“It is done unto you as you believe.” This is the whole essence of the Science of Mind Teaching and of the philosophy of many spiritual paths. This is the truth that lights my own path and assists me every day to examine and change my beliefs when necessary. I had an experience just yesterday.

There is a man who comes up to me at the gym frequently to let me know what it is like to get old. Yesterday, he began speaking about his wife who recently had surgery. I said something like, “Well, she is in great shape, so she will heal quickly.” I totally believed these words as I spoke them. He let me know immediately that “when we get older, we heal slower.” He shook his head in dismay, but also laughed a little at the same time, maybe to cheer himself up. I wanted to say something to change his belief, but instead I came at from another angle, “Well, she has a positive attitude and that will help.” My words seemed to fall on deaf ears. He excused himself and moved to someone else to repeat his story.

How old are you? What if you were ageless. Your Spirit is. Yes, we are born into the 3D world with all the collective consciousness that comes with it regarding age and aging. However, maybe there is more to know. Maybe we can grow old with grace and health. In a reading in the Science of Mind, Ernest Holmes said this regarding aging and fatigue. He spoke of a belief in fatigue being settled into the collective consciousness of aging. Here is his remedy:

“We can free ourselves from a feeling of approaching fatigue, by knowing that we have within us – always immediately available – an Infinite Strength. As we allow the thought of this to enter our inner consciousness, we feel strong, vital and equal to any emergency. ‘Know ye not that ye are the temple of the living God?’ This power within you is the same that holds the planets in space. The power back of your word is perfect law and is fulled and returned to you as your perfect strength.”

It’ is done unto us as we believe. In quantum theory tells me there is no separation between the subject and the object. I at one with everything. That man at the gym is a reflection of my own mind and beliefs that linger still. I want to help him, but the best way to help another person is to help ourselves. In this case, the help is just a thought away. I’m recalling the words of a song by Frank Sinatra…

Fairytales can come true
It can happen to you
If you’re young at heart
For it’s hard you will find

To be narrow of mind
If you’re young at heart
You can go to extremes
With impossible schemes

You can laugh when your dreams
Fall apart at the seams
And life gets more exciting
With each passing day
And love is either in your heart

Or on it’s way
Don’t you know that it’s worth
Every treasure on earth
To be young at heart
For as rich as you are
It’s much better by far
To be young at heart

And if you should survive to 105
Look at all you’ll derive
Out of being alive
And here is the best part
You’ve had a head start
If you are among the very
Young at heart

Love and Aloha,

Rev. Rita Andriello-Feren, Co-Founding Spiritual Director CSL Kaua1i and Author