My kitchen counter was covered with hundreds and hundreds of ants – crawling around in seemingly frantic disarray.

Where are they coming from?

Ahh, I found it. An old box of chocolates that had been sitting for months in the corner was the culprit. Upon opening the lid, my assumption was confirmed. I threw away the remains, cleaned up the counter, problem solved.

Until the next morning, when once again, hundreds of ants marched across my countertops.

What happened? Did I not clean up the chocolate crumbs well enough? I had scrubbed with soap and water.

But wait, here it is – the ants were coming out a tiny hole in the bottom of the baseboard in the corner of the kitchen. They must have formed a nest in there.

Another round of cleaning, some baseboard sealing, and problem solved.

Until the next morning, when once again, hundreds of ants continued their assault upon my kitchen.

No more casual cleaning. Time to channel my inner Sherlock Holmes and track down the real source. After much tracing and backtracking, I found a hole in the floor joist near the front of the house. After sealing and another round of cleanup – the problem was finally solved.

Yet how often do we similarly mistake the source of all our problems?

Believing each to be in one particular place, we “fix” that only to find the problem coming from somewhere else. So then we focus “there” but subsequently realize once again the source is further removed.

And so it is that the source of all our suffering has us looking in all the wrong places. We think it’s this person – and if only we could “fix” them will our problems finally be solved. Or it is in that job, or in this other situation. Or maybe we believe the problem lies within ourselves: if only I were ______ (smarter, richer, healthier, younger, older, prettier, funnier, …)

Unlike the ants in my house, the source of our true suffering won’t be found anywhere in the world, not in any bodies – including ours. The source is within our mind, and our decision to choose the ego thought system.

That choice results in everything we experience. When we choose the ego, not only are our lives inundated with pesky insects (problems), but we are actually deluded into believing that our problems can be solved where they are not. We think our problems lie within the world and the bodies / circumstances that populate our world.

Thus we spend so much time and energy trying to solve our issues in ways that will never work.

It isn’t until we realize that the source of all discontent is in the mind and our choice for the ego. When we finally grasp that, then we can make a different choice – this time for the thought system of the holy spirit or oneness. Upon making that choice, all our issues instantly disappear.

Two ways of looking at the world are in your mind, and your perception will reflect the guidance you have chosen. Heaven is chosen consciously. (T-12.VII.5; W-p1.138.9)

Searching for solutions in the world will result in enormous frustration and “an endless, unrewarding chain of special relationships”. Instead, recognize the source of all pain (and all joy) lies within the mind and our choice for either the ego or the holy spirit.

Join us in Monday’s class where we will explore this concept of looking for solutions in all the wrong places and how we can make a better choice – one that leads to infinite joy. I look forward to seeing you then.