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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.