Claiming What Is Yours

In a recent conversation, I was telling a woman to pluck up courage and to reach out for a certain good thing for which she had been longing for many years, and which, at last, appeared to be in sight. I told her that it looked as if her desire was about to be gratified—that the Law of Attraction was bringing it to her. She lacked faith, and kept on repeating, “Oh! it’s too good to be true—it’s too good for me!” She had not emerged from the worm-of-the-dust stage, and although she was in sight of the Promised Land she refused to enter it because it “was too good for her.” I think I succeeded in putting sufficient “ginger” into her to enable her to claim her own, for the last reports indicate that she is taking possession.

In a recent conversation, I encouraged a woman to reach for something good she had wanted for many years. At last, it seemed within reach. I told her it looked as if her wish was about to come true. The Law of Attraction seemed to be bringing it to her. She lacked faith and kept saying, “Oh! it’s too good to be true. It’s too good for me!” She still thought of herself as a worm in the dust. Although she could see the Promised Land, she refused to enter it because it “was too good for her.” I think I managed to put enough “ginger” into her to help her claim what was hers. The latest reports suggest that she is taking possession.

But that is not what I wish to tell you. I want to call your attention to the fact that nothing is too good for you—no matter how great the thing may be—no matter how undeserving you may seem to be. You are entitled to the best there is, for it is your direct inheritance. So don’t be afraid to ask—demand—and take. The good things of the world are not the portion of any favored sons. They belong to all, but they come only to those who are wise enough to recognize that the good things are theirs by right, and who are sufficiently courageous to reach out for them. Many good things are lost for want of the asking. Many splendid things are lost to you because of your feeling that you are unworthy of them. Many great things are lost to you because you lack the confidence and courage to demand and take possession of them.

But that is not what I want to tell you. I want you to understand that nothing is too good for you. It doesn't matter how great it is or how undeserving you may seem. You are entitled to the best there is, because it is your inheritance. So don't be afraid to ask for it, demand it, and take it. The good things in the world are not reserved for a favored few. They belong to everyone. But they come only to those who are wise enough to recognize that these things are theirs by right. They must also be brave enough to reach out for them. Many good things are lost because no one asks for them. You miss out on many wonderful things because you feel unworthy of them. You miss out on many great things because you lack the confidence and courage to demand and claim them.

“None but the brave deserves the fair,” says the old adage, and the rule is true in all lines of human effort. If you keep on repeating that you are unworthy of the good thing—that it is too good for you—the Law will be apt to take you at your word and believe what you say. That’s a peculiar thing about the Law—it believes what you say—it takes you in earnest. So beware what you say to it, for it will be apt to give credence. Say to it that you are worthy of the best there is, and that there is nothing too good for you, and you will be likely to have the Law take you in earnest, and say, “I guess he is right; I’m going to give him the whole bakeshop if he wants it—he knows his rights, and what’s the use of trying to deny it to him?” But if you say, “Oh, it’s too good for me,” the Law will probably say, “Well, I wouldn’t wonder but what that is so. Surely he ought to know, and it isn’t for me to contradict him.” And so it goes.

“Only the brave deserve the fair,” says the old saying. This rule holds true in every kind of human effort. If you keep saying you are unworthy of something good, that it is too good for you, the Law will probably take you at your word. That is a peculiar thing about the Law. It believes what you say and takes you seriously. So be careful what you tell it, because it will probably believe you. Tell the Law that you deserve the best there is and that nothing is too good for you. The Law will likely take you seriously and say, “I guess he is right. I’m going to give him the whole bakery if he wants it. He knows his rights, so what’s the use of trying to deny them to him?” But if you say, “Oh, it’s too good for me,” the Law will probably say, “Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if that were true. Surely he ought to know, and it isn’t for me to contradict him.” And so it goes.

Why should anything be too good for you? Did you ever stop to think just what you are? You are a manifestation of the Whole Thing, and have a perfect right to all there is. Or, if you prefer it this way, you are a child of the Infinite, and are heir to it all. You are telling the truth in either statement, or both. At any rate, no matter for what you ask, you are merely demanding your own. And the more in earnest you are about demanding it—the more confident you are of receiving it—the more will you use in reaching out for it—the surer you will be to obtain it.

Why should anything be too good for you? Have you ever stopped to think about what you are? You are a manifestation of the Whole Thing and have a perfect right to all there is. Or, if you prefer, you are a child of the Infinite and heir to it all. Either statement is true, and so are both. In any case, whatever you ask for, you are simply demanding what is yours. The more earnestly you demand it and the more confident you are of receiving it, the more effort you will put into reaching for it. And the more certain you will be to get it.

Strong desire—confident expectation—courage in action—these things bring to you your own. But before you put these forces into effect, you must awaken to a realization that you are merely asking for your own, and not for something to which you have no right or claim. So long as there exists in your mind the last sneaking bit of doubt as to your right to the things you want, you will be setting up a resistance to the operation of the Law. You may demand as vigorously as you please, but you will lack the courage to act, if you have a lingering doubt of your right to the thing you want. If you persist in regarding the desired thing as if it belonged to another, instead of to yourself, you will be placing yourself in the position of the covetous or envious man, or even in the position of a tempted thief. In such a case your mind will revolt at proceeding with the work, for it instinctively will recoil from the idea of taking what is not your own—the mind is honest. But when you realize that the best the Universe holds belongs to you as a Divine Heir, and that there is enough for all without your robbing anyone else; then the friction is removed, and the barrier broken down, and the Law proceeds to do its work.

Strong desire, confident expectation, and courage in action bring you what is yours. But before you put these forces to work, you must realize that you are only asking for what is yours. You are not asking for something you have no right or claim to. As long as any lingering doubt remains in your mind about your right to what you want, you will resist the working of the Law. You may demand as vigorously as you please. But if you still doubt your right to what you want, you will lack the courage to act. If you keep treating what you want as if it belongs to someone else, you will put yourself in the position of a greedy or envious person. You may even put yourself in the position of a thief facing temptation. In that case, your mind will resist going ahead with the work. It will instinctively recoil from the idea of taking what is not yours. The mind is honest. But the best the Universe holds belongs to you as a Divine Heir. There is enough for everyone, so you do not need to rob anyone else. When you realize this, the friction disappears, the barrier breaks down, and the Law goes to work.

I do not believe in this “humble” business. This meek and lowly attitude does not appeal to me—there is no sense in it, at all. The idea of making a virtue of such things, when Man is the heir of the Universe, and is entitled to whatever he needs for his growth, happiness and satisfaction! I do not mean that one should assume a blustering and domineering attitude of mind—that is also absurd, for true strength does not so exhibit itself. The blusterer is a self-confessed weakling—he blusters to disguise his weakness. The truly strong man is calm, self-contained, and carries with him a consciousness of strength which renders unnecessary the bluster and fuss of assumed strength. But get away from this hypnotism of “humility”—this “meek and lowly” attitude of mind. Remember the horrible example of Uriah Heep, and beware of imitating him. Throw back your head, and look the world square in the face. There’s nothing to be afraid of—the world is apt to be as much afraid of you, as you are of it, anyway. Be a man, or woman, and not a crawling thing. And this applies to your mental attitude, as well as to your outward demeanor. Stop this crawling in your mind. See yourself as standing erect and facing life without fear, and you will gradually grow into your ideal.

I do not believe in this “humble” business. This meek and lowly attitude does not appeal to me. It makes no sense at all. Why make a virtue of such things when Man is the heir of the Universe? Man is entitled to whatever he needs for growth, happiness, and satisfaction! I do not mean that you should adopt a loud, domineering attitude. That is absurd too, because true strength does not show itself that way. A blusterer admits his weakness by blustering to hide it. A truly strong person is calm and self-contained. He is aware of his own strength, so he has no need to make a fuss or pretend to be strong. But break free from this hypnotism of “humility”, this “meek and lowly” attitude. Remember the horrible example of Uriah Heep, and beware of imitating him. Throw back your head and look the world squarely in the face. There is nothing to fear. In any case, the world is likely to be as afraid of you as you are of it. Be a man or woman, not a crawling thing. This applies to your mental attitude as well as your outward behavior. Stop crawling in your mind. See yourself standing upright and facing life without fear, and you will gradually become the person you envision.

There is nothing that is too good for you—not a thing. The best there is, is not beginning to be good enough for you; for there are still better things ahead. The best gift that the world has to offer is a mere bauble compared to the great things in the Cosmos that await your coming of age. So don’t be afraid to reach out for these playthings of life—these baubles of this plane of consciousness. Reach out for them—grab a whole fistful—play with them until you are tired; that’s what they are made for, anyway. They are made for our express use—not to look at, but to be played with, if you desire. Help yourself—there’s a whole shopful of these toys awaiting your desire, demand and taking. Don’t be bashful! Don’t let me hear any more of this silly talk about things being too good for you. Pshaw! You have been like the Emperor’s little son thinking that the tin soldiers and toy drum were far too good for him, and refusing to reach out for them. But you don’t find this trouble with children as a rule. They instinctively recognize that nothing is too good for them. They want all that is in sight to play with, and they seem to feel that the things are theirs by right. And that is the condition of mind that we seekers after the Divine Adventure must cultivate. Unless we become as little children we cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Nothing is too good for you, not a thing. The best there is doesn't even begin to be good enough for you, because even better things lie ahead. The best gift the world can offer is a mere trinket compared with the great things awaiting you in the Cosmos when you come of age. So don't be afraid to reach for these toys of life, these trinkets of this plane of consciousness. Reach for them, grab a whole handful, and play with them until you're tired. That's what they're made for, anyway. They're made for us to use, not to look at, but to play with if we want to. Help yourself. A whole shop full of these toys awaits your desire, demand, and taking. Don't be shy! Don't let me hear any more silly talk about things being too good for you. Nonsense! You've been like the Emperor's little son, thinking the tin soldiers and toy drum were far too good for him and refusing to reach for them. But you don't usually find this problem with children. They instinctively recognize that nothing is too good for them. They want to play with everything in sight, and they seem to feel that it belongs to them by right. That is the state of mind we seekers after the Divine Adventure must cultivate. Unless we become like little children, we cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

The things we see around us are the playthings of the Kindergarten of God, playthings which we use in our game-tasks. Help yourself to them—ask for them without bashfulness—demand as many as you can make use of—they are yours. And if you don’t see just what you want, ask for it—there’s a big reserve stock on the shelves, and in the closets. Play, play, play, to your heart’s content. Learn to weave mats—to build houses with the blocks—to stitch outlines on the squares—play the game through, and play it well. And demand all the proper materials for the play—don’t be bashful—there’s enough to go round.

The things we see around us are the playthings of the Kindergarten of God. We use them in our games and tasks. Help yourself to them. Ask for them without being shy. Demand as many as you can use. They are yours. And if you don’t see exactly what you want, ask for it. There is a large reserve stock on the shelves and in the closets. Play, play, play to your heart’s content. Learn to weave mats, build houses with blocks, and stitch outlines on the squares. Play the game through, and play it well. And demand all the proper materials for playing. Don’t be shy. There is enough to go around.

But—remember this! While all this be true, the best things are still only game-things—toys, blocks, mats, cubes, and all the rest. Useful, most useful for the learning of the lessons—pleasant, most pleasant with which to play—and desirable, most desirable, for these purposes. Get all the fun and profit out of the use of things that is possible. Throw yourself heartily into the game, and play it out—it is Good. But, here’s the thing to remember—never lose sight of the fact that these good things are but playthings—part of the game—and you must be perfectly willing to lay them aside when the time comes to pass Into the next class, and not cry and mourn because you must leave your playthings behind you. Do not allow yourself to become unduly attached to them—they are for your use and pleasure, but are not a part of you—not essential to your happiness in the next stage. Despise them not because of their lack of Reality—they are great things relatively, and you may as well have all the fun out of them that you can—don’t be a spiritual prig, standing aside and refusing to join in the game. But do not tie yourself to them—they are good to use and play with, but not good enough to use you and to make you a plaything. Don’t let the toys turn the tables on you.

But remember this! Even though all this is true, the best things are still just playthings: toys, blocks, mats, cubes, and everything else. They are useful, very useful, for learning lessons. They are pleasant, very pleasant, to play with. And they are desirable, very desirable, for these purposes. Get all the fun and benefit you can from using things. Throw yourself wholeheartedly into the game and play it through. It is Good. But remember that these good things are only playthings, part of the game. Be perfectly willing to put them aside when it is time to move into the next class. Do not cry and mourn because you must leave your playthings behind. Do not become too attached to them. They are for your use and pleasure, but they are not part of you. They are not essential to your happiness in the next stage. Do not despise them because they lack Reality. They are relatively great things, and you might as well get all the fun from them that you can. Do not be a spiritual snob who stands aside and refuses to join the game. But do not tie yourself to these things. They are good to use and play with, but not good enough to use you and make you a plaything. Do not let the toys turn the tables on you.

This is the difference between the Master of Circumstances and the Slave of Circumstances, The Slave thinks that these playthings are real, and that he is not good enough to have them. He gets only a few toys, because he is afraid to ask for more, and he misses most of the fun. And then, considering the toys to be real, and not realizing that there are plenty more where these came from, he attaches himself to the little trinkets that have come his way, and allows himself to be made a slave of them. He is afraid that they may be taken away from him, and he is afraid to toddle across the floor and help himself to the others. The Master knows that all are his for the asking. He demands that which he needs from day to day, and does not worry about over-loading himself; for he knows that there are “lots more,” and that he cannot be cheated out of them. He plays, and plays well, and has a good time in the play—and he learns his Kindergarten lessons in the playing. But he does not become too much attached to his toys. He is willing to fling away the worn-out one, and reach out for a new one. And when he is called into the next room for promotion, he drops on the floor the worn-out toys of the day, and with glistening eyes and confident attitude of mind, marches into the next room—into the Great Unknown—with a smile on his face. He is not afraid, for he hears the voice of the Teacher, and knows that she is there waiting for him—in that Great Next Room.

This is the difference between the Master of Circumstances and the Slave of Circumstances. The Slave thinks these toys are real and that he is not good enough to have them. He gets only a few toys because he is afraid to ask for more, and he misses most of the fun. Because he thinks the toys are real, he does not realize that there are plenty more where they came from. So he becomes attached to the little trinkets he has acquired and lets them make him their slave. He is afraid they may be taken away, and he is afraid to toddle across the floor and help himself to the others. The Master knows that all the toys are his for the asking. He demands what he needs from day to day and does not worry about taking too much. He knows there are “lots more” and that he cannot be cheated out of them. He plays, and plays well, and has a good time. And as he plays, he learns his Kindergarten lessons. But he does not become too attached to his toys. He is willing to throw away a worn-out toy and reach for a new one. When he is called into the next room for promotion, he drops the day’s worn-out toys on the floor. With shining eyes and a confident mind, he marches into the next room, into the Great Unknown, smiling. He is not afraid, because he hears the Teacher’s voice. He knows she is there waiting for him in that Great Next Room.