preceding pages have been dedicated to the power of positive
thoughts (namely, the building of the image of prosperity),
doubt is the flip side of the coin (i.e. negative thinking). And,
when you are entertaining doubts, what you are actually doing
is creating images of the things you don't want. Moreover,
justifying your doubt to yourself by originating reasons for it
(i.e. rationalizing), will do you absolutely no good. You cannot
strike a bargain with your subconscious mind, because the
subconscious has no sense of fairness, no sense of humor,
and it cannot even determine what is good or what is bad for
you. Every image just IS, to the subconscious mind. Therefore,
your negative, worrisome and doubtful images will be accepted
just as quickly and as willingly as will your images of
prosperity.
The instant you become aware you are entertaining
thoughts which create doubt, become quiet, start relaxing and
image yourself already in possession of the prosperity you
desire. When you do this, you are altering the mental current
which is flowing into your marvelous mind.
Expect, with all of your consciousness, to receive your
good in your material world-"You think in secret and it comes
to pass, environment is but your looking glass." James Allen
wrote those words three-quarters of a century ago, but they
are still true today and they will always remain true in the
future.
So program your "personal computer" to expect good
results and that is exactly what you will receive.
Pat And John's Story
As I was writing these lines, I received a telephone call
from a beautiful couple-Pat and John-whom I would definitely
number among my close friends. They called to tell me they
were moving into their new home the following Tuesday, and I
was elated to hear this delightful news. You see, less than two
months earlier, I spent approximately five hours talking with
them about the image-making concept and the awesome
power of the "Expectant Attitude." During the course of the
conversation, I asked John what he wanted more than
anything else in the world, and, after a long period of silence,
he looked me squarely in the eye and said, "I would like Pat,
Toni (Pat's daughter) and me to be in a house of our own by
Christmas and I would like my son to spend Christmas day
with us." (Although John's son lives with his mother, he and
John have a very warm relationship.) I then asked him why he
didn't just go out and make his dream become a reality. He
replied he couldn't, because he lacked the money to do so. I
then had the audacity to remind John, that all things are
possible for those who believe, and therefore, he definitely
could make his dream come true; perhaps he just didn't know
how to go about doing it. The three of us then spent about an
hour discussing the kind of house they wanted, until we all
had a very clear image of their dream home etched upon the
screens of our minds. We talked about Expectation and I
explained to them that many good things would begin to
happen for them the instant that they began to "Expect" to be
in the house for Christmas.
Sure enough, the first thing that happened to them once
this new attitude permeated their consciousness, was that
both their minds moved over to the "How To" side of the ledger.
New ideas began to flow like water, and questions came forth
in rapid succession. How much would a house like this cost?
How much would they have to "put down?" Where would they
find such a house? To get answers to their questions, they
needed the expertise of a real estate agent; I suggested John
call Natalie Kopman-a lady I know who is a real estate
professional-and tell her of his dream. He should ask her what
he would need in the way of finances to make his dream or
image become a reality. Finally, I told him he would have to
get busy focusing all of his conscious attention on earning the
amount of money he would need to achieve his goal; and he
would have to actually "Expect" to earn whatever the amount
was-and in the allotted time. Surprisingly, it turned out that
the amount of money they required was far less than the
figure they had previously thought it would be.
Moreover, since John and Pat are both commissioned
sales people, their road to achieving this financial goal was not
riddled with as many obstacles as is the road for many other
people. Nevertheless, without going into detail about the many
hurdles they did have to overcome, suffice it to say, with
Natalie's help, Pat and John succeeded. Next Tuesday they
move into their new house, next Saturday is Christmas day.
Just before I hung-up the receiver, I congratulated them on
their new home and I asked John if his son would be spending
Christmas day with them. Quietly, but with a voice brimming
over with happiness, he answered, "Yes he is, and it sure
makes a difference when you Expect what you do want, rather
than Expecting what you don't want, doesn't it Bob?" I just
smiled and said, "Yes John, it sure does."
Many people today live their entire lives on the basis of
"seeing is believing." That is to say, the only images they get
emotionally involved with are the ones they can discern with
their physical senses. But the individuals of real "vision", down
through the ages, have always known the overriding principle
is, "What you see is what you get." Expressed somewhat
differently, what this means is that the images in people's
minds actually precede the concrete images which pervade our
material world. Therefore, you should be aware of the fact that
the fascinating physical world we see before us, with all of its
conveniences for making our lives more comfortable, has been
built largely by image-makers-men and women of vision who
knew what they could do and "Expected" everything else to
"fall into place," regardless of what their critics might say to
the contrary.
For example, two young mechanics from Ohio introduced
us to an entirely new kingdom by building and holding an
image of an airplane in flight; but if they had not "Expected" to
succeed, they would surely have quit the first time they met
with defeat. Since they did not, we are now only hours away
from anywhere in the world-in fact, we can even reach other
planets within a very short span of time. Edison built and held
an image which illuminated the entire world and, as a result,
we no longer need to spend half of our days groping in
darkness. You should realize that you too can change your
world, just as John and Pat did, by building an image in your
mind of exactly the way you would like to live. But always
remember, you will only receive what you truly "Expect", not
what you only wish for.
There are three certain steps for achieving prosperity in
all areas of your life. Number one, build the image in your
mind. Number two, turn it over to Spirit (Let Go And Let God).
Number three, expect with your heart and soul that Spirit will
reward you openly for your faith.
Expect An Abundance
The Law of Vibration and Attraction
"Any idea that is held in the mind
that is either feared or revered will, begin at once
to clothe itself in the most convenient
and appropriate physical forms available."
- Andrew Carnegie
Dr. Wernher von Braun
In an interview held with Dr. Wernher von Braun in
February of 1976, Dr. von Braun was quoted as follows: "After
years of probing the spectacular mysteries of the universe, I
have been led to a firm belief in the existence of God. The
grandeur of the cosmos serves only to confirm my belief in the
certainty of a creator. I just cannot envision this whole
universe coming into being without something like divine will.
The natural laws of the universe are so precise that we have
no difficulty building a spaceship to fly to the moon and can
time the flight with the precision of a fraction of a second.
These laws must have been set by somebody." Dr. von Braun
went on to say, that "science" and "religion," properly
understood, are not antagonistic pursuits. On the contrary, he
affirmed, they are "sister disciplines." Through the scientific
method, one learns more about "creation," whereas, by virtue
of the study of religion, one gains a greater insight into the
"creator." By employing the tools of science, man attempts to
harness the forces of nature which surround him; through
religion, on the other hand, he endeavors to control the "forces
of nature," which are at work within him. After a brief pause,
he added, "There would not be a single great accomplishment
in the history of mankind without faith ... Any person who
strives to accomplish something needs a degree of faith in
himself and when he takes on a challenge that requires more
and more moral strength than he can muster, he needs faith
in God."
Years before anyone would accept the idea of a man
traveling to the moon and back, Dr. von Braun was asked,
"What would it take to make a rocket to reach the moon." He
replied simply, "The will to do it." von Braun was, clearly, a
brilliant man who possessed a great understanding of life and
a tremendous awareness of the laws of the universe. In fact,
he is considered, by many experts in the field, to be the
"Father" of the space program. Like all great achievers, he had
gained a profound insight into the "spiritual" laws of life, and
one of those laws is the Law of Attraction. This is the law I
would like to delve into now.
Indeed, an understanding of this particular law is
actually the key to understanding this entire book. The reason
this is so, is that "The Law of Attraction" is the underlying
principle which governs the level of your personal prosperity.
However, to help you achieve a really solid grasp of this
concept, it will be necessary for us to focus briefly on another
law; namely, the "Law of Vibration."
The Law of Vibration accounts for the difference between
mind and matter; between the physical and the nonphysical
worlds.
According to the Law of Vibration, we postulate that
everything vibrates or moves; nothing sits idle. Everything is in
a constant state of motion, and therefore, there is no such
thing as "inertia", or a state of rest. From the most ethereal, to
the most gross form of matter, everything is in a constant state
of vibration.
Moving from the lowest to the highest degree of vibration,
we discover there are literally millions upon millions of
intervening levels or degrees; from the electron to the universe,
everything is in vibratory motion. (Energy is manifested in all
the varying degrees of vibration.)
"Rates of vibration" are called "frequencies," and the
higher the frequency, the more potent the force. Since thought
is one of the highest forms of vibration, it is very potent in
nature and therefore, it must be understood by all of us.
Now, the Law of Vibration may be explained in many
different ways, depending upon the purpose for which it is
being explained. In this chapter, however, it is our intention to
confine our inquiry to thoughts alone, so we may thereby
improve our understanding of the Law of Attraction.
Vibration
To vibrate means: "to move backwards and forwards, to
oscillate, to shake, to quiver, to swing, to waver, to cause to
quiver."
To obtain a more graphic conceptualization of the idea of
Vibration, just stretch out one of your arms straight in front of
you. Then hold it perfectly still. While you are holding it still
and are unable to perceive any motion in that arm at all, know
that the electrons which compose the arm, are moving,
shaking, quivering, or vibrating, at the rate of 186,300 miles
per second.
The arm appears still to you, but in reality it is in a
constant state of motion. Of course, although such motion is
imperceptible to the naked eye, under a high-powered
microscope it would become very apparent, indeed.
Now, begin to shake your arm. You, yourself, are now
causing the arm to vibrate. It was already vibrating of its own
accord, in obedience to the Law of Vibration (which teaches
that everything is in constant motion). But you have stepped
up, or increased, the rate of that vibration. You have pushed
down on the vibratory accelerator pedal, as it were.
Positive And Negative Personalities
"The mind in itself and in its own place
can make a hell out of heaven
or a heaven out of hell."
- John Milton
People, as a rule, can be classified as positive
personalities (optimists) or negative personalities (pessimists).
Those individuals who are positive in their thoughts
always tend to look upon the brighter side of life. With their
faces turned toward the sunshine, they attempt to see the
good, even in the bad. Such individuals habitually think
thoughts of a positive nature and they are a blessing to the
world. They are in a "Positive Vibration," and therefore attract
other positive personalities to them.
Negative personalities, on the other hand, habitually look
upon the dark, gloomy, and depressing side of life. Even the
good holds some bad for them. They dwell on the bad and the
negative. They think about it, anticipate it, expect it, and
invariably they receive what they have been seeking. Due to
the negative vibration which they keep themselves in, they of
course attract other miserable personalities to them. As you
are already aware, "misery loves company."
