Yes, the next word is “Action.” And, just as the only “condition” put on Joe in exchange for the counseling he’d get to receive from Pindar and his friends was that he had to put the Laws into action “right away, the very same day you first learn it,” it’s worth making that point here, as well.
John and I have both been delighted by receiving emails from readers telling us that they “really got that part.” That they understood the emphasis we put on taking action on the ideas you learn. In fact, many of them have made that commitment to us — and more importantly, to themselves — that they would apply the Laws and principles they learned in the book right away, that very same day.
Interestingly enough, this concept has been coming up again lately in both John’s life and mine, and without knowing about it, we both wrote articles on the topic. Me, in my weekly ezine newsletter, “Winning Without Intimidation,” and John in his own excellent blog.
By the way, later this summer John is taking some very significant action; he’s getting married to the very beautiful and charming Ana McClellan. And I’m taking action, as well: I’m going to fly up to Massachusetts to attend. 🙂
Please write in and let John and me (and the other readers of this blog) know how you are taking action, not only regarding to the principles in the book, but in other areas of your life.
How do you feel about the importance of taking action? (Of course, we’re talking about well-thought-out action, not acting irresponsibly or acting on a whim. But, you knew that). 🙂
Since I’ve been studying and growing in quantum leaps, I’ve noticed there are subtle nuances in manifestation technology. There’s a little bit of an untruth that is sold to us, and that is we can manifest anything we want. Maybe that’s true. But it’s a lot easier to manifest things through action that are in alignment with my overall purpose and mission in life, making sure that the goal and the vision is in alignment with what’s going on inside myself. In addition to all that, I am making sure that the process of taking action brings a smile to my face, so that I am happy that I set the goal and ordered on the menu of the universe, but I’m not attached to the outcome. If the action feels like a sacrifice or is in a servile spirit, then the feeling of that is my compass. If it feels good and is alignment with my overall mission, I do it. If not, I don’t.
A good example of taking action in the wrong way is when I went to college. I was like most people, thinking that the bachelor’s degree would give me the “necessary qualifications” and more marketable in the job market. Maybe that’s true. But it’s a bad first reason for going to college.
The frequently cited statistic of bachelor degree holders making more money is a correlational relationship, not causal. It all comes down to giving. What value do you add to your employer? A bachelor’s degree in and of itself has little, if any value to an employer — only the value you bring to the company is really important. Attending a university, I was required to take a lot of classes that did not interest me. So in essence, I was trading money and time for a degree in some classes. By the the last couple of years of college, I was realizing that what I was becoming was much more important than what I was going to receive (a degree), and so I did my best in all of my classes to make even the most irrelevant subject somewhat relevant to me, and thereby made the classes much more fulfilling.
About a year ago, when I first started to study The Science of Getting Rich (upon the recommendation of Bob Burg ;), I thought of action as another neurosis. Just as the word “diet” is a neurosis in this country, the word “action” had similar mental baggage attached to it. Increasingly, I am finding that action is one of the most enjoyable parts of the manifestation process. It’s like one of those Choose Your Own Adventure gamebooks. After the reader makes a choice, the plot branches out and unfolds, leading to more decisions and eventually multiple possible endings.
“If you decide to start back home, turn to page 4.
If you decide to wait, turn to page 5.”
That’s the fun of it. I’m just creating the story as I go, so that it’s much more entertaining. And am following Wallace Wattles’s advice: starting small, thinking big, and having fun. And I am beginning to realize that the mystery and surprise of the journey is more important and real to me than the destination.
Just one quick thought …
“It’s later than you think.”
~Melanie
David,
Good words. Thanks for sharing them. You are fortunate to have learned such a valuable lesson in college. I’m just now learning it 24 years after graduation.
I agree that action are more fruitful when they’re aligned with our mission or our purpose in life. It also helps if they’re in line with our strengths, gifts and talents. Working outside of those saps our energy, while working within them brings us energy.
Oh I agree, Steve. We should definitely be working within and ON our strengths. There’s this idea floating around in our culture that says we need be working on our weaknesses. That’s just complete nonsense. We do not need to be working on our weaknesses.
If we are to achieve prosperity-bliss-consciousness, we can’t be focused on our weaknesses. We have to be focused on the best of everything all the time. And that comes to down to the old saying coined by Earl Nightingale, “We are what we think about all day.”
But even before that, we need be aware of what we’re hoisting to our face and passing through our lips on a daily basis. Nutrition is primary. You are what you eat is primary. There’s no way around it. The wealth and health equations can no longer be discussed as mutually exclusive topics and no longer divorced from each other. If you’re trying to focus on the best of everything all day but you feel like crap…..it’s kinda like pressing the brake and gas pedals at the same time.
At any rate, the action of giving and receiving is magic. It’s so obvious and so profound and mysterious. When there’s an exchange of love, there is a particle exchanged. Love is the fundamental energy that holds us all together.
Excellent, well thought-out comments and responses. Thank you for participating.
Bob