“The ownership of money and property comes as a result of doing things in a certain way.  Those who do things in this certain way, whether on purpose or accidentally, get rich.  Those who do not do things in this certain way, no matter how hard they work or how able they are, remain poor.”  -  Wallace D. Wattles, "The Science of Getting Rich"

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Success and Prosperity Master: Wallace D. Wattles, Law of Attraction Teacher and Sage

Finally, after what has seemed an eternity and a relentless deluge of challenges and obstacles, we are putting the finishing touches and running the final tests on The Success Manual Prosperity Library web site, featuring The Wattles Prosperity Bible, The Law of Attraction Prosperity Bible and The Wattles Quotable Bible.

If I was not a Student of Success - as was the case in my prior life - I would have called this venture "a nightmare."  In fact, most people who are personally aware of the trials that we have gone through to make this become a reality see it as that - "what a nightmare!"  I don't.  This challenge was an enormous test of the very principles and teachings to which I subscribe.

If I gave up, quite, walked away - now, that would be failure.  Not temporary defeat, but failure, and I would have nobody to blame but myself.

Law of Attraction Master, Wallace D. Wattles, author of such classic Success Manuals as "The Science of Getting Rich," "The Science of Being Great," "The Science of Being Well, "How to Get What You Want," and "How to Promote Yourself." Click on the Image to access The Success Manual Prosperity Library, featuring the Five-Volume set, "The Wattles Prosperity Bible" - The Complete Works of Wallace D. Wattles. On Sale Monday, November 22, 2010.

And so, Monday, November 22, 2010, The Success Manual Prosperity Library will be open for business.  Yes, the site is up and running right now and I would love to pass you the URL, but we are doing our final tests.

In light of this Success, today's post consists of the Foreword to The Wattles Prosperity Bible and is a tribute to the man who inspirired the project, Wallace D. Wattles, Master of the Law of Attraction, and author of many powerful and popular Success Manuals, some of which we feature for free at this site in The Success Manual Free Download Library.

Thank you everyone for your support and for visiting our site.  Be sure to come back Monday, November 22, 2010 for the official launch post on The Success Manual Prosperity Library!

To your Health, Wealth, Prosperity and Success,

Richard

 ________________________________________ 

 The Success Manual Prosperity Library, featuring the Five-Volume "The Wattles Prosperity Bible," the Five-Volume "The Law of Attraction Prosperity Bible," and "The Wattles Quotable Bible" ON SALE MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2010.

•  41 EBooks of Timeless Spiritual Knowledge.

• 5,400 Pages of Secret Wisdom to Living the Life You Desire and Deserve.

• REVEALED: Lost KEYS to Health, Wealth, Prosperity and Success.

• Profound Insight into Universal Truths of YOUR "SELF."

• The ORIGINAL TEACHINGS on The Law of Attraction.

• Investment: $47.00

• Value: PRICELESS

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Foreword

The Wattles Prosperity Bible

 A Five Volume Compilation of the Works of Wallace D. Wattles

Richard A. Catalina, Jr., Esq.

When Wallace Delois Wattles was growing up in the post-Civil War America, the country was undergoing major changes in the political, economic and social arenas.

While the South was rebuilding its battered infrastructure, the North, where Wattles lived, was prospering, both industrially and agriculturally.  This period, known as the Second Industrial Revolution, began in the mid-19^th century, with the growth and expansion of steel, petroleum, as well as chemical and electrical sectors; railways and steam ship industry also thrived in the still- young nation.

In fact, by the time the 19^th century came to a close and the new one dawned, corporate giants such as U.S. Steel and General Electric spawned the legendary tycoons by the names of Cornelius Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Andrew P. Mellon, and J.P. Morgan, among other renowned and often notorious wheelers and dealers of that era.

The extravagant lifestyles of these super-rich industrialists and financiers – which prompted Mark Twain to coin the phrase “Gilded Age” to describe the excesses of the wealthy people in the second half of the 1800s – did not, however, reflect the grim living conditions of the working class.   Historical records show that in 1890, when Wattles was 30, 11 million of America’s 12 million families earned less than $1,200 a year, with the average annual income of $380, well below the poverty line. 

Wallace Delois Wattles: Law of Attraction Sage, Author and Teacher and Master of Success and Prosperity. Mr. Wattles' teachings were a driving force behind Rhonda Byrne's book, "The Secret." How much so? The first time she read "The Science of Getting Rich," she cried!

Not much is known today about Wattles’ life and family, but from the information that is available to us we can surmise that he was born into that modest – not to say poverty-stricken – milieu like the vast majority of his countrymen. 

We cannot say with any certainty that he was inspired by the well-heeled tycoons of the era, but we do know that he turned the art of getting rich into a science.

His philosophy about wealth is succinctly summed up in this quote: “Whatever may be said in praise of poverty, the fact remains that it is not possible to live a really complete or successful life unless one is rich.”

*******

Putting together Wattles’ biography is a challenging task because very little is known about him.   Whether this dearth was a matter of modesty and humility or merely poor record-keeping we cannot guess, but anyone attempting to research Wattles’ life will hit a brick wall riddled with many gaps and holes.  For instance, his schooling remains a mystery, as does his family.  We know that he had a daughter, Florence, but have no information about his wife.  We also know that early on he worked on a farm and later as a lecturer in Indiana, as well as in some capacity at a Methodist Church, but have no clue about any other jobs he might have held.  We know he died young – at 51 – of “frail” health, but possess no details of what illness he suffered from.  He was a prolific writer, publishing scores of articles, essays and books.  Many of the articles and essays were published as compilations; others as single articles. However, specific details as to many of his published works are few.

What little we do know about his childhood and later life can be gleaned from the letters Florence wrote to Wattles’ publisher, Elizabeth Towne.   From those letters we can construct a sketchy portrait of a compassionate and caring man of profound convictions, and a prolific writer who believed his ideas would transform people’s lives.

Although Wattles remains – given the scarcity of information about him – somewhat of an enigma, he wrote some of the most powerful self-help books ever published.  As a matter of fact, the young farm boy grew up to be a trailblazer in the area of wealth-building, personal empowerment and success, a field that, while in its infancy during Wattles’ lifetime, blossomed as the “New Thought” era, and which today is a billion-dollar industry.  Indeed, the “self improvement” market in the U.S. alone is estimated as worth more than $13.9 billion in 2010.[1]

******

In a way, Wallace Delois Wattles’ life is a quintessential rags-to-riches story. 

He was born in 1860 in Illinois, and later lived in Indiana.  According to the 1880 US Federal Census, young Wallace was probably the only child of a gardener and a housewife.  He lived with his parents on a farm in Nunda Township, McHenry County, Illinois.  With little formal education, he spent his early years toiling as a farm laborer.  In those days, life on a farm was dismal, requiring long hours of backbreaking labor.  Even though new farm equipment was invented and introduced during that period, horses, oxen and people still provided the power that fueled the machines. 

Eking out a living from a farm, which relied heavily on weather-dependant crops, was a challenge then, as it is, though maybe to a lesser degree, now.   We do not know for sure whether this was the only work Wattles did in his youth, but his life at the time is reported to have been one of poverty, hardship, and failure.  We will never know for certain, but perhaps this strife had sparked Wattles’ desire to become successful and rich and to understand proper and healthy living. 

One of Florence’s messages to Mrs. Towne provides some insight into what drove her father to overcome his humble beginnings and ultimately led him to pen a series of highly successful self-help books:   “For years his life was cursed by poverty and the fear of poverty.  He was always scheming and planning to get for his family those things, which make the abundant life possible.”

*******

In 1896, the 36-year-old Midwesterner attended a “convention of reformers” in Chicago, where he met George Davis Herron.   Two years Wattles’ junior, Herron was a controversial Congregational Church minister and professor of Applied Christianity at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, where he attracted attention for his radical religious views, namely a new philosophy called Christian Socialism.  A movement that originated in the mid-19th-century Europe, it combined the fundamentals of Socialism with the principles of Christianity as a means of helping the poor.

Florence wrote to Mrs. Towne that her father caught Herron’s social vision.  “I shall never forget the morning he came home,” she related.  “It was Christmas.  Mother had put her last dollar into a cuff box and we had placed it beneath an evergreen branch which served for our Christmas tree and which we had illuminated with tallow candles and strung with popcorn.  Finally Father came.  With that beautiful smile he praised the tree, said the cuff box was just what he had been wanting - and took us all in his arms to tell us of the wonderful social message of Jesus, the message which he later embodied in ‘A New Christ.’ From that day until his death he worked unceasingly to realize the glorious vision of human brotherhood.”

According to Florence, at one time her father had held a position in the Methodist Church, but was fired because of his “heresy,” possibly the Christian Socialism views, which were not quite compatible with the mainstream Christianity.  Two of his books, “A New Christ” and “Jesus: The Man and His Work” focused on Christianity from a Socialist perspective.  As a matter of fact, Wattles was so involved in the movement, that he twice ran as a Socialist candidate for two public offices:  in the Eighth Congressional District in 1908, and two years later, for the office of Prosecuting Attorney for Indiana’s Madison County’s 50th court district.  He lost both elections, but Florence became a delegate to the Socialist Party National Committee in 1912 and 1915.

******* 

Another new spiritual movement that Wattles embraced with zeal and conviction, and which had, in large measure, influenced his thinking and writing, was called New Thought.  This movement started to emerge in the second half of the 19^th century, at about the same time as Christian Socialism.

This was a turning point for Wattles, the moment that likely re-defined and re-directed his life to some degree. 

The movement, which remains active to this day, promotes the idea that all of life’s circumstances and events, whether positive or negative, be they physical or mental in nature, originate in the mind as a consequence of our thinking and beliefs, and, therefore, “right thinking” can change our lives positively. 

Like many thinkers and philosophers from a variety of churches and religious denominations, and even some secular groups and individuals as well, Wattles became a proponent of these metaphysical tenets relating to the power of positive thinking, the law of attraction, creative visualization, and other essential life forces that formed the basis of his beliefs and writings.  Today the self-improvement and personal growth industry is a thriving, multi-billion-dollar sector, but in Wattles’ time it was still in its nascent stages.   The New Thought movement, however, marked an important milestone in the development of the self-help phenomenon.

Because of the unbridled optimism, positive energy, and personal empowerment inherent to the New Thought principles, Wattles, along with his contemporaries like Napoleon Hill, Frank Channing Haddock, Thomas Troward, William Walker Atkinson, and, a bit later, Dale Carnegie, had become one of the earliest self-help pioneers – people who believed in improving themselves and all the aspects of their lives by harvesting their spiritual and inner strengths.  Essentially, the mind can achieve whatever it can conceive.

Wattles’ brand of motivational self-improvement philosophy is best expressed in this quote of his: “The scientific use of thought consists in forming a clear and distinct mental image of what you want; in holding fast to the purpose to get what you want; and in realizing with grateful faith that you do get what you want.”

Wattles discovered an outlet for his ideas in Nautilus, a magazine for New Thought writers founded in 1898 by Elizabeth Towne.  In it, Wattles found a fitting forum to advance his ideas and foster his writing skills.  As Florence explained: “When we came to Elwood (Indiana) three years ago, Father began a Sunday night lectureship in Indianapolis.  This was our only source of income.  Later he began to write for Nautilus and to word out his own philosophy.  He wrote almost constantly.  Then it was that he formed his mental picture.  He saw himself as a successful writer, a personality of power, an advancing man, and he began to work toward the realization of this vision.”

Wattles applied the New Thought principles to his own life through personal experimentation.  For example, he tested some of the health and food fads fashionable at that time, such as the “No Breakfast Plan,” before encouraging his readers to try out his theories on themselves. 

How a poor man with little education was able to form such a far-reaching vision and bring it to fruition with numerous books remains a mystery.  What is certain is that his works, at least by some assessments, are among the most powerful personal improvement books ever written.   

While Wattles authored numerous works, his best-known are likely the trilogy of “The Science of Being Rich” (1910), “The Science of Being Well” (1910) and “The Science of Being Great” (1911).  All three are fitting examples of self-improvement and personal success theories he had become known for, as demonstrated in Florence’s letter to Mrs.  Towne: “The supreme faith of the man never left him; never for a moment did he lose confidence in the power of the master Intelligence to right every wrong and to give to every man and woman his or her share of the good things of life.”

*******

“The ownership of money and property comes as a result of doing things in a certain way.  Those who do things in this certain way, whether on purpose or accidentally, get rich.  Those who do not do things in this certain way, no matter how hard they work or how able they are, remain poor.”

The above quote is a paragraph from Chapter 2 of Wattles’ “The Science of Getting Rich,” a forerunner of every personal finance and self-help book ever written.  His statement that this pragmatic text is “intended for the men and women whose most pressing need is for money; who wish to get rich first, and philosophize afterward,” rings as true in the second decade of the 21^st century as it did when it was first published 100 years ago.  

Incredibly, there exists today million dollar self-help businesses founded solely on “The Science of Getting Rich.”

While many people believe that amassing wealth is a matter of hard work, luck, or a combination of both, Wattles promoted a more scientific approach.  “There is a science of getting rich, and it is an exact science, like algebra or arithmetic,” he famously noted.  “There are certain laws which govern the process of acquiring riches, and once these laws are learned and obeyed by anyone, that person will get rich with mathematical certainty.”

“The Science of Getting Rich,” still widely read and highly acclaimed today, laid ground for “The Science of Being Great,” in which Wattles stated that “Greatness is equally inherent in all, and may be manifested by all.  Every person may become great.”

The inspirational and motivational message is also clear in “The Science of Being Well,” where Wattles writes that the work is directed at “those who want health, and who want a practical guide and handbook, not a philosophical treatise.  It is an instructor in the use of the universal Principle of Life, and my effort has been to explain the way in so plain and simple a fashion that the reader, though he may have given no previous study to New Thought or metaphysics, may readily follow it to perfect health.  While retaining all essentials, I have carefully eliminated all non-essentials; I have used no technical, abstruse, or difficult language, and have kept the one point in view at all times.”   

The question that arises is whether Wattles successfully applied his New Thought beliefs and theories on how an average person can become rich, happy and healthy regardless of his or her circumstances to his own life.  From Florence’s correspondence to Mrs. Towne it would appear that he did.  Before his death in 1911 at 51, Florence reported that “he made lots of money, and had good health, except for his extreme frailty.”

There is no information on how many “regular” people who read Wattles’ works in the past century had been influenced by his message.  We do know, however, that the Australian New Thought writer Rhonda Byrne said her inspiration for the hit 2006 movie, “The Secret,” as well as the same-titled book, came from Wattles’ “The Science of Getting Rich.”  When she first opened the book in 2004, Byrne relates on her website, “Something inside of me had me turn the pages one by one, and I can still remember my tears hitting the pages as I was reading it.  It gave me a glimpse of The Secret and it was like a flame inside of my heart.” 

So in the end, the little-known life of Wallace Delois Wattles was, in many ways, a quintessentially American story of pulling oneself up by the bootstraps, succeeding against all odds, and influencing the lives of others.  In the words of his daughter Florence, “His life was truly the powerful life.”

[1] The U.S. Market for Self-Improvement Products and Services, (Study from 1996 through 2010), Marketdata Enterprises, Inc. at marketenterprises.com.

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3. Free Success Ebook: How to Get What You Want by Wallace D. Wattles – FREE Download Getting what you want is success, and success is an effect, coming from the application of a cause. The cause of success is some power within you; you have the power to develop any power to a limitless extent, for there is no end to mental growth. All you have...

"All of the great achievers of the past have been visionary figures; they were men and women who projected into the future.  They thought of what could be, rather than what already was, and then they moved themselves into action, to bring these things into fruition."  -  Bob Proctor

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Success Legend: Bob Proctor

 Master Thinker, Speaker, Success Mentor and Law of Attraction Teacher

My Personal Coach from February 2008 - March 2009

We haven't published a Success Masters post in quite some time, so I thought I would take the opportunity to demonstrate my appreciation to a gentlemen who has had a tremendous impact on my life, Bob Proctor.  I studied under Bob for more than 13 months in 2008-2009 in a personal coaching program, which included weekly conference calls (among much, much more), so I think I can testify from personal experience as to what this fellow "brings to the table."  It is a feast of epic proportions.

Bob Proctor is a lecturer, counselor, business consultant, and teacher, who explains how people can recognize their potential and achieve their goals in life.  For almost 45 years, he has helped create lives of prosperity, rewarding relationships, and spiritual awareness.  Born in northern Ontario, Bob stresses the ideas of positive thinking and self-motivation.  Bob is a true “master thinker.”

Bob Proctor - Master Thinker, Speaker, Success Mentor and Law of Attraction Teacher

In 1960, Bob was a high school dropout with a resume of dead-end jobs and a future clouded in debt.  In his early 20s, after a short stint in the Canadian Navy, Bob landed what many considered a “career” job as a fireman for the City of Toronto.  However, in short order, he had incurred more than $10,000 in debt – owed to dozens of individuals – while his annual salary as a fireman was only $6,000 at that time.  As a high school dropout (Bob only completed up through grade 9), Bob’s future was bleak.

Fortunately, an older, wiser friend of Bob saw in Bob what Bob did not see in himself and handed him a copy of Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, which Bob began to study in earnest.  Bob’s confidence grew and eventually he found the initiative to leave his “career” job as a fireman and start an office cleaning business, which he grew rather quickly to international in scope in its first year of operation.  Incredibly, that first year Bob made more than $100,000, and soon his salary topped $1 million.

Bob was soon studying other similar success-based materials, but Bob adopted Think and Grow Rich as his personal “Success Manual.”  A beautiful leather bound, gold inscribed version that Bob received as a gift more than 30 years ago from a family member – while now tattered, torn and filled with notes – remains with Bob on his person virtually at all times.

Bob Proctor on the cover of Succeed Magazine

Despite his amazing success, and incessant study of Think and Grow Rich, the precise mental methodology by which Bob was able to attain such dramatic success in his business proved elusive.  As a result, Bob developed an insatiable desire to learn more and acquired books and phono records on the subject whenever and wherever he could to help him understand - with accuracy - how he achieved success in order that he may teach it to others.  Occasionally, he would pack his materials, including a portable record player and his records, and hole himself up in a local hotel for an entire weekend to read, study and listen to his success-based materials without interference or distraction.

Bob continued to acquire and study materials throughout his life.  Presently, Bob’s personal Success Library exceeds more than 4,000 books, an accomplishment of which Bob is very proud.

Eventually, Bob wanted more of a “career” in the personal development and self improvement field.  As a result, he sold his office cleaning business and moved to Chicago to work at Nightingale-Conant, where he became vice president of sales.  Thereafter, in the mid-1970s, Bob established his own seminar company, Bob Proctor Seminars, which produced a number of video productions in addition to conducting live seminars across North America, and eventually, the world.

During Bob’s first seminar with agents from Prudential Life Insurance Company of America in Chicago, he suggested that any agent could write $5 million in business that year if he/she made a decision to do so.  The suggestion seemed implausible because the year was already half-over, and no agent in that region had ever written so much business in the company’s history.  But once one agent actually reached this mark, Bob established himself as a reputable motivator.  Soon, other agents were regularly writing that much life insurance.

Bob’s businesses continued to expand, morph and grow.  Success followed.  In 2006, the movie and book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne achieved smashing success.  Because Bob is prominently featured in movie and book, his popularity (and demand for appearances) literally skyrocketed off the charts.  Quickly, Bob had attained “rock star” status in the fields of personal development, self-improvement and self help.

Many in the field, including Bob’s peers, consider him the “master thinker.”  Bob’s teachings and philosophy have always focused on the art and science of thinking and how thought is the ultimate creator of the Success that we achieve (or fail to achieve).  Thoughts are the initiating cause; our results are the effects.  Bob’s teachings and seminars are soundly grounded on this core philosophy.

Bob’s present primary business is Life Success, Inc., with a number of subsidiaries, joint ventures and partnerships.  Recently, working with one his former students, Bob launched his latest venture, Six Minutes to Success.

Bob Proctor’s special skill is mentoring and coaching people.  He has demonstrated an ability to assist others with reaching their goals and attaining a life of prosperity.

Bob now teaches thousands of people how to believe in and act upon the greatness of their own minds.  He has earned praise for his teaching from places around the world.  Bob is also the author of a number of books, including the international best-seller, You Were Born Rich.

Bob Proctor on the cover of Mentors Magazine

I had the most fortunate pleasure and honor of participating in Bob’s personal coaching program from February 2008 through March 2009.  To this day, I continue to reap profound benefits from that program and, incredibly, have still not been able to fully assimilate all of the valuable information and materials that were made available and provided by Bob and his coaching team during the program.  In fact, I haven’t even read, listened or watched it all yet!  Based on my personal experience, I can state with deep conviction that the program provided me the opportunity to develop, grow and increase my levels of awareness in more ways than I ever imagined.  Of course, as with everything in life, you reap what you sow.  But, the coaching program provided the garden and I made sure to tend it well.  It was worth every penny.

If you have the opportunity – and availability – to study under Bob for a whole year in his personal coaching program, DO IT! (This is not an endorsement and I receive absolutely NO compensation from any source for stating my personal opinion).

If you are not familiar with Bob Proctor, I recommend that you first read his book You Were Born Rich.  It gives you a very good sense of his methods and beliefs, providing motivation, inspiration, and practical advice on how to improve your life.  We hope to have approval shortly from Bob’s team to make the ebook version of You Were Born Rich available for FREE on this site.  Stay tuned, folks . . .

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In the meantime, here is a small excerpt from one of his articles about persistence:

Let me give you four relatively simple steps that will help you to turn persistence into a habit.  These steps can be followed by virtually anyone.

1. Have a clearly defined goal. The goal must be something you are emotionally involved with, something you want very much. (In the beginning, you may not even believe that you can accomplish it – the belief will come.)
2. Have a clearly established plan that you can begin working on immediately. (Your plan will very likely only cover the first and possibly the second stage of the journey to your goal. As you begin executing your plan, other steps required to complete your journey will be revealed at the right time.)
3. Make an irrevocable decision to reject any and all negative suggestions that come from friends, relatives, or neighbors. Do not give any conscious attention to conditions or circumstances that appear to indicate the goal cannot be accomplished.
4. Establish a mastermind group of one or more people who will encourage, support, and assist you wherever possible.

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And, here are a few Bob Proctor quotes and thoughts:

• All of the great achievers of the past have been visionary figures; they were men and women who projected into the future.  They thought of what could be, rather than what already was, and then they moved themselves into action, to bring these things into fruition.
• The only competition you will ever face is with your own ignorance.
• Persistence is a unique mental strength; a strength that is essential to combat the fierce power of the repeated rejections and numerous other obstacles that sit in waiting and are all part of winning in a fast-moving, ever-changing world.

 For more information on Bob Proctor and his products and services, please visit his website, www.bobproctor.com.

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1. Success Master: Wallace D. Wattles, Law of Attraction Author, Sage, Teacher and Author Wallace D. Wattles’ brand of motivational self-improvement philosophy is best expressed in this quote of his: “The scientific use of thought consists in forming a clear and distinct mental image of what you want; in holding fast to the purpose to get what you want; and in realizing with grateful...
2. Free Success Ebook: How to Get What You Want by Wallace D. Wattles – FREE Download Getting what you want is success, and success is an effect, coming from the application of a cause. The cause of success is some power within you; you have the power to develop any power to a limitless extent, for there is no end to mental growth. All you have...
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"What we ponder and what we think about sets the course of our life.  Any day we wish; we can discipline ourselves to change it all . . . The choices are ours to make . . . We created our circumstances by our past choices. We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today."  Jim Rohn, Master Success Teacher and Legend

Jim Rohn - Success Master, Business Coach and Legend. September 17, 1930 - December 5, 2009

It was with great sadness that I learned of the passing of Success Master, teacher, speaker, author, seminar leader and legend Jim Rohn on December 5, 2009.  Jim has been a giant in the field of self improvement, personal achievement and business success for more than forty years.

Jim was one of the most influential thinkers of our time.  His profound business philosophy, creative insight, and inspirational messages have made him a popular speaker, writer and counselor.  Through his seminars over his career, Jim has addressed more than 6,000 audiences and 4 million people worldwide.

Jim courageously battled Pulmonary Fibrosis over the past 18 months, never giving up, never losing Faith - an inspiration right up until his passing.  Jim will be missed by all Students of Success, but his work will no doubt continue.  For more on Jim's passing and what others have expressed in tribute, see the Jim Rohn Memorial page on his web site.  There is also a great video tribute to Jim if you have the time; it is 13 minutes long.

"Success is neither magical nor mysterious.  Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying the basic fundamentals."  Jim Rohn

For more about Jim, his life and his work, the following are excerpts from the biography page of the Official Jim Rohn website, with a few of my favorite Jim Rohn quotes:

For more than 40 years, Jim Rohn honed his craft like a skilled artist — helping people the world over sculpt life strategies that have expanded their imagination of what is possible. Those who had the privilege of hearing him speak can attest to the elegance and common sense of his material.  It is no coincidence, then, that he is widely regarded as one of the most influential thinkers of our time, and thought of by many as a national treasure.  Jim authored countless books and audio and video programs, and helped motivate and shape an entire generation of personal-development trainers and hundreds of executives from America’s top corporations.

Born to an Idaho farming family in the mid-1900s, Jim was ingrained with a work ethic that has served him well throughout his life.  At 25, he met his mentor Earl Shoaff.  And over the next six years he made his first fortune, yet didn’t get into speaking until he moved to Beverly Hills, California, when a friend at the Rotary Club asked him to tell his success story, which Rohn titled “Idaho Farm Boy Makes It to Beverly Hills.”

"What we ponder and what we think about sets the course of our life.  Any day we wish, we can discipline ourselves to change it all.  Any day we wish, we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge.  Any day we wish, we can start a new activity.  Any day we wish, we can start the process of life change.  We can do it immediately, or next week, or next month, or next year.

"We can also do nothing.  We can pretend rather than perform.  And if the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are.  We can choose rest over labor, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence.  The choices are ours to make . . .

"We created our circumstances by our past choices.  We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today."  Jim Rohn

His speech went over so well that he received more invitations to share it, and better yet, they started paying him for it.  In the beginning, he spoke in front of college and high-school classes and at service clubs, before moving on to seminars in 1963, which launched him into the personal-development business.  From then on, Jim Rohn became a trailblazer in the self help and personal development industry, impacting the lives of millions through his life-changing material.

"If you keep doing what you've always done, you'll keep getting what you've always gotten."  Jim Rohn

Jim Rohn focused on the fundamentals of human behavior that most affect personal and business performance.  His is the standard to which those who seek to teach and inspire others are compared.  He possessed the unique ability to bring extraordinary insights to ordinary principles and events, and the combination of his substance and style captures the imagination of those who hear or read his words.

Jim is known as one of the great wordsmiths of our time.  Here is a sampling from Jim’s Treasury of Quotes that reflect on his philosophy on life and business:

Skills: Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better. Don’t wish for less problems; wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenges; wish for more wisdom.

Growth: Don’t join an easy crowd. You won’t grow. Go where the expectations and the demands to perform and achieve are high.

Change: We generally change ourselves for one of two reasons: inspiration or desperation.

Activity: The few who do are the envy of the many who watch.

Success: Success is what you attract by the person you become.

"Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person that you become."  Jim Rohn

In a field of many who imitate, Jim was an original.  He was a true professional and personified the meaning of class.

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“‘I AM’ is the word of power.  If you think your thought is powerful, your thought is powerful.”

One of the really great minds and souls of modern times – and indeed of any time – was Thomas Troward, late Divisional Judge of the Punjab, India.  Of his writings, the late William James of Harvard said, “Far and away the ablest statement of that psychology that I have ever met, beautiful in its sustained clearness of thought and style, a really classic statement.”  The Boston Transcript editorially stated, “The author reveals himself as easily the profoundest thinker we have ever met on this subject.”

The late Archdeacon Wilberforce, when writing to Troward, signed himself, “Your grateful pupil.” Responding to the many requests from Troward’s friends and admirers for a more intimate glimpse of this great man, I am pleased to present to you a few phases of his daily life as I saw them while studying with him.  These may be all the more interesting because of the fact that I enjoyed the unique privilege of being the only pupil to whom he ever gave personal instruction.

 The Early Life of a Genius

Thomas Troward was born in Ceylon, India, in the year 1847, of English parents and Huguenot ancestors.  When quite a young boy he was sent to England to be educated at Burmshtead Grammar School, but was most unhappy there, as he could not fully adapt himself to the humdrum life of the English schoolboy.  Later on, when he continued his education in the beautiful Isle of Jersey, its charm entered into his blood, and he was thoroughly contented there.  Perhaps the old Huguenot strain in him found a congenial element in the semi-French environment of the college.  At the early age of eighteen the natural bent of his mind began to assert itself, and he won the Helford College gold medal for literature.

When his studies were completed, Troward went up to London for the Indian Civil Service examination, a very stiff one, which he passed with high credit.  He returned to India at the age of twenty-two in the capacity of Assistant Commissioner.  An incident which occurred during the course of his examination foreshadowed the trend of the life that was to replace the regulation judicial career when the twenty-five years of service had expired.

 “Your Head is No Common One, Young Man”

One of the subjects, left for the end of the examination, was metaphysics.  Troward was quite unprepared for this, having had no time for research and no knowledge of what books to read on the subject, so he meditated upon it in the early hours of the morning, and filled in the paper with his own speculations.  The examiner, on reading it, was amazed, and asked “What text-book did you use for this paper?” “I had no text-book sir.” Troward answered.  “I wrote it out of my head.”  “Well, then, young man,” was the examiner’s comment, “your head is no common one, and if I am not mistaken, we shall hear from you again.”

During Troward’s career in India his official work kept him very busy.  His recreation was often spent with canvas, paints and brushes.  He was an artist of no mean ability, especially in marine subjects, and had won several prizes at art exhibits in England.

He loved to study the tombs of sacred Indian lore, or the scriptures of the Hebrews and of other ancient peoples.  While studying these profound subjects, there was unfolded to him, as in a vision, a system of philosophy which carried with it not only peace of mind, but also physical results in health and happiness.

When relieved of his burdensome official duties in the Indian Court, he returned to England, where a manuscript of some hundred folios slowly came into existence.  At that time he had no knowledge of Mental Science, Christian Science, New Thought, or any of the “isms” of modern thought.

His views were the result of solitary meditation and a deep study of the scriptures.  The first edition of the now famous “Edinburgh Lectures” was published in 1904.  It was received with the almost unanimous opinion that its value could not be over-estimated, as was true of his subsequent volumes.  “Bible Mystery and Bible Meaning” proved especially attractive to churchmen.  His books, by sheer worth, have found their way almost all over the world.  In the United States alone, more than 50,000 copies have been sold.  Perhaps no one was more astonished at their warm reception than their simple-hearted, fun-loving author.

An Intimate Description

In physique Judge Troward was not the usual English type, but was more like a Frenchman, of medium stature, and not over five feet six or seven inches.  He was dark complexioned, with small, bright eyes, a large nose, and a broad forehead.  When I knew him, he had a drooping mustache sprinkled with grey.  He had the bearing of a student and a thinker, as is indicated in his writings.

His manner was simple and natural, and he exemplified a spirit of moderation in all things.  I never saw him impatient or heard him express an unkind word, and with his family he was always gentle and considerate.  He seemed to depend entirely upon Mrs.  Troward for the household management.  Only in the intimacy of his home did he entirely reveal his charming geniality and radiating friendship.  His after-dinner manner was one of quiet levity and a twinkling humor.  He would enter into the conversations or parlor games of the family with the spirit of a boy.  He did not care for public amusements.

One evening, after an excellent dinner of soup, joint of lamb, vegetables, salad, dessert, and wine, he rolled a cigarette, and, to my great surprise, offered it to me with the query, “Do you smoke?” Receiving a negative reply, he began to smoke it himself.  Noticing my poorly concealed expression of surprise, he remarked, “Why should you be shocked at anything which you can thank God for?  I can thank God for one cigarette after, possibly a second, but never a third.”  After he had finished his smoke, his youngest daughter, Budeia, played the violin for us.  I observed that he became completely absorbed in the beautiful harmony.  He told me afterwards that, although he was intensely fond of listening to music, he was in no sense a musician.

Although Troward did not indulge in outdoor sports, he loved nature, and would sit for hours by the sea with his sketch-book, or tramp the lonely moors in solitary meditation.  He said there were times when he obtained his best inspirations while walking in the open.  He often invited me to go with him, although frequently he seemed to be unconscious of my presence, being entirely absorbed in his own thoughts.

Truth from the Trance

At times he would lapse into a trance-like swoon (his Maltese cat on the table by his side), the swoon sometimes lasting for hours.  At such times the members of his family would take particular care not to disturb him. When he emerged from these lapses of the senses, he would write down the truths which had been revealed to him.

Once he wrote on his memorandum pad, “‘I AM’ is the word of power.  If you think your thought is powerful, your thought is powerful.”  It may be interesting to recall that such authorities as Barnett and the new American Encyclopedia, in their biography of Socrates, mention similar trance-like experiences of his.  While serving in the Greek army, Socrates suddenly found his feet seemingly rooted to the earth, where he remained in a trance for twenty-four hours.  He awakened with a spiritual knowledge that transformed his life, and, later, the lives of many others.  The similarity of the life of this Athenian philosopher to that of Troward is that both relied chiefly upon intuition and common sense for their theory and system of living.

A difference between Troward’s teaching and that of Christian Science is that he does not deny the existence of a material world.  On the contrary, he teaches that all physical existence is a concrete corresponding manifestation of the thought which gave it birth.  One is a complement of the other.

I once asked him how one could impart to others the deep truths which he taught.  “By being them,” he answered.  “My motto is, ‘Being, and not possessing, is the great joy of living.’”

Following a Trusted Guide

Judge Troward, although modest and retiring in his habits of speech and slow to express a personal opinion, was always willing to discuss any current subject, but extremely reticent and diffident about his own writings.  Never, to my knowledge, did he mention them unless approached on the subject.  As a teacher, he was positive, direct, and always impersonal.

When our lesson was given indoors, he always sat in a large morris chair, and, seeming not to be aware of my presence, he would think aloud. To follow his thought was like following a trusted guide through the most difficult places, the darkest and least explored regions of thought.  As I followed, the personality of the man became obscure, and I was only conscious of the clear, commanding voice, and the light of the inward torch which he bore.  It was beyond doubt quite natural that he who made so clear the true meaning of individuality should in his teaching betray little of the personal or emotional element.

After I had been carefully guided to the most comforting conclusions, in the same quiet, unassuming manner as in the beginning of our mental journey, my guide would gently remind me that he had given me a few suggestions which I might follow if I felt inclined, but which were offered only in the friendly spirit of a fellow-traveler.  He always tried to impress upon me that every effort to accomplish mental control (which, in turn, meant control of circumstances) should be undertaken with absolute confidence of success.

The length of a lesson depended upon my ability to absorb what he was telling me.  If he were convinced in fifteen or thirty minutes that I understood quite naturally the reason why, for example, “If a thing is true.”  There is a way in which it is true,” that lesson was concluded.  If it took me an hour or more to get into the spirit of his thought, the lesson was prolonged.  At the end of a lesson he would quietly remark, “Never forget that ‘seeking’ has ‘finding’ as its correlative: ‘knocking,’ ‘opening.’” With this reassuring statement, he would light his lantern and step into the denseness of the night to walk three miles to his home.

A Home-Loving Philosopher

Being a home-loving man, Troward delighted in his flower garden, and in the intimacy of his home, which he had provided with every comfort.  He particularly enjoyed the seclusion of his studio and study, which were arranged to meet his personal needs and moods.  His studio was in the most remote part of the house, and here he would spend hours of relaxation with canvas and paints.  His study, however, was on the ground floor, and to it he would retire for meditation and research, usually in the early hours of the morning.  He rarely worked at night.

He had spent the greater part of the day he died sketching out of doors.  When he did not join his family at the dinner hour, Mrs.  Troward went in search of him.  She found him in his studio, fully dressed, lying on the sofa in a state of physical collapse.  About an hour later he passed away.  The doctor said that death was caused by hemorrhage of the brain.  I am sure that Troward would have said, “I am simply passing from the limited to the unlimited.”  He died on May 16th, 1916, in his sixty-ninth year, on the same day that Archdeacon Wilberforce was laid at rest in Westminster Abbey.  It was no ordinary link that bound these two men, as you will note in the reproduction of the letter that follows, Troward’s last letter to me.

Thomas Troward regarded death very much as he would regard traveling from one country to another.  He remarked to me several times, that he was interested in the life beyond and was ready to go.  His only concern seemed to be the sorrow that it would cause his wife and family.  When the time came, his going was exactly what he would have wished it to be. 

I hope that these few intimate touches will give to Troward’s friends and admirers the information they desire concerning him.  I will add a more personal touch for you by presenting herein one of his first letters to me with facsimile of his handwriting.

31 Stanwick Rd.,
West Kensington,
8th Nov. 1912

Dear Mrs. Swink,

I think I had better write you a few lines with regard to your proposed studies with me as I should be sorry for you to be under any misapprehension and so to suffer any disappointment.  I have studied the subject now for several years, and have a general acquaintance with the leading features of most of the systems which unfortunately occupy attention in many circles at the present time, such as Theosophy, the Tarot, the Kabala, and the like, and I have no hesitation in saying that to the best of my judgment all sorts and descriptions of so-called occult study are in direct opposition to the real Life-giving Truth; and therefore you must not expect any teaching on such lines as these.  We hear a great deal in these days about “Initiation”; but, believe me, the more you try to become a so-called “Initiate” the further you will put yourself from Living Life.  I speak after many years of careful study and consideration when I say that the Bible and its Revelation of Christ is the one thing really worth studying, and that is a subject large enough in all conscience, embracing as it does our outward life of everyday concerns, and also the inner springs of our life and all that we can in general terms conceive of the life in the unseen after putting off the body at death.

You have expressed a very great degree of confidence in my teaching, and if your confidence is such that you wish, as you say, to put yourself entirely under my guidance I can only accept it as a very serious responsibility, and should have to ask you to exhibit that confidence by refusing to look into such so-called “mysteries” as I would forbid you to look into.  I am speaking from experience; but the result will be that much of my teaching will appear to be very simple, perhaps to some extent dogmatic, and you will say you had heard much of it before.  Faith in God, Prayer and Worship, Approach to the Father through Christ -- all this is in a certain sense familiar to you; and all I can hope to do is perhaps to throw a little more light on these subjects, so that they become to you, not merely traditional words, but present living facts.  I have been thus explicit, as I do not want you to have any disappointment; and also I should say that our so-called “studies” will be only friendly conversations at such times as we can fit them in, either you coming to our house or I to yours as may be most convenient at the time.  Also I will lend you some books which will be helpful, but they are very few and in no sense “occult.”

Now if all this falls in with your own ideas, we shall, I am sure, be very glad to see you at Ruan Manor, and you will find that the residents there, though few, are very friendly and the neighborhood is pretty.  But on the other hand if you feel that you want some other sort of learning, do not mind saying so; only you will never find any substitute for Christ.

I trust you will not mind my writing to you like this, but I don’t want you to come all the way down to Cornwall and then be disappointed.

With kind regards.

Yours sincerely,

(Signed) T. Troward

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“Thought is the only action of the mind. By your habitual thoughts you create corresponding external physical conditions, because you thereby create the nucleus which attracts to itself its own correspondence, in due order, until the finished work is manifested on the material plane . . . . ‘I AM’ is the word of power.  If you think your thought is powerful, your thought is powerful.”  Judge Thomas Troward

Just who is this fellow, Thomas Troward?  Although our site continues with its early stage construction, in just a few short weeks, we have already referred to Troward on several ocassions:  in an introduction post to the free Success Manual Strategist download version of The Spirit of Opulence, a great short essay by the man; a brief reference in a recent post on William W. Atkinson, and, of course, in our most recent post on Genevieve Behrend and her Success Manual classic, Attaining Your Desires.  Receiving such recognition in such short time must mean something.

Well, it does.  Simply, Troward is the ultimate Success Master.  His writings and philosophical teachings are founded on mystic Christianity and laid the ground work for many subsequent New Thought and Success Manual writers.  Although Troward's works, writings and lectures are deep, and often described as difficult to read, if they are read slowly and deliberately, taking time to build each thought upon its predecessor, his teachings become clear.   

"Faith in God, Prayer and Worship, Approach to the Father through Christ -- all this is in a certain sense familiar to you; and all I can hope to do is perhaps to throw a little more light on these subjects, so that they become to you, not merely traditional words, but present living facts . . . . if you feel that you want some other sort of learning, do not mind saying so; only you will never find any substitute for Christ."   Judge Thomas Troward in a letter to Genevieve Behrend dated November 8, 1912

Many modern teachers, speakers, writers, coaches and mentors authoritatively cite Troward's works, most of which were not written as books per se, but were delivered as lectures by this teacher.  Troward was indeed the favorite author of my personal coach from the past, Bob Proctor, who extensively quoted Troward in many of his coaching calls and study materials.  One particular Troward quote repeated numerous times by Bob (and, hence, well programmed into my current paradigm) is "If you think your thought is powerful, your thought is powerful.”  How true.  Of course, Troward is extensively quoted elsewhere and we hope to bring to you soon a post exclusively devoted to Troward quotes.

For a unique perspective on Troward, read the section from Genevieve Behrend's book, Attaining Your Desires, entitled Thomas Troward - Sage and Philosopher.  We also added it as a simple post here: Thomas Troward - Sage and Philosopher.

The following is a short bio on Thomas Troward, including a bibliography.

* * * * *

Short Bio

Thomas Troward (1847-1916) was an English author whose works influenced the New Thought Movement and mystic Christianity.

Troward was a divisional Judge in British-administered India.  His avocation was the study of comparative religion.  Influences on his thinking, as well as his later writing, included the teachings of Christ, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

He was a much influential figure in the development of Ernest Holmes' Religious Science/Science of Mind organization due to the impact his philosophy had on Holmes, and Troward's teachings are regularly taught in Science of Mind classes.

The philosopher William James characterized Troward’s Edinburgh Lectures on Mental Science as "far and away the ablest statement of philosophy I have met, beautiful in its sustained clearness of thought and style, a really classic statement."

Troward was a major influence on the works of Ernest Holmes, Frederick Bailes, Joseph Murphy and Emmett Fox, and has been quoted by numerous other writers.

Troward's works have remained significantly poplular since first written until this very day.  In the opening of the 2006 film The Secret (2006 film), introductory remarks credit Troward's philosophy with inspiring the movie and its production.

Bibliography

• The Edinburgh Lectures on Mental Science 1904
• The Dore Lectures on Mental Science
• The Creative Process in the Individual
• Bible Mystery and Bible Meaning
• The Law and the Word
• The Hidden Power and Other Papers on Mental Science

* * * * *

DOWNLOAD: The Spirit of Opulence; Troward, Thomas

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2. Troward, Thomas; The Spirit of Oplulence When your understanding grasps the power to visualize your heart’s desire and hold it with your will, it attracts to you all things requisite to the fulfillment of that picture by the harmonious vibrations of the Law of Attraction. Since Order is Heaven’s first law, and visualization places things in...
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