Lesson 1 - The Right To Be Rich
The desire for riches is the desire for a richer, fuller and more abundant life - Wallace D. Wattle
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words RICH or MONEY? Or when you see someone being extremely rich? Do you immediately judge them as being crooks or do you believe that money is hard to come by or too much of it is bad? Before we dive in to the first lesson in the Science of Getting Rich (SGR) I would encourage you to take a few minutes and really think about what connotations “money” and “rich” presents to you.
I know most of us have grown up in societies and homes where one or more of these phrases have been drilled into us -
Money doesn’t grow on trees
The root of all evil is money
Rich people are crooks
You can only make money through hard work
Be content with what you have… and the list goes on.
There is an element of truth when looking at these statements but whatever meaning these imply works against what “money” or being rich really stands for. In the first chapter Wallace D. Wattles asserts that we all have the right to be rich not just comfortable but very rich because in order to live to your fullest potential one will need money to get to that place.
“No man can rise to his greatest possible height in talent or soul development unless he has plenty of money; for to unfold the soul and to develop talent he must have things to use, and he cannot have these things unless he has money to buy them with.”
How does this statement make you feel? Do you cringe when reading - plenty of money - or do you agree? If you agree then we are on the right path to understanding this book, however if you cringe then let me shed more light on the magnitude of this statement. See this statement is very true in the sense that we live for the mind, body and soul and none of these alone is more important than the other. Living for the body is looking after your physical body, eating good food, having and wearing comfortable clothing, having warm shelter and being free from excessive toil. When you are physical not at ease you can hardly focus on anything but gaining your health back and if you have money plenty of it your will move heaven and earth to get you feeling better again.
A healthy body is a healthy mind so in order to live for the mind we need to surround ourselves with intellectual recreational things, things that allow us to use our minds creatively and we do so by indulging in art, culture, architecture etc. this nourishes the soul and living for the soul is living with love. Love for all things, for life, for health, for family, friends, relations you name it. One cannot express love when they are not able to give or cater for themselves or their loved ones and in our current environments we need money in exchange for the things we need to survive, thrive and for pleasure. We cannot have the peace of mind to explore our highest potential, if we are thinking of when the next meal is going to be, or if we can pay the rent and keep the apartment warm and safe. Or if we can afford to pay for tuition, travel and experience different cultures or cater for our family. All these things require the exchange of money for them.
You may also think but I am content if I can pay bills and put food on the table but why settle for just enough when you truly are blessed and can have it in abundance? Wanting more money isn’t wrong on the contrary it is our birth right to enjoy in abundance. The desire to be rich is the desire for a richer, fuller and more abundant life and that desire is praiseworthy. If you are a “Christian” then really think about this bible scripture- The Parable of the Talents; Matthew 25.14-30 same story in Luke 19.11-27. Where the 3 servants were given money to invest in getting more money but only 2 did and they were rewarded according to their efforts but the one who hid the money thinking he was saving it lost what he was given. So as a spiritual Christian my question and challenge has been where in the bible does God instruct us to live poor lives and settle for mediocrity? Why weren’t the servants that increased their money punished if being rich was so wrong? Lastly, in the beginning when He created the earth and all things, I don’t recall reading that He asked man to go look for what they will eat etc. He created everything in abundance so why do we misinterpret the teachings in religious scriptures using phrases like the root of all evil is money? Ponder over these and see where your resistance to riches stems from.
From these teachings I know that it is my right to be rich for I have been given everything I need to survive in abundance and my duty is to use the talents I’ve been given to produce more of the things that will enrich my life and the life of others. The only way I can do this is if I have more than just enough to be able to share this means being rich and having plenty of money. I have learnt that our views on money is skewed in today’s society because money is Energy simple. Money is what we give or get in exchange for products and services. The more products I sell or services I render the more money comes back to me for by the natural laws (which we will get into later) I must receive in equal amounts whatever I put in. So in a nutshell, when the author talks about our right to be rich remember these few points;
It is our birthright to be rich - no person is born higher than others (not considering generational wealth etc.)
Our right to life means our right to have the free and unrestricted use of all things which may be necessary to our fullest mental, spiritual and physical unfoldment.
The desire to be rich is the desire to live a richer, fuller and more abundant life; and this is praiseworthy
Being rich allows you to live to your highest potential
You can render to God and man no better greater service than to make the most of yourself.
If these resonate then stay tuned for the upcoming lessons, but if you are still unclear about any part of this get in touch and let’s start a conversation for the Science of Getting Rich is an actual science built on both logic and spiritual laws.
Journal Prompt.
How do I feel about being very rich?