“All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

There is a word we use that is thousands of years old. It is older than the English language (which is my point of reference, American english being my primary language). In all the time it has existed, the word has had almost no change in meaning. The word spans religions (specifically Abrahamic religions) and cultures. It occurs to me that most people likely don’t really know what it means unless they’ve taken the time to look it up.

Amen.

It is a ubiquitous statement at the end of a prayer, it signifies that the prayer is complete. But what does it really mean? Etymologically the word originates in Hebrew. The word simply means “truth,” and is used adverbially as a way of confirming something to be so. Basically, to say amen is to say, “and so it is.”

In my faith tradition, Religious Science, we say the same thing at the culmination of a prayer, we just use the English to say it.

And so it is.

There is a great power in making that definite statement. Saying, “and so it is,” or, “amen,” means there is no other acceptable option. This is the power of our word which is how our lives show up. And we are doing it all the time, whether we say amen or not.

The words we utter are the results of thoughts we have… those thoughts are rooted in beliefs which are the cornerstones of creation. Do you truly believe what you are saying? Or is what you are saying subconsciously in opposition to your core belief? Which is stronger?

I know what I believe.

Here is a test to try, at the end of everything you say throughout the day, follow it with, “and so it is.” In that moment, check in — do you truly believe it? Only that small voice in the back of your mind will be there to tell you. After all, I can say something with the appearance of conviction, but that doesn’t mean I believe it. True conviction in what we are saying comes from within. So test the waters. See if what you say matches with the belief by uttering, “and so it is,” or, “amen,” at the end of your statement.

If the belief doesn’t match what you would like to experience in life then we can begin the mental work to strengthen a new belief and allow the grip of the old to dissipate.

That’s how we change our lives.