HOW TO BEGIN: THE PRIME ESSENTIALS

Practical methods through which anyone, the beginner in particular, may realize his ideals, cause his cherished dreams to come true, and cause the visions of the soul to become tangible realities in everyday life.

1. Learn to be still.

To live peacefully, think peacefully, act peacefully and speak peacefully are important essentials.

To acquire stillness never "try hard," but simply exercise general self control in everything you do. Never be anxious about results, and they will come with less effort, and in less time. Whenever you have a moment to spare relax the whole person, mind and body; just let everything fall into the easiest position possible. Make no effort to relax, simply let go.

2. Rejoice and be glad.

To be happy always is one of the greatest things that man can do, and there are few things that are more profitable in every sense of that term. No matter what comes, be glad; and live in the conviction that all things are working together for good to you. As your conviction is so is your faith; and as your faith is so it shall be unto you. When you live in the conviction that all things are working together for good you will cause all things to work together for good, and you will understand the reason why when you begin to apply the real science of ideal living. No matter how dark the cloud, look for the silver lining; it is there, and when you always look at the bright side of things you develop brightness in yourself.

3. Love everybody and be kind.

Give your best to the world, and the best will come to you without fail; if it does not come today, never mind; just go on being kind and refuse to consider disappointments. Never hold in mind those things that you do not wish to retain; you thus cause those things to pass away. This "shall also pass away" is true of everything that is not pleasant; but unpleasant things will not pass away so long as we hold them in thought. That which you let go from your mind will pass away from you entirely. Train yourself to be kindness in a permanent state of mind, because you cannot afford to criticize, condemn or be angry at any time.

4. Have faith in abundance.

Have faith in God; have faith in man; have faith in yourself; have faith in faith. Believe in everything, and you relate yourself to the best that is in everything. Faith brings out the best that is within us and puts that best to work now.

Have faith in the Infinite and the Supreme Power will always be with you. This power will see you through, whatever your goal may be. Therefore, if you would enter the new life, the better life, the ideal life, and inspire others to do the same, have faith in abundance.

5. Pray without ceasing.

Affirm with deep, quiet feeling,

"Peace is mine."

"I am resting in the stillness of the spirit."

"I have entered the beautiful calm."

"I am one with the Infinite."

“I am in the kingdom of the great within."

“I am in the secret places of the Most High,"

and similar states.

Everything that is important should be taken into the silence and through the silence to the Infinite. This corresponds perfectly with the statement

"Take it to the Lord in prayer."

6. Think the truth.

"MAN IS A SPIRITUAL BEING CREATED IN THE IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF GOD"

7. Live in the spirit.

Give your best to the world no matter how insignificant that best may be, and the world will invariably give its best to you.

But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. ~ Matthew 6: 33.

To forgive everybody for everything at all times, regardless of circumstances, is the first step towards complete emancipation. Forgiveness, absolute forgiveness, is not only the path to complete emancipation, but is also the "gates ajar" to a better life, a larger life, a richer life, a more beautiful life than you ever knew before.

God is rich; the universe is overflowing with abundance. If we have not everything that we want, there is a reason; there is some definite cause somewhere, either in ourselves or in our relations to the world, but this cause can be found and corrected; then we may proceed to take possession of our own. Among the many causes of poverty and the lack of a full supply there is one that has been entirely overlooked. lack of gratitude, and other thousands who have almost everything that the heart may wish for do not reach the coveted goal of full supply because their gratitude is not complete. Multitudes continue in poverty from no other cause than a lack of gratitude, and other thousands who have almost everything that the heart may wish for do not reach the coveted goal of full supply because their gratitude is not complete.

The more grateful we are for the good things that come to us now the more good things we shall receive in the future. This is a great metaphysical law, and we shall find it most profitable to comply exactly with this law, no matter what the circumstances may be. Be grateful for everything and you will constantly receive more of everything; thus the simple act of being grateful becomes a path to perpetual increase. The reason why is found in the fact that whenever you enter into the mental attitude of real gratitude your mind is drawn into much closer contact with that power that produces the good things received. In other words, to be grateful for what we have received is to draw more closely to the source of that which we receive.

The greatest service that anyone can render to the race is to properly fill the place he occupies now, to be himself today; but it is not only others that will benefit by such individual actions. The individual himself will receive greater good from life through this method than through all other methods combined. The great secret of secrets is to live your own life in your own world as well as you possibly can now. In this age thousands are seeking the path of spiritual growth and high intellectual attainments, while millions are dreaming of the life beautiful; accordingly, systems almost without number are springing up everywhere, claiming to reveal the hidden path to these greater goals; but it is the truth that when everything has been said, the one statement that rises above them all is this: Be all that you are today and you shall be even more tomorrow.

To establish the accumulative consciousness, that is, that consciousness that has complete hold on things, train yourself to inwardly feel that you have full possession of everything in your own being. Feel that you possess yourself. Affirm that you possess yourself. Think constantly of yourself as possessing yourself, everything that is in yourself, and you will soon be conscious of absolute self-possession. Some have this conscious feeling naturally, and they invariably gain vast possessions, either in tangible goods or in wisdom and higher spiritual powers.

The principles necessary to the perpetual increase of happiness are as follows:

1. Live the simple life.

2. Live the serene life.

3. Be in love with the world.

4. Be useful.

5. Think and speak the beautiful only.

6. Forgive and forget everything that seems wrong.

7. Be perfectly contented with the present.

8. Seek the ideal.

9. Develop the whole man.

10. Open the mind to beautiful thoughts only.

11. Be in touch with the harmony of life.

12. Consecrate every moment to the higher life.

THE IDEAL MADE REAL - Christian Daa Larson