A Few More Explanations

We go back here to the matter of the point of view, for, besides being vitally important, it is the one which is likely to give the student the most trouble. We have been trained, partly by mistaken religious teachers, to look upon the world as being like a wrecked ship, storm-driven upon a rocky coast; utter destruction is inevitable at the end, and the most that can be done is to rescue, perhaps, a few of the crew. This view teaches us to consider the world as essentially bad and growing worse; and to believe that existing discords and inharmonies must continue and intensify until the end. It robs us of hope for society, government, and humanity, and gives us a decreasing outlook and contracting mind.

We return here to the question of perspective because it is vitally important and likely to cause students the most trouble. We have been taught, partly by misguided religious teachers, to see the world as a wrecked ship. A storm has driven the ship onto a rocky coast, and total destruction is inevitable in the end. The most anyone can do is rescue perhaps a few crew members. This view teaches us that the world is fundamentally bad and getting worse. It also teaches us that existing conflicts and divisions must continue and grow worse until the end. This view robs us of hope for society, government, and humanity. It narrows our outlook and closes our minds.

This is all wrong. The world is not wrecked. It is like a magnificent steamer with the engines in place and the machinery in perfect order. The bunkers are full of coal, and the ship is amply provisioned for the cruise; there is no lack of any good thing. Every provision Omniscience could devise has been made for the safety, comfort, and happiness of the crew; the steamer is out on the high seas tacking hither and thither because no one has yet learned the right course to steer. We are learning to steer, and in due time will come grandly into the harbor of perfect harmony.

This is all wrong. The world is not wrecked. It is like a magnificent steamship with its engines in place and its machinery in perfect working order. The coal storage is full, and the ship has plenty of supplies for the voyage. There is no shortage of anything good. Every provision that all-knowing wisdom could devise has been made for the crew’s safety, comfort, and happiness. The steamship is out on the open sea, turning this way and that. This is because no one has yet learned the right course to steer. We are learning to steer, and in time we will sail grandly into the harbor of perfect harmony.

The world is good, and growing better. Existing discords and inharmonies are but the rollings of the ship incidental to our own imperfect steering; they will all be removed in due time. This view gives us an increasing outlook and an expanding mind; it enables us to think largely of society and of ourselves, and to do things in a great way.

The world is good and growing better. Today's conflicts and disharmony are only the rocking of a ship caused by our own imperfect steering. All these problems will be resolved in time. This view broadens our outlook and opens our minds. It enables us to think big about society and ourselves, and to do great things.

Furthermore, we see that nothing can be wrong with such a world or with any part of it, including our own affairs. If it is all moving on toward completion, then it is not going wrong; and as our own personal affairs are a part of the whole, they are not going wrong. You and all that you are concerned with are moving on toward completeness. Nothing can check this forward movement but yourself; and you can only check it by assuming a mental attitude which is at cross purposes with the mind of God. You have nothing to keep right but yourself; if you keep yourself right, nothing can possibly go wrong with you, and you can have nothing to fear. No business or other disaster can come upon you if your personal attitude is right, for you are a part of that which is increasing and advancing, and you must increase and advance with it.

Furthermore, we see that nothing can be wrong with such a world or any part of it, including our own affairs. If everything is moving toward completion, then nothing is going wrong. And since our personal affairs are part of the whole, our affairs are not going wrong either. You and everything that concerns you are moving toward completeness. Only you can hold back this progress. And you can do so only by adopting a mindset that works against the mind of God. You need only keep yourself on the right track. If you do, nothing can possibly go wrong for you, and you have nothing to fear. No disaster, in business or anything else, can happen to you if your personal attitude is right. This is because you are part of a whole that is growing and advancing. You must grow and advance with that whole.

Moreover your thought-form will be mostly shaped according to your viewpoint of the cosmos. If you see the world as a lost and ruined thing you will see yourself as a part of it, and as partaking of its sins and weaknesses. If your outlook for the world as a whole is hopeless, your outlook for yourself cannot be hopeful. If you see the world as declining toward its end, you cannot see yourself as advancing. Unless you think well of all the works of God you cannot really think well of yourself, and unless you think well of yourself you can never become great.

Your thought-form will also be shaped largely by how you view the universe. If you see the world as lost and ruined, you will see yourself as part of that world. You will also see yourself as sharing in the world's sins and weaknesses. If your outlook for the whole world is hopeless, your outlook for yourself cannot be hopeful. If you see the world declining toward its end, you cannot see yourself moving forward. Unless you think well of all God's works, you cannot truly think well of yourself. And unless you think well of yourself, you can never become great.

I repeat that your place in life, including your material environment, is determined by the thought-form you habitually hold of yourself. When you make a thought-form of yourself you can hardly fail to form in your mind a corresponding environment. If you think of yourself as an incapable, inefficient person, you will think of yourself with poor or cheap surroundings. Unless you think well of yourself you will be sure to picture yourself in a more or less poverty stricken environment. These thoughts, habitually held, become invisible forms in the surrounding mind-stuff, and are with you continually. In due time, by the regular action of the eternal creative energy, the invisible thought-forms are produced in material stuff, and you are surrounded by your own thoughts made into material things.

I repeat: your place in life, including your physical surroundings, is determined by the thought-form you habitually hold of yourself. When you create a thought-form of yourself, you can hardly avoid imagining surroundings that match. If you see yourself as incapable and inefficient, you will picture yourself in poor or cheap surroundings. Unless you think well of yourself, you are sure to picture yourself in surroundings marked by some degree of poverty. These habitual thoughts become invisible forms in the surrounding mind-stuff and stay with you constantly. In time, through the regular action of the eternal creative energy, these invisible thought-forms take physical form. Then you are surrounded by your own thoughts turned into material things.

See nature as a great living and advancing presence, and see human society in exactly the same way. It is all one, coming from one source, and it is all good. You yourself are made of the same stuff as God. All the constituents of God are parts of yourself; every power that God has is a constituent of man. You can move forward as you see God doing. You have within yourself the source of every power.

See nature as a great, living presence that keeps moving forward. See human society in exactly the same way. Nature and human society are all one, come from one source, and are all good. You yourself are made of the same stuff as God. Everything that makes up God is part of you. Every power God has is part of every human being. You can move forward just as you see God moving forward. You have the source of every power within you.