Happy New Year! We have booked another 365 days.
I love the Science of Mind teachings—probably because they gave me the tools that helped me change my life. They opened a kind of Pandora’s box within me, one that invited me to take responsibility for all the wins (few at the time) and all the missteps (more than I could count—or would want to share).
In his own words, Ernest Holmes defined Religious Science as “a compilation of the opinions of philosophy, the laws of science, and the revelations of religion applied to the aspirations of (wo)man.”
Since 2026 (2+0+2+6 = 10 = 1) is all about beginnings—and February’s Chinese New Year ushers in the Year of the Fire Horse—I’ve decided to take a deeper dive into the wisdom of the sage who changed my life: Ernest Holmes.
So, we begin with The Thing Itself.
The Thing Itself is the Power behind all creation. It is known by many names:
Judaism—YHWH
Christianity—God
Islam—Allah
Hinduism—Atman
Taoism—Tao
Indigenous and Earth-based traditions—Great Spirit
Judaism—YHWH
Christianity—God
Islam—Allah
Hinduism—Atman
Taoism—Tao
Indigenous and Earth-based traditions—Great Spirit
The Thing Itself is all of that, because all of those are It.
Many paths. One destination.
Many paths. One destination.
In our Declaration of Principles, Ernest Holmes wrote:
“We believe in God, the Living Spirit Almighty; one, indestructible, absolute and self-existent Cause. This One manifests itself in and through all creation but is not absorbed by its creation. The manifest universe is the body of God; it is the logical and necessary outcome of the infinite self-knowingness of God.”
“We believe in God, the Living Spirit Almighty; one, indestructible, absolute and self-existent Cause. This One manifests itself in and through all creation but is not absorbed by its creation. The manifest universe is the body of God; it is the logical and necessary outcome of the infinite self-knowingness of God.”
This is that which has always been, will always be, and is present right here and right now. It does not have a favorite person, team, religion, or country. It loves all things unconditionally.
People often ask, “Well, what about this person?” or “What about that action?” Here’s the truth: we are all individualized expressions of God in form. And with free will, we get to choose whether we live from that awareness—or forget it.
It can be tempting, even as ministers, practitioners, or students of this philosophy, to place blame. Yet one of the greatest lessons of Science of Mind is this: you are responsible for your life. And on a global scale, we are responsible for our collective life.
It’s not that God—the Thing Itself, YHWH, Allah, Atman, Tao, the Great Spirit—doesn’t care. It’s that the invitation is to recognize the power and presence of It within you. Not from an egoic place, but from the truth that It is in, through, and as everything.
I may not be able to change the world, but I can change the way I see it.
I may not be able to change my country, but I can change what I focus on.
I may not be able to change my neighbors, but I can change how I choose to show up with them.
I may not be able to change my country, but I can change what I focus on.
I may not be able to change my neighbors, but I can change how I choose to show up with them.
If you want a better world, a better country, a better neighborhood—practice being a better person.
Start by owning this truth: The Thing Itself is no farther from you than the nose on your face.
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