I Don't Do The Past

An Interview With Terry Cole Whittaker
By Ronald S. Miller with Kathy Julie, Contributing

When she left her television ministry in 1985, Terry Cole Whittaker was reaching millions of viewers worldwide, she was a renowned motivational leader, and her books were national bestsellers. Following her hectic life in the public spotlight, she embarked on a fifteen year period of inner searching, which included a study of the world's sacred scriptures. Recently returning to public life, she has founded Innerfaith Ministries in Palm Springs, California, a New Thought church. Her new book, Every Saint Has a Past, Every Sinner a Future, published by Putnam Tarcher, was released earlier this year.

Your new book overflows with the wisdom gleaned from a lifetime of teaching and study. What is the main message of Every Saint Has a Past, Every Sinner a Future?

Terry: The book offers the greatest news! No mater what our age or personal history, we always get another chance to attain the happiness, love, and prosperity that we desire. Often we get discouraged, thinking that we've made too many mistakes, we've failed too often, we're too old, or we lack some indefinable quality that's necessary for success. But no matter what life has handed us, we should never abandon our goals and dreams. We have endless possibilities for growth when we dedicate our talents and abilities to the service of God and humanity. The greatest success principle of all and the source of true prosperity involves having a loving relationship with God and making that the central focus of our life. Everyone, without exception, is traveling the road of life in search of happiness, but few people find it. Why? Because they don't have a clear understanding of the basic principles of successful living to help them attain their cherished goals and dreams. These principles work for everything: climbing Mt. Everest or climbing over the personal challenges in our life.

How did you arrive at your own understanding of these principles?

Terry: It took fifteen years of intense spiritual seeking, a single minded determination to know the truth, and a lot of practice. Over the years, as I've opened my heart to God's presence, my understanding has evolved. I now teach people to practice Science of Mind principles in tandem with a personal, heartfelt relationship with God that stresses service to humanity and surrender as a way of life. The Bible promises that if we seek first the Kingdom of Heaven, everything will be given to us, including health, wealth, and fulfilling relationships with people. We really can have it all! I taught this message in the '80s, and I'm teaching it now in the 21st century, but with this difference: Instead of accumulating everything for ourselves, let's serve God and humanity selflessly, and our heart's desire naturally will come to us as a result of our faith and surrendered attitude.

What spiritual resources helped you succeed in your search for truth?

Terry: We have five valuable sources available to help us in this search: the world's sacred scriptures; the wisdom of the ages as found in legends, myths, and great literature; experts who have succeeded in our field; our own experience; and revelations and knowledge given to us by Universal Intelligence. Once we have the right knowledge, we need to do what works and avoid what doesn't. If the teaching tells us to do something, we should do it. In humility, we should learn from those who have gone before us, following their example. At the same time, we should avoid what doesn't work. This means avoiding negative thinking, criticizing others, falling into depression, giving way to anger, and defeating ourselves mentally and verbally before attempting to achieve a goal. We need to control our mental thought. Unless we practice doing so, our endeavors will not succeed. By right of consciousness, we naturally attract the material conditions that correspond to our inner state of mind, imagination, and emotions.