Chapter 8. Thinking in the Certain Way
TURN back to chapter 6. Read again. The story. Of the man. Who formed. A mental image. Of his house. You will get a fair idea. Of the initial step toward getting rich. You must form. A clear. Definite mental picture. Of what you want. You cannot transmit. An idea. Unless.
You have it yourself.
You must have it. Before you can give it. Many people fail. To impress. Thinking Substance. Because. They have themselves. Only a vague. And misty concept. Of the things they want to do. To have. Or to become.
It is not enough. You should have a general desire for wealth "to do good with". Everybody has that desire.
It is not enough. You should have a wish. To travel. See things. Live more. Etc. Everybody has those desires also. If you were going. To send a wireless message. To a friend. You would not send the letters. Of the alphabet in their order. Letting him construct the message for himself. Nor would you take words. At random. From the dictionary. You would send a coherent sentence. One which meant something. When you try. To impress your wants upon Substance. Remember. It must be done. By a coherent statement. You must know what you want. Be definite. You can never get rich. Or start. The creative power into action. By sending out. Unformed longings. And vague desires.
Go over your desires. Just as the man. I have described. Went over his house. See just what you want. Get a clear mental picture. Of it. As you wish it. To look. When you get it.
That clear mental picture. You must have continually in mind. As the sailor. Has in mind the port. Toward which. He is sailing the ship. You must keep your face toward it. All the time. You must no more lose sight of it. Than the steersman. Loses sight. Of the compass.
It is not necessary. To take exercises in concentration. Nor. To set apart. Special times for prayer. And affirmation. Nor to "go into the silence." Nor to do occult stunts. Of any kind. These things are well enough. But all you need. Is to know what you want. And to want it badly enough. So it. Will stay. In your thoughts.
Spend as much. Of your leisure time. As you can. In contemplating. Your picture. But no one needs. To take exercises. To concentrate. His or her mind. On a thing. Which he really wants. It is the things. You do not really care about.
Which require effort. To fix your attention upon them.
And unless you really want. To get rich. So that the desire. Is strong enough. To hold your thoughts. Directed. To the purpose. As the magnetic pole. Holds the needle. Of the compass. It will hardly. Be worth while for you. To try. To. Carry out. The instructions. Given in this book.
The methods herein set forth. Are for people. Whose desire for riches. Is strong enough. To overcome. Mental laziness. And the love. Of ease. And make them work.
The more clear. And definite. You make your picture then. And the more. You dwell upon it. Bringing out. All its delightful details. The stronger. Your desire. Will be. And the stronger your desire. The easier it will be. To hold your mind. Fixed upon the picture. Of what you want.
Something more is necessary. However. Than merely. To see the picture clearly. If that is all you do. You are only a dreamer. And will have little. Or no power. For accomplishment.
Behind your clear vision. Must be the purpose. To realize it. To bring. It out. In tangible expression.
And behind this purpose. Must be. An invincible. Unwavering FAITH. The thing is already yours. It is "at hand." You have only. To take possession. Of it.
Live in the new house. Mentally. Until it takes form. Around you physically. In the mental realm. Enter at once. Into full enjoyment. Of the things you want.
"Whatsoever things ye ask for. When ye pray. Believe ye receive them. And ye shall have them," said Jesus.
See the things you want. As if. They were actually around you. All the time. See yourself as owning. And using them. Make use. Of them in imagination. Just as you will use them. When they are your. Tangible possessions. Dwell upon your mental picture. Until it is clear and distinct. And then take. The Mental Attitude of Ownership. Toward everything. In that picture. Take possession. Of it. In mind. In the full faith. It is actually yours. Hold to this mental ownership. Do not waiver. For an instant in the faith. It is real.
And remember. What was said. In a proceeding chapter. About gratitude. Be as thankful for it all the time. As you expect. To be. When it has taken form. The man who can sincerely thank God for the things. Which as yet he owns only in imagination. Has real faith. He will get rich.
He will cause the creation. Of whatsoever he wants.
You do not need. To pray repeatedly. For things you want. It is not necessary. To tell God.
About it every day.
"Use not vain repetitions as the heathen do," said Jesus said to his pupils, "for your Father knoweth. That ye have need. Of these things before ye ask Him."
Your part is to intelligently. Formulate. Your desire. For the things. Which make. For a larger life. And to get these desires. Arranged into a coherent whole. Then to impress this Whole Desire. Upon the Formless Substance. Which has the power. The will. To bring you. What you want.
You do not make this impression. By repeating. Strings. Of words. You make it. By holding the vision. With unshakable PURPOSE. To attain it. With steadfast FAITH. You do attain it.
The answer. To prayer. Is not according. To your faith. While you are talking. But according to your faith. While you are working.
You cannot impress. The mind. Of God by having a special Sabbath day. Set apart to tell Him what you want. Then forgetting Him. During the rest. Of the week. You cannot impress Him. By having special hours. To go into your closet. And pray. If you then dismiss the matter. From your mind. Until the hour. Of prayer comes again.
Oral prayer is well enough. And has its effect. Especially upon yourself. In clarifying your vision. And strengthening your faith. But it is not your oral petitions. Which get you what you want. In order. To get rich. You do not need. A "sweet hour. Of prayer". You need. To "pray without ceasing." And by prayer I mean holding steadily. To your vision. With the purpose. To cause its creation. Into solid form. And the faith. You are doing so.
"Believe that ye receive them."
The whole matter. Turns on receiving. Once you have clearly formed. Your vision. When you have formed it. It is well. To make an oral statement. Addressing the Supreme. In reverent prayer. From that moment you must. In mind. Receive what you ask for. Live in the new house. Wear the fine clothes. Ride in the automobile. Go on the journey. Confidently. Plan. For greater journeys. Think and speak. Of all the things. You have asked for. In terms. Of actual present ownership. Imagine an environment. And a financial condition.
Exactly. As you want them. Live all the time. In that imaginary environment. And financial condition. Mind. However. You do not do this.
As a mere dreamer. And castle builder. Hold. To the FAITH. The imaginary. Is being realized. And to the PURPOSE. To realize it. Remember. It is faith. And purpose. In the use. Of the imagination. Which make the difference. Between the scientist. And the dreamer. And having learned. This fact. It is here. You must learn. The proper use. Of the Will.