The Science Of Getting Rich
By
Wallace D. Wattles
#8 Gratitude
THE illustrations given in the last chapter will have
conveyed to the reader the fact that 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 that 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 and vital importance that 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 that there is one Intelligent
Substance, from which all things proceed; second, you believe that this
Substance gives you everything you desire; and third, you relate
yourself to it by a feeling of deep and 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 that the nearer we live to the
source of wealth, the more wealth we shall receive; and it is easy also
to understand that the soul that is 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 on the Supreme when
good things come to us, the more good things we will receive, and the
more rapidly they will come; and the reason simply is that 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, and you will see that 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
and prevent 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 that you should observe the law, if you are to get the results
you seek.
The law of gratitude is the natural principle that
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 that to which it addressed, and the reaction is an
instantaneous movement towards you.
"Draw nigh unto God, and 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, that Thou hearest me." You cannot exercise much
power without gratitude; for it is gratitude that keeps 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, and the squalid
and mean; and your mind takes the form of these things. Then you will
transmit these forms or mental images to the Formless, and 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 and to surround yourself with inferior things.
On the other hand, to fix your attention on the best is
to surround yourself with the best, and 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, and 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; and 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 and very patiently to bring
us up to where we are in industry and government, and He is going right
on with His work. There is not the least doubt that 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 that 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, and the good in everything will move toward you.
__________________________________________________________________
1 - Preface
2 - The Right To Be Rich
3 - There Is A Science Of Getting Rich
4 - Is Opportunity Monopolized?
5 -The First Principle In The Science Of Getting
Rich
6 - Increasing Life
7 - How Riches Come To You
8 - Gratitude
9 - Thinking In The Certain Way
10 - How To Use The Will
11 - Further Use Of The Will
12 - Acting In The Certain Way
13 - Efficient Action
14 - Getting Into The Right Business
15 - The Impression Of Increase
16 - The Advancing Man
17- Some Cautions And Concluding Observations
18 - Summary Of The Science Of Getting Rich
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