No, I’m not Britney Spears. And now I can’t get that song out of my head.

But I did catch myself doing something I had said I would stop doing. Yes, we’ve all been there. We commit to approaching things differently and turn right around and do the very thing we said we wouldn’t.

What am I talking about, you ask? You’re likely wondering what would make me reach back to a hit song from the year 2000 to explain myself.

“I already know that…”

Yeah, I’m talking about using the statement, “I already know that…”

These four words can seriously hinder growth. I’m not unaware of that. And yet I did it again.

I started out reading a book and the author advises to have a “beginner’s mind” or to approach the information in the book as if you’re encountering it for the first time.

There are exercises the book leads you through and he mentions that the people who have success actually worked through them as opposed to skipping those parts with the idea to come back later.

Most people rarely do. That's what I caught myself doing.

Shut It Down
Telling yourself that you already know something can shut your mind down in a heartbeat when it comes to new learning.

We started the New Thought-Metaphysics Lab class this week and that warning came up there, too.

Pam Grout, the author of the that’s the basis of the class says, telling yourself you already know something “collapses the wave, leaving no room for mystery, wonder, and new discoveries”.

When you feel we know it, you stop questioning and learning at that moment. It is tough being in a mentally-closed place.

Many of you, (me included), have read books, taken classes, attended seminars, conferences and listened to countless teachers who have similar messages.

Let’s Be Honest
And truthfully, most of it does point back to a few simple principles. That’s why they’re universal. They might be worded and packaged differently but it’s the same basic ideas.

So, you feel you have seen and heard it all.

“I already know that…”

Sure, on an intellectual level you do.

While we’re being honest, let’s admit it: there’s a BIG difference between intellectual understanding and putting these principles into action.

Application
The key is knowing the steps AND putting them into action. It’s about being mindful of your tendency to declare you already know it and stopping it.

It’s about being open enough to put aside your skepticism and truly test things to experience the results.

That’s what has me excited about this “lab”. Testing and measuring the principles we teach.

Lessons Learned
I’ve shared that doing these experiments is showing me that I have much work to do. When it comes to aligning my actual practices and application to what I say I know, there’s a gap.

And the first step is being aware that it’s there. Then doing something about it.

But then I already know that. Oops, I did it again…

New Every Moment,
John

I read an article in a recent issue of Time Magazine entitled, The New Science of Exercise”. It shares how only 20% of people in the U.S. get the recommended 150 minutes of strength and cardiovascular activity per week.

The benefits from regular activity are impressive in terms of overall health and well-being. The article refers to this regular activity as “medicine” that is as good or better than the pharmaceutical paths so many of us take.

All types of physical activity from mowing the grass to playing with the kids to raking leaves and more count.

In addition, doing something weekly that increases your heart rate and tones your muscles is key. The important thing is to get up and move. Do some strength training. And move some more.

A quote in the article from 1905—yes, this discussion has been taking place for that long, mentions that for most of us, our activity consists of “yelling from the bleachers” or being spectators while others actually participate in the activities.

And while I think the subject of health and physical activity is important, there is another kind of “yelling from the bleachers” that I also want to discuss.

Spectator Sport Spirituality
The New Thought/Ancient Wisdom teaching prides itself on being “practical” or an approach to spirituality that focuses more on applying its principles to daily living rather than engaging in theory.

Much of the early focus in the United States was on healing. So, people were constantly incorporating techniques that promoted a healthy body and mind.

Yet, it is not an understatement to say that these days a lot of people engage in this teaching more as a “spectator sport” than actually getting in the game.

It’s easy to remind others, “change your thinking, change your life” or “your thoughts create your reality”.
But the real issue is actually working these principles. More importantly, being consistent in using them so that the first time we do isn’t in times of crisis or trouble.

When my son was in elementary school, he had a science project that involved examining whether changing the shape of an object affected its ability to float. We took some clay, balled it up and put it in a pan of water. It immediately floated to the bottom.

The idea for the second test was to shape the clay so that it resembled a boat hull and would float. He went on to the other parts of the project and for once we completed it in advance of the deadline. Or so I thought.

Later, around 2 AM, I sat straight up in the bed with the realization that while we made the assumption the hull-shaped piece of clay would float, we never tested it!

I went downstairs and put the clay in the bowl of water. It immediately sank!

With a little bit of effort, I shaped and reshaped that piece of clay until it floated. I told my son about it the next morning.

If I never tested it, we would have never realized that adjustments were needed and when it came time to demonstrate, it would have failed.

Put It to the Test
So, I wanted to go beyond talking about the principles we teach to testing them. On September 13, 2016, we started something I’m calling it the New Thought-Metaphysics Lab.

We’re using the book E-Squared: Nine Do-It-Yourself Energy Experiments That Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality by Pam Grout.

The experiments are fun and eye-opening.

We’re not so much concerned with reading and discussing ideas as we are in putting them to the test.

Simply put, we’re going from yelling in the bleachers to getting in the game.

Check back in a few weeks to hear about some results.

New Every Moment,
John

You find something that works for you and you do it!

But you only do it for a short time…

You feel that to make things happen in your life requires big efforts, events or change…

So, you talk yourself out of it because “it’s going to be hard”.

And then life goes back to being, well, kind of mediocre. Jeff Olson, in The Slight Edge, says that 95% of us live what he calls mediocre lives.

But because you are connected with Open Heart Spiritual Center and reading this, chances are you’re committed to a life that’s more than just so-so.

How do you go about it? Of course, you’re going to hear me talk about being a conscious creator, setting your intention, staying the course, and knowing that it’s already done in the mind of God.

That’s key. There are many ways to do this.

But what I find with many people, myself included, is the tendency to find something that works and do it… for a while and then stop.

Perhaps, as Olson suggests, finding one or two “small” things to do each day that propel us toward success, and do them. It can be as simple as reading 10 pages of a life-transforming book daily.

Or using affirmations throughout the day, particularly when circumstances appear that otherwise sends your mind into a negative spiral.

Whatever it is, consistent, small steps over time make the difference.

Think of the Grand Canyon for example. It’s testament to the fact that the steady, repeated action of water will wear even the hardest, roughest.

And actually, most of us know this. So, why don’t we do it?

Jeff Olson reminds us:

Those things are easy to do… or not to do…
Results are invisible- at first, they don’t add up to success
Seem insignificant- what I do right now doesn’t matter

But remember:
What you do today matters
What you do every day matters

It’s never too late to start. It’s always too late to wait.

“Do the thing and you shall have the power.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

New Every Moment,
John