Framing the Dialogue

“We live in mind; and it can return to us only what we think unto it…If we are thinking of ourselves as poor and needy, then the Mind has no choice but to return what we have thought into it.

Maybe the biggest difference between most self-help books and Creative Mind and Success is its strong inclusion of God into the equation.  Originally published in 1919 and again in 1957 (the version that I read) God was more of a daily component of most people’s lives. Ernest Holmesdoes not really offer what God do for us, it is more that we are connected to God and God to us.  We are responsible for our outcomes. 

We can change our outcomes by our thoughts.  How many books have you seen that expouse the power of thinking positively?  How many of us prepare for an expected unpleasant conflict by preparing for the worst?  I do it all of time as I struggle with negative thoughts; going over imagined conflicts.  Think about the old saying, “hope for the best prepare for the worst.”  Does that preparation for the worst actually foretell the worst and doom us to it?  That seems to be the authors belief, but being true to his statements, he spends more time on positive thought.

“The whole thing resolves itself into our mental ability to control our thought.  The man who can do this, can have what he wants, can do what he wishes, and becomes what he will.  Life, God, the Universe, is his.”

I found Creative Mind and Success challenging to read.  I really needed a quiet place and still probably read the book three times as I re-read paragraphs.  I like the book’s message and think that it should be broadcast, put on bumper stickers, displayed on billboards, written in textbooks, maybe even one of those banners pulled behing an airplane.

Most importantly we should be saying this to our family and friends.

“we can no longer blame others for our troubles.  We recognize that within ourselves is the Power to produce success or failure…Fear brings failure; faith brings success.”