The Success Manual » constructive action

Success Strategy and Mastery Move: Working with the Law of Cause and Effect

Richard Catalina, Jr. — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 13:39:17 +0000

Too often, we become so deeply ensconced in the daily busy-ness of our lives that we fail to realize the immense powerful impact that the Law of Cause and Effect plays in the results that we achieve (or fail to achieve). Make no mistake, however – the Law is always at work. Whether we consciously work it to our benefit, or whether we neglect it in its entirety, the Law of Cause and Effect operates to shape the Results of our lives. We can choose, therefore, to work with the Law, or we can choose to ignore it. Either way, the Law’s force and impact on our lives is still the same.

___________________________________________

Success Strategy and Mastery Move: Working with the Law of Cause and Effect

We live in a world of “cause and effect.”

Understand and apply the Law of Cause and Effect in your daily actions, and your life will change – dramatically. Worked correctly, the Law of Cause and Effect can markedly alter the course of your life in the direction that you Desire. This is a Law that CAN be worked tremendously to your advantage.

Too often, we become so deeply ensconced in the daily busy-ness of our lives that we fail to realize the immense powerful impact that the Law of Cause and Effect plays in the results that we achieve (or fail to achieve).

Make no mistake, however – the Law is always at work. Whether we consciously work it to our benefit, or whether we neglect it in its entirety, the Law of Cause and Effect operates to shape the Results of our lives. We can choose, therefore, to work with the Law, or we can choose to ignore it. Either way, the Law’s force and impact on our lives is still the same.

So, it might be a good idea to revisit this important Success Key. And, perhaps, re-discover a few refresher points along the way.

"Boott Spur from Wildcat." A dramatic winter scene in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Photo by Al Lambert on January 6, 2010. Copyright Mount Washington Observatory at www.mountwashington.org. Thanks, Crew!

Cause and Effect Refresher

The Law of Cause and Effect simply embodies the principle that every state (circumstance) that exists in the Universe is an effect created by an originating cause. Or, stated conversely, every action is a cause that creates a resulting effect.

Consider the following fact pattern to demonstrate the Law of Cause and Effect (for those well-versed in this Law, please bear with me):

I saw or chop a tree (cause) and it falls down (effect).
I continue to saw the fallen tree (cause) and I create logs (effect).
I split the logs (cause) and I create firewood (effect).
I stack the firewood (cause) and I create a firewood pile (effect).
I leave the firewood pile sitting outside for one year (cause) and it becomes seasoned firewood (effect).
I take a piece of seasoned firewood and throw it into a fire in the fireplace (cause) and it burns (effect).
The firewood burns (cause) and the fire produces byproducts of ash, water, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and other gases (effects), which spew forth from the chimney (further effect).
The combustion byproducts of my burning firewood (cause) increase the level of CO2 in the atmosphere (effect); the increased level of CO2 in the atmosphere (cause) creates an increase in the “green house” effect (effect); the increased “green house” effect (cause) results in warmer surface water temperatures in the Arctic Ocean (effect); warmer surface water temperatures in the Arctic Ocean (cause) result in less ice in the winter months (effect); less ice in the Arctic Ocean during the winter months (cause) means that the resident polar bears are unable to complete their migration, which requires a frozen Arctic Ocean (effect) . . . etc. The cycle goes on and on and on.

The Law of Cause and Effect underlies our human ability to understand and manipulate our environment; the very nature of science and scientific experimentation depends on it. All scientific theory is proven or disproven through application of the Law of Cause and Effect. Under scientific experimentation, a particular theory is tested and results (effects) are obtained. If the theory holds true, under the Law of Cause and Effect, its results (effects) may be reproduced again and again under identical causes (test controls).

The Law of Gravity has been well established under Cause and Effect.

So has Newtown’s Third Law of Motion, which may be stated thusly: for every action (cause), there is an equal and opposite reaction (effect).

The Law of Cause and Effect in Our Lives

Human logic is founded on understanding the Law of Cause and Effect. So are the circumstances that we presently experience.

In fact, where we are – right now – in our lives is the aggregate effect of all past causes. As such, the world that we currently experience – our present circumstances – is merely an amalgamation of effects.

In his book, Awaken the Giant Within, Anthony Robbins explains this phenomena as follows:

. . . the most powerful way to shape our lives is to get ourselves to take action. The difference in the results that people produce comes down to what they’ve done differently from others in the same situations. Different actions produce different results. Why? Because any action is a set cause in motion, and its effect builds on past effects to move us in a definite direction. Every direction leads to an ultimate destination: our destiny.

If we Desire a different world tomorrow (effects), then we must change and reestablish the proper course of causes today. If we Desire to Succeed tomorrow, then all we must do is implement the proper Success Causes today.

Sound simple. It is. On a conceptual basis, the fundamentals of the Law are really quite elementary. On a practical basis, however, the Law takes on much greater sophistication.

Why?

First, it is not always possible to establish a bright line nexus (connection) between all of our causes and all of our effects. As a result, we cannot conclude with certainty today what our Actions will produce as tomorrow’s Results.

Yes, sometimes it is easy – as in the firewood example, above, when I cut the tree with a saw, the tree WILL fall down. However, much of what we do, and what we fail to do – while all causes of future effects – are not easy to predict with precision. In fact, our lives encompass such an intricate web of countless causes and effects – simple and multiple – with intervening variables that most of the time it is virtually impossible to connect a single effect back to a specific single cause. In our fact pattern scenario, for example, it is hard to see how burning firewood may result in migration issues for polar bears. (Okay, perhaps today we see a cause and effect, but surely nobody connected the dots one hundred years ago).

In fact, a cause may have many effects. And, an effect may be the result of multiple causes, each contributing in its own way to the ultimate Result. And, as Anthony Robbins aptly notes, effects can be causes for further effects.

It does get complicated.

Because we cannot conclude with precision how today’s Actions impact and determine tomorrow’s Results, we must work indirectly and in a general sense. For example, if we KNEW exactly what Actions today would result – with 100% precision – in a specific financial Success one year from now, well . . . we would do it . . . right?

So, attempting to establish an Action-Result nexus in a Cause and Effect context is a difficult proposition – assuming that it can be accomplished.

Second, and what most do not realize, is that it is not just our Actions that are the causes of our Results.

Indeed, our Thoughts are also causes, and attempts to establish the connection between a particular line of thinking and the results that we experience in our lives as a direct result thereof (Thought-Result nexus) is even more difficult than attempting to establish an Action-Result nexus. But, as sure as the sun rises tomorrow, our Thoughts shape our lives. As the Success Manual’s web site tagline succinctly states above: “Achieving Success One Thought at a Time!”

In his Success Manual classic, As A Man Thinketh, James Allen states it perfectly. The following quotes from Chapter 2, Effect of Thought on Circumstance, are on point:

Man’s mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth. If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abundance of useless weed-seeds will fall therein, and will continue to produce their kind.

That circumstances grow out of thought every man knows who has for any length of time practiced self-control and self-purification, for he will have noticed that the alteration in his circumstances has been in exact ratio with his altered mental condition.

The outer world of circumstance shapes itself to the inner world of thought, and both pleasant and unpleasant external conditions are factors, which make for the ultimate good of the individual. As the reaper of his own harvest, man learns both by suffering and bliss.

Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself.

Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are.

Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound.

Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results; bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results. This is but saying that nothing can come from corn but corn, nothing from nettles but nettles. Men understand this law in the natural world, and work with it; but few understand it in the mental and moral world (though its operation there is just as simple and undeviating), and they, therefore, do not cooperate with it.

Let a man radically alter his thoughts, and he will be astonished at the rapid transformation it will effect in the material conditions of his life.

A particular train of thought persisted in, be it good or bad, cannot fail to produce its results on the character and circumstances. A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances.

Re-read that last paragraph again: “A particular train of thought persisted in, be it good or bad, cannot fail to produce its results on the character and circumstances. A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances.” That really sums it up – while we cannot directly chose tomorrow’s circumstances, we can choose our thoughts today, and today’s thoughts shape tomorrow’s circumstances.

This statement accurately summarizes the nature of the Law of Cause and Effect and how best to use it to our advantage.

The Law of Cause and Effect by Another Name

The Law of Attraction is based entirely on the Law of Cause and Effect. And, Emerson has called the Law of Cause and Effect the “Law of Laws.” It has also been called “Heaven’s First Law.”

We have all heard of “Karma.” As I understand it, Karma, in Indian religions, is the concept of “action” or “deed,” understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect (i.e., the cycle called samsãra) originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies. (Anybody care to add some comments here?)

So, what does this all mean and what points can we take away from this discussion to assist us on our Path to Success?

Plenty.

Success Is an Effect

Success is an effect. Understand and execute the cause(s), and you, too, will Succeed.

In his Success Manual Classic, How to Get What You Want (or, as I like to call it, How to Succeed in Anything), Wallace D. Wattles states the following:

Getting what you want is success; and success is an effect, coming from the application of a cause. Success is essentially the same in all cases; the difference is in the things the successful people want, but not in the success. Success is essentially the same, whether it results in the attainment of health, wealth, development or position; success is attainment, without regard to the things attained. And it is a law in nature that like causes always produce like effects; therefore, since success is the same in all cases, the cause of success must be the same in all cases.

The cause of success is always in the person who succeeds; you will see that this must be true, because if the cause of success were in nature, outside the person, then all persons similarly situated would succeed . . .

It is, therefore, mathematically certain that you can succeed if you will find out the cause of success, and develop it to sufficient strength, and apply it properly to your work; for the application of a sufficient cause can not fail to produce a given effect. If there is a failure anywhere, of any kind, it is because the cause was either not sufficient or was not properly applied.

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; you can increase the strength of this power indefinitely, and so you can make it strong enough to do what you want to do, and to get what you want to get; when it is strong enough you can learn how to apply it to the work, and therefore, you can certainly succeed. All you have to learn is what is the cause of success, and how it must be applied.

Because Success is an effect, in order to Succeed tomorrow, we MUST execute the right causes today that produce Successful results tomorrow.

So, where do we begin?

The Causes of Success

What are the primary causes of the effect of Success? Well, that is what this site is all about. That is what each of the books available in our Success Manual Free Download Library is about. It all begins with Thought – the original Cause of the Effect of Success.

What kind of Thought (cause) results in Success (effect)?

We can start with what Wattles calls “Active Power Consciousness” in his book, How to Get What You Want.

Or, as Anthony Robbins explores in Awaken the Giant Within, “the Power of Decision.”

Or, as Napoleon Hill asserts throughout Think and Grow Rich, the proper “State of Mind.”

In each case, it is Thought. Sow the right Thoughts – Thoughts of Success – and you will reap Success. What we Think, we become.

As an excellent starting point, we MUST act as the gatekeeper of our Mind, and bar (and refuse to entertain) thoughts of fear, doubt, worry, failure, negativity, resentment, jealousy, and the like. Our Mind, as James Allen points out, is like a garden and we are the gardener. If we don’t plant – in affirmative fashion – Successful Thoughts, then whatever seeds do happen to fall in (random thoughts) will grab hold and overtake our garden. Regardless of whether, and to what extent, that we tend the Garden of our Mind, it will bring forth, it will produce. It is only a matter of whether it is useful fruit or useless weeds.

Random gardening is no way to cultivate and harvest a bountiful crop. Similarly, random thinking is no way to Succeed. Why leave your Garden to chance? Tend it carefully!

I strongly urge that you read James Allen's A Man Thinketh and Wallace D. Wattles' How to Get What You Want every day for the next thirty (30) days. This is a surefire way to tend your Success Garden well and initiate the proper root causes today in order to achieve the effects of Success tomorrow.

Happy Gardening!

Until next time . . .

Peace Out, and - Namasté!

To your Health, Wealth, Prosperity and Success,

Richard

___________________________________________

Mount Washington image with permission from the Mount Washington Observatory. Thanks, Crew!

Related Websites

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...
Success Key: The Law of Compensation, Part I The Law that we reap what we sow is mathematically accurate. Each experience through which we pass operates ultimately for our good. To interpret this Law in a simple form, it should be stated that whatever we attract, we require and whatever we need is always good. This is a...
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...

Success Key: Take Annual Inventory of Yourself

Richard Catalina, Jr. — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 18:29:02 +0000

"It is one thing to want – everyone wants more – but it is something entirely different to be Worth more! Many people mistake their “wants” for their “just dues.” Your financial requirements or wants have nothing whatever to do with your Worth. Your value is established entirely by your ability to render useful service or your capacity to induce others to render such service." - Napoleon Hill, "Think and Grow Rich"

___________________________________________

Success Key: Take Annual Inventory of Yourself - 28 Questions You Should Answer

[Editor's Note: I promised a "don't miss" post for New Years Eve on "Resentment and Forgiveness," which I did not post after all. For several reasons, which will be disclosed in the post when it is published, I decided to wait until a later date. I trust that you will find it in your heart to forgive me - please! When the article does post, I think you will find it worthwhile ;-)]

Happy New Year to everyone! Thank you for joining us and for making 2010 a GREAT year for The Success Manual!

Today's post is a Success Passage (and Success Key) taken directly from Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich. The Passage is from the Chapter on Organized Planning and consists of a 28-question Self-Analysis Questionnaire for Personal Inventory.

Okay, I realize it would have been best to post this Self-Analysis Questionnaire last week, but better late than never and let us remember - each day is a new start. There is, as I have often stated here, nothing magical about the start of a new calendar year. We get a chance each and every day to begin our lives anew and when better to start than right now.

The Annual Self-Analysis Questionnaire for Personal Inventory: How well do you score? Take Napoleon Hill's Personal Inventory Survey and find out!

A critical point to be made about this Self-Analysis Questionnaire is to undertake it with total, absolute and brutal honesty - something that is always difficult when it comes to ourselves. Let's face it - it is easy to see the faults of others (the splinter in their eye) and not our own personal defects (the beam in our eye). The Ego detests being wrong and considers itself the center of the Universe (or so I have been told or read somewhere). In order for this Personal Inventory to be effective - and why do it if you don't want results - it is imperative that we lay aside our personal biases and dig deep - real, real deep.

The Truth will set you Free. So, suck it up for some brief pain in order to obtain an honest assessment that will enable you to make real, substantial positive gains in your journey to Succeed.

"Your annual self-analysis should be made at the end of each year, so you can include in your New Year’s Resolutions any improvements which the analysis indicates should be made. Take this inventory by asking yourself the following questions, and by checking your answers with the aid of someone who will not permit you to deceive yourself as to their accuracy." - Napoleon Hill, "Think and Grow Rich"

Lastly, while Napoleon Hill's Self Inventory Questionnaire is geared towards "Personal Services" (as a means for determining your "market value"), the analysis is not limited to that purpose; it may be used for measuring any aspect of Personal Development, Self Improvement and Success Achievement.

Use it wise, grasshopper . . . .

We have a TON planned for 2011, so hold on tight. This is going to be a GREAT YEAR and we hope you join us for the ride. Fasten your seatbelts, it promises to be a wild ride . . .

Until next time.

Peace Out, and - Namasté!

To your Health, Wealth, Prosperity and Success,

Richard

___________________________________________

Take Inventory of Yourself: 28 Questions You Should Answer

It is one thing to want – everyone wants more – but it is something entirely different to be Worth more! Many people mistake their “wants” for their “just dues.” Your financial requirements or wants have nothing whatever to do with your Worth. Your value is established entirely by your ability to render useful service or your capacity to induce others to render such service.

Annual self-analysis is an essential in the effective marketing of personal services, as is annual inventory in merchandising. Moreover, the yearly analysis should disclose a decrease in faults, and an increase in Virtues. One goes ahead, stands still, or goes backward in life. One’s object should be, of course, to go ahead. Annual self analysis will disclose whether advancement has been made, and if so, how much. It will also disclose any backward steps one may have made. The effective marketing of personal services requires one to move forward even if the progress is slow.

Your annual self-analysis should be made at the end of each year, so you can include in your New Year’s Resolutions any improvements which the analysis indicates should be made. Take this inventory by asking yourself the following questions, and by checking your answers with the aid of someone who will not permit you to deceive yourself as to their accuracy.

Self-Analysis Questionnaire for Personal Inventory

Have I attained the goal which I established as my objective for this year? (You should work with a definite yearly objective to be attained as a part of your major life objective).
Have I delivered Service of the best possible Quality of which I was capable, or could I have improved any part of this service?
Have I delivered Service in the greatest possible Quantity of which I was capable?
Has the Spirit of my conduct been Harmonious, and Cooperative at all times?
Have I permitted the Habit of Procrastination to decrease my efficiency, and if so, to what extent?
Have I improved my Personality, and if so, in what ways?
Have I been Persistent in following my plans through to completion?
Have I reached Decisions Promptly and Definitely on all occasions?
Have I permitted any one or more of the “Six Basic Fears” to decrease my efficiency?
Have I been either “over-cautious,” or “under-cautious?”
Has my relationship with my associates in work been pleasant, or unpleasant? If it has been unpleasant, has the fault been partly, or wholly mine?
Have I dissipated any of my energy through lack of Concentration of effort?
Have I been open minded and tolerant in connection with all subjects?
In what way have I improved my ability to render Service?
Have I been intemperate in any of my Habits?
Have I expressed, either openly or secretly, any form of Egotism?
Has my conduct toward my associates been such that it has induced them to Respect me?
Have my opinions and Decisions been based upon guesswork, or accuracy of analysis and Thought?
Have I followed the Habit of budgeting my time, my expenses, and my income, and have I been conservative in these budgets?
How much time have I devoted to unprofitable effort which I might have used to better advantage?
How may I re-budget my time, and change my habits so I will be more efficient during the coming year?
Have I been guilty of any conduct which was not approved by my conscience?
In what ways have I rendered more Service and better Service than I was paid to render?
Have I been unfair to anyone, and if so, in what way?
If I had been the purchaser of my own services for the year, would I be satisfied with my purchase?
Am I in the right vocation, and if not, why not?
Has the purchaser of my Services been satisfied with the Service I have rendered, and if not, why not?
What is my present rating on the fundamental Principles of Success? (Make this rating fairly, and frankly, and have it checked by someone who is courageous enough to do it accurately).

___________________________________________

Related Websites

Free Success Ebook: “The Law of Success – Lesson Four: The Habit of Saving” by Napoleon Hill The saving of money is solely a matter of habit. For this reason this lesson begins with a brief analysis of the Law of Habit. The rule is that if a man follows the systematic habit of saving a definite proportion of all money he earns or receives in other...
Free Success Ebook: “How to Turn YOUR Ability into CASH” by Earl Prevette – Free Download! An understanding of the three Departments of the Mind will help you to make your dreams come true, qualify you to have an abundance of everything, and enable you to turn your ideas into money. A knowledge of all three Departments of the Mind is essential, but the ultimate and...
Free Success Ebook: Eight Pillars of Prosperity by James Allen Moral virtues are the foundation and support of prosperity as they are the soul of greatness. They endure for ever, and all the works of man which endure are built upon them. Without them there is neither strength, stability, nor substantial reality, but only ephemeral dreams. To find moral principles...

Free Success Ebook: “The Law of Success – Lesson Five: Initiative and Leadership” by Napoleon Hill

Richard Catalina, Jr. — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 17:05:26 +0000

“To which class do you belong?” Inasmuch as you will be expected to take inventory of yourself and determine which of the fifteen factors of this course you need most, after you have completed the sixteenth lesson, it may be well if you begin to get ready for this analysis by answering the question that Elbert Hubbard has asked: To which class do you belong? - Napoleon Hill, The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons, Lesson Five: Initiative and Leadership

___________________________________________

Free Success Ebook: “The Law of Success – Lesson Five: Initiative and Leadership” by Napoleon Hill (1928) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2011

DOWNLOAD FREE SUCCESS EBOOK: "The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons - Lesson Five: Initiative and Leadership" by Napoleon Hill (1928) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2011

Welcome, class, to Lesson Five of Professor Hill's The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons.

Lesson Five is titled "Initiative and Leadership" and is a key lesson to attaining Success in any endeavor. Clearly, the aspiring Success Student must develop and employ Initiative. Yet, equally important is the character of strong Leadership. Leadership means not only the ability to lead others, but the ability to lead ourselves. Hence, the relationship between "Initiative" and "Leadership."

Crew members of the Mount Washington Observatory take some time to watch and enjoy the sunrise while engulfed in a blanket of undercast clouds. Only the tallest peak portions of the Presidential Range of the White Mountains of New Hampshire break through the undercast, like isolated islands in a sea of clouds. Photo by Ryan Knapp on December 14, 2010. Copyright © Mount Washington Observatory MWOBS at www.mountwashington.org.

As Napoleon Hill states in Lesson Five, "Initiative and Leadership are associated terms in this lesson for the reason that Leadership is essential for the attainment of Success, and Initiative is the very foundation upon which this necessary quality of Leadership is built. Initiative is as essential to success as a hub is essential to a wagon wheel."

Moreover, in Lesson Five, Professor Hill makes the following opening comments: "Before you proceed to the mastery of this lesson your attention is directed to the fact that there is perfect coordination of thought running throughout this course . . . You will observe that the entire sixteen lessons harmonize and blend with each other so that they constitute a perfect chain that has been built, link by link, out of the factors that enter into the development of power through organized effort. . . . This lesson, on Initiative and Leadership, follows the lesson on Self-confidence for the reason that no one could become an efficient leader or take the initiative in any great undertaking without belief in himself."

The sun rises above a sea of undercast as viewed from Mount Washington of the Presidential Range in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Photo by Ryan Knapp on December 14, 2010. Copyright © Mount Washington Observatory MWOBS at www.mountwashington.org. Thanks, Crew!

But, what exactly is "Initiative?" Professor Hill provides the following, relying on the teaches of Success Master Elbert Hubbard, author of the great short Success Classic, A Message to Garcia:

And what is Initiative?

It is that exceedingly rare quality that prompts – nay, impels – a person to do that which ought to be done without being told to do it. Elbert Hubbard expressed himself on the subject of Initiative in the words:

“The world bestows its big prizes, both in money and honors, for one thing, and that is Initiative.

“What is initiative? I’ll tell you: It is doing the right thing without being told.

“But next to doing the right thing without being told is to do it when you are told once. That is say, ‘Carry the message to Garcia.’ Those who can carry a message get high honors, but their pay is not always in proportion.

“Next, there are those who do the right thing when necessity kicks them from behind, and these ‘get indifference instead of honors, and a pittance for pay.

“This kind spend most of the time polishing a bench with a hard luck story.

“Then, still lower down in the scale than this we have the fellow who will not do the right thing even when someone goes along to show him how and stays to see that he does it; he is always out of a job, a receives the contempt he deserves, unless he has a rich pa, in which case destiny patiently waits around the comer with a stuffed club.

“To which class do you belong?”

A great philosopher once said: “Initiative is the pass-key that opens the door to opportunity.” Professor Hill agrees. So do I.

___________________________________________

Mount Monroe, the immediate peak of the Presidential Range to the soutwest of Mount Washington, breaks through the undercast flowing over the range ridge line. The Lakes of the Clouds, and the Lakes of the Clouds Hut, are obscured and covered by the undercast. Photo by Ryan Knapp on December 14, 2010. Copyright © Mount Washington Observatory MWOBS at www.mountwashington.org. Thanks, Crew!

Lesson Five includes a great Leadership Formula that Professor Hill urges that the Success Student copy and place conspicuously in his or her room where the Student will see it as he or she retires at night and rises in the morning:

Initiative and Leadership Forumla

Having chosen a definite chief aim as my lifework I now understand it to be my duty to transform this purpose into reality.

Therefore, I will form the habit of taking some definite action each day that will carry me one step nearer the attainment of my definite chief aim.

I know that procrastination is a deadly enemy of all who would become leaders in any undertaking, and I will eliminate this habit from my make-up by:

(a) Doing some one definite thing each day, that ought to be done, without anyone telling me to do it.

(b) Looking around until I find at least one thing that I can do each day, that I have not been in the habit of doing, and that will be of value to others, without expectation of pay.

(c) Telling at least one other person, each day, of the value of practicing this habit of doing something that ought to be done without being told to do it.

I can see that the muscles of the body become strong in proportion to the extent to which they are used, therefore I understand that the habit of initiative also becomes fixed in proportion to the extent that it is practiced.

I realize that the place to begin developing the habit of initiative is in the small, commonplace things connected with my daily work, therefore I will go at my work each day as if I were doing it solely for the purpose of developing this necessary habit of initiative.

I understand that by practicing this habit of taking the initiative in connection with my daily work I will be not only developing that habit, but I will also be attracting the attention of those who will place greater value on my services as a result of this practice.

Signed..........................................................

___________________________________________

Grab Lesson Five: Initiative and Leadership by Napoleon Hill.

Class dismissed.

Until next time,

Peace Out, and - Namasté!

To your Health, Wealth, Prosperity and Success,

Richard

___________________________________________

Free Success Ebook: “The Law of Success – Lesson Five: Initiative and Leadership” by Napoleon Hill (1928) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2011

DOWNLOAD FREE SUCCESS EBOOK: "The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons - Lesson Five: Initiative and Leadership" by Napoleon Hill (1928) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2011

Download Instructions

If you simply want to view this ebook reference within your web browser, simply left click the link and your web browser should open the file using a PDF file plugin. You may download the file for viewing offline in your PDF viewer by right-clicking (control-click on a Macintosh) on the following link, then choosing the option that allows you to save or download the item (depending on the browser, this option will be labeled, "Save Target As," "Save Link Target As," "Download Link to Disk," "Download Linked File As," etc.) to directly download this file to your computer. You can then open the file using your PDF viewer, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader or any other number of PDF file viewers. Adobe Acrobat Reader may be downloaded at no cost by clicking here.

DOWNLOAD FREE SUCCESS EBOOK: "The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons - Lesson Five: Initiative and Leadership" by Napoleon Hill (1928) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2011

___________________________________________

Mount Washington image with permission from the Mount Washington Observatory. Thanks, Crew!

Related Websites

Free Success Ebook: “The Law of Success – Lesson One: The Master Mind” by Napoleon Hill The course has been created for the serious-minded person who devotes at least a portion of his or her time to the business of succeeding in life. In this Introduction you will find a description of a newly discovered law of psychology which is the very foundation stone of all...
Free Success Ebook: “The Law of Success – Lesson Three: Self-Confidence” by Napoleon Hill The development of Self-confidence starts with the elimination of this demon called fear, which sits upon a man’s shoulder and whispers into his ear, “You can’t do it – you are afraid to try – you are afraid of public opinion – you are afraid that you will fail –...
Free Success Ebook: “The Law of Success – Lesson Four: The Habit of Saving” by Napoleon Hill The saving of money is solely a matter of habit. For this reason this lesson begins with a brief analysis of the Law of Habit. The rule is that if a man follows the systematic habit of saving a definite proportion of all money he earns or receives in other...

Free Success Ebook: “The Law of Success – Lesson Three: Self-Confidence” by Napoleon Hill

Richard Catalina, Jr. — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 21:07:22 +0000

"You should be cautioned to learn the difference between Self-confidence, which is based upon sound knowledge of what you know and what you can do, and egotism, which is only based upon what you wish you knew or could do. Learn the difference between these two terms or you will make yourself boresome, ridiculous and annoying to people of culture and understanding. Self-confidence is something which should never be proclaimed or announced except through intelligent performance of constructive deeds." - Napoleon Hil, "The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons," Lesson Three: Self-Confidence

___________________________________________

Free Success Ebook: “The Law of Success – Lesson Three: Self-Confidence” by Napoleon Hill (1928) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2011

DOWNLOAD FREE SUCCESS EBOOK: "The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons - Lesson Three: Self-Confidence" by Napoleon Hill (1928) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2011

Welcome back for the next lesson of Napoleon Hill's "The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons." Today's lecture, Lesson Three, is on Self-Confidence - a requisite for attaining Success.

As a quick refresher, Lesson One of The Law of Success Course was on the subject of Master Mind. In Lesson Two of The Law of Success, Professor Hill addressed the objective of A Definite Chief Aim. Today, Lesson Three covers the subjects of Fear and Self-Confidence.

"Observing the Undercast." A crew member of the Mount Washington Weather Observatory observes the undercast surrounding the Presidential Range of the White Mountains of New Hampshire on a cold February day. In the center of the photograph, the Lakes of the Clouds hut can be seen sitting atop the ridge. Photo from February 2010. Copyright © Mount Washington Observatory MWOBS at www.mountwashington.org.

Fear kills ambition and snuffs our attempts to Succeed and achieve our Goals. Fear stops our progress dead in its tracks. In fact, the greatest Success Teachers and Masters cite Fear more than any other reason why we fail to attain Success, change our lives and reach our Goals.

Fear may be overt and obvious, or it may be subtle and insidious. Either way, Fear must be defeated.

The greatest weapon for overtaking Fear and removing it from your path is Self-Confidence. We are in luck, for Napoleon Hill is a great teacher on the subject of Self-Confidence.

Today's addition to The Success Manual Free Download Library - and also to The Napoleon Hill Free Success Library - comes a little early, as I planned to upload each Lesson on a weekly basis. However, more goodies are planned, so we bumped Lesson Three up several days. I trust you will not mind!

Until next time . . . .

Peace Out, and - Namasté!

To your Health, Wealth, Prosperity and Success,

Richard

___________________________________________

Free Success Ebook: “The Law of Success – Lesson Three: Self-Confidence” by Napoleon Hill (1928) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2011

DOWNLOAD FREE SUCCESS EBOOK: "The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons - Lesson Three: Self-Confidence" by Napoleon Hill (1928) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2011

Download Instructions

DOWNLOAD FREE SUCCESS EBOOK: "The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons - Lesson Three: Self-Confidence" by Napoleon Hill (1928) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2011

___________________________________________

Mount Washington image with permission from the Mount Washington Observatory. Thanks, Crew!

Related Websites

Free Success Ebook: “The Law of Success – Lesson One: The Master Mind” by Napoleon Hill The course has been created for the serious-minded person who devotes at least a portion of his or her time to the business of succeeding in life. In this Introduction you will find a description of a newly discovered law of psychology which is the very foundation stone of all...
Free Success Ebook: “The Law of Success – Lesson Two: A Definite Chief Aim” by Napoleon Hill The object of this lesson is not to inform you as to what your lifework should be, for indeed this could be done with accuracy only after you had been completely analyzed, but it is intended as a means of impressing upon your mind a clear conception of the value...
Free Success Ebook: “The Law of Success – Lesson Four: The Habit of Saving” by Napoleon Hill The saving of money is solely a matter of habit. For this reason this lesson begins with a brief analysis of the Law of Habit. The rule is that if a man follows the systematic habit of saving a definite proportion of all money he earns or receives in other...

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

Richard Catalina, Jr. — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 23:50:47 +0000

“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"

________________________________________

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

________________________________________

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.

Related Websites

The Wattles Prosperity Bible and The Law of Attraction Prosperity Bible The Success Manual is pleased and proud to announce the DEFINITIVE Law of Attraction Resource and Virtual Law of Attraction Library: The Wattles Prosperity Bible, A Five-Volume Compilation of the Complete Works of Wallace D. Wattles, AND, The Law of Attraction Prosperity Bible, A Five-Volume Compilation of the Greatest Works...
Free Success Ebook: “The Creative Process in the Individual” by Thomas Troward Starting with certain incontrovertible scientific facts, all these things logically follow, and that therefore, however far these speculations may carry us beyond our past experience, they nowhere break the thread of an intelligible connection of cause and effect. In "The Creative Process in the Individual," Thomas Troward explains The Triumph...
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...

Free Success Ebook: Eight Pillars of Prosperity by James Allen

Richard Catalina, Jr. — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 01:44:36 +0000

THERE IS no striking a cheap bargain with prosperity. It must be purchased, not only with intelligent labor, but with moral force. As the bubble cannot endure, so the fraud cannot prosper. He makes a feverish spurt in the acquirement of money, and then collapses. Nothing is ever gained, ever can be gained, by fraud. It is but wrested for a time, to be again returned with heavy interest." - James Allen, "Eight Pillars of Prosperity"

_________________________________________________

Free Success Ebook: Eight Pillars of Prosperity by James Allen (1911) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010

Download Free Success Ebook: "Eight Pillars of Prosperity" by James Allen (1911) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010

You simply cannot argue with the Wisdom of James Allen.

I was first introducted to James Allen by a fellow gym-rat almost twenty years ago. We would lift together (spotting each other) during our midday routine at the gym close by my offices at that time. While my roots as a Student of personal development, self improvement and achieving Success go back to the late 1970s, I had never really jumped in with total commitment. Little did I know that James Allen would change all of that.

One day during our weight-lifting sessions, we somehow got on the subject of personal development and self improvement. It turns out my friend was a huge Student and even studied martial arts under a Master teacher. When I asked him what books he liked and would recommend, he kept mentioning James Allen and his most popular book, As A Man Thinketh, already featured on this site in The Success Manual Free Download Library.

"Summit Sunset." A stunning collage of colors and contrasting clouds comprise this sunset view from the Summit of Mount Washington of the Presidential Range of the White Mountains, NH. The higher clouds reflect the warm glow of the setting sun, while the clouds comprising the undercast reveal their inherent nature as white water vapor. Photo by Ed O'Malley on October 25, 2007.

It wasn't long - probably that day - when I purchased As A Man Thinketh. I could not believe how small it was and how few pages it contained. I doubted it was what my friend had hyped it as - how could it be, this tiny little book?

It was some period of time before I read it, perhaps a few months. Actually, I read it the very next New Years Day - about a half dozen times. I was blown away by the simplicity, but absolutely pure Wisdom, of the book. That is the thing about Truth - it IS simple and you don't need hundreds and hundreds of pages to explain it. If you are ready and your heart is open, you will understand the revealed Truths.

All of the works by James Allen are relatively short. But the pure, simple Wisdom resonates freely with the Spirit. While I don't always agree with James Allen on certain "technical" aspects of his teachings, his teachings touch my Heart. The Heart is always right.

That all being said, today's addition to The Success Manual Download Library is, of course, Eight Pillars of Prosperity by James Allen and is specifically focused on achieving Prosperity. The fact that this Success Manual Classic is less than two-months shy of being 100 years old should not deter you from its applicability to modern challenges. Follow what James Allen teaches and you WILL attain Prosperity - honestly, sincerely and rightfully.

What are the Eight Pillars of Prosperity? As Mr. Allen states, they may be explained as follows:

Let us briefly recapitulate, and again view the Eight Pillars in their strength and splendor.

Energy – Rousing one’s self up to strenuous and unremitting exertion in the accomplishment of one’s task.

Economy – Concentration of power, the conservation of both capital and character, the latter being mental capital, and therefore of the utmost importance.

Integrity – Unswerving honesty; keeping inviolate all promises, agreements, and contracts, apart from all considerations of loss or gain.

System – Making all details, subservient to order, and thereby relieving the memory and the mind of superfluous work and strain by reducing many to one.

Sympathy – Magnanimity, generosity, gentleness, and tenderness; being open handed, free, and kind.

Sincerity – Being sound and whole, robust and true; and therefore not being one person in public and another in private, and not assuming good actions openly while doing bad actions in secret.

Impartiality – Justice; not striving for self, but weighing both sides, and acting in accordance with equity.

Self-Reliance – Looking to one’s self only for strength and support by standing on principles which are fixed and invincible, and not relying upon outward things which at any moment may be snatched away.

Now, how can you argue with that?

Following the Dowload Section, immediately below, are a few more great sample quotes from Eight Pillars.

Do yourself a favor and download this timeless Success Manual Classic and begin studying it in earnest - you will enjoy tremendous gains on your journey, including true Prosperity, which must first be claimed in the Heart.

Until next time . . . .

Peace Out, and - Namasté!

To your Health, Wealth, Prosperity and Success,

The Success Manual Team

_________________________________________________

Free Success Ebook: Eight Pillars of Prosperity by James Allen (1911) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010

Download Free Success Ebook: "Eight Pillars of Prosperity" by James Allen (1911) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010

Download Instructions

Download Free Success Ebook: "Eight Pillars of Prosperity" by James Allen (1911) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010

_________________________________________________

Other Success Manual Strategist Editions of Works by James Allen:

Download Free Success Ebook: "As A Man Thinketh" by James Allen (1903) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010

Download Free Success Ebook: "Byways to Blessedness" by James Allen (1904) Success Manual Stategist Edition 2010

Download Free Success Ebook: "The Path to Prosperity" by James Allen (1901) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010

_________________________________________________

Mount Washington image with permission from the Mount Washington Observatory. Thanks, Crew!

_________________________________________________

Addtional Quotes from Eight Pillars of Prosperity by James Allen

To talk of having to “kill time” is almost like a confession of imbecility; for who, in the short life at his disposal, and in a world so flooded with resources of knowledge with sound heads and good hearts can fill up every moment of every day usefully and happily, and if they refer to time at all, it is to the effect that it is all too short to enable them to do all that they would like to do.

* * * * *

There is no striking a cheap bargain with prosperity. It must be purchased, not only with intelligent labor, but with moral force. As the bubble cannot endure, so the fraud cannot prosper. He makes a feverish spurt in the acquirement of money, and then collapses. Nothing is ever gained, ever can be gained, by fraud. It is but wrested for a time, to be again returned with heavy interest.

* * * * *

But fraud is not confined to the unscrupulous swindler. All who are getting, or trying to get, money without giving an equivalent are practicing fraud, whether they know it or not. Men who are anxiously scheming how to get money without working for it, are frauds, and mentally they are closely allied to the thief and swindler under whose influence they come, sooner or later, and who deprives them of their capital. What is a thief but a man who carries to its logical or later, and who deprives them of their capital. What is a thief but a man who carries to its logical extreme the desire to possess without giving a just return – that is, unlawfully? The man that courts prosperity must, in all his transactions, whether material or mental, study how to give a just return for that which he receives. This is the great fundamental principle in all sound commerce, while in spiritual things it becomes the doing to others that which we would have them do to us, and applied to the forces of the universe, it is scientifically stated in the formula, “Action and Reaction are equal.”

* * * * *

Life is too short for confusion; and knowledge grows and progress proceeds along avenues of system which prevent retardation and retrogression, so that he who systematizes his knowledge or business, simplifies and enhances it for his successor, enabling him to begin, with a free mind, where he left off.

* * * * *

The sincere man stamps his character upon all that he does, and also upon all people with whom he comes in contact. He speaks a word in season, and some one is impressed; the influence is communicated to another, and another, and presently some despairing soul ten thousand miles away hears it and is restored. Such a power is prosperity in itself, and its worth is not to be valued in coin. Money cannot purchase the priceless jewels of character, but labor in right doing can, and he who makes himself sincere, who acquires a robust soundness throughout his entire being, will become a man of singular success and rare power.

* * * * *

A man should have a firm, fixed, determined mind. He should decide upon those principles which are best to stand by in all issues, and which will most safely guide him through the maze of conflicting opinions, and inspire him with unflinching courage in the battle of life. Having adopted his principles, they should be more to him than gain or happiness, more even than life itself, and if he never deserts them he will find that they will never desert him; they will defend him from all enemies, deliver him safely from all dangers, light up his pathway through all darkness and difficulties. They will be to him a light in darkness, a resting place from sorrow, and a refuge from the conflicts of the world.

* * * * *

Nothing is absent from the Kingdom of heaven; it contains all good, true, and necessary things, and “the Kingdom of God is within you.” I know rich people who are supremely happy, because they are generous, magnanimous, pure and joyful; but I also know rich people who are very miserable, and these are they who looked to money and possessions for their happiness, and have not developed the spirit of good and of joy within themselves.

_________________________________________________

Follow SuccessBeacon (Richard A. Catalina, Jr., Esq.) on TWITTER!!

Related Websites

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...
Free Success Ebook: As A Man Thinketh by James Allen (1903) – FREE Download ALL that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts. A particular train of thought persisted in, be it good or bad, cannot fail to produce its results on the character and circumstances. A man cannot directly choose his circumstances,...
Free Success Ebook: “The Creative Process in the Individual” by Thomas Troward Starting with certain incontrovertible scientific facts, all these things logically follow, and that therefore, however far these speculations may carry us beyond our past experience, they nowhere break the thread of an intelligible connection of cause and effect. In "The Creative Process in the Individual," Thomas Troward explains The Triumph...

Success Strategy: The Ten (10) Steps to Universal Problem Solving

Richard Catalina, Jr. — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 19:43:28 +0000

We must understand that the undesirable events, conditions and circumstances, which we refer to as "problems," are EXTERNAL to us; the identification of those events, conditions and circumstances as a “problem,” on the other hand, is INTERNAL – a product of our thinking, beliefs and conditioned habits. The latter is a creature of our Mind; the former is simply a set of facts without any inherent meaning – they just are. The only meaning of those external events, conditions and circumstances is the meaning that we ascribe to these facts internally in our Mind.

_________________________________________________

Success Strategy: The Ten (10) Step Technique to Universal Problem Solving

How to Solve ANY Problem

Are you presently facing a “problem” that appears to have no solution? Yes? Good. This Post may be just what you need.

Throughout Life, we all face what we commonly refer to as “problems.” In fact, many individuals view Life itself as a series of problems – one after another – some large, some small, but all problems just the same. Some unfortunate Souls actually perceive Life itself as one giant “problem.” How sad!

People “struggle” with “problems.” And, that is quite unfortunate, because it really doesn’t have to be that way.

In fact, I would suggest that there are no such things as “problems,” and that there doesn’t have to be any “struggling.” “Problems,” in and of themselves, are nothing more than mere creatures of the mind; they have no existence on their own, and to the extent that we “struggle” with them, that is of our own doing.

Stay with me here . . .

Of course, if you presently face a significant challenge in your life (notice that I did not use the word “problem,” thereby already changing the meaning and significance of the undesirable and unwanted set of circumstances that most would refer to as a “problem”), you may find little comfort in such Wisdom. After all, these few simple words will likely not provide the resolution or solution you seek. It is, however, a start.

Indeed, there is a magical, surefire way to solve or eliminate ANY “problem” that may be plaguing you. Follow these Ten (10) Steps – honestly and diligently – and I assure you that you will realize one of the following three (3) outcomes: 1) You will solve your “problem,” 2) The problem will resolve itself, or 3) You will simply no longer view the “problem” as a “problem” – it will simply seek to exist.

Regardless of which of the three outcomes you experience, the result is the same: Freedom from the “problem.”

It is really quite simple and the beauty of it is that – IT WORKS! I personally use this technique consistently and it has never, ever failed me. It has been thoroughly developed, re-tooled and time-tested, and it is powerfully effective.

Step One: Every Problem Has a Solution

Every “problem” has a Solution. Not some, not most – ALL. All “problems” have Solutions and are resolvable.

In fact, there are likely many possible resolutions to a particular undesired set of facts and circumstances. More than one possible solution may even be optimal.

The First Step in resolving any “problem” is to know, understand and believe that there IS a solution, there is an answer. To realize the ultimate Solution, all that is required is that you increase your personal Level of Awareness to discover the possible Solutions and then implement the one that provides the greatest benefit towards your Desired outcome.

You MUST understand and accept this fact – that every “problem” has a Solution – as TRUE. If you do not accept this proposition as the Truth, the likelihood that you will realize the Solution is highly unlikely. Think about it: if you do not believe that there is a Solution to your dilemma, what are the chances that you will attempt to realize it? You won’t. And, your “problem” will remain unresolved and continue to fester.

The simple fact is that, at present, you simply do not see the Solution. For if you did, then the “problem” would no longer exist; it would be resolved. Simply start with the unconditional Believe and Faith that your “problem” has a solution – many solutions – and all that is needed is for you to discover it.

Step Two: De-Personalize the “Problem”

Having accepted the Truth that there is a Solution to your so-called “problem,” the next step is to “de-personalize the problem.”

What does that mean and why is it important?

What it means is that YOU are NOT your “problem” (okay, sometimes we are our own worst enemies, but you get the point). You are separate from your “problem” – it exists entirely outside of you.

Wait a minute – didn’t I just say earlier that “problems,” in and of themselves, are nothing more than mere creatures of the mind; they have no existence on their own, and to the extent that we “struggle” with them, that is of our own doing? Yes, I did. To avoid undue confusion, let’s immediately reconcile these concepts.

First, we must define what we mean when we use the term “problem.” After all, “problem” has many meanings (e.g., “Did you finish your math problems in your homework assignment?”) Essentially, what we all commonly refer to as “problems” are mere UNDESIRABLE conditions and/or circumstances. “Undesirable” to whom? The person who claims them to be a “problem.” What may be one person’s “problem” may be another persons’ joy. In other words, the nature, level and extent of a particular “problem” are in the eye of the beholder.

As such, we must understand that the undesirable events, conditions and circumstances are EXTERNAL to us; the identification of those events, conditions and circumstances as a “problem,” on the other hand, is INTERNAL – a product of our thinking, beliefs and conditioned habits. The latter is a creature of our Mind; the former is simply a set of facts without any inherent meaning – they just are. The only meaning of those external events, conditions and circumstances is the meaning that we ascribe to these facts internally in our Mind.

And that is where we need to draw the line and depersonalize the “problem.” The undesirable events, conditions and circumstances are external facts. They are not us – they just are. So, as part of the Second Step, we need to distinguish and understand that the nature of the “problem” is something outside of ourselves; how we perceive a problem, contrarily, is internal and a function of Mind – something over which we may assert control and change.

We must depersonalize the “problem” and personalize the Solution. The “problem” lies without; the Solution will be realized within.

Step Three: Open Your Creative Mind

Some “problems” may be resolved through simple, deductive reasoning (e.g., 2+2=4). Other “problems” are not that easy – there are too many intangible variables – and, therefore, more is required.

Most so-called “problems” require something more than deductive reasoning, for if it were that simple (relatively speaking, of course), then “problems” wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) linger on without resolution – assuming that one is making bona fide attempts to resolve the “problem.” So, how do we resolve “problems” that elude conscious analyzation?

The answer is to open your Creative Mind, your Subconscious, to the Infiniteness of Universe and all that is possible.

We have already accepted the fact that every “problem” has a Solution (Step One). And, we have depersonalized the “problem,” and have further accepted as Truth that the Solution must come from within (Step Two). If you don’t have the Solution now, and you have been working on resolving your “problem” for some time, from whence shall the Solution come?

When you open your Creative Mind to what is possible, you allow the answer to come to you. Let’s face it: our Conscious Mind is not always the best “problem” solver; in fact, it probably gets us into “problems” more than it gets us out of them.

The Wright Brothers had a firm belief that they could build a flying-machine. The ability to build a “flying machine” – today a fact not even questioned – has been in existence as long as the Universe, and the Wright Brothers knew that. It (the Principle of Flight) merely required that man finally achieve the requisite Level of Awareness where the principle of fixed wing flight could be realized.

Think of the Wright Brothers and their firm belief that they could build a flying-machine. People at that time thought the Wrights were crazy. Moreover, their own father, a minister, harshly admonished them, claiming that they would burn in hell merely for suggesting the idea! Yet, the ability to build a “flying machine” – today a fact not even questioned – has been in existence as long as the Universe, and the Wright Brothers knew that. It (the Principle of Flight) merely required that man finally achieve the requisite Level of Awareness where the principle of fixed wing flight could be realized. Nonetheless, the Principle of Flight, and the scientific laws governing that principle, always existed.

In fact, every law and principle of what may be possible in the future already exists here and now – simply waiting to be discovered. Think of it: a unified theory of the Universe, from the grand to the subatomic, which has eluded scientists since the time of Einstein already exists. We just don’t know it – yet. As a race (human race), our Level of Awareness requires greater Understanding.

The same holds true for the Solution to your “problem.” You just don’t know it yet and the way you will discover it is to open your Creative Mind.

Step Four: Remove Obstructions to Overcome Obstacles

So, how does one open his or her Creative Mind?

The crucial first step is to remove all Obstructions. You will not realize the proper Solution to your “problem” if your Mind is clogged with needless, destructive clutter - Obstructions.

What are “Obstructions?” Fear. Doubt. Worry. Anxiety. Negative thinking. These are all States of Mind (mental states) that not only will fail to resolve your “problem,” but will actively and affirmatively work against realizing a Solution. As long as you harbor Obstructions, the likelihood that you will solve your “problem” is very, very slim.

Obstructions such as Fear, Doubt, Worry, Anxiety and Negative Thinking literally clog the channels of your Creative Mind. You cannot think in a constructive, creative fashion when you are focused on the negative and gripped with Fear and Worry. It is simply not possible.

Moreover, Obstructions are just that: Obstructions. They block the flow of Creative Spirit through your Conscious and Subconscious Minds. If you were so ensconced with Fear and Anxiety – to the point of paralysis – do you think you would hear God whispering the answer to you? God rarely shouts, and outside of Biblical accounts, I don’t know of anyone to whom God appeared or spoke accompanied by bolts of lighting and fire.

God speaks to our Heart and the way to hear God in this fashion is to quiet the Mind. Obstructions are anything but quiet and can produce compulsive thought and action.

In Step One we accepted the uncontroverted Truth that all “problems” have Solutions. Truly knowing that – with unconditional Faith and Believe – is usually sufficient to instill a Peace of Heart that clears the Obstructions. If you find yourself still hindered by these negative States of Mind, work (but don’t struggle) to remove the blockage.

Step Five: Understand that Obstructions Are a Result of Ignorance

So, how do we remove Obstructions with Peace and without struggling? Through Understanding, Knowledge and Awareness.

We must increase our Level of Awareness, gain Knowledge and Understand the causes of Fear, Doubt, Worry, Anxiety and Negative Thinking. While tomes may be (and are) written on the subject, it is critical to UNDERSTAND that such destructive Mental States are caused by or a result of Ignorance.

Ignorance of what?

First, not knowing WHERE the answer or solution lies.

Consider. A young couple is deeply in debt and they both lost their jobs. With each passing month, they sink deeper and deeper into debt. Their levels of Fear, Doubt and Worry increase. Negative Thinking persists. They see no way out.

Therein lays the problem: They see no way out.

Suppose I had a bona fide magic crystal ball and could convince the young couple that the crystal ball really could show the future. Taken a step further, I consult my crystal ball and show them the winning multimillion dollar lottery numbers for the following week. All they would need to do is play that winning combination of numbers on the right day and they become instant winners of $50 million.

What do you think would happen to their Doubt, Worry, Anxiety, Fear and Negative Thinking (at least with respect to their debt and unemployment “problem”)? It would immediately vanish into thin air! Why? Because they now see their Solution!

When we see the Solutions to our “problems” – even if those answers are not immediately available – the levels of our Obstructions immediately drop, if not completely dissipate. As such, it is the Ignorance as to the Solution that gives rise to the Obstructions. We fail to see from where the Good that we Desire is going to come and that fuels our Obstructive Mental States.

If we can begin to truly and honestly Understand that there IS a Solution (or multiple solutions) to our “problem,” and all that is required is that we raise our Level of Awareness to realize the Solution, an immediate effect is that we begin to overcome the Ignorance giving rise to our Obstructions. Just knowing that there IS a solution already begins to bring Peace, which, in turn, opens our Creative Mind to receive the answer!

As long as we remained locked in the Negative, we will not see the Positive. We need to clean the House of our Minds, and like a skilled surgeon who removes blockage from diseased arteries, we must remove the Obstructions of our Creative Mind and allow Life to flow freely.

Step Six: Reframe the “Problem”

All along, I have been using the word “problem” to describe and define the undesired set of conditions and circumstances. Step Six is to “reframe” the nature of “problem,” including the very word “problem.”

We may start by no longer using the word “problem” as the definition or indicia of the undesired conditions and circumstances. The term “problem” immediately delivers a negative connotation – almost signifying a situation to which there is no Solution. That is why I have been using quotes with the word throughout this article – to establish the significance (or, more appropriately, the insignificance) of the actual word.

Instead of the word “problem,” use either the terms “Challenge” or “Obstacle.” Immediately your perspective changes towards the undesired conditions and circumstances, for both words convey a more positive meaning and both inherently suggest that there exist solutions or answers.

Think about it: who likes “problems?” In fact, we try to avoid “problems.” It is human nature to run from “problems” (who awakes in the morning thinking “Boy, I can’t wait to deal with the scourge of my problems today!”)

“Challenges,” on the other hand, are an invitation for Action! (Some definitions for the word “challenge” include: “an invitation to someone to compete or fight, especially in a sport; to invite someone to compete or fight; used in the names of competitions, especially sports competitions; to test someone's skill and abilities”). Who can turn down a legitimate Challenge – whether from someone else or ourselves?

Really, reframing the term “problem” to “Challenge” or “Obstacle” should be done as soon as one begins thinking that he or she has a “problem.” In terms of actual timing, therefore, Step Six should be tackled right along with Step One. Thinking of your undesired conditions or circumstances as a Challenge or mere Obstacle ab initio will do wonders for your Mental State and accelerate your progress in realizing your optimum Solution.

Next, it is highly important to understand – and further reframe the undesired conditions and circumstances that we now call a Challenge or Obstacle – that ALL Challenges or Obstacles are invitations to Growth. Yes, indeed! When faced with a Challenge or Obstacle, your present inability to solve or find the Solution stems from your present Level of Awareness. In Step Five, we explored how this Ignorance gives rise to fatal-thinking Obstructions and how they must be eliminated. This MUST be true, for if your present Level of Awareness was sufficient, you would already have the Solution. As such, to realize the Solution, you must Grow your current Level of Awareness.

The fact that you don’t have the Solution is evidence that you must increase your present Level of Awareness.

Understand that reasons for Growth are usually irrelevant, for Growth is inherently Good. Nature is always seeking further Expansion, Expression and Growth. By Growing – whether intellectually, Spiritually, emotionally, physically – you are fulfilling one of the greatest of our human duties. We were born to Grow and it is God’s calling that we all Grow and live to our full Potential. Face it: We were not born to spend our lives on the sofa watching television.

It is therefore critical to Understand that whatever your Challenge or Obstacle, it is an invitation to GROW. And, in some strange fashion which we may not readily comprehend, it may be a Divine mandate to do so.

When you realize the Solution to your Challenge or Obstacle, you will necessarily be at a higher Level of Awareness. And, if the nature of your Challenge or Obstacle was most difficult – perhaps oppressive – your Level of Awareness will be even higher. You may have even developed Character along the way, one of the greatest of all personality traits.

Lastly, keep in mind that all Obstacles are mere stepping stones to achieving a greater Good – a certain Goal or Success. In order to achieve any objective, you must necessarily face and overcome the Obstacles or Challenges along the way requisite to attaining that Success. (See Posts, "Success Strategy: Converting Obstacles to Stepping Stones: The Key to Victory," March 7, 2010, and "Success Key 5: Embrace Obstacles, the Stepping Stones to Success," January 23, 2010).

Step Seven: Take Action

Step Seven is simple: Take Action.

What kind of Action? Any Action.

The key here is that you need not necessarily know precisely what to do to – just begin. If you knew the precise set of Action Steps to realize the Solution, you would have already taken that course and the Obstacle resolved. What is important is that you begin solving the Obstacle by taking any Action – as long as it is not impulsive and based on irrational emotion or Obstruction.

Action is Empowering. Action increases Levels of Awareness. Action creates Opportunity.

Once you have taken that first Action step, you are on the path to finally addressing the undesired conditions and circumstances. Even if those first Action steps are just tiny steps, you are nonetheless on the way and knowledge of the simple fact is quite empowering.

It is important to note that, while the initial Action Steps may not lead you in the right direction, valuable information – in the form of feedback – is always gained. At the very least, you will discover what doesn’t work – and you may move on to Plan B. No Action taken ever results in failure; valuable information is always obtained. The key is to keep trying, keep moving, and keep taking Action. You will find the way!

Sometimes taking Action is 50% of the process towards realizing the Solution. You may think that attaining the resolution will take much time and effort, but then after taking that first Action step, you come to realize that the Challenge is not as substantial as you previously thought – perhaps it is even easy. I cannot tell you how many times that the “bark” that I feared was actually worse than the “bite.” The so-called “problem” turned out to be an easy, no-brainer and I regretted the fact that I had not taken Action earlier – it would have saved me significant time, energy and resources.

You will usually discover as you take Action that what you perceived to be insurmountable isn’t, and that solving the situation will not be the effort that you imagined. You will not come to that realization, however, unless and until Action is actually taken.

Roll up your sleeves and get started.

Step Eight: Time and the Law of Gestation

Everything has its season and the Universe works in cyclic, rhythmic fashion.

If your present Challenge is to find a way to feed your family today, the solution is not planting corn. There is the Law of Gestation: after planting, the corn seed must geminate, sprout, grow (and grow and grow and grow) and bear fruit. The fruit, the ears of corn (really a grain) must properly mature and then you must harvest it. All of this will take a certain amount of time over which you have very little control.

All seeds – including Seeds of Thought and Greatness – have a gestation period. There is a Law of Cause and Effect, but there also is the Law of Gestation, which states that the Effects of the Cause will take the time that the Universe (Nature, through our Infinite Creator) requires.

Depending on your particular Challenge or Obstacle, and the Action steps that you take – and the ultimate Solution desired – there will be the factor of time as determined by the applicable Law of Gestation. Often, we don’t know how long it may take for fruit to bear, but as long as we remain steadfast and true to realizing the Desired result, there will be fruit.

This is also another reason why it is important to be consistent – and persistent – with our Action steps. With continued Action, Persistence and Perseverance, it is possible to accelerate the process of realizing our Solution within the confines of the Law of Gestation.

For example, suppose that realizing the Solution to a particular Challenge by a particular individual necessarily must require a total of fifty (50) hours of bona fide, consistent Action (by application of the Law of Gestation). If the individual only dedicates one (1) hour per day towards that objective, it will take fifty (50) days before she finally realizes the ultimate Solution . However, by devoting two (2) hours of bona fide, consistent Action per day (instead of only one hour), she can accelerate the process and realize the ultimate Solution in half the time: twenty-five (25) days. Now, if she was really motivated and determined, in theory, she may dedicate ten (10) hours of bona fide, consistent Action per day towards overcoming her Challenge. Assuming that fatigue, Obstructions, and other inhibiting factors are kept at bay, she can further accelerate the process and realize her ultimate Solution in a mere five (5) days! So while the Law of Gestation may establish certain time constraints over which we have no or little control, we may accelerate the overall process by more continuous, consistent and persistent Action.

Another insight to understanding the Law of Gestation is a quote from Anthony Robbins: “God’s delays are not God’s denials.” In other words, God works on a different calendar and clock than we do.

Why is this so important? Because when many individuals fail to realize the Solution to their Challenge or Obstacle immediately, they simply quit. Give up. Abandon ship. When that happens, one thing is for certain: they will NOT solve the Challenge.

Quitting is “game over.” Failure.

If you do not immediately realize your Solution, keep trying, keep taking Action steps, keep working these Ten Steps. You WILL realize the solution. Chances are that the mess you are in didn’t happen overnight, so it may be unreasonable to think or expect that it may be cleaned up overnight.

Time itself may be just another aspect or feature of the Challenge that you face, so view it as such. Reframe the nature of the Challenge or Obstacle to further include the time variable. Don’t make the issue of time another, separate “problem.” Patience may be required and that virtue is yet another characteristic of Growth.

Persevere. Persist. Work it.

Step Nine: Have Faith

The importance of Faith – Faith in yourself and Faith in God – cannot be overstated.

We could write volumes on the significance of Faith to finding a Solution to your Challenge or Obstacle; time and space do not permit that here.

Napoleon Hill has stated many times, “The man who can is the man who thinks he can.”

If you already accepted the notion that every Challenge or Obstacle has a Solution (Step One), then why not accept the Faith and Belief that you will realize that Solution?

“Ya gotta believe, baby, ya gotta believe.”

If you do not Believe or have no Faith that you will realize a Solution, will you honestly pursue the Solution? If you answered this question in the affirmative, then you must fancy in chasing ghosts.

Step Ten: The Attitude of Gratitude

Finally, as Step Ten, despite the nature, level and extent of your Challenge or Obstacle, remain Grateful for all that you have. Seek the Good in your Life and by doing so, the significance of the Challenge or Obstacle will diminish.

Relinquish resentment. Drop jealousy and envy. Adopt the Attitude of Gratitude.

Studies have shown that patients with the most severe illnesses fair best in treatment when they are grateful for the Good in their lives – despite the illness – and they reject negative attitudes such as resentment, anger, jealously or envy. Such mental states are nothing more than Obstructions, discussed in Steps Four and Five. They not only block your Creative Mind, but they stain your Spirit and become a focal point of your concentration. This eventually leads to self-absorbed self-pity – and there is no way you will overcome your Challenge or Obstacle if you are engaged in that game.

Be grateful. Rejoice in the Good all around you! If you focus on the Good, more Good will come; contrarily, if you focus on the Negative, then you will receive more of the Negative. This is the Law of Attraction, pure and simple.

If you have trouble seeing the Good and finding Gratitude, grab a notebook and pen and find a quiet, comfortable place to sit by yourself for an hour or so and begin writing all that for which you are grateful. It may take a little time to get started, but once the juices start flowing, you will be astounded at how much you have written – how much there is in your life for which you should be Grateful. By the time this exercise is done, you will feel profoundly different and view your Challenge or Obstacle in an entirely different light.

When I feel overwhelmed by a Challenge or Obstacle and see myself starting to slide in a negative fashion, I work my “Gratitudes” by stopping whatever I am doing and spending some time with my children. An hour of building blocks, reading or just playing with them – and seeing the unconditional Love and excitement of Life in their eyes – has an amazing impact. Problem? What Problem?

Adopting the Attitude of Gratitude with honesty and sincerity is the quickest way to jump start out of a “stuck” position. It works – every time. But, you need to actually work it, and if that requires some quiet time in isolation with your thoughts and a notebook, then do it.

Conclusion

That’s it. The Ten Steps to Universal Problem Solving. With continued practice and patience, you will find these Ten Steps will work Miracles in your Life.

Believe.

Related Websites

Success Strategy: Leave Your Comfort Zone Behind and Do It Afraid There is a kind of Fear that lurks within our conscious and subconscious minds that is not natural; and, worse, in the long run, it does us harm. This type of Fear is self-induced, pernicious and irrational. It works in stealth mode and its objective is simple: to keep Change...
Free Success Ebook: “The Magic of Believing” by Claude Bristol IS THERE some force, or factor, or power, or science – call it what you will – which a few people understand and use to overcome their difficulties and achieve outstanding success? I firmly believe that there is, and it is my purpose in this book to try to explain...
Free Success Ebook: Eight Pillars of Prosperity by James Allen Moral virtues are the foundation and support of prosperity as they are the soul of greatness. They endure for ever, and all the works of man which endure are built upon them. Without them there is neither strength, stability, nor substantial reality, but only ephemeral dreams. To find moral principles...

Free Success Ebook: “The Creative Process in the Individual” by Thomas Troward

Richard Catalina, Jr. — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 09:24:07 +0000

"IT IS an old saying that “Order is Heaven’s First Law,” and like many other old sayings it contains a much deeper philosophy than appears immediately on the surface. Getting things into a better order is the great secret of progress, and we are now able to fly through the air, not because the laws of Nature have altered, but because we have learnt to arrange things in the right order to produce this result – the things themselves had existed from the beginning of the world, but what was wanting was the introduction of a Personal Factor which, by an intelligent perception of the possibilities contained in the laws of Nature, should be able to bring into working reality ideas which previous generations would have laughed at as the absurd fancies of an unbalanced mind. The lesson to be learnt from the practical aviation of the present day is that of the triumph of principle over precedent, of the working out of an idea to its logical conclusions in spite of the accumulated testimony of all past experience to the contrary . . . The law of Cause and Effect is one we can never get away from, but by carefully following it up we may find that it will lead us further than we had anticipated." - Judge Thomas Troward, "The Creative Process in the Individual"

_________________________________________________

Free Success Ebook: "The Creative Process in the Individual" by Thomas Troward (1915) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010

DOWNLOAD FREE SUCCESS EBOOK: "The Creative Process in the Individual" by Thomas Troward (1915) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010

Recently, we added "The Law and the Word" by Thomas Troward to The Success Manual Free Download Library. Judge Troward, a brilliant writer and perhaps "the Godfather of New Thought," is not easy reading by any means (at least not for me). As a result, despite his legacy with regard to the New Thought movement and the impact of his teachings on modern day Success Masters (e.g., Bob Proctor, Anthony Robbins, etc.), we have been a little hesitant to bring his works into our online fold.

Were we wrong. Hundreds of copies of The Law and the Word have already been downloaded.

Which brings us to today's addition to The Success Manual Free Download Library: "The Creative Process in the Individual" by Thomas Troward. Out of all of his works, I personally find Creative Process easier to assimilate and of immediate practical value. Yes, it has its esoteric qualities as do all of Troward's work; but, it does provide an understandable dissertation on exactly what the title of the work states: The Creative Process in the Individual.

"Mount Washington." A gray autumn day is always beautiful when it features a snow-capped Mount Washinton, low level clouds drifting above a valley floor, and water vapor rising from a clear and still-relatively warm New Hampshire Lake. Photo by Debbe hill on November 13, 2008.

As we noted in our previous post on Troward's work, a primary focus of Creative Process is, as Troward expressly states, "The triumph of principle over precedent, the working out of an Idea to its logical conclusions in spite of the accumulated testimony of all past exerpience to the contrary." In other words, even though the Law of Cause and Effect (the "Law of Laws" according to Emerson) is in full force and effect, we need to be mindful that what happened yesterday has absolutely no bearing on what we do today, unless we allow it. Each day is a fresh start. Yesterday's "failures" belong to yesterday.

The human race has been able to advance as a result of the Triumph of Principle Over Precedent. Each day brings new Opportunity for Growth - and Grow we do (to the extent we allow ourselves). And, Growth of any kind ultimately brings Success and purifes the Soul.

A Cautionary Note: The Creative Process in the Individual, like all Success Manuals - but particularly so here - is NOT a book that one simply picks up, reads and puts back on the book shelf to collect dust. It IS a Success Manual, to be read and studied with purpose and intent. The conveyed words of Wisdom are to be savored, absorbed into our consciousness and analyzed. To approach this work any other way is a waste of time and energy.

Lastly, please keep in mind my prior explanation on the "ether" as you read this book to avoid any confusion.

Now, roll up your sleeves and get to work!

Until next time . . . .

Peace Out, and - Namasté!

To your Health, Wealth, Prosperity and Success,

The Success Manual Team

_________________________________________________

Free Success Ebook: "The Creative Process in the Individual" by Thomas Troward (1915) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010

DOWNLOAD FREE SUCCESS EBOOK: "The Creative Process in the Individual" by Thomas Troward (1915) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010

Download Instructions

DOWNLOAD FREE SUCCESS EBOOK: "The Creative Process in the Individual" by Thomas Troward (1915) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010

_________________________________________________

Mount Washington image with permission from the Mount Washington Observatory. Thanks, Crew!

Related Websites

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...
Free Success Ebook: “The Mental Equivalent Lectures” by Dr. Emmet Fox Everything that you see or feel on the material plane, whether it is your body, your home, your business, or your city, is but the expression in the concrete of a mental equivalent held by you. Everything you see in the outer world is the precipitation on the physical plane...
Free Success Ebook: “The Law and the Word” by Thomas Troward Our Thought always continues to be creative; but in destructive use it becomes creative for destructive forces, and, since it has its origin in our own personality, we are certain sooner or later to feel its effects, on the principle that every action always produces a corresponding reaction. The Law...

Free Guest Success Ebook: “Opportunity Magnet 101″ by James Barton

Richard Catalina, Jr. — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 13:43:10 +0000

“Seriously looking out for any and all opportunities in general is an essential part of success. Now though let us fine-tune exactly what kind of opportunities we desire to benefit from. The clearer that we can define our goals the easier it will be to perceive the opportunities that will help us achieve them. It has long been proven that those who list and write down their goals get on better in life and are more likely to accomplish their hopes and dreams. As Seneca says ‘If a man does not know to what port he is steering, no wind is favourable to him.’” - James Barton, "Opportunity Magnet 101"

_________________________________________________

Free Guest Success Ebook: "Opportunity Magnet 101" by James Barton

DOWNLOAD FREE SUCCESS EBOOK: "Opportunity Magnet 101" by James Barton - Success Manual Guest Edition 2010

Halloween is fast approaching - the mysterious night where Goblins roam the streets, repeating over and over their mantra, "Trick or Treat!"

Well, there are no Tricks here - but today, we do have a special Treat: The Success Manual's FIRST Free Guest Success Ebook!

Today's addition to The Success Manual Free Download Library is a fantastic piece by James Barton titled, "Opportunity Magnet 101." James has drafted a phenomenal work on the Nature and Science of that magic occurrence that we call "Opportunity." Frankly, I don't recall ever reading such a comprehensive work on "Opportunity," and James has analyzed the subject in outstanding fashion. You will never view "Opportunity" the same way after reading this Ebook.

"Opportunity Magnet 101" by James Barton (2010). Seize Opportunities that lead to additional Opportunities. If presented with two or more Opportunities, pursue the Opportunity that will most likely lead to more Opportunities over the others that may only offer short term pleasure or mere transitory gain.

How do you attract Opportunity? When presented with more than one Opportunity, which do you pursue? From whence does Opportunity arise? How do you recognize "hidden" Opportunity? These are just a sample of the questions answered in Opportunity Magnet 101.

In addition, Chapter 10 of Opportunity Magnet 101 contains some great supplementary material. Included are 101 Opportunity Quotes, 101 Opportunity Affirmations, and 101 Inspiring Opportunity Questions (self-analysis). Significant thought, creativity and work have gone into Opportunity Magnet 101 - a true Success Manual.

James Barton is the Force behind The Spiritual Success Forum. For more information, please be sure to check out his web site.

Opportunity Magnet 101 has been graciously contributed by James Barton for distribution through The Success Manual. The Ebook is FREE. I highly recommend that you grab your copy today and embark on new ventures to sniff out the infinite Opportunities that present themselves to us each and every day!

Until next time . . . .

Peace Out, and - Namasté!

To your Health, Wealth, Prosperity and Success,

The Success Manual Team

PS - THE SUCCESS MANUAL HAS AN EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT COMING LATER THIS WEEK. STAY TUNED, FOLKS . . . . . .

_________________________________________________

Free Guest Success Ebook: "Opportunity Magnet 101" by James Barton - Success Manual Guest Edition 2010

DOWNLOAD FREE SUCCESS EBOOK: "Opportunity Magnet 101" by James Barton - Success Manual Guest Edition 2010

Download Instructions

DOWNLOAD FREE SUCCESS EBOOK: "Opportunity Magnet 101" by James Barton - Success Manual Guest Edition 2010

Related Websites

Free Success Ebook: “How to Turn YOUR Ability into CASH” by Earl Prevette – Free Download! An understanding of the three Departments of the Mind will help you to make your dreams come true, qualify you to have an abundance of everything, and enable you to turn your ideas into money. A knowledge of all three Departments of the Mind is essential, but the ultimate and...
Free Success Ebook: “The Magic of Believing” by Claude Bristol IS THERE some force, or factor, or power, or science – call it what you will – which a few people understand and use to overcome their difficulties and achieve outstanding success? I firmly believe that there is, and it is my purpose in this book to try to explain...
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...

Free Success Ebook: “How to Grow Success” by Elizabeth Towne

Richard Catalina, Jr. — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 19:58:14 +0000

"Success is not money, nor is it fame. Success is liberty to command, coupled with a clear conscience and loving heart. Success includes the liberty to command money enough to gratify all one’s aspirations to better his own condition, and the condition of those dependent upon him. This does not mean that success includes money enough to enable one to outshine his neighbor. No man with that aim in life was ever successful, or ever will be. Not to out-shine, but to shine upon his neighbors, is the successful man’s mission." - Elizabeth Towne, "How to Grow Success"

_________________________________________________

Free Success Ebook: "How to Grow Success" by Elizabeth Towne - Updated Edition 2010

DOWNLOAD FREE EBOOK: "How to Grow Success" by Elizabeth Towne (Updated Version) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010

"Now, dearie . . . "

Yes, friends, it's Elizabeth Towne with some good ole fashioned common sense advice to attaining Success in her classic Success Manual, "How to Grow Success."

This is our second addition of Ms. Towne to the Success Manual Free Download Library. Previously, we made available another of her great works, "Joy Philosophy." "Now, dearie," no Success Library should be without the wisdom of Elizabeth Towne. (Read How to Grow Success and you will understand the "dearie" reference).

The tundra above the tree-line in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains is aglow in the golden warmth of a setting sun. Precious few days remain before sub-freezing temperatures lock an icy hold on the granite mountains of New Hampshire. Photo by Jim Salge on September 20, 2008.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend - and remember to find time to give gratitude for all of the graces and blessing you have received!

Until next time . . . .

Peace Out, and - Namasté!

To your Health, Wealth, Prosperity and Success,

The Success Manual Team

_________________________________________________

Free Success Ebook: "How to Grow Success" by Elizabeth Towne - (Updated Version) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010

DOWNLOAD FREE EBOOK: "How to Grow Success" by Elizabeth Towne (Updated Version) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010

Download Instructions

DOWNLOAD FREE EBOOK: "How to Grow Success" by Elizabeth Towne (Updated Version) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010

_________________________________________________

Mount Washington image with permission from the Mount Washington Observatory. Thanks, Crew!

_________________________________________________

Related Websites

Free Success Ebook: “Joy Philosophy” by Elizabeth Towne – Free Download! Quit looking at things and being afraid. Never admit a fear. Bid it get behind you. Fear makes you feel paralyzed. Ignore it. Rise up and ACT, and you will see how little power the fear really had. ACT and fear flees into the bottomless pit whence it came –...
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...
Free Success Ebook: Eight Pillars of Prosperity by James Allen Moral virtues are the foundation and support of prosperity as they are the soul of greatness. They endure for ever, and all the works of man which endure are built upon them. Without them there is neither strength, stability, nor substantial reality, but only ephemeral dreams. To find moral principles...

The Success Manual » constructive action

Success Strategy and Mastery Move: Working with the Law of Cause and Effect

Success Strategy and Mastery Move: Working with the Law of Cause and Effect

Cause and Effect Refresher

The Law of Cause and Effect in Our Lives

The Law of Cause and Effect by Another Name

Success Is an Effect

The Causes of Success

Mount Washington image with permission from the Mount Washington Observatory. Thanks, Crew!

Success Key: Take Annual Inventory of Yourself

Success Key: Take Annual Inventory of Yourself - 28 Questions You Should Answer

Take Inventory of Yourself: 28 Questions You Should Answer

Self-Analysis Questionnaire for Personal Inventory

Free Success Ebook: “The Law of Success – Lesson Five: Initiative and Leadership” by Napoleon Hill

Free Success Ebook: “The Law of Success – Lesson Five: Initiative and Leadership” by Napoleon Hill (1928) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2011

Free Success Ebook: “The Law of Success – Lesson Five: Initiative and Leadership” by Napoleon Hill (1928) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2011

Download Instructions

Mount Washington image with permission from the Mount Washington Observatory. Thanks, Crew!

Free Success Ebook: “The Law of Success – Lesson Three: Self-Confidence” by Napoleon Hill

Free Success Ebook: “The Law of Success – Lesson Three: Self-Confidence” by Napoleon Hill (1928) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2011

Free Success Ebook: “The Law of Success – Lesson Three: Self-Confidence” by Napoleon Hill (1928) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2011

Download Instructions

Mount Washington image with permission from the Mount Washington Observatory. Thanks, Crew!

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

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

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

Foreword

The Wattles Prosperity Bible

Richard A. Catalina, Jr., Esq.

Free Success Ebook: Eight Pillars of Prosperity by James Allen

Free Success Ebook: Eight Pillars of Prosperity by James Allen (1911) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010

Free Success Ebook: Eight Pillars of Prosperity by James Allen (1911) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010

Download Free Success Ebook: "Eight Pillars of Prosperity" by James Allen (1911) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010

Download Instructions

Download Free Success Ebook: "Eight Pillars of Prosperity" by James Allen (1911) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010

Mount Washington image with permission from the Mount Washington Observatory. Thanks, Crew!

Addtional Quotes from Eight Pillars of Prosperity by James Allen

Success Strategy: The Ten (10) Steps to Universal Problem Solving

Success Strategy: The Ten (10) Step Technique to Universal Problem Solving

How to Solve ANY Problem

Step One: Every Problem Has a Solution

Step Two: De-Personalize the “Problem”

Step Three: Open Your Creative Mind

Step Four: Remove Obstructions to Overcome Obstacles

Step Five: Understand that Obstructions Are a Result of Ignorance

Step Six: Reframe the “Problem”

Step Seven: Take Action

Step Eight: Time and the Law of Gestation

Step Nine: Have Faith

Step Ten: The Attitude of Gratitude

Conclusion

Free Success Ebook: “The Creative Process in the Individual” by Thomas Troward

Free Success Ebook: "The Creative Process in the Individual" by Thomas Troward (1915) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010

Free Success Ebook: "The Creative Process in the Individual" by Thomas Troward (1915) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010

DOWNLOAD FREE SUCCESS EBOOK: "The Creative Process in the Individual" by Thomas Troward (1915) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010

DOWNLOAD FREE SUCCESS EBOOK: "The Creative Process in the Individual" by Thomas Troward (1915) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010

Mount Washington image with permission from the Mount Washington Observatory. Thanks, Crew!

Free Guest Success Ebook: “Opportunity Magnet 101″ by James Barton

Free Guest Success Ebook: "Opportunity Magnet 101" by James Barton

PS - THE SUCCESS MANUAL HAS AN EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT COMING LATER THIS WEEK. STAY TUNED, FOLKS . . . . . .

Free Guest Success Ebook: "Opportunity Magnet 101" by James Barton - Success Manual Guest Edition 2010

DOWNLOAD FREE SUCCESS EBOOK: "Opportunity Magnet 101" by James Barton - Success Manual Guest Edition 2010

Download Instructions

DOWNLOAD FREE SUCCESS EBOOK: "Opportunity Magnet 101" by James Barton - Success Manual Guest Edition 2010

Free Success Ebook: “How to Grow Success” by Elizabeth Towne

Free Success Ebook: "How to Grow Success" by Elizabeth Towne - Updated Edition 2010

Free Success Ebook: "How to Grow Success" by Elizabeth Towne - (Updated Version) Success Manual Strategist Edition 2010

Mount Washington image with permission from the Mount Washington Observatory. Thanks, Crew!