To understand the nature of learning one must focus the attention upon the self of the past, the self of the present and to begin to visualize the self of the future. Failure to do so results in lesson failure for unless the self sees the self of the past in the self of the present, the self of the future shall continue forth unimpeded. Learning the lesson means total integration of that which has been presented to the self; this means that challenge is presented – no thought, no care, nor concern is afforded to the challenge – the self immediately responds lovingly, of the light, dispelling negativity that may have been brought forth in order to test the self, allowing negativity to remain if the lesson is being provided to another.

The student believes that the self is learning once the lesson plan is recognized; in reality, emotion is what is recognized – the response of the self, that which has been automatic for many, many years – potentially many, many lifetimes – those responses that are supplied by the field belonging to the lesson plans of the self. Recognizing that the self need be patient, need expand the view beyond the self, to welcome others that the self finds annoying, irritating, frustrating – those that the self judges frequently – to welcome them to spend more time in the self’s presence; for it is in this way that the self sees the self – all those things that irritate, frustrate, anger and potentially cause sorrow within the self are things that reside within the self awaiting recognition, awaiting resolution.

The typical student isolates the self, particularly from those situations where irritation, frustration, anger or sorrow could be experienced and begins to tune out those individuals that annoy, irritate, frustrate or anger the self; it excludes the self from all situations that may challenge the self. The self stops drinking and smoking and the self stops placing the self in situations with others who drink, with others who smoke. It is telling the self, “I need more time. I cannot challenge myself at this time…I am not strong enough,” only to find that many months may pass, oftentimes years and once the self begins to expose the self to these situations, the self finds that the self is still too weak to be challenged. It is to challenge the self early on; to provide the self with as much challenge as possible while the self’s resolve is strong, while the desire within is unimpeachable, while the self easily and readily casts aside all that which says that the self may not make it, that the self may fail. Recognizing the task – to learn – is multi-phased; it is awareness, identification, followed by recognition, followed by choice – to retain or to change. The choice of the self informs the Teacher of that which need be learned in future; all choice made

The student wastes considerable energy allowing the ego to critique the self’s progress. It is to understand that lesson brought forth to the self is rarely understood at the time of the experience; it is to do the best that one can to widen the vision, to question the self, to seek assistance, to survey it after all is quieted to determine, “did I learn…did I change…or did I respond as I have many, many, many times previous?” If the response was the same, it is to determine how the self determined to proceed in this fashion – was choice present…was choice made…or was the choice automatic? It is to survey the lesson in total, preparing the self for the next time similar lesson is brought forth, informing the self of how the self is desirous of responding and to resolve to follow through with changed behaviors the next time opportunity presents.