The Law of Financial Success by Edward E. Beals

"THE LAW of Financial Success!" To some this title may appear presumptuous, and indicative of an overweening vanity on the part of a writer who wishes to impress upon the world the belief that his ideas and opinions regarding the subject of Financial Success are of such transcendent value as to be worthy of the appellation of The LAW. Patience, patience, good friends, the author has no such bumptious conceit—no such vainglory. He is not attempting to frame a law; not seeking to impose upon the world a set code of conduct, emanating from his finite mind, and claiming for it the authority of a LAW. Nay, nay, he has learned to smile at such exhibitions of folly on the part of some so-called thinkers of our times, and begs to be absolved from the suspicion of such childish desire or intent.

He does not wish to pose as the formulator, discoverer, or enunciator of a new Law. He knows that any Law, to be really a LAW, must rest upon the eternal foundations of Reality, and cannot be created, made, or formed by the finite mind of man. And, so, good friends, he does not claim to have made, created or formed this great Universal Law to the consideration of which this little book is devoted. It is not his mental offspring, but a great, eternal, universal Law of Life, which springs from the source of all Laws of Life. In fact, it is an integral part and portion of the ONE GREAT LAW underlying all Life, and fits into those other Natural Laws, which, when combined in an Universal Harmony, form the outward manifestation of the GREAT LAW underlying, inherent in, and manifesting in all that we call Life.

"But," you may ask, "is there then really a fundamental LAW underlying that which we call Financial Success? Is there a LAW which if once discovered, understood and practiced, will enable one to accomplish that for which this great modern world is so strenuously striving, toiling and desiring? Is there a LAW, which, when operated will make one the master of Financial Success, instead of a mere blind groper after its fruits? Is, indeed, Financial Success the result of the operations of a LAW, instead of the operation of mere luck, chance, or accident?"

Ah, yea, good friends, all this that you seek comes only from the application and operation of a great LAW, which the successful men and women of the world make use of either consciously or unconsciously. And this great LAW is as well defined as is any other Natural Law, and when grasped and understood may be practiced and operated just as may any of its related Laws on other planes of universal activity. There is no such thing in Nature as blind chance, accident, or uncaused lack. Everything in Nature operates in accordance with LAW. LAW underlies everything. You may doubt this, but stop a moment and try to think of anything in our finite world that is not the effect of some cause. A great stone is dislodged and rolls down the mountain side, striking a tree which it uproots and sends rolling down into a stream which is dammed up, causing a flood that sweeps away a fertile field, and so on, and on, effect succeeding effect. Was all this mere blind chance? Not at all. The stone was dislodged in response to the operation of causes that had been at work for centuries disintegrating the stone, and which caused the boulder to become dislodged exactly at the moment when the inherent power of the Cause reached that particular stage. There was no more chance in the dislodgment of the stone than there was in the striking of a clock that had been wound up a day, or a week, or a year before. It was all the result of invariable and consistent LAW. And so was the direction of the stone's fall; and all the succeeding incidents.

But mark you this, had some Man been able to discover and understand the LAW in operation in that latent power inherent in the stone, he would have been able to prevent the stone striking the tree and causing all the resulting damage; and he might, and would have been able to divert the stone from its path of damage, and turn it into some place in which it would have done no harm, and in which he could have broken it into bits at his leisure, and thus secured building stone for the foundation of his cottage, or the material from which a hard roadbed could have been made. The LAW behind the stone was always there, and was consistent in its operation, and yet Man, by the power of his mind could have turned the LAW into his own channels and converted it to his use. He could have made a servant and a slave of this Universal Law, instead of allowing it to master him, and become his tyrant; for in this way has man mastered the forces of Gravitation Steam, Hydraulics and Electricity, which once mastered him.

Thus has Man risen from savagery and barbarism into what he is today. And thus will he advance from what he is today into what he will become in the days to come—a creature as much superior to Man of today as the latter is superior to the barbarian. The story of Man's Attainment may be expressed in these words: "The subjugation and mastery of Nature's forces," And so it will ever be. Man first is mastered and operated upon by Nature's forces. Then he discovers the LAW underlying these forces. Then he harnesses the force, and makes it work his will. As the great English scientist Ray Lankester has recently declared in his works: "Man is held to be a part of Nature, a product of the definite and orderly evolution which is universal; a being resulting from and driven by the one great nexus of mechanism which we call Nature. He stands alone, face to face with the relentless mechanism. It if his destiny to understand and control it."

"But," you may object, "this is all very well, and undoubtedly true of the physical forces of Nature, but financial Success cannot be classed with these forces. Why, it is purely a latter-day development, and cannot be identified with the great Natural forces of which you have spoken."

Patience, again, good friends! As we proceed you shall see that the Law of Financial Success is a part and parcel of the Great Law of Use and Nourishment which is in operation all through animal and vegetable life. It is the same LAW that manifests in the form of the securing of food by the animal, the securing of nourishment by the plant. Nay, more, it is the same LAW by and through which Nature operates when it causes the atom of oxygen to attract to itself the two atoms of hydrogen in order to form the molecule of water. Water all over the world is composed of just these two substances, combined in just this proportion. The atom of oxygen has the power to operate the great Law of Attraction and Use, upon the two atoms of hydrogen, and when it draws them to itself, the tiny globule of water results.

The oxygen needs the hydrogen to accomplish its life mission; the plant needs the drop of water to accomplish its life mission; and the animal needs the plant to accomplish its life mission. And modern man needs Financial Success to accomplish his life's mission. And each one draws to itself that which it needs in proportion to its use of the LAW. The same LAW in its various forms is in operation everywhere in the same way.

But in the chemical, mineral, vegetable and animal worlds, the desire which prompts the attraction, and the will which manifests the desire, are unconsciously exerted. With man, it is different, he has developed consciousness, and to live his full life, and to accomplish his manifest destiny he must use that consciousness in discovering, understanding and availing himself of the natural forces inherent in the LAW.

And this is why this little book has been written—to point out; first the existence of the Law of Financial Success; second, to lead you to an understanding of it; and third, to give you the result of the experience of successful men in the direction of operating the LAW. And now, to "sum up" this introduction, as our legal friends would say, the writer asks you to consider the following propositions:

All progress, whether physical, mental, moral, spiritual or financial, is based upon LAW. And he who wins success in any line does so because he has followed the LAW or LAWS pertaining to his business, whether he does it consciously or unconsciously.

Some of our great "Captains of Industry," who have won marvelous successes in financial affairs (though they may have failed as moral or spiritual beings), have won their great success along this line because they, consciously or unconsciously, have discovered the underlying LAW, and by concentrating upon it alone, to the exclusion of everything else in life, have manifested the operation of the LAW to an almost abnormal degree.

What most of us want is "all 'round" success, but what we must remember is that no one can be an "all 'round" success without Financial Independence. No matter how much good a person may want to do, he is handicapped by a lack of money. All the air-castles that he has built; all the beautiful plans that he has created: all the cherished desires to do good—all go unfulfilled because there is no money with which to complete them. Before these air-castles can become real buildings; before these plans can become realities; before these great desires can be fulfilled; before any of these great things can be manifested into living realities—the LAW must be seen, understood, and put into conscious operation. And the purpose of this little book is to tell you HOW TO DO IT!

For several years the writer has seen the need, among advanced thought circles, of a book filling this want. In his own life he has found that Financial Success is not a matter of grind, and rush, and fight and struggle. It is a matter of getting into harmony with the LAW, and then following that LAW to its logical conclusion. In this little book he will place this information and the result of his experience. In it he will state the LAW—how to get in harmony with it—and what to do to keep in the closest touch with it.

This book is no magic potion to be swallowed with wonderful results—it is, instead, a plain statement of the LAW, so that all who run may read, and then act. And he who acts will win success, because he is following the LAW that has been laid down from time immemorial. Whether rich or poor, successful or unsuccessful—it matters not—this book will be of great value to you. If you are a natural money-maker, you must have been using this LAW unconsciously, and in such case this book will enable you to do consciously that which you have been partly doing unconsciously. If you are unsuccessful, and money seems not to be attracted by or to you, this book will guide your thought and actions into proper channels where you will be able to manifest the LAW and thus get the highest possible results.

And, now that you have been told of the feast of good things ahead of you, draw up your chair to the table and partake of what nourishing food has been provided in the following pages. After all, you know, "the proof of the pudding lies in the eating thereof," and so fall to and taste that which has been gathered together for your mental, physical and financial well-being. And now, while you are filling your plates, the writer proposes the opening toast, to be drunk in Nature's sparkling fluid: "Here's to you—may you live long and prosper by following the Law of Financial Success!"

THERE is no idea that seems so much misunderstood as this idea of "Money." On the one hand we find many people engaged in a mad chase after "money for moneys sake," and on the other hand, many others who are decrying money as the root of all evil, and severely criticizing the tendency of the age to seek money actively. Both of these classes of people are wrong—they are occupying the opposite sides of the road of reason, whereas truth is found here, as always, "in the middle of the road."

The man who seeks money at a thing of value in itself—the man who worships money at a very god— such a man is a fool, for he is mistaking the symbol for the reality. And, likewise, the man who decries the pursuit and desire for money as a foul, evil thing—he who would make of money a devil—this man is likewise a fool. The wise man is he who sees money as a symbol of something else behind, and who is not deluded by mistaking the shadow for the substance, either for good or evil. The wise man makes neither a god nor a devil of money—he sees it as a symbol of almost everything that man may obtain from the outside world, and he respects it as such. He sees, while it is true that avarice and greed are detestable and hurtful qualities of mind, still the lack of the proper desire for, and striving after money, makes of man a creature devoid of all that makes life worth the living.

When the sane man desires money, he really desires the many things that money will purchase. Money is the symbol of nearly everything that is necessary for man's well-being and happiness. With it he opens the door to all sorts of opportunities, and without it he can accomplish practically nothing, Money is the tool with which man may carve many beautiful things, and without the aid of which he is helpless. Money is but the concentrated essence of things desired, created and established by society in its present stage of development. There have been times in which there was no money—there may be times coming in which the race will have passed beyond the need of money as the symbol of exchange and possession—but, be this as it may, the fact remains that now, right here in the beginning of the Twentieth Century, there in nothing that is so necessary for man's well-being and content as this much-abused money.

Remember this, first, last and all the tune, that when I say, "man needs money," I mean that he needs the many things that money will purchase for him. And for one to decry the desire for money is for him to decry the desire for nearly all the good and desirable things of life. As a recent writer has said: "Unless a man acquires money, then shall he not eat; nor be clothed; nor have shelter; nor books; nor music; nor anything else that makes life worth living for one who thinks and feels."

The people who decry the desire for money are generally those who have found themselves lacking in the qualities that tend to attract money; or else those who are in possession of money that has been inherited, or is otherwise acquired without the labor, excitement or satisfaction of having been made by themselves. With the first mentioned class it is a case of "sour grapes"; with the second it is financial dyspepsia, which has left the victim devoid of a normal appetite.

In spite of the loud cries and protests of our long-haired brothers and short-haired sisters—so-called "reformers"—money is still necessary in order that man may have the necessities of life, as well as a few luxuries. We cannot live on beautiful theories, but must have bread and batter, and potatoes, and sometimes a piece of cake or pie—and it takes money to get them. Money means freedom, independence, liberty, and the ability to do great good, as well as great evil. It means the opportunity to carry out great plant and to fulfill great ideals. It means the filling in of those mental pictures that we have sketched out in our minds. It means the chance of materializing those airy "Castles in Spain" that we have dwelt upon in moments of hopeful ecstasy. Ah, yes, money is the wizard, able and willing to work wonders. It is, indeed, the genie who can and will do its master's bidding.

I hold that in the present stage of evolution of man, money is to mankind what air, water, sunshine and mother-earth are to the plant—it is nourishment. And, as in the plant, the desire for nourishment is a natural and worthy instinct, so is the desire for this financial nourishment in man a perfectly natural and worthy instinct—it is the working of the same natural law. And, mark you this, that as the desire of the plant is a natural indication of the existence of the nourishment-need, so is this desire in the breast of man a certain indication of the possibility of its satisfaction and attainment, if natural laws are but followed. Nature is no mocker—it causes no desire to spring up in a living thing, unless it also endows that living thing with the faculties and powers to attain that which it craves. A realization of this great natural law will do many of my readers much good just now.

But note this, also, nature does not encourage the hoarding up of anything for the mere sake of acquisition. It punishes this error severely. The Law of Use underlies all of nature's instinctive cravings. It desires that the living thing shall draw to itself the nourishment and material it needs, in order to use it. And this desire for money on the part of man is governed by this same law—the Law of Use. Nature wishes you to desire money—to attract it to you—to possess and acquire it—and lastly, and most important of all, to use it. By using money, and keeping it working and in action, you will fall in line with the workings of this great Law of Use. By falling in with this Law, you work in harmony with the great natural forces and purposes. You bring yourself into harmony with the Cosmic Plan, instead of opposing it, and when man so brings himself into harmony with the natural forces around him, he reduces friction and receives the reward that comes to all living things that work with, instead of against, the LAW.

So, friends, in closing this chapter, I would say to you: Be not afraid, but assert the desirability of the possession and use of money: recognize that it it your natural right to possess it, just as it is the natural right of the plant to sunshine, light and air. And do more than this—it belongs to you—demand it of the LAW, just as does the plant.

Cease all this talk of the beauty of poverty, and the joy of the humble—you know that in the bottom of your heart you do not mean a word of it You know that you are just saying these things because you are afraid that you cannot have that which you want. Throw off this mask of hypocrisy, and self-deception, and stand out in the open like a man, throwing your head up and looking the world in the face, saying, "Yes, I do desire Money; I want it and I want it earnestly, and through the LAW I demand it as my rightful inheritance—and I'm going to get it, beginning right now!"

Throw off the shackles of the slave, and assert your freedom. Assert your own mastery of that which is your own. Don't be afraid to assert what you want, and to see it clearly ahead of you—then march straight onward to the mark, without turning to the right, or to the left, without fear or favor, without flinching or fouling—straight to the mark which is called Financial Success! For in that goal, alone, may you find that for which you seek—that which your heart desires.

Order complete book in Adobe PDF eBook or printed form for $9.95 (+ printing charge)

Click here to order from Amazon.com for $15.56