The Game of Life and How to Play It

by Florence Scovel Shinn

Most people consider life a battle, but life is not a battle, it is a game. It is a game, however, which cannot be played successfully without the knowledge of spiritual law, and the Old and the New Testaments give the rules of the game with wonderful clearness. Jesus Christ taught that it was a great game of Giving and Receiving. “Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.” This means that whatever man sends out in word or deed, will return to him: what he gives, he will receive. If he gives hate, he will receive hate; if he gives love, he will receive love; if he gives criticism, he will receive criticism; if he lies he will be lied to; if he cheats he will be cheated. We are taught also, that the imaging faculty plays a leading part in the game of life. “Keep thy heart (or imagination) with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” (Prov. 4:23.)

So we see, to play successfully the game of life, we must train the imaging faculty. A person with an imaging faculty trained to image only good, brings into his life “every righteous desire of his heart”—health, wealth, love, friends, perfect self-expression, his highest ideals.

“Take care of each moment and you will take care of all time.” —Buddha

There are three departments of the mind, the subconscious, conscious and superconscious. The subconscious, is simply power, without direction. It is like steam or electricity, and it does what it is directed to do; it has no power of induction. Whatever man feels deeply or images clearly, is impressed upon the subconscious mind, and carried out in minutest detail.

The conscious mind has been called mortal or carnal mind. It is the human mind and sees life as it appears to be. It sees death, disaster, sickness, poverty and limitation of every kind, and it impresses the subconscious.

The superconscious mind is the God Mind within each man, and is the realm of perfect ideas. In it, is the “perfect pattern” spoken of by Plato, The Divine Design; for there is a Divine Design for each person. “There is a place that you are to fill and no one else can fill, something you are to do, which no one else can do.” There is a perfect picture of this in the superconscious mind. It usually flashes across the conscious as an unattainable ideal—“something too good to be true.” In reality it is man's true destiny (or destination) flashed to him from the Infinite Intelligence which is within himself.

For example: A woman came to me and asked me to “speak the word” that she would marry a certain man with whom she was very much in love. (She called him A. B.) I replied that this would be a violation of spiritual law, but that I would speak the word for the right man, the “divine selection,” the man who belonged to her by divine right. I added, “If A. B. is the right man you can't lose him, and if he isn't, you will receive his equivalent.”

This shows the law of substitution. A right idea was substituted for a wrong one, therefore there was no loss or sacrifice involved.

“With God all things are possible.” —Matthew 19:26

Jesus Christ said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you,” and...

The Kingdom is the realm of right ideas, or the divine pattern. Jesus Christ taught that man's words played a leading part in the game of life. “By your words ye are ...

The subconscious mind has no sense of humor and people often joke themselves into unhappy experiences.

Fortunately the law works both ways, and a situation of lack may be changed to one of plenty.

She said she possessed just eight dollars in the world. I said, “Good, we'll bless the eight dollars and multiply them as Jesus Christ multiplied the loaves and fishes,” for He taught that every man had the power to bless and to multiply, to heal and to prosper. She said, “What shall I do next?” I replied, “Follow intuition. Have you a ‘hunch’ to do anything, or to go anywhere?” Intuition means, intuition, or to be taught from within. It is man's unerring guide, and I will deal more fully with its laws in a following chapter.

“Desire is God tapping at the door of your mind, trying to give you greater good.” —Catherine Ponder

violate a hunch.”

Infinite Spirit open the way for great abundance for ______. She is an irresistible magnet for all that belongs to her by divine right.”

There is always plenty on man's pathway; but it can only be brought into manifestation through desire, faith or the spoken word. Jesus Christ brought out clearly that man must make the first move.

Ask, and it shall be given you, seek, and ye shall find, knock, and it shall be opened unto you. (Mat. 7:7).

In the Scriptures we read: “Concerning the works of my hands, command ye me.” Infinite Intelligence, God, is ever ready to carry out man's smallest or greatest demands. Every desire, uttered or unexpressed, is a demand....

“Today I recognize the abundance of life. I animate everything in my experience with this idea.” —Ernest Holmes

Nothing stands between man and his highest ideals and every desire of his heart, but doubt and fear. When man can “wish without worrying,” every desire will be instantly fulfilled.

It is man's only enemy—fear of lack, fear of failure, fear of sickness, fear of loss and a feeling of insecurity on some plane. Jesus Christ said: “Why are ye fearful, oh ye of little faith?” (Mat. 8:26). So we can see we must substitute faith for fear, for fear is only inverted faith; it is faith in evil instead of good.

A very brilliant man, who has attained great success, told me he had suddenly erased all fear from his consciousness by reading a sign which hung in a room. He saw printed, in large letters this statement—“Why worry, it will probably never happen.” These words were stamped indelibly upon his subconscious mind, and he has now a firm conviction that only good can come into his life, therefore only good can manifest.

Speak these words aloud, with power and conviction: “I now smash and demolish (by my spoken word) every untrue record in my subconscious mind. They shall return to the dust-heap of their native nothingness, for they came from my own vain imaginings. I now make my perfect records through the Christ within—The records of Health, Wealth, Love and perfect self-Expression.” This is the square of life, The Game completed.

Any man who does not know the power of the word, is behind the times.

“Death and Life are in the power of the tongue.” (Prov. 18:21.)

“Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defense and thou shalt have plenty of silver.”

One of the greatest messages given to the race through the scriptures is that God is man's supply and that man can release, through his spoken word, all that belongs to him by divine right. He must, however, have perfect faith in his spoken word.

Isaiah said, “My word shall not return unto me void, but shall accomplish that where unto it is sent.” We know now, that words and thoughts are a tremendous vibrator...

I told her God was her supply, and that there is a supply for every demand.

So I spoke the word! I gave thanks that the woman would receive three thousand dollars at the right time in the right way. I told her she must have perfect faith, and act her perfect faith.

“All things whatsoever ye ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” “You must act as if you had already received.”

“No, you are divinely protected and God is never too late.”

“I do everything with a sense of reliance upon the Law of Good; therefore, I know that my word shall not return unto me void.” —Ernest Holmes

Man must prepare for the thing he has asked for, when there isn't the slightest sign of it in sight.

“Infinite Spirit, open the way for

She promptly replied (to herself): “I'll dig my ditches by buying the blankets!” So she prepared for the apartment—acted as though she already had it.

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” —Albert Einstein

showed active faith.

Getting into the spiritual swing of things is no easy matter for the average person. The adverse thoughts of doubt and fear surge from the subconscious. They are the “army of the aliens” which must be put to flight. This explains why it is so often, “darkest before the dawn.” A big demonstration is usually preceded by tormenting thoughts.

This is the time when one must make his affirmations of truth repeatedly, and rejoice and give thanks that he has already received, “Before ye call I shall answer.” This means that “every good and perfect gift” is already man's awaiting his recognition. Man can only receive what he sees himself receiving.

Every great work, every big accomplishment, has been brought into manifestation through holding to the vision, and often just before the big achievement, comes apparent failure and discouragement.

His clear vision pierced the “world of matter” and he saw clearly the fourth dimensional world, things as they really are, perfect and complete in Divine Mind. So man must ever hold the vision of his journey's end and demand the manifestation of that which he has already received. It may be his perfect, health, love, supply, self-expression, home or friends.

“You cannot outgive God.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

“God doesn't need any time and is never too late. With Him all things are possible.”

“The universe will reward you for taking risks on its behalf.” —Shakti Gawain

In this instance the man could never have demonstrated alone. He needed someone to help him hold to the vision. This is what one man can do for another. Jesus Christ knew the truth of this when he said: “If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.” One gets too close to his own affairs and becomes doubtful and fearful.

The friend or “healer” sees clearly the success, health, or prosperity, and never wavers, because he is not close to the situation. It is much easier to “demonstrate” for someone else than for one's self, so a person should not hesitate to ask for help, if he feels himself wavering.

A keen observer of life once said, “no man can fail, if some one person sees him successful.” Suc...