On June 20, 2015 I attended a graduation ceremony marking the culmination of 14 years of study (I was first introduced to the study in 2001) and I became a Licensed Minister of Science of Mind, also known as Religious Science.

You may or may not have heard of Science of Mind. It is NOT Scientology, Divine Science, or Christian Science. I know that may sound confusing, but Science of Mind bears no resemblance to any of those religious groups. In fact, I don't really think of Science of Mind as a religion at all. Instead it is a philosophy...a way of life...and for me, it has become a way of being that is an integral part of who I have become since undertaking the study.

As a Science of Mind student, Licensed Practitioner, and now a Licensed Minister, I use the principles of the teaching to guide me in my daily thoughts, my daily interactions, and my daily life in general.

The Buddha said, "You are what you think." I believe that. But what I believe more deeply is that you are as you believe. Jesus said it himself to the Centurion who asked for healing for his servant: "Let it be done just as you believed it would." (Matthew 8:13)

In the teachings of Ernest Holmes, the founder of Science of Mind, “There is one power in the Universe and we can all use it.” I absolutely believe that. In fact, I have used that belief in order to achieve everything I have achieved in the last 14+ years, including starting and completing my doctoral work. I used it in running for and winning the office of President of the Virginia Education Association. I used it as I did the best I could in leading the VEA through one of the most difficult periods in the organization's history. And I have used it every day in the course of the last two years in which I have started a new business, become a coach, a professional speaker, published an ebook, and now finished my Science of Mind studies by becoming a Licensed Minister.

In case you are wondering, I don't plan to "preach" as a Minister, although I would certainly be open to talking to groups about the fundamental principles of Science of Mind teachings. I would like to teach, and I will be offering a Science of Mind I and II class in the fall. I already use my understanding of Science of Mind in everything I do as a coach, as a career advisor and job search counselor, and as a writer.

I am complete as far as meeting the requirements for becoming a Minister in the Science of Mind spiritual community, but I am certainly not complete as far as studying and delving even deeper into the teaching. There are many masters who have gone before me, and I want to learn from each of them. I will continue to work on new goals, and I will continue to use Science of Mind spiritual principles in attaining them. That is, after all, what my "CAN DO" Model for Success is all about, isn't it?

So, I just wanted to share this new accomplishment with you. If you are striving to attain a goal that for yourself, let me know. Perhaps we can work on it together.

Have you downloaded your free book, Stressed, Stretched, and Just Plain Overwhelmed yet? This book explains the negative health implications of not understanding and dealing with the stress in your life. It offers practical, affordable, common sense strategies for taking better care of yourself and it offers advice on creating work-life balance which eludes most of us too much of the time.

To access your FREE copy of the book, just click on the graphic below for the download. Please feel free to share as you see fit. As I said, I just want the information to get to the people who need it.

If you or a friend or family member is looking for a job because they are out of work, between jobs, or underemployed, contact me for information about the “disruptive job search” methodology that is taught at CareerHMO, the “cure for chronic career pain.” I am now working as a career coach with CareerHMO and am looking for people who could benefit from the program and the fantastic resources that are available through CareerHMO and its sister site, Careerealism.