐑤𐑦, 𐑿 𐑢𐑦𐑤 𐑒𐑢𐑦𐑒𐑤𐑦 𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑩𐑜𐑯𐑲𐑟 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑿 𐑸 𐑥𐑱𐑒𐑦𐑙 𐑩 𐑤𐑸𐑡 𐑯𐑳𐑥𐑚𐑼 𐑝 𐑛𐑦𐑥𐑨𐑯𐑛𐑟 𐑝 𐑞 𐑕𐑦𐑗𐑵𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑢𐑦𐑗 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑯𐑳𐑔𐑦𐑙 𐑑 𐑛𐑵 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑦𐑑. 𐑿 𐑢𐑦𐑤 𐑷𐑤𐑕𐑴 𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑩𐑜𐑯𐑲𐑟 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑥𐑧𐑯𐑦 𐑝 𐑘𐑹 𐑜𐑴𐑤𐑟 𐑸 𐑒𐑪𐑯𐑑𐑮𐑩𐑛𐑦𐑒𐑑𐑼𐑦, 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑿 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑯𐑴 𐑿𐑯𐑦𐑓𐑲𐑛 𐑬𐑑𐑒𐑳𐑥 𐑦𐑯 𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛, 𐑯 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑿 𐑥𐑳𐑕𐑑 𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑐𐑽𐑾𐑯𐑕 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑩𐑐𐑶𐑯𐑑𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑦𐑯 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑧𐑒𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑕𐑳𐑥 𐑝 𐑘𐑹 𐑜𐑴𐑤𐑟, 𐑣𐑬𐑧𐑝𐑼 𐑞 𐑕𐑦𐑗𐑵𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑑𐑻𐑯𐑟 𐑬𐑑.

𐑨𐑓𐑑𐑼 𐑒𐑳𐑝𐑼𐑦𐑙 𐑞 𐑤𐑦𐑕𐑑 𐑝 𐑨𐑟 𐑥𐑧𐑯𐑦 𐑣𐑴𐑐𐑑-𐑓 𐑜𐑴𐑤𐑟 𐑨𐑟 𐑐𐑪𐑕𐑩𐑚𐑩𐑤, 𐑓 𐑰𐑗 𐑳𐑯𐑮𐑦𐑟𐑪𐑤𐑝𐑛 𐑕𐑦𐑗𐑵𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑒𐑮𐑪𐑕𐑩𐑟 𐑘𐑹 𐑥𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑕𐑱 𐑑 𐑘𐑹𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑓:

𐑲 𐑛𐑵 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑐𐑼𐑕𐑰𐑝 𐑥𐑲 𐑴𐑯 𐑚𐑧𐑕𐑑 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑼𐑩𐑕𐑑𐑕 𐑦𐑯 𐑞𐑦𐑕 𐑕𐑦𐑗𐑵𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯,

𐑯 𐑜𐑴 𐑪𐑯 𐑑 𐑞 𐑯𐑧𐑒𐑕𐑑 𐑢𐑳𐑯.