Within You is the Power | Page 9

son of God. He
discovers that the Divine Spark within is his true self. He realizes also that he has always
lived--in his real Spiritual Self. Beginning and end, like change and decay, belong purely
to the material plane and have no place in Reality. They form part of this present three
dimensional existence but have no reality. Endless being is the reality. Anything short of
this is mere illusion. It is not necessary, therefore, to believe in the theory of reincarnation
or that all our experiences must of necessity take place on this plane. Sufficient to know
that we can never die, that we cannot escape from ourselves, and that to neglect seeking
with all our heart for union once again with our Divine Source, is merely to prolong our
sufferings.
Man, then, has to change. His desires and aspirations, instead of being directed towards
hate and evil must be transformed to love and good. Instead of wallowing in lust and
selfishness he must lift himself to higher and better things. How can this be done? It
cannot be accomplished by the finite man at all, but it can be achieved by the Infinite
Power within. It is only when man realizes his oneness with the Infinite and believes that
Omnipotent Power is at his disposal, that the Spiritual Power within becomes available.
So long as man has doubts and fears or disbeliefs, this special power is not available. It is
his, but his state of heart and mind prevents him from either realizing the presence of the
Power or making use of it. Before the machinery of a workshop can run it must be
connected up with the engine room. In the same way, man, before he can live the new life,
must become one with the Infinite Life and Power.
Entering this new life of power, does not take away life's experiences, its trials, troubles
and adversities, but the change within does prevent the creation of unnecessary troubles
and suffering. Also even a so-called unkind fate loses much of its power to wound, for
the higher man rises into union with God and Infinite Love, the less power it has in his
life. It still operates, but it fails to wound so deeply, for man, seeing with illumined eyes,

knows that it is good that has come to bless; and not evil that has come to slay. Painful
fate loses its power to hurt when man ceases to resist it and meets it with open arms,
seeking to learn the lessons that it has to teach.

CHAPTER V.
SUCCESS.
What is meant here by success is the achievement of something worth while, that shall
make the world better and richer, and add something to the common good. Our sphere in
life may be very humble, but if we overcome our own weaknesses, help others along
life's pathway, and do our daily work better than we need, our life cannot be other than
successful. If, at the end of our life, we can be thankful for it, realizing that we have made
the best possible use of it, we have achieved real success.
Success, to the unillumined, may mean the accumulation of wealth and the winning of
fame. Yet those who give up their lives to the acquirement of these things are the greatest
failures in life. They gain wealth, it is true, but they find that their money can buy only
those things that bring no satisfaction: that it cannot purchase for them any of the things
which are really worth having. Success of this hollow kind, can be won, but at too great a
price. The greatest Teacher of all once said: "For what shall it profit man, if he shall gain
the whole world and lose his own soul?" What does it profit a man if he "gets on" at the
cost of happiness, health, joy of living, domestic life, and the ability to appreciate
Nature's beauties and simple pleasures?
Yet man must be a striver. He must be for ever seeking better things and to express
himself more perfectly. One who drifts through life, making no effort to rise to better
things, is not worthy of the name of citizen. Man, if he is to be worthy of the name, must
be for ever striving, overcoming, rising. Failure in life is always due to weakness of
character. It is only strong characters who can resist the buffetings of life and overcome
its difficulties. The man who would make his life worthy of respect and who would rise
to high achievement and service, will be confronted by difficulty at every turn. This is as
it should be, for it weeds out the weaklings and unworthy aspirants, and awards the spoils
to those who exhibit faith,