My comments are not an interpretation of ACIM's words, but truth from spirit (as best as received) applied to what ACIM says in order to illustrate the meaning behind it's words. Additionally, I add that the "course" is the entire dream, not just ACIM.

"Plan" indicates intelligent choosing among dualistic options. Since reality has no such options, "holy spirit's plan" is not a correct way to describe it. Plans are about outcomes, and thus only in the dream. Being one, the holy spirit cannot and does not have a plan. Even the word "design" is a misnomer, for designs are about structure of separate parts.

"Ego" is not something that could have a plan, but is misuse of mind... and that misuse specifically relates to planning, for it has to do with "choosing" and designing, using multiple ideas and imagined objects from the dream. Therefore ego is our false view of self, false because of its planning mode of approach, in that it would have one do things in time to effect an "outcome"...and outcomes are only in the dream, and yet one is trying to effect an outcome in eternity.

As to the ego's "goals"...it has none. We believe we have goals, but it is not true. Our alleged goals then include fixing a dream that is not there... and calling it "atonement." The methods employed for atonement take that illusion of future atonement to another level of duality by suggesting that doing in time can achieve the eternal outcome of the goal planned.

As an illusion-alignment pattern tending toward erasures of the belief system, atonement points toward the already-existent reality, which is not a "goal." Thus no "plan" or "goal" strategy is needed to reach or achieve it.

Correcting choices is unnecessary and ultimately seen to be impossible...as choice itself is impossible [T.26.III]. ACIM speaks of another teacher, and of the "right" teacher, however, in truth, there is only one Teacher. You cannot choose another teacher or the wrong teacher because choosing is impossible and because there is no other teacher to choose.

We are not on this path because we realized our way does not work. Instead, we are on this path because we denied whole vision and no longer notice the truth that shows us the way of love. We notice instead a path that is not there. While it is true that our (false) way does not work, that is because our "way" is a path in time and not only does not work, but does not even exist.

Having already mentioned that there is no plan in reality (holy spirit's or ego's), and relating that to the idea that Jesus has a plan, mission, job, goal, etc., to begin with, "Jesus" does not exist, but is a symbolic label for the dreamside manifestation, or in other words, the false identifier of Christ is Jesus (in that case). Jesus does not have a job or a mission assignment, and the true self or Christ does not have one either. Christ does nothing and can do nothing in time, and Jesus can do nothing in time or beyond it (and the same is true for everyone..."doing" is an illusion). Nevertheless, the symbolic story of a man named Jesus with a history of teaching, healing, resurrecting, etc., has provided a tool similar to ACIM (symbolic because all manifest appearances are illusions built of symbols). On the one hand the imagery is false. On the other hand, it illustrates through dreamside imagery of metaphor, and stated example, where to look for truth. That is the ONLY message of salvation there was then or has ever been. The only purpose of the dream is to suggest returning the attention to spirit, and since this is in full agreement with the single word of God (Christ or love), when embraced fully, the dream's difference aspect disappears and only the reality behind the dream's single message is seen.

Regarding "looking at the ego thought system...and learning how to step aside," this is the long way around, and the only reason it works at all is that sooner or later it tires the mind with disappointment after disappointment until the mind says "there MUST be a better way!"

Spirit does not learn...but the mind (spirit) in the practice of denial (misuse of mind) believes it learns, progresses, experiences, does things, feels multiple feelings that change, and so on. While the seemingly learning mind attempts to look at the blocks to "seeing love" by its belief system's methods, it takes the abstract truth and plugs it into methods and doing. The concepts "learned" are actually symptoms of the single block to seeing love (thinking or separation ideation). It will also insist that looking upon the falsity will reveal the (many complex) blocks, but only rehashes the seemingly endless symptomology. The ONLY block to seeing love is unwillingness to look at it. Therefore if the thus-erring mind looks at doings in a nonexistent dream, then sets out to interpret occurrences that are not happening (allegedly in order to discover the truth in lies), it can never find truth there, for it is NOT there. This method-chasing is directly symptomatic of unwillingness, and tends strongly to ignore such simple ideas as: "looking at love (spirit, true self) will show us what it is." Note that mind (or spirit) is not at a level, and references to the level of mind incorrectly identify mind as separate from spirit and temporary, which it is not.

"Honesty" is to see the truth and share that truth. Nothing else is honest. To speak up and admit guiltily that you are attached to a world that is not there is not honesty, but arrogance. It is the same thing as attempting to share with people about how little and powerless you are, when in fact you are infinite and have all power. However, when perceiving the dream and intuiting the truth beyond it, it IS honest to admit that what you perceive (that seems like attachments) is untrue. That correction is gentle and kind. While the ego seems to be another teacher, recognizing the only teacher dispels that illusion.

When we "fall in love," we (believe we) are certain that this is not an example of misery. However, all feelings (plural), in not being joy,^* are misery, including those we judge as nice, right, special love (vowing it to be eternal), and so on. As long as we hang onto this deceptive illusion (falling in love or feelings patterns identified as "love"), that belief prevents moving beyond it because our belief tells us we are already beyond it. Caught up in our judged feelings, we ignore and deny the quiet nudge from spirit that says, these feelings you call love (together as one context), is actually fear, and the relationship (based on it) you call holy is a love-hate relationship of fear.

Accepting the invitation to awaken is actually letting go of the false idea of choice. However, as we appear to be beset with a choice-driven world, and we seem to find no way around choosing (because we fear not to choose). The game begins as we exercise the freedom to choose over and over and over and over and over...until we finally notice that all choices (without exception) are unsatisfactory, including our choices and judgments about feelings. Choices and their related outcomes are impossible to make real, for they require a "future time" in order to be real. The non-now-moment and impermanent nature involved with choices and feelings is uncertainty (as possibility and potentiality) ). Choices and feelings judgments about choices cannot be made real, but they are (always) symptoms of fear.