Podcast Episode: New Thought in a New World

(Edited Transcript)

Hey there, I’m Jesse Brune, and I’m so glad you’re here. Today’s reflection is all about New Thought philosophy, and why these teachings, some of them over a century old, still matter in today’s world.

At the heart of it, I believe the call right now is peace. Not peace as an abstract idea, but peace as a practice, a loving discipline we can commit to for ourselves, for one another, for our country, and for the world.

Before diving in, I always like to begin with a blessing using the G.O.D.S. Prayer framework:

Gratitude for this moment, this space, and for you, wherever you may be.Offering up distractions, fears, or judgments so they can be released.Declaration that peace is here, love is real, clarity is available.Sharing the blessings outward so the peace cultivated here ripples into our relationships, our communities, and the collective heart of the planet.

And so it is.

The Call of Peace

I’ve been leaning into the words of Marianne Williamson, who wrote, “The practice of love is the most powerful healing force in the world.” She reminds us that peace isn’t just the absence of violence. Violence is the absence of peace. That is a call to action. Peace isn’t something that arrives when conflict quiets down. It is what happens when we choose it, cultivate it, and commit to it as a way of life.

This ties closely to forgiveness. As Colin Tipping’s Radical Forgiveness describes, forgiveness is a doorway back to peace. Forgiveness is never for the other person, it is for us. It is about releasing heavy chains of resentment so we can experience the spaciousness of healing. And once peace and forgiveness are together in the room, true transformation begins.

What is New Thought?

New Thought grew out of the metaphysical tradition. It rests on the recognition that our thoughts and consciousness shape our lived experience. Traditional religion often places God “out there,” while New Thought turns that idea inside out: God is within. Love is within. Peace is within. The mind is the bridge that allows us to experience it.

Early voices like Phineas Quimby, Emma Curtis Hopkins, and Ernest Holmes taught that our beliefs matter. They influence not only our feelings but also our health, relationships, and quality of life. And that’s why New Thought is so practical. It is not just lofty ideas, it offers tools. Affirmations, affirmative prayer, meditation, forgiveness: these are accessible practices you can reach for on a messy Tuesday morning or in moments of deep challenge.

Modern Teachers and the Law of Attraction

Today, leaders like Rev. Dr. Michael Beckwith at Agape Spiritual Center carry New Thought forward. If you have ever heard him speak, you know how irresistibly inspiring he is.

Many people first encountered New Thought through the movie The Secret, which introduced the principle of the law of attraction: like attracts like. Hold a thought with feeling, and you magnetize it into your experience. It is powerful, and it opens the door for many to explore these teachings.

But here is the deeper invitation: beyond material goals lies the spiritual quality underneath. What is the true desire of the heart? If you imagine your goal fulfilled, how do you feel? Those qualities, peace, joy, freedom, have always been within you. Creating from that overflow, instead of from lack, is where true freedom lives.

Meeting the Moment

New Thought is not perfect. At times, communities have fallen into spiritual bypass, ignoring injustice by retreating into “love and light” while avoiding the real work of cultural healing. True peace is not avoidance, it is engagement. It asks us to respond to movements like Black Lives Matter or Me Too not with blame or silence but with compassion, understanding, and solidarity.

New Thought at its best gives us both the inner practices and the outer call to action. Prayer and protest. Meditation and movement. Forgiveness and activism. The personal is communal. Our collective thought matters too.

Why It Matters Today

We are living in a world of deep unrest. Division is loud. Fear is contagious. And yet, New Thought reminds us that we are not powerless. We are powerful beyond measure. By choosing peace, embodying love, and practicing forgiveness, we not only change ourselves but also contribute to the

healing of the world.

This is not about escaping reality. It is about transforming it. Using every tool at our disposal to become peacemakers in a world that desperately needs us awake.

Sometimes the work feels overwhelming, but the answer is always the same: one step at a time. Cultivate willingness, take the next peaceful step, and when you fall, get back up. That is the discipline.

That is the practice.

Closing Thoughts

Peace is the most important thing right now. I feel it in every part of my being. My commitment is to live a peaceful, harm-free life and to demonstrate that choice to my family, my community, and to you.

Peace is not passive. It is powerful. It is the foundation for healing, freedom, and even the life of your dreams. When you choose peace, you supercharge your manifestation work because you are building from the most solid foundation of all.

So keep it simple: write your gratitude list, listen to uplifting music, meditate, laugh, breathe, forgive. Support those on the front lines, and cultivate peace in your own home, your own heart, your own family.

That is powerful medicine. You got this and I got you.

For more resources to support your spiritual path, visit ActiveLoveProject.com.