i am a new member and i have been trying my best to apply the principle of SOGR.I have been re reading the book again and again. i already have a CMI of what i wanted this year which is to build my own house. i intend to achieve the objective by expanding and improving sales in the medicine shop which i own to increase cash flow and generate income for the construction of this house.
i want a clarification on gratitude. is it to a particular God? as we have different religion in this world. i am a muslim. Also what about the hinduist or buddhist for example who want to apply the principle? do we pray to our own God as we know it or do we express gratitude to a non specific "infinite intelligence"? Is wallace wattle referring to God by the word infinite intelligence?
clarification by enlightened members will be highly appreciated.
abdul.

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i want a clarification on gratitude. is it to a particular God?

Hi Abdul,

My understanding is, it doesn’t matter what God you express gratitude to, or even if you believe in a God. (There is at least one atheist on this board.)

What seems to matter is just that you express GRATITUDE.

Many people seem to pray in a ‘pleading’ way. My understanding is, we are not to pray in a ‘pleading’ sort of way, because this just tells the Universe that we are coming from the state of ‘not having.’ And a focus on ‘not having’ only creates more ‘not having.’

Instead, we are to pray the prayer of ‘thankfulness’ or ‘gratitude’ for the good that is coming into our life.

Notice that in Chapter 8 Wattles says:

“Live in the new house, mentally, until it takes form around you physically. In the mental realm, enter at once into full enjoyment of the things you want.”

The key here is to “enter at once into the full enjoyment of the things you want.”

This means, don’t postpone your joy. Don’t wait until you actually have the things you want. It means, use your imagination to experience what it would FEEL like, to actually have the things you want. It asks you to EXPERIENCE BEFOREHAND what it is like to have what you want. “Enter at ONCE,..” which means, NOW, in your present moments. Be GRATEFUL that what you want (or something even better) is already yours and ‘making its way to you’.

So, to me, express gratitude to whomever you believe is your spiritual source, and in a way that allows you to experience good, fulfilling feelings now, as you live in your present moments.

Phil

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There is at least one atheist on this board.

And she has never in her entire life sat down to a meal without thanking and praising all and everyone involved in getting that food to her plate. Gratitude can definitely be God free.

Too bad I don't treat life like a big old meal...heck I don' even lie to eat that much. Its just that I have never been hungry and I find that amazing.

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Originally posted by annievt:

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There is at least one atheist on this board.

And she has never in her entire life sat down to a meal without thanking and praising all and everyone involved in getting that food to her plate. Gratitude can definitely be God free.

Too bad I don't treat life like a big old meal...heck I don' even lie to eat that much. Its just that I have never been hungry and I find that amazing.

That's beautiful Annie. Why aren't you treating life like a "big old meal?"

Welcome Abdul!

I think that anyone who communicates with people of differing faiths has to learn to translate a little. I have to believe that the "infinite intelligence" really doesn't care what you call it. Here in Texas, everyone talks about God and Jesus a lot.Other people have different names. The trick, in my view, is to let go of all the extraneous trappings of religion that we earthlings love to fight over. The stories we tell about our prophets may or may not be true, and they may or may not conflict with each other. It doesn't really matter.
For the purposes of SOGR, we only need to believe in the "thinking stuff" as infinite and benevolent. The rest is up to you and whatever religion you have chosen.

But to strip it down to even barer essentials, I don't think you need to express gratitude TO anything in particular, anyway. Simply feel it, and show your gratitude somehow. A gratitude journal is invaluable, as are the opportunities presented in this forum. Perhaps the most obvious way to express gratitude is to tell the people in your life how much you appreciate them. I try to do that a lot.

Remember, infinite intelligence (call it what you will) WANTS you to have all that you ask for. Gratitude is the only only way of recognizing what has already already been given.

May you recognize good things when they come to you!
Rachel

Dear Abdul: You've got great responses on the question about God.
I will take what you wrote about your CMI.

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i intend to achieve the objective by expanding and improving sales in the medicine shop which i own to increase cash flow and generate income for the construction of this house.

You don't need to worry about how this is going to come to you just have the certainty that is coming; that you have it. Live if you already build your house; the how is not our job. In your medicine shop do all you can do the best you can; practice gratitude and appreciation for everything and everybody and the way to your new home will be shown to you and then it will be time for action; what we call here inspired action.
It would be a good idea to take the practical genius course; it will clarify the book a lot.

In my opinion all religions believe in the same God but because of different cultures we call it differently. I am certain(NO DOUBT in my mind) that we are more than we see. We are God in this body and thru our minds.

Lots of love and enjoy your new home

Luz Maria

Hi Abdul

Welcome to the forum

For me, the key idea is to give thanks to a greater and higher power, which to some, is a God, to others, they simply think of it as "formless stuff" or "infinite intelligence". And to believe that this higher intelligence desires me(and everyone) to have overflowing abundance to live a full and happy life.

Hi to all the great mentors who have contributed to this topics so far. i am exceedingly grateful to you all for your advice and suggestion. joining this forum has been one of the best thing to happen to me this year. god bless.
Abdul.

I agree that it isn't important what you call the "higher power". Just remember to be grateful. Sometimes I need to remind myself to be thankful

Hi Abdul,
Going by Islamic religion and with many others which you have mentioned,I firmly understands that they all emphasise the need for us to be gratefull to God,higher intellegence or whatever name we ascribed to it as well as to our fellow human beings because in doing that we stand better chance of getting more.
There is an adage in (Yoruba) Nigeria that if a child give thanks for yesterdays gift,he will surely get another gift from the giver.
In the bible (bcos I am a christian)several portion stresses the fact that we must be thankfull and be appriciative of whatever or whoever blesses us.
Wallice said that a mind that is not thankfull for what he recieve can not keep long in the flow without going back into lack and competive mind.Gratitude keep you in the flow.
You can never regret being grateful.And if you find yourself being reluctant to be grateful,you definitely are in the competitive and lack mind state and the result is not what you are here for.
Many blessings.

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Originally posted by abdul:
Hi to all the great mentors who have contributed to this topics so far. i am exceedingly grateful to you all for your advice and suggestion. joining this forum has been one of the best thing to happen to me this year. god bless.
Abdul.

You must be greatful to ALLAH otherwise your ambiguous nature will cause doubt and failure for you. If you say you are a Muslim you must be the very best Muslim you can be.

This was the biggest failure of"the secret" and most all self-help books over the last 100 years. Wattles did not forsake God, so if you are a Muslim you must be the best Muslim

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This was the biggest failure of"the secret" and most all self-help books over the last 100 years.

Is that true? Can you be absolutely sure? How do you know?

Hi, I'm new on this forum and this is my first post

Isn't gratitude just like being happy with your success and being happy with what you have already received? And happy that you have received it? Happiness doesn't require you to be happy TOWARDS anything particular, does gratitude require that? And not every successful man / woman has a clue about God.

That said I DO believe that there is this "Infinite intelligence" and I'm already starting to call it God.. And I'm starting to thank God for things and it also feels like it strengthens my faith in the Higher Power that will deliver my dreams and create the path for me.

So these are just my thoughts and exercising gratitude is quite a new habit for me. But I have heard the phrase "Gratitude equals happiness".

Welcome Rocknroll,

Yes, I think you've got it!

It's great to read posts from new people. Keep letting us know your thoughts and experiences.

Also, check out the "I am grateful" threads on the "It's all relative" board. It's a wonderful way to reinforce your habit of gratitude.

Love and blessings,
Rachel

I have been reading the book with great enthusiasm,on chapter 10 so far. I don't really like the word God,but prefer force or Spirit. The way I see it at the moment is that you show gratitude to yourself (which I believe is "God") for creating all of it.

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I don't really like the word God

God just comes from the Middle English word for good. So you can think of it that way if you like.

On the other hand, whenever ANYTHING causes us to have a strong emotional response of dislike, disapproval, and so on, I find it's really useful to sit with that, get curious about WHY I feel that. In other words, go within, because there is definitely some underlying belief that causes that response that is not serving me.

That kind of response is resistance and any kind of resistance is a block that prevents or slows down the "arrival" of whatever I want to experience (be, do, or have).

Hi Abdul
As you said you are a muslim.
In Islam it stated that "If you are grateful to God, then your blessings will be added"
Mr Wattles wrote in his book that there are "universal laws at work".
To me it is applicable to the various faiths.
What you should do is to cultivate the habit of being grateful for all the blessings you already have.
And you have hope and faith in the future for a better business and so it shall manifest in you life.

hi,
Hamz, thanks for the reply. It is great having a fellow naija on board . I appreciate you.

Successfully yours
Abdul.

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"Gratitude equals happiness".

That is beautiful Rocknroll, I never heard of this saying nor have I thought of it in such a way. I feel the happiest when my heart is filled with gratitude -how very true! it should be acknowledged as Universal law.

Adbul, when I feel gratitude from the depth of my being I don't really address it to anybody I just let it permeate into the vastness of our universe & concentrate only on the joy of the moment & savour the feeling.

Maria