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.
It’s hard to believe we’re closing out another year. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m older now—as Joni Mitchell so eloquently sings, “I look at life from both sides now”—or if it’s because we’re constantly inundated with information. Either way, life can feel like it’s moving at breakneck speed.
I know some people push back on making resolutions—or even claiming January 1st as the “real” start of a new year. Some people use their birthday. Some follow the Chinese Zodiac. I actually love all of it. I’m not married to the calendar, but I am committed to reflection. Because reflection is how I tell the truth about my life.
So as 2025 comes to a close and we set our sights on 2026, I’m asking myself three simple questions:
- What am I really proud of?
- What would I do differently if I could?
- What do I have zero intention of repeating?
Because here’s the thing: we are not just living for today. We are writing tomorrow with the way we live right now. I am the ancestor future generations will speak of. And so are you.
It doesn’t matter who we love, where we worship, how we vote, where we live, or what color our skin is—what matters is how we treat ourselves and each other. That’s the legacy. Individually and collectively. The world doesn’t just need our opinions; it needs our integrity.
And if that sounds big… good. It is big.
Unity isn’t a nice idea—it’s a practice
Unity doesn’t mean we agree on everything. It means we remember we belong to each other anyway. And that lines up perfectly with the CSL Global Vision that calls us to live and grow as one global family—respecting and honoring the interconnectedness of all life.
So I’m asking myself: What would change if I lived like that was true? Not just when I’m in a good mood. Not just when people “deserve” it. But as a spiritual practice.
Ernest Holmes drops a mic (as usual) in Creative Mind and Success:
“Every person is surrounded by a thought atmosphere. This mental atmosphere is the direct result of thought which in its turn becomes the direct reason for the cause of that which comes into our lives.”
Your thought-atmosphere is real. It’s what you carry into a room before you ever say a word. It’s what you feed with your attention—your scrolling, your conversations, your fears, your prayers, your gratitude. And it shapes what shows up.
So here come the honest questions:
- How much time in 2025 did I waste comparing myself to other people?
- How much time did I spend gossiping or judging others (and no, I don’t get a pass by calling it “discernment”)?
- How much time did I spend grateful for my life exactly as it is—and exactly as it is not?
- How often did I tell the people I love that they matter to me?
I can’t get 2025 back. But I can decide what kind of ancestor I’m going to be in 2026.
2026 doesn’t need a “new me.” It needs a more awake me.
Less excuses. More integrity. Less judgment. More love in action.
I don’t need perfection—I need presence.
Less excuses. More integrity. Less judgment. More love in action.
I don’t need perfection—I need presence.
And I’m in.
Have you ever fought changing? I know I have! The wave of what is keeps you treading water so fiercely you don’t think you have the capacity to do anything different.
That’s why The Joy of Becoming first made me laugh out loud. And then it made me stop and think. Changing was a process for sure, and it wasn’t always joyful. And I wouldn’t do it any other way because I experience joy every day of my life now.
I’m not saying I don’t have my moments or let’s be honest days and yet hands down my worst days now our light years better than when I felt like I was drowning.
In the Science of Mind Textbook, Ernest Holmes says, “We are not becoming this Life but are now in and of this Life. There is no other Life. God is not becoming: God IS. God is not growing; God is complete. God is not trying to find out something; God already knows. (p. 292.4)
And as Lyle Lovett would say, “That’s the difference between God and me.”
Yes, I am a manifestation of It in form and I am a work in progress; It is not. If you have ever taken any classes from Landmark, which I have, the introductory class asks the question, “what is life?” People come up with all kinds of answers and the response is, “Life just is”. Just like God, it doesn’t judge it just responds. The difference is God is that ever present, all-knowing, all-seeing, absolute power that loves us unconditionally.
Why wouldn’t we want to be more of that? And it’s a choice. Each one of us has the opportunity every single day to change our thinking (on things big or small). Think about it, if you decided to change one thing every single day in 2026 by the end of the year not only would you have 365 new ways of being, you’d be a brand new, different you.
So, here’s the challenge you can keep on keeping on – complaining about issues big and small or you can join me in giving up one thing every day in 2026 – an item, a thought, a habit, whatever you chose. Write them down every single day and next year at this time we’ll be celebrating the Joy of Becoming.
One thing a day. Write it down. Do it anyway. See you next year—different.
I’ve always been fascinated by the word magic. For some people it carries mystery and delight; for others it brings up fear, fantasy, or childhood stories. It’s a word with history… and with baggage. And yet, underneath it all, magic is simply the experience of the unseen moving through our lives.
Years ago, when I was searching—aching, really—for something, I didn’t know what I was looking for. I just knew my life wasn’t working, and something had to change in a big way.
One day I wandered into a metaphysical bookstore. I didn’t know much about metaphysics at all, but the owners welcomed me with such patience and kindness that I felt instantly at ease. I told them what was going on in my life, and they listened without judgment. That alone felt like magic.
They loaned me a book—one I read cover to cover. I loved almost everything about it. But one part gave me pause. At that time in my life, the word witch carried a lot of cultural baggage for me. It wasn’t that I believed witchcraft was bad or wrong; it just wasn’t a word I was personally comfortable with. And honestly, I had already put my parents through so much that coming home and saying, “Guess what? I’m becoming a witch!” didn’t feel like the next conversation we were all prepared to have.
I wasn’t rejecting anyone’s path. I was simply trying to find the spiritual language that resonated with my soul.
I asked the bookstore owners if there was something that carried the same sense of wisdom, connection, and sacredness—but in a vocabulary that fit my upbringing and my heart.
Two weeks later, I walked through the doors of my first Religious Science / Center for Spiritual Living community. And in that moment, something in me whispered, home.
That experience taught me something deeply important:
Words matter.
Language shapes our comfort, our perception, and often our willingness to stay open.
Language shapes our comfort, our perception, and often our willingness to stay open.
Back then, magic wasn’t a word I could claim.
Today… it absolutely is.
Today… it absolutely is.
Because Affirmative Prayer? It’s a kind of magic.
A shift in consciousness? Magic.
Healing that begins before anything changes on the outside? Magic.
Faith in something unseen yet felt down to our bones? That’s the most beautiful magic there is.
A shift in consciousness? Magic.
Healing that begins before anything changes on the outside? Magic.
Faith in something unseen yet felt down to our bones? That’s the most beautiful magic there is.
We live in a magical universe—one in which our thoughts, our intentions, and our willingness to be transformed all become the ingredients of creation. Not the stage-prop kind of magic. Not the sleight-of-hand kind. But the sacred, interior, soul-led kind.
The magic of alignment.
The magic of realization.
The magic of remembering who we truly are.
The magic of realization.
The magic of remembering who we truly are.
So when I say Making Magic, I’m talking about partnering with the Infinite.
I’m talking about the creative power within each of us.
I’m talking about the everyday miracles that unfold when we choose to say yes to Life.
I’m talking about the creative power within each of us.
I’m talking about the everyday miracles that unfold when we choose to say yes to Life.
That’s the magic I discovered.
The magic that reshaped my world.
And the magic that is available to all of us—right here, right now, with every word, every breath, and every prayer.
The magic that reshaped my world.
And the magic that is available to all of us—right here, right now, with every word, every breath, and every prayer.
Ernest Holmes writes:
“We can sit in the shade or move into the sunshine. Sitting in the shadow we may not really believe that there is any sunshine. But the sun would be there all the time and all the time we are in bondage the real freedom exists. It is there but we must awake to It.” ~Science of Mind, p. 411.3
This quote describes my life story—and I know it resonates with many who have walked their way into a new life. It doesn’t matter how we arrived at our awakening; what matters is that it brought us belonging, peace, and love. If your path led you there, then YES—celebrate it.
We tend to talk about “shadow” more in winter when the days grow short. And if you think about it, our literal shadow appears when the sun is brightest. It shows up because there is light.
Every one of us has a shadow—not because we are bad or broken, but because we are human. It’s the part we don’t usually want to reveal, because it doesn’t feel loving, kind, or joyful. And yet, in its true essence, the shadow is not negative at all. It is simply: unloved, unseen, unintegrated.
Yes, it holds the energies we label “dark”: shame, guilt, fear, unworthiness. And it also holds our disowned brilliance—our power, creativity, confidence, and boldness—wrapped in layers of protection.
My own path to the light—and to owning my shadow—came through Centers for Spiritual Living. I spent most of my early years, into adulthood, as a high-functioning drug addict and alcoholic. And on some level, I believed I deserved to be miserable.
When I walked into my first “church,” something shifted instantly. I felt a sense of belonging I had never experienced before. That community, that teaching, that atmosphere of unconditional acceptance—that was my path to redemption. And it became my path to sobriety.
Here’s the funny twist: my sobriety story is also part of my shadow. I didn’t go through a traditional recovery program—those programs are powerful and save millions of lives. My sobriety came through the teachings of Ernest Holmes. After 23 years clean and sober, people assume I walked a familiar path, and when I explain mine, some want to doubt its validity. And that’s what the shadow is: the parts of ourselves we resist owning—whether it’s our brilliance or our insecurities.
Stepping into the light doesn’t eliminate the shadow. It simply doesn’t allow it to drive the bus.
So, let me be honest: when I’m hungry, angry, lonely, or tired—my shadow grabs the wheel and aims for the ditch.
That’s when I pause, breathe, and ask:
“What are you trying to show me? What needs healing now?”
And then I gently return to the driver’s seat of my life.
Life is a journey.
We will all have “days.”
But those days do not get to define us—unless we hand them the keys.
The light is always there.
Freedom is always there.
Wholeness is always there.
Just like Holmes said:
“The sun would be there all the time… but we must awake to It.”
And every time we wake up—every time we re-claim our seat in the driver’s chair—we bring another piece of the shadow into the light and discover, again and again, that we are whole.
