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Are you using your creative power to manifest wealth?

Last month I told you about 3 books the wealth-building teacher, Dick Fabian, insisted his students study and we previewed one of them, The Richest Man in Babylon. This month, we're going to look at the second book on Dick's list, Dr. Maxwell Maltz's Psycho-Cybernetics, and see how the good doctor's ideas relate to our wealth-building needs.

Generally speaking, Psycho-Cybernetics offers a proven method to become a happier more successful person. But more specifically, it's about programming your subconscious mind to help you attain specific goals.

That's useful to us because we've decided that the success and happiness we want includes wealth. And we have, in fact, set specific wealth goals that we are currently pursuing with the help of the Dow Double Diamond plan (if you haven't yet set your wealth goal, see April's wealth-building article).

Webster's Dictionary defines"cybernetics" as pertaining to "automatic control systems." The Greek root of this word literally means "steersman." And when Dr. Maltz adds the prefix, "psycho," he's not talking about the knife-wielding nutcase in Alfred Hitchcock's movie of the same title, but rather the automatic control system in the human psyche.

This is the same control system that keeps us breathing when we sleep. That enables us to pick an object up off a table without thinking about which muscles to use. And that also provides us with solutions to problems, sometimes at 4 in the morning!

The ideas in Dr. Maltz's book are not really new. They can be found in some philosophies and religions, as well as in countless self-help books, including many aimed at business and sports people (think Tiger Woods envisioning his ball going directly into the cup just before he swings). The advantage to Dr. Maltz's book, in my opinion, is that he keeps everything in scientific terms, which broadens its appeal, and he has a wonderfully simple way of explaining the concepts.

Here's the main idea. Human beings have within them a "creative mechanism." This mechanism is a "goal-seeking device" and it is always at work. It is, in fact, the subconscious mind, which is directed by the conscious mind (or by the semi-conscious mind when we daydream, rethink old ideas, indulge vague fears, or regurgitate the ideas of others and the media).

The purpose of this creative mechanism, of course, is to create. To provide ideas and solutions. To help us attain our goals. To literally manifest in our lives the things we want. In effect, it is always saying "Yes" to our daily requests, whether that request is to take flight from danger and run faster than we've ever run before, or to acquire a specific sum of money. It simply takes the task and carries it out or gives us the tools to do it. And as such, it is daily creating our unfolding lives.

But here's the problem, and it's potentially a big one.

Dr. Maltz tells us that this inboard creative mechanism functions as either a "success mechanism" or a "failure mechanism," depending on how you program it. He goes on to say, your "creative mechanism does not reason about, nor question, the data you feed into it. It merely processes it and reacts appropriately to it."

Let's pause to think about that. If your creative mechanism is always saying "yes" to whatever you ask of it, wouldn't you be wise to ask only for those things you want? Sure. And wouldn't you also be smart to learn the exact method of programming, so you could control what this mechanism creates for you? Of course.

But do we always do that? No. Instead, we get lazy and let negative thoughts creep in. We regurgitate the negative things we hear from others and the media. We worry and fret and too often send the wrong message to our subsconscious mind. And then we're surprised when we get results we don't really want. Okay, but how can we get more of what we do want? Including more money? Simply by being more careful with (and vigilant about) what we think about, what we talk about, and ultimately what we believe.

Dr. Maltz says that the programming of the subconscious mind is done with our beliefs. In other words, our thoughts, our words, and our actions -- all backed by desire and emotion — set our creative mechanisms in motion. This is what triggers the goal-seeking nature of the mechanism and also what causes it to create and bring about exactly what we have asked it to do (often unwittingly).

As a quick aside, have you seen the movie, "What The Bleep Do We Know!?" Same idea, except that in the movie the creative mechanism is explained as quantum physics: what you believe to be true becomes true for you. This is a terrifically entertaining movie that literally explains how life works. You can rent it on DVD and I highly recommend you do. There's also a sequel that is just starting to open around the country called "What the Bleep, Down the Rabbit Hole." Be sure to see that one, too.

Okay, back to our subject...

Surprisingly, Dr. Maltz was not a minister, psychologist, philosopher, or even a neurosurgeon. Rather, he was a plastic surgeon. You've got to wonder how a plastic surgeon came to write one of the best-selling self-improvement books of all time, and specifically one that deals with programming the subconscious mind for success.

Well, the doctor was set on a path of discovery when he observed a strange phenomenon in his work. Often he would see patients with a very low self-esteem, people who were having trouble succeeding at work or in social situations because they believed others found them unattractive and even repulsive.

Many of these folks had crooked noses, big ears, a birth defect or some disfigurement caused by an accident. But after the corrective surgery when they could see that the defect was fixed, they typically gained confidence and adopted a whole new outlook on life. And that enabled them to go on to successful careers and relationships.

But Dr. Maltz also observed another reaction. Sometimes patients would be brought in by parents or friends who had urged them to see a plastic surgeon about correcting a problem that clearly tormented them. But after the surgery was performed and the problem fixed, they could see no improvement.

Perhaps they had lived with the problem for too many years. Perhaps they didn't want to change. In any case, they still believed they were unattractive. They still believed others found them repulsive. Oddly, they believed nothing had changed and couldn't be convinced otherwise, even after looking into a mirror. Unfortunately for these patients, nothing did change. They stuck to their old beliefs and continued to be unhappy and unsuccessful.

Maltz soon realized that it wasn't the physical results of the corrective surgeries that changed lives, but the beliefs the patients held about those results. To be exact, it was the positive beliefs of some patients that set them on a path to success, and it was the negative beliefs of some other patients that kept them mired in misery.

Fascinated, Maltz began researching how "beliefs" affect the subconscious mind, and how the subconscious mind, as the creative mechanism, brings about a manifestion of those beliefs. After years of study, he wrote the best-selling Psycho-Cybernetics, which has helped far more people than he could've ever reached through his surgical practice.

What Maltz discovered, as have many others, is that the human creative mechanism (aside from its automatic control of body functions) is directed by the conscious mind. And this direction, or programming, is done with "what you think or imagine to be true." Because a person's life is essentially determined by what his creative mechanism creates for him (what he will actually experience in his world), Maltz correctly hypothesized that changing one's beliefs could literally change one's life.

And that reminds me of something I ran across in Eastern philosophy many years ago. It's an ancient axiom that goes something like this: "You attract unto yourself the equivalent of that which you express."

Consider for a moment what it is you're thinking about. What it is you're talking about. What it is you're dreaming about. What it is you're fearing. What it is you're feeling. All together, this is what you're expressing and that's what will show up in your life. Your creative mechanism will make sure of it.

We've all known people who always seem to be complaining, always finding fault, always saying that this or that is wrong or no good. You've heard them say, "I can't do that. Things never work out for me. I've always had bad luck."

Are such people happy? Are they successful? Do they accomplish anything worthwhile? No. But do unpleasant things happen to them? Yes, and often. They attract trouble, chaos, illness. Or more accurately, their creative mechanisms, which they've turned into "failure mechanisms," are manifesting unpleasant things in their lives. They may blame others or "external conditions" but they are, in fact, the architects of their problems.

On the other hand, think of people who approach life with a positive outlook, who see problems as challenges that are rewarding to overcome, and who routinely set goals and are busy attaining them. Are these folks happy? Are they successful? Do they accomplish great things? Invariably, yes. And their creative mechanisms, which are in fact functioning as success mechanisms, are bringing about their successes.

Shakespeare said, "Nothing is good nor bad but thinking makes it so." Certainly that was true for Dr. Maltz's patients. Some of them thought the result of the surgery was good and they went on to success and happiness. Others thought the result was bad (or nothing had changed) and they continued with their misery and failure.

What lesson can we take away from this? Just this: If you're unhappy with certain aspects of your life then you need to change your beliefs about those things. And then to get the results you want, including the wealth you want, you'll need to program your subconscious mind for precisely those things. You can actually "choose" your thoughts and words (although it will take discipline) and you'll be smart to do so. Remember, you will attract what you express. You will create what you think. You will manifest what you believe.

Ever wonder why the hypochondriac always feels ill? His creative mechanism, like a good servant, brings illness. Ever wonder why the person who believes he is a failure can't succeed? His creative mechanism is just carrying out the order to "fulfill failure."

Ever wonder why people who have a low regard for money don't get much of it? Or why those for whom money is very important tend to have a lot of it? Their creative mechanisms are manifesting lack or abundance according to what they've requested.

Okay, so how can we use these ideas to get the wealth we want? First, get a copy of Dr. Maxwell Maltz's Psycho-Cybernetics, which I'm confident you'll find extremely valuable (and not just for accumulating wealth).

Second, examine your beliefs and see if any are actually thwarting you. It might just be a case of sloppy thinking, but most of us can use a few "new thoughts and beliefs" to replace harmful ones. The reason Dick Fabian made Psycho-Cybernetics required reading was that he found that some of his students actually believed they couldn't become wealthy. Such beliefs had no foundation in truth--and in fact prevented success--so they had to be changed. Dr. Maltz's book facilitated that.

Third, make sure you have set a wealth goal. Remember, your creative mechanism is a goal-seeking device. It needs a target. So, give it one and make sure it's the very thing you want.

Next, use Dr. Maltz's techniques, including visualization, in which you'll imagine yourself having the money. Of living the life. Of experiencing the security, luxury, and happiness that the attainment of your goal will bring. Think it. Dream it. Expect it. Believe it!

Once you give your subconscious mind a goal, and then reinforce it with Dr. Maltz's techniques, you'll find that this innate creative mechanism will be relentless in manifesting that money for you. You'll be surprised, and even amazed, at the positive things that start happening in your life. How the money starts flowing to you. How you come up with more ideas to make more money. And how wealth literally becomes a fact of life in your life. It's not magic. It's just how the human system works.

Finally, and this is of particular importance to Dow Double Diamond wealth builders. When you have a wealth goal...and that goal is really important to you...when you in fact give it a high priority and infuse it with passion, then you will be motivated to persevere until you have attained it. This is also the very thing that convinces your subconscious mind you're serious about obtaining that wealth. And then, of course, it will have no choice but to manifest it for you.

I hope this was helpful. Next month, we'll look at some of the ideas in Think and Grow Rich. Until then, watch your thoughts and keep your eye on the goal.

Sincerely,

Dick Sanders