The Game of Life and How to Play It

by Florence Scovel Shinn

“By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”

“It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” —Luke 12:32

This does not mean, however, that one should throw away every “lucky” ornament or horse-shoe about the house, but he must recognize that the power back of it is the one and only power, God, and that the object simply gives him a feeling of expectancy.

It was indeed, at that moment, about the only thing that could have registered in her consciousness. Her hope became faith, and she ultimately made a wonderful demonstration. I wish to make the point clear that the men previously mentioned were depending on the monkeys, alone, while this woman recognized the power back of the horseshoe.

“There are not two powers, there is only one power, God, therefore, there are no disappointments, and this thing means a happy surprise.”

If one is willing to do a thing he is afraid to do, he does not have to. It is the law of nonresistance, which is so little understood. Someone has said that courage contains genius and magic. Face a situation fearlessly, and there is no situation to face; it falls away of its own weight. The explanation is, that fear attracted the ladder on the woman's pathway, and fearlessness removed it.

“Clarity brings prosperity.” —Joel Fotinos

Thus the invisible forces are ever working for man who is always “pulling the strings” himself, though he does not know it. Owing to the vibratory power of words, whatever man voices, he begins to attract. People...

There is an old saying that man only dares use his words for three purposes, to “heal, bless or prosper.” What man says of others will be said of him, and what he wishes for another, he is wishing for himself.

“In order to demonstrate true prosperity, you must get rid of what you do not want, to make way for what you do want.” —Catherine Ponder

In the twenty-third psalm, we read: “He restoreth my soul.” This means that the subconscious mind or soul, must be restored with the right ideas, and the “mystical marriage” is the marriage of the soul and the spirit, or the subconscious and superconscious mind. They must be one. When the subconscious is flooded with the perfect ideas of the superconscious, God and man are one. “I and the Father are one.” That is, he is one with the realm of perfect ideas; he is the man made in God's likeness and image (imagination) and is given power and dominion over all created things, his mind, body and affairs.

“I would say to everyone who wishes to demonstrate prosperity: take God into partnership with you and you will demonstrate abundance.” —Charles Fillmore

“But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which spitefully use you and persecute you.”

Good-will produces a great aura of protection about the one who sends it, and “No weapon that is formed against him shall prosper.” In other words, love and good-will destroy the enemies with one's self, therefore, one has no enemies on the external! “There is peace on earth for him who sends good-will to man!”

“Resist not evil. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Nothing on earth can resist an absolutely nonresistant person.

Jesus Christ said, “Resist not evil,” for He knew in reality, there is no evil, therefore nothing to resist. Evil has come of man's “vain imagination,” or a belief in two powers, good and evil.

We have read in a preceding chapter, that man's soul is his subconscious mind, and whatever he feels deeply, good or bad, is outpictured by that faithful servant. His body and affairs show forth what he has been picturing. The sick man has pictured sickness, the poor man, poverty, the rich man, wealth.

I heard a metaphysician once say, “If you do not run your subconscious mind yourself, someone else will run it for you.”

However, the man who is centered and established in right thinking, the man who sends out only good-will to his fellowman, and who is without fear, cannot be touched or influenced by the negative thoughts of others. In fact, he could then receive only good thoughts, as he himself, sends forth only good thoughts.

“I expect everything I do to prosper. I enthusiastically expect success.” —Ernest Holmes

I baptize events, but I give every event the same name. If I have a failure I baptize it success, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost!” In this, we see the great law of transmutation, founded on nonresistance. Through his spoken word, every failure was transmuted into success.

Make the statement, “Every man is a golden link in the chain of my good,” for all men are God in manifestation, awaiting the opportunity given by man, himself, to serve the divine plan of his life.

“Bless your enemy, and you rob him of his ammunition.” His arrows will be transmuted into blessings.

“when you use nonresistance with wisdom, no one will ever be able to walk over you.”

“I cannot lose any call that belongs to me by divine right; I am under grace, and not under law.”

“God doesn't have what you need. God is what you need.” —Eric Butterworth

One's ships come in over a calm sea.

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.” —Henry David Thoreau

Life is a mirror, and we find only ourselves reflected in our associates.

Living in the past is a failure method and a violation...

Jesus Christ said, “Behold, now is the accepted time.” “Now is th...

The robbers of time are the past and the future. Man should bless the past, and forget it, if it keeps him in bondage, and bless the future, knowing it has in store for him endless joys, but live fully in the now.

“Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, wakes.” —C. G. Jung

“Infinite Spirit, don't let me miss a trick,”

Make an affirmation immediately upon waking. For example: “Thy will be done this day! Today is a day of completion; I give thanks for this perfect day, miracle shall follow miracle and wonders shall never cease.” Make this a habit, and one will see wonders and miracles come into his life.

One morning I picked up a book and read, “Look with wonder at that which is before you!” It seemed to be my message for the day, so I repeated again and again, “Look with wonder at that which is before you.”