In another and better world, things may be different, but in this world to grow is to change and to change is to have grown much.

- John Henry Cardinal Newman

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It is pleasing to human vanity to believe that one suffers because of one’s virtue; but not until a man has extirpated every sickly, bitter, and impure thought from his mind, and washed every sinful stain from his soul, can he be in a position to know and declare that his sufferings are the result of his good, and not of his bad qualities; and on the way to, yet long before he has reached, that supreme perfection, he will have found, working in his mind and life, the Great Law which is absolutely just, and which cannot, therefore, give good for evil, evil for good. Possessed of such knowledge, he will then know, looking back upon his past ignorance and blindness, that life is, and always was, justly ordered, and that all his past experiences, good and bad, were the equitable outworking of his evolving, yet unevolved self.

James Allen here conveys that to the degree to which we experience suffering, we are holding within us the roots of that suffering. All outer expressions are simply feedback of where we are on our journey to purity. Herein lies the seed of compassionate Self-acceptance.

Are there areas in your life that you have judged yourself as powerless or unfulfilled? What would it look like for you to feel powerful and/or fulfilled in these areas? What one action can you take NOW—big or small—that you believe will move you closer to remaining in this powerful and/or fulfilled state?

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A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is a visible labor and there is an invisible labor. - Victor Hugo

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Circumstances, however, are so complicated, thought is so deeply rooted, and the conditions of happiness vary so vastly with individuals, that a man's entire soul condition (although it may me known to himself) cannot be judged by another from the external aspect of this life alone. A man may be honest in certain directions, yet suffer privations; a man may be dishonest in certain directions, yet acquire wealth; but the conclusion usually formed that the one man fails because of his particular honesty, and that the other prospers because of his particular dishonesty, is the result of superficial judgment, which assumes that the dishonest man is almost totally corrupt, and that the honest man is almost entirely virtuous. In the light of a deeper knowledge and wider experience, such judgment is found to be erroneous. The dishonest man may have some admirable virtues which the other does not possess; and the honest man obnoxious vices which are absent in the other. The honest man reaps the good results of his honest thoughts and acts; he also brings upon himself the sufferings which his vices produce. The dishonest man likewise garners his own suffering and happiness.

James Allen here conveys that we are always more than we appear to be. No man is black or white, but shades of gray, growing through thoughts, words, actions and experiences in one direction or another; towards purity or murkiness. Outer expression alone is insufficient to evaluate the totality of a man-the honest man my hide dubious qualities, while the dishonest man may hold virtuous qualities. In truth, every man is both a sinner and a saint, and the totality of a man's life-results expresses in the outer world-both honest and dishonest man will experience happiness and suffering in line with his moral strengths and weaknesses.

Where do you experience a challenge in your life? What actions do your take or fail to take that contribute to this challenge? What different action can you take NOW-small or large-to shift this challenging circumstance in your life? What support do you need, from yourself or others, to begin to move away from the actions that create or perpetuate this challenging circumstance?

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I have introduced these three cases merely as illustrative of the truth that man is the causer (though nearly always unconsciously) of his circumstances, and that, whilst aiming at a good end, he is continually frustrating its accomplishment by encouraging thoughts and desires which cannot possibly harmonize with that end. Such cases could be multiplied and varied almost indefinitely, but this is not necessary, as the reader can, if he so resolves, trace the action of the laws of thought in his own mind and life, and until this is done, mere external facts cannot serve as a ground of reasoning.

James Allen here introduces two essential concepts: (1) man is the sole creator of his circumstances, and (2) that creation is nearly always unconscious. This distinction explains how frequently a stated intention differs or competes with an unconscious intention that may be its direct opposite. Thus, man often works against his best efforts, self-sabotaging his conscious actions to feed his unconscious needs. The degree to which conscious action differs from stated intention reveals the unconscious master-the thought and need that is truly being served.

What have you always dreamed about doing, having or being? What would it feel like if you did, had or were that NOW? What has stopped you from doing, having or being this to date? What one action can you take NOW-big or small-to move towards doing, having or being what you've dreamed of?

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The miracle, or the power, that elevates the few is to be found in their perseverance under the promptings of a brave, determined spirit.
- Mark Twain

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Here is an employer of labor who adopts crooked measures to avoid paying the regulation wage, and, in the hope of making larger profits, reduces the wages of his work-people. Such a man is altogether unfitted for prosperity, and when he finds himself bankrupt, both as regards to reputation and riches, he blames circumstances, not knowing that he is the sole author of his condition.

James Allen illustrates how the man who is unwilling to accept responsibility for his actions and to take right thought and action in the creation of his desired goal, rightly fails to reach his goal. To become fit for prosperity, the man must think, speak and act in congruence with the principles of prosperity, not in congruence with the principles of scarcity and lack. No one is responsible for the relative manifestation of prosperity but the man himself, through his thoughts, words and actions.
In what areas of your life have you blamed conditions outside of yourself? What can you do NOW to align yourself with the principles of prosperity in these areas of your life? How will your life change for the better as you take total responsibility for your part in enhancing these areas of your life?

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In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Here is a rich man who is the victim of a painful and persistent disease as the result of gluttony. He is willing to give large sums of money to get rid of it, but he will not sacrifice his gluttonous desires. He wants to gratify his taste for rich and unnatural viands and have his health as well. Such a man is totally unfit to have health, because he has not yet learned the first principles of a healthy life.

James Allen here continues with his characterization of man and illustrates how his own choices and propensities rightly determine the state of his life. By holding two competing intentions, health and gluttony, he fails to reach the goal he states that he desires-a healthy life. Choices made in the inner world manifest in the outer world, revealing true intentions beyond our stated intentions.
In what areas in your life have you expressed an intention to change, and yet fell short of your stated intention? What does this reveal to you about the intentions held in the inner world of your mind?

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Here is a man who is wretchedly poor. He is extremely anxious that his surroundings and home comforts should be improved, yet all the time he shirks his work, and considers he is justified in trying to deceive his employer on the ground of the insufficiency of his wages. Such a man does not understand the simplest rudiments of those principles which are the basis of true prosperity, and it is not only totally unfitted to rise out of his wretchedness, but is actually attracting to himself a still deeper wretchedness by dwelling in, and acting out, indolent, deceptive, and unmanly thoughts.

Here James Allen begins a characterization of man that illustrates how his own choices and propensities rightly determine the state of his life. In this case, a man whos victim thinking and avoidance of personal responsibility perpetuates the very wretchedness he thinks he desires to escape. But he cannot escape it, for it is a reflection of the man himself.

Are there areas of your life that you feel victimized by? To what degree is your thinking and behavior perpetuating your perceived victimization? What thoughts and feelings can you choose today to begin to break that cycle?

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Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises. - Demosthenes

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Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound. The man who does not shrink from self-crucifixion can never fail to accomplish the object upon which his heart is set. This is as true of earthly as of heavenly things. Even the man whose sole object is to acquire wealth must be prepared to make great personal sacrifices before he can accomplish his object; and how much more he who would realize a strong and well-poised life?

In this paragraph, James Allen helps us understand that to the extent we remain fixed in our thinking, to the extent that we cling to our victim story, we are tied fast to the cause of our results and choose to remain that way.

Are there areas of your life in which you feel bound hand and foot? If the cords you are bound with are the product of your habitual way of thinking, what new thought can you embrace to break them?

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