must manifest in their future results； they are actually
bringing about a repeat performance of the very thing which
they say they don't want： namely； an empty bank account。 It
thus bees a selfdoomfulfilling cycle they are living； and
clearly； this is not the way our Maker has intended for us to
live！
You might very well be saying to yourself that this is an
absurd argument； for if a bank account is empty； it's empty。 It
just isn't realistic to look at an empty bank account and be
able to visualize great wealth。 But I want you to know； this is
the very kind of reasoning which perpetuates poverty and
keeps poor people impoverished！
You must begin to understand that the present state of
your bank account； your sales； your health； your social life；
your position at work； etc。； is nothing more than the physical
manifestation of your previous thinking。 If you sincerely wish
to change or improve your results in your physical world； you
must change your thoughts and you must change them
immediately。
If you take the time to really think through the
information which is being presented； you will conclude that
what has just been said makes perfect sense。 In fact； anyone
who truly understands the 〃creative process；〃 will tell you
what I have just said is not only right； but it is a natural law of
your being it is the way God works with and through the
individual。 This is also called prayer in some 〃circles〃 （〃prayer〃
being the movement that takes place between spirit and form；
with and through the individual）。 God has given you the ability
to build any idea which you desire。 You were 〃Born Rich〃 and
your abundance is contained in thought。 So be good to
yourself； choose magnificent ideas； and cease permitting your
physical world to control your thinking。
You can readily understand； by now； how everyone
makes the 〃great mistake。〃 In Emerson's essay on Self
Reliance he said； 〃Envy is ignorance。〃 In other words； to look
at another person's 〃Acplishments；〃 or 〃Results；〃 and then
to envy them； is truly unwise。 For those people first chose
their thoughts； in order to build the picture in their mind of
the good that is now manifest in their life； and they chose
those thoughts from the infinite source of supply which is
available to all of usyou as well！
That is what the great artist； Vincent Van Gogh； meant
when he was asked how he did such beautiful work。 He said；
〃I dream my painting； and then I paint my dream。〃 In other
words； he saw the picture in his mind first and then he made
a replica on canvasin oil； of the original in his mind。 In truth；
there has never been an 〃original〃 〃Van Gogh〃 sold！ As I am
writing this I can see you reading it； and can almost hear you
thinking； 〃That makes a lot of sensenow I see。〃
A few years ago Mary Snyder from California sat in one of
my seminars with her husband Oscar。 She gave me a quote by
Lincoln which I truly love and which I have shared with
thousands of people。 Lincoln said； 〃To believe in the things
you can see and touch is no belief at all； but to believe in the
unseen is a triumph and a blessing。〃 Isn't that beautiful？
Thanks again； Mary。
Hopefully by now you understand the wisdom of some of
these mental exercises I have been suggesting。 So keep
repeating： 〃I am prosperous； I am wealthy； money is good。〃 See
yourself in your mind's eye； doing what you will do when you
have the manifestation of your new attitude or consciousness。
Visualize this great wealth and feel yourself already in
possession of it。 Remember though； money is the servant； you
are the masteryou love people and you use money。
Before you continue on to the next chapter； reread this
chapter； 〃Me And Money；〃 because rereading it will help you
release that old idea about money； which causes an
unfortable feeling whenever the subject of money is raised。
Repeat to yourself； several times each day； 〃Me And Money；〃
until you bee totally aware of how good you feel thinking
about wealth。
Refrain from talking to a lot of people about this new idea
concerning money； until you have a firm grip on it yourself
and feel confident about explaining what you have learned to
others。 Remember； hearing negative ments from people
who do not understand the truth will not do you any goodif it
does anything； it will only cause you to doubt yourself。 You
must not permit this to happen； because when you think
about 〃Me And Money；〃 you want a beautiful picture to fly
onto the screen of your mind！
〃The good life is expensive。
There is another way to live
that doesn't cost as much
but it isn't any good〃。
Spanish Distillers
How Much is Enough？
〃Most people think they want more money
than they really do；
and they settle for a lot less
than they could get。〃
Earl Nightingale
For you to get this prosperity concept into highgear； you must be specificexactly how much money doyou want？ Remember； you are working with yoursubconscious mind and the subconscious does notthink。 It merely accepts images and then moves theminto form。 So for you to say； I want 〃lotsa money〃 isn'tgood enough； because no one； least of all thesubconscious mind； knows how much 〃lotsa〃 is。
I strongly remend that you get very seriousabout this chapter； because the idea it contains couldliterally change your life。 But understand that thinking；
by itself； is not enoughyou must move into action。 Thereare certain things you must do and the first one is todecide how much money you want。
For you to answer this question； it would probablybe a good idea for you to decide what you want themoney for。 But to simply say； 〃I want the money to liveon；〃 is not good enough。 You should realize our society isstructured in such a way that the government will 〃keepyou。〃 In fact； in most places； they will even mail a checkto youyou can sit at home and still receive a 〃livingwage。〃
At this point you are probably saying to yourself；
〃Oh yes； I know that； but I want to live better than that。〃
Well； let's get specifichow much better？ Bearing in mindthat this kind of an exercise is going to require someserious planning on your part； get out a sheet of paperand draw up a list of all the 〃things；〃 or 〃activities；〃 that
you plan to spend money on over the course of the nextyear。 To assist you in getting started with your list； Ihave outlined several sample categories below：
Food； Rent/Mortgage； Clothes； Automobile；
Utilities； Education； Vacations； Recreation； Insurance；
Savings。
Understandably； these are just a few of the manypossibilities； so keep working on your own list until it isplete！ And remember； you do not fill in the amountsyou are now spending。 Rather； you take each item on thelist； visualize how you want to live and then fill in theamount of money it will cost you to do so。 For example；
you might only go out to a nice restaurant to dine onvery special occasions； but you might visualize yourselfspending a very enjoyable evening out for dinner once aweek； where the service is excellent； the food is evenbetter； and the environment is fit for royalty。 How muchwould that cost？ that is the figure you're looking for。
You could be driving a car that is getting old and isshowing signs of rust； but you might visualize yourselfdriving a brand new car of your choice； that you tradeevery year or two。 How much would that cost？
Remember； you do not have a contract to live forever； noris this a practice runthis is your life and you should beenjoying it to the fullest extent humanly possible！
Therefore； you should have the amount of money youneed； to provide the things you want； to live the way youchoose to live。
Let me caution youit would not be unusual foryour mind to be playing tricks on you at this point。 Youcould be thinking； 〃This is really crazy。 I'm never going tohave the money to live the way this book suggests。〃 Iwant to remind you； however； that there are many peoplewho do have enough money to live the way this booksuggestsand they weren't born with itand no one left it
to them。 They were 〃Born Rich〃 in the sense of havingthe Godgiven potential to succeed （everyone is）； but likemost people； they were at one time short of money。
Understand that you too can succeed； and you will； ifyou will only do as this book suggests。
As I am writing this； I feel pelled to digress for afew lines； to remind you that you have great resources oftalent and ability locked up； within you； just waiting tobe expressed。 In this vein； I can vividly recall listening toa tape a number of years ago； that Earl Nightingale madeon 〃Attitude。〃 I must have listened to that tape literallyhundreds of times and there was a part on it where hesaid； 〃Now； right here we e to a rather strange fact。
We tend to minimize the things we can do； the goals wecan reach； and yet； for some equally strange reason； wethink others can do things that we cannot。〃 Earl went onto say； 〃I want you to know that that is not true。 You dohave deep reservoirs of talent and ability within you； andyou can have the things you want。〃
I wouldn't even want to speculate on how manytimes I heard that section； without really understandingwhat he meant； and then one day I heard it； and everycell in my brain seemed to resonate with the truth ofwhat he said。 I suddenly realized what he was 〃drivingat〃 and I knew deep down inside of me； if they can do it；
so can I； if I am willing to pay the price。 Pleaseunderstand you too can do it； because what Earl had tosay is as true of you as it was of me。 But part of the pricefor you； is to figure out 。。。
How Much Is Enough？
Don't just pull a figure out of the sky。 Do it right
because when you're finished you will be glad you did。
Moreover； this exercise will also help you to develop amore disciplined mind。 At this point you might bethinking this section doesn't even concern you； because
you are already too deeply in debt to start accumulatinga sizeable amount of money。 But you will be happy toknow； we have a great idea which will help you deal withthat problem as well。 Furthermore； you will be delightedto know that in many situationsand yours may be one o