THE illustrations given in the last chapter will have conveyed to the
reader the fact that the first step toward getting rich is to convey the
idea of your wants to the Formless Substance.
This is true, and you will see that in order to do so it becomes
necessary to relate yourself to the Formless Intelligence in a
harmonious way.
To secure this harmonious relation is a matter of such primary and vital
importance that I shall give some space to its discussion here, and give
you instructions which, if you will follow them, will be certain to
bring you into perfect unity of mind with God.
The whole process of mental adjustment and atonement can be summed up in
one word, gratitude.
First, you believe that there is one Intelligent Substance, from which
all things proceed; second, you believe that this Substance gives you
everything you desire; and third, you relate yourself to it by a feeling
of deep and profound gratitude.
Many people who order their lives rightly in all other ways are kept in
poverty by their lack of gratitude. Having received one gift from God,
they cut the wires which connect them with Him by failing to make
acknowledgment.
It is easy to understand that the nearer we live to the source of
wealth, the more wealth we shall receive; and it is easy also to
understand that the soul that is always grateful lives in closer touch
with God than the one which never looks to Him in thankful
acknowledgment.
The more gratefully we fix our minds on the Supreme when good things
come to us, the more good things we will receive, and the more rapidly
they will come; and the reason simply is that the mental attitude of
gratitude draws the mind into closer touch with the source from which
the blessings come.
If it is a new thought to you that gratitude brings your whole mind into
closer harmony with the creative energies of the universe, consider it
well, and you will see that it is true. The good things you already have
have come to you along the line of obedience to certain laws. Gratitude
will lead your mind out along the ways by which things come; and it will
keep you in close harmony with creative thought and prevent you from
falling into competitive thought.
Gratitude alone can keep you looking toward the All, and prevent you
from falling into the error of thinking of the supply as limited; and to
do that would be fatal to your hopes.
There is a Law of Gratitude, and it is absolutely necessary that you
should observe the law, if you are to get the results you seek.
The law of gratitude is the natural principle that action and reaction
are always equal, and in opposite directions.
The grateful outreaching of your mind in thankful praise to the Supreme
is a liberation or expenditure of force; it cannot fail to reach that to
which it addressed, and the reaction is an instantaneous movement
towards you.
"Draw nigh unto God, and He will draw nigh unto you." That is a
statement of psychological truth.
And if your gratitude is strong and constant, the reaction in Formless
Substance will be strong and continuous; the movement of the things you
want will be always toward you. Notice the grateful attitude that Jesus
took; how He always seems to be saying, "I thank Thee, Father, that Thou
hearest me." You cannot exercise much power without gratitude; for it is
gratitude that keeps you connected with Power.
But the value of gratitude does not consist solely in getting you more
blessings in the future. Without gratitude you cannot long keep from
dissatisfied thought regarding things as they are.
The moment you permit your mind to dwell with dissatisfaction upon
things as they are, you begin to lose ground. You fix attention upon the
common, the ordinary, the poor, and the squalid and mean; and your mind
takes the form of these things. Then you will transmit these forms or
mental images to the Formless, and the common, the poor, the squalid,
and mean will come to you.
To permit your mind to dwell upon the inferior is to become inferior and
to surround yourself with inferior things.
On the other hand, to fix your attention on the best is to surround
yourself with the best, and to become the best.
The Creative Power within us makes us into the image of that to which we
give our attention. We are Thinking Substance, and thinking substance
always takes the form of that which it thinks about.
The grateful mind is constantly fixed upon the best; therefore it tends
to become the best; it takes the form or character of the best, and will
receive the best.
Also, faith is born of gratitude. The grateful mind continually expects
good things, and expectation becomes faith. The reaction of gratitude
upon one's own mind produces faith; and every outgoing wave of grateful
thanksgiving increases faith. He who has no feeling of gratitude cannot
long retain a living faith; and without a living faith you cannot get
rich by the creative method, as we shall see in the following chapters.
It is necessary, then, to cultivate the habit of being grateful for
every good thing that comes to you; and to give thanks continuously.
And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should
include all things in your gratitude.
Do not waste time thinking or talking about the shortcomings or wrong
actions of plutocrats or trust magnates. Their organization of the world
has made your opportunity; all you get really comes to you because of
them.
Do not rage against, corrupt politicians; if it were not for politicians
we should fall into anarchy, and your opportunity would be greatly
lessened.
God has worked a long time and very patiently to bring us up to where we
are in industry and government, and He is going right on with His work.
There is not the least doubt that He will do away with plutocrats, trust
magnates, captains of industry, and politicians as soon as they can be
spared; but in the meantime, behold they are all very good. Remember
that they are all helping to arrange the lines of transmission along
which your riches will come to you, and be grateful to them all. This
will bring you into harmonious relations with the good in everything,
and the good in everything will move toward you.
