By Bruce Tracy, Ph.D.
  It’s been the greatest pleasure of my life to have discovered the life-healing teachings of Vernon Howard and to be learning to apply them in my daily life. His clear, no-nonsense instructions for cleaning clutter out of my life have shown me, gradually and over years and years, how to drop harmful ties to negative people in my life; how to move beyond a lifetime career that, although satisfactory in many ways, wasn’t as suited to inner development as what has replaced it; how to upgrade my living environment — moving from a large city out to the country; and how to begin putting the Truth first in my life.
  Naturally, this entire process of self-transformation is ongoing, and I wouldn’t at all say I’m “out of the woods” yet, not by a long shot. But the path lies clear before me and at last I know what I must do to maximize life-freedom for myself in the years ahead.
  When first encountering these powerful teachings, I was embroiled in all the usual personal and professional relationships and obligations — many of them running my life and telling me how to feel instead of me being in control of them. Not so much now. While still finding myself ensnared by false so-called duties to groups and individuals, I can nevertheless think more clearly toward the cries of the world for my time, energy and money. I can stand back more from situations and better evaluate where my own true benefit lies instead of just automatically falling under the spell of others.
  This same power of clear sight taught by Mr. Howard has done good work in my career path as well, twice now showing me how to flat-out quit otherwise excellent and secure jobs I held in my previous (decades-long) profession in order to move into other lines of work that allow me to support myself from home — a much more pleasant circumstance all around. Amazing how truly practical these wonderful teachings are, for they also showed me how I could leave the noise and danger of modern city life and escape to more rural surroundings — something I’d only dreamed of before; and now I can’t imagine putting up with urban crowding and crime ever again. (“Satan loves the big city and detests the small towns,” as Vernon once said.)
  The prospect of putting Truth first (like what Christ said about the Kingdom of Heaven) is beginning to seem more possible to me with every passing year in these New Life studies. Occasionally I can glimpse what Mr. Howard must have done himself and to “step aside” in small ways from all that I’ve considered to be “me”, “my” life, “my” needs and wants and demands and to investigate what it might mean to “let go and let God.” It’s something I can sense the utter rightness of, something beyond all pleasant-sounding phrases and religious slogans, and something I’m beginning to want much, much more of — thank God!
  Vernon’s proclamation of individual liberty that he taught and lived has never been so vitally important as it is today. That’s the legacy that any of us can absorb and call to life within ourselves and then learn (ever more, day after day, without ever stopping) to enjoy the actual benefits thereof. Not just a clever philosophical slogan, “Cosmic Power” is a living reality we can each experience for ourselves. 
  A “New Life” — which is more needed than anything else in this weary, reeling world — can be ours: a personal possession beyond all others, the answer to every cry of the heart, the answer to any and all questions and the utter end at last of all nonsense. Yes, that’s how the teachings of Vernon Howard help me in my daily life — healing the wounds of the past and fears of the future, straightening what’s been twisted and pointing me (if I’m willing to go) towards that effortless, peaceful state we’ve all yearned for — and eventually getting us “home before dark.” I encourage all readers to test his instructions for yourselves, for if you do, I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed!

By Janice Peck
  Walking in the mountains at an elevation of 7,800 ft early one morning, there was dew on the tips of the leaves and grass, deer scampering across the roadway, chipmunks darting across the path, birds singing, bunnies hopping, together with the greenery of brush, shrubs, aspen and pine, and the aroma of the early morning high country fresh mountain air — Spectacular! This is God’s gift to us.
  Looking inside at my mind and observing that it is constantly thinking and thinking — the contrast is startling!
  But we have been given so many tools to break the spell of the mind and to return to our true spiritual home. Some of the most valuable of these are the spiritual exercises Vernon has given us in abundance.
  Here are some exercises and instructions I use over and over again to break the hypnosis of what Vernon calls ‘mental movies’: 1) With the Abrupt Interrupt exercise, I cut off the painful thought the moment it appears and know where I am at that moment and ‘observe’ or ‘see’ rather than think. 2) Vernon also encouraged us to practice the Run Out of Yourself exercise which is to tell yourself all about yourself. 3) Carry notes, a booklet, a book, something of the higher with me so that I can get true help at any moment. 4) Instead of running away from painful interactions with others, it is often critical to invite the knowledge that what you see in the other person also exists presently in you. It’s just hidden and buried from view. By letting the truth of the other person’s trait reveal similar wrongness in you, it cancels out the criticalness and brings a definite humility, a relief and a new understanding. This must be done honestly and truthfully and not just done to quiet the pain. 5) Practice non-identification because everything in the false self resists feeling real shame, resists feeling and knowing its own cruelty and resists being aware of its own mental ‘war games’.
  I recently observed a bumper sticker that reads: “Queen of the Road.” Isn’t that really how, in secret, we all live and consequently get from life nothing authentic? What about having a new bumper sticker, one that reads: “God, Truth, Reality Rules”? Wouldn’t it be a good reminder to thank him for his gifts and especially for the Truth Teachings we were given here, which, if used to change ourselves, can exceed the level of all the stars in the sky? When understood, we gladly obey.
  With the correct order of putting Truth first, how can anything but goodness follow?

By Doug Stewart
  The teachings of Vernon Howard have touched my life in so many ways. They have shaped how I start my day, how I pass through it and how I end it. How true it is that every moment presents all of us with the opportunity to wake up.
  Vernon tells us to start our day in a right way. I employ the suggestions in “Practical Exercises for Inner Harmony”. Despite the grogginess, I try to feel my feet on the floor and give my psychic system a good shake when I first get out of bed. My next inclination is to get a cup of coffee or do some calisthenics, but I don’t. A phrase came to my head one day, which was “Put the Spiritual Before the Physical”, so I move on to another Vernon Howard exercise I heard on a tape called “Walk Yourself Awake” — you’ll find it printed on the New Life website. There are probably only four or five days out of each year that I do not do this exercise, if you’ll pardon the term, religiously. One has to do it alone and sometimes it’s been a challenge while on out-of-town trips with family members or organized events like Boy Scout camp outs but one can find a way. I also include something else that’s vitally important to me.
  A number of years ago, I heard a tape about Right Prayers. I have always been fascinated with praying to God. Before coming to New Life, I was very confused and reluctant to pray, primarily because everything I learned about praying came from corrupted sources. You can imagine the kind of prayers that were answered and those that weren’t! Do you know what a miracle it is to learn how to pray rightly? I don’t go out of the house each morning without saying a number of right prayers that I have heard Mr. Howard give us on tapes and in books. I also include some that I have created myself, using guidelines he articulated. The prayers I say include “Please God, go with me today”, “Please God, save me from me”, “Please God, let me be strong with Your Strength ... let me be wise with Your Wisdom ... let me be pleasant with Your Pleasantness” and others. One day, a prayer came to me “Please God, let me be sane with Your Sanity”. I’ll take all the authentic help I can get!
  Driving to my office or to class usually involves a fair amount of time on the road. I used to grumble about all the driving but the long stretches in the car have presented me with a unique opportunity to add more Truth to my life. There’s almost always a Vernon Howard tape playing in my cassette deck. I will listen to a tape over and over again before moving on to another one. There is so much I miss on the first pass that it often takes three or four listenings before I hear most everything on both sides. It’s fun to go back to old tapes after a number of years. I am often sure that I have discovered the side of a tape I never listened to before until I come across a particular phrase that rings a bell. When this happens, I have to chuckle at myself. An important part of my Work is to attend as many classes and banquets as I can. I make an announcement in each class about a wonderful New Life free service, the “Secrets of Life” daily quote. I often can’t wait to open my e-mail each morning to see what insights await me there.
  I end my day with a few brief prayers, all of them from New Life materials. One of the most disturbing ones to my old, bad nature is a prayer that says “Please God, show me how to make You my only friend.” It takes courage that I don’t often have to ask God for things I don’t understand. I’ve heard Vernon give words of genuine guidance: he tells you to ask God for something even if you don’t know what you’re asking for.
  There is so much to learn and not all the time in the world left to do it. With each new gleam of insight that comes from Mr. Howard’s teachings, it becomes more and more clear to me that nothing is more important than The Work. As that famous television series used to say, “The Truth is out there!” Yes, it is and no one provides it more clearly or in such abundance as Vernon Howard does.

By Judy Poston
  One of my favorite Vernon Howard quotes is, “Life is not a race to be won, but a school for your higher education.” Giving myself a daily exercise to do helps me to remember to apply the principles in every aspect of my life — at work, at home, in relationships with other people and in relation to myself. Just a simple phrase, sentence or story makes it clearer to me that each experience has a spiritual lesson in it that can be used for my personal growth.
  As an elementary school teacher, my workplace provides an especially good environment for self-seeing and for working on myself. Trying to teach kindergartners while keeping order in the classroom is a real challenge! A teacher once asked Vernon Howard “How can I use these principles in my job as a teacher to help the children?” He said with great emphasis “You be an example of rightness to those children!” I’ve never forgotten that directive but if I do allow a little imp of negativity to enter in, I can use these principles to learn and to grow. Perhaps I see irritation rise up within me when a child misbehaves in the classroom and I’m tempted to express that feeling outwardly. I am capable of seeing the irritation take me over and I’m capable of separating from it. The separation itself is a call to a higher power for help.
  If I’m very alert, I can see and feel the unwanted state arise, separate from it and even drop it so that it doesn’t create a wave of negativity that goes out into the atmosphere of the classroom. Of course this doesn’t mean that I’m not firm with the children. It simply means that I don’t impulsively fall into an irritated or angry state but that I handle the challenge consciously. This work is all about submitting to the lessons that life is trying to teach us. And in yielding to the lesson, life becomes new and different and much more enjoyable. Thank you Vernon for showing me how to use everything to grow.

By Roy Pascal
  A while ago, my life was overrun by my family. My father had me take him to work before I went to work. My stepmother felt she had a right to call me any time to make repairs to her house; my niece and nephew who got into a lot of trouble always called me to solve their problems. I was up to my neck in family life. They were draining me of my life. I knew it, I felt it, but I saw no way out.
  It was a “yes-mess.” Then I began to work with some of the exercises Vernon Howard gave us, exercises that if done with a right heart and spirit can change everything. I used the Themaswot exercise to begin to say NO to my family who just wanted to unload on me. “Themaswot makes the suggestions are the ones who must do the work, make the decisions and pay the money.” At first I just said no to their small “requests” and called their bluff. Then I got stronger. The howl from my family members was very loud and very long. They tried everything individually and as a group to get me back in their clutches. I was able nicely and without anger to refuse all of their demands! Slowly they faded away, and after many years of inner work and sticking very close to the classes, they are no problem at all.
   I’ve found and this is really important: THE CLASSES MAKE YOU INWARDLY TOUGHER. I NEVER MISS A BANQUET, NOT EVER; BELIEVE ME, ATTENDING THE BANQUETS HELP. This work is like riding a fast spinning top. If you stay right at the center, you stick with the Truth. If you wander at all, you will be flung off the top. Stick close to the center. NEVER MISS A CLASS OR A BANQUET THAT YOU CAN ATTEND.
   There is more to this work than I ever had any idea of in the beginning. I now have a real appreciation for what Vernon Howard gave us. I would never have had a peek into something other than Roy’s little world unless I persisted. I will never stop attending these classes. They are the only thing on the planet that has true meaning. That may sound unbelievable but it is the truth. Find out for yourself.

By Alice Steincke
  It starts in the morning when I first wake up. I use the exercise to know my feet are touching the floor. This is a helpful reminder to stay awake the rest of the day.
  On going about my day, I ask myself “What can I learn about myself today?” “Do I let outer events take me into negative moods or do I study my reactions to see that I am the one creating the problem?”
  Shopping is a wonderful place to see these principles at work. I ask myself “Do I really need it and can I afford it?” If the answer is an honest ‘No’ to either question, I don’t buy the item, saving both time and money.
  The principle of a simple yes or no answer to a question asked by someone is another great time saver and helps in keeping imagination from carrying me off into long needless explanations, boring the other person and draining energy from both of us.
  If I make a mistake and find myself in a negative mood, I need not feel guilty or condemn myself but remember that I can drop my anxieties and live a free life.