Excerpts from

You Were Born Rich
by Bob Proctor





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Book Description
You Were Born Rich gives you the COMPLETE, PROVEN SYSTEM for using the potential you have locked inside of you to achieve financial, emotional, physical, and spiritual prosperity.

Recognized worldwide as one of the most comprehensive personal development book available, Bob Proctor's You Were Born Rich will open your eyes to the deep reservoirs of talent and ability that lie deep within you. You Were Born Rich contains a complete plan for developing the untapped potential in every aspect of your life.

There are 10 powerful chapters in the book:

Chapter 1: Me And Money
Chapter 2: How Much Is Enough
Chapter 3: The ImageMaker
Chapter 4: Let Go And Let God
Chapter 5: Expect An Abundance
Chapter 6: The Law of Vibration And Attraction
Chapter 7: The Risk-Takers
Chapter 8: The Razor's Edge
Chapter 9: Don't Think In Reverse
Chapter 10: The Vacuum Law of Prosperity

Bob proctor's international best-seller, guides you through all the major principles you must understand in order to unlock the vast wealth of potential buried inside you.

You will learn:
• What money is and how you can attract more of it
• How to become co-creator of your own destiny
• The role of faith in your success
• How to build prosperous images in your mind that translate into magnificent results in your life
• The Law of Attraction—why some people keep attracting negative results and others always seem to attract positive results
• Develop the razor's Edge that will allow you to become a champion
• The Vacuum Law of Prosperity—why you must release the old to make room for the new

This book has been an international best-seller for years.


Excerpts from You Were Born Rich by Bob Proctor

The Law of Vibration and Attraction

"The Law of Attraction" is the underlying principle which governs the level of your personal prosperity. However, to help you achieve a really solid grasp of this concept, it will be necessary for us to focus briefly on another law; namely, the "Law of Vibration."

The Law of Vibration accounts for the difference between mind and matter; between the physical and the nonphysical worlds.

According to the Law of Vibration, we postulate that everything vibrates or moves; nothing sits idle. Everything is in a constant state of motion, and therefore, there is no such thing as "inertia", or a state of rest. From the most ethereal, to the most gross form of matter, everything is in a constant state of vibration.

Moving from the lowest to the highest degree of vibration, we discover there are literally millions upon millions of intervening levels or degrees; from the electron to the universe, everything is in vibratory motion. (Energy is manifested in all the varying degrees of vibration.)

"Rates of vibration" are called "frequencies," and the higher the frequency, the more potent the force. Since thought is one of the highest forms of vibration, it is very potent in nature and therefore, it must be understood by all of us.

Now, the Law of Vibration may be explained in many different ways, depending upon the purpose for which it is being explained. In this chapter, however, it is our intention to confine our inquiry to thoughts alone, so we may thereby improve our understanding of the Law of Attraction.

Vibration

To vibrate means: "to move backwards and forwards, to oscillate, to shake, to quiver, to swing, to waver, to cause to quiver."

To obtain a more graphic conceptualization of the idea of Vibration, just stretch out one of your arms straight in front of you. Then hold it perfectly still. While you are holding it still and are unable to perceive any motion in that arm at all, know that the electrons which compose the arm, are moving, shaking, quivering, or vibrating, at the rate of 186,300 miles per second.

The arm appears still to you, but in reality it is in a constant state of motion. Of course, although such motion is imperceptible to the naked eye, under a high-powered microscope it would become very apparent, indeed.

Now, begin to shake your arm. You, yourself, are now causing the arm to vibrate. It was already vibrating of its own accord, in obedience to the Law of Vibration (which teaches that everything is in constant motion). But you have stepped up, or increased, the rate of that vibration. You have pushed down on the vibratory accelerator pedal, as it were.

Positive And Negative Personalities

"The mind in itself and in its own place can make a hell out of heaven or a heaven out of hell."
- John Milton

People, as a rule, can be classified as positive personalities (optimists) or negative personalities (pessimists).

Those individuals who are positive in their thoughts always tend to look upon the brighter side of life. With their faces turned toward the sunshine, they attempt to see the good, even in the bad. Such individuals habitually think thoughts of a positive nature and they are a blessing to the world. They are in a "Positive Vibration," and therefore attract other positive personalities to them.

Negative personalities, on the other hand, habitually look upon the dark, gloomy, and depressing side of life. Even the good holds some bad for them. They dwell on the bad and the negative. They think about it, anticipate it, expect it, and invariably they receive what they have been seeking. Due to the negative vibration which they keep themselves in, they of course attract other miserable personalities to them. As you are already aware, "misery loves company."

Their state of mind can be compared to the person who, upon being asked how he felt, said,

"I feel alright today, but I might feel bad tomorrow."

Negative personalities are depressing to everyone around them. Their faces take on the expression, in physical form, of the negative thoughts which they are holding in their minds. Each day, one can observe such individuals passing on the street. No cheer, no joy radiates from them-just gloom, frowns and hostility. Having created their own hell for themselves, they seem to enjoy wallowing in it.

The law of Polarity and Relativity states that for every positive there is an equal and opposite negative. Therefore, both of these personality types are necessary, so you can develop the awareness to distinguish one from the other, and in that manner, choose the one which will advance you in life.

You do have Free Will. You can choose which of these two personality types you wish to adopt. Therefore, if a person is constantly negative, but tires of that state, the person may, through awareness and proper effort, change himself into a positive personality type of individual.

Understand this-The Law of Vibration will give people the awareness they require, to make the personality changes they desire.

The Brain - The Body

The human body, believe it or not, is one of the most efficient electrical instruments in this entire universe. The human brain, similarly, is probably the most efficient electrical instrument ever created. Both are truly marvels.

The brain is the part of the body where all manner of frequencies are transformed from one frequency level into another. In the brain, for example, sensations are transformed into muscular action. Sound, heat, light and thought are also, each in their turn, transformed into other frequencies, each affecting the body.

Within the brain there are centers which control and regulate the functioning of all organs and parts of the body. By means of the proper stimulation of these centers, the functioning of the organs may thereby be controlled. In our seminars, we refer to this phenomenon as the vibratory control of the body.

In the final analysis, the brain is simply a vibratory instrument. To begin to understand its functioning you must undertake the study of the Law of Vibration.

Since the early 1940's, we have had at our disposal the EEG (electroencephalograph), which reads the electrical activity of the brain, and the ECG (electrocardiograph), which traces the electrical changes which occur during heart contractions.

Therefore, vibrations are certainly not something which are new to us. Indeed, all of us have an awareness of them. However, the problem which we encounter is that the vast majority of people are not aware of the connection between their vibrations and their results in life.

It is, unfortunately, a very common sight to see people in bad or confused vibrations, busily attempting-through force-to achieve good results. However, due to the negative vibration which they are in, they are continually being bombarded by all manner of negative people and situations, which by law, are being attracted to them. Consequently, at some point, their battle must become overwhelming for them.

These people may be likened to a person who is jumping off the top of a building, and trying to go up, at one and the same time. The result, in either case, would be equally predictable and equally disastrous.

Everything Is Energy, Everything Vibrates

For you to gain a better awareness of how you are to take control over your results (i.e. to better understand how and why the thoughts and things come into your life as they do), you must go back to the basic premise with which we started: namely, everything vibrates and nothing stands still. There is, in truth, no such thing as inertia. Scientists today support this thesis and every new scientific discovery tends to lend even more credibility to it.

However, by virtue of your Free Will and the many other mental factors in your marvelous mind, you have the Co-Creative ability to cause vibratory changes to take place at your bidding in your life. The cause for our lack of ability to exercise this tremendous power for good is nothing other than our own ignorance about the Law of Vibration.

Let There Be Light-Your Connecting Link

Slowly but surely, let us see with our inner eye of understanding, how you may "connect" with the good that you desire, to improve the quality of your own life.

Two objects whose electromagnetic fields are the same are operating on the same frequency. Therefore, we can say they are in resonance, in harmony, or in rapport. When two objects are in resonance or vibrating at the same speed, the vibratory rate may be transmitted from one to the other through the medium of the electron. ("Resonance" as a field of study, is concerned with the electromagnetic fields surrounding objects.)

For example, we find a globe in a chandelier will vibrate when in resonance with a certain key on a piano; yet it will not vibrate to any other note on the piano keyboard.

The two objects under discussion are composed of entirely different material and they have completely different shapes. Still, they are in resonance with one another, due to the fact their ultimate magnetic fields are the same. They are within the same sphere of relative motion, and this holds true, irrespective of their size, shape, or the elements of which they are composed.

All electromagnetic waves, or quantums, have their own particular rate or frequency, which corresponds to the number of changes in direction they make per second. The electromagnetic wave spectrum is simply a "Scale of Vibration," and it is subdivided into specific regions.

Nevertheless, one must always remember these regions are not actual divisions, but merely arbitrary spaces covering frequencies that manifest in our senses in different ways. Each region actually "blends" into the one above and the one below, and in truth, there are no definite lines of demarcation.

Everything Is An Expression Of The Same Thing

Everything in this entire universe is connected to everything else in this entire universe, through the Law of Vibration. Just as the colors in a rainbow are connected in such a way that you are not able to tell where one color stops and the other begins, so too are you unable to distinguish where one "thing" starts and another one stops. Everything in this universe is connected to everything else in this universe, just as the water that boils is connected to the steam into which it transmutes, and the steam is connected to the ether or air into which it changes.

You too are connected to everything in the universe. Whether you can see it with the naked eye or not is unimportant. The only physical difference which exists between one thing and another, relates to the density or the amplitude of their vibration.

Therefore, as soon as you choose certain thoughts, your brain cells are affected. These cells vibrate and send off electromagnetic waves. When you concentrate on those thoughts, you increase the amplitude of vibration of those cells, and the electric waves, in turn, become much more potent.

Know that it is you who is originating those electric waves and know that you are also determining the density of them by your own free will. You must also know, since you are originating these electric waves, your whole being is being put in that particular vibration.

We have already covered the point that two objects may be of entirely different material and shape, and yet still be in Resonance. This is due to the fact their ultimate magnetic fields are the same, because they are within the same sphere of relative motion. (Keep in mind that resonance is the factor governing the transmutation of vibrations.)

When you hold the image of your goal on the screen of your mind, in the present tense, you are vibrating in harmony (in resonance) with every particle of energy necessary for the manifestation of your image on the physical plane. By holding that image, those particles of energy are moving toward you (attraction) and you are moving toward them-because that is the law.

All things are merely manifestations of energy or Spirit.

When the world comes to understand this great truth, we will be aware that all people are the same; they only appear to be different. The true dividing lines for mankind are not borders, color or language, but simply ignorance and its polar opposite, understanding.

Know The Truth And The Truth Will Set You Free

Helping Others Feel Better

You automatically like people who cause you to feel good. It would necessarily follow, therefore, that others will like you when you cause them to feel good, or when you move them into a more positive vibration.

Example

Vibratory control of the body, mind and soul of a person gives you a means for the restoration of positive vibrations, through the medium of resonant electric waves of the brain cells, from you to another person.

As already stated, the human body, including the brain, is a high-powered electrical instrument. Therefore, you are a veritable "broadcasting station," relative to other people. When the "tune in" between you and them has been completed, or when the composite personality has been established between you and the other person, the other person receives and becomes conscious of the vibrating thought which is being broadcast by you.

Under the Law Of The Perpetual Transmission And Transmutation Of Energy, the other person, being a low potential of energy, takes on this added energy which is being sent out by you. And, like a weak battery, the other person becomes recharged, more energetic, and more positive as a result of his contact with you.

The process of transmitting energy between you and the other person is exactly the same as the process which takes place between the broadcasting station and the radio. That is to say, laws which are identical in nature, govern both phenomena.

Vibrations And Attitude

Every physical thing throws off a vibration. Everything which you see, hear, smell, taste, or touch, throws off a vibration because these things, like everything else, are in a constant state of motion. Whenever you get near enough to them to enter into their "sphere of vibration," you will be affected by that vibration, whether you realize it or not. Have you ever noticed, for example, how peaceful you feel (vibrate) while walking alone in the woods?

The Law operates exactly in the same way in the mental realm. For when a person thinks a thought, it means the person has consciously or unconsciously started a group of brain cells vibrating abnormally. Once these brain cells, being things, begin to vibrate abnormally, they throw off a wave of electronic energy which moves out seeking a place to land.

If you are in the sphere (space) of their vibrations and you happen to have similar cells which are in rapport (in harmony or agreement) with the ones vibrating in the other person's brain, then you receive these vibrations and are affected mentally by them, either negatively or positively. (It is clear that everyone in sales or management will thoroughly understand this information.)

Let us suppose that another person is vibrating to "Anger Concepts." If you are the type of person who becomes easily angered and you happen to enter the vibratory field of those anger vibrations, then those vibrations will strike the "anger cells" in your own brain. A condition of resonance being present, those vibrations will start your brain cells vibrating and your entire being will move into that vibration. You will become irritated or angry (even though you may, or may not know, the cause of your own anger). If you do not understand what has happened, you will be at a loss to change the conditions which caused the effect in the first place.

The same principle applies to all mental vibrations. As soon as a person starts to think, he starts brain cells vibrating. Energy is released, therefore, in the form of electrons which travel out according to the intensity of the thought involved. Whoever stops that energy, is affected by it. But bear in mind, the only thing which stops a thought, is that which resonates with that thought. This means, if you should run into an electromagnetic vibratory field of negative thoughts, you will, if you are that type of person, become negative yourself. Conversely, if you run into a positive vibratory field, you will experience the opposite of the negative; namely, the positive.

Since the air we breathe is literally "filled" with both types of vibrations, they are constantly bouncing into your brain. As a result, you could become like a "ship without a rudder," tossed about at the mercy of whatever is vibrating or "in the air." However, once you understand the Law of Vibration, you are in a position to insulate yourself against the negative vibrations. You can then be in control of yourself, in the true sense of the word, and you will begin to attract to you the things and circumstances that you choose.

Become A Mental Magnet

Attract What You Need
For The Physical Manifestation Of Your Image

If it is true that energy, or Spirit, is neither created nor destroyed and everything in its original state is either energy or Spirit, it necessarily follows that everything you will ever want is already here. It is simply a matter of choosing the thoughts which will put you into harmonious vibration with the good that you desire.

Everything you are seeking is seeking you in return. Therefore, everything you want is already yours. So you don't have to get anything; it is simply a matter of becoming more aware of what you already possess.

The moment you bring your life into harmony with the Law, into harmony with the current of Divine Order, you will find that the "negative" will have "taken wings." For its cause will have been removed and you will no longer attract what you don't want.

The secret to receiving, on the physical plane, the results you desire is always locked into the Law of Attraction. This entire book has been designed to help you understand how to get into harmonious vibration with the good you desire, and then how to stay in that positive vibration, so you will begin to attract whatever you need for your image of prosperity to move into form.

The Acorn Analogy

In Raymond Holliwell's magnificent book, Working with The Law, Holliwell points out in the chapter entitled "The Law of Success," the following: "All of the processes of nature are successful. Nature knows no failures. She never plans anything but success. She aims at results in every form and manner. To succeed in the best and fullest sense of the term we must, with nature as our model, copy her methods. In her principles and laws we shall discover all the secrets of success."

Keep in mind that everything in this universe you can see with the naked eye and everything you cannot see, is an expression of Spirit. Also bear in mind that Spirit operates by exact laws. You are subject to those laws, in just the same manner nature is. Therefore, Holliwell is right-we definitely should copy nature's methods.

For years I have held up an acorn in the seminar and used it as a device for helping people to gain a better understanding of how the law of attraction actually works in their lives. So please visualize, if you will, an acorn. Then think-really think-about what it is you are looking at.

Although the acorn may appear to be a solid object, by now you should clearly understand that the acorn, like everything else which appears to be solid, is in truth, "a mass of molecules at a very high speed of vibration." Within the acorn, there is a nucleus or a patterned plan that dictates the vibratory rate at which these molecules will move. Moreover, the same principle holds true for all seeds. In other words, every seed has a nucleus or a patterned plan within it, which dictates the vibration it will be in and which thereby governs the end-product into which it will expand or grow.

I believe you are all aware of this fact: everything in the universe is governed by a basic law-"Either create or disintegrate." Therefore, it follows that, if something is not in the process of growing, it must, by the law of its being, be dying. For example, so long as the acorn is kept out of the earth, it is slowly but surely disintegrating. However, as soon as you plant the acorn in the earth, the patterned plan or the vibratory rate of the acorn sets up an attractive force and the acorn begins to attract everything that vibrates in harmony with it. If you were able to observe with the naked eye exactly what is taking place, you would see a "parade" of particles of energy-a never-ending stream of them-marching in a very orderly manner toward the acorn. As they came in contact with the molecules making up the acorn, they would join, marry, become one, and of course, the acorn would expand, become larger, grow.

Now consider this - if you were to put two drops of water and two drops of oil on an arborite table and then you were to move them together, the two drops of water would resonate and become one larger drop of water, as they came in contact with each other. On the other hand, if you were to move the water toward the oil, they would actually repel each other because they are not in harmonious vibration. Likewise, with the acorn, the only things which join with the acorn are those particles of energy which are vibrating in harmony with it. All the other particles of energy, which make up the earth, are repelled.

As the acorn expands from the never-ending stream of molecules which are attracted to it, little shoots begin to come out of the bottom and out of the top of it. These shoots, in turn, begin to develop into roots. As they grow or expand and burst through the earth into the earth's atmosphere, this attractive force continues, and particles of energy from the atmosphere are attracted to it (just as the particles of energy in the earth were attracted to it). As the acorn continues to expand, at some point it ceases to be an acorn and it begins to become an oak tree. The roots, the trunk, the bark, the branches, the twigs, and the leaves, are all in the universe and they are attracted to the acorn, because of the nucleus or the patterned plan which rests within the seed.

Now, unlike the human creature, the acorn does not have the ability to change its vibratory rate. It can therefore only grow into what it has been programmed to grow into; namely, an oak tree. You are much like the acorn in many respects. For example, you are also a "seed," relative to the whole scheme of things. However, the difference between you and the acorn is that since you are a co-creator, you can choose your own programming. Therefore, the image you choose to hold, on the screen of your conscious mind, and plant deeply in the treasury of your subconscious mind is the patterned plan or the nucleus which determines what you will eventually grow into. It dictates the vibration you will be in and also controls what you will attract to you and what you will repel.

This is an orderly universe; nothing happens by accident. The images which you plant in your marvelous mind instantly set up an attractive force, which governs your results in life. You must remember though, if your image is continually fluctuating, you will continually be growing into something different and that sets in motion a most chaotic process. Unfortunately, those individuals who are unaware of these very exact laws are planting images of plenty in their minds one minute and then images of poverty the next. They are continually "switching" vibrations, so they are attracting good things one minute and then bad things the next. The sad truth is, the vast majority of people spend their entire lives oscillating between these two extreme positions, with the resulting effect that their lives become disordered and chaotic to the "nth" degree.

Although it is true that everything you will ever want is already here, it is up to you to get into harmony with it. Clearly, you will never get into harmony with prosperity, if you insist upon holding images of lack and limitation in the storehouse of your marvelous mind. Since you are always magnetized toward something, it follows it can never be anyone else's fault, when something comes into your life you supposedly do not want. Understand you have ordered it and it is being delivered to you, right on schedule!


Me and Money

The Edgewater Beach Hotel

In 1923, at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago, eight of the world's wealthiest financiers met. These eight men controlled more money than the United States' government at that time. They included:

The president of the largest independent steel company;
The president of the largest gas company;
The greatest wheat speculator;
The president of the New York Stock Exchange;
A member of the President's cabinet;
The greatest "bear" on Wall Street;
The head of the world's greatest monopoly;
The president of the Bank of International Settlement.

Certainly, one would have to admit, that a group of the world's most successful men was gathered in that place; at least, men who had found the secret of "earning money."

Now let's see where these men were twenty-five years later:

The president of the largest independent steel company, Charles Schwab, lived on borrowed money for five years before he died bankrupt.

The president of North America's largest gas company, Howard Hopson, went insane.

The greatest wheat speculator, Arthur Cutton, died abroad, insolvent.

The president of the New York Stock Exchange, Richard Whitny, was sent to Sing Sing Penitentiary.

A member of the President's cabinet, Albert Fall, was pardoned from prison so he could die at home.

The greatest "bear" on Wall Street, Jesse Livermore, died a suicide.

The head of the greatest monopoly, Ivar Krueger, killed himself.

The president of the Bank of International Settlement, Leon Fraser, also died a suicide.

Each of these men learned well the art of earning money, but it would seem that not one of them had ever learned how to live the "rich life", which was their birthright.

It is stories like this one that have caused many well meaning, but ignorant people to say, "See, I told you it is not good to have a lot of money, it's bad," or, "It just goes to show you that rich people really aren't happy;" but of course, that is just not true. For although these eight men would appear to have "slid off the track," there are many wealthy people who are very happy, and who do a tremendous amount of good with their money; they live healthy, well-balanced lives.

Consider this-money will have a greater influence on your life than almost any other commodity you can think of. Indeed, the sudden loss or acquisition of money will affect your attitude to a tremendous extent. Therefore, you must agree that everyone should have a deep understanding of exactly what money is, and of the laws governing its attraction. Yet, the sad fact is that not one person in ten does. Ninety-five people out of a hundred settle for whatever they get, wishing they had more all the way from the cradle to the casket, never understanding that they could actually have had all they wanted.

Let me digress for a moment-as you journey through this book, you might have a tendency to let your mind wander off, either thinking about someone you know who has earned a great deal of money or possibly about someone who has gone into bankruptcy. But I want to suggest that you attempt to keep focusing only on yourself, because what someone else has or does not have, is not going to affect you and it is your financial situation that you want to improve.

Money Is Important

One of the most prevalent misconceptions concerning money, relates to its importance. For example, how many times have you heard people say in conversation, "Money isn't everything." or "Money isn't important." or "I don't care about money." Well, the people who say these things might not care about money, but I'll bet their car dealer cares about it; their grocer does; and so does the person who holds their mortgage. In truth, there can be no denial of the fact that money is important to any person living in a civilized society. Therefore, to argue that it is not as important as this or that, is absurd. For nothing can take the place of money in the arena in which it is used!

Money Is A Servant

Now that I have affirmed the importance of money, let me backtrack to add this one word of caution- always remember, money is a servant; you are the master. Be very careful not to reverse that equation, because many people of high intelligence have already done so, to their great detriment. Unfortunately, many of these poor souls loved money and used people, which violated one of the most basic laws governing true financial success. You should always love people and use money, rather than the reverse!

Another myth many people like to accept about money is that it only comes as a result of "luck" or "good fortune." For instance, whenever people gather to talk about someone they know who has been financially successful, there is always someone among them who will say, "Harry was just lucky," or "Harry was just in the right place at the right time." But I want to assure you in no uncertain terms, that although "luck" obviously plays some part in financial success, it is never sufficient in and of itself. Money is an effect and it must always be earned. Believe me, there are no free rides in this life and the only people who are making money the easy way either work in the mint or are on their way to jail, if they have not already arrived there. Therefore, always bear in mind that while "good fortune" is a factor in financial success, it must always be coupled with effort and hard work!

Money Must Circulate

A third thing you should know about money is that it is valuable only as long as it is being used. Once it has been taken out of circulation, it becomes as worthless as the "old newspapers" or "empty beer cans" that have been stashed away in the attic. To understand the truth of this principle, consider the following story. On a bookshelf, in my home, I have a silver beer stein that was given to me as a gift for a speech I made. Now, whenever I go into my house, I take all the change from my pockets and put it into the cup. Then, when the cup is almost filled, I give it to one of my children, or one of two young cousins. Each of them takes turns receiving the cup and of course they eagerly anticipate their turn. The point I want you to notice, however, is that while the cup is being filled, the money in it has absolutely no value whatsoever; it just sits there, serving no useful function and not even drawing any interest.

However, as soon as the cup is filled and the money is turned over to one of the kids, it literally "flies into action." For instance, just last week, T. Jay, one of my young cousins, received the money. He immediately took it from my hand, rushed off to a golf school and purchased several golf lessons with his inheritance. Now, I can't honestly say what the golf pro did with the money once he got it, but I do feel fairly safe in saying that he didn't just return it to a cup on his book shelf! No, there really isn't any dispute about it; money is not meant to be taken out of circulation-rather, it is meant to be used, enjoyed and circulated!

This brings me to an even more dramatic illustration of the same principle: namely, the story of "old Mr. Chapman." Mr. Chapman was an elderly gentleman who lived a few doors down the street from our family when I was just a boy. Although there was a tremendous age difference between us, Mr. Chapman and I became fast friends and I often used to watch him pushing his small junk cart up and down the block. You see, Mr. Chapman worked as a junk dealer and he made his living by picking up the things other people had thrown away. As the years went by, however, Mr. Chapman became more and more stooped from his arduous labors and one day, shortly after World War II, he passed away. Since he lived alone and apparently had no close relatives living nearby, the police entered his house to take stock of his possessions. Not surprisingly, they found the house littered with many old furnishings and assorted memorabilia from Mr. Chapman's past. However, much to their amazement, the police also discovered over one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) in old bills packed in boxes throughout the house!

Quick to pick up on so unusual an occurrence, the Toronto Daily Star carried a front-page story the next day about Mr. Chapman, in which it asked the obvious question: why would an individual worth well over $100,000, choose to keep his money stashed away in old boxes strewn haphazardly throughout his house?

Although I was still quite young at the time, I asked myself a similar question: namely, why would a person like Mr. Chapman choose to live like a veritable pauper, when he had so much money at his disposal? He could have used his money for his own enjoyment. He could have invested it to earn a return for himself and to help create jobs for other people; or he could have just deposited it in the bank and earned interest on his money. But instead, he chose to put it in a "jar on the shelf," and he thereby rendered it absolutely useless. No, my friends, there isn't any doubt about it -money is not meant to be hoarded. Rather, it is meant to be used, enjoyed and circulated. So please, whatever you choose to do with your money, don't make the same mistake that poor old Mr. Chapman did!

Please note that when I suggest that money should be kept in circulation, I do not mean it should be squandered. There is a world of difference between those two concepts and if you haven't found out what the difference is yet, I would suggest you find out as soon as possible.

Prosperity Consciousness Exercise

Now that we have touched upon some of the characteristics of money, let us turn briefly to a simple "technique" which you can begin using immediately to start attracting the amount of money you desire. The first thing that I want you to do is to picture yourself, in your mind's eye, sitting in a room with several of your friends. Then, I want you to visualize yourself announcing to them your intention of becoming wealthy; at least, wealthy enough to live the way you choose to live. Now, imagine how that would make you feel. If you are like most people, you would probably feel very uncomfortable. Perhaps you would feel so uncomfortable, that you might even retract what you had said by informing your friends you were only joking. You should understand, however, that people who are wealthy never feel uncomfortable when the subject of money is brought up. "Why don't they," you ask? The most obvious answer would be, because they already have "lots" of it. But that is not the correct answer. You should realize that people don't feel comfortable about money because they have it; they have it because they feel comfortable about it. In other words, one of the reasons that wealthy people have money is that they have developed that state of consciousness we will hereinafter refer to as, a "prosperity consciousness." Therefore, it follows, if we wish to attract money to ourselves, we must begin to foster a prosperity consciousness as well.

The question you should now be asking yourself is this: "How do I go about developing this prosperity consciousness for myself?" Let me explain. The best way to develop a prosperity consciousness is to start seeing yourself, in your mind's eye, already in possession of the amount of money that you desire. The reason this is so is that since the subconscious mind cannot distinguish between the actual possession of money and mere visualization, you will soon become very comfortable with the "idea" of money. As a result, you will start attracting it to yourself.

This may sound like a game you are playing, but let me assure you, it is one of the wisest things you can possibly do. For when you succeed in convincing your subconscious mind that you are wealthy and that it feels good to be wealthy, your subconscious mind will automatically seek ways of making your "imaginary" feelings of wealth manifest themselves in material form.

If these last few lines seem like sheer fantasy to you, just ignore them for the time being and continue reading. We will be dealing with prosperity consciousness at different points in the book and I guarantee you that before you finish this book, those lines will start to make a lot more sense to you.

Fear Not

Now that I have touched upon a "technique" which will help you acquire greater wealth, let me offer this further word of warning. If you want to have money, one thing you should never, never do, is worry about whether or not you will get the money you desire, or whether you will keep it. Let me elaborate.

In the Bible, Job, the great sufferer of biblical times, makes the following remark: "Behold, the thing I fear has come to visit upon me." Now, stop and ask yourself -if you will-what those biblical words mean to those of us concerned about money today. Well, one thing they certainly mean is that if we insist upon constantly worrying about not having enough money, or if we habitually worry about losing the money we do have, then we are absolutely guaranteed not to worry in vain. For just as surely as Job was afflicted by his many maladies, so too shall we be afflicted by the lack or the loss of money.

To take a more contemporary example, let us again consider the tragic case of "poor old Mr. Chapman." As you will recall, he was the elderly gentleman who never spent any of his hard-earned savings. But the question is, "Why didn't he?" Most likely it was because he was afraid that if he spent his money, he would become poor and hence would be forced to live like a pauper. The irony was, however, that because of his fear, he lived like a pauper anyway! Or, to be more biblical about it, "The thing that he feared most came to visit upon him."

In a later chapter you will be given a fuller explanation of the paradox of why we attract into our lives the very things we least desire. But for now, suffice it to say, worrying about money is always extremely counterproductive. This principle holds true, even if you rationalize your worry with the old platitude that you are "just saving a little for a rainy day."

I must put forward one other caveat at this time: if you really want to significantly increase the amount of money you are presently earning, the first thing you must do is learn to pay substantially less attention to what others around you are saying and substantially more attention to what that "quiet voice" that speaks within you, is saying. Put more prosaically: you must strive to become much less susceptible to influences outside of yourself and much more inclined to trust the instincts and feelings that lie within you. Let me elaborate.

Most people who fail to accumulate enough money to live in the style they choose are the same people who are most easily influenced by other people's opinions. For instance, they are often the people who let the writers of economic doom and gloom-whether in the newspapers or on news broadcasts -do their thinking for them. But, as Napoleon Hill pointed out in his great book, Think and Grow Rich, opinions are the cheapest commodities on earth. In fact, almost everyone has a flock of them ready to be foisted upon anyone who is willing to accept them. Therefore, if you know you have been unduly influenced in the past by other people's opinions, make up your mind right now-before you read any further-that from here on in, you are going to heed your own counsel, while keeping an attentive ear open for God's counsel. Remember, if you do, there is absolutely no reason why you cannot become financially successful within a very reasonable period of time.

Understanding vs. Memorization

As you read on through the pages in this book, you will develop an ever-increasing awareness of the talents and abilities that lie deep within you. You should realize, that with the proper instruction, you can begin using these undeveloped talents to attract the good that you desire. But let me caution you once again-no amount of reading or memorizing will bring you the success you seek. It is only the understanding and application of the ideas in this book that will make the difference for you. Therefore, don't be in any hurry to finish the book, because a complete reading should not be your objective. As stated previously, understanding and applying what you read is the objective. So if you are able to properly digest only one page a day, that might be all that is necessary for you to arrive at your goal. If you are wondering why this book is meant to be "sipped and tasted," rather than "devoured" at one reading, bear in mind it is based upon over twenty years of careful analysis of the methods of both the very successful and the very unsuccessful.

Strength Through Sharing

One more word of advice. Since very few-if any-people become great at anything by themselves, I would suggest you attempt to find at least one other person with whom you can share and discuss the ideas presented in this book.

Prosperity Consciousness

I believe you will agree it is an observable truth that human beings will never enjoy anything they are not yet consciously aware of. For example, we did not enjoy the luxury of traveling in airplanes at tremendous rates of speed, until the Wright Brothers became consciously aware of "how to fly." Thomas Edison developed the conscious awareness of the moving pictures and introduced us to a brand new form of entertainment. Dr. Jonas Salk became consciously aware of how to develop a serum that would combat the dreadful disease of infantile-paralysis-more commonly referred to as polio-and as a result of Salk's new awareness, you very rarely hear of anyone contracting that disease today. Alexander Graham Bell became consciously aware of how to transmit the human voice over metallic wires and, as a result, we all now enjoy the use of the telephone.

Needless to say, I could go on and on citing example after example. However, the point I want to bring to the forefront of your mind is that these inventions-or the knowledge bringing about these inventions-have always been here. In fact, all the knowledge there ever was or ever will be, is evenly present in all places at all times. But it took an individual to bring those thought-patterns together and form ideas which developed into what we call consciousness, before we could begin to benefit from them.

We are floating in an "ocean" of thought-energy, where all the knowledge there ever was or ever will be, is present. We are also surrounded by abundance. Indeed, everywhere we look in nature, our eyes come in contact with abundance; for nature knows no such thing as "failure." Therefore, there never has been, and there never will be, a lack of anything, except conscious-awareness. But if you are going to begin to penetrate this world of wealth, it is absolutely essential that you begin to think. In other words, you must open your mind to the stream of thought-energy which will create an image, or a consciousness of prosperity, in your mind.

You are well aware there are literally thousands upon thousands of honest, good, hard-working people who labor diligently for their entire stay on this planet, yet never become wealthy. For those individuals, life is a constant grind from sun up until sun down. But the ideas presented on these pages have been put here in the hope they will jar your mind and inspire you to open it up to this new type of thinking.

Consciousness is, and always has been, developed through thinking, and regardless of what your present situation in life may be, if you ever hope to improve it and truly become wealthy-as this book suggests you can-you must begin thinking of prosperity in your mind, now. Not when you finish the book. Not when you finish the chapter. Not tomorrow, next week, next month or next year. It must be done now. Thinking is the highest function of which a human being is capable. Yet, unfortunately, very few people "think." They merely trick themselves into believing that because there is some mental activity taking place in their mind, they are "thinking." But the truth is, most people are simply exercising the mental faculty called "memory." They are playing old movies, so old pictures just keep flashing back on the screen of their mind.

It is imperative that you begin this new way of thinking at this moment, because as you do, every fibre of your being will become filled with this new thought-energy. Your body is comprised of millions upon millions of cells and each one of them is influenced in its movement by thought impulses. So the second you begin entertaining relaxing thoughts, your body becomes relaxed. The instant you begin entertaining worrisome, fearful thoughts, your body becomes rigid and tense. As you begin to hold thoughts of prosperity and begin thinking of yourself as a very wealthy, prosperous individual who is surrounded by an ocean of thought energy, swimming in a sea of plenty, your body and mind will instantly move into a prosperous vibration and you will begin to attract-just like a magnet-everything necessary for you to become wealthy.

I know to the uninitiated, these ideas are just about as bizarre as anything a person could think of. Nevertheless, they are true. For mental awareness of prosperity always precedes wealth in your material world. It is not difficult, therefore, for children today, born into families of great wealth-like the Kennedy's or the Bronfman's-to think these prosperous thoughts and to have this prosperity consciousness, since that is the only type of thinking they were subjected to, right from birth. We say they have been conditioned in, or to, prosperity.

However, the majority of people have not been born into that kind of an environment and so they were not surrounded by that type of thinking. We must, therefore, develop an understanding of:

  1. how we have been conditioned  

  2. why we are getting the results we are getting, and 

  3. how we can change our way of thinking or our conditioning.

That is not an easy thing to do. It takes much discipline. It takes a tremendous desire. It takes a lot of diligent effort, which is the probable reason so few people ever actually change. Yet I want you to know that regardless of how difficult it may be, it can be done and it can be done in a relatively short period of time. The compensation you will receive for your effort will delight you. I know because I have done it and I know many, many other people who have done the same thing. Now it is necessary for you to do it.

The very fact that you have picked up and started reading this book is all the proof you will ever need, that you truly do have a desire to change. Moreover, there is a way-a sure way-for you to receive your desired good, and this book will outline the way for you.

There Is Real Power Within You

Below the level of your consciousness is the great treasury of your subconscious mind and that is the part of your personality we want to begin to influence through our new thought-patterns. In order to make the issue definite and concrete, consider the following statement: any idea, plan or purpose may be planted in the subconscious mind by repetition of thought empowered by faith and expectancy. You might be asking: "Can this statement be demonstrated to be true through experimentation and observation or, is there any known method or technique by which the proof may be secured, and if there is such a method or technique, is it available to everyone?" These questions can all be answered with an emphatic yes. As you read, test, and experiment with the ideas that will come to you in the following pages, you will answer all of these questions for yourself. And, it is necessary that you answer them for yourself, because as human beings, we will not truly believe something until we actually discover it for ourselves.

This book was written in the sincere hope that it would lead you to the many discoveries that lie within you by the repetition of these prosperity ideas. You must begin to see money as an obedient, diligent servant, that you can employ to earn more money, and that you can use to provide services far beyond the service that you could ever physically provide. It is necessary that you feel comfortable when you talk about money, because you have truly been "Born Rich." You have all the mental tools necessary to attract the thoughts you are surrounded by, to create the consciousness that you must create in order for you to have the wealth you choose to have. Lack and limitation can only exist when we make room for them in our minds. But prosperity consciousness knows no lack and no limitation. Resolve to completely remove the lid from your marvelous mind, with respect to your own earning-ability, and understand that the wealth you are seeking is-and always has been-seeking you in return. So open wide the doors of your conscious mind now, and begin to receive it.

Mental Money

Begin immediately to play a mental game with yourself-get into the habit of visualizing yourself in the possession of great wealth. Think of some of the things you would do with that money and then mentally start doing them. Since your subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between actually doing something and visualizing yourself doing it, this exercise will very quickly help you to develop a prosperity consciousness. Remember, it is an absolute law of your being, that you must have something mentally before you will ever have it physically!

Also understand that everyone talks to themselves mentally-in fact, some people even do it out loud. Therefore, whenever you are carrying on your private conversation with yourself, always talk about how good it feels to be wealthy. Congratulate yourself on becoming wealthy and hear others congratulating you as well. You should realize that although this might appear to be a game you are playing, you are doing one of the wisest things you can possibly do-you are working from a higher to a lower potential.

You are embarking on a program of self-development. You are about to learn that there is much more to your self than meets the eye, and you must apprehend this "hidden factor of your personality," if you are ever to develop yourself properly. In truth, you will never see the greatest part of your being because it is nonphysical in nature. In fact, you will soon become aware that you are constantly living simultaneously on three distinct planes of being: you are spiritual, you have an intellect and you live in a physical body. To understand this abstraction better, you must keep in mind that you are living simultaneously on three distinct planes of existence.

  1. The Spiritual Plane of Thoughts (Highest Potential) 

  2. The Intellectual Plane of Ideas (Middle Potential) 

  3. The Physical Plane of Results (Lowest Potential)

Therefore, by doing what I have suggested you do, you are merely using your "divine nature" to choose the thoughts (i.e. "Money is good," "I love people and I use money," "Money is a servant; I am the master,") which will build an idea. In our case, the idea happens to be that of "Great Personal Wealth," or "True Financial Success." Be very aware that ideas, such as the idea of "financial success," never form by themselves; the human personality must always enter into the process, by thinking the thoughts which can then be used to build the idea. That is the very thing that makes the human being "godlike," or you could say, a creative creature-the highest form of creation! So by holding this beautiful idea, or picture of financial success in your mind, you will ultimately be able to cause the idea to manifest itself in your life (i.e. in your results). As you progress through this book, you will see how this actually occurs!

Now, let's take a couple of steps backward. You will remember that I wrote, in a previous paragraph, that you are working from a higher to a lower potential. What I meant by this is that you are working from-

Thoughts ... (Spirit)
to
Idea ... (Intellectual)
to
Thing ... (Physical)

rather than working from -

Thing ... (Physical)
to
Thoughts ... (Spirit)
to
Idea ... (Intellectual)

as you have probably done in the past and as the vast majority of people will continue to do in the future. That is to say, most people will look at a result in their life and then let that result dictate the Thoughts they will then use to build their Idea. For example, if they see that their bank account is empty (a result), they will choose to think thoughts of lack or loss and then they will use those thoughts to build the idea of poverty. However, since the idea they are holding in their mind must manifest in their future results, they are actually bringing about a repeat performance of the very thing which they say they don't want: namely, an empty bank account. It thus becomes a self-doom-fulfilling cycle they are living, and clearly, this is not the way our Maker has intended for us to live!

You might very well be saying to yourself that this is an absurd argument; for if a bank account is empty, it's empty. It just isn't realistic to look at an empty bank account and be able to visualize great wealth. But I want you to know, this is the very kind of reasoning which perpetuates poverty and keeps poor people impoverished!

You must begin to understand that the present state of your bank account, your sales, your health, your social life, your position at work, etc., is nothing more than the physical manifestation of your previous thinking. If you sincerely wish to change or improve your results in your physical world, you must change your thoughts and you must change them immediately.

If you take the time to really think through the information which is being presented, you will conclude that what has just been said makes perfect sense. In fact, anyone who truly understands the "creative process," will tell you what I have just said is not only right, but it is a natural law of your being- it is the way God works with and through the individual. This is also called prayer in some "circles" ("prayer" being the movement that takes place between spirit and form, with and through the individual). God has given you the ability to build any idea which you desire. You were "Born Rich" and your abundance is contained in thought. So be good to yourself, choose magnificent ideas, and cease permitting your physical world to control your thinking.

You can readily understand, by now, how everyone makes the "great mistake." In Emerson's essay on Self-Reliance he said, "Envy is ignorance." In other words, to look at another person's "Accomplishments," or "Results," and then to envy them, is truly unwise. For those people first chose their thoughts, in order to build the picture in their mind of the good that is now manifest in their life; and they chose those thoughts from the infinite source of supply which is available to all of us-you as well!

That is what the great artist, Vincent Van Gogh, meant when he was asked how he did such beautiful work. He said, "I dream my painting, and then I paint my dream." In other words, he saw the picture in his mind first and then he made a replica on canvas-in oil, of the original in his mind. In truth, there has never been an "original" "Van Gogh" sold! As I am writing this I can see you reading it, and can almost hear you thinking, "That makes a lot of sense-now I see."

A few years ago Mary Snyder from California sat in one of my seminars with her husband Oscar. She gave me a quote by Lincoln which I truly love and which I have shared with thousands of people. Lincoln said, "To believe in the things you can see and touch is no belief at all; but to believe in the unseen is a triumph and a blessing." Isn't that beautiful? Thanks again, Mary.

Hopefully by now you understand the wisdom of some of these mental exercises I have been suggesting. So keep repeating: "I am prosperous, I am wealthy, money is good." See yourself in your mind's eye, doing what you will do when you have the manifestation of your new attitude or consciousness. Visualize this great wealth and feel yourself already in possession of it. Remember though, money is the servant; you are the master-you love people and you use money.

Before you continue on to the next chapter, re-read this chapter, "Me And Money," because re-reading it will help you release that old idea about money, which causes an uncomfortable feeling whenever the subject of money is raised. Repeat to yourself, several times each day, "Me And Money," until you become totally aware of how good you feel thinking about wealth.

Refrain from talking to a lot of people about this new idea concerning money, until you have a firm grip on it yourself and feel confident about explaining what you have learned to others. Remember, hearing negative comments from people who do not understand the truth will not do you any good-if it does anything, it will only cause you to doubt yourself. You must not permit this to happen, because when you think about "Me And Money," you want a beautiful picture to fly onto the screen of your mind!

"The good life is expensive.
There is another way to live
that doesn't cost as much
but it isn't any good".
- Spanish Distillers


"You Were Born Rich"
by Bob Proctor


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