When I was in my late teenage years, I was drawn to books such as Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, and The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, by Joseph Murphy. In my innocence, I thought that the books might help me find my way. At the time, I couldn’t grasp the depth of their content; but I was right about one point: they did (eventually) help me find my way. If you’re seeking solutions, or a better way of living, the information within this article may help. It’s my sincere hope that it will be of service.

The following quotes are from You Too Can Be Prosperous, by Robert A. Russell. To understand their meaning, you must be willing to look at the nature of “reality” in a very different way. What’s Real is so much grander than what you may have previously assumed. I offer my own explanation following each quote:

If your mind is shouting, “No, this world is made of matter;” please know that I hear you. But I can no longer agree. The use of dream analogy makes this quote easier to understand: When you’re having a nighttime dream, all of the persons and objects seem very physical. They seem as real as real can be. But when you merge again with waking-state “reality” of your daily life, you realize that all of the seemingly “material” things were rendered by Consciousness. They only appeared physical within the framework of the dream. The same principle applies here and now. In the same way that your perspective awakens from a nighttime dream, our true Self (Awareness, or Consciousness), can awaken from the waking-state perspective related to our “person.” This isn’t an event that happens to the person, because the person’s perspective is transcended. Through this knowledge, we realize that our habitual thoughts are directly related to the nature of our Earthly experiences: They’re the mental blueprints of coming circumstances.

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In this quote, Robert A. Russell explains more of what I shared about his first quote. He’s informing us that “things” are appearances within Consciousness, or God; in the same way that objects and people seem to “exist” within nighttime dreams. Our predominant thoughts, especially if imbued with emotion, become apparent things and circumstances. It will help to know that science has been unable to discover discrete independently-existing “matter.” Smaller and smaller bits of apparent “matter” always break down to energy. Atoms, in fact, are considered 99.999% empty space. Do “things” within a nighttime dream “exist” without a witness? Even with a witness? Or are they appearances?

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This quote is easier to understand if you’ll consider the amazing effects that have been attributed to a placebo; which is basically an inert substance (commonly referred to as a sugar pill) or fake treatment. It is the power of our belief in the treatment that causes it to work; not the treatment, itself. This is what puzzled me as a young man. As I was consciously unaware that I was anything more than the body-mind, I couldn’t understand why changing the nature of my thoughts could possibly make a difference. I, thus, believed that the only avenue to success was education, luck, or hard work. The following quote from Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill will add to your understanding: “If you are one of those people who believe that hard work and honesty alone will bring riches-perish the thought; because it’s not true. Riches, when they come in huge quantities, are never the result of hard work. Riches come if they come at all, in response to definite demands, based upon the application of definite principles, and not by chance or luck.”

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Every Law of Attraction book that’s worth its purchase price mentions this one main point: We must first have what we desire in Consciousness before it can ever manifest in our apparent “reality.” Can you see why knowing the nature of our “world” is so important? Contrary to common belief, we’re not dealing with a static world that “exists” of its own accord. We’re dealing with God’s Living World, here and now. If God was not, we would not be. In Mark 11:24, the great master Jesus is attributed with sharing the same message:

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

The teachings of the Law of Attraction become quite logical when we know the nature of reality and our true Self. Contrary to what we’ve been conditioned to believe, this world and our apparent Earthly body-mind, are moment-to-moment experiences within Consciousness. I believe my YouTube video entitled “Knowledge About The Law of Attraction” will also be helpful.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2026 – 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), press here. My YouTube videos can be found at Think2wice@I-Am-Aware. May the content of either or both help you along your spiritual journey. “Thank You” & “Note to Publishers” 🙏🏻🧡