Orison Swett Marden (1850 – 1924) was a New Thought author of many inspirational books. From The Miracle of Right Thought, I offer the following: The bird does not have an instinct to fly south in winter without a real south to match it. For those who desire greater understanding of the Law of Attraction–to use it deliberately to improve the quality of their life–his message is worthy of contemplation.
Consider, if you will: Do we not also possess instincts? Instincts far greater than those of a bird? And may we not also trust that our instincts–to create–will lead to the fulfillment of our intentions? The bird flying south trusts implicitly that the Source which gave it life is not playing a cruel trick; that seemingly endless hours of flight will be for nothing. We, too, may trust that our intentions–combined with constructive use of our abilities–will lead us to our real south! How, though, may our dreams get off the ground?
By first having them! Without a destination in mind, we literally don’t have a real south; for unlike the bird, we do not have a preset flight path for our lives. As humans, it is our birthright to choose our destination. If dissatisfied with our current circumstances, we may deliberately use our imagination to create a new reality that better suits our desires. The bird trusts–not consciously, of course–and flies toward a destination which it intuitively knows exists. And so may we.
The reality of our dreams actually exists! By dreams, I do not mean hollow wishes, which lack any real substance. I mean desires that we hold–faithfully and deliberately–in mind. We are free to intend whatever we desire–vibrant health, wonderful relationships, and great abundance and success in every aspect of our lives. And when we trust in our real south, the way toward it will be revealed.
How, though, may we arrive at our real south? In short, by flapping our wings! Unlike the bird, which for argument’s sake possesses only one talent, we possess so many more! First: We have the ability to choose our destination. Second: We may deliberately have faith that our desires are possible. Third: We may exercise our faculties of mind–perception, will, memory, imagination, reason, and intuition–to transform intangible visions into tangible realities. Such powers were given to us for a reason–to use. We are wise, however, to be aware of the following caution:
One negative word–which is powerful in its influence over the mind–may keep us grounded: Fear! It is our bad weather of the soul! If we continuously focus on thoughts such as What if I don’t achieve my goal? I might fail! or What will people think of me? we sabotage the achievement of our dreams. To soar–high, higher, and higher yet!–we must concentrate with unwavering faith on the outcome we desire–not on what we don’t! And if we veer off course, due to doubt or anxiety, we must steer our dreams back on course.
Our dreams take flight through the power of our imagination! Such a marvelous faculty was not given to us by chance. We are creators! And as creators, it is our duty to exercise the gift of imagination to express our inner nature. How could we truly call ourselves creators if we didn’t possess the God-Given ability to create? We might also remind ourselves that birds were given wings for a reason: To use. To fly.
Dare to dream (and care for one another).
With heartfelt regards,
Art
Copyright © – 2020 – R. Arthur Russell
P.S. Please share this article if you enjoyed it. If you’d like to view my latest book (This Taste of Flesh and Bones–released September 8, 2020), press here. May it help you in your spiritual journey. 🙏🙏
Think2wice 