Climbing the Ladder

by Dan Joseph (copyright Quiet Mind Publishing)

As a child, I used to play a game called, Word Ladders. In the Word Ladders game, you change one word to another by shifting one letter at a time. What makes the game challenging is that each of the middle steps have to be legitimate words. For example, let’s say you wanted to change “cat” to “dog.” Here is how the word ladder might unfold:

Cat = Cot = Cog = Dog

First step, shift the “a” to an “o,” changing “cat” to “cot.” Then shift “cot” to “cog” – again, only one letter was changed. Finally, “cog” turned to “dog.” Each change created a legitimate word. Here is another one for you to try, see page 20 for answer.

Hot = ___ = ___ = ___ = Tea

Word Ladders is a fun game, and can be entertainingly tricky… especially when you are dealing with four-and five-letter words. The goal is to complete the ladder in as few steps as possible, though any completion is a success.

Belief Ladders

Let me share how this game can inspire an approach to spiritual work.

For much of my life, I’ve been engaged in what psychologists call “all-or-nothing thinking.” The idea was that I either did things perfectly, or I didn’t do them at all.

For example, let’s take a practice like forgiveness. The theme of forgiveness is central to A Course in Miracles and other spiritual paths. I knew it was important. So when I found myself angry and resentful toward someone, I tried to release my hostility. I tried to practice what the Course said.

Unfortunately, most of the time, I wouldn’t be able to take the leap. I’d try to practice forgiveness, but fall right back into anger and resentment. After a few attempts, I’d give up. “I can’t do this,” I’d say. “I tried to practice forgiveness, but I just couldn’t do it.”

Climbing the Ladder practice helps at points like that. In Climbing the Ladder, you don’t try to take a leap into complete forgiveness, complete peace of mind, or complete anything else. Instead, you take a series of small, slow steps. Just as in the Word Ladders game, in which you change only one letter at a time, Climbing the Ladder involves one small belief shift at a time.

Let’s say you’re feeling angry toward someone. To begin Climbing the Ladder practice, write out your uncensored beliefs about this person. You might begin with:

“This guy is a total jerk. He’s completely insensitive, rude, and mean.”

As I mentioned, I’d try to leap from that type of belief into a sense of complete love but just couldn’t do it! I’d try, fail, get frustrated and give up.

Climbing the Ladder takes a different approach. In this practice, you insist on making only one small shift at a time. You actually refuse to take a leap. Let me show how the first step in this example might unfold:

This guy is a total jerk. He’s completely insensitive, rude, and mean.

Changes to: This guy is mostly a jerk. He’s usually insensitive, rude, and mean.

Now, that new belief may not seem very “spiritual” but it sets the mind in the right direction. It’s a small step forward. When you feel truly stable at that new rung in the ladder, you can continue.

Dan Joseph is the author of Inner Healing and Inspired by Miracles, website www.DanJoseph.com.