Welcome to the Inspirational Living podcast.

Today's reading was edited and adapted from a lecture that was delivered by Harriet Hale-Ricks at the Hotel

Brighton, Washington, D.C. in 1914.

I would like to make a statement here at the very beginning, and have you plant this statement,

this idea in your heart as you would as seed, to grow.

My statement is this, that the more difficult the situation is, the higher you will rise if you think correctly about

it. Let us make a familiar and close communication with the heart of the affairs, so that

in the future, when we may need to be strong under great pressure or temptation.

We may, through this correct thinking about it, be buoyed up and comforted.

This is an excellent rule and true of all our activities, especially of prosperity, that

when you think correctly about a thing, you are master of the situation,

and no evil in it, nor loss, nor limitation, can hold you down or bind you.

The question you probably are asking is, well, how am I to know what the correct thinking is about a particular situation?

I believe that the only answer to this is to think about the circumstances, whatever they may be,

in terms of health, joy, freedom, and prosperity.

Prosperity does not consist in the things you possess,

in the money you have in the bank. In fact, we might say, from a metaphysical standpoint, that if you absolutely understand prosperity, you have no need of a large bank account.

Prosperity is a way, a mode of thinking. So is poverty. You are poor if you class yourself

this way, and you are rich if you can think rich thoughts, thoughts that are constructive, optimistic,

unlimited.

These instantly crown you successful.

The mentality must first be rich towards spiritual knowledge and consciousness.

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