Headed in the Right Direction 向着正确方向前进
Adear young woman named Abby recently attended my Mastery Training in Hawaii，and reported that her parents had sent her as a birthday present.At the age of 17，Abby had been hospitalized for an eating disorder，force-fed daily by loving attendants.She did not expect she would live long，let alone ever feed herself again.Now，just four years later，she was taking charge of her life and opening to receive love and support from people，life，and God.While Abby's illness had been painful，she had grown immensely through facing it.She was mature far beyond her years，bright，and beautiful.
At the end of the seminar I noticed that Abby had a tattoo of a forward-pointing arrow on each of her feet.“What made you get those tattoos？”I asked her.Abby smiled and answered，“They remind me that I am always headed in the right direction.”
Painful experiences are stepping stones to right direction.Rather than considering them as curses or crosses to bear，regard them as wake-up calls or course corrections.While you may have gone through a difficult ordeal you wish have never happened，the only thing worse may have been to go on as you were.
A fellow came to my teacher Hilda Charlton and complained that he had been ripped off by an auto mechanic.“The guy charged me500 for poor work and then refused to remedy it，”he explained.“I had a bad feeling about this mechanic before he started the work.Now I wish I had listened to it.”Hilda responded，“If I were offering you a week-long course on following your intuition，and I guaranteed you that after this course you would be better able to hear your inner guidance and more willing to follow it，would you take the class？”“Why，sure！”answered the fellow without hesitation.“And if the tuition for the course was500，would you pay it？”“That would be a bargain.”“Then consider yourself lucky，”Hilda told him.“You got the entire course from your mechanic in one day.”
Which direction is the right one for you？The one you are headed in now.Wherever you are，whatever you are doing，you are in the perfect position to discover your right next step.No matter what you do，you will receive feedback from the universe about how what you are doing matches your true intentions.If it feels good，you have learned，and if it feels bad，you have learned.What you do is far less important than what you learn.Everything you experience leads to waking up.
Trust is the key.A Course in Miracles tells us that trust is the bedrock of the spiritual journey.The Course goes on to explain that“it takes great learning to understand that all things，events，encounters and circumstances are helpful.”Everything serves.If you believe that an experience is outside of the plan for your awakening，it is only because you have yet to see how this piece fits into the puzzle.When the time is right，you will recognize the Big Picture.
A Zen master noted，“Wherever I go，I keep finding myself.”Ultimately，there is nothing else to do.The world you see is a stage you have constructed with your thoughts and everyone you meet is an actor you have hired to play out the you have written.And you scribed it in brilliance.Every person and experience mirrors your beliefs about yourself and life.Rather than trying to get rid of them，thank them for the reflection，and move on to rewrite the in a way that honors you.
Now before you go out and seek pain to learn，hear this：Pain happens，but suffering is optional.When pain comes，make use of the experience，but do not wallow in it.When you accidentally place your finger in a flame，it is supposed to hurt just long enough for you to pull it out.If you think there is value in keeping it there，you will be a crispy critter.Pain is a minor element of life，unless you are indulging in it.Then it becomes suffering.Get the message and then get on with your life，which is far more about joy than sorrow.
All experiences in life can be sorted into two categories：Experiences to be enjoyed；and experiences to be learned from.There is no slot in between.Nothing random.Figure out which experiences fall into which category，and you are well on your way home.
A character in the film Joe Versus the Volcano uttered this profound truth：“Almost the whole world is asleep.Everybody you know，everyone you see，everyone you talk to.Only a few people are awake and they live in constant total amazement.”If an experience，painful though it may have been，leaves you closer to living in constant，total amazement，would it not be a blessing？If you're not sure，just ask Abby.She has walked through hell and come out on the other side.She knows she is headed in the right direction.
近期，一个叫艾比的年轻女子参加了我在夏威夷的主题为掌控的训练课程，说这是父母送给她的生日礼物。十七岁时，艾比因为饮食失调症住过院，每天在亲爱的陪护人员控制下进食。她觉得自己活不了多久，更别说再自己吃饭了。现在，仅仅四年过后，她掌管着自己的生活，并且敞开了内心接受来自于周围人们、生活和上帝的爱和支持。虽然疾病曾使她很痛苦，但是在面对和治疗它的过程中，她成长了许多。她有着远远超过实际年龄的成熟，开朗，美丽。
课程接近结尾的时候，我注意到艾比每只脚上都有一个指向前方的箭状的刺青。“你怎么会弄这些刺青？”我问她。她笑了，回答说，“它们提醒我总是在向着正确的方向前进。”
痛苦的经历是通往正确方向的踏脚石。与其把它们看作要承受的祸事或折磨，不如把它们看做是叫你清醒的声音或途中规正你错误脚步的力量。虽然你可能经历了一场你希望从来没有发生过的艰难经历，但更糟糕的是你原地踏步，继续以前的方式过活。
一个学员到我的老师伊尔达？查尔顿面前，抱怨他被一个汽车机械师给宰了。“那个家伙要了我五百美元，干活儿很差劲，还拒绝给我返修。”他解释说，“在他开始干活前，我就有种不好的预感。现在我真希望我当时听从心里的感觉。”伊尔达回答，“如果我给你开设一门为期一周教你听从自己直觉的课，而且我保证学完后，你能更好地倾听内心的指引，更多地去遵从它，你上这门课吗？”“真的吗，当然要上！”他毫不犹豫地回答。“如果这门课学费五百美元，你还参加吗？”“成交。”“好了，想想你自己多幸运，”伊尔达对他说，“你从那位机械师那里一天就学到了全部的课程。”
哪个才是你的正确方向呢？就是你现在朝着行进的方向。不管你在哪儿，正在做什么，你都完全可以正确地迈出你的下一步。无论你干什么，冥冥宇宙都会予你以反馈，告诉你所从事的是否和你真正的愿望相符。如果反馈的是好信息，那么你学如所愿，如果是坏信息，你同样学有所获。你从事的具体事务远没有你所学到的东西来得重要。你经历的每一件事都能让你在人生道路上逐渐觉醒。
信念是关键。《奇迹课程》告诉我们信念是精神之旅的基石。《奇迹课程》进一步解释说，“所有的事物、事件、遭遇和情境都是有益的，理解这点需要相当多的修学。”万事都有它的作用。如果你觉得某次经历对于你人生的觉醒起不到什么作用，在计划之外，那只是因为你还没有看出它在谜图中的位置。时候到了，你就会看到命运的全貌。
一位禅宗大师的领悟，“不管我去哪儿，我都在不断地发现自己。”最终，一切都会尘埃落定。你看到的世界是你的思想所建造的舞台，你遇见的每个人都是你雇用来出演你剧本的演员。而且，你的剧本写得很精彩。每个人、每次经历都反映你对自己和对生活的想法。与其试图去摆脱他们，倒不如感谢他们让你看到了你自己，然后，继续去重新改写你的剧本，让它给你带来尊荣。
现在，在你走出去，寻找磨难，学习痛苦之前，先听听这个：痛苦不可避免，但折磨可不是绝对的。苦难来了，要利用和学习这种经历，但是不能沉溺其中，不能自拔。当你的手指不小心触到火苗时，它能够烧到你的时间也只是在你的大脑神经命令你缩回手指前的短短几秒而已。如果你认为继续将手指放在那儿有什么价值的话，你会被烤煳的。痛苦只是人生的一小部分，除非你纵容自己沉溺其中，那样你会深受折磨。大脑收到那个讯息，然后跳出来继续你的生活，生活中的快乐远远多过于痛苦。
人生中的所有经历都可以分为两大类：给人以快乐享受的经历和给人以经验教训的经历。两者之间没有空余，再无其他。弄清什么经历属于第一种，什么经历属于第二种，你就已经站在通往你心灵归宿的路上了。
电影《跳火山的人》里面的一个角色说了下面这样一段发人深省的哲言：“几乎整个世界都在沉睡。你所知道的每个人，看到的每个人，交谈的每个人。只有极少数的人保持清醒，他们的生活伴随着接连不断的巨大惊喜。”如果一次经历，虽然可能痛苦，但过后能使你更加接近那种包含接连不断巨大惊喜的生活，它难道不是福事吗？如果你还不确信，那就问问艾比。她已经走过了那段极其痛苦昏暗的日子，来到了阳光的彼岸。她知道她正在向正确的方向前进。
译者感言
最喜欢这段：“不管你在哪儿，正在做什么，你都完全可以正确地迈出你的下一步……你从事的具体事务远没有你所学到的东西来得重要……”每个生命都有遗憾，懵懂错过的机会，没有抓住的爱人，控制不力的恶习，勉强担当的角色，生命行走的方向似乎与你原先的定位相去甚远，怎么办？沉溺于这些所带来的痛苦悔恨之中有用吗？其实，坚强和清醒都是很不容易的事，这就是为什么很多道理大家都知道，可是在生活中行动起来却变成另一回事的原因。行动派的人真的很令人敬佩，因为他们往往拥有过人的智慧和精力。所以，如果不想在做人生下一个阶段总结时，依然苦恼郁闷，不如专注于从你的“烦”事、“难”事、“苦”事中学习经验、感悟世事开始，慢慢地积累智慧，练习快乐，秉持这样一种信念：没有错误的人生方向，只有懒惰胆小的自己。那么一段时间后，你会惊讶地发现，原来我也可以，原来这没有什么……希望大家都能向着人生的正确方向坚强而清醒地前进，最终到达心灵的归宿-快乐。
