FAITH: THE ELIXIR OF LIFE
Over the course of the next few weeks, we will explore Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, under a modern Benshen-esque lens. Though one might believe that wealth only equals money, “rich” expands beyond that: it means being able to create prosperity in your life, which can take shape in many different forms. Money is just one medium. Prosperity goes so far beyond financial gains and Hill, with his 13 Principles of Success and teachings on the Laws of the Universe, pioneered a unique roadmap to excellence and unlocking prosperity—one that focuses on how to program our mental faculties rather than lean on external circumstances.
LAW TWO: FAITH
THE STARTING POINT OF ALL ACCUMULATION OF RICHES
Faith. It’s a loaded word, and one that can at times feel hard to connect to, especially when it requires us to blindly believe in the greater, unseen forces of our lives. For some, it can even feel naive to have faith in something; as we work through the inner-webs of our beliefs, how do we have faith that what we want so badly will actualize? But in the context of the Laws of the Universe and according to Napoleon Hill, faith, like many things in life, is a muscle to flex and the “eternal elixir” that creates miracles. And most importantly, faith is thought to perhaps be the only antidote to fear.
So how do we learn to build and flex the faith muscle, so that we can move beyond our own doubts and fears? By cultivating a daily practice for getting into the mindset of our desires, of what’s to come, of being open and willing to welcome what we can’t see with our senses—*yet*—rather than focusing on what IS (which is a manifestation of the past). Then, the momentum of our desires will begin to catch up and create the tangible thing we want most.
As Abraham Hicks says, we have to let ourselves “feel the first hint of it.” This is why every single month in the Benshen course, we practice the journaling exercise of “where I am” versus “where I want to be” and use our intuition to show us the way to get there. It’s transformative to write out and repeat ALOUD the new reality we’re calling forth, while also creating a blueprint for ourselves to know how to move through the next steps. Those little messages, from ourselves to ourselves, tell us what the next steps may be or how we can move our dreams from the ether into reality. Some call them downloads, others might call them ideas. They are direct messages from Infinite Intelligence and/or our highest Self, and are literally showing you the way. All you’ve got to do is build the faith that this is the direct line of communication from your future Self showing you how to get from where you are now to where you want to be. The great Florence Scovel Shinn talks about this in her book, The Game of Life and How to Play It; these ideas that flash before our eyes, especially the ones we think are “too good to be true,” are our true destinations.
The question becomes, how do we develop an authentic connection to faith if our external realities don’t match with what we most desire? When we mix faith with actively becoming the conscious creators of our lives, magic happens. But as with any type of change, it requires creating habits and habits require consistency and discipline. This is when we can employ the tool of repetition to change the patterns and stories in our subconscious mind, which is where all of our beliefs are stored and guide our conscious actions. Using various tools such as meditation as well as repetition of affirmations is how we access the storehouse of our subconscious to create powerful changes.
“Repetition of affirmation of orders to your subconscious mind is the only known method of voluntary development of the emotion of faith,” writes Hill. The daily commitment to imprint positive thoughts, beliefs, and emotions, as well as instilling self-confidence (more on that below) into the subconscious mind is no small feat...it is the greatest work anyone can do. And eventually, with enough repetition, it will begin to translate to the physical world, especially if we ALSO conduct ourselves as if our desires have already come into fruition. Hill says to think of these positive thoughts as seeds, and a faith-driven mind as fertile soul; the combination will help “magnetize” and germinate your thoughts into physical form. Every positive thought mixed with a strong feeling and then fueled by faith, has the ability to eventually translate into its physical equivalent. And remember, a positive thought is infinitely more powerful than a negative one.
(THOUGHT + FEELING) x FAITH = REALITY
The catch is...it’s a never-ending practice, and it requires a foundation of self-confidence to support us as we shift our world from what is to what could be.
“Faith is the basis for all miracles, and all mysteries which cannot be analyzed by the rules of science.”
— Napoleon Hill
Power lies in the thoughts that we repeat the most. “Resolve to throw off the influences of an unfortunate environment, and build your own life to order.” We’re talking extra sauce, more fries, on the rocks, with a twist, or as Bette Midler says, “I want it all—and I would like it delivered.” Our lives can be built to order, and faith is a tool we can employ to remove certain limitations, so that we aren’t blocking ourselves from the blessings ready to flood in. Below, find a few practices that can help change our thought impulses into ones that encourage faith to bloom.
COMMIT TO THE PROCESS: Believe in the possibility available for each of us to achieve and attain our desires. Commit to the idea that through each small thought, action, and intention, we continue to grow closer to what we want most. Timing may be different than our expectations, but having faith that our desires will unfold greater than we could ever have imagined will propel us forward. Every day, decide to find time and space to show up for imagining, envisioning, meditating, doing whatever you need to do in order to set the tone in your mind to believe that you can create what you desire. Hand-write your vision, paint your desires with detailed descriptions and imagery that ignite passion and excitement, and read it to yourself daily, taking it in like an espresso shot of self-confidence. Another great idea to have written down? A personal brag sheet or self-confidence letter (an idea from The Lewis Howes Podcast episode, “The Science of Self-Confidence”) to remind yourself of your gifts, accomplishments, and impact on the world.
BUILD AN INTENTIONAL REALITY: Recognize the power of our thoughts and intentions; our default thoughts especially can keep us stuck where we are, OR be launchpads for our desires to take physical shape. Therefore, it is up to us to create an intentional reality. Commit to 30 minutes of daily breathwork and meditation while visualizing the person you are in the process of becoming, in as much detail as possible. Change what you feed your mind first thing in the morning: listen to a powerful podcast (we love Abraham / Esther Hicks first thing… even a few in a row!), watch what you consume on social media, read something inspirational, and be intentional about what channel you tune your mind to.
FEED WISELY: What you feed your mind is ultimately what you begin to believe. Commit to consciously feeding your mind with thoughts of a creative nature. When we fill our mind with inspirational and motivational “snacks,” we begin to activate our higher powers rather than permitting thoughts with a destructive nature to take over. Anything we consistently desire will find expression in the tangible world as long as we create the space and circumstances for it to manifest itself. Decide to devote time each day to the development of positive thought forms and cultivating self-confidence, so that when your desires come to greet you, you will be ready to greet them.
SELF CONFIDENCE FORMULA
as taught by Napoleon Hill
“Resolve to throw off the influences of an unfortunate environment, and build your own life to order...the application of this principle may be made through a simple arrangement of positive thought impulses stated in writing, memorized and repeated, until they become part of the working equipment of the subconscious faculty of your mind:
FIRST: I know that I have the ability to achieve the object of my Definite Purpose in life, therefore, I demand of myself persistent, continuous action toward its attainment, and I here and now promise to render such action.
SECOND: I realize the dominating thoughts of my mind will eventually reproduce themselves in outward, physical action, and gradually transform themselves into physical reality, therefore I will concentrate my thoughts for 30 minutes daily upon the task of thinking of the person I intend to become, thereby creating in my mind a clear mental picture of that person.
THIRD: I know through the principle of auto-suggestion any desire that I persistently hold in my mind will eventually seek expression through some practical means of attaining the object back of it; therefore, I will devote ten minutes daily to demanding of myself the development of self-confidence.
FOURTH: I have clearly written down a description of my “chief aim” in life, and I will never stop trying until I shall have developed sufficient self-confidence for its attainment.
FIFTH: I fully realize that no wealth or position can long endure unless built upon truth and justice; therefore, I will engage in no transaction which does not benefit all whom it affects. I will succeed by attracting to myself the forces I wish to use, and the cooperation of other people. I will induce others to serve me, because of my willingness to serve others. I will eliminate hatred, envy, jealousy, selfishness, and cynicism, by developing love for all humanity, because I know that a negative attitude towards others can never bring me success. I will cause others to believe in me, because I will believe in them, and in myself.
I will sign my name to this formula, commit it to memory, and repeat it aloud once a day, with full faith that it will gradually influence my thoughts and actions so that I will become a self-reliant and successful person.”
*try this practice for 40 days and see what unfolds….