Here’s an interesting quote from William Walker Atkinson:
“Many of the men and women who have been seeking Prosperity by means of the powers of the mind, have done so by “holding the thought,” and then folding their hands and calmly waiting for some “lucky” event to happen, or in other words, for the long sought for prize to drop down into the laps, from out of the Nowhere. Now, I have heard of a number of cases in which things apparently came about in this way, although I have always felt that a little investigation would have shown some good and natural cause behind it all, but as a rule the law does not work in this way—it does not leave the old beaten road of cause and effect. It is no Aladdin’s lamp which has merely to be rubbed in order that glittering gems, and showers of gold, be poured out into the lap of the owner, as he lies back on his cushions, lazily rubbing the lamp with the tip of his little finger. The law expects from the man who would invoke its mighty aid, a little honest work on his part.
I think that the majority of those who have met with a greater share of Success by means of the wonderful power of Thought, have met with such Success not by having it fall from the skies, but by following out the ideas, impulses, yes, inspiration, if you will, that have come to them.
The man who understands the workings of the Law, acts upon the tender impulses imparted to him, without resistance. He does not ask to see the end of the journey, but he sees the step just ahead of him very plainly, and he hesitates not about taking it. He does not expect the Law to bring results and place them in his hand. All he asks and desires is that the way be pointed out to him, and he is willing and ready to do the rest himself. The true man or woman does not wish to be fed with a spoon. All they ask is that they may have a fair chance to reach the source of supply, and they can manage to handle the spoon themselves. If any man think that the Law is an incubator of parasites—of leeches—of vampires—he is greatly mistaken.
The lesson of the Law is to teach every man to stand upon his own feet—to lean not upon another—but at the same time to feel that he is guided by the great Law of which he himself is a part, which manifests within him as well as without him, and that, consequently, while placing his trust in the Law, he trusts in himself. Not paradoxical at all, when you have the key.
Now, you people who have been sitting with folded hands and “calmly waiting,” and complaining that your own has not come to you, listen: You are mistaken. Your own has come to you—that’s just the trouble. Your own is the thing you attract, and you have been attracting just what has come to you. Start in today, determined to fall in with the workings of the Law and pay attention to the “I do” side of things as well as the “I am,” and you will receive new light. Great things are just ahead of you, but you must reach out for them—they’re not going to drop into folded hands. This is the Law.”
This is a reminder particularly in all manifestation work, that it’s not about sitting around and doing wishful thinking that someone will drop a Ferrari on your driveway.
Work is necessary! Yes, follow the impulses and intuition, but you do need to work for it.
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