Greetings,
For this reason I say to you, whatever you make a request for in prayer, have faith that it has been given to you, and you will have it.
(Mark 11:24)And the LORD answered me, and said, write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
(Habakkuk 2:2)Welcome to another issue of
Let's Talk. We have been discussing the ideas suggested in the book
“Think and Grow Rich”. The concept of thinking and growing rich is interesting in itself. But today, we will discuss the idea of using our imagination to think and grow rich.
The imagination is the workshop of the mind in which the creation of ideas occurs. We have been told, if you can conceive it, you can achieve it. This is true because the imagination can give life and form to the ideas it entertains, but we must first believe it.
There are two forms of imagination. There is the
synthetic imagination and the
creative imagination. Let’s dive into each and explore the content found therein. I challenge you to have an open mind while dissecting the content we’re exploring. Our minds are like parachutes. They are only useful when they are open.
The synthetic imagination is where you can arrange old concepts, ideas or plans into new combinations. In this faculty, nothing is created. It simply fosters the collaboration of experience, education and observation. Basically put, here is where we remanufacture old ideas and plans into new concepts and dreams. Majority of those of us, who use our imagination, use the synthetic imagination.
Then we have the creative imagination. It is through this facet of the imagination that we tap into a higher power. Inspiration, or some of us call them hunches or intuition, is received via the creative imagination. Fresh new ideas are produced when we tap into this form of imagination. In the creative imagination, we can communicate one to another subconsciously.
The creative imagination works automatically but only when the conscious mind is working at an exceedingly rapid rate. When we tap into one of the strongest forms of stimulation there is, our emotions, the creative imagination will give us a means in which to manifest the results associated with our obsessive desire. This explains why we must take some time and decided what it is we really want to accomplish, especially in our professional life. The more you use the creative imagination, the stronger it gets. It becomes extremely alert. At this point, visualization is very helpful because it helps the subconscious to know exactly what you want to achieve.
The imagination, both faculties, becomes more developed with use as does any other muscle when exercised. Desire is only a thought. Without strong emotions to propel it, it is of no value. We will use our synthetic imagination more than our creative imagination, but know that there will be times when we will have to create a way when it seems there is none.
Our imagination may seem vague due to a lack of use. This is to be expected. Know that our imagination cannot die. We have only but to begin to use it to get stirred into a mode of creativity. Know that once in this mode, we must have a plan and a definiteness of purpose. We get this by exercising our imagination to first come up with an idea. Let’s take a look at an example in
“Think and Grow Rich” .
WHAT I WOULD DO IF I HAD A MILLION DOLLARS This story proves that old saying, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”. It was told to me by the beloved educator and clergyman, the late Frank W. Gunsaulus, who began his preaching career in the stockyard regions of Chicago.
While Dr. Gunsaulus was going through college, he observed may defects in our educational system, defects which he believed he could correct, if he were the head of a college. His deepest desire was to become the directing head of an educational institution in which young men and women would be taught to “learn by doing”.
He made up his mind to organize a new college in which he could carry out his ideas, without being handicapped by orthodox methods of education.
He needed a million dollars to put the project across! Where was he to lay his hands on so large a sum of money? That was the question that absorbed most of this ambitious young preacher’s thoughts.
But he couldn’t seem to make any progress.
Every night he took that thought to bed with him. He got up with it in the morning. He took it with him everywhere he went. He turned it over and over in his mind until it became a consuming obsession with him. A million dollars is a lot of money. He recognized that fact, but he also recognized the truth that the only limitation is that which one sets up in one’s own mind.
Being a philosopher as well as a preacher, Dr. Gunsaulus recognized, as do all who succeed in life, that DEFINITENESS OF PURPOSE is the starting point from which one must begin. He recognized, too, that definiteness of purpose, takes on animation, life, and power when backed burning desire to translate that purpose into its material equivalent.
He new all these great truths, yet he did not know where, or how to lay his hands on a million dollars. The natural procedure would have been to give up and quit, by saying, “Ah well, my idea is a good one, but I cannot do anything with it, because I can never procure the necessary million dollars.” That is exactly what the majority of the people would have said, but that is not what Dr. Gunsaulus said. What he said, and what he did was so important that I now introduce him, and let him speak for himself.
“One Saturday afternoon I sat in my room thinking of ways and means of raising the money to carry out my plans. For nearly two years, I had been thinking, but I had done nothing but think!
The time had come for ACTION!
I made up my mind, then and there, that I would get the necessary million dollars within a week. How? I was not concerned about that. The main thing of importance was the decision to get within a specified time, and I want to tell you that the moment I reached a definite decision to get the money within a specified time, a strange feeling of assurance came over me, such as I had never experienced. Something inside me seemed to say, ‘Why didn’t you reach that decision a long time ago? The money was waiting for you all the time!’
Things begin to happen in a hurry. I called the newspapers and announced I would preach a sermon the following morning, entitled, ‘What I would do if I had a Million Dollars.’
I went to work on the sermon immediately, but I must tell you, frankly, the task was not difficult, because I had been preparing that sermon for almost two years. The spirit back of it was a part of me!
Long before midnight I had finished the sermon. I went to bed and slept with a feeling of confidence, for I could see myself already in possession of the million dollars.
Next morning I arose early, went into the bathroom, read the sermon, then knelt on my knees and asked that my sermon might come to the attention of someone who would supply the needed money.
While I was praying I again had that feeling of assurance that the money would be forthcoming. In my excitement, I walked out without my sermon, and did not discover the oversight until I was in my pulpit and was about ready to begin delivering it.
It was too late to back for my notes, and what a blessing that I couldn’t go back! Instead, my own subconscious mind yielded the material I needed. When I arose to begin my sermon, I closed my eyes, and spoke with all my heart and soul of my dreams. I not only talked to my audience, but I fancy I talked also to God. I told what I would do with a million dollars if that amount were placed in my hands. I described the plans I had in mind for organizing a great educational institution, where young people would learn to do practical things, and at the same time develop their minds.
When I had finished and sat down, a man slowly arose from his seat, about three rows from the rear, and made his way towards the pulpit. I wondered what he was going to do. He came into the pulpit, extended his hand and said, ‘Reverend, I like your sermon. I believe you can do everything you said you would, if you had a million dollars. To prove that I believe in you and your sermon, if you will come to my office tomorrow morning, I will give you the million dollars. My name is Phillip D’Armour.’”
Young Gunsaulus went to Mr. Armour’s office and the million dollars was presented to him. With the money, he founded the Armour Institute of Technology.
That is more money than the majority of preachers ever see in an entire lifetime, yet the thought impulse back of the money was created in the young preacher’s mind in a fraction of a minute. The necessary million dollars came as the result of an idea. Back of the idea was a DESIRE which young Gunsaulus had been nursing in his mind for almost two years.
Observe this important fact…HE GOT THE MONEY WITHIN THIRTY-SIX HOURS AFTER HE REACHED A DEFINITE DECISION IN HIS OWN MIND TO GET IT, AND DECIDED ON A DEFINITE PLAN GETTING IT!
There was nothing new or unique about young Gunsaulus’ vague thinking about a million dollars, and weakly hoping for it. Others before him, and many since his time, have had similar thoughts. But there was something very unique and different about the decision he reached on that memorable Saturday, when he put vagueness into the background, and definitely said,” I WILL get that money within a week!”
God seems to throw Himself on the side of the man who knows exactly what he wants, if he is determined to get JUST THAT!
Moreover, the principle through which Dr. Gunsaulus got his million dollars is still alive! It is available to you! This universal law is as workable today as it was when the young preacher made use of it so successfully.Know that hard work alone will not manifest our dreams. How many of us know people who work hard diligently, but get nowhere? Success does not come based on luck or chance. Nor does it manifest itself via hard work alone. Those who experience success do so in response to definite plans, demands, and principles.
Many people go through life wishing for a lucky break. What they don’t realize is, if they are afforded the break, it would only create an opportunity. If they have not formulated definite plans, along with the use of universal principles, the opportunity is wasted.
In this story, Dr. Gunsaulus had an idea that he rolled around in his mind for almost two years. He used his imagination to develop that idea. He then came up with a definite plan and purpose for his idea. He did all this via thought. His thought built his desire. But it took even more than this to move the idea from his mind into his reality.
We may have to continuously engage in positive self talk while encouraging ourselves and nurturing our idea when we first receive it. But eventually, we will find that one day the tables have turned. Now that idea has become powerful and it now talks to, encourages and nurtures us.
Ordinary desire will not survive disappointment, discouragement, temporary defeat, criticism and the constant reminding of “waste of time”. We have to have an obsession. Until we make a commitment to achieve our goal in a specified time frame, it’s just a thought. We have to make a committed decision. From here, our subconscious mind will work on the how.
“Ideas are intangible forces that have more power than the physical brain that give birth to them. They have the power to live on, after the brain that creates them has returned to dust.”
(Napoleon Hill,
Think and Grow Rich) This all begins with exercising our imagination. Remember, this is the workshop of our mind.I welcome your feedback. Please leave me any comments and/or questions you may have. If you have any topics you’d like to discuss, let me know what’s on your mind.
If you know someone who would benefit from this information, please refer them to this here.
Until next time,God BlessT.J. RobinsonP.S.Awaken the sleeping giant within you. If you have not downloaded your free copy of the book, visit
"Think and Grow Rich" and get yours today. While you're there, take a look around the site for some interesting information.
Share
Posts
