Chapter 7. Gratitude
THE illustrations given in the last chapter. Will have conveyed. To the reader. The fact. The first step toward getting rich. Is to convey the idea. Of your wants. To the Formless Substance.
This is true. And you will see. In order. To do so. It becomes necessary. To relate yourself. To the Formless Intelligence. In a harmonious way.
To secure this harmonious relation. Is a matter. Of such primary. Vital importance. I shall give some space. To its discussion here. And give you instructions which. If you will follow them. Will be certain. To bring you. Into perfect unity. Of mind with God.
The whole process. Of mental adjustment. And atonement. Can be summed up. In one word. Gratitude.
First. You believe. There is one Intelligent Substance. From which. All things proceed. Second. You believe. This Substance. Gives you. Everything you desire. Third. You relate yourself. To it. By a feeling. Of deep. Profound gratitude.
Many people who order their lives rightly. In all other ways. Are kept in poverty. By their lack.
Of gratitude. Having received. One gift from God,. They cut the wires. Which connect them. With Him. By failing. To make acknowledgment.
It is easy. To understand. The nearer. We live. To the source. Of wealth. The more wealth. We shall receive. And it is easy also. To understand. The soul. Always grateful. Lives in closer touch with God. Than the one. Which never looks. To Him in thankful acknowledgment.
The more gratefully. We fix our minds. In the Supreme. When good things come to us. The more good things. We will receive. The more rapidly they will come. The reason simply. The mental attitude. Of gratitude draws the mind. Into closer touch. With the source. From which the blessings come.
If it is a new thought to you. That gratitude. Brings your whole mind. Into closer harmony. With the creative energies. Of the universe. Consider it well. You will see. It is true. The good things you already have. Have come to you. Along the line. Of obedience. To certain laws. Gratitude will lead your mind out along the ways. By which. Things come. And it will keep you. In close harmony. With creative thought. Preventing you from falling into competitive thought.
Gratitude alone can keep you looking toward the All. And prevent you. From falling. Into the error. Of thinking. Of the supply as limited. And to do that. Would be fatal to your hopes.
There is a Law. Of Gratitude. And it is absolutely necessary. You should observe. The law. If you are. To get the results. You seek.
The law. Of gratitude. Is the natural principle. Action and reaction are always equal. And in opposite directions.
The grateful outreaching. Of your mind in thankful praise. To the Supreme. Is a liberation or expenditure. Of force. It cannot fail. To reach. To which it addressed. And the reaction is an instantaneous movement towards you.
"Draw nigh unto God. He will draw nigh unto you." That is a statement. Of psychological. Truth.
And if your gratitude. Is strong. And constant. The reaction. In Formless Substance. Will be strong. And continuous. The movement. Of the things. You want. Will be always toward you. Notice the grateful attitude that Jesus took. How He always seems. To be saying. "I thank Thee Father. Thou hearest me." You cannot exercise much power. Without gratitude. for it is gratitude. Keeping you. Connected with Power.
But the value. Of gratitude. Does not consist solely. In getting you. More blessings. In the future. Without gratitude. You cannot long keep from dissatisfied thought. Regarding things. As they are.
The moment you permit your mind. To dwell. With dissatisfaction. Upon things. As they are. You begin. To lose ground. You fix attention upon the common. The ordinary. The poor. The squalid. The mean. Your mind takes the form. Of these things. Then you will transmit these forms. Or mental images. To the Formless.
Then the common. The poor. The squalid. And mean will come to you.
To permit your mind. To dwell upon. The inferior. Is to become inferior. To surround yourself with inferior things.
On the other hand. To fix your attention. On the best. Is to surround yourself. With the best. To become the best.
The Creative Power within us. Makes us. Into the image. Of that to which. We give our attention.
We are Thinking Substance. Thinking substance always takes the form. Of that which. It thinks about.
The grateful mind is constantly fixed. Upon the best. Therefore it tends. To become. The best. It takes the form. Or character. Of the best. And will receive the best.
Also. Faith. Is born. Of gratitude. The grateful mind. Continually expects good things. And expectation becomes faith. The reaction. Of gratitude. Upon one's own mind. Produces faith. And every outgoing wave. Of grateful thanksgiving increases faith. He who has no feeling of gratitude. Cannot. Long retain. A living faith. Without a living faith. You cannot get rich. By the creative method. As we shall see. In the following chapters.
It is necessary. Then. To cultivate. The habit. Of being grateful. For every good thing. That comes to you. And. To give thanks.
Continuously.
And because all things. Have contributed. To your advancement. You should include all things. In your gratitude.
Do not waste time thinking. Or talking. About the shortcomings. Or wrong actions of plutocrats. Or trust magnates. Their organization. Of the world. Has made your opportunity. All you get. Really comes to you. Because of them.
Do not rage against corrupt politicians. If it were not for politicians. We should fall into anarchy. And. Your opportunity. Would be greatly lessened.
God has worked a long time. Very patiently. To bring us up. To where we are in industry and government. He is going right on with His work. There is not the least doubt. He will do away with plutocrats. Trust magnates. Captains of industry. And politicians. As soon as they can be spared. But in the meantime. Behold - they are all very good. Remember. They are all helping. To arrange. The lines. Of transmission. Along which. Your riches will come to you. And be grateful. To them all. This will bring you. Into harmonious relations with the good in everything. The good in everything moving toward you.