Rich", in the sense of having a magnificent God-given
potential, which we owe ourselves to nurture.
Just how great is this human potential?
Let's check with the experts. Dr. Alexander Rich,
Professor of Biophysics at M.I.T., has estimated our central
nervous system contains from 10 to 100 million cells, each
one of which has a storage capacity equal to that of a large
computer. If his estimates are even close to being correct, it
would imply that the human mind has the capacity to store all
of the known information in the world-with room to spare!
Other specialists in the field of human creativity are
similarly convinced that all people have uncharted reservoirs
of untapped potential, locked up within the confines of their
incredible minds. For example, Dr.W. Ross Addey, of the Space
Biology Laboratory of the Brain Research Institute at U.C.L.A.,
has said that, "The ultimate creative capacity of your brain
may be, for all practical purposes, infinite." One must
conclude, therefore, the more a person delves into the
potential of the human being, the more that person will
become aware of how great he or she truly is; and the more
that person becomes aware of his or her own potential, the
easier it will be to build images of ideas or things which have
never even been contemplated up until the present time.
Now, pause for just a moment and reflect upon the
degree to which you have been utilizing this incredible power
to improve the quality of your own life, and the lives of those
people who surround you. If you know, for a fact, that you
have not been tapping into these great reservoirs of talent and
ability, then you should ask yourself very candidly why you
have not been. For if you do this, you might just discover you
have been "telling yourself" for such a long period of time that
you can't do certain things, that you have actually
manufactured a genuine "mental block" in your own conscious
mind.
But, you should remove these mental blocks by putting
yourself into a very relaxed state and by then becoming
consciously aware that you can do the things you want to do-
you probably just don't know how to go about doing them. If
this is the position which you currently find yourself in, then
you should start getting excited; for the ideas which are being
brought to you in the pages of this book will show you exactly
how to go about doing the things you most wish to do.
Also, please be advised you need not feel regret because
you have not fully utilized this great power in the past. For the
truth is, there are few people anywhere who understand the
real truth concerning their own "hidden resources." That is the
very reason why so few people live dynamic exciting lives and
so many people live confused, unproductive lives. Moreover,
just on the basis of what you have read up to this point, you
have already far surpassed most other people with respect to
your understanding of this important potential.
It would appear to be the case, that the masses of people
have always lived their lives in the past tense. That is to say,
by virtue of holding onto old images, they have limited
themselves to only "half a life." Indeed, even as far back as the
turn of the century, William James (1842-1910)-one of the
world's most distinguished early psychologists-reached the
conclusion, the average individual was using only a small
portion of his or her real potential (perhaps as little as 10%).
He considered this to be one of his most important
psychological discoveries and, in this connection, he wrote,
"Most people live, whether physically, intellectually, or morally,
in a very restricted circle of their potential being. They make
use of a very small portion of their possible consciousness,
and of their soul's resources in general, much like a person
who, out of their whole bodily organism, gets into the habit of
using and moving only their little finger."
One might have expected, that in this modern age in
which we now live, James' findings would have become
anachronistic. But unfortunately, this is just not true. For the
sad reality is, that most of us are continuing to live our lives in
much the same manner as our grandparents did. The reason
we do this, you will be interested to know, is that most of us
have never been trained to measure our "true abilities"
correctly.
Indeed, during the formative years of our lives, we have
been inculcated with the belief that our results in school
would be the factor determining whether we would win or lose
in life. This notion has been "fired" at us from virtually every
conceivable angle, until eventually, most of us have not only
come to accept it intellectually, but we have actually become
emotionally involved with the idea as well. The result is: the
lives of untold numbers of individuals have been needlessly
sacrificed, "on the altar of failure."
I feel time has come for us to free ourselves from these
mental shackles of the past. Let us, therefore, begin this
"healing process," by getting in touch with the wide variety of
beautiful images which we have the ability to form on the
screen of our own minds. Then, let us begin to actually expect
to receive the physical manifestation of each one of these
images, in our own lives.
Remember, if we are able to see ourselves doing, being or
having something, on the screen of our conscious minds, then
we are able to do, be, or have it, on the physical plane of life as
well. You see, the adage is true: "What you see, is what you
get." Therefore, always look forward into the bright future
which lies just ahead of where you currently are situated.
Let me make it clear that I am not referring, in this
context, to the things which you can actually "see," with your
physical sense of "sight" (that is looking at what was or what
is). Rather, I am referring to your creative inner eye which
enables you to see what can be. The creative inner eye is that
magnificent part of your personality which permits you to see
into the vast reaches of the "creative, nonphysical world." (This
is the area where all life begins, or originates.)
The past, conversely, is the place where all life ends. But
unfortunately, it is also the place where 95% of the people
spend 95% of their time (which is, sadly, also their life). For
example, it is an accepted ritual in our culture, for old friends
to spend hours upon hours reminiscing or harping back on,
"the good old days" of yesteryear. Hours upon wasted hours, of
precious present "living time" is squandered, discussing people
who are dead and gone, or reflecting upon things which used
to be, but are no more. In fact, there are actually numerous
individuals who spend their days collecting "things from the
past"-or antiques, as they are sometimes called. These people
collect everything from old match boxes to antique furniture.
Then, there is another large category of people, who
consume the majority of their waking hours, reliving in their
minds, past negative events which have occurred in their lives.
They either spend valuable hours thinking of some past
injustice which someone has done to them, or possibly about
some unkind remark which someone had once directed in
their direction. They bemoan and agonize over past failures, or
missed opportunities which they somehow "let slip through
their fingers." Unfortunately for them, these individuals
maintain such a negative vibration, that there is not even the
most remote possibility of a positive thought entering their
level of consciousness.
Indeed, the only thing this type of thinking will ever
create is resentment and/or guilt-both deadly emotional
states. But until these poor souls come to terms with the fact
that it is they themselves who have been the authors of their
own misfortune, and until they realize it is up to them to alter
the course of their own lives, they are doomed to repeat their
past failures over and over again. As long as they persist in
believing that others are the cause of their problem, they
cannot be successful (because, of course, you can never
successfully change anyone but yourself). Therefore, to the
extent that these people hold onto their false beliefs, they will
continue to "Think in Reverse;" and it goes without saying, you
cannot move ahead while your mind is traveling in the
opposite direction.
Take a good look at yourself. Could you be one of the
individuals whom I have just portrayed?
If you are, I would strongly suggest that you bring your
mind to a "screeching halt." Then reevaluate your present
position and reexamine your future goal. Look straight ahead
and fill your consciousness with great and grand thoughts of
what you ultimately could do and what you eventually can be.
Become acutely aware of the direction your mind is traveling,
because ultimately, that is the way your life is going to unfold.
Polaroid Camera Analogy
I have often likened the human mind and the material
world to a polaroid camera and a photograph. For once you
have "snapped" a picture, the course for that photograph has
been incontrovertibly set. There is a short gestation period
which must elapse, but then the photograph must begin to
appear; and it will do so, exactly as it had originally been
"shot."
To carry our analogy one step further, I would suggest
that the shutter of the camera is quite like the conscious
mind, in that it is responsible for "snapping" the picture.
Similarly, the camera itself may be likened to the
subconscious mind, because it is responsible for "doing the
work." Finally, the photograph is analogous to your results, as
it merely shows the world the physical replica of the picture
which you have already taken, "with your mind."
Clearly, if you were to take a picture of the same object-
over and over again-you would do nothing more than
reproduce the same photograph, over and over again. Yet this
is precisely the course, which many people set, for their own
lives. Therefore, you must constantly be reminding yourself,
that if you persist in "thinking in reverse," you will only
reproduce the same results in your life, over and over again. If
you wish to change this pattern, on the other hand, you must
look bravely into the bright future, which lies ahead, and see
yourself already doing what you now only dream about doing,
"someday."
Patti's Cruise
Patti Moir first came to my seminar, with her parents,
when she was only eleven years old. By the age of fifteen she
was already speaking in the seminars and sharing with the
audience the manner in which a concept in the seminar had
moved her from failing miserably in French-at school-to
honor's grades (and in a relatively short period of time, to
boot!)
Five years later she was working with me in the seminar
business. One day I noticed her attitude seemed to be slipping
badly and it appeared to me that she was not enjoying herself
one iota (note that these are the first telltale symptoms of an
individual who is without a goal). So I asked her what it was
she really wanted and her immediate response was, "What do
you mean by that?" I explained to her, that since she wasn't
working toward anything, she didn't have anything to look
forward to, and this made life extremely difficult, to say the
least. Then she said, "But I don't have any money, so I can't do
anything." I reminded her, however, that it doesn't cost even
one penny to want or to dream. A radiant smile suddenly came
across Patti's face, and she told me that what she wanted,
more than anything else, was to go on a south sea cruise. I
said to her, "That would probably be a lot of fun." I told her I
had done it a number of times myself, and I described to her
how beautiful it was. I also expressed my expectation, that she
would have a truly marvelous time. I pointed out, moreover,
that she would retain the memories from the trip for the rest of
her life and she could then relive them, over and over again,
whenever she desired it.
At this juncture, I asked her what was holding her back.
Again, the same response was forthcoming from Patti, "I don't
have any money." This type of negative thinking had been
crippling her, by preventing her from undertaking something
in her life which she felt was very important.
But the real reason I bring this story up here, is to
illustrate that even though Patti was mature, had no ties and
had no real reason not to go on the trip, her own thinking was
holding her back from doing so. Clearly, she was a young lady
who was "thinking in reverse." She had thoroughly convinced
herself it was a lack of finances which thwarted her desire, but
of course, that just wasn't the case. Nevertheless, whatever the
source of her real frustration may have been, it was certainly
holding her back from realizing her dream.
Understand, that untold numbers of people are making
the same error Patti made-daily-and it is a great tragedy.
Perhaps you have been making this same error in your own
life. If you have, I hope "Patti's story" will be the inspiration
you need to get you moving in the direction you wish to go.
In any case, one day Patti and I went to lunch together
and we had a very serious discussion. I said, "Listen Patti, if
you really want to go on a cruise, you must quit looking back
or looking at "what is," because looking at present results is a
