Insistence
There is one simple test we can use to determine our level of peace in any situation. How invested are we in the outcome?
If we have a strong desire for the situation to turn out a certain way, then we know our investment is high. If we want a person to change (either their behavior or their thought patterns), then once again, we can be certain that our vested interest is substantial.
And one telltale sign of investment is how firmly we assert our opinion – even if it’s just to ourselves. As A Course in Miracles succinctly states, “Insistence means investment.” The more we insist on things being a certain way, the greater our investment. And, consequently, the less our level of happiness.
One of the most popular – and often quoted – lines in the Course is this: “Do you prefer that you be right or happy?” Whenever we are insistent, we are clearly declaring our preference to be right.
When we let go of our insistence – which only occurs by choosing against the ego – then our investment in any situation immediately drops to zero. It’s not that we don’t have a preference in things being a certain way, but our sense of peace or happiness is completely independent of the outcome.
Imagine living in each moment with no cares and no worries! That’s what the world is like without insistence. That’s what choosing against the ego feels like. And that’s what we can practice anytime we find ourselves wanting things to be different than they are.
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