A Scientific Investigation into Getting Rich

“The Science of Getting Rich” is a book written in 1910 by a man with the alliterative name of Wallace Wattles. The book was one of the first of the class of self-help books and was actually the key inspiration for “The Secret”.

Now I have always been a little put off by books that fall under the genre of “self-help”. To read a book in this genre is to accept the notion that my life needs help or that I’m incapable of doing something as simple as living my life right?? Wrong! Success is to be constantly improving yourself, and you can’t do this if you can’t first admit that certain aspects of your life or personality have room for improvement.

I have a profound respect for people who can immerse themselves in this culture without hesitation as to what others might think if they’re spotted on the subway reading “7 Habits of Highly Successful People”. Those are the people with the intellect and insight to recognize that successful people are doing something different than the rest of the working class and the desire to find that something so they can make their lives f*cking awesome!!

1. there is an intelligent substance from which all things proceed

2. this substance gives you everything you desire
3. relate yourself to it by a feeling of deep gratitude even for the things that are yet to come and only exist in your imagination

Yeah a little wacky I know… but with an open mind and the notion that not ideas presented are meant to be taken literally, the teachings of this book are wildly impactful. To have a clear image in your mind of what your future looks like and how attainable it is is a very practical and efficient way to contemplate what you want in life. Everything from religions to the computer I’m typing on was first coherently imagined in the mind of the creator.

I think the author’s purpose in this personified thinking substance as something that wants to give you what you want is to make the ideas presented easier to transform into immediate action. It’s similar to how your middle school science teacher described the inert gases of the periodic table as elements that are too “noble” to be seen mingling with the other pesky elements. Of course these elements don’t actually have feelings towards one another, but since that class I have never forgotten that the last column of the periodic table is highly unreactive.

The power to easily propose the idea to myself that there is a substance out there that I can influence just by clearly thinking about what I want has had a profound effect on my productivity and lifestyle. I have been reading and rereading this book with my morning cup o’ joe and have found that it never fails to inject me with a mild rush of creativity and motivation. Too often I feel too tired or lack of motivation to work towards something I want in the future. This could have something to do with the fact that my subconscious is constantly trying to convince me to lay in bed and watch Netflix to get the pleasure centers rolling.

Another important aspect of this book is the idea that a competitive mindset is counter-intuitive. As mentioned previously to truly get what you want out of life you must believe that everything you desire is created just for you. To hold the conviction that life is a rat race and there is a limited number of spots at the top destroys that optimism that we have so carefully cultivated. Instead KNOW that there is a successful future out there just waiting for you to take proper action.

If you’ve ever been on the track or swim team you are familiar with the anxious and twitchy feeling experienced right before a race. Imagine experiencing that feeling every morning when you wake up and every night before you go to bed. It will do significant damage to your body in the long term and likely affect the personal relationships. So get out of the competitive mindset and embrace your creativity!

Your ability to take this idea to heart will have the greatest contribution to your future success. Too often we convince ourselves that now isn’t the right time to accomplish something. ‘Oh I’ll teach myself Spanish after I get this promotion and have more time on my hands’, ‘I’ll start this business when I pay off my debt’. Well guess what, those things that you keep convincing yourself to put off are the actions that make up your entire life! If you procrastinate enough of them you’re going to be one unhappy camper when your life one day inevitable flashes before your eyes.