Chapter 8 How to fom an ideal that will come true

First, an ideal to come true must be an ideal; an idea will not do. Second, an ideal to become a reality must have a heart of desire, -and a good strong heart. Third, an ideal to come into manifestation must be a body of real etheric substance. Fourth, an ideal to become an actuality must possess an impulse of action. Lacking any one or more of these, your ideals do not become realities.

First your ideal must be an ideal, not an idea. The ideal will come true. Since most people think and plan in ideas; their thoughts and plans seldom materialize: After repeated failures, some become discouraged, despondent or resigned and some lose faith in their capacity to attain the great goal and doubt the justice of society, the world and God. Other men and women think in ideals; with them it is a habit. Such men and women are successful and attain to a great extent that which they desire. They attain in proportion to their ideals.

You may idealize your thoughts of -ethical and spiritual advancement and attain soul consciousness; yet when it comes to other matters you may use only ideas and fail. On the other hand, although others may not idealize ethical and spiritual concepts as you do, yet they do idealize, -that is, make perfect images of their thoughts of development, advancement, work, and business; and hence they succeed in those lines to a greater extent than you do. This is just; in fact, it is God's Justice. You fail in that which you do not idealize; you succeed in that which you idealize. They also fail in that which they do not idealize and succeed in that in which they use ideals.

Back of every thing in the world there is an ideal: back of the design of every chair; the decoration of every room; the cut and material of every gown and every suit of clothes; back of every thing that ever comes true. Those who think in little ideals, succeed in little things; those who think in big ideals, succeed in big things.

No advance of mankind has ever been effected except it was first formed by ideals of some kind: no painting was ever painted, no statue ever sculptured, no music ever composed, -except first conceived as ideal. No motor, no dynamo, no engine, no printing press, no linotype, no automobile, no airplane -not one was ever invented except it first existed as an ideal. Nothing in education was ever taught and no ethical or spiritual concept was ever preached that did not previously exist in ideal form in the mind.

Those who think ideas never attain to greatness. Great men and women always think in ideals. Change your “ideas” to “ideals!” How? By making it a perfect image, adding desire, giving it body substance, and creating in it an irresistible impulse to manifest itself in action.

How can you complete an idea so as to make it an ideal? First, by adding the factors the idea lacks. You have an idea of the color of an apple. How perfect is it? Take paints and try to paint a picture of an apple and you will discover that there are scores of tints and blends of colors that your idea does not contain. You have an idea of the profile of the face of someone you love. Take a pencil and try to draw that profile! You have an idea of the shape and form of the legs of your table. Close your eyes; run your fingers over one of the legs; feel every indentation, every part that projects, the number of rings around the legs. Scores of new factors are added to your idea.

How can you be certain that you have added everything the perfect image ought to contain and left out everything the image should not contain? Although there are many millions of degrees of variation and an unlimited number of combinations, there are but a few different basic qualities that enter into our images. They are: colors, sounds, tastes, odors, movements and directions of movement, balance or lack of balance, fineness or roughness, hardness or softness, heat or cold, lightness or heaviness.

Take any idea you wish to come true. Image it in your mind as it now is, -a imperfect idea. Then, take the factor of colors. Image it again, mentally seeing every color it has possessed, does possess or could possess. In this same way go over the idea of that which you desire. Use every one of the elements of color, sound, taste, odor, heat, cold, motion, direction of motion, form, size, balance, fineness, roughness, hardness, softness, lightness, heaviness.

Do not leave out a single one. When you have finished you will have the form of a perfect image -of an ideal, -but it will still be only the form -without a heart of desire, without an etheric body, and without impulse to impel action. Next, add desire!