Creative Mind and Success, by Ernest Shurtleff Holmes [1919], at sacred-texts.com

PRESENCE OF ACTIVITY.

SUPPOSE that your place of business does not seem to manifest any activity; that is, suppose that customers do not come. To the person in the business world the presence of customers generally means activity. Suppose that you have come to believe that the principle will work in the smallest as well as in the greatest things. What you want now is a greater activity. How are you going to see activity when there is none?

Here is a great question in Truth. Must we overlook that which we see, and that which we have experienced? Yes, absolutely; there is no other way. If we keep on seeing the thing as it appears we will never be able to change its appearance. What we must do, then, in spite of the seeming inactivity, is still to know and mentally to see and declare that we are in the midst of activity. Feel this to be true; mentally see the place crowded; know that it is packed full of customers all the time; declare that your word draws them in; have no sense of strain about it whatever; simply know that you are dealing with the only power that there is; it will work; it must work. Realize when you have spoken the word that a greater power has taken it up and that it is being established unto you. Have no idea of limitation; speak forth into mind with perfect trust. If you have the ability mentally to see the place full, combine this with the word, and daily

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visualize it as being filled. Always combine faith in the higher power with all that you do; feel that you are being especially looked after. This is true. When a soul turns to the Universe of unmanifest life, at the same time It turns toward him. Jesus told this in the story of the Prodigal Son; the Father saw him afar off. Always there is that inward turning to us of the Parent Mind when we turn to It and place ourselves in closer contact with Life.

We must keep our mind clear so that when the Spirit brings the gift we will be open to receive it. Even God cannot force things upon us. We must receive even before we see.

[paragraph continues] Always, when we believe, we will have that belief honored of the Spirit of Life. Mentally seeing just what we want; still seeing even though the heavens fall, we shall succeed in proving that the law of life is a law of liberty. God made man to have all that the Universe contained and then left him alone to discover his own nature.

Stop all striving and all struggle and within your own soul know the truth and trust absolutely in it. Daily declare that you are being guided and protected and that the power of the Spirit is bringing all to pass, and wait in perfect peace and confidence. Such an attitude of mind will overcome anything and will prove that spiritual thought force is the only real power in the Universe.