Hello all. My name is Shalisha. I'm new to this forum. I've had SOGR for almost 2 years and have not gotten past chapter 1 or 2. Why? It seems difficult to wrap my head around. The harder I try to understand, the more it seems like I'm reading a philosophy book - which, anyone who has taken Philosophy knows, is difficult to interpret and understand.

Someone please explain to me about doing things in a certain way? For instance, I'm on a new job. I want to give more in value than I receive in cash. How exactly do I do that?

Hi Shalisha, welcome onboard, I'm quite new too, although not to the philosophy.

I would suggest you just read SOGR without trying to digest anything. Once you've read it, read it over and over, and over again. Just KEEP reading it!

I'm on my 4th or 5th read-through now - but I'll do hundreds!! As you do this you'll learn as you go along, and I think you'll surprise yourself.

EVERYONE finds out something new each time they read SOGR. I certainly do. Don't TRY too hard - just go easy with yourself; let the words "come to you" to begin with. After a few reads you'll see what I mean.

So, just stick with it, go easy, relax and enjoy it. Do EASY reading at first, then begin to WORK at it

hth

Thanks so much ij! I appreciate it.

Thank you ij. I'll do that.

Shalisha, I created an online course to answer the exact sort of questions you're asking. You set your own tuition for it (at least for now).

Check it out here.

(There's also a whole forum section for students in this course -- people from all over the world.)

Hi Rebecca. Thank you so much. I want to subscribe, and I thought the option was for me to do it monthly at my own rate, but I see that even the least expensive is $107 total. Must that be paid all at once or is it $10 a month?

quote:

Originally posted by Shalisha:
I want to give more in value than I receive in cash. How exactly do I do that?

It seems to me, one good way to do this is to become more of an exemplary person, no matter what your job. Let me try to explain.

I find that how we think and feel about ourselves and others impacts whatever we do. Wherever I work, I find there are people who are more or less compassionate, more or less wise, more or less aware, more or less constructive, at peace, etc. And, it seems to me, the ones who are more compassionate, wise, aware, constructive, resilient, at peace, etc., fare better than those who are less so.

So, to me, one way to be of more value than you are paid is to become more of the person you really want to be. And, it seems to me, doing so in my life is also paying off economically. In practical terms, becoming more of the person you really want to be helps create more ease and harmony in all your relationships. In one author’s way of putting it, it makes you “easier to lift,” as in, it makes you someone others want to help, as in give promotions, opportunities, etc. You become someone others are more willing to be kind to, since you’re being kind to others.

I’ve written about it elsewhere, where I’ve gotten two unusual raises without ever asking for either one. I believe it’s partly because I endeavor to make myself more of the person I want to be,… happier, more at peace, more understanding of myself and others and why we do what we do, constructive and cooperative in my interactions (as opposed to being judgmental, blaming, competitive) etc., as well as, of course, being accountable, doing my best to really know my job, even the mundane aspects of it, and be thorough with it.

By the way, that all might sound a bit heavy, but the 'doing' of it doesn't need to be. It's more of just an awareness thing, becoming more aware, in a easy, non-stressful sort of way.

Phil

Thank you Phil. That makes perfect since. I had a feeling that that was what it was all about

quote:

Originally posted by Shalisha:
Hi Rebecca. Thank you so much. I want to subscribe, and I thought the option was for me to do it monthly at my own rate, but I see that even the least expensive is $107 total. Must that be paid all at once or is it $10 a month?

Looks like you've misunderstood. The least expensive is less than 1/10 of what you've said here.

Also, there are LOADS of examples of "more in use value" here on the forums (as well as examples of how to "more than fill your present place." Try the "Find" feature and see what turns up.

quote:

Originally posted by Shalisha:
Thank you Phil. That makes perfect since. I had a feeling that that was what it was all about

Hi Shalisha,

I’m glad that was helpful, but since you said, “I had a feeling that that was what it was all about,” I thought I should mention, the people I study, who seem to have continually evolving, expanding lives, are continually learning and studying. It seems there is no end to what can be learned to enhance or better one’s life and the lives of others. And the more you know, the more effective you get, and the easier and more satisfying it all gets.

For instance, I didn’t mention what I believe are other KEY aspects. For example, I believe (after much study from various teachers, and application of what I’m learning) we can come to be more aware of and in tune with inner guidance, i.e., intuition, or the guidance our feelings or emotions give us. And that is, to me, a pretty large topic, though essentially simple.

In fact, in one of several studies I’ve read, I think it was of a hundred very successful people in business who were asked, what was the major contributing factor to their success, and a large percentage of them said it was the ability to ‘hear’ and follow their intuition. So, this is another big topic. For instance, how does one know one’s intuition? It seems it often gets confused with ego. How does one know what is one’s intuition as opposed to one’s ego? How does one develop their ‘intuitive muscle’? This is another topic that’s very helpful to learn about.

There’s also the general topic of dealing with setbacks, seeming failures, seeming limitations, obstacles or detours. It’s also another vast (though again, fairly simple once you get it) topic. (Simple, though, doesn’t necessarily mean easy, but it does get easier.)

There’s also the topic of working in harmony with Universal Laws, some call spiritual laws or principles, some call metaphysics.

There’s also the topic of one’s beliefs, and being able to notice, discern and question those that limit us and those that 'set us free' or allow us to be more and more the person we want to be (or actually ARE) without making the process itself a stumbling block.

All of these are at least touched upon in TSOGR, but, to me, no matter how thorough it is, these are all topics that can be expanded on with seemingly no end.

I also believe there is a way to avoid ‘overwhelm’ with all of this, a way that keeps it all in a nice, easy, ‘digest-able’ peaceful, happy perspective. A lot of this is discussed in the various threads in the ‘It’s All Relative’ board of TSOGR.

In any case, it seems to me you’ve already got the basic wherewithal to create the life you want,… the courage, intelligence or capacity to be inquisitive, thoughtful, open and discerning.

I hope we hear more from you.

Phil

Hi Phil. Wow. That is a wealth of information! Thank you so much. So these various topics that you mentioned, are they covered in SOGR?

quote:

Originally posted by Shalisha:
So these various topics that you mentioned, are they covered in SOGR?

Hi again, Shalisha,

Yes, to varying degrees. For example, on the subject of how to deal with obstacles or setbacks, etc.

“Never allow yourself to feel disappointed. You may expect to have a certain thing at a certain time and not get it at that time, and this will appear to you like failure. But if you hold to your faith you will find that the failure is only apparent.
Go on in the certain way, and if you do not receive that thing, you will receive something so much better that you will see that the seeming failure was really a great success.” From Chapter 16

Or on the topic of noticing our beliefs. Early on in SOGR Wattles says:

“There is nothing wrong in wanting to get rich.”

In other words, he implicitly realized that many of us want to be rich, but that we also often harbor unseen, hidden beliefs against being rich.

Or, on the importance of attuning to the things we want, especially of getting into emotional attunement with what we want, he says:

“In the mental realm, enter at once into full enjoyment of the things you want.

“Whatsoever things ye ask for when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them,” said Jesus.

See the things you want as if they were actually around you all the time. See yourself as owning and using them. Make use of them in imagination just as you will use them when they are your tangible possessions.
Dwell upon your mental picture until it is clear and distinct, and then take the mental attitude of ownership toward everything in that picture. Take possession of it, in mind, in the full faith that it is actually yours. Hold to this mental ownership.” From Chapter 8

And so on.

Phil

quote:

Originally posted by Shalisha:
The harder I try to understand, the more it seems like I'm reading a philosophy book - which, anyone who has taken Philosophy knows, is difficult to interpret and understand.

Hi Shalisha,

I don't find philosophy difficult at all, and you don't have to either. All philosophy, including the SOGR boils down to this: ideas are tools.

Philosophers basically make things up. They get ideas and then try to discover if their made up ideas bear any relationship to the real world. That is -- are they useful tools. For people who enjoy it, it's like a game of "what if."

This is the same game that scientists play and the same process that creates Mythology and Religion as well. Scientist play "what if" and then do experiments to find out if their ideas (hypotheses) are true. Myths are just stories that someone made up and told so much that some people believed them. Religions are philosophies that people believe very deeply -- often because someone was able to create miracles based on their ideas.

These ideas that I say are "made up" by scientists, philosophers, and holy men are not necessarily arbitrary. Ideas can come from experience. Also, intuition, revelation, and other forms of spiritual knowledge often play a part. Not to mention that cosmic truths seem to be difficult to put into words. But I think that the fact that there are so many different ideas is a huge blessing. Our ability to sift through and choose is what free will is all about.

I have found that people who have difficulty with philosophy often think that considering new ideas is somehow "evil" or against the religion they were taught as children. The whole point of it is to explore and find your own truth. You do this by tasting each idea yourself and accepting what seems right to you and rejecting the rest.

The philosophy of the SOGR is simple.
1) You are a part of the divine spirit (God to some) who is in this body in order to enjoy life and experience things that only humans can experience.
2) Since the universe is an expanding expression of divine spirit, there can never be any lack of anything. The perception of lack is a mistaken belief based on deceptive appearances.
3) As a spiritual being, you can attract (or create) anything you want simply by thinking about it in a certain way.
4) This certain way is simply being happy, and feeling as though you already have the object of your desire.


That's my current understanding of it anyway. Wattles says it much better, of course. In fact he sums it up beautifully in the last chapter. If you've had trouble getting through the whole book, try skipping to the end to get an overview of what the whole thing is saying. Then go back and read the book with a view to understanding the final conclusions.

I definitely recommend Rebecca's course for Practical Geniuses. She really helps you to practice the Certain Way. The course brings everything down to how it affects you and what you can do to create the life you want. And of course, her brilliant "set your own tuition" makes it very easy to afford.

Love and blessings,
Rachel