Welcome back to SEASON 11 of The Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, where we connect the science-based evidence behind social and emotional learning and emotional intelligence training for improved well-being, achievement, productivity and results—using what I saw as the missing link (since we weren’t taught this when we were growing up in school), the application of practical neuroscience. I’m Andrea Samadi, an author, and an educator with a passion for learning and launched this podcast 5 years ago with the goal of bringing ALL the leading experts together (in one place) to help us to APPLY this research in our daily lives.
On today's episode #320 and PART 7 of our REVIEW of Wallace D. Wattles The Science of Getting Rich, we will cover “How to Act in This Certain Way” with Chapters 11-17.
✔ Chapter 11: ACTING IN THE CERTAIN WAY A PERSON MUST ACT, AS WELL AS THINK
✔ CHAPTER 12: EFFECTIVE ACTION
Just as there is an effective and ineffective way to THINK, there is also an effective and ineffective way to ACT.
✔ CHAPTER 13: GETTING INTO THE RIGHT BUSINESS
✔ CHAPTER 14: THE IMPRESSION OF INCREASE
We covered Chapter 14 on The Impression of Increase on EP 316 in PART 3 of our review. We started this review with Chapters 4/14/7 in this order, because this was the order that was recommended to me to study this book for maximum results.
✔ CHAPTER 15: THE ADVANCING MAN
✔ CHAPTER 16: SOME CAUTIONS
- BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SPEAK ABOUT
- NEVER ALLOW YOURSELF TO FEEL DISAPPOINTED
- KEEP STUDYING THIS BOOK
✔ CHAPTER 17: REVIEW
- Putting PART 1 into ACTION: Finding the Joy in Lean or Difficult Times
- Putting PART 2 into ACTION: Getting Comfortable with Money
- Putting PART 3 into ACTION: Living the Impression of Increase
- Putting PART 4 into ACTION: Practicing Gratitude or Faith in Action
- Putting PART 5 into ACTION: Developing a Rock Solid Mental Mindset
- Putting PART 6 into ACTION: Uncovering What You Really Want
- Putting PART 7 into ACTION: Review each part and APPLY IT!
Welcome back to PART 7, of our review of Wallace D. Wattles, The Science of Getting Rich. In this classic book on thinking, this book describes how each of us shapes the events around us, creating much of the positive riches in our own personal and professional lives. Rhonda Byrne, creator of the movie The Secret[i], said she stumbled across The Science of Getting Rich and has "never been the same." This was one of the first seminars I sold when I worked with Bob Proctor back in the late 1990s, and he mentioned to me in our interview on EP 66[ii] that his business took off after Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret took off. There is true magic within the words written within these pages, and like all of the books we dive deep into, it’s the application of what we read here that has the potential to change our life forever.
If you enjoyed our Deep Dive into Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich[iii] book, or the 4 Part Series of The Silva Method,[iv] (that I’m going to revisit after this study is complete) the concepts we will cover in this review go hand in hand with those Deep Dives. I’m currently studying Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” with Paul Martinelli[v], who teaches this book like no one else and I’m constantly reminded of how important our ability to “think” really is. Napoleon Hill titled his book with four simple words. He picked “think and grow” as the first three, and we covered in this series the power of our thoughts. Now, we are learning through the words of Wallace D. Wattles, that once we know how to think and grow, we can next add the rich part, and he shows us there is a science to this.
I always add that it’s not just rich financially, but we grow rich in our knowledge, rich in our potential, and we need money to keep learning, and growing, so yes, rich financially.
Bringing us to Chapter 11: ACTING IN THE CERTAIN WAY
Have you noticed that up until now, we have been focused on THINKING in a CERTAIN way in this book study? Now we are at a pivotal part of the book where we must shift from thinking, to now ACTING IN A CERTAIN WAY.
This chapter caught me off guard while writing this review and was a huge AHA Moment of learning for me. I’ve been studying this book since June of 1999 when I attended my first live seminar with Bob Proctor on this book, and I sold this event over a span of 6 years, meaning that I had to convey to others what this seminar was about, in order for them to attend.
It hit me when I got to this chapter, on “Acting in the Certain Way”, that up until NOW, 25 years later, I realized I wasn’t thinking at all while reading, studying and learning this book. You know when you read something quickly, you can miss the meaning? Granted, this isn’t the easiest book to read, written in 1910 with abstract concepts on thinking in a certain way that I didn’t really understand. I thought this was ANOTHER chapter on “Thinking AND Acting” in this certain way and wondered why he wrote the book with ANOTHER chapter like Chapter 4, where he already covered “The First Principle in the Science of Getting Rich” that was about the power of our thoughts. I misread the title that says “Acting in This Certain Way” and I MISSED the point that Wattles was making. This is why it’s important to study these classic books on success, year after year, revealing new truths of understanding for us. Wattles spent the FIRST 10 chapters of the book talking about the importance of our thinking, and only now, at Chapter 11, did he approaching the Acting part of the syllabus.
Another part of this book that I missed is that Wattles repeats the syllabus over and over again the book, but he doesn’t read the whole syllabus at once. He adds the parts he is covering in each chapter, revealing a bit more of the syllabus for us, as we progress through the book. He only reveals the part of the syllabus on Acting in the Certain way at the END of this chapter when he adds the lines “That they may receive what he wants when it comes, a person must now ACT upon the people and things in his environment.” (Ch 11, SGR, Wattles).
A PERSON MUST ACT, AS WELL AS THINK:
Wattles opens up Chapter 11 by bridging the first 10 chapters we’ve just read when he says “Thought is the impelling force that causes the creative power to act; thinking in a Certain Way will bring riches to you, but you must not rely on thought alone, paying no attention to personal action.” (Ch 11, SGR, Wattles).
Once we perfect Thinking in This Certain Way, it’s time to move onto Acting in This Certain Way.
When I read the line “A person must act as well as think” (on line 10 of Chapter 11) I know it means taking action on whatever it was that we want, but I couldn’t help but think of Stella Adler’s The Art of Acting here, that we covered on EP 288[vi] last May. It was TODAY, January 15th, 2016, 8 years ago, that I attended my last live seminar with Proctor where I wrote about him talking on stage with Oscar Award Winner Phil Goldfine. Phil was a master at “Acting” in this Certain Way and I mean taking action, that would lead him to WHATEVER goal he had, whether it was what he did to become an Oscar Award winner, or the daily training he endured. In an article written about him in 2019, “Oscar and Emmy winner Phil Goldfine shares the five things you need to know to succeed in show business”[vii] his first tip is to take “Action, action, action….every day to get things done.”
It’s this chapter of the book that I think can change a person’s ENTIRE life, if they read this early in their lives. The action that we take, on a daily basis really matters.
There’s many layers of meaning in this chapter, and I hope to unravel them all in this review, tying together many of our recent episodes, like Dr. Joe Dispenza’s work, that jumps out at me while reading this chapter.
On line 19 of Chapter 11, Wattles says “By thought you can cause the gold in the hearts of the mountains to be impelled towards you. But it will not mine itself, refine itself, coin itself into double eagles, and come rolling along the roads into your pockets.” Like Phil Goldfine said “It takes action, action, action.”
Next Wattles reviews ALL concepts in prior chapters by saying “You must give each person more in use value than he gives you in cash value (and that) you must use your faith and purpose to positively impress your vision upon the formless substance, which has the same desire for more life than you have. And, this vision, received from you, sets all the creative forces at work in and through their regular channels of action, but directed toward you…(and) All you have to do is retain your vision, stick to your purpose, and maintain your faith and gratitude.” (Chapter 11, SGR, Wattles).
Then he says it.
“You must act in this certain way” and if you can hear what “this certain way” is especially for young adults, this concept is worth all the gold in the mountains that Wattles was describing.
I’m so grateful to have started to read this book in my late 20s, but I’m 52 now, and still “sharpening” these ideas.
Wattles gives us what I think is one of the “key secrets” to Thinking AND Acting in This Certain Way here when he says “By thought, the thing you want is brought to you. By action, you receive it.”
If I was to write ANYTHING down, or highlight anything, it’s where Wattles bridges the concept of Thinking and Acting in This Certain Way.
Next he warns us that “if you act in the present with your mind in the future, present action will be with a divided mind and it will not be effective. Put your whole mind into present action.” (Chapter 11, SGR, Wattles).
Isn’t that what Dr. Joe Dispenza taught us with his “Predictable Timeline” where we must learn to focus on the present moment? Wattles describes this similarly, but adds an important angle by saying “You cannot act where you are not. You cannot act where you have been (the past), and you cannot act where you are going to be (in the future). You can only act where you are.” (Chapter 11, SGR, Wattles).
IMAGE CREDIT: Andrea hand drew the image from Chapter 2 Becoming Superhuman
This is what I think changed everything I do in all areas of my life. Even though I missed the title of Chapter 11, these next three words come into my head over and over again over the years. He says, “Do not dwell on whether yesterday’s work was well or poorly done. Do today’s work well. Do not try to do tomorrow’s work now, there will be plenty of time to do that when tomorrow comes.” (Chapter 11, SGR, Wattles).
Then he reminds us “Do not wait for a change of environment before you act. Cause a change of environment through action.” (Chapter 11, SGR, Wattles). Whenever you are unhappy in your present environment, Wattles suggests to “act on your present environment with all your heart and with all your strength and with all your mind. Hold the vision of yourself in the right business –with the purpose to get into it and the faith that you will get into it. But, act in your present business.” (Chapter 11, SGR, Wattles).
I’ve been in exactly this spot, where I’ve known I’m in the wrong place of work, and the natural urge is to stop working hard, and focus on the place of work that you desire to be in, but Wattles would say this is not going to get you there according to his “Science.” He would suggest that you “hold the vision of yourself in the job you want, while you act with faith and purpose on the job you have, and you will certainly get the job you want.” (Chapter 11, SGR, Wattles).
“You vision and faith will set the creative forces in motion to bring it towards you. And, your action will cause the forces in your own environment to move you towards the place you want.” (Chapter 11, SGR, Wattles).
As you take action in your present environment, you will begin to change, and will outgrow your present environment, preparing you for the NEW environment you will be moving towards. As you move towards it, it also begins to move towards you. How does this happen?
This is where Wattles timeless book, connects back to what we covered in such depth with Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich.
By “Thinking” and “Acting” in this certain way, we change our frequency or vibration, until we are on the same frequency as whatever it is that we want.
Wattles ends this chapter, by revealing the last part of the syllabus on Acting in the Certain way when he adds the lines “That he may receive what he wants when it comes, a person must ACT now upon the people and things in his present environment.” (Ch 11, SGR, Wattles).
Not past environment, and not future environment.
ACT NOW.
ACTIVITY TO PUT CHAPTER 11 into PRACTICE:
Write out in clear detail what it is that you WANT. I remember the first time I did this activity, I sketched a house that I wanted to live in (that looks a lot like the house I’m currently living in), and see if you can strengthen how you see what you want on the screen of your mind.
Next, write out some next steps, or actions you can take, to bring what you want closer to you.
This is where I always will say to “DREAM BIG” or be careful what you wish for, or dream about, because you may just end up one day living the dream in reality, that you shaped so carefully on the screen of your mind.
CHAPTER 12: EFFECTIVE ACTION
Just as there is an effective and ineffective way to THINK, there is also an effective and ineffective way to ACT.
What is effective action?
When we take any productivity course, we learn how to plan our day the night before, so we can make use of the time in our day. Time wasting is one of my biggest pet peeves. I don’t like wasting my time, or other people’s time and it’s probably because I can see how detrimental it can be for my own goals as well as other people’s.
Wattles believes in not just taking action in the present moment, but by making sure it’s EFFECTIVE action with EVERYTHING that you do. This is why I like interviewing others, especially those who are high performing, to see how they THINK and ACT, every day, to hit such high levels of achievement. While writing these episodes, I do like to go back and look at past interviews to see how connections can be made, and revisiting EP 38[viii] and EP 166[ix] makes sense here, to see how pro athletes and their coaches THINK and ACT in this certain way to attain such high levels of achievement. When you watch a professional at work, you’ll see it. They are involved in effective action.
Wattles brings our attention to the fact that every day is either a SUCCESS or a FAILURE and it matters what ACTION we take every day.
Funny thing, while writing this episode, my oldest daughter came to me with something I had to sign for her school work (high school level) with any suggestions I might have for her to improve on. She passed me this sheet of paper and said “just sign it and say you agree with it” and I read what she had written and she hasn’t even completed the sentences on the page she asked me to sign. She was not taking effective action, and was asking me to sign and say I was ok with her putting in half the effort. You’d better believe this led to a discussion on doing your best with EVERYTHING you do.
Taking EFFECTIVE ACTION is not just for our work, it’s for how we live our life. Do we make our bed with half the effort? Do we wash up half the dishes? Do we clean half of our house, or keep only half of the interiors of our cars clean?
If we can teach this concept to our children when they are young, they will be living one of the most important and timeless lessons I’ve seen in all my years studying the characteristics of high performers.
Wattles reminds us in this chapter that “the world is advanced only by those who more than fill their present places.” (Chapter 12, SGR, Wattles) and that “every day is either a successful day or a day of failure.”
This sentence almost haunts me with my daily work when he says “if there is something that must be done today and you do NOT do it, you have failed insofar as that thing is concerned.” (Chapter 12, SGR Wattles).
Have you ever said you will do something, like go to the post office to mail something for an example, and the day gets away, and you have not done the things that you said you would do, Wattles would say that you have FAILED with that action. When you fail to take action, you mess up all of the future possibility associated with the action you were supposed to take.
He says “You cannot foresee the results of even the most trivial act. You do not know the workings of all forces that have been set moving on your behalf.” (Chapter 12, SGR, Wattles).
THINK to all the times when massive change happened in your life. I bet it was because you were taking efficient action and it was not by chance or luck.
So, if I write down I’m going to the Post Office tomorrow, I will be haunted by Wattles words, until I have done what I said I was going to do.
“Do, every day, all that can be done that day.” (Chapter 12, SGR, Wattles).
He does remind us that we are “not to overwork or to rush blindly into our business in the effort to do the greatest possible number of things in the shortest possible time.” (Chapter 12, SGR, Wattles).
“Do every day, all that can be done today.” to live with EFFICIENT ACTION consistently every day.
But, if for some reason something does not get completed, it goes at the TOP of the list to be completed tomorrow and I remember “It’s not the number of things that I do, but the efficiency of each separate action that counts.” (Chapter 12, SGR, Wattles).
He also says that “every action is either weak or strong. When every one is strong, you are activating in the certain way that will make you rich. Every act can be made strong by holding your vision while you are doing it and by putting the whole power of your faith and purpose in it.” (Chapter 12, SGR, Wattles)
Aim to do everything with strength and he says that “every success (you encounter) opens up the way to other successes. Successful action is cumulative in its results.” (Chapter 12, SGR, Wattles).
This is incentive enough to always do our very best.
“Do every day, all that you can do that day, and do each act in an efficient manner” (Chapter 12, SGR, Wattles) and you will find the right balance for you.
Wattles ends this chapter by slightly changing the closing statements on the syllabus to bring us to where we are now in our study, by reading the syllabus as we know it, and adding “He must form a clear mental picture of the thing he wants. And, he must do with faith and purpose all that can be done each day—doing each separate thing in an efficient manner.” (Chapter 12, SGR, Wattles).
If you do what Wattles suggests here, and turn The Science of Getting Rich into a habit, I can guarantee that:
“When riches begin to come, they come so quickly, in such great abundance, that one wonders where they have been hiding all those lean years.” (Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill).
ACTIVITY TO PUT CHAPTER 12 into PRACTICE:
Write out the list of what you intend to accomplish the night before your work day, and while going about your day, ask yourself “did I execute that task with effective action?” Next to each of your daily tasks, put a check mark if you think you accomplished this. If not, work on doing all you can, effectively, every day, until you can honestly put a check mark next to everything that you do.
EXTEND THIS ACTIVITY
Once you have begun to execute every task effectively, and it becomes a habit, keep your eyes open for doors that open up to because of this. This is what I would like to know. If you have noticed that you were able to advance yourself forward in this way, using these principles, please send me a message.[x] I’m always looking for people who THINK and ACT in this Certain Way.
CHAPTER 13: GETTING INTO THE RIGHT BUSINESS
I always remember LOVING this chapter because it separates those who will work hard for what they want, from those who won’t.
Wattles says “success in any particular business depends for one thing upon you possessing in a well-developed state the faculties required in that business.” (Chapter 13, Wattles)
He reminds us that “Without good musical faculty no one can succeed as a teacher of music” and he goes on to explain that many people can be working in a certain field (he gives examples like blacksmiths and carpenters who have excellent mechanical ability) “but they do not get rich.” (Chapter 13, SGR, Wattles).
It’s here that Wattles talks about the “various faculties of your mind” that are the “tools with which you must do the work which is to make you rich.” (Chapter 13, SGR, Wattles). He says “it will be easier for you to success if you get into a business you are well-equipped with mental tools.”
He’s talking BEYOND our God-given talents and abilities. It will be with the use of our “mental tools” or the “Faculties of our Mind” that will bring us riches. We covered going beyond our five senses, developing the Six Higher Faculties of the Mind on EP 294.[xi]
Have you ever wondered “where am I best fitted?” in your career?
It’s here we must do some soul searching and answer the question we asked in PART 6 of this series.
What is YOUR desire that’s seeking expression with and through you?
This desire in you is “the urge of the Original Substance, containing all the possibilities of life.”
Listen to the quiet voice within you to know for certain that you are working in the right business because that “desire” seeking expression with and through you has tremendous power. “Where there is a strong desire to do a thing, it is proof that the power to do it is strong and only needs to be developed and applied in the right way.” (Chapter 13, SGR, Wattles).
It’s this desire, with this power attached to it, that will keep you working and applying effort during difficult times.
He says “ Do not be afraid to make a sudden or radical change if the opportunity is presented and if you feel, after careful consideration, that it is the right opportunity” and don’t worry you will end up in the wrong place, or miss the boat for the right place, because “as you go on in the certain way, opportunities will come to you in increasing numbers.” (Chapter 13, SGR, Wattles).
ACTIVITY TO PUT CHAPTER 13 into PRACTICE:
Chapter 13 ends with a reminder of the syllabus to “do all you can in a perfect manner every day, but do it without haste, worry, or fear. Go as fast as you can, but never in a hurry. When you see yourself hurrying, stop. Fix your attention on the mental image of what you want and begin to give thanks that you are getting it. This exercises of gratitude will never fail to strengthen your faith and renew your purpose.” (Chapter 13, SGR, Wattles).
He’s asking us in Chapter 13 to make sure we are living Chapters 4 (thinking in the certain way) 14 (the impression of increase) by reaching for more of what you want, and 7 (by connecting ourselves to our source with a deep feeling of gratitude).
REVIEW AND CONCLUSION
To review and conclude PART 7 of our review of Wallace D. Wattles’ The Science of Getting Rich, we covered:
Chapter 11: ACTING IN THE CERTAIN WAY
Where we looked at the importance of how “A person must act as well as think.” We spent some time on separating THINKING in a CERTAIN way (that Wattles covered in the first 10 chapters of the book) to “Acting in the Certain Way” that he covers in Chapters 11-17.
We did an activity at the end of this chapter where we sketched out what we WANT on the screen of our mind (Thinking in this Certain Way) with action steps to take by (Acting in this Certain Way) to bring whatever it is towards us.
CHAPTER 12: EFFECTIVE ACTION
Where Wattles reminded us to “Do, every day, all that can be done that day.” (Chapter 12, SGR, Wattles) and of the importance of being effective with our daily actions. The activity we did at the end of this chapter was for us to self-evaluate whether we think we were effective with our daily tasks by putting a check mark next to our daily tasks if we thought that we performed them effectively.
We extended this activity by making it a habit, to always execute our daily tasks effectively. Don’t do anything half-way. Do all that you can effectively, in one day, without rushing.
CHAPTER 13: GETTING INTO THE RIGHT BUSINESS
It’s here we revisit the question:
What is YOUR desire that’s seeking expression with and through you? And we make sure that we are doing everything we can every day, efficiently, while holding the image of what we want, and being grateful for every single good thing that comes our way.
While writing these steps, it feels a bit like juggling. We started this book study by juggling the concepts of chapters 4, 14 and 7, (and were urged to read these chapters for 90 days so we can solidify the ideas into our mind), and then we started to work through the chapters of the book with the first 10 chapters being about Thinking in a Certain Way, and the last 7 are about Acting in a Certain Way.
And if we can learn to juggle the chapters of this book, with accuracy, and not drop any concepts, we will meet with riches that will come so quickly and “in such great abundance, that (we will wonder) where they have been hiding all those lean years.” (Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill).
It’s here that I can go back to PART 5 of our review, where we started into the chapters of this book and I’ll read this again. At this point of our review, I look at what Wattles wrote here, and I don’t think he’s far off. He says:
We have learned specific ways to THINK and ACT, that make sense to me that when we sharpen about mental abilities, and follow the formula that Wattles suggests, that Failure of What You Want, is Impossible.
What do you think?
Do you think that there is a Science of Getting Rich?
CHAPTER 14: THE IMPRESSION OF INCREASE
We covered Chapter 14 on The Impression of Increase on EP 316[xii] in PART 3 of our review. We started this review with Chapters 4/14/7 in this order, because this was the order that was recommended to me to study this book for maximum results.
CHAPTER 15: THE ADVANCING MAN
I love this chapter! Especially when I see this in others. This is not as easy to see in ourselves, since it takes time for us to see our own advancements, until one day, we look back, and BAM, we see it. Then we wonder, “How on the earth did we get to where we ended up?” or as Hill says, that one day, when we least expect it “we will meet with riches that will come so quickly and in such great abundance, that (we will wonder) where they have been hiding all those lean years.” (Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill).
Like Ryan O’Neill, from EP 203[xiii] who I watched over time, completely transform his career, reading this book. It’s actually Ryan’s copy of the book that I used in every graphic for each of these sessions.
Wattles says that “the advancing man who holds to a clear mental image of himself as successful and who obeys the laws of faith, purpose and gratitude—will cure every curable case he undertakes, no matter what remedies he many use.” (Chapter 15, SGR, Wattles).
CHAPTER 16: SOME CAUTIONS
This chapter is important to read to see what Wattles believes we should be “cautious” about.
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SPEAK ABOUT: I’ll never forget this line where he says “Never speak of times as being hard or of business conditions as being doubtful. Times may be hard and business doubtful for those on the competitive plane, but they can never be so for you. You can create what you want to create and you are above fear. When others are having hard times and poor business, you will find your greatest opportunities.” (Chapter 16, Wattles).
This one is essential for anyone and everyone to practice. I remember in my early days of sales, that when someone would ask “how’s business?” and it was difficult (it was never easy) I would say “BOOMING!” regardless of how it really was going. This is a habit that will get you through the rough snowstorms, and blizzards of life.
I remember this caution now without even trying. Things were not easy for me in my early days of living in the US, but I knew they would be what would give me my character, backbone and determination to get me through the difficult times that are a natural part of this thing called life. You’ll never hear me complaining of those days when money was tight, because looking back now, there was so much to be grateful for in those lean years.
NEVER ALLOW YOURSELF TO FEEL DISAPPOINTED: This one is valuable. You will save yourself so much heart ache if when something doesn’t work out the way you want, that you grab hold of the lessons learned and keep moving. Wattles suggests “You may expect to have a certain thing at a certain time and not get it at that time. This will seem to be a failure. But, if you hold to your faith, you will find that failure is only apparent. Go on in a certain way, and if you do not receive that thing, you will receive something so much better that you will see that the seeming failure was a prelude to a great success.” (Chapter 16, Wattles, SGR).
Practice this one. I can only say from experience that this one ALWAYS works. I rarely quote my Dad, but I will here. He used to always say “Andrea, what’s for you, won’t go by you” and this is true. You will never miss the boat for something that is meant for you. I’ve heard this said another way that if you miss the boat at some point, and the opportunity was meant for you, don’t worry, keep working, and the boat will come back for you, time and time again, until you jump on it.
STUDY THIS BOOK: He suggests to “make it your constant companion until you have mastered the ideas contained in it.” (Chapter 16, Wattles).
Isn’t this the truth. While you may come across some parts of the book that you disagree with, find out dated, or old fashioned, if you can get the main points of the book where he teaches us to THINK in a Certain way (Chapters 1-10) and then how to ACT in a Certain Way (Chapters 11-17) I’m certain your life will change.
When we can make these concepts a habit, we will certainly notice that money flows easily to us and like I mentioned in the beginning of this study, once we have mastered these principles ourselves, our next course of action it to go out and see how we can help others.
CHAPTER 17: REVIEW
Wattles writes his review of this book in just over 2 pages. For those people closest to me, they know that I have a really hard time saying anything I think is important, in just a few words.
To close out this book study, I can see that by far, the most important part of this review is The Syllabus. Maybe this is a lesson for me to learn. The Science of Getting Rich is ALL about the Syllabus. This whole book can be summed up in 5 paragraphs, not 17! I have this Syllabus laminated so I can pin it up on my office wall to be read next to my goals. It’s easy to look back now that we’ve reached the end of this study, and I can tell you that I sold this seminar without truly understanding the contents of this book, until now, 25 years later. I mentioned that I missed the fact that the first 10 chapters were about Thinking in this Certain Way, and the last 7 were about Acting in this Certain Way, and I wonder what else could I have missed, which is why Wattles suggests keeping this book as your Companion until you achieve the results you are looking for.
So, if I read the book, without completely understanding it, implementing SOME, not ALL of Wattles concepts, and STILL created everything I’ve ever wanted over the years, (all the goals I’ve ever written out I’ve attained so I keep adding new ones each year for continual growth) then I can say to you, the listener, to just read the book, begin your study, and let me know where it takes you. You don’t need to understand or implement EVERY chapter, but just begin. I know there is so much more for me to learn, but what a life we can create, when we think it’s IMPOSSIBLE to fail.
I just saw that Lewis Howes, the podcaster who runs The School of Greatness Podcast, just covered Rhonda Byrnes[xiv], who read this book, was never the same, and used the concepts she learned from this book to form the ideas you see in the movie, The Secret[xv]. If you want to hear Rhonda Byrne’s thoughts on this subject, I’ll link this episode with her and Lewis in the show notes. She has some incredible tools that can help people to create prosperity thinking, which I thought is the MOST important part of this book study.
To review and conclude this book study, I thought a good way to end this study would be with a practical real-life lesson learned attached to each of the 7 PARTS of this study, so we can begin to think about applying these concepts in our own daily lives.
Putting PART 1 into ACTION: Prosperity Consciousness
FINDING THE JOY IN LEAN OR DIFFICULT TIMES
“Money doesn’t bring you happiness, but happiness brings you money.” (Lewis Howes, The School of Greatness).
If any of you are listening to this series, and think you have a poverty mindset, join the club. This is where I was BEFORE studying this material, and it’s been a process for me along the way.
I told my story of running out of gas when I only had $16 in my bank account, but I knew in those early days (around 2001) how important prosperity thinking was and being truly happy, even in those lean times, since I was still selling this seminar back then.
I look back now to those early days, and those difficult times hold such joy for me. It sounds odd to say this, but they really do. I remember working as a nanny at one of Arizona’s most beautiful resorts, and I could hear the birds singing, while walking with someone’s youngster, trying to create mystery and intrigue for them walking through the resort. I knew all of the “secret” passageways and would take young kids through these passage ways telling them the stories that only the walls could tell. They listened to my stories, and scavenger hunts with their eyes open wide.
Prosperity thinking took me some time, but the key to all of it was to find the “joy” when times were difficult, and then be open to what I would discover. Where would these lean times lead me? While experiencing those moments of “joy” I know I felt it from the inside out, and gave my best to each family I worked and interacted with. At the end of providing the best service, giving them more in “use” value with each family, I often received very large tips. Back then, a large tip for me was over $100. I’ll never forget the families who gave back to me when I most needed this money, allowing me to remember when I was able to, I would do the same.
“Every person naturally wants to become all they are capable of becoming...Success in life is becoming what you want to be.” Wallace D. Wattles
Putting PART 2 into ACTION: The First Principle of the Science of Getting Rich: Getting Comfortable with Money
This is a hard one to do when money is lean. How do you hold it, feel it, and get comfortable with it, when you haven’t got it?
In this chapter, I showed a photo of Grant Cardone and his children playing a game where they were fishing for $100 bills. If you can play games with money, even Monopoly money, teaching our children what it looks and feels like to touch it, hand it out, have a lot of it, throw it up in the air, you will be teaching them to become comfortable with money.
Money is not to be feared. We can ALL earn it. It’s given to us in exchange for services rendered.
So how do I teach my children to become comfortable with money? When money was tight, (before I had my own kids) I showed children I worked with to see the natural beauty around them. We didn’t spend any money on our nature walks, talking of the past history of some of Arizona’s most precious landmarks, opening their eyes to ways they could create an innovate in their futures. These nature walks were behind the books I would write in the future.
Now I have my own children, and want to teach them to be comfortable with money, and not fear it, so once in a blue moon, I will say when I have set aside some extra money, we will go to the shopping mall, and find something that we REALLY love. The important part with this shopping spree is that we DO NOT look at the price on the label of what we find. This is difficult, because we WANT to, but I instruct them to pick something, and they must not know the price.
Not being afraid to spend money, if you have it, is important for getting comfortable with money. Also, not being afraid it will be spent, and you won’t
have any more. We were at the mall, and our oldest daughter needed a pair of sunglasses. She had a concussion in the summer, and she was still sensitive to sunlight, and needed a pair. Instead of looking at the $20 glasses in one of the stores, I said to her “why don’t you try on a pair of those sunglasses” as we walked passed some beautiful glasses all in cases. These were designer glasses and not something a teenager would usually buy, but for the point of learning this lesson (it was once in a blue moon) so she agreed to try on some glasses from this section she would normally not be looking in.
She found 2 pairs. One was much cheaper than the first pair. I told her to NOT look at the price, but she did, and then the sales clerk came by and spoiled my plan when she said “oh these ones are double the price of those.” I knew she loved the expensive pair. I could just tell.
When I asked her which pair she wanted, she picked the cheaper pair, and I asked her if she picked the cheaper pair to save us money, and she said “yes.” So, I said, “she would like this pair” and handed her the pair that was double the price. Now I can’t make this up, but this is the whole reason why it’s important to not look at pricing and pick what you love, if you have the money and not be afraid that you’ll spend it all, never to have any more again.
When the sales clerk rang up the expensive pair of glasses, she got this weird look on her face. She kept typing in numbers, and then she said “I don’t know what’s happening, but this pair, that should be double to price, is ringing up much less than the other pair you were looking at.” She knew what the price was, but there was a glitch in her system that she said would be more work to fix, so she charged us much less, for the expensive pair of glasses.
#Mindset #Thinking #Thoughts #TheScienceofGettingRich #WallaceDWattles #Prosperity #WaltDisney #ArtLinkeletter #Abundance
Putting PART 3 into ACTION: Living the Impression of Increase
So how do we take this concept and put it into action in our daily lives? It’s all about taking the focus off ourselves, and directing it towards others. Since all people seek this increase, if we become someone who inherently gives this to others, we will become in demand.
The example I wanted to share here is that we can all give increase to others, even if we are living in lean or difficult times ourselves, we just need to be aware, so we can act quickly.
This is where I’ve got to say that I am guilty of sometimes not being aware. Sometimes I’m standing in line at a grocery store, and just zoning out, thinking of all the things on my plate. Go back 20 years, when I was in my lean times, and I was exactly the same.
If we want to LIVE the impression of increase every day, we’ve got to be aware.
One day, I was standing in line to pay for groceries, and this was a time when I had to make the money I was earning stretch far. I was tired, and was not paying attention to the fact that the guy ahead of me was trying to buy diapers for his family. He was trying to pay with some sort of voucher that this store didn’t take. Now fast forward to when I had my kids, diapers were really expensive. This was something he needed, and I missed the opportunity to offer to help him. I had enough money that day to pay for my food and his diapers, but he was sent away. I remember trying to run after this young guy in the parking lot, to say I could help, but he was gone. Not a fun experience standing at the cash register and you can’t pay for something.
For this lesson, I would say, be aware of where you can help others, and if you can, lend a hand. I always regretted not paying attention, and missing an opportunity to help someone.
“Increase is what all men and women are seeking: it is the urge of the Formless Intelligence within them, seeking fuller expression…All human activities are based on this desire for increase; people are seeking more food, more clothes, better shelter, more luxury, more beauty, more knowledge, more pleasure—increase in something, more in life.” Wallace D. Wattles
#mindset #Thinking #thoughts #TheScienceofGettingRich #Prosperity #Neuroscience #TheImpressionofIncrease #abundance
Putting PART 4 into ACTION: GRATITUDE IS FAITH In ACTION
Read chapters 4/14/7 for 90 days, paying attention to each chapter and this alone will change your world.
I challenge YOU to read chapter 4/14/7 of this book for 90 days, and let me know what happens.
"Gratitude is an attitude that hooks us up to our source of supply. And the more grateful you are, the closer you become to the architect of the universe, to the spiritual core of your being." Bob Proctor on Chapter 7 of Wallace D. Wattles' SGR book.
#TheScienceofGettingRich #BobProctor #WallaceDWattles #gratitude #gratitudepractice #gratitudechallenge #gratitudejourney #thinking #thoughts #mindset
Putting PART 5 into ACTION: DEVELOPING A ROCK SOLID MENTAL MINDSET
Reading chapters 1 (The Right to be Rich), 2 (There is a Science of Getting Rich), 3 (Is Opportunity Monopolized) and 5 (Increasing Life) we are working on our mental faculties.
The first part of this book, or Thinking in a Certain Way, takes time.
If you want to know how you are thinking, look at the results you are achieving. This is a clear sign.
If you like the results that someone else is achieving, ASK them, “What is your mental mindset as it relates to your work” and you’ll learn something new that you can apply to strengthen your own.
Rome wasn’t built in one day, and our mindset and ability to THINK in THIS CERTAIN WAY takes time and practice, but this is the foundation for what we are building here.
Putting PART 6 into ACTION: UNCOVERING WHAT YOU REALLY WANT.
"Never think or speak of what you want without feeling confident that it will arrive." Wallace D. Wattles, The Science of Getting Rich
In part 6 we are still working through how to THINK in This Certain Way covering Chapters 6 (How Riches Come to You), 8 (Thinking in the Certain Way), 9 (How to Use the Will) 10 (Further Use of the Will).
We looked at ideas for creating Multiple Sources of Income here, and ways to further strengthen our mental abilities by referring back to the Think and Grow Rich study, or The Silva Method.
This whole time we are letting the Syllabus sink into our daily life, and becoming familiar with Chapters 4, 14 and 7.
#TheScienceofGettingRich #WallaceDWattles #Mindset #Prosperity #2024Goals #TheWill #Thinking
Putting PART 7 into ACTION:
Here we covered Chapters 11-17, the final chapters of the book that are focused around ACTING in THIS CERTAIN WAY.
We are reminded that “A person must act as well as think” and how important our daily actions are.
It’s here that productivity courses come to mind, to sharpen our daily routines.
Wattles believes in not just taking action in the present moment, but by making sure it’s EFFECTIVE action with EVERYTHING that you do.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
For a book that I was hesitant to cover, I’m so glad I did. It was a mindset shift for me to pick the Science of Getting Rich notes, study guides and worksheets out of the back of my closet, and begin this study the end of last year.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed looking at the deeper meaning behind the words of Wallace D. Wattles, with me, where he shows us that there is a Science of Getting Rich, and it’s all about Thinking AND Acting, in This Certain Way.
PART 1: Prosperity Consciousness
FINDING THE JOY IN LEAN OR DIFFICULT TIMES
What’s YOUR story for this example?
PART 2: The First Principle of the Science of Getting Rich: Getting Comfortable with Money
What’s YOUR story for this example? How have your worked on your own prosperity consciousness?
PART 3: Living the Impression of Increase
How do YOU live the impression of increase?
PART 4: GRATITUDE (FAITH In ACTION)
How do YOU put faith into action in your life?
PART 5: DEVELOPING A ROCK SOLID MENTAL MINDSET
How do YOU strengthen YOUR mental mindset?
PART 6: UNCOVERING WHAT YOU REALLY WANT
Are you aware of what is seeking expression with and through you? What are you doing to develop your talents and abilities? What multiple sources of income can you set up with these talents?
PART 7: REVIEW COMPLETE THESE 4 ACTION STEPS:
CLOSING ACTION STEPS:
- I do encourage everyone to read Chapters 4/14/7 for 90 days as an action item to studying this book.
- Print a copy of the Syllabus, and put it somewhere you will be able to see it, and read it.
- Read the Syllabus every day, for 90 days, along with chapters 4/14/7.
- Finally, come up with your own examples that go with the 7 PARTS of the book. I had to THINK to create mine, and when you can see these principles in ACTION, along with a change in your THINKING, this is when the magic will happen. You will begin to ACT in this CERTAIN WAY.
My goal for the END of this review, is to show that without a shadow of a doubt, we ALL have the ability to “Think and Grow Rich” like we learned from Napoleon Hill’s study (with our potential as well as our finances) and That there is a Science to Doing This, using Wallace D. Wattles principles. If we can do the hard work involved (using persistence like we did while reading chapters 4/14/7 for 90 days) sharpen our ability to think, make connections grow from what we’ve learned, and then finally, APPLY what we’ve learned, we will see that failure impossible.
We just need to keep “thinking and growing” and then “Acting in This Certain Way.”
RESOURCES:
How to Manifest and Attract Financial Abundance w/ Rhonda Byrne (Creator of "The Secret") Lewis Howes: The School of Greatness with Rhonda Byrne
In today's episode of The School of Greatness, we're diving into a topic that's close to my heart and likely yours too - the journey of manifesting money. I had the pleasure of sitting down with none other than Rhonda Byrne, the mastermind behind “The Secret.” Our conversation was nothing short of enlightening. As Rhonda shared her insights, I couldn't help but reflect on my own financial journey, from times of struggle to moments of abundance. This episode isn't just about money; it's about transforming your life through the principles that Rhonda and I have lived and tested. Whether you're just starting out or looking to deepen your understanding of financial abundance, this is a conversation you won't want to miss.
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-school-of-greatness/id596047499?i=1000641351452
REFERENCES:
[i] Rhonda Byrne 2006 The Secret https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0846789/
[ii] Neuroscience Meets SEL Podcast EPISODE #66 with The Legendary Bob Proctor https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/the-legendary-bob-proctor-on/
[iii] Neuroscience Meets SEL Podcast PART 1 Think and Grow Rich Series https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/think-and-grow-rich-book-review-part-1-how-to-make-2022-your-best-year-ever/
[iv]Neuroscience Meets SEL Podcast PART 1 of The Silva Method https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/a-deep-dive-with-andrea-samadi-into-applying-the-silva-method-for-improved-intuition-creativity-and-focus-part-1/
[v] Join Paul Martinelli’s Study of Think and Grow Rich for FREE https://www.freeprogram.yourempoweredlife.com/
[vi] Neuroscience Meets SEL Podcast EPISODE #288 on “What Does Acting Have to Do With Our Self-Belief and Identity?” https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/brain-fact-friday-on-what-does-acting-have-to-do-with-self-belief-and-our-identity/
[vii]“Oscar and Emmy winner Phil Goldfine shares the five things you need to know to succeed in show business” Feb. 25, 2019 by Yitzi Weiner https://medium.com/authority-magazine/oscar-and-emmy-winner-phil-goldfine-shares-the-five-things-you-need-to-know-to-succeed-in-show-b3152bbf985e
[viii]Neuroscience Meets SEL Podcast EPISODE #38 with Todd Woodcroft https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/assistant-coach-to-the-winnipeg-jets-todd-woodcroft-on-the-daily-grind-in-the-nhl/
[ix]Neuroscience Meets SEL Podcast EPISODE #166 with Chris Gargano https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/vice-president-executive-producer-of-the-new-york-jets-chris-gargano-on-accelerating-leadership-for-maximum-impact-and-results/
[xi] Neuroscience Meets SEL Podcast EPISODE #294 on “Beyond Our Five Senses: Using the 6 Faculties of the Mind.” https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/beyond-our-5-senses-understanding-and-using-the-six-higher-faculties-of-our-mind/
[xii] Neuroscience Meets SEL Podcast EPISODE 316 PART 3 REVIEW of The Science of Getting Rich https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/part-3-review-of-wallace-d-wattles-the-science-of-getting-rich-on-chapter-14-the-neuroscience-behind-the-impression-of-increase/
[xiii] Neuroscience Meets SEL Podcast EPISODE #203 with Paranormal Researcher Ryan O’Neill https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/case-study-with-paranormal-researcher-ryan-o-neill-on-making-your-vision-a-reality/
[xiv] Lewis Howes with Rhonda Byrnes How to Manifest and Attract Financial Abundance w/ Rhonda Byrne (Creator of "The Secret")
The School of Greatness
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-school-of-greatness/id596047499?i=1000641351452
[xv] The Movie, The Secret https://www.thesecret.tv/
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