Six Ways to Start

Do not wait to strike ‘til the iron is hot;
but make it hot by striking.
– W. B. Yeats

With focus and commitment to a process, action transforms words into work, and work into rewards. The first goal is to overcome nonproductive or destructive habits. It begins with keeping a promise to yourself, then building momentum – one kept promise at a time. Can I walk around the block today? Can I do it again tomorrow? Can I walk around the block at the same time every day? Can I run around the block? Here are six ways you can take action today and begin building momentum.

1. Show Your Work
In geometry, there are given statements and proofs. Taken as a metaphor, all religious precepts are like the given statement. The problem is that too many of us trust the teacher’s proof and are happy to let it go at that. Of course, in mathematics we know someone has figured it out already. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have to solve the proof yourself. You still have to show your work and prove the truth of the statement that others have figured out before. Those who espouse religious faith are often considered virtuous for simply accepting the validity of a premise without explicitly showing their work. In a search for Truth, we must begin by setting out to prove the given statements, not just accept them.

2. Assume the Best
In algebra, the first thing they teach you is that there are things we assume but cannot prove. For example, we can’t divide by zero. If the queen of the sciences can start with unproven axioms, then likewise we can start our search for the Truth with a few assumptions.

1. There is a truth. Even if there is no capital “T” Truth, there are approximations to small “t” truths in our ordinary lives. This means, practically speaking, there are better and worse ways to live your life.

2. Human beings can find the truth. It is possible.

3. If human beings can find the truth, you can find the truth. So often arguments against seeking the truth are covers for the assumption that “I can’t do it.”

4. As above, so below. The universal is recapitulated in the particular. It means the same laws, rules, or principles that apply to our “earthly” life also apply to spiritual life. Better put, spirituality is not otherworldly at all. Instead, spirituality informs and infuses every aspect of our physical life.

3. Resist Untruth
Play the odds. We move from the obviously absurd to the less absurd. Look for better and better approximations of truth and resist the rest. Keep in mind that we are going to make mistakes. It takes time and energy to recognize untruth and disentangle ourselves from it. Let common sense, intuition, and curiosity guide you. Your personal life needs to be as simple, smooth, and orderly as possible. Simplify your life, and get your house in order.

4. Put Yourself in Play
Even when we have an intuition that there is a transcendent nature to life, to act on that intuition requires some kind of faith. The scientist who has a hunch that the question has an answer demonstrates faith when he takes action to find out. Faith is not in the hunch but in the action taken. The scientist has the implicit faith to put himself in play. A better analogy is falling in love. Make a commitment. Like everything else in life, the more we commit, the more results we see, leading to deeper and deeper commitment. There is a feedback loop that will deepen your commitment once you have faith enough to put yourself in play.

5. Find a Group, Start a Group
If you have started to put yourself in play, and you have begun breaking away from untruth, you will soon find that alone, you fail. You need a community to sustain you. Even a small group of just a few people can be a powerful catalyst for growth. A spiritual book club, for example, can be a great way to share and explore ideas and fuel the energy and excitement of the process. You may be able to find and join a group or you may have to create your own, but the support of a community will be essential to your success.

6. Find a Teacher
The world’s greatest business leaders all had their mentors, and every star athlete has had an instrumental coach. Excellence in any arena requires teachers who have been down the road before, and the search for the Truth is no different.

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