'The Game Of Life & How To Play It' (1925)

Listen to this timeless classic that helped to transform the lives of millions - THE GAME OF LIFE & HOW TO PLAY IT was written by writer, artist, and illustrator Florence Scovel Shinn.

It was first published in 1925. It's considered a classic in New Thought philosophical arenas and a leader in metaphysical spiritual literature.

More than just a book, The Game of Life and How to Play It, is a guide to mastering the unseen laws that shape human experience.

It invites readers to step into a life of greater faith, confidence, prosperity, joy, and inner peace by recognizing the extraordinary creative power within their own thoughts and words.

If you are seeking inspiration, spiritual wisdom, or practical tools for transforming your life, Florence Scovel Shinn’s timeless masterpiece continues to offer a hopeful and empowering path forward.

Transcript

THE GAME OF LIFE AND HOW TO PLAY IT by Florence Scovel Shinn first published in 1925 THE GAME Most people consider life a battle, But it is not a battle, It's a game. It's a game, However, Which cannot be played successfully without the knowledge of spiritual law. And the Old and the New Testaments give the rules of the game with wonderful clearness. Jesus Christ taught that it was a great game of giving and receiving. Whatsoever a man soweth, That shall he also reap. This means that whatever man sends out in word or deed will return to him. What he gives, He will receive. If he gives hate, He will receive hate. If he gives love, He will receive love. If he gives criticism, He will receive criticism. If he lies, He will be lied to. If he cheats, He will be cheated. We are taught also that the imaging faculty plays a leading part in the game of life. Keep thy heart, Or imagination, With all diligence, For out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 4, 23 This means that what man images, Sooner or later, Externalizes in his affairs. I know of a man who feared a certain disease. It was a very rare disease, And difficult to get. But he pictured it continually, And read about it until it manifested in his body, And he died, The victim of distorted imagination. So we see, To play successfully the game of life, We must train the imaging faculty. A person with an imaging faculty, Trained to image only good, Brings into his life every righteous desire of his heart. Health, Wealth, Love, Friends, Perfect self-expression, His highest ideals. The imagination has been called the scissors of the mind, And it is ever-cutting, Day by day, The pictures man sees there, And sooner or later, He meets his own creations in his outer world. To train the imagination successfully, Man must understand the workings of his mind. The Greeks said, Know thyself. There are three departments of the mind, The subconscious, Conscious, And superconscious. The subconscious is simply power without direction. It is like steam, Or electricity, And it does what it's directed to do. It has no power of induction. Whatever man feels deeply, Or images clearly, Is impressed upon the subconscious mind, And carried out in minutest detail. For example, A woman I know, When a child, Always made believe she was a widow. She dressed up in black clothes and wore a long black veil, And people thought she was very clever and amusing. She grew up and married a man with whom she was deeply in love. In a short time, He died, And she wore black and a sweeping veil for many years. The picture of herself as a widow was impressed upon the subconscious mind, And in due time, Worked itself out, Regardless of the havoc created. The conscious mind has been called mortal, Or the carnal mind. It is the human mind, And sees life as it appears to be. It sees death, Disaster, Sickness, Poverty, And limitation of every kind, And it impresses the subconscious. The superconscious mind is the god mind within each man, And is the realm of perfect ideas. In it is the perfect pattern, Spoken by Plato, The divine design, For there is a divine design for each person. There is a place that you are to fill, And no one else can fill. Something you are to do, Which no one else can do. There is a perfect picture of this in the superconscious mind. It usually flashes across the conscious as an unattainable ideal, Something too good to be true. In reality, It's man's true destiny, Or destination, Flashed to him from the infinite intelligence, Which is within himself. Many people, However, Are in ignorance of their true destinies, And are striving for things and situations which do not belong to them, And would only bring failure and dissatisfaction if attained. For example, A woman came to me and asked me to speak the word that she would marry a certain man with whom she was very much in love. She called him A. B. I replied that this would be a violation of spiritual law, But that I would speak the word for the right man, The divine selection, The man who belonged to her by divine right. I added, If A. B. Is the right man, You can't lose him. And if he isn't, You will receive his equivalent. She saw A. B. Frequently, But no headway was made in their friendship. One evening she called and said, Do you know for the last week A. B. Hasn't seemed as wonderful to me? I replied, Maybe he is not the divine selection. Another man may be the right one. Soon after that, She met another man who fell in love with her at once, And who said she was his ideal. In fact, He said all the things that she had always wished A. B. Would say to her. She remarked, It was quite uncanny. She soon returned his love and lost all interest in A. B. This shows the law of substitution. A right idea was substituted for a wrong one. Therefore, There was no loss or sacrifice involved. Jesus Christ said, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, And all these things shall be added unto you. And he said the kingdom was within man. The kingdom is the realm of right ideas, Or the divine pattern. Jesus Christ taught that man's words played a leading part in the game of life. By your words ye are justified, And by your words ye are condemned. Many people have brought disaster into their lives through idle words. For example, A woman once asked me why her life was now one of poverty and of limitation. Formerly, She had a home, Was surrounded by beautiful things, And had plenty of money. We found she had often tired of the management of her home and had said repeatedly, I'm sick and tired of things. I wish I lived in a trunk. And she added, Today I am living in that trunk. She had spoken herself into a trunk. The subconscious mind has no sense of humor, And people often joke themselves into unhappy experiences. For example, A woman who had a great deal of money joked continually about getting ready for the poorhouse. In a few years, She was almost destitute, Having impressed the subconscious mind with the picture of lack and limitation. Fortunately, The law works both ways, And a situation of lack may be changed to one of plenty. For example, A woman came to me one hot summer's day for a treatment for prosperity. She was worn out, Dejected, And discouraged. She said she possessed just eight dollars in the world. I said, Good, We'll bless the eight dollars and multiply them as Jesus Christ multiplied the loaves and the fishes, For he taught that every man had the power to bless and to multiply, To heal and to prosper. She said, What shall I do next? I replied, Follow intuition. Have you a hunch to do anything or to go anywhere? Intuition means intuition or to be taught from within. It is man's unerring guide, And I will deal more fully with its laws in a following chapter. The woman replied, I don't know. I seem to have a hunch to go home. I've just enough money for car fare. Her home was in a distant city and was one of lack and limitation, And the reasoning mind or intellect would have said, Stay in New York and get work and make some money. I replied, Then go home. Never violate a hunch. I spoke the following words for her. Infinite spirit, Open the way for great abundance for this woman. She is an irresistible magnet for all that belongs to her by divine right. I told her to repeat it continually also. She left for home immediately. In calling on a woman one day, She linked up with an old friend of her family. Through this friend, She received thousands of dollars in a most miraculous way. She has said to me often tell people about the woman who came to you with $8 and a hunch. There is always plenty on man's pathway, But it can only be brought into manifestation through desire, Faith, Or the spoken word. Jesus Christ brought out clearly that man must make the first move. Ask, And it shall be given you. Seek, And ye shall find. Knock, And it shall be opened unto you. Matthew 7 7 In the scriptures, We read, Concerning the works of my hands, Command ye me. Infinite intelligence, God, Is ever ready to carry out man's smallest or greatest demands. Every desire uttered or unexpressed is a demand. We are often startled by having a wish suddenly fulfilled. For example, One Easter, Having seen many beautiful rose trees in the florist's windows, I wished I would receive one, And for an instant saw it mentally being carried in the door. Easter came, And with it a beautiful rose tree. I thanked my friend the following day and told her it was just what I had wanted. She replied, I didn't send you a rose tree. I sent you lilies. The man had mixed up the order and sent me a rose tree simply because I had started the law in action, And I had to have a rose tree. Nothing stands between man and his highest ideals and every desire of his heart but doubt and fear. When man can wish without worrying, Every desire will be instantly fulfilled. I will explain more fully in a following chapter the scientific reason for this and how fear must be erased from the consciousness. It is man's only enemy. Fear of lack, Fear of failure, Fear of sickness, Fear of loss, And a feeling of insecurity on some plane. Jesus Christ said, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Matthew 8, 26 So we can see we must substitute faith for fear, For fear is only inverted faith. It is faith in evil instead of good. The object of the game of life is to see clearly one's good and to obliterate all mental pictures of evil. This must be done by impressing the subconscious mind with a realization of good. A very brilliant man, Who has attained great success, Told me he had suddenly erased all fear from his consciousness by reading a sign which hung in a room. He saw printed in large letters this statement, Why worry, It will probably never happen. These words were stamped indelibly upon his subconscious mind, And he has now a firm conviction that only good can come into his life, Therefore only good can manifest. In the following chapter, I will deal with the different methods of impressing the subconscious mind. It is man's faithful servant, But one must be careful to give it the right orders. Man has ever a silent listener at his side, His subconscious mind. Every thought, Every word is impressed upon it and carried out in amazing detail. It is like a singer making a record on the sensitive disc of the phonographic plate. Every note and tone of the singer's voice is registered. If he coughs or hesitates, It is registered also. So let us break all the old bad records in the subconscious mind, The records of our lives which we do not wish to keep and make new and beautiful ones. Speak these words aloud with power and conviction. I now smash and demolish by my spoken word every untrue record in my subconscious mind. They shall return to the dust heap of their native nothingness. They came from their own vain imaginings. I now make my perfect records through the Christ within, The records of health, Wealth, Love, And perfect self-expression. This is the square of life, The game completed. In the following chapters, I will show how man can change his conditions by changing his words. Any man who does not know the power of his word is behind the times. Death and life are in the power of the tongue. Proverbs 18, 21 The Game of Life by Florence Scovel Shinn The Law of Prosperity Yea, The Almighty shall be thy defense, And thou shalt have plenty of silver. One of the greatest messages given to the race through the scriptures is that God is man's supply and that man can release through his spoken word all that belongs to him by divine right. He must, However, Have perfect faith in his spoken word. Isaiah said, My word shall not return unto me void, But shall accomplish that whereunto it is sent. We know now that words and thoughts are a tremendous vibratory force, Even molding man's body and affairs. A woman came to me in great distress and said she was to be sued on the 15th of the month for $3, 000. She knew no way of getting the money and was in despair. I told her God was her supply and that there was a supply for every demand. So I spoke the word. I gave thanks that the woman would receive $3, 000 at the right time in the right way. I told her she must have perfect faith and act her perfect faith. The 15th came, But no money had materialized. She called me on the phone and asked what she was to do. I replied, It is Saturday, So they won't sue you today. Your part is to act rich, Thereby showing perfect faith that you will receive it by Monday. She asked me to lunch with her to keep up her courage. When I joined her at a restaurant, I said, This is no time to economize. Order an expensive luncheon. Act as if you have already received the $3, 000. All things whatsoever ye ask in prayer, Believing, Ye shall receive. You must act as if you had already received. The next morning she called me on the phone and asked me to stay with her during the day. I said, No, You are divinely protected, And God is never too late. In the evening, She phoned again, Greatly excited, And said, My dear, A miracle has happened. I was sitting in my room this morning when the doorbell rang. I said to the maid, Don't let anyone in. The maid, However, Looked out the window and said, It's your cousin with the long white beard. So I said, Call him back. I would like to see him. He was just turning the corner when he heard the maid's voice, And he came back. He talked for about an hour, And just as he was leaving, He said, Oh, By the way, How are your finances? I told him I needed the money, And he said, Why, My dear, I will give you three thousand dollars the first of the month. I didn't like to tell him I was going to be sued. What shall I do? I won't receive it till the first of the month, And I must have it tomorrow. I said, I'll keep on treating. I said, Spirit is never too late. I give thanks she has received the money on the invisible plane, And that it manifests on time. The next morning, Her cousin called her up and said, Come to my office this morning, And I will give you the money. That afternoon, She had three thousand dollars to her credit in the bank, And wrote checks as rapidly as her excitement would permit. If one asks for success and prepares for failure, He will get the situation he has prepared for. For example, A man came to me asking me to speak the word that a certain debt would be wiped out. I found he spent his time planning what he would say to the man when he did not pay his bill, Therefore neutralizing my words. He should have seen himself paying the debt. We have a wonderful illustration of this in the Bible relating to the three kings who were in the desert without water for their men and horses. They consulted the prophet Elijah, Who gave them this astonishing message. Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not see wind, Nor shall ye see rain, Yet make this valley full of ditches. Man must prepare for the thing he has asked for when there isn't the slightest sign of it in sight. For example, A woman found it necessary to look for an apartment during the year when there was a great shortage of apartments in New York. It was considered almost an impossibility, And her friends were sorry for her and said, Isn't it too bad you'll have to store your furniture and live in a hotel? She replied, You needn't feel sorry for me. I'm a superman, And I'll get an apartment. She spoke the words, Infinite Spirit, Open the way for the right apartment. She knew there was a supply for every demand, And that she was unconditioned working on the spiritual plane, And that one with God is a majority. She had contemplated buying new blankets when the temper, The adverse thought, Or reasoning mind suggested, Don't buy the blankets. Perhaps, After all, You won't get an apartment, And you will have no use for them. She promptly replied to herself, I'll dig my ditches by buying the blankets. So she prepared for the apartment, Acted as though she already had it. She found one in a miraculous way, And it was given to her, Although there were over two hundred other applicants. The blankets showed active faith. It is needless to say that the ditches dug by the three kings in the desert were filled to overflowing. Read, Too, Kings. Getting into the spiritual swing of things is no easy matter for the average person. The adverse thoughts of doubt and fear surge from the subconscious. They are the army of the aliens, Which must be put to flight. This explains why it's often darkest before the dawn. A big demonstration is usually preceded by tormenting thoughts. Having made a statement of high spiritual truth, One challenges the old beliefs in the subconscious, And error is exposed to be put out. This is the time when one must make his affirmations of truth repeatedly, And rejoice and give thanks that he has already received. Before ye call, I shall answer. This means that every good and perfect gift is already man's awaiting his recognition. Man can only receive what he sees himself receiving. The children of Israel were told that they could have all the land they could see. This is true of every man. He has only the land within his own mental vision. Every great work, Every big accomplishment has been brought into manifestation through holding to the vision, And often just before the big achievement comes apparent failure and discouragement. The children of Israel when they reached the promised land were afraid to go in, For they said it was filled with giants who made them feel like grasshoppers. And there we saw the giants, And we were in our own sight as grasshoppers. This is almost every man's experience. However, The one who knows spiritual law is undisturbed by appearance and rejoices while he is yet in captivity. That is, He holds to his vision and gives thanks that the end is accomplished. He has received. Jesus Christ gave a wonderful example of this. He said to his disciples, Say not ye, There are yet four months, And then cometh the harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, And look on the fields, For they are ripe already to harvest. His clear vision pierced the world of matter, And he saw clearly the fourth-dimensional world, Things as they really are, Perfect and complete in divine mind. So man must ever hold the vision of his journey's end and demand the manifestation of that which he has already received. It may be his perfect health, Love, Supply, Self-expression, Home or friends. They are all finished and perfect ideas registered in divine mind, Man's own superconscious mind, And must come through him, Not to him. For example, A man came to me asking for treatments for success. It was imperative that he raise, Within a certain time, Fifty thousand dollars for his business. The time limit was almost up when he came to me in despair. No one wanted to invest in his enterprise, And the bank had flatly refused a loan. I replied, I suppose you lost your temper while at the bank, Therefore your power. You can control any situation if you first control yourself. Go back to the bank, I added, And I will treat. My treatment was, You are identified in love with the spirit of everyone connected with the bank. Let the divine idea come out of this situation. He replied, Woman, You are talking about an impossibility. Tomorrow is Saturday, The bank closes at twelve, And my train won't get me there until ten, And the time limit is up tomorrow. And anyway, They won't do it. It's too late. I replied, God doesn't need any time, And is never too late. With him, All things are possible. I added, I don't know anything about business, But I know all about God. He replied, It all sounds fine when I sit here listening to you, But when I go out, It's terrible. He lived in a distant city, And I did not hear from him for a week. Then came a letter. It read, You were right. I raised the money, And will never again doubt the truth of all that you told me. I saw him a few weeks later, And I said, What happened? You evidently had plenty of time after all. He replied, My train was late, And I got there just fifteen minutes to twelve. I walked in the bank quietly, And said, I have come for the loan. And they gave it to me without a question. It was the last fifteen minutes of the time allotted to him, And infinite spirit was not too late. In this instance, The man could never have demonstrated alone. He needed someone to help him hold to the vision. This is what one man can do for another. Jesus Christ knew the truth of this when he said, If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, It shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. One gets too close to his own affairs, And becomes doubtful and fearful. The friend or healer sees clearly the success, Health, Or prosperity, And never wavers because he is not close to the situation. It is much easier to demonstrate for someone else than for one's self, So a person should not hesitate to ask for help if he feels himself wavering. A keen observer of life once said, No man can fall if some one person sees him successful. Such is the power of the vision, And many a great man has owed his success to a wife or sister or a friend who believed in him and held without wavering to the perfect pattern. THE GAME OF LIFE AND HOW TO PLAY IT By Florence Scovel Shinn THE POWER OF THE WORD By thy words thou shalt be justified, And by thy words thou shalt be condemned. A person knowing the power of the word becomes very careful of his conversation. He has only to watch the reaction of his words to know that they do not return void. Through his spoken word, Man is continually making laws for himself. I knew a man who said, I always miss a car. It invariably pulls out just as I arrive. His daughter said, I always catch a car. It's sure to come just as I get there. This occurred for years. Each had made a separate law for himself, One of failure, One of success. This is the psychology of superstitions. The horseshoe or rabbit's foot contains no power, But man's spoken word and belief that it will bring him good luck creates expectancy in the subconscious mind and attracts a lucky situation. I find, However, This will not work when man has advanced spiritually and knows a higher law. One cannot turn back and must put away graven images. For example, Two men in my class had had great success in business for several months when suddenly everything went to smash. We tried to analyze the situation and I found instead of making their affirmations and looking to God for success and prosperity, They had each bought a lucky monkey. I said, Oh, I see you have been trusting in the lucky monkeys instead of God. Put away the lucky monkeys and call on the law of forgiveness. For man has power to forgive or neutralize his mistakes. They decided to throw the lucky monkeys down a coal hole and all went well again. This does not mean, However, That one should throw away every lucky ornament or horseshoe about the house, But he must recognize that the power back of it is the one and only power God that the object simply gives him a feeling of expectancy. I was with a friend one day who was in deep despair. In crossing the street, She picked up a horseshoe. Immediately, She was filled with joy and hope. She said God had sent her the horseshoe in order to keep up her courage. It was indeed at that moment about the only thing that could have registered in her consciousness. Her hope became faith and she ultimately made a wonderful demonstration. I wish to make the point clear that the men previously mentioned were depending on the monkeys alone while this woman recognized the power back of the horseshoe. I know in my own case it took a long while to get out of a belief that a certain thing brought disappointment. If the thing happened, Disappointment invariably followed. I found the only way I could make a change in the subconscious was by asserting there are not two powers, There is only one power, God. Therefore, There are no disappointments and this thing means a happy surprise. I noticed a change at once and happy surprises commenced coming my way. I have a friend who said nothing could induce her to walk under a ladder. I said, If you are afraid, You are giving in to a belief in two powers, Good and evil, Instead of one. As God is absolute, There can be no opposing power unless man makes the false of evil for himself. To show you belief in only one power, God, And that there is no power or reality in evil, Walk under the next ladder you see. Soon after, She went to her bank. She wished to open her box in the safety deposit vault and there stood a ladder on her pathway. It was impossible to reach the box without passing under the ladder. She quailed with fear and turned back. She could not face the lion on her pathway. However, When she reached the street, My words rang in her ears. And she decided to return and walk under it. It was a big moment in her life, For ladders had held her in bondage for years. She retraced her steps to the vault and the ladder was no longer there. This so often happens. If one is willing to do a thing he is afraid to do, He does not have to. It is the law of non-resistance which is so little understood. Someone has said that courage contains genius and magic. Face a situation fearlessly and there is no situation to face. It falls away of its own weight. The explanation is that fear attracted the ladder on the woman's pathway and fearlessness removed it. Thus, The invisible forces are ever working for man who is always pulling the strings himself, Though he does not know it. Owing to the vibratory power of words, Whatever man voices, He begins to attract. People who continually speak of disease invariably attract it. After man knows the truth, He cannot be too careful of his words. For example, I have a friend who often says on the phone, Do come to see me and have a fine old-fashioned chat. This old-fashioned chat means an hour of about five hundred to a thousand destructive words, The principal topics being loss, Lack, Failure, And sickness. I reply, No, I thank you. I've had enough old-fashioned chats in my life. They are too expensive, But I will be glad to have a new-fashioned chat and talk about what we want, Not what we don't want. There is an old saying that man only dare uses his words for three purposes, To heal, Bless, Or prosper. What man says of others will be said of him, And what he wishes for another, He is wishing for himself. Curses like chickens come home to roost. If a man wishes someone bad luck, He is sure to attract bad luck himself. If he wishes to aid someone to success, He is wishing and aiding himself to success. The body may be renewed and transformed through the spoken word and clear vision, And disease be completely wiped out of the consciousness. The metaphysician knows that all disease has a mental correspondence, And in order to heal the body, One must first heal the soul. The soul is the subconscious mind, And it must be saved from wrong thinking. In the 23rd Psalm, We read, He restoreth my soul. This means that the subconscious mind, Or soul, Must be restored with the right ideas, And the mystical marriage is the marriage of the soul and the spirit, Or the subconscious and superconscious mind. They must be one. When the subconscious is flooded with the perfect ideas of the superconscious, God and man are one. I and the Father are one. That is, He is one with the realm of perfect ideas. He is the man made in God's likeness and image, Which is imagination, And is given power and dominion over all created things, His mind, Body, And affairs. It is safe to say that all sickness and unhappiness come from the violation of the law of love. A new commandment I give unto you, Love one another, And in the game of life, Love, Or goodwill, Takes every trick. For example, A woman I know had, For years, An appearance of a terrible skin disease. The doctors told her it was incurable, And she was in despair. She was on the stage, And she feared she would soon have to give up her profession, And she had no other means of support. She, However, Procured a good engagement, And on the opening night made a great hit. She received flattering notices from the critics and was joyful and elated. The next day, She received a notice of dismissal. A man in the cast had been jealous of her success and had caused her to be sent away. She felt hatred and resentment taking complete possession of her, And she cried out, Oh God, Don't let me hate that man. That night she worked for hours in the silence. She said, I soon came into a very deep silence. I seemed to be at peace with myself. With the man, And with the whole world. I continued this for two following nights, And on the third day, I found I was healed completely of the skin disease. In asking for love, Or goodwill, She had fulfilled the law. For love is the fulfilling of the law, And the disease, Which came from subconscious resentment, Was wiped out. Continual criticism produces rheumatism, As critical, Inharmonious thoughts cause unnatural deposits in the blood, Which settle in the joints. False growths are caused by jealousy, Hatred, Unforgiveness, Fear, Etc. Every disease is caused by a mind not at ease. I said once, In my class, There is no use asking anyone, What's the matter with you? We might just as well say, What's the matter with you? Unforgiveness is the most prolific cause of disease. It will harden arteries or liver, And affect the eyesight. In its train are endless ills. I called on a woman one day, Who said she was ill from having eaten a poisoned oyster. I replied, Oh no, The oyster was harmless. You poisoned the oyster. What's the matter with you? She answered, Oh about nineteen people. She had quarreled with the nineteen people, And had become so inharmonious that she attracted the wrong oyster. Any inharmony on the external indicates there is mental inharmony. As the within, So the without. Man's only enemies are within himself, And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. Personality is one of the last enemies to be overcome, As this planet is taking its initiation in love. It was Christ's message, Peace on earth, Goodwill towards man. The enlightened man, Therefore, Endeavors to perfect himself upon his neighbor. His work is with himself, To send out goodwill and blessings to every man. And the marvelous thing is, That if one blesses a man, He has no power to harm him. For example, A man came to me asking to treat for success in business. He was selling machinery, And a rival appeared on the scene with what he proclaimed was a better machine, And my friend feared defeat. I said, First of all, We must wipe out all fear and know that God protects your interests and that the divine idea must come out of the situation. That is, The right machine will be sold by the right man to the right man. And I added, Don't hold one critical thought towards that man. Bless him all day and be willing not to sell your machine if it isn't the divine idea. So he went to the meeting, Fearless and non-resistant, And blessing the other man. He said the outcome was very remarkable. The other man's machine refused to work, And he sold his without the slightest difficulty. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, Bless them that curse you, Do good to them that hate you, And pray for them which spitefully use you and persecute you. Goodwill produces a great aura of protection about the one who sends it, And no weapon that is formed against him shall prosper. In other words, Love and goodwill destroy the enemies within oneself, Therefore one has no enemies on the external. There is peace on earth for him who sends goodwill to man. The Game of Life and How to Play It by Florence Scovel Shinn The Law of Non-Resistance Resist not evil, But not overcome of evil, But overcome evil with good. Nothing on earth can resist an absolutely non-resistant person. The Chinese say that water is the most powerful element because it's perfectly non-resistant. It can wear away a rock and sweep all before it. Jesus Christ said, Resist not evil, For he knew in reality there is no evil, Therefore nothing to resist. Evil has come of man's vain imagination, Or a belief of two powers, Good and evil. There is an old legend that Adam and Eve ate of Maya the Tree of Illusion and saw two powers instead of one power, God. Therefore, Evil is a false law man has made for himself through psychoma or soul sleep. Soul sleep means that man's soul has been hypnotized by the race belief of sin, Sickness, And death, Etc. , Which is carnal or mortal thought, And his affairs have outpictured his illusions. We have read in a preceding chapter that man's soul is his subconscious mind, And whatever he feels deeply, Good or bad, Is outpictured by that faithful servant. His body and affairs show forth what he has been picturing. The sick man has pictured sickness, The poor man poverty, The rich man wealth. People often say, Why does a little child attract illness when it's too young even to know what it means? I answer that children are sensitive and receptive to the thoughts of others about them and often outpicture the fears of their parents. I heard a metaphysician once say, If you do not run your subconscious mind yourself, Someone else will run it for you. Mothers often, Unconsciously, Attract illness and disaster to their children by continually holding them in thoughts of fear and watching for symptoms. For example, A friend asked a woman if her little girl had had the measles. She replied promptly, Not yet. This implied that she was expecting the illness and therefore preparing the way for what she did not want for herself and child. However, The man who is centered and established in right thinking, The man who sends out only goodwill to his fellow man and who is without fear, Cannot be touched or influenced by the negative thoughts of others. In fact, He could then receive only good thoughts as he himself sends forth only good thoughts. Resistance is hell, For it places man in a state of torment. A metaphysician once gave me a wonderful recipe for taking every trick in the game of life. It's the acme of non-resistance. He gave it in this way. At one time in my life, I baptized children, And of course, They had many names. Now, I no longer baptize children, But I baptize events, But I give every event the same name. If I have a failure, I baptize it success, In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. In this, We see the great law of transmutation founded on non-resistance. Through his spoken word, Every failure was transmuted into success. For example, A woman who required money and who knew the spiritual law of opulence was thrown continually in a business way with a man who made her feel very poor. He talked lack and limitation, And she commenced to catch his poverty thoughts, So she disliked him and blamed him for her failure. She knew in order to demonstrate her supply, She must first feel that she had received. A feeling of opulence must precede its manifestation. It dawned upon her, One day, That she was resisting the situation and seeing two powers instead of one, So she blessed the man and baptized the situation success. She affirmed, As there is only one power, God, This man is here for my good and my prosperity, Just what he did not seem to be there for. Soon after that, She met, Through this man, A woman who gave her for a service rendered, Several thousand dollars, And the man moved to a distant city and faded harmoniously from her life. Make the statement, Every man is a golden link in the chain of my good, For all men are God in manifestation, Awaiting the opportunity given by man himself to serve the divine plan of his life. Bless your enemy, And you rob him of his ammunition. His arrows will be transmuted into blessings. This law is true of nations as well as individuals. Bless a nation, Send love and goodwill to every inhabitant, And it is robbed of its power to harm. Man can only get the right idea of non-resistance through spiritual understanding. My students have often said, I don't want to be a doormat. I reply, When you use non-resistance with wisdom, No one will ever be able to walk over you. Another example. One day, I was impatiently awaiting an important telephone call. I resisted every call that came in and made no outgoing calls myself, Reasoning that it might interfere with the one I was awaiting. Instead of saying, Divine ideas never conflict, The call will come at the right time. Leaving it to infinite intelligence to arrange, I commenced to manage things myself. I made the battle mine, Not God's, And remained tense and anxious. The bell did not ring for about an hour, And I glanced at the phone and found the receiver had been off that length of time, And the phone was disconnected. My anxiety, Fear, And belief in interference had brought on a total eclipse of the telephone. Realizing what I had done, I commenced blessing the situation at once. I baptized it success and affirmed, I cannot lose any call that belongs to me by divine right. I am under grace and not under law. A friend rushed out to the nearest telephone to notify the company to reconnect. She entered a crowded grocery, But the proprietor left his customers and attended to the call himself. My phone was connected at once, And two minutes later I received a very important call, And about an hour afterward the one I had been awaiting. One's ships come in over a calm sea. So long as man resists a situation, He will have it with him. If he runs away from it, It will run after him. For example, I repeated this to a woman one day, And she replied, How true that is! I was unhappy at home. I disliked my mother, Who was critical and domineering. So I ran away and was married. But I married my mother, For my husband was exactly like my mother, And I had the same situation to face again. Agree with thine adversary quickly. That means agree that the adverse situation is good. Be undisturbed by it, And it falls away of its own weight. None of these things move me is a wonderful affirmation. The inharmonious situation comes from inharmony within man himself. When there is in him no emotional response to an inharmonious situation, It fades away forever from his pathway. So we see man's work is ever with himself. People have said to me, Give treatments to change my husband or my brother. I reply, No, I will give treatments to change you. When you change, Your husband and your brother will change. One of my students was in the habit of lying. I told her it was a failure method, And if she lied, She would be lied to. She replied, I don't care. I can't possibly get along without lying. One day, She was speaking on the phone to a man with whom she was very much in love. She turned to me and said, I don't trust him. I know he's lying to me. I replied, Well, You lie yourself. So someone has to lie to you, And you will be sure it will be just the person you want the truth from. Sometime after that, I saw her, And she said, I'm cured of lying. I questioned, What cured you? She replied, I have been living with a woman who lied worse than I did. One is often cured of his faults by seeing them in others. Life is a mirror, And we find only ourselves reflected in our associates. Living in the past is a failure method and a violation of spiritual law. Jesus Christ said, Behold, Now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation. Lot's wife looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. The robbers of time are the past and the future. Man should bless the past and forget it if it keeps him in bondage, And bless the future, Knowing it has in store for him endless joys, But live fully in the now. For example, A woman came to me complaining she had no money with which to buy Christmas gifts. She said, Last year was so different. I had plenty of money and gave lovely presents, And this year I have scarcely a cent. I replied, You will never demonstrate money while you are pathetic and live in the past. Live fully in the now and get ready to give Christmas presents. Dig your ditches, And the money will come. She exclaimed, I know what to do. I will buy some tinsel twine, Christmas seals, And wrapping paper. I replied, Do that, And the presents will come and stick themselves to the Christmas seals. This, Too, Was showing financial fearlessness and faith in God, As the reasoning mind said, Keep every cent you have, As you are not sure you will get any more. She bought the seals, Paper, And twine, And a few days before Christmas received a gift of several hundred dollars. Buying the seals and twine had impressed the subconscious with expectancy and opened the way for the manifestation of the money. She purchased all the presents in plenty of time. Man must live suspended in the moment. Look well, Therefore, To this day such is the salvation of the dawn. He must be spiritually alert, Ever awaiting his leads, Taking advantage of every opportunity. One day I said continually, Silently, Infinite Spirit, Don't let me miss a trick. And something very important was told to me that evening. It is most necessary to begin the day with right words. Make an affirmation immediately upon waking. For example, Thy will be done this day. Today is a day of completion. I give thanks for this perfect day. Miracle shall follow miracle, And wonders shall never cease. Make this a habit, And one will see wonders and miracles come into his life. One morning I picked up a book and read, Look with wonder at that which is before you. It seemed to be my message for the day, So I repeated again and again, Look with wonder at that which is before you. At about noon, A large sum of money was given to me, Which I had been desiring for a certain purpose. In a following chapter, I will give affirmations that I have found most effective. However, One should never use an affirmation unless it's absolutely satisfying and convincing to his own consciousness, And often an affirmative is changed to suit different people. For example, The following has brought success to many. I have a wonderful work in a wonderful way. I give wonderful service for wonderful pay. I gave the first two lines to one of my students, And she added the last two. It made a most powerful statement, As there should always be perfect payment for perfect service, And a rhyme sinks easily into the subconscious. She went about singing it aloud, And soon did receive wonderful work in a wonderful way, And gave wonderful service for wonderful pay. Another student, A businessman, Took it and changed the word work to business. He repeated, I have a wonderful business in a wonderful way, And I give wonderful service for wonderful pay. That afternoon, He made a $41, 000 deal, Though there had been no activity in his affairs for months. Every affirmation must be carefully worded and completely cover the ground. For example, I knew a woman who was in great need and made a demand for work. She received a great deal of work but was never paid anything. She now knows to add wonderful service for wonderful pay. It's a man's divine right to have plenty more than enough. His barns should be full and his cup should flow over. This is God's idea for man and when man breaks down the barriers of lack in his own consciousness, The golden age will be his and every righteous desire of his heart fulfilled. The Game of Life and How to Play It by Florence Scovel Shin The Law of Karma and the Law of Forgiveness Man receives only that which he gives. The game of life is a game of boomerangs. Man's thoughts, Deeds, And words return to him sooner or later with astounding accuracy. This is the law of karma, Which is Sanskrit for come back. Whatsoever a man soweth, That shall he also reap. For example, A friend told me the story of herself illustrating the law. She said, I make all my karma on my aunt. Whatever I say to her, Someone says to me. I am often irritable at home, And one day said to my aunt, Who was talking to me during dinner, No more talk, I wish to eat in peace. The following day, I was lunching with a woman with whom I wished to make a great impression. I was talking animatedly when she said, No more talk, I wish to eat in peace. My friend is high in consciousness, So her karma returns much more quickly than to one on the mental plane. The more man knows, The more he is responsible for, And a person with a knowledge of spiritual law, Which he does not practice, Suffers greatly in consequence. The fear of the Lord, Or law, Is the beginning of wisdom. If we read the word Lord as law, It will make many passages in the Bible much clearer. Vengeance is mine. I will repay, Saith the Lord, Or law. It is the law which takes vengeance, Not God. God sees man perfect, Created in his own image, Imagination, And given power and dominion. This is the perfect idea of man, Registered in divine mind, Awaiting man's recognition, For man can only be what he sees himself to be, And only attain what he sees himself attaining. Nothing ever happens without an onlooker, Is an ancient saying. Man sees first his failure or success, His joy or sorrow, Before it swings into visibility from the scenes set in his own imagination. We have observed this in the mother picturing disease for her child, Or a woman seeing success for her husband. Jesus Christ said, And ye shall know the truth, And the truth shall make you free. So we see freedom from all unhappy conditions comes through knowledge, A knowledge of spiritual law. Obedience precedes authority, And the law obeys man when he obeys the law. The law of electricity must be obeyed before it becomes man's servant. When handled ignorantly, It becomes man's deadly foe. So with the laws of mind. For example, A woman with a strong personal will wished she owned a house which belonged to an acquaintance, And she often made mental pictures of herself living in the house. In the course of time, The man died, And she moved into the house. Several years afterwards, Coming into the knowledge of spiritual law, She said to me, Do you think I had anything to do with that man's death? I replied, Yes, Your desire was so strong, Everything made way for it. But you paid your karmic debt. Your husband, Whom you loved devotedly, Died soon after, And the house was a white elephant on your hands for years. The original owner, However, Could not have been affected by her thoughts had he been positive in the truth, Nor her husband, But they were both under karmic law. The woman should have said, Feeling the great desire for the house, Infinite Intelligence, Give me the right house, Equally as charming as this, The house which is mine by divine right. The divine selection would have given perfect satisfaction and brought good to all. The divine pattern is the only safe pattern to work by. Desire is a tremendous force and must be directed in the right channels, Or chaos ensues. In demonstrating the most important step is the first step, To ask a right. Man should always demand only that which is his by divine right. To go back to the illustration, Had the woman taken this attitude, If this house I desire is mine, I cannot lose it, If it is not, Give me its equivalent. The man might have decided to move out harmoniously, Had it been the divine selection for her, Or another house would have been substituted. Anything forced into manifestation through personal will is always ill-got and has ever bad success. Man is admonished, My will be done not thine. And the curious thing is, Man always gets just what he desires when he does relinquish personal will, Thereby enabling Infinite Intelligence to work through him. Stand ye still and see the salvation of the Lord. Law. For example, A woman came to me in great distress. Her daughter had determined to take a very hazardous trip, And the mother was filled with fear. She said she had used every argument, Had pointed out the dangers to be encountered, And forbidden her to go, But the daughter became more and more rebellious and determined. I said to the mother, You are forcing your personal will upon your daughter, Which you have no right to do, And your fear of the trip is only attracting it, For man attracts what he fears. I added, Let go and take your mental hands off, Put it in God's hands, And use this statement. I put this situation in the hands of infinite love and wisdom. If this trip is the divine plan, I bless it and no longer resist, But if it is not divinely planned, I give thanks that it is now dissolved and dissipated. A day or two after that, Her daughter said to her mother, Mother, I have given up the trip, And the situation returned to its native nothingness. It is learning to stand still which seems so difficult for man. I will deal more fully with this law in the chapter on nonresistance. I will give another example of sowing and reaping which came in the most curious way. A woman came to me saying she had received a counterfeit twenty-dollar bill given to her at the bank. She was much disturbed, For she said, The people at the bank will never acknowledge their mistake. I replied, Let us analyze the situation and find out why you attracted it. She thought a few moments and exclaimed, I know it. I sent a friend a lot of stage money just for a joke. So the law has sent her some stage money, For it doesn't know anything about jokes. I said, Now we will call on the law of forgiveness and neutralize the situation. Christianity is founded upon the law of forgiveness. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the karmic law, And the Christ within each man is his redeemer and salvation from all inharmonious conditions. So I said, Infinite Spirit, We call on the law of forgiveness and give thanks that she is under grace and not under law, And cannot lose this twenty dollars which is hers by divine right. Now, I said, Go back to the bank and tell them, Fearlessly, That it was given to you there by mistake. She obeyed, And to her surprise, They apologized and gave her another bill, Treating her most courteously. So knowledge of the law gives man power to rub out his mistakes. Man cannot force the external to be what he is not. If he desires riches, He must be rich first in consciousness. For example, A woman came to me asking treatment for prosperity. She did not take much interest in her household affairs, And her home was in great disorder. I said to her, If you wish to be rich, You must be orderly. All men with great wealth are orderly, And order is heaven's first law. I added, You will never become rich with a burnt match in the pincushion. She had a good sense of humor and commenced immediately putting her house in order. She rearranged furniture, Straightened out bureau drawers, Cleaned rugs, And soon made a big financial demonstration, A gift from a relative. The woman herself became made over and keeps herself keyed up financially by being ever watchful of the external and expecting prosperity, Knowing God is her supply. Many people are in ignorance of the fact that gifts and things are investments, And that hoarding and saving invariably leads to loss. There is that scattereth and yet increase, And there is that withholding more than is meat, But it tends to poverty. For example, I knew a man who wanted to buy a fur-lined overcoat. He and his wife went to various shops, But there was none he wanted. He said they were all too cheap-looking. At last he was shown one the salesman said was valued at a thousand dollars, But which the manager would sell him for five hundred dollars as it was late in the season. His financial possessions amounted to about seven hundred dollars. The reasoning mind would have said, You can't afford to spend nearly all you have on a coat. But he was very intuitive and never reasoned. He turned to his wife and said, If I get this coat, I'll make a ton of money. So his wife consented weakly. About a month later, He received a ten thousand dollar commission. The coat made him feel so rich, It linked him with success and prosperity. Without the coat, He would not have received the commission. It was an investment, Paying large dividends. If man ignores these leadings, To spend or to give, The same amount of money will go in an uninteresting or unhappy way. For example, A woman told me on Thanksgiving Day she informed her family that they could not afford a Thanksgiving dinner. She had the money, But decided to save it. A few days later, Someone entered her room and took from the bureau drawer the exact amount the dinner would have cost. The law always stands back of the man who spends fearlessly with wisdom. For example, One of my students was shopping with her little nephew. The child clamored for a toy, Which she told him she could not afford to buy. She realized suddenly that she was seeking lack and not recognizing God as her supply. So she bought the toy and on her way home picked up in the street the exact amount of money she had paid for it. Man's supply is inexhaustible and unfailing when fully trusted, But faith or trust must precede the demonstration. According to your faith, Be it unto you. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, The evidence of things not seen. For faith holds the vision steady, And the adverse pictures are dissolved and dissipated. And in due season we shall reap if we faint not. Jesus Christ brought the good news, The gospel, That there was a higher law than the law of karma and that that law transcends the law of karma. It is the law of grace or forgiveness. It is the law which frees man from the law of cause and effect, The law of consequence, Under grace and not under law. We are told that on this plain man reaps where he has not sown. The gifts of God are simply poured out upon him. All that the kingdom affords is his. This continued state of bliss awaits the man who has overcome the race, Or world, Of thought. In the world of thought there is tribulation, But Jesus Christ said, Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. The world of thought is that of sin, Sickness, And death. He saw their absolute unreality and said sickness and sorrow shall pass away, And death itself, The last enemy, Be overcome. We know now from a scientific standpoint that death could be overcome by stamping the subconscious mind with the conviction of eternal youth and eternal life. The subconscious, Being simply power without direction, Carries out orders without questioning. Working under the direction of the superconscious, The Christ or God within man, The resurrection of the body would be accomplished. Man would no longer throw off his body in death. It would be performed into the body electric, Sung by Walt Whitman, For Christianity is founded upon the forgiveness of sins and an empty tomb. The Game of Life and How to Play It by Florence Scovel Shin First published in 1925 Casting the Burden Impressing the subconscious When man knows his own powers and the workings of his mind, His great desire is to find an easy and quick way to impress the subconscious with good, For simply an intellectual knowledge of the truth will not bring results. In my own case, I found the easiest way is in casting the burden. A metaphysician once explained it in this manner. He said, The only thing which gives anything weight in nature is the law of gravitation. And if a boulder could be taken high above the planet, There would be no weight in that boulder. And that is what Jesus Christ meant when he said, My yoke is easy and my burden is light. He had overcome the world vibration and functioned in the fourth dimensional realm, Where there is only perfection, Completion, Life, And joy. He said, Come to me, All ye that labor and are heavy laden, And I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. We are also told in the many passages in the Bible state that the battle is God's, Not man's, And that man is always to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. This indicates that the superconscious mind, Or Christ within, Is the department which fights man's battle and relieves him of burdens. We see, Therefore, The man violates law if he carries a burden, And a burden is an adverse thought or condition, And this thought or condition has its root in the subconscious. It seems almost impossible to make any headway directing the subconscious from the conscious, Or reasoning mind, As the reasoning mind, The intellect, Is limited in its conceptions. And filled with doubts and fears. How scientific it then is to cast the burden upon the superconscious mind, Or Christ within, Where it is made light or dissolved into its native nothingness. For example, A woman in urgent need of money made light upon the Christ within, The superconscious, With the statement, I cast this burden of lack on the Christ within, And I go free and have plenty. The belief in lack was her burden, And as she cast it upon the superconscious with its belief of plenty, An avalanche of supply was the result. We read, The Christ in you, The hope of glory. Another example. One of my students had been given a new piano, And there was no room in her studio for it until she had moved out the old one. She was in a state of perplexity. She wanted to keep the old piano, But knew of no place to send it. She became desperate, As the new piano was to be sent immediately, In fact was on its way, With no place to put it. She said it came to her to repeat, I cast this burden on the Christ within, And I go free. A few moments later, Her phone rang, And a woman friend asked if she might rent her old piano, And it was moved out a few minutes before the new one arrived. I knew a woman whose burden was resentment. She said, I cast this burden of resentment on the Christ within, And I go free, To be loving, Harmonious, And happy. The almighty superconscious flooded the subconscious with love, And her whole life was changed. For years, Resentment had held her in a state of torment and imprisoned her soul, The subconscious mind. The statement should be made over and over and over, Sometimes for hours at a time, Silently or audibly, With quietness but determination. I have often compared it to winding up a Victrola. We must wind ourselves up with spoken words. I have noticed in casting the burden after a little while, One seems to see clearly. It is impossible to have clear vision when in the throes of the carnal mind. Doubts and fears poison the mind and body, And imagination runs riot, Attracting disease and disaster. In steadily repeating the affirmation, I cast this burden on the Christ within, And go free, The vision clears, And with it a feeling of relief, And sooner or later comes the manifestation of good, Be it health, Happiness, Or supply. One of my students once asked me to explain the darkness before the dawn. I referred, In a preceding chapter, To the fact that, Often, Before the big demonstration, Everything seems to go wrong, And deep depression clouds the consciousness. It means that out of the subconscious are rising the doubts and fears of the ages. These old derelicts of the subconscious rise, To the surface, To be put out. It is then that man should clap his cymbals, Like Jehoshaphat, And give thanks that he is saved, Even though he seems surrounded by the enemy, The situation of lack or disease. The student continued, How long must one remain in the dark? And I replied, Until one can see in the dark. And casting the burden enables one to see in the dark. In order to impress the subconscious, Active faith is always essential. Faith without works is dead. In these chapters, I have endeavored to bring out this point. Jesus Christ showed active faith when he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground, Before he gave thanks for the loaves and the fishes. I will give another example showing how necessary this step is. In fact, Active faith is the bridge over which man passes to his promised land. Through misunderstanding, A woman had been separated from her husband, Whom she loved deeply. He refused all offers of reconciliation and would not communicate with her in any way. Coming into the knowledge of spiritual law, She denied the appearance of separation. She made this statement, There is no separation in divine mind. Therefore, I cannot be separated from the love and companionship which are mine by divine right. She showed active faith by arranging a place for him at the table every day, Thereby impressing the subconscious with a picture of his return. Over a year passed, But she never wavered, And one day he walked in. The subconscious is often impressed through music. Music has a fourth-dimensional quality and releases the soul from imprisonment. It makes wonderful things seem possible and easy of accomplishment. I have a friend who uses her victrola daily for this purpose. It puts her in a perfect harmony and releases the imagination. Another woman often dances while making her affirmations. The rhythm and harmony of music in motion carry her words forth with tremendous power. The student must remember also not to despise the day of small things. Invariably, Before a demonstration comes signs of land. Before Columbus reached America, He saw birds and twigs which showed him land was near. So it is with a demonstration. But often the student mistakes it for the demonstration itself and is disappointed. For example, A woman had spoken the word for a set of dishes. Not long afterwards, A friend gave her a dish which was old and cracked. She came to me and said, While I asked for a set of dishes and all I got was a cracked plate. I replied, The plate was only signs of land. It shows your dishes are coming. Look upon it as birds and seaweed. And not long afterwards, The dishes came. Continually making believe impresses the subconscious. If one makes believe he is rich and makes believe he is successful, In due time he will reap. Children are always making believe. And except ye be converted and become as little children, Ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. For example, I know of a woman who was very poor, But no one can make her feel poor. She earned a small amount of money from rich friends who constantly reminded her of her poverty. Regardless of their admonitions, She would spend all her earnings on a hat or make someone a gift and be in a rapturous state of mind. Her thoughts were always centered on beautiful clothes and rings and things, But without envying others. She lived in the world of the wondrous, And only riches seemed real to her. Before long she married a rich man, And the rings and things became visible. I do not know whether the man was the divine selection, But opulence had to manifest in her life, As she had imagined only opulence. There is no peace or happiness for man until he has erased all fear from the subconscious. Fear is misdirected energy and must be redirected or transmuted into faith. Jesus Christ said, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? All things are possible to him that believeth. I am asked so often by my students, How can I get rid of fear? I reply, By walking up to the thing you are afraid of. The lion takes its fierceness from your fear. Walk up to the lion, And he will disappear. Run away, And he runs after you. I have shown in previous chapters how the lion of lack disappeared when the individual spent money fearlessly, Showing faith that God was his supply and therefore unfailing. Many of my students have come out of the bondage of poverty and are now bountifully supplied. Through losing all fear of letting money go out, The subconscious is impressed with the truth that God is the giver and the gift. Therefore, As one is one with the giver, He is one with the gift. A splendid statement is, I now thank God, The giver, For God, The gift. Man has so long separated himself from his good and his supply, Through thoughts of separation and lack, That sometimes it takes dynamite to dislodge those false ideas from the subconscious, And the dynamite is a big situation. We see in the foregoing illustration how the individual was freed from his bondage by showing fearlessness. Man should watch himself hourly to detect if his motive for action is fear or faith. Choose ye this day whom we shall serve, Fear or faith. Perhaps one's fear is of personality, Then do not avoid the people feared. Be willing to meet them cheerfully, And they will either prove golden links in the chain of one's good or disappear harmoniously from one's pathway. Perhaps one's fear is of disease or germs, Then one should be fearless and undisturbed in a germ-laden situation, And he would be immune. One can only contract germs while vibrating at the same rate as the germ, And fear drags man down to the level of the germ. Of course, The disease-laden germ is the product of the carnal mind, As all thought must objectify. Germs do not exist in the superconscious or divine mind, Therefore are the product of man's vain imagination. In the twinkling of an eye, Man's release will come when he realizes there is no power in evil. The material world will fade away, And the fourth-dimensional world, The world of the wondrous, Will swing into manifestation. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, And there shall be no more death, Neither sorrow nor crying, Neither shall there be any more pain, For the former things are passed away. The Game of Life and How to Play It by Florence Scovel Shinn. First published in 1925. Love Every man on this planet is taking his initiation in love. A new commandment, I give unto you that ye love one another. Ouspensky states in Tertium Organum that love is a cosmic phenomenon, And opens to man the fourth-dimensional world, The world of the wondrous. Real love is selfless and free from fear. It pours itself out upon the object of its affection without demanding any in return. Its joy is in the joy of giving. Love is God in manifestation, And the strongest magnetic force in the universe. Pure, Unselfish love draws to itself its own, And it does not need to seek or demand. Scarcely anyone has the faintest conception of real love. Man is selfish, Tyrannical, Or fearful in his affections, Thereby losing the thing he loves. Jealousy is the worst enemy of love, For the imagination runs riot, Seeing the loved one attracted to another, And invariably these fears objectify if they are not neutralized. For example, A woman came to me in deep distress. The man she loved had left her for other women, And said he never intended to marry her. She was torn with jealousy and resentment, And said she hoped he would suffer as he had made her suffer, And added, How could he leave me when I loved him so much? I replied, You are not loving that man, You are hating him, And added, You can never receive what you have never given. Give a perfect love, And you will receive a perfect love. Perfect yourself on this man, Give him a perfect, Unselfish love, Demanding nothing in return. Do not criticize or condemn, And bless him wherever he is. She replied, No, I won't bless him unless I know where he is. Well, I said, That is not real love. When you send out real love, Real love will return to you, Either from this man or his equivalent, For if this man is not the divine selection, You will not want him. As you are one with God, You are one with the love which belongs to you by divine right. Several months passed, And matters remained about the same, But she was working conscientiously with herself. I said, When you are no longer disturbed by his cruelty, He will cease to be cruel, As you are attracting it through your own emotions. I said, Brotherhoods in India who never said good morning to each other, They used these words, I salute the divinity in you. They saluted the divinity in every man and in the wild animals in the jungle, And they were never harmed, For they saw only God in every living thing. I said, Salute the divinity in this man, And say, I see your divine self only, I see you as God sees you, Perfect, Made in his image and likeness. She found she was becoming more poised, And gradually losing her resentment. He was a captain, And she always called him the cap. One day she said suddenly, God bless the cap, Wherever he is. I replied, Now that is real love, And when you have become a complete circle and are no longer disturbed by the situation, You will have his love or attract its equivalent. I was moving at this time, And did not have a telephone, So was out of touch with her for a few weeks, When one morning I received a letter saying, We are married. At the earliest opportunity I paid her a call. My first words were, What happened? Oh, She exclaimed, A miracle. One day I woke up, And all suffering had ceased. I saw him that evening, And he asked me to marry him. We were married in about a week, And I have never seen a more devoted man. There is an old saying, No man is your enemy, No man is your friend, Every man is your teacher. So one should become impersonal and learn what each man has to teach him, And soon he would learn his lessons and be free. The woman's lover was teaching her selfless love, Which every man, Sooner or later, Must learn. Suffering is not necessary for man's development, It is the result of violation of spiritual law, But few people seem able to rouse themselves from their soul sleep without it. When people are happy, They usually become selfish, And automatically the law of karma is set in motion. Man often suffers loss through lack of appreciation. I knew a woman who had a very nice husband, But she said often, I don't care anything about being married, But that is nothing against my husband, I'm simply not interested in married life. She had other interests, And scarcely remembered she had a husband. She only thought of him when she saw him. One day, Her husband told her he was in love with another woman, And left. She came to me in distress and resentment. I replied, It's exactly what you spoke the word for. You said you didn't care anything about being married, So the subconscious worked to get you unmarried. She said, Oh yes, I see. People get what they want, And then feel very much hurt. She soon became in perfect harmony with the situation, And knew they were both much happier apart. When a woman becomes indifferent or critical, And ceases to be an inspiration to her husband, He misses the stimulus of their early relationship, And is restless and unhappy. A man came to me dejected, Miserable, And poor. His wife was interested in the science of numbers, And had had him read. It seems the report was not very favorable, For he said, My wife says I'll never amount to anything because I'm a two. I replied, I don't care what your number is. You are a perfect idea in divine mind, And we will demand the success and prosperity which are already planned for you by that infinite intelligence. Within a few weeks, He had a very fine position, And a year or two later, He achieved a brilliant success as a writer. No man is a success in business unless he loves his work. The picture the artist paints for love of his art is his greatest work. The potboiler is always something to live down. No man can attract money if he despises it. Many people are kept in poverty by saying, Money means nothing to me, And I have a contempt for people who have it. This is the reason so many artists are poor. Their contempt for money separates them from it. I remember hearing one artist say of another, He's no good as an artist. He has money in the bank. This attitude of mind, Of course, Separates man from his supply. He must be in harmony with a in order to attract it. Money is God in manifestation, As freedom from want and limitation, But it must be always kept in circulation and put to right uses. Hoarding and saving react with grim vengeance. This does not mean that man should not have houses and lots, Stocks and bonds, For the barns of the righteous man shall be full. It means man should not hoard even the principal, If an occasion arises when money is necessary. In letting it go out fearlessly and cheerfully, He opens the way for more to come in, For God is man's unfailing and exhaustible supply. This is the spiritual attitude toward money, And the great bank of the universe never fails. We see an example of hoarding in the film production of Greed. The woman won five thousand dollars in a lottery but would not spend it. She hoarded and saved, Let her husband suffer and starve, And eventually she scrubbed floors for a living. She loved the money itself and put it above everything, And one night she was murdered and the money taken from her. This is an example of where love of money is the root of all evil. Money in itself is good and beneficial, But used for destructive purposes, Hoarded and saved, Or considered more important than love, Brings disease and disaster and the loss of the money itself. Follow the path of love and all things are added, For God is love and God is supply. Follow the path of selfishness and greed and the supply vanishes or man is separated from it. For example, I knew the case of a very rich woman who hoarded her income. She rarely gave away anything but bought and bought and bought things for herself. She was very fond of necklaces and a friend once asked her how many she possessed. She replied, Sixty-seven. She bought them and put them away, Carefully wrapped in tissue paper. Had she used the necklaces, It would have been quite legitimate, But she was violating the law of use. Her closets were filled with clothes she never wore and jewels which never saw the light. The woman's arms were gradually becoming paralyzed from holding on to things, And eventually she was considered incapable of looking after her affairs, And her wealth was handed over to others to manage. So man, In ignorance of the law, Brings about his own destruction. All disease, All unhappiness comes from the violation of the law of love. Man's boomerangs of hate, Resentment, And criticism come back laden with sickness and sorrow. Love seems almost a lost art, But the man with the knowledge of spiritual law knows it must be regained, For without it, He has become as sounding brass and tinkling cymbals. For example, I had a student who came to me month after month to clean her consciousness of resentment. After a while, She arrived at the point where she resented only one woman, But that one woman kept her busy. Little by little, She became poised and harmonious, And one day, All resentment was wiped out. She came in radiant and exclaimed, You can't understand how I feel. The woman said something to me, And instead of being furious, I was loving and kind, And she apologized and was perfectly lovely to me. No one can understand the marvelous lightness I feel within. Love and goodwill are invaluable in business. For example, A woman came to me complaining of her employer. She said she was cold and critical, And knew she did not want her in the position. Well, I replied, Salute the divinity in the woman and send her love. She said, I can't. She's a marble woman. I answered, You remember the story of the sculptor who asked for a certain piece of marble? He was asked why he wanted it, And he replied, Because there is an angel in the marble. And out of it he produced a wonderful work of art. She said, Very well, I'll try it. A week later, She came back and said, I did what you told me to, And now the woman is very kind and took me out in her car. People are sometimes filled with remorse for having done someone an unkindness, Perhaps years ago. If the wrong cannot be righted, Its effect can be neutralized by doing someone a kindness in the present. This one thing I do, Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before. Sorrow, Regret, And remorse tear down the cells of the body and poison the atmosphere of the individual. A woman said to me in deep sorrow, Treat me to be happy and joyous, For my sorrow makes me so irritable with the members of my family that I keep making more karma. I was asked to treat a woman who was mourning for her daughter. I denied all belief in loss and separation and affirmed that God was the woman's joy, Love, And peace. The woman gained her poise at once, But sent word by her son not to treat any longer because she was so happy it wasn't respectable. So mortal mind loves to hang on to its griefs and regrets. I knew a woman who went about bragging of her troubles, So of course she always had something to brag about. The old idea was if a woman did not worry about her children, She was not a good mother. Now we know that mother fear is responsible for many of the diseases and accidents which come into the lives of children. For fear pictures vividly the disease or situation feared, And these pictures objectify, If not neutralized. Happy is the mother who can say sincerely that she puts her child in God's hands and knows, Therefore, That he is divinely protected. For example, A woman awoke suddenly in the night feeling her brother was in great danger. Instead of giving in to her fears, She commenced making statements of truth, Saying, Man is a perfect idea in divine mind and is always in his right place. Therefore, My brother is in his right place and is divinely protected. The next day she found that her brother had been in close proximity to an explosion in a mine, But had miraculously escaped. So man is his brother's keeper in thought, And every man should know that the thing he loves dwells in the secret place of the Most High and abides under the shadow of the Almighty. There shall no evil befall thee, Neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. Perfect love casteth out fear. He that feareth is not made perfect in love, And love is the fulfilling of the law. The Game of Life and How to Play It by Florence Scovel Shinn First published in 1925 Intuition or Guidance In all thy ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct thy paths. There is nothing too great of accomplishment for the man who knows the power of his word and who follows his intuitive leads. By the word he starts in action, Unseen forces, And can rebuild his body or remould his affairs. It is therefore of the utmost importance to choose the right words, And the student carefully selects the affirmation he wishes to catapult into the invisible. He knows that God is his supply, That there is a supply for every demand, And that His spoken word releases this supply. Ask, And ye shall receive. Man must make the first move. Draw nigh to God, And He will draw nigh to you. I have often been asked just how to make a demonstration. I reply, Speak the word, And then do not do anything until you get a definite lead. Demand the lead, Saying, Infinite Spirit, Reveal to me the way. Let me know if there is anything for me to do. The answer will come through intuition, Or hunch, A chance remark from someone, Or a passage in a book, Etc. , Etc. The answers are sometimes quite startling in their exactness. For example, A woman desired a large sum of money. She spoke the words, Infinite Spirit, Open the way for my immediate supply. Let all that is mine by divine right now reach me in great avalanches of abundance. Then she added, Give me a definite lead. Let me know if there is anything for me to do. The thought came quickly. Give a certain friend, Who had helped her spiritually, One hundred dollars. She told her friend who said, Wait and get another lead before giving it. So she waited, And that day met a woman who said to her, I gave someone a dollar today. It was just as much for me as it would be for you to give someone a hundred. This was indeed an unmistakable lead, So she knew she was right in giving the hundred dollars. It was a gift which proved a great investment, For shortly after that a large sum of money came to her in a remarkable way. Giving opens the way for receiving. In order to create activity in finances, One should give. Tithing, Or giving one-tenth of one's income, Is an old Jewish custom and is sure to bring increase. Many of the richest men in this country have been tithers, And I have never known it to fail as an investment. The tenth part goes forth and returns blessed and multiplied, But the gift, Or tithe, Must be given with love and cheerfulness, For God loveth a cheerful giver. Bills should be paid cheerfully, All money should be sent forth fearlessly and with a blessing. This attitude of mind makes man master of money. It is his to obey, And his spoken word then opens vast reservoirs of wealth. Man himself limits his supply by limited vision. Sometimes a student has a great realization of wealth, But is afraid to act. The vision and action must go hand in hand. A woman came to me asking me to speak the word for a position. So I demanded, Infinite Spirit, Open the way for this woman's right position. Never ask for just a position, Ask for the right position. The place already planned in divine mind as it is the only one that will give satisfaction. I then gave thanks that she had already received and that it would manifest quickly. Very soon she had three positions offered her, Two in New York and one in Palm Beach, And she did not know which to choose. I said, Ask for a definite lead. The time was almost up and was still undecided when one day she telephoned. When I woke up this morning, I could smell Palm Beach. She had been there before and knew its balmy fragrance. I said, Well, If you can smell Palm Beach from here, It is certainly your lead. She accepted the position and it proved a great success. Often one's lead comes at an unexpected time. One day I was walking down the street when I suddenly felt a strong urge to go to a certain bakery a block or two away. The reasoning mind resisted, Arguing, There is nothing there that you want. However, I had learned not to reason, So I went to the bakery, Looked at everything, And there was certainly nothing there that I wanted. But coming out, I encountered a woman I had thought of often and who was in great need of the help which I could give her. So often one goes for one thing and finds another. Intuition is a spiritual faculty and does not explain, But simply points the way. A person often receives a lead during a treatment. The idea that comes may seem quite irrelevant, But some of God's leadings are mysterious. In the class one day, I was treating that each individual would receive a definite lead. A woman came to me afterwards and said, While you were treating, I got the hunch to take my furniture out of storage and get an apartment. That woman had come to be treated for health. I told her I knew in getting a home of her own, Her health would improve. And I added, I believe your trouble, Which is a congestion, Had come from having things stored away. Congestion of things causes congestion in the body. You have violated the law of use, And your body is paying the penalty. So I gave thanks that divine order was established in her mind, Body, And affairs. People little dream of how their affairs react on their body. There is a mental correspondence for every disease. A person might receive instantaneous healing through the realization of his body being a perfect idea in divine mind, And therefore, Whole and perfect. But if he continues his destructive thinking, Hoarding, Hating, Fearing, Condemning, The disease will return. Jesus Christ knew that all sickness came from sin, But admonished the leper after the healing to go and sin no more, Lest a worse thing came upon him. So man's soul, Or subconscious mind, Must be washed whiter than snow for permanent healing, And the metaphysician is always delving deep for the correspondence. Jesus Christ said, Condemn not, Lest ye also be condemned. Judge not, Lest ye be judged. Many people have attracted disease and unhappiness through condemnation of others. What man condemns in others, He attracts to himself. For example, A friend came to me in anger and distress because her husband had deserted her for another woman. She condemned the other woman and said continually, She knew he was a married man and had no right to accept his attentions. I replied, Stop condemning the woman, Bless her, And be through with the situation. Otherwise, You are attracting the same thing to yourself. She was deaf to my words, And a year or two later became deeply interested in a married man herself. Man picks up a live wire whenever he criticizes or condemns, And may expect a shock. Indecision is a stumbling block in many a pathway. In order to overcome it, Make the statement repeatedly, I am always under direct inspiration. I make right decisions quickly. These words impress the subconscious, And soon one finds himself awake and alert, Making his right moves without hesitation. I have found it destructive to look to the psychic plane for guidance, As it is the plane of many minds and not the one mind. As man opens his mind to subjectivity, He becomes a target for destructive forces. The psychic plane is the result of man's mortal thought, And is on the plane of opposites. He may receive either good or bad messages. The science of numbers and the reading of horoscopes keep man down on the mental or mortal plane, For they deal only with the karmic path. I know of a man who should have been dead years ago, According to his horoscope, But he is alive and a leader of one of the biggest movements in this country for the uplift of humanity. It takes a very strong mind to neutralize a prophecy of evil. The student should declare, Every false prophecy shall come to naught. Every plan my father in heaven has not planned shall be dissolved and dissipated. The divine idea now comes to pass. However, If any good message has ever been given one of coming happiness or wealth, Harbor and expect it, And it will manifest sooner or later through the law of expectancy. Man's will should be used to back the universal will. I will that the will of God be done. It is God's will to give every man every righteous desire of his heart, And man's will should be used to hold the perfect vision without wavering. The prodigal son said, I will arise and go to my father. It is indeed often an effort of the will to leave the husks and swine of mortal thinking. It is so much easier for the average person to have fear than faith, So faith is an effort of the will. As man becomes spiritually awakened, He recognizes that an external inharmony is the correspondence of mental inharmony. If he stumbles or falls, He may know he is stumbling or falling in consciousness. One day a student was walking along the street condemning someone in her thoughts. She was saying mentally, That woman is the most disagreeable woman on earth. When suddenly three Boy Scouts rushed around the corner and almost knocked her over. She did not condemn the Boy Scouts, But immediately called on the law of forgiveness and saluted the divinity in the woman. Wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace. When one has made his demands upon the universal, He must be ready for surprises. Everything may seem to be going wrong, When in reality it is going right. For example, A woman was told that there was no loss in divine mind, Therefore she could not lose anything which belonged to her. Anything lost would be returned, Or she would receive its equivalent. Several years previously, She had lost two thousand dollars. She had loaned the money to a relative during her lifetime, But the relative had died, Leaving no mention of it in her will. The woman was resentful and angry, And as she had no written statement of the transaction, She never received the money, So she determined to deny the loss and collect the two thousand dollars from the bank of the universal. She had to begin by forgiving the woman, As resentment and unforgiveness closed the doors of this wonderful bank. She made this statement, I deny loss, There is no loss in divine mind, Therefore I cannot lose the two thousand dollars which belong to me by divine right. As one door shuts, Another door opens. She was living in an apartment house which was for sale, And in the lease was a clause stating that if the house was sold, The tenants would be required to move out within ninety days. Suddenly, The landlord broke the leases and raised the rent. Again, Injustice was on her pathway, But this time she was undisturbed. She blessed the landlord and said, As the rent has been raised, It means that I'll be that much richer, For God is my supply. New leases were made out for the advanced rent, But by some divine mistake, The ninety days clause had been forgotten. Soon after, The landlord had an opportunity to sell the house. On account of the mistake in the new leases, The tenants had possession for another year. The agent offered each tenant two hundred dollars if he would vacate. Several families moved, Three remained, Including the woman. A month or two passed, And the agent again appeared. This time he said to the woman, Will you break your lease for the sum of fifteen hundred dollars? It flashed upon her, Here comes the two thousand dollars. She remembered having said to friends in the house, We will all act together if anything more is said about leaving. So her lead was to consult her friends. These friends said, Well, If they have offered you fifteen hundred, They will certainly give two thousand. So she received a check for two thousand dollars for giving up the apartment. It was certainly a remarkable working of the law, And the apparent injustice was merely opening the way for her demonstration. It proved that there is no loss, And when man takes his spiritual stand, He collects all that is his from this great reservoir of good. I will restore to you the years the locusts have eaten. The locusts are the doubts, Fears, Resentments, And regrets of mortal thinking. These adverse thoughts alone rob man, For no man gives to himself but himself, And no man takes away from himself but himself. Man is here to prove God and to bear witness to the truth, And he can only prove God by bringing plenty out of lack, And justice out of injustice. Prove me now herewith, Saith the Lord of hosts, If I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing, That there shall not be room enough to receive it. The Game of Life and How to Play It by Florence Scovel Shin Perfect Self-Expression, Or the Divine Design No wind can drive my bark astray, Nor change the tide of destiny. There is for each man perfect self-expression. There is a place which he is to fill, And no one else can fill. Something which he is to do, Which no one else can do. It is his destiny. This achievement is held, A perfect idea in divine mind, Awaiting man's recognition, As the imaging faculty is the creative faculty. It is necessary for man to see the idea before it can manifest. So man's highest demand is for the divine design of his life. He may not have the faintest conception of what it is, For there is possibly some marvelous talent hidden deep within him. His demand should be, Infinite Spirit, Open the way for the divine design of my life to manifest. Let the genius within me now be released. First, Let me see clearly the perfect plan. The perfect plan includes health, Wealth, Love, And perfect self-expression. This is the square of life which brings perfect happiness. When one has made this demand, He may find great changes taking place in his life, For nearly every man has wandered far from the divine design. I know in one woman's case it was as though a cyclone had struck her affairs, But readjustments came quickly, And new and wonderful conditions took the place of old ones. Perfect self-expression will never be labor, But of such absorbing interest that it will seem almost like play. The student knows, Also, As man comes into the world financed by God, The supply needed for his perfect self-expression will be at hand. Many a genius has struggled for years with the problem of supply, When his spoken word and faith would have released quickly the necessary funds. For example, After the class one day, A man came to me and handed me a cent. He said, I have just seven cents in the world, And I'm going to give you one, For I have faith in the power of your spoken word. I want you to speak the word for my perfect self-expression and prosperity. I spoke the word and did not see him again until a year later. He came in one day, Successful and happy, With a roll of yellow bills in his pocket. He said, Immediately after you spoke the word, I had a position offered me in a distant city, And I'm now demonstrating health, Happiness, And supply. A woman's perfect self-expression may be in becoming a perfect wife, A perfect mother, A perfect homemaker, And, Not necessarily, In having a public career. Demand definite leads, And the way will be made easy and successful. One should not visualize or force a mental picture. When he demands the divine design to come into his conscious mind, He will receive flashes of inspiration and begin to see himself making some great accomplishment. This is the picture or idea he must hold without wavering. The thing man seeks is seeking him. The telephone was seeking Bell. Parents should never force careers and professions upon their children. With a knowledge of spiritual truth, The divine plan could be spoken for early in childhood or prenatally. A prenatal treatment should be, Let the God in this child have perfect expression. Let the divine design of his mind, Body, And affairs be made manifest throughout his life, Throughout eternity. God's will-be-done, Not man's, God's pattern, Not man's pattern, Is the command we find running through all the scriptures, And the Bible is a book dealing with the science of the mind. It is a book telling man how to release his soul, Or subconscious mind, From bondage. Battles described are pictures of man waging war against mortal thoughts. A man's foes shall be they of his own household. Every man is Jehoshaphat, And every man is David, Who slays Goliath, Mortal thinking, With the little white stone, Faith. So man must be careful that he is not the wicked and slothful servant who buried his talent. There is a terrible penalty to be paid for not using one's ability. Often fear stands between man and his perfect self-expression. Stage fright has hampered many a genius. This may be overcome by the spoken word or treatment. The individual then loses all self-consciousness and feels simply that he is a channel for infinite intelligence to express itself through. He is under direct inspiration, Fearless and confident, For he feels that it is the Father within him who does the work. A young boy came often to my class with his mother. He asked me to speak the word for his coming examinations at school. I told him to make the statement, I am one with infinite intelligence, I know everything I should know on this subject. He had an excellent knowledge of history, But was not sure of his arithmetic. I saw him afterwards and he said, I spoke the word for my arithmetic and passed with the highest honors, But thought I could depend on myself for history and got a very poor mark. Man often receives a setback when he is too sure of himself, Which means he is trusting to his personality and not the Father within. Another one of my students gave me an example of this. She took an extended trip abroad one summer, Visiting many countries, Where she was ignorant of the languages. She was calling for guidance and protection every minute, And her affairs went smoothly and miraculously. Her luggage was never delayed or lost. Accommodations were always ready for her at the best hotels, And she had perfect service wherever she went. She returned to New York, Knowing the language. She returned to New York. Knowing the language, She felt God was no longer necessary, So looked after her affairs in an ordinary manner. Everything went wrong. Her trunks delayed amid inharmony and confusion. The student must form the habit of practicing the presence of God every minute. In all thy ways acknowledge Him. Nothing is too small or too great. Sometimes an insignificant incident may be the turning point in a man's life. Robert Fulton, Watching some boiling water simmering in a tea kettle, Saw a steamboat. I have seen a student often keep back his demonstration through resistance or pointing the way. He pins his faith to one channel only and dictates just the way he desires the manifestation to come, Which brings things to a standstill. My way, Not your way, Is the command of infinite intelligence. Like all power, Be it steam or electricity, It must have a non-resistant engine or instrument to work through, And man is that engine or instrument. Over and over again, Man is told to stand still. O Judah, Fear not, But tomorrow go out against them, For the Lord will be with you. You shall not need to fight this battle. Set yourselves, Stand ye still, And see the salvation of the Lord with you. We see this in the incidents of the two thousand dollars coming to the woman through the landlord when she became non-resistant and undisturbed, And the woman who won the man's love after all suffering had ceased. The student's goal is poise. Poise is power, For it gives God-power a chance to rush through man, To will and to do its good pleasure. Poised, He thinks clearly and makes right decisions quickly. He never misses a trick. Anger blurs the visions, Poisons the blood, Is the root of many diseases, And causes wrong decision leading to failure. It has been named one of the worst sins, As its reaction is so harmful. The student learns that in metaphysics sin has a much broader meaning than in the old teaching. Whatsoever is not of faith is sin. He finds that fear and worry are deadly sins. They are inverted faith and through distorted mental pictures bring to pass the thing he fears. His work is to drive out these enemies from the subconscious mind. And when man is fearless, He is finished. Mater Link says that man is God-afraid. So as we read in the previous chapters, Man can only vanquish fear by walking up to the thing he is afraid of. When Jehoshaphat and his army prepared to meet the enemy, Singing, Praise the Lord for His mercy endureth forever, They found their enemies had destroyed each other, And there was nothing to fight. For example, A woman asked a friend to deliver a message to another friend. The woman feared to give the message, As the reasoning mind said, Don't get mixed up in this affair. Don't give that message. She was troubled in spirit, For she had given her promise. At last, She determined to walk up to the lion and call on the law of divine protection. She met the friend to whom she was to deliver the message. She opened her mouth to speak when her friend said, So-and-so has left town. This made it unnecessary to give the message, As the situation depended upon the person being in town. As she was willing to do it, She was not obliged to. As she did not fear, The situation vanished. The student often delays his demonstration through a belief in incompletion. He should make this statement. In divine mind, There is only completion, Therefore, My demonstration is completed. My perfect work, My perfect home, My perfect health. Whatever he demands are perfect ideas registered in divine mind and must manifest under grace in a perfect way. He gives thanks he has already received on the invisible and makes active preparation for receiving on the visible. One of my students was in need of a financial demonstration. She came to me and asked why it was not completed. I replied, Perhaps you are in the habit of leaving things unfinished, And the subconscious has gotten into the habit of not completing. As the without, So the within. She said, You are right. I often begin things and never finish them. I'll go home and finish something I commenced weeks ago, And I know it will be symbolic of my demonstration. So she sowed assiduously, And the article was soon completed. Shortly after, The money came in a most curious manner. Her husband was paid his salary twice that month. He told the people of their mistake, And they sent word to keep it. When man asks, Believing he must receive, For God creates his own channels. I have been sometimes asked, Suppose one has several talents, How is he to know which one to choose? Demand to be shown definitely. Say, Infinite Spirit, Give me a definite lead. Reveal to me my perfect self-expression. Show me which talent I am to make use of now. I have known people to suddenly enter a new line of work and be fully equipped with little or no training. So make the statement, I am fully equipped for the divine plan of my life, And be fearless in grasping opportunities. Some people are cheerful givers, But bad receivers. They refuse gifts through pride or some negative reason, Thereby blocking their channels and invariably find themselves eventually with little or nothing. For example, A woman who had given away a great deal of money had a gift offered her of several thousand dollars. She refused to take it, Saying she did not need it. Shortly after that, Her finances were tied up, And she found herself in debt for that amount. Man should receive gracefully the bread returning to him upon the water. Freely ye have given, Freely ye shall receive. There is always the perfect balance of giving and receiving, And though man should give without thinking of returns, He violates law if he does not accept the returns which come to him, For all gifts are from God, Man being merely the channel. A thought of lack should never be held over the giver. For example, When the man gave me the one cent, I did not say, Poor man, He cannot afford to give me that. I saw him rich and prosperous, With his supply pouring in. It was this thought which brought it. If one has been a bad receiver, He must become a good one and take even a postage stamp, If it is given him, And open up his channels for receiving. The Lord loveth a cheerful receiver as well as a cheerful giver. I have often been asked why one man is born rich and healthy and another poor and sick. Where there is an effect, There is always a cause. There is no such thing as chance. This question is answered through the law of reincarnation. Man goes through many births and deaths until he knows the truth which sets him free. He is drawn back to the earth plane through unsatisfied desire to pay his karmic debts or to fulfill his destiny. The man born rich and healthy has had pictures in his subconscious mind, In his past life of health and riches, And the poor and sick man of disease and poverty. Man manifests, On any plane, The sum total of his subconscious beliefs. However, Birth and death are man-made laws, For the wages of sin is death, The Adamic fall in consciousness through the belief of two powers. The real man, Spiritual man, Is birthless and deathless. He never was born and has never died. As he was in the beginning, He is now and ever shall be. So through the truth, Man is set free from the law of karma, Sin and death and manifests the man-made in his image and likeness. Man's freedom comes through fulfilling his destiny, Bringing into manifestation the divine design of his life. His Lord will say unto him, Well done, Thou good and faithful servant! Thou hast been faithful over a few things. I will make thee ruler over many things, Death itself. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord, Eternal life. The Game of Life and How to Play It by Florence Scovel Shinn Denials and Affirmations Thou shalt also decree a thing, And it shall be established unto thee. All the good that is to be made manifest in man's life is already an accomplished fact in divine mind and is released through man's recognition or spoken word, So he must be careful to decree that only the divine idea be made manifest, For often he decrees through his idle words, Failure or misfortune. It is therefore of the utmost importance to word one's demands correctly as stated in a previous chapter. If one desires a home, Friend, Position or any other good thing, Make the demand for the divine selection. For example, Infinite Spirit, Open the way for my right home, My right friend, My right position. I give thanks, It now manifests under grace in a perfect way. The latter part of the statement is most important. For example, I knew a woman who demanded a thousand dollars. Her daughter was injured and they received a thousand dollars indemnity so it did not come in a perfect way. The demand should have been worded in this way. Infinite Spirit, I give thanks that the one thousand dollars which is mine by divine right is now released and reaches me under grace in a perfect way. As one grows in a financial consciousness, He should demand that the enormous sums of money which are his by divine right reach him under grace in perfect ways. It is impossible for man to release more than he thinks is possible for one is bound by the limited expectancies of the subconscious. He must enlarge his expectancies in order to receive in a larger way. Man so often limits himself in his demands. For example, A student made the demand for six hundred dollars by a certain date. He did receive it but heard afterwards that he came very near receiving a thousand dollars but he was given just six hundred as the result of his spoken word. They limited the Holy One of Israel. Wealth is a matter of consciousness. The French have a legend giving an example of this. A poor man was walking along a road when he met a traveler who stopped him and said, My good friend, I see you are poor. Take this gold nugget, Sell it, And you will be rich all your days. The man was overjoyed at his good fortune and took the nugget home. He immediately found work and became so prosperous that he did not sell the nugget. Years passed and he became a very rich man. One day he met a poor man on the road. He stopped him and said, My good friend, I will give you this gold nugget, Which, If you sell, Will make you rich for life. The medicant took the nugget, Had it valued, And found it was only brass. So we see, The first man became rich through feeling rich, Thinking the nugget was gold. Every man has within him a gold nugget. It is his consciousness of gold, Of opulence, Which brings riches into his life. In making his demands, Man begins at his journey's end, That is, He declares he has already received. Before ye call, I shall answer. Continually affirming establishes the belief in the subconscious. It would not be necessary to make an affirmation more than once if one had perfect faith. One should not plead or supplicate, But give thanks repeatedly that he has received. The desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. This rejoicing, Which is yet in the desert, State of consciousness, Opens the way for release. The Lord's Prayer is in the form of command and demand. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, And ends in praise, For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Concerning the works of my hands, Command ye me. So prayers command and demand, Praise and thanksgiving. The student's work is in making himself believe that, With God, All things are possible. This is easy enough to state in the abstract, But a little more difficult when confronted with a problem. For example, It was necessary for a woman to demonstrate a large sum of money within a stated time. She knew she must do something to get a realization, For realization is manifestation, And she demanded a lead. She was walking through a department store when she saw a very beautiful pink enamel paper cutter. She felt the pull towards it. The thought came, I haven't a paper cutter good enough to open letters containing large checks. So she bought the paper cutter, Which the reasoning mind would have called an extravagance. When she held it in her hand, She had a flash of a picture of herself opening an envelope containing a large check, And in a few weeks she received the money. The pink paper cutter was her bridge of active faith. Many stories are told of the power of the subconscious when directed in faith. For example, A man was spending the night in a farmhouse. The windows of the room had been nailed down, And in the middle of the night he felt suffocated and made his way in the dark to the window. He could not open it, So he smashed the pane with his fist, Drew in draughts of fine fresh air, And had a wonderful night's sleep. The next morning he found he had smashed the glass of a bookcase, And the window had remained closed during the whole night. He had supplied himself with oxygen simply by his thought of oxygen. When a student starts out to demonstrate, He should never turn back. Let not the man who wavers think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A student once made this wonderful statement, When I ask the Father for anything, I put my foot down, And I say, Father, I'll take nothing less than I've asked for, But more. So man should never compromise, Having done all, Stand. This is sometimes the most difficult time of demonstrating. The temptation comes to give up, To turn back, To compromise. He also serves who only stands and waits. Demonstrations often come at the eleventh hour, Because man then lets go, That is, Stops reasoning, And infinite intelligence has a chance to work. Man's dreary desires are answered drearily, And his impatient desires long delayed or violently fulfilled. For example, A woman asked me why it was she was constantly losing or breaking her glasses. We found she often said to herself and others with vexation, Oh, I wish I could get rid of my glasses. So her impatient desire was violently fulfilled. What she should have demanded was perfect eyesight, But what she registered in the subconscious was simply the impatient desire to be rid of her glasses, So they were continually being broken or lost. Two attitudes of mind cause loss, Depreciation, As in the case of the woman who did not appreciate her husband, Or fear of loss, Which makes a picture of loss in the subconscious. When a student is able to let go of his problems, Cast his burden, He will have instantaneous manifestation. For example, A woman was out during a very stormy day, And her umbrella was blown inside out. She was about to make a call on some people whom she had never met, And she did not wish to make her first appearance with a dilapidated umbrella. She could not throw it away as it did not belong to her, So in desperation she exclaimed, Oh God, You take charge of this umbrella. I don't know what to do. A moment later, A voice behind her said, Lady, Do you want your umbrella mended? There stood an umbrella mender. She replied, Indeed, I do. The man mended the umbrella while she went into the house to pay her call, And when she returned she had a good umbrella. So there is always an umbrella mender at hand on man's pathway when one puts the umbrella, Or situation, In God's hands. One should always follow a denial with an affirmation. For example, I was called on the phone late one night to treat a man whom I had never seen. He was apparently very ill. I made the statement, I deny this appearance of disease. It is unreal, Therefore cannot register in his consciousness. This man is a perfect idea in divine mind, Pure substance expressing perfection. There is no time or space in divine mind, Therefore the word reaches instantly its destination and does not return void. I have treated patients in Europe and have found that the result was instantaneous. I am asked so often the difference between visualizing and visioning. Visualizing is a mental process governed by the reasoning or conscious mind. Visioning is a spiritual process governed by intuition or the superconscious mind. The student should train his mind to receive these flashes of inspiration and work out the divine pictures through definite leads. When a man can say, I desire only that which God desires for me, His false desires fade from the consciousness and a new set of blueprints is given him by the master architect, The God within. God's plan for each man transcends the limitation of the reasoning mind and is always the square of life, Containing health, Wealth, Love and perfect self-expression. Many a man is building for himself in imagination a bungalow when he should be building a palace. If a student tries to force a demonstration through the reasoning mind, He brings it to a standstill. I will hasten it, Said the Lord. He should act only through intuition or definite leads. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently. Trust also in Him and He will bring it to pass. I have seen the law work in the most astonishing manner. For example, A student stated that it was necessary for her to have a hundred dollars by the following day. It was a debt of vital importance which had to be met. I spoke the word, Declaring Spirit was never too late and that the supply was at hand. That evening she phoned me of the miracle. She said that the thought came to her to go to her safe deposit box at the bank to examine some papers. She looked over the papers and at the bottom of the box was a new $100 bill. She was astounded and said she knew she had never put it there for she had gone through the papers many times. It may have been a materialization as Jesus Christ materialized the loaves and fishes. Man will reach the stage where his word is made flesh or materialized instantly. The field ripe with the harvest will manifest immediately as in all of the miracles of Jesus Christ. There is a tremendous power alone in the name Jesus Christ. It stands for truth made manifest. He said, Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name, He will give it to you. The power of this name raises the student into the fourth dimension where he is freed from all astral and psychic influences and he becomes unconditioned and absolute as God himself is unconditioned and absolute. I have seen many healings accomplished by using the words in the name of Jesus Christ. Christ was both person and principle and the Christ within each man is his Redeemer and salvation. The Christ within is his own fourth dimensional self, The man made in God's image and likeness. This is the self which has never failed, Never known sickness or sorrow, Was never born and has never died. It is the resurrection and the life of each man. No man cometh to the Father save by the Son means that God the universal working on the place of the particular becomes the Christ in man and the Holy Ghost means God in action. So daily man is manifesting the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Man should make an art of thinking. The master thinker is an artist and is careful to paint only the divine designs upon the canvas of his mind and he paints these pictures with masterly strokes of power and decision having perfect faith that there is no power to mar their perfection and that they shall manifest in his life the ideal made real. All power is given man through right thinking to bring his heaven upon his earth and this is the goal of the game of life. The simple rules are fearless faith, Non-resistance and love. May each reader be now freed from that thing which has held him in bondage through the ages standing between him and his own and know the truth which makes him free free to fulfill his destiny to bring into manifestation the divine design of his life health, Wealth, Love and perfect self-expression. Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.