The Science of
Wealth & Success
by Chris Nelson-Jeffers
hroughout history people have pondered the meaning of, and the means to, achieve success and riches in life.
Startling as it may seem to many whose perspective of the world and reality extends no further than the day they were born and their own life experience, not only are the questions as age-old as humankind itself, but many of the answers are as well – and remain just as pertinent and valid today as they were to those who first discovered and wrote of them.
In the early 1900’s, success writer Wallace D. Wattles developed several principles of success, which he referred to as “Constructive Science”.
Wattle’s observed that there are two distinct principles in nature:
- Constructive, or Integrating; and
- Destructive, or Dis-integrating
Energy, he wrote (he called it Power) applied through the Constructive Principle builds, forms, and integrates all things. Energy applied through the Destructive Principle dissolves, erodes, and disintegrates – dispersing atoms and forms, and throwing them apart.
To master the secret of all attainment (achievement), Wattles observed that it is critical to “learn how to make every thought and action Constructive”.
The secret of all achievement then, the secret of Prosperity, can then be reduced to one easy-to-understand, easy-to-remember formula:
Constructive Thought + Constructive Action = Success (Prosperity and Abundance)
Defining Success
And so what is Success? Wattles defined this simply as well – Getting What You Want.
So if Constructive Thought + Constructive Action = Success, the converse must also be true as well.
Destructive Thought + Destructive Action = Failure (Scarcity, or the opposite of Prosperity and Abundance)
If then “Success” is “getting what you want, then “Failure” is NOT getting what you want.
Constructive vs. Destructive
So here’s the bottom line:
- Every thought you think is either fundamentally:
Constructive
OR it is
Destructive.
- Every thought you think then either ultimately:
Builds
OR it
Destroys.
Similarly,
- Every action you take is either:
Constructive
OR it is
Destructive.
- Every action you take ultimately:
Builds
OR it
Destroys.
Now it is true that most constructive actions you take will involve some destructive elements.
For example, to build a house you will need to cut down a certain number of trees. To make an omelet you will need to break a few eggs … and so on. Even thinking a new thought may require the destruction of a previously-held bias or belief.
What is critical however is that the net result of your thoughts and actions on balance is primarily Constructive. If they are, you will Succeed and Prosper – the certainty and pace of that success being determined by how net positive those thoughts and actions are.
If the majority of your thoughts and actions are Destructive, you will fail – and your life will be filled with scarcity and want.
It is important to point out however that the definition of Success as being “getting what you want” and Failure as “NOT getting what you want”, also requires that the net effects to those around you be measured as well.
Good Karma vs. Bad Karma
You might want to think of this in terms of “karma”, or the spiritual principle of cause and effect.
This principle says that the intent and actions of an individual influence the future of that individual. Good intent and good deeds lead to good karma and happier future outcomes, while bad intent and bad deeds create bad karma and unhappier future outcomes.
Say for example that you want a better view out your window, one filled with trees and grass and wild animals playing. However your window view now is obstructed by your neighbors house.
Obtaining a better view then might necessitate tearing down (destroying) your neighbors house, so that you can replace it (build) with gardens, trees, and free-ranging animals.
A Destructive approach might be to chase your neighbor out of his house and off his property (or to get someone else or others acting as government to do it for you) and then bulldoze the house to plant your gardens, but this action while it might deliver what YOU want, is still a net Destructive plan as it deprives your neighbor of his home (NOT what he wanted). This net Destructive outcome would result in bad karma.
An action which would more likely result in a net Constructive outcome (and good karma), would be to negotiate a mutually satisfactory price to purchase your neighbors home (so that he can build or buy a better house elsewhere).
If both you and your neighbor are happy with the end result (each of you getting what they want), then the action can be said to by a net Constructive success.
Another option would be for you to sell your house and to find a plot of land large enough for your desired house and view, buy it, clear the land to build your house, and plant your gardens.