I am upset because I see a meaningless world.

So according to ACIM (and this actually mirrors some of the work from The Forum from Landmark Education), our actions and reactions in life are to how life occurs for us -- to what we think we see in the world around us. But the meaning in the things we see is meaning that we have attached to things. The world in itself is meaningless. The only meaning it has is the meaning we give it. Yes, I know I'm repeating myself, but this concept sort of twists my brain as I try to grasp it, so I have to keep re-stating it.

For today's ACIM exercise, we just need to look at the world around us, slowly and methodically (the idea is to not give too much or too little attention to anything, because all "things" are of equal value). For instance, I can look out the window of my South Bronx office and say that "I think I see a sad world," or I can look from my Christian perspective and say "I think I see an evil world," or I can look from other perspectives and say "I think I see a fearful world," or "I think I see a dangerous world," or "I think I see a hostile world," or "I think I see a sad world," or "I think I see a crazy world." Or "I think I see a dirty world," "I think I see a greedy world," "I think I see a peaceful world," "I think I see a winning world," Whatever. The idea is to be with the perceptions I have about the world I see.

At the end, I need to interject that "I am upset because I see a meaningless world." Now, I don't really get this piece, but here's what the Course says: "What is meaningless is neither good nor bad. Why, then, should a meaningless world upset you? If you could accept the world as meaningless and let the truth be written upon it for you, it would make you indescribably happy. But because it is meaningless, you are impelled to write upon it what you would have it be. It is this you see in it. It is this that is meaningless in truth. Beneath your words is written the Word of God. The truth upsets you now, but when your words have been erased, you will see His. That is the ultimate purpose of these exercises."

So I'm attaching my meaning to things, and that causes me to be somewhere that is not in Perfect Peace. Again, this exercise is about breaking through my veil so that I may see The Truth clearly. This is a step, it seems, in emptying my cup. It's a very difficult step for me, but they say obedience is better than sacrifice, so I'm going to be obedient and go through this exercise.