Gratitude
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. |