The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles is the kind of book that challenges one’s mind not to be fixated on competition but rather on creative thinking. The book is based on what the author calls “The Certain Way of Thinking”. In his system of wealth creation, it is argued that the universe has more than enough resources for each one of us. The only thing that we are required to do is be more creative in our line of thought, and we shall be on the pathway to wealth. The book goes on to explain that the kind of thoughts we come up with, positive or negative, impacts the type of life we live.
Introduction
Would you like to be rich? Well, Wallace D. Wattles thinks that you do, and if you do not, then you aren’t normal. Published in 1910, The Science of Getting Rich promotes getting rich without guilt or shame. The author maintains that the best thing you can do is to make the most of yourself. This involves bettering your wealth status as much as possible. When you do so, you will not only be making your life swift but also serving God and humanity.
Achieving financial success through creative thought clearly shows that you have used your mind to its capacity. Wallace D. Wattles chooses to write a book about richness despite understanding clearly how society might view him. When you set out to teach people how to get rich, the very first thing they do is to scrutinize you. You will be accused of wanting to make quick money from people’s poor status. Others will be ready to point out that money isn’t everything.
Just like today, people some 100 years ago when the book was written often sought ways to become rich. Unlike today, they had no access to the Internet and all the resources we enjoy. You can easily wake up and type in Google “how to be rich,” and you are sure to get a host of steps on how to do so. It could be a step by step guidance or a series of things you need to do to start creating and increasing your wealth. However, because it is the Internet, you are sure to find dozens of scam posts. Most of these could be focused on fleecing your hard-earned money. Such realities are what make most people skeptical when they hear an author who claims to have a process of financial success.
Certain catchy phrases are commonly used when it comes to helping you become rich. You will always hear terms like: Would you like to have a luxurious lifestyle? Are you eager to travel around the world? To eat in high-end hotels? These are indeed the kind of things that we all crave for. The more someone tells you that they are capable of making it a reality for you, the more you a listening ear.
The author, first of all, convinces you that you have the right to get rich and then goes ahead to let you know that there is a science of getting rich. Wallace also questions whether the opportunity is monopolized. The book is quite an interesting read and one that creates the mental picture as to why you should get rich.
The right to be rich
Wallace Delois Wattles begins the book by noting that as much as we might praise poverty, the fact remains there are a lot of things you cannot do in life without being rich. If you don’t have plenty of money, you would find it difficult to rise to your greatest height. Because life requires you to purchase certain things that are needed to do other tasks, all of which need money. The author notes that life has advanced to such a great extent that even the most ordinary person needs plenty of money in order to come close to living a life of completeness. It is human nature to desire to become all that we think we can be. Life is said to have been successfully lived when we manage to become that which we often think of becoming.
Just going through the first chapter will get you into thinking: Do I really have the right to be rich? Does the world owe me plenty of wealth? And can everybody be rich? Wallace champions for a state where all humans have immense wealth. Different people have different understandings of the subject of wealth. The amount of money in your bank account today may not be equivalent to that of the person seated next to you. It could also be! However, society has mistakenly translated wealth to mean you own a car, house, better clothing, and entertainment, among other things. A certain unspoken standard seems to have been developed, and this goes a long way in making much doubt whether or not we all can be wealthy. We cannot all be living in the same neighbourhood or driving a luxurious car. For those who do not, would it be wise to describe them as being poor?
Wallace has no apologies for championing the idea of wealth creation. He notes that “there is nothing wrong with wanting to become rich.” When you desire to be rich, he says, you are basically looking forward to a more prosperous and abundant life. The kind of desire must of us have. If you cannot desire to live abundantly, it means you may be abnormal.
Abundance and Creativity
Wattles’ system of wealth creation involves acting in the Certain Way. This acknowledges the existence of the original substance upon which we can impress our thoughts. The formless original substance of the universe is in such a way that you get whatever you give it. For instance, if you have positive thoughts, then you are sure of a positive life. On the same note, negative thoughts result in immense negativity in your life. Given that human beings have the unique power of controlling thier thoughts, then they are in charge of how the original substance dictates their future.
But then, just having thoughts of a positive life does not necessarely makes it happen. What you need is to ensure there is a connection between the thoughts running through your mind and their active implementation. Once you have mastered a positive thought about your life, you need to put it into action. Your biggest desire is your possession upon envisioning it. When you act in an extra-ordinary manner and do it, that thing becomes your possession.
Wattles suggested the science of being great involves acting creatively. He does not believe in competition and considers it to be a falsehood. According to the author, the universe provides us with limitless opportunities. All that is needed is for the right person to act in a certain way, and they will have tapped into this wealth that still lies idle. With so much to make from the world, why would you want to waste time competing with fellow humans?
The individual who follows the Certain Way is on the right track to creating wealth, argues the author. This person is confident in themselves and does not have to be frightened by the prospect of their ideas getting stolen or implemented before them. Wattles explains that this kind of confidence makes you work each day in harmony, without burning yourself out. Through strict observation of the scientific method of wealth creation, there is nothing that can stop the creative person from achieving their goals.
The book is anchored on the belief that there is enough to go around for everybody. The only thing that is needed of us is to believe in abundance, and we shall be able to build wealth creatively. Reading the author’s arguments makes me feel like I have limited my mind for such a long time. I agree with whatever he says to a greater extent. Think of it this way, when the Internet first came out, many were just focused on creating static web pages for sharing information. The likes of Mark Zuckerberg could have followed suit and created similar pages nut they chose to be more creative and innovative. By thinking out of the box, they made it possible for social media to exist.
Yes, a business can make one wealthy. But then what would be the point of starting a business whose mode of operation is copy-pasted directly from the way other people operate. The bottom line is that we ought to think big and think abundance. We should never feel as if the other person is exhausting the resources needed to make us wealthy.
Conclusion
The Science of Getting Rich is closely related to the Law of Attraction. The two work along with the same belief that positive or negative thoughts impact your life and that you are in charge of what goes through your mind. Wallace Wattles’ arguments are so impactful that creator Rhonda Byrne refers to them in the film The Secret. Having read the book Financial Success Through Creative Thought, you will be convinced that you are destined to be rich. All that you need to do is appreciate what is around you and its abundance then find creative ways to make wealth from it.