Lesson 4: The First Principle in The Science Science of Getting Rich (SGR)
Thought is the ONLY power which can produce tangible riches from the Formless Substance. - Wallace D. Wattles
I bet you have heard of this phrase before - “Thoughts become things!” Well this phrase summarises the essence of this chapter and lesson very well but the actual saying should be “ Concentrated thoughts become things” and even though simplistic that is what the author alludes to when he writes:
There is a thinking stuff from which all things are made, and which in its original state, permeates, penetrates, and fills the interspaces of the universe. A thought in this substances, produces the thing that is imaged by the thought.
When I first read this chapter and what Wattles calls the syllabus, I could not wrap my head around how simple the words were yet how confusing it was for me to make sense of it. I asked myself the following questions as I read over and over because as stated in the book this is the basics to the SGR.
What is the thinking stuff?
How can it penetrate, permeate and fill the interspaces of the universe
Does is it mean that the many thoughts I think of will become my reality even the ones I don’t want?
As I begun to search for answers to these questions I found some of my answers in this book and others from external literature and this helped me in understanding what this statement really means (to me). I found the thinking stuff to be the mind. Yes the mind not the brain for our brain is an organ but no body has ever really seen the mind because it’s more of a spiritual concept than physical. My mentor Bob Proctor used to say - “man is a manifestation of his mind” so what you think about you is what becomes your physical representation. You might be wondering, how I come to this conclusion, well if there is one thinking stuff from which all things are made then according to the natural laws of the Universe; one which we didn’t touch upon but is the very first of all them, which is the Law of Divine Oneness we learn that we are all connected through creation. So if you are a Christian believer then you will be able to remember that when God was creating the world he never went looking for raw materials or using manual labour to reform existing things He only spoke things into being because everything He created came from one source - the mind.
How does this sit with you? Do you have questions like I did? Good, just read on as it gets better because this thinking stuff also penetrates, permeates and fills the interspaces and here you will be wondering how does the mind permeates and penetrates? So if there is one thinking substance that has the ability to transform what we think and impress upon it into physical form without destroying or creating something entirely new then we can claim that this is what the scientist call energy and the theologians God. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed but transformed from one form to the other and God/Source can neither be created nor destroyed either; and both philosophies believe that these sources are everywhere penetrating, permeating and filling the interspaces. My next question was did this then mean that the slightest thing I think will become my reality?
No that isn’t what is being taught here for the word used in the follow up paragraphs was “impress” - Man can form things in his thoughts and by impressing his thoughts upon formless substance can cause the thing he thinks about to be created…
As a man/woman I am a thinking centre and I can originate thought to create the things I desire but I am only able to impress my thoughts upon formless substance when I get emotionally involved with that thought of the thing I desire. Meaning until I really get this thing I am thinking about to become my dominant thought, it is less likely to become my reality. This helped calm my nerves and also gave me guidance in directing my thoughts to the things I want and especially when my circumstances were showing the opposite.
The author also mentions that concentrated thinking - thinking what is true regardless of appearances is harder than manual labour. This is because so many factors are bound to come up to contradict our desires when we think of the truth, and here the truth can be getting that promotion when you feel under-qualified, building that successful business when all else shows the over-saturation in the market or not having the capital, and many other things. The truth is what will make you an individual happy and living your full potential. When the odds are against you in the visible world the power to get the cards stacked in your favour is using the mind to think. For it is this that can really produce the images of the things you desire and the guidance as to how to achieve them.
That is why the author writes “Thought is the only power that can produce tangible riches from the Formless Substance. What do you think about this? Also, have you ever tried focussing your attention and energy on something you really desired even when circumstances showed you something different? How have you been able to focus on this thought? I would love to know your thoughts in the comment on these question or any of the ones you might have.
Journal prompt: Do you think you have the inherent power to think what you want regardless of appearances?