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The Magnificent Life

By

Anthony Norvell

Copyright 1946 by NORVELL

This eBook edition Copyright 2007

www.Self-Improvement-eBooks.com

All Rights Reserved

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CONTENTS

Introduction13

Chapter 1 ..16

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INTRODUCTION

There is a constant and impelling urge within man to find the Magnificent Life. This inner urge colors his emotions and his every experience. It causes him to search far and wide for the Good, the Beautiful, the Opulent, the Creative and inspiring forces of life.

The Philosophy of the Magnificent Life is one admirably adapted to the crying needs of this age of Materiality. On all sides war, confusion, chaos and destruction greet man. The future of civilization hangs precariously in the balance; nations are tottering on the brink of disaster; atom bombs threaten to obliterate all that man has achieved.

It is in such bleak times that the soul of man cries loudest in the Stygian darkness; then that the inner promptings cause man to look to the spiritual dawning for the light that an-nounces the New Age. It is then that the Magnificence Inherent in man rises to meet the challenge of obliteration; then that he is prompted by the divinity within to find new hope and courage; to tackle anew the problems which engulf him, and to leave for posterity another brilliant page of achievement in his historic rise from the dismal, miasmic swamps of life.

This book traces the spectacular ascent of man's struggling soul to find the light. It is particularly fitting that man's final epitaph should be termed 'Magnificent' for in his rise upward from the primordial forces that have always threatened him with extinction, there is something of great-

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ness in his deeds, and something exalted in his aspirations. His climb has been marked by splendid achievements, and he has lavished upon the elements of which his life consists the prodigal talents which he has wrested from the womb of time itself.

There is a breathtaking splendor about man's remarkable feats; his audacious disregard of danger; his sublime comprehension of the Divinity within; his brilliant flights into fantasy; his munificence of creation; his stateliness of being; and the Majestic beauty with which he has chosen to clothe civilization.

These temples to man's magnificence, which are repre-sented by his palaces, bridges, inventions, and industry, rival the exalted glories of ancient Rome. His systems of philosophical thought; his creation of iridescent beauty; his splendid endowments to human knowledge in the arts and sciences, give man a right to claim the heritage which God has entrusted to him.

This book but attempts in an humble manner to attest to this inherent Magnificence in man; not to gild the lily, but to refresh the memory, when the stigma of man's intoler-ance, hatred and barbarism rear their ugly, blood-stained heads. It attempts to chart the course which man has set to find his ultimate destiny, and to choose the bright stars by which he may guide his frail bark on the cosmic sea on his journey into the unknown. Those ever-present stars of Beauty, Peace, Hope and Joy, set in the diadem of a re-splendent civilization, dimmed occasionally, yes, by man's

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unfortunate temporary folly; but only dimmed moment-arily, for the full effulgence which blossoms in man's Soul reflects the eternal radiance of the living God whose ultimate purpose man fulfills when he discovers the Mag-nificent Life.

NORVELL, New York City, 1946.

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CHAPTER 1

MAKE YOUR LIFE MAGNIFICENT

Life is a magnificent adventure! In this transitory earthly existence, which is man's life drama, there have been given to him all the elements with which he may make of his life a resplendent and glorious pageant.

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So too, your life is a play, and it should have in it all the elements that go to make up a well-rounded drama. There should be characters, purpose and plot, suspense and uncer-tainty, romance and beauty, some tears, but also much hap-piness.

All lives reflect these elements of a great drama, but your individual life is much more extensive than that offered on the limited confines of a stage. Beyond the proscenium arch of your earthly stage is the Master Stage Director, the Creator, giving you the cues, arranging the scenes and directing the cast of characters which make up your per-sonal drama.

And what is the title of this play in which you are the star? Is it "THE LIFE MAGNIFICENT?" or "THE DISMAL LIFE?" Are the characters peopling your life-play, ideal-

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istic, beautiful, charming and loving? or have you filled this play with cheap melodrama, tawdry situations, common and vulgar characters?

You and you alone may determine what shall take place in this drama of your life. You are also the playwright, devising the plot, writing the dialogue, and choosing the setting. Man is not a victim of circumstances, as many think. He can choose the events that make up his destiny. You have it within your power to fill your consciousness with any emotion, thought, or experience that you consciously choose. You can elevate your mind to the lofty mountain peaks of life, or you have the power to allow it to stagnate in the lowly shadow-filled swamps.

The choice remains with you as to which type of life you are to choose.

If you are one of that myriad throng who feel the trans-cendental urge of some inner power inspiring you to rise triumphantly over life's limitations; if you feel the soul-urge of love trying to express itself in your thoughts, words and acts; if you experience a flaming Universality within your heart for all humanity, you are being prompted by the Divine force within you to a finding of the Magnificent Life.

These subtle soul-promptings are trying to lead you onward towards the spiritual light. Since prehistoric times man has felt this Divine Intelligence which caused him to leave the dark caves of his lowly animalism. It was this Divine spark

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which first caused man to see in the trees and stones of earth the material with which to build homes and experience the more abundant life. When man began to obey these subtle impulses to harness the forces of the universe, he subdued the earth and had dominion over the land, sea and air. It was then that man experienced the full flowering of Divinity. He then discovered the Magnificent Life; a life compounded of tenderness and love, beauty and sacrifice, loyalty and courage, joy and tranquility, purpose fullness and endeavor.

In this upward struggle from the primordial ooze of life man has often become confused and discouraged. Many times he has strayed from the Divine promptings within; he has become entangled with the tools from which he forged his own salvation; his industry has become perverted into an enslaving, mechanistic force, which destroys him; his purposefulness often becomes a monstrous materialistic intent which swallows the beauty and tenderness it was trying to create; his creation of palaces and bridges, airplanes and television, guns and bombs, at times dimmed the splendor of his Divine origin and temporarily threw it into oblivion. This decline into limbo has always been temporary however, for always this resplendent force, the magnificence inherent in man, asserts itself and reveals its permanence in human experience.

Man is still trying to find the Great Experience, the Perfect Adventure, the Purpose of Living. This search is bound up in all his thoughts, emotions and acts. He is still trying to pierce the mystic veil of the future, to fathom the secrets of

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the universe, and this inspiration, this ever-recurring, dynamic force, leads him to more and more idealistic concepts of life.

There is a magnificence and opulence about life. It often lies undetected and awaits your joyous discovery in the very environment in which you exist. If your perspective is unlimited, if your mind is attuned to the fine inner promptings of the soul, you suddenly see with vision other than the physical eye, the broader vistas of life, and create the type of life you seek with whatever situations you find at hand.

What then is this Magnificent Life for which man eternally searches? How may you find it? Is it a mystical experience alone, revealing its wonders only to the eyes of the few Initiates?

No true comprehension of life and its ultimate meaning can exist until we investigate all phases of human experience. Man is not a unicellular organism made up only of body; nor is he merely mind without body or soul. Man is, rather, a triplicity of Mind, Body and Soul. These three entities, separate yet still united, furnish man with external experi-ences, emotional responses, and inner promptings of Divin-ity which must all be encompassed and fully comprehended if man is to live a balanced and harmonious life.

This trinity of experience reveals itself in the natural course of existence, if we are but aware of it. It comes upon us in

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various forms, in isolated fragments, from strange exper-iences and sequestered incidents.

Most of us expect the Magnificent Life to exist in one outstanding experience. Does it? It cannot, it must not. That one single experience in which we expect to find com-pletion may be distorted, and may not fit into the ultimate pattern of your existence. It may be wrong, it may be lim-ited, and lack elements which make it complete. Do not expect then to find this transcendent and sublime experience in one single situation or you may be doomed to bitter disappointment.

In searching for this Magnificent Life, know that there is no one single outstanding experience furnished by your marriage, family, friends, business associates, fame or for-tune, which is the one outstanding experience for which you search. They are only contributing causes to the final effect which you are trying to create in your life. Your life experience must go further than the solitary, isolated inci-dent, if you are to enjoy the fruits of your labor and find the destiny for which you were created.

Pope aptly expresses it when he says:

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So too, you are a part of the stupendous life experience, and each incident is another facet in the Universal Diamond. You may be doomed to bitter disappointment if you think

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you are unhappy because of the lack of some one thing in your life. You may feel that you are miserable because you do not possess beauty of face or body, financial security, love happiness, or social prominence. These may become the causes which threaten to unseat your reason, and bring disquietude to your soul.

You may become temporarily unhappy because of those universal cataclysms of depression, chaos and war which often threaten the very existence of civilization itself. But when you learn that no one situation, person or experience has the key to your ultimate destiny, you will turn to the Infinite Intelligence within, and find there the comfort, security, peace and happiness which you seek.

Then there is the group of misfits in life who expect to find the ultimate in the building of fame or fortune. Many would barter their souls for a crown, forgetting that too often a crown bears heavily on the brow and brings no peace of mind. Those who have built earthly fame and glory find that it too is a fleeting experience and cannot survive the eroding effects of time. The sacrifice in health, privacy and peace is often too great a price to pay for such illusory and perishable glory.

It is a good sign to have a normal interest in achieving success. Success cannot always be measured in terms of money and fame. The man or woman who lives in comparative obscurity may be just as much of a success and just as happy, or happier, than the big business success. Many times the so-called failures of life are but following

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the natural bent of their inner natures, and seeking that expression of their talents which fulfills their ambitions perfectly. The measure of success then, that can be the Magnificent Life, is that degree of happiness a man finds in his work and his usefulness to the world.

The Magnificent Life is something that you must create with the materials you now have at hand. What these materials are and how you may use them to fashion from the invisible stuff of life the beauty, love, peace, joy and happiness you desire, we will now explore.

Man creates his destiny through the power of his mind. His mind interprets external experiences through his feelings or emotions. External forces exert a very powerful influence over man, but internal emotional experiences are undoubt-edly greater in shaping the Magnificent Life. As man is a creature of feelings and as feelings are translated into words and acts, his external life must inevitably reflect these inner states of consciousness. Man's entire reflex action is inevitably motivated by these inner urges, promptings, and even conflicts.

If these inner compulsions are base and lowly, then they must externalize themselves in conduct which is base and lowly. If they are high and noble, then they too must reflect in man's actions and shape his environment.

These emotional states or feelings that motivate and condition man are vital. We shall now study these inner drives and see their effect on man's Destiny.

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1. THE SENSUAL FEELINGS IN MAN

Because man is a physical being, science places him in the same classification as an animal. It is true that man pos-sesses animal functions, physical appetites and even tendencies to lustful living. Is man compounded of these physical appetites and passions alone? They are the sensual feelings in man and they are transmitted through his five senses. These sensual feelings determine his physical reactions and his relationship to the world in general.

Base sensuality exists only when man corrupts the finer instincts and perverts his natural physical functions. Man must eat and drink, propagate and raise his young, but these animal acts or functions need not degenerate into animalistic acts of gluttony and lustful sensation alone. They may be made rich experiences which contribute much to happy, balanced living.

Through the sensual feelings man may know love and tenderness for his mate. This elevates the sensual animal passions to the highest and most sacred province of human experience in which love is kindled in the human heart. This creative force of love, when elevated to the social spheres, becomes universal in scope, and welds all humanity into one great brotherhood of love.

As love develops in the human consciousness, man begins to become aware of the Divinity within. It is then that Intelligence truly awakens and gives rise to:

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2. THE INTELLECTUAL FEELINGS IN MAN

When reason begins, animalism ceases to exist. Man then branches off from the limited physical functions of the animal and adds a mental dimension to living. His experi-ences in the external world are then interpreted by his mind. His relationship with the world is investigated and understood. He advances in the arts and literature; invention and industry become more complex; ambition is awakened and leads first to the creation of necessities, then broadens into the development of comforts and luxuries.

With these advances in intellection comes a new and keener appreciation of life. Knowledge increases and man uses for the first time the various forces which he formerly only tentatively explored. Finally, man's cultural growth is assured; his moral and ethical self awakens, and he assumes the responsibilities of the new world which his intellect has created. Then too, come the philosophical concepts of life, the speculative theories, conquest of languages, interchange of conversation, and all those intellectual pursuits which give added richness and deeper significance to human experience.

From this Intellectual experience man evolves higher and higher in the universal scheme. There is a greater refine-ment of manners and methods; a spiritualization of sensa-tions and emotions; an elimination of bestiality; and a greater desire for peace and contentment.

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It is then that man attains the highest apex of creative thinking. The workings of the conscious, subconscious and super-conscious minds are correlated, and the intellectual products of great minds are released to the world. Then are born the powers of such giant intellects as Galileo, Socrates, Shakespeare, Michael Angelo, , Milton, Newton, Einstein, Beethoven, Lincoln, Freud, Madame Curie, and others who have left humanity richer because of their intellectual outpourings.

Through such intellectual processes civilization is given added impetus a spiritually progressive evolutionary force is set into motion, which is capable of changing the entire face of the universe.

The purpose of our mortal existence is intimately bound up with this dynamic intellectual force which we release to the world. Happiness is always in direct proportion to the intellectual value of each to the universe. This does not im-ply that those who are not intellectual cannot be happy, but if they expand to their fullest capacity and contribute the products of their intellects, no matter how seemingly limited, they attain benefits which are commensurate with their usefulness to the world.

As man's mental evolution logically continues upward in the intellectual realm, we find that pure, cold intellect, scientific logic, processes of reason and rationalization alone do not give to life that sublime magnificence which is the purpose of living.

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Intellect is but the inner force which fans the spark of life into a roaring flame and which combusts in the human heart and consciousness as our next upward stepthe growth of:

3. THE SENTIMENTAL FEELINGS IN MAN

Sentiment is purely a mental attitude, thought or judgment permeated or prompted by feeling. It is an emotional experience of tender susceptibilities. When our feelings or emotions are refined, they can be said to enter the realm of sentiment. Sentiment melts the heart, and creates between human beings that fine feeling which makes of even ordinary experiences, magnificent adventures. It colors existence with beauty; gives purpose and meaning to life's various events.

Persons who do not respond to affection, or who have no sentiment are emotionally dead. They are unappreciative of the finer emotions, and see in life none of the delicate shades of meaning which are revealed to those in whom sentiment flowers. The average harsh and realistic concept of life leads to a killing of the natural sentiment which tries to express itself in the human heart. When sentimental feel-ings are lacking, there is a brusqueness in human conduct which often shatters the sensitive, sentimental soul. Refine-ment of manners and responsiveness to others is indicative of the evolving of sentiment in the human soul.

Do not be ashamed to show your feelings when they are sentimental and beautiful. Let tender sentiments be aroused

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often, and let them carry you on to exalted and beautiful realms. Let music inspire in your soul a new awareness and a sense of joy. The beauty within you is crying aloud for recognition and wishes to be released to the world. Sentimental expression will cause you to color your words and acts with iridescence and splendor which cannot help but beautify all you touch, and which will alleviate the suffering and sordidness of the world. It will help to inspire beautiful dreams in those who are hopelessly lost in the quagmire of life.

As man progresses in this evolutionary upward path, he begins to be more and more aware of his environment, his body and his intellect. He develops an upward soul-surging which is capable of sweeping him on to the Elysian heights. Under this compelling drive of emotions, man begins to see beauty in all things. It is then that man's struggling soul breaks through its restraining physical bonds and bursts forth in all the flaming incandescence of Divinity. Then it is that this blossoming sentiment of the human soul gives rise to:

4. THE ESTHETIC FEELINGS IN MAN

The esthetic feelings add richness and joy to an otherwise drab and ugly existence. The esthetic feelings may be developed by man, and with them he may mould or create from the materials at hand, the beauty and joy which he seeks.

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The esthetic feelings express themselves in the quality of your environment. Is it ugly and barren? If so, it will offend and stifle this newly awakened consciousness within your soul. The environment must be changed to conform to your inner vision and to appeal to your evolved senses. You will not be able to tolerate ugliness in your environment when these feelings of beauty and tenderness are fully aroused in your soul.

The means for deliverance from squalor and barrenness exist within your own mind. You need not live in any atmosphere that is ugly and which reflects dismal poverty. You may beautify your environment with the labor of your own hands.

Many have woven rugs of bright colored rags to cover barren floors; clipped pictures from magazines to adorn humble walls, and fashioned gay drapes from the flimsiest of materials to bedeck the windows that might look out on the ugly evidences of man's unfortunate poverty.

There is no premium on cleanliness and orderliness, other than a willingness to spend a little time in such pursuits. The soul need for outer radiance, expresses itself in the desire to adorn the temple of the living God in beauty also. The clothing, then, selected with care and concern for color, regardless of the inability to purchase expensive clothing, is of vital concern in developing the Esthetic Feelings. Inexpensive clothing can be imbued with an aristocracy of soul, a dignity of bearing and a radiant

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acquiescence which weaves into their fabric a gentility and beauty that gives them new value.

The Esthetic Feelings of man truly soar to unlimited spheres when man applies them to the human relationships of life. They express themselves in courtesy, kindness, con-sideration, and the positive encouraging words of beauty, which kindle inspiration in the souls of others. Man attains new dignity, approaching that of Divinity itself, when he can rise to lofty heights the feelings and emotions of others; when he can inspire others with high ideals, humanitarian principles and brotherly love. No more noble purpose can be discovered in living than to bring the Esthetic Feelings into such universal or cosmic relationship.

As we deal with the Esthetic Feelings in man, we become more and more concerned with man's conduct toward one another. We begin to search for purpose and intent; to guard against those human and sub-human tendencies of the un-evolved soul. It is then that we find the awakening of:

5. THE ETHICAL FEELINGS IN MAN

The study of Ethics is principally concerned with morality. It is the science of the ideal human character. It consists in, not only seeking to explore right methods of conduct towards others, but in creating for others a state of happiness and completion.

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Everything that tends toward that goal is Ethical. On the other hand, that which tends to degrade, abuse, pervert or destroy the ideals, dreams, or morals of others, becomes unethical.

That which injures others destroys you also. The Ethical conduct then is on a very high plane. It gives unselfishly of its fruits to rich or poor; inevitably, good moral conduct brings its own rewards, whereas conversely bad moral conduct produces sterility of the soul and engenders human misery.

To lie, cheat, and betray others is unethical. This type of conduct is a cause that must produce a like effect. It is a fundamental truth that we attract that which we give out. "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you" is not only a maxim, which is true, but becomes a universal law, which cannot be violated without serious con-sequences.

When man becomes conscious of these spiritual laws, and judges his conduct by these universal rules, he awakens within himself a new consciousness which leads to:

6. THE SPIRITUAL FEELINGS IN MAN

Since time immemorial man has asked, "Why do I exist? Where am I going? From whence do I issue?"

These are intangibles, which cannot be answered simply through a casual physical or material explanation. Such

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problems correctly repose in the invisible or spiritual realms of life.

Man exists only because he is aware. He says, "I think, therefore I am." New consciousness awakens as his think-ing is elevated. He thinks further, "I am what?" and some deep inner voice answers, "I am Divine." This deep-seated conviction then becomes a state of awareness, a new con-sciousness. It is true because man is aware of it. For him it is a simple, indisputable fact, which requires no scientific explanation or proof. His belief is based on blind faith. His thinking is thus broadened to include a Creator, a God from whom he came, and in whose image man is created.

As Voltaire once said, "Even if there were no God, it would have been necessary for man to have invented Him." The human need for recognizing a Supreme Power, a Creative Intelligence is so great that unerringly even primitive minds create their own idea of a God which they may worship.

This deep instinctive awareness of some great creative force is so unmistakably a part of human experience that it cannot be ignored by intelligent men and women.

Spiritual feelings more definitely crystallize through man's tender emotions. Love generates a new awareness in man. Love is the ultimate spiritual expression of the human race. It is the creative function of life, and is symbolical of the generous love poured out by the Creator when he formed the universe for His children. Thus, it is that all through

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life, woven in the warp and woof of destiny, is the golden thread of love.

There are many different types of love; love of man for woman; love of family; love of friends; love of community; love of country, and finally, as the human ego evolves higher and higher, Cosmic or Universal love.

Love of self is only the animal expression of love. When self-love is submerged in that final self-abnegation of love for others, the selfish individual ultimately merges with the great Cosmic stream of radiant love which envelopes the universe and which issues from the Divine Creative Fount. It is then that the true Spiritual Feelings awaken in man.

To fully awaken these Spiritual feelings then, concentrate occasionally on the great mystery of your life. Get away from the maddening throng; stop feeling that your life revolves entirely around people and their physical and material problems. Enter the inner citadel of the soul and there discover the infinite riches of spiritual wisdom.

An amazing revelation awaits you in this inner chamber of the mind; intuition will proclaim newer and greater mys-teries of life; astounding vistas open, which too often lie undiscovered on the threshold of your conscious mind, un-observed and undetected by your five senses.

There too, in that Cathedral of the Soul, the deep respon-sive, sympathetic spiritual cord which ties you to your Creator, pulsates with new emotion and brings you a re-

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vitalizing, refreshing stream of life energy which gives you new purpose and makes of life a truly magnificent adventure!

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CHAPTER 2

KEYS TO YOUR INNER KINGDOM

The Magnificent Life is truly revealed in man's inner spiritual self. There in that hidden Inner Kingdom, he may find the power, the beauty and peace, that he seeks. There he may experience the ecstasy reserved for those who become tuned to the Divine force that reflects in all men.

We are told, "It is your father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom." and, "Behold the Kingdom of God is within you."

Mystics and sages since time immemorial have spoken of this Inner Kingdom. To find it in this day and age of commerciality requires certain keys, for it is only by un-locking certain doors with these spiritual keys that man may truly find the comfort, peace and security of this mys-tical realm which is his Inner Kingdom.

The First Key is: HARMONY

There is order and harmony in all the universe. When your mind is clouded with chaos and confusion, it is impossible for the Inner Kingdom to be revealed. God speaks to man in that still small voice within which can only be heard when the conscious clamor is stilled.

When there is order and harmony within your own mind, this inner voice may guide you. It knows your right work,

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the environment you should reside in, the health you should have, the love you desire, the friends you require for happiness. This Inner Intelligence is trying to speak to you, to lead you into that Inner Kingdom where new worlds will be revealed.

To find this Harmony and Order then, it is essential to still your own confused mind; to retire from life and people occasionally and reflect on the purpose of life.

A. Do not live for the world entirely

There are times when it is essential that you find com-pletion within the self. You are an isolated entity in life, tied only to the God who gave you birth. You must learn to enrich your inner self so that solitude is not a curse. There are times when you may have to be alone, and if your soul is not stilled, if you have not learned to rely on your own inner resources, you will suffer loneliness and unhappi-ness.

B. Retire into the self occasionally with your thoughts, books, music, or some creative gift

You will find then that new and more glorious riches will be revealed to your Inner Spiritual eye. When you retire into this Inner Kingdom, do not let any person or disturbing, negative thought enter with you. Close the door to the outer world, and put yourself in tune with the Music of the Spheres.

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C. Radiate Harmony to all you meet in your everyday contacts

If you wish to live in harmony, it is essential that you radiate harmony in your relationships with people in your home, try to create harmonious relations, even if it is necessary to withdraw in seeming defeat. You will be the victor in the long run, for control of self, is the most im-portant essential in attaining harmony.

In your business environment, try practicing harmony and order. Meet others with a smile, and let your entire attitude be one of good cheer and happiness. It will soon pay big dividends, and will have the added advantage of increasing your energy three-fold.

The Second Key is: KINDNESS

Kindness is a potent spiritual force. It unlocks many doors, and releases to the world a dynamic form of energy which is irresistible. Show this kindness to those around you first, and no matter how negatively they may react at first, continue to give out kindness and bless them with your thoughts. Soon there will be an amazing change in their attitude toward you. Kindness heals the minds and bodies of others.

The world gives you back the type of treatment you give it. People are sensitive, even though they may appear harsh and cruel on the surface. Everyone wants to be treated with consideration. Fear causes most people to be cruel. They

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fear that others are apt to take advantage of them. If you completely disarm them with kindness, you will remove one of the principal barriers to happy relations with others.

Through Kindness, you unlock the power within your Inner Kingdom. It flows in a radiant stream to others; you are doubly enriched, for you help the world, and in turn, the world helps you.

The Third Key is: JOYOUS ACQUIESCENCE

When we are in conflict with ourselves, or our environ-ment, the beauty and peace of the Inner Kingdom is com-pletely shattered. There are certain restrictions in life, which are inevitable; times when tragedy strikes, when un-happiness threatens, when poverty seems imminent. To meet such situations with terror, worry, or resentment, blocks the Divine Intelligence within, and shuts the gate of your prison house, making you a life-long prisoner to hope-lessness and despair.

To acquiesce means to tacitly consent, or to accept the inevitable without undue agony of mind or struggle. To Joyously Acquiesce means to submit quietly and peacefully to that which is inevitable. This is not passive resistance, for all resistance is removed from the consciousness. We do all we can to help a situation improve itself, but if we find ourselves inundated by a negative condition, we withdraw into our Inner Kingdom and say, "Father, Thy will be done."

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The Fourth Key is: PEACE OF MIND

Mind is an unruly force when it is not controlled. Your conscious mind is an instrument of torture if you allow it to wander aimlessly uphill and down.

The mind must be made to heel, like an obedient dog, as the ancient Masters said. You must tell your mind what to think, and what not to think. When it starts thinking of personal strife, or external wars; chaos and depression; fear and hate; worry and limitation, pull it back to the positive peaceful thoughts that you wish it to entertain.

The best method for attaining this peace or inner tranquil state of mind, is to pick up a book and let your mind dwell on its message; or to turn on the radio and become interested in a program of beautiful music. Many times sitting down and writing out in detail the things that are worrying you will help dissipate them and establish the peace which has been temporarily shattered.

To attain peace, it is vital that you control others instead of letting them control you. People must not be permitted to bring their problems, their negativity, their confusion, commonness, and vulgarity into your circle. When this is permitted, your peace of mind will desert you. Control people with firmness, for when they are un-evolved their basic animal natures are predominant, and they lack con-sideration and spirituality. Do not let them put their clouds in your sky, for often they are jealous of your happiness and they have a selfish desire to destroy it.

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The Fifth Key is: CREATIVE POWER

Nothing will open doors to your Inner Kingdom so readily as this one great key.

You were born to create, not children alone, but Beauty for the world. To each has been given a gift. To find that Creative Gift is the entire purpose of life. To fully unlock this Creative Power within yourself, it is vital that you be inspired. Inspiration can be mental, physical or spiritual.

If you are creating on the physical plane alone, your creative gifts will be limited.

If you are creating on the mental plane, in the realm of ideas; literature, art, music, speech, etc., your powers will be more expansive. If you are creating mentally for the benefit of others, you will unlock greater power, for unselfish purpose lends itself to greater energy and creative inspiration than selfishness.

If your creative power is released on the Spiritual plane, your gifts will flourish and radiate to the entire world. This spiritual plane is the Cosmic Adjustment which man must make to the universe before he is fully attuned to the high-est form of intelligence that exists.

When we create on the spiritual plane we lose sight of the personal element; we create for the sheer love of creating beauty for the entire world. We then work to create for the race; to better and improve social conditions; to eliminate

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war; to make the world a better place in which to live; to evolve philosophies and codes of ethics which lead to the elevation of the standards of all peoples, regardless of race, color or creed.

The Sixth Key is: VISUALIZATION

This Key to the Inner Kingdom is a vital one. Visualization reveals new dimensions to life; new horizons to explore; new experiences to share.

It was inner vision which caused Watt to see in steam the power to turn motors.

It was visualization which caused Franklin to harness the lightning bolt. Inner vision produced Edison's electric light bulb; Marconi's wireless; Bell's telephone; Whitney's cotton gin. We are indebted to some man's visualizing for radio and television; sulpha drugs and penicillin; the airplane and trains.

Turn to your Inner Kingdom and seek the answer to life's baffling problems. Ask advice and guidance; seek new inventions, musical compositions, stories, industrial im-provements, financial security.

When you turn to this Inner Kingdom and let the Divine Intelligence flow through you, you become an unobstructed channel for all the ideas that have ever been conceived by the mind of man, and a repository for new ideas, new forms and patterns, still unborn in the womb of time.

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Emerson has spoken of this Universal Mind:

E!!!2*!2 , !! !)2 9) 9)+ !!2 /! +! !2E

The Seventh Key is: WISDOM

The greater the capacity of your brain, the greater will be the accumulated knowledge you store in your brain cells. As knowledge increases, wisdom grows. New and amazing doors are opened by an expanded consciousness. New values evolve as our comprehension of the phenomena of life grows. We become citizens of the Universe as we probe and investigate all things.

Wisdom comes through knowledge we absorb from several sources.

1. Through studying the Self

The mystery of all life is bound up in the atoms and cells composing your own brain and body. The ocean is reflected in a drop of water; the universe in an atom. Begin then to study Self, to know actions and reactions; to apply philos-

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ophy to a better understanding of the invisible causes back of the visible effects of life.

2. Wisdom grows by studying others

We live in a world composed of people. We share a universal experience, a consciousness that reflects the Divine, unless we know people, their requirements, their limitations, their dreams and aspirations, we cannot hope to fulfill our obligation to them, nor can we hope to attract the best from them. A study of Philosophy, Psychology, Biol-ogy, Physiology, Evolution, Economics, History, and Sci-ence is essential to give us a complete picture of the origin and evolvement of the entire human race.

3. Wisdom is acquired by studying Laws of Nature

There are many Invisible laws back of all visible phe-nomena. The law of Gravity, the law of Growth, the Causative Law, and the law of Cycles these are only a few of the immutable and fixed laws, which govern man and determine his conduct. Wisdom is a sum total of knowledge, and as knowledge is constantly expanding, we never really attain the ultimate in Wisdom. When this human experience and physical body and material realm is ended, the body undergoes a change and is transmuted to another form of energy. The mind and Soul too undergo a similar change and prepare for a journey into the beyond. To the accumulation of knowledge then it is desirable that man add his speculative theories as to soul migration; life

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on the invisible planes, and the possibility of an actual con-scious existence beyond this mortal plane.

As we speculate more and more, theories multiply, until finally, speculation solidifies into fact and fact bears the name of organized knowledge; then we reach the realm of science, that field in which theories are proved. The fact that man has not attained that realm of intelligence yet, wherein he may scientifically prove soul survival, or belief in a God, is no evidence that he cannot so attain it. Mind grows through usage, and we are only now on the threshold of astounding new developments in science which may reveal the very mystery of life itself.

The Eighth Key is: FAITH

Faith sustains man when ail else fails him. It is only through Faith that God is revealed. Faith in yourself, your future destiny, your God; these are essential requisites for unlocking the mystical doors to your Inner Kingdom.

There comes a time in life when man can go no further in his physical and material quest for the answer to the mys-tery of life. Matter is dense and seemingly incapable of interpenetration, but we know that this is only an illusion to the physical eye. With the Spiritual eye, man may penetrate to the core of the earth; he may reach out into space and explore the moon; he may divine mysteries beyond this earth; Faith is the key that unlocks the door to the eternal miracle power of the living God.

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As man has more and more Faith in this supreme power which penetrates the interstices of the solid universe, he sees therein an ebb and flow of perpetual power and superior intelligence. His Faith makes it apparent that this Supreme Intelligence exists. Visible proof exists in growing things, the change of the seasons, the gravity pull of the planets, the beat of the heart, the circulation of the blood; these are physical and visible evidences of a power, an Intelligence beyond anything man can conceive or explain. He does not stop doubting that these miracles exist merely because he cannot see the agency which produces them. To him who has Faith is revealed the invisible mystery beyond the visible domain; the unseen light beyond the known spectrum; the Divine melodies unheard by the physical ear; the dazzling sights unseen by human eyes.

The world operates under Divine Law; this Divine Law is accepted by Faith, because to do otherwise would be to violate the intelligence inherent in man and in Nature.

Dr. Carlos Musser in "YOU ARE." aptly expresses it:

E") !2 " ) )

+2") 1 215)!32E

The Ninth Key is: COURAGE

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It took courage for man to conquer the earth; to rise above the limits of his cave and seek, the light of day; to master the forces of the sea and find new lands; to subdue the gravity pull of the earth and fly through space.

Courage is the most potent key which man possesses to unlock the invisible doors to his Inner Kingdom.

Courage can be created, first, by having confidence in yourself; by believing and knowing that you are a child of God and that nothing can harm you. Second, by doing those things which you are confident you can do well, and then graduating to more difficult tasks until your ability is as-sured.

You must develop courage to meet life with its ever-changing experiences and scenes.

#)#)!##!))!!!#++!)+

The Tenth Key is: LOVE

E%!E

We might easily make Love the dominant law of our Inner Kingdom. Love is the embodiment of all the Spiritual

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virtues. It represents the Divine Principle in action in the entire visible Universe.

Love transforms first the inner self, and then the outer self. The personality must inevitably reflect the emotion of Love. Love implies more than mere physical love; mental love extends to friends and acquaintances; spiritual love embraces the entire world.

Love of God gives additional power and elevates the consciousness to the highest realm which man is capable of attaining.

Love is the Divine or Creative Intelligence released into the world by God. Man operates under this perfect law. When it is violated, all the debasing, animalistic emotions are released which produce sin and sickness, war and suffering. Love is the perfect healing agent; healing mind and body. When love is suppressed, or perverted into mere lustful channels, it often leads to mental and physical breakdowns. The creative expression of Love on the highest mental and spiritual planes, is essential to happy, balanced living.

Love, when it is on the unselfish plane, is the complete purification of the self; it gives strength and courage; en-nobles the human heart and helps elevate the race consciousness. When love radiates in the human heart as a race consciousness principle, it is creative and constructive. When it exists on the Self plane, it is often used for self-aggrandizement and personal power.

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All forms of creative art thrive under the impetus of this Divine Afflatus. It stimulates, inspires, elevates and spiritualizes all creative forms; music, art, literature, sing-ing, inventing, building, and even business success is given added impetus by this energy-building emotion.

Keep the emotion of love on a high plane. Keep it unselfish and universal, rather than strictly personal; keep it creative and recognize that it is a divine force which is the life principle personified in man. It can be expressed as Physical love, or spiritual love. For perfect balance, all three expressions of love are normal and creative; as we grow older, love becomes less limited than it was in early youth, and becomes personified in spiritual love rather than in its physical aspects.

The Eleventh Key is: PRAYER

No study of the Keys to your Inner Kingdom would be complete without an analysis of the power of prayer. The power of prayer can literally move mountains. Science now determines that prayer is an actual force, as powerful as terrestrial gravity, and that it can heal the sick, give hope to the weary and furnish mankind with motivation for con-structive good.

How shall prayer be used? Should we call on God merely for help when we want something? That would indeed be a limited concept of the miracle power put at man's disposal by the generous and loving Creator. Man should call on God every day of his life NOT just for something, but in an

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expression of perpetual gratitude for the beneficence granted man through God's mercy.

Prayer without Faith is dead. If we pray, really believing that God is our supply, our health, and that all our needs will be met, we need never fear lack or limitation.

Prayer should be invoked not as a corrective medium, but a preventive. All-embracing Faith should cause us to know that God provides that which we need; more will be supplied, if we prove ourselves worthy of His Infinite mercy. If we are in actual need of aid; if we are sick, or poor, or unfortunate, we should pray for understanding of His fair and just Universal laws, which will reveal to us the methods by which we may put ourselves in tune with His Infinite Intelligence.

When we clear our consciousness of our own negative and limited thoughts, His power radiates through us, pervading every atom and cell and brings health, happiness and prosperity.

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CHAPTER 3

ATTRACT THROUGH POSITIVE MIND POWER

We all possess Mind Power; the very fact that we have mental cognition, consciousness, recollection, reason, will, and other attributes of mind, is proof that we possess mind power. But this intelligence often expresses itself in a wholly negative manner.

Positive Mind Power is that force of mind which is free of all doubt, or hesitation. It implies confidence in self and Destiny. It lends a certain definiteness to one's thoughts and words and acts, which does not admit of doubt or denial.

As Mind power is energy, it may be assumed that mind is actually substance, although different from matter and in-visible; it is another kind of matter. It issues from the brain in electrical radiations, and is invisible, but nevertheless all powerful.

It is mind that gives shape and form to all things. It is mind that translates the light rays from the external world into forms and patterns, which defines and classifies these objects and which in itself gives rise to innumerable pictures and creations that exist only in imagination.

When man is able to use this Mind Power to think, to reason, to differentiate between right and wrong, to love and to worship, he is above the animal plane of conscious-

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ness. Mind power may be used in a Positive or Negative way.

There is actually no such thing as a victim of circum-stances. Man is not a mere puppet, depending on the inter-change and play of internal and external emotions, and pro-pulsive forces. Man is, rather, a reasoning, thinking, and intelligent being, superior to all other forms of life on this earth. Man is not only above the animal plane, but he may rise even above the Human plane, and attain Divine consciousness, if he but chooses the events, and emotions, and thoughts which reflect Divinity. Man may select his ideals, standards, ambitions, the dreams and beauty, the Divinity which makes of him something finer, and greater than any of the other animal creatures in this world.

It might be said of man that he may have any destiny he chooses if he applies Positive Mind Power. This power admits of no doubt, condition, qualification or direction other than his own mental stimulus. Power used in a positive manner will inevitably attract to you those positive circumstances that are reflected in your mind.

The mind may be likened to a magnet. A magnet either naturally or through electrical means, may be given a power to attract to itself any object of a similar substance. Its molecules and atoms vibrate at a certain rate and it will attract to itself substances that vibrate at the same speed.

So too, your brain is like a powerful magnet, and it pos-sesses within itself a subtle essence. This essence is mind

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power; it is invisible, and cannot be imprisoned by the skull; it can and does radiate in space, and, being a form of matter, can create its pictures, or attract its counterpart in the visible world of matter.

If you are using this invisible Mind power negatively, you can create sickness, poverty, and general unhappiness, The mind forms a picture or pattern, which must manifest itself in the body. It vibrates the atoms and cells of the body so that the same pattern is produced that exists in the mind.

If, however, you cause this Mind power to vibrate in a positive manner, you fill your consciousness with thoughts of happiness, success, good health, and prosperity. You at-tract to yourself then the things that you have pictured in your mind. ''Like attracts like" is a mental as well as a physical law. Invisible vibration determines your attraction power.

Form a mental picture of what you wish to attract. Make yourself like a magnet, vibrating to a certain mental pattern. This mental essence then, vibrating out into space, will attract to itself, or clothe itself in the very elements it needs to bring about a completion of the mental picture.

As the vibratory pattern of a rose is different from that of a carrot, so too, the vibratory power of your brain image stamps in your life the picture you project through mind power. It will be success, or failure, depending on whether your mind power is positive or negative.

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Thoughts create a personal thought atmosphere. This thought atmosphere actually makes itself felt in the outer world by others. If you are creating pictures in your mind that are beautiful, simple, and harmonious; clean cut, peaceful, loving, healthful, successful, friendly, and pros-perous, the world will read into your face and form, words and acts, the positive mind power you are projecting. You alone determine what this thought atmosphere shall be that surrounds you like a perpetual aura.

The person who fills his thought atmosphere with negative thoughts of sickness or failure shows these thoughts in visible, physical form. He becomes slouch-shouldered, and evasive-eyed. He is obvious by his shambling gait, stum-bling words, incoherence and general lack of order. This bodily attitude signifies the thought atmosphere of nega-tivity. Change that thought atmosphere to a positive one, and there is an instant change. The head goes up; the chin juts out; the eyes sparkle with confidence; the breath is deeply inspired and the diaphragm becomes tense and active. Every atom and cell of that person's body will vibrate with the thought atmosphere of positive thinking.

That is Positive Mind power in action. Your body, your work, your life, your friends, your income, all signify your thought atmosphere. You become like a magnet and you draw those forces to you. If you vibrate on a low, common or vulgar plane, you'll find that everything around you will take on that kind of aura. You must work to create the thought atmosphere you wish to reflect in your life.

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What then, is your thought atmosphere? Is it Positive? Is it Negative? High or low? If you build Positive Mind power you can unlock those mystical doors to the new frontiers of a new life.

This is a new age, a new power, a miracle working force which man is experiencing. The world today witnesses miracles that have never been performed in any past age, or by any of the sages or prophets of old. Man is able to fly through the air, swim under the seas, heal the sick, save countless millions still unborn from premature death through his wonder working drugs, and perform feats of greatness that are positive proof of his astounding Mind Power.

Let us now investigate some of the things which man may attain through the projection of this positive mind power:

1. ATTAINMENT OF SUCCESS

To bring Positive Mind power to bear on the attainment of success in life, make it a point to think, talk, write, and dwell constantly on success thoughts. If you wish to color your thought atmosphere with success, it is vital that you spend a good deal of time in thinking and planning success. The person who thinks success, and imbues his con-sciousness with ideas of prosperity, generally plans the very things that produce for him the attainment he imagines.

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If, however, you think, talk and act with a negative mental atmosphere of failure, you will inevitably color your entire personality and environment with the results of that failure thinking.

Rid your consciousness of such negative words, thoughts and ideas as:

E& !2 & ! & ) 2 & :)&1+!:+E

Such negative expressions indelibly stamp themselves upon your face and body; show in your voice and posture, and cause you to develop complexes which inhibit your natural abilities.

You have the right to expect the best from life, but you must know what it is you want from life first. You must know, with a positive knowledge, what your real value to the world is. Are you only worth $25 a week to your employer? If you had to hire someone for the services you perform, for the knowledge you possess, would you pay more?

If you find upon honest self-analysis that you are not worth more, that your mind holds a negative concept of your value, then do something about it.

Positive mind power means taking steps to correct the negativity that has been built into your consciousness. Perhaps you lack education; this is easily remedied if you

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take steps to enroll in a correspondence course, or an evening high school, so you may improve your mind and learn some specialized type of work that will make you worth more to the world.

2. POSITIVE MIND POWER IN RELATION TO HEALTH

What is the Mind Power you are exerting to keep your body strong and healthy? The body reflects the thoughts you think. Modern science now teaches that body is actu-ally dependent on mind for its perfect functioning. A mind that is filled with fear, worry, hate, anxiety, and other nega-tive emotions creates a bodily chemistry, which is destruct-tive to good health.

On the other hand a positive mind, filled with thoughts of happiness, success, and health, creates the power and energy to keep the body healthy. This mind power radiates a neural force which communicates itself to the nerves and muscles, glands and organs. This electrical life force stimulates the gastric juices, helps the glands maintain normalcy, and assists the heart in its vital function.

Any sudden shock of fear or a reaction to danger results in a rush of blood from the brain to the internal organs, causing the face to become pale, the breath to be shallow, and many times the pulse beat to double. Often such a sudden mental shock has been the cause of death.

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If the mind is in a state of self-induced shock constantly, with ever-recurring negative emotions, the body will gradu-ally register such shocks in its organic structure and finally show the effect in failure of vital organs, disease, or even death itself.

When your mind is in its normal, confident, and happy state, radiating a Positive Mind power, the intelligence within every atom and cell of your body is permitted to ex-press itself. The subconscious mind performs its functions of regulating the blood pressure and heart beat, digestion, breathing, and circulation. If this force is interfered with by your conscious mind intruding its negative thoughts, fears, worries, jealousies, hates, and petty problems, this intelli-gence within is impeded, and cannot perform its perfect work. Its job is to keep your body healthy, and it will do so if the mind expresses a confident, positive Mind Power at all times.

In the natural realm, we see this perfect expression of the Divine Mind Power radiating through all living, growing things. The rose bush does not use its conscious power to question its destiny, to fear its future, to worry about where it came from or where it's going. It silently and joyously acquiesces with the Divine Intelligence which is its life force, and radiates its perfume and beauty for the world to share and enjoy.

Counter the negative force of your mind with positive Mind Power. Whenever someone tells you that you will be sick,

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have an accident, or be in financial difficulties, counter the suggestions instantly by saying or thinking the opposite.

POSITIVE MIND-POWER SUGGESTIONS

"I am healthy and strong. I will remain vital and energetic. Germs have no power over me. I keep my resistance high by being positive in mind power."

"I am under the loving, protection of Divine Mind, therefore I cannot and will not have accidents. My body is insulated spiritually by Positive Mind Power. I am able to overcome all tendencies to disaster."

"I inherit the bounties of the universe; Divine mind gives me Universal Abundance. I now claim my heritage. I am rich, and all my needs are met for all time."

Those positive suggestions immediately release Positive Mind-Power to your body. This energy radiates to the universe, and forms a powerful magnet, which attracts the qualities and conditions of the things you affirm in mind.

3. POSITIVE MIND-POWER APPLIED TO HAPPINESS

Happiness too, is a condition of mind. When body is harmoniously tuned to Mind, and the health is good, happi-ness should follow as a natural effect.

If your mind is busy creating a picture of the happiness you will have in the future, or visualizing the happiness you

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have had in the past, you are ignoring the infinite possibil-ities inherent in the present moment for supreme happiness. As happiness is a state of mind, and depends on Positive thinking, you will never be any happier than you are at this moment in your Destiny. If your happiness is the type that depends on a fortune, a person, or a situation, then when you attain that fortune, person or situation, you will still want other conditions upon which your happiness must de-pend.

HAPPINESS THROUGH IMAGINATIVE POWER

Imagination is a stimulus to happiness. If we are capable of imagining a situation, we are capable of attaining that situation. The importance of imagination is clearly shown by man's evolutionary progress throughout the ages. As man began to imagine the uses to which he could put lumber, and earth, grass and animal skins, the more skill he acquired in their use for shelter, clothing, and his other necessities. As man began to imagine raising structures fifty or a hundred stories above the earth, so too, his ability to accomplish the miracle developed.

As imagination is a stimulating factor in the attainment of anything we desire, it can be used to produce human happiness.

Spend more time in imagining the situations you desire for happiness and less time in imagining the unhappy, and depressing situations. Mentally prepare for happiness, and you will set the body and brain reflex mechanism for

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attaining it. Psychologists now find that the simple act of smiling depends first on the physical act, and then the mental feeling or emotion of happiness follows. This process may be reversed, so that you find something to be happy about mentally first, and then the muscles of the face react in a smile. As your mind is imbued with these imaginary situations and acts, the nervous energy flows to your glands, and nerves and muscles, causing an immediate positive reaction of happiness.

In your mind's eye then see that party you are going to attend as being one of the happiest events of your life. Visualize that day at the office as being one that will present innumerable opportunities for happiness. Soon you will be so imbued with this spirit of happiness that you must inevitably radiate optimism and cheer. These qualities are infectious, and in response to your smiles and light-heartedness, others will vibrate with a sympathetic respons-iveness, creating the situations that make for pleasantness in this way, you will attract through your positive mind power the Happiness you desire.

4. POSITIVE MIND-POWER APPLIED TO THE ATTRACTION OF FRIENDS

You will find in life that you attract the type of friends who possess qualities that are similar to your own. The old saying, "Birds of a feather flock together" is a very true one. Gamblers, drunkards, and dope addicts, generally as-sociate with others of their ilk. Seldom do you find them seeking out ministers, college professors, or intellectuals.

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They feel more comfortable with those who speak their language.

So too, in attracting friends, one of the first rules should be to check your own mind, your likes and dislikes, good and bad qualities, to determine what your attraction quality will be.

Are your standards of life high? If so, you will not be happy with people whose standards are low. You may meet many whose standards are lower than yours, but you would not care to have such persons for intimate friends. If you are not satisfied that you are attracting friends who have high standards, then examine again your own mind, and see if you are prepared to attract more superior friends. If you wish to attract those who possess great intellectual ca-pacity, or those who are in important positions, you must prepare your own consciousness by acquiring intellectuality and elevating your mind to a comprehension of their place in life.

As your standards in life change from low, to mediocre or high, so too, you will find your evaluation of your friends changing. Many times the friendships of your early life become bitter disappointments in later years. You have pro-gressed mentally, whereas your old friends may have stag-nated mentally. You no longer feel comfortable in each other's presence.

Determine the type of friends you wish to attract, and then religiously acquire the qualities, culture, intellect, know-

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ledge, that accurately reflects the quality of their minds. Soon you will inevitably gravitate into their spheres, or they into yours.

If you choose musicians as friends, study and know something of music; join musical clubs or choral groups. Seek out the choir members of your local church, or any other musical organization. Here you will attract those friends who have interests similar to yours. You possess a common bond. Your chances of making lasting friendships among such people who vibrate in harmony to you and your interests, is much greater than if you associate with a club or lodge made up entirely of people whose interests are totally dissimilar.

Lodges, service clubs for businessmen, groups of lawyers, doctors, school teachers; writer's clubs, and stamp collector's groups; magicians and hunters, bricklayers and plumbers, organize into social units for the one common purpose of finding those souls who are harmonious to them and who have similar interests.

That, then, is one of the first requisites of successful friendship.

The second vital point is stated briefly in Emerson's words, "lf you want a friend, be a friend." You can only attract friends if you show friendly qualities. Holding yourself aloof, being cold and indifferent, giving out words of discouragement, these are negative approaches that will

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rapidly lose friends rather than attract them. A few other valuable points to remember are:

Flatter when you feel it sincerely.

Recognize their weaknesses, but do not throw them up to them.

Encourage your friends to develop their own virtues.

Share their joys, hopes and dreams; but do not attempt to evade their losses, fears, and perplexities.

Friendship consists of giving more than you hope to re-ceive.

EXAMPLES OF POSITIVE MIND POWER OVERCOMING OBSTACLES

Woolworth began his chain of five and ten cent stores with a limited capital of only $300. His first three stores failed. He applied positive mind power and started to build on the wreckage of his previous failures. About thirty years later, he was able to pay $14,000,000 cash for the Woolworth building, then the highest in the world. If he had accepted defeat, and permitted negativity to rule his mind, it is doubtful if he could ever have amassed the vast fortune he did, or to build a gigantic business organization that still survives.

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Sir Isaac Newton, who began life as a not overly brilliant student, had no awakening of this positive mind power in those early years. It is said of him that he was so absent-minded that he once boiled his watch for three minutes while watching the egg. He was always late in his classes and considered backward by his teacher. Yet, this man, when Positive Mind Power awakened to its fullest expres-sion in early maturity discovered the great Gravitational law, and brought further scientific comprehension of the law of action and reaction.

Einstein was a backward child in his early years, and his parents had great difficulty in teaching him to speak. When positive Mind Power awakened he became Einstein the great mathematician and discoverer of the Theory of Relativity, A story is told of Einstein in his early days. He gave the conductor on a street car a bill, and when the change was given him, Einstein argued that the amount was incorrect. After a lengthy discussion, it was found that the conductor was right and Einstein wrong. The conductor dismissed him with a muttered invective and this famous line; "The trouble with you, bud, is that you don't know how to figure!"

When Mind power is Positive and radiant, even physical infirmities, sickness, deformity itself cannot keep its pos-sessors down. History is replete with famous men and women who have applied this positive mind power to the overcoming of their physical limitations.

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Robert Louis Stevenson was confined to bed with an incurable ailment for years, and yet did some of his most magnificent and prolific writing in that period by sheer dominance of mind power.

The noted example of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, one of the great writers of all time, and her astounding use of mind power in overcoming her physical limitations, is too well known to dwell on lengthily here. To add to her im-perishable fame, was the crowning achievement of positive mind power in winning the love of Robert Browning, when he might have had his choice of any one of the beauties of that day.

Then there is the outstanding example of the physically handicapped Steinmetz, the great inventor, who overcame all limitations of body, and rose triumphantly on wings of positive mind power to achieve a most brilliant success.

Colton says; "Times of great calamity and confusion have ever been productive of the greatest minds. The purest ore is produced from the hottest furnaces and the brightest thunderbolt is elicited from the darkest storm."

So too, the times of tribulation and discouragement may be the very moments needed to give you that extra soul-power which can stimulate you on to greater achievement. Turn your misfortune to good fortune by applying Positive Mind Power. Never accept any situation as being final or ended. See only beginnings never endings. The sun sets, but always it can be depended on to rise again. So too, the Di-

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vine Intelligence within you is constantly radiating new power and this Positive Mind Power can be depended on to carry you to the very pinnacles of success and happiness.

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CHAPTER 4

THE UNIVERSAL LAW OF ABUNDANCE

There is an astounding opulence and fertility in nature. Man, being a part of the natural scheme of creation, inherits this power of fecundity. It is expressed in the material and physical world through the working of a Universal law of abundance on all planes.

This universal law is as fixed and definite as the law of gravity. It recognizes no barriers to its operation, and pours out its gifts with a prodigality that must constantly amaze and delight us.

This Divinity manifesting itself through natural laws takes no chance on barrenness in its creation. It gives prolifically of its gifts, but under the law of reciprocity, it demands a free return of those gifts.

The maple tree releases not one tiny seed to the fertile earth to assure its perpetuity, but rather hundreds and even thousands. This divine intelligence well knowing the natural barriers of rocks, weeds, and shade which it must overcome to attain its beneficent outpouring of products for God's creatures, decrees that each of these myriad sparks of life shall grow wings and soar with the first wafted breeze to a patch of ground where it may burst forth in productive creativeness. This intelligence knows that if the seeds fall too close to the mother tree they are apt to He unborn in the shade of the parent and thus be wasted.

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So too with the apple seed, the citrus, and all other gifts of nature. They are abundantly created, and given such amazing powers of fertility that there is ample assurance of the continuity of their kind.

Shall it be said then, that Divine Mind would so generously endow plants, insects, and animals, to assure their abundant living, and ignore man and his needs? Man is the most highly evolved of God's creatures. Ample provision has been made to not only assure man abundant living, but far greater riches are provided for him by this Divine Agency or Intelligence.

Man possesses within himself a multiplicity of gifts. This universal law of abundance, when harmoniously applied to his needs, furnishes man with a wide variety of bounties for his comfort and happiness.

Mind is imbued with this same fertility that the earth and inanimate seed possesses. Body has its powers and rich variety of ennobling experiences. Soul, too possesses an as-tounding array of qualities, and tendencies, which, when fully matured, give to life a richness and beauty that dazzles man's comprehension.

To operate under law is the opposite to chaos and con-fusion. Law means that which is laid down, set or fixed immutably. It applies specifically to the relation of phenomena which is invariable under given conditions. When man operates under these universal laws then, he is

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certain to achieve the same results under a set of given con-ditions each time.

This universal law of abundance fulfills the law of motion; action and reaction. It is the law of causation, the principle that every change in nature is produced by some cause. This law of causation is a universal principle, and applies to man's thinking and living, as well as to the orderly and harmonious control of all created things.

In this orderly procession of events and manifestation of natural phenomena, it would appear that man alone starves in the midst of plenty; is sick when health is the natural state, and is unhappy when happiness should be his only state of consciousness.

This, in a measure, is due to man's highly evolved mind and body. He is given two minds, conscious and subconscious; he is a creature of choice rather than a victim of nature's cruel inevitability. He may take advantage of nature's generosity or shut himself off completely from this evident opulence. He may, through mental limitations, or economic sanctions, greed, selfishness, miserliness, or simple unawareness, so restrict himself that millions starve, are sick and go down to disaster and premature death because man has not yet recognized his divine prerogative.

How, then, does man violate this Universal law of abun-dance?

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1. BY IGNORANCE OF THE LAW'S OF NATURE

When man looks to nature, he finds there crystallized the intelligence of God. He may study, dissect, and divine the intent and purpose of the Creator. He sees in nature a barren wasteland when he fails to prepare the soil; plant the seed; weed and cultivate the land; destroy the insects, and feed and water the plants when droughts occur, or when he has impoverished the soil through carelessness.

We have stated that there is a reciprocity which exists in all created things. Man, being given intelligence to regulate and control and subdue this earth, must study and under-stand this phenomena which expresses itself in nature. If he takes all and gives nothing, the earth fails to yield her treasures. If he is profligate and wasteful during the years of plenty, and fails to recognize that need might arise during the lean years, nature cannot be said to fail in performing her work, or fulfilling her share of the bargain.

Man is in a Divine partnership, and is the custodian of the riches of the universe. If man puts a fence around sections of the earth and greedily refuses to let the world share in God's free bounties, nature's gifts will go to waste. Natural resources, crops, the combined productivity of the earth is for all to share and share equally. When man's failure to recognize this universal law expresses itself in greed and selfishness, a few fortunate or strong individuals with more native shrewdness or culpability than their fellowmen draw lines about these priceless treasures of the universe and

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claim them for their own. This is ignorance of the laws of nature.

Nature's gifts are plentiful, and shortages exist only when man distorts the picture by his selfish actions. Then thousands starve in China and India; millions are under-nourished and sickly, and nature's produce sinks back into the earth for want of intelligence to distribute it wisely.

Then, too, man is careless with the gifts he does recognize and share with his fellowmen. For profit he will be pressed into giving the world that which rightly belongs to all by universal law. But take away his profit and man's miserliness comes to the fore. The dog in the manger attitude shows itself. If he cannot obtain the prices he thinks he deserves, he will plough under the crops, kill off the animals, and pour milk into the drain rather than feed the hungryas nature intended.

This destructiveness is a violation of the Universal law of abundance. Not only does it violate man's innate sense of justice and decency, but it is repellent to the Divine Intelligence. The gifts are then withheld and man cries out against heaven because he is poverty-stricken.

How may man overcome this ignorance of the laws of nature? in the same manner he would overcome any type of abysmal ignorance. Through planned methods of education. By extending our educational system into adulthood, to give man's brain cells a chance to continue growing and

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evolving, so he will better understand life and his require-ments.

Individually, man may overcome this ignorance of nature's laws, by overcoming his own innate selfishness and greed. By realizing that what is good for him is good for the world, but that, conversely, that which injures him, will injure the world. By knowing that he is only a custodian of this earth's treasures, and that he is doubly blessed if he can share those treasures with the world. By overcoming possessiveness, and that desperate feeling that we must accumulate more of this earth's goods than we can use. The man who acquires millions will never rest content with those millions. His money gives him a sense of power, like alcohol, goes to the brain and numbs his comprehension.

Nature intended for man to have plenty, and when man strives for attainment of his rightful heritage, there is no violation of this universal law of abundance. There is danger only when ignorance leads one to sacrifice integrity, honor, and justice; to illegally take from the world more than one may intelligently administer in this existence.

2. LACK OF IMAGINATION

Man limits himself in this world of abundance by failing to be cognizant of his limitless possibilities. There is much that cannot be apprehended through the normal channels of the senses. When man adds the extended function of imag-ination to his other gifts, he begins to perceive creation still unborn.

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Imagination adds to the brain a new perspective, a fourth-dimensional power, which man alone possesses. Man may harness this power of imagination for good, or for evil. When he produces radio, television, airplanes, and guns, they may be used for destructive purposes, or for adding to the more abundant life. The choice is up to man. When, however, man restricts his progress by stifling this power of mind, he may live in the very midst of plenty and still starve.

The caveman ate his meat raw because imaginative power had not yet awakened the culinary art in him. He lived in cold, damp caves because he had not perceived his creative ability in imagination. When imagination awakened, he found the skins of those animals he used for food, could be converted into clothing and shelter. As man evolved higher and higher and the imagination was more fully awakened, he could comprehend the mystery of forging tools from the earth's ore, cutting down trees for homes, weaving cloth for warmth, and communicating through the medium of an alphabet and words.

Imagination then wrested nature's secret from the lightning bolt and harnessed it for man's use as electric light. It caused man to dream of motors, and the automobile and airplane were born. He visualized or imagined spanning continents with his thoughts, and wireless and radio were created. Indeed, it might be said, that as man began to conceive, he could achieve. His spectacular rise to un-dreamed of heights is visible testimony to the inherent power in creative imagination.

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If, then, your gifts are few, and your needs great, can you not perform this same miracle of transformation through your imagination? You can, for power flows when the mind is concentrated on achievement. Ideas blossom in mind when they are subjected to the penetrating rays of your creative thought.

To visualize, is to see the things you actually imagine, in your mind's eye. As you use the imagination more and more, you actually train your mind to see the possibilities of the things you conceive. The inner intelligence then begins to shape your destiny in accordance with your mental conception.

What is that mental conception?

Is it one of limited gifts or talent?

You are only as limited as you make yourself by negative thoughts. If you wish to paint that great canvas, you have but to imagine it insistently and strongly. Add action to your daydream however, for action begins to give shape and form to your imagery. It takes only as much imagina-tion as is needed to get you to the nearest art store to secure the paint and brushes and canvas, to start you on the goal to making your day dream come true.

You wish to play the piano, and in imagination, you visu-alize yourself evoking melody and harmony from the instrument. It takes a little imagination to secure a piano. If your finances are limited, it does not take much imagina-

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tion or figuring to reveal that the extra money spent for entertainment, reading cheap fiction, drinking, smoking, or other indulgences could be diverted toward the down pay-ment for that piano which you so ardently desire.

The successive steps then toward becoming a musician are identical with those given for awakening your artistic talent. You will not play a note until the imagination is fired with purposefulness. Do you wish to become a truly great musician, or merely to play for your own amusement and to entertain your friends? This is important, for it too, flowers in imagination before it transmits its magic to the physical act of practicing and perfecting your technique.

The higher the ambition, goal, or desire, the more active is your imagination. The motivating force which determines whether you shall be rich or poor; talented or un-gifted, lies in the capacity of your imagination to soar high or low. Action follows the mental pattern, and soon, there is manifested in your environment the persons, tools and situations with which to forge what you have imagined.

If you wish more possessions, material abundance, increase in salary, a better job, first stimulate your imagination. As your concentrated power awakens new brain cells, and causes new patterns to be formed in your mind, you will inevitably take the necessary steps to produce exactly what you have conceived.

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3. INGRATITUDE FOR NATURE'S FREE GIFTS

Man constantly bemoans the fact that the abundance of life is not his. What he really means is that the abundance of nature does not belong wholly to him and his family. He is misinformed if he believes that he actually does not possess the earth and all therein, no matter his personal state of finances, or dearth of possessions.

What man asks for, when he cries out for more and more possessions, is a piece of paper which gives him legal title to a piece of earth with a fence around it so none may share it or enjoy its beauty and the products of its creation. He desires a deed that gives him monopoly of some of nature's products. If he is lacking in that legal document, he feels that he is restricted from sharing in and enjoying the productivity of the earth.

Is this true, or merely a figment of man's imagination?

Cannot one enjoy, no matter how lacking in money or legal titles, the beauty and freedom of a city park? It belongs to you and you alone. It is beautifully kept up, and you may browse in its lush verdure, enjoy the budding, blooming trees, share it with millions of other souls, and when you are finished enjoying your private estate you do not even have to turn a key in the lock. A caretaker, indeed, many caretakers, keep it meticulously clean, plant and trim the hedges, and water the trees, without bothering you for instructions. You could not enjoy a private estate more even if you owned it outright. Indeed, you might even be

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extremely lonely behind the barbed wire fence, and the exclusiveness of personal ownership. Then too, with possessiveness goes the burden of possession. Upkeep, worry, fear of entry and robbery; burdensome taxation, salaries of employees, and eternal vigilance against intru-ders on your privacy.

You wish an estate? a home of your own? the privacy of your own garden? First, have you learned to enjoy the abundance and beauty of the free expanses nature has bequeathed to you and the rest of humanity? If not, then how can you possibly comprehend and imagine ownership? It takes awareness and appreciation to fully enjoy these bounties, whether they are in your name, or in the name of the universe.

Are you aware and observant of the flaming western sky at sunset time? Do you know the thrill of wandering over the moonlit stretches of desert sand, enveloped by the transparent cloak of night, with a million diamonds studding the moon-stained sky? If you have an awareness and comprehension only of smoke-filled clubs, and artificial neons and electric lights, what mental gifts do you possess with which to win and woo from nature her priceless natural possessions?

You wish more material supply, more money, so you may have priceless art objects? A commendable desire, but a vain and purposeless objective. To imprison the beauty of a