“Change your mind on what you want to see and all the world must change accordingly.”—A Course in Miracles
Two of my early mentors recently showed up again in my life.
They’re both authors and, while I never met either (not sure our time on Planet Earth ever even crossed), they both gave me important inspiration and ideas which I “borrowed” and expanded on to write my own books.
Florence Scovel Shinn, author of The Game of Life and How to Play It, was a favorite in my early days of metaphysics. I was reminded of her last weekend when my friend, Jay, gave a talk on her no-nonsense approach to spirituality. Beware of every word, she cautioned, because each utterance casts a spell and creates reality.
Neville Goddard, another early favorite, came up in a conversation between Michael Beckwith and Abiola Abrams, who just published a book about Abdullah, an Ethiopian rabbi who first introduced Neville to spiritual law.
Neville, as you probably know, taught that our imagination (our consciousness) creates its likeness (its manifestation) in the physical world.
When he was still a young dancer on Broadway, Neville told Abdullah he longed to return for a visit to his native Barbados. Thanks to the Depression, the theater world was on hiatus and well, he hadn’t seen his family in 12 years. Never mind that he was broke.
Abdullah simple shrugged and gave him these three words. “Be in Barbados.”
“But……” Neville sputtered.
“Don’t see yourself going to Barbados. Be in Barbados. Now!”
Neville finally got it and even though he was smack dab in the middle of Manhattan, he began “being in Barbados” in his imagination. He imagined palm trees, he imagined smelling ocean breezes, sinking his toes in a white, sandy beach.
Within a few days, his brother called “out of the blue” to say the family wanted him home for Christmas and had just bought him a ticket for steerage that he was to pick up at the Furness Ship Line.
Abdullah wasn’t finished with his student.
He simply added a second set of three words. “Be in First Class.”
“But this was the only ticket available,” Goddard insisted,
Abdullah would have none of it.
“Be in First Class,” he simply repeated and walked away.
You can guess what happened? Neville Goddard sailed first class to Barbados, spent three glorious months in his home country and sailed back to Manhattan, in, of course, first class.
The “something new“ is my practice of making mandalas each morning. I mentioned it in the last post, but I wanted to further gush (you know how I am?) about the startling abundance that has been so clearly illuminated.
Every single day, there are new, beautiful” art supplies” just waiting for me to pluck up and use in my daily design. It’s not an exaggeration to say that being witness to this ongoing supply has been life-changing. I mean, wow!
By letting go my need to find the extraordinary and spectacular, I am coming to recognize the simple wonder that lies all around me, in the ordinary. And it makes me question, “What else do I miss? What else do I walk by each and every day?”
Life continues to prove that everything I could ever need is right here. Right now. I just need to look.
#222 Forever!
Pam Grout is the author of 20 books including E-Squared, E-Cubed, Thank & Grow Rich and her latest book, The Course in Miracles Experiment: A Starter Kit for Rewiring Your Mind (And Therefore Your World)
36 Responses
Hello Pam,
Another great post—thank you for sharing your information with those who may be new to the teachings of the law of attraction.
Florence Scovel Schinn and Neville Goddard were both amazing teachers about the law of attraction. “You are in the Barbados,” from Abdullah, has become a key phrase that sets a strong example of how to believe our desires into existence.
I wonder if you know of the following statement from “The Master Key System,” by Charles F. Haanel. It took me several reads to notice it:
“It is the few who know that things which they see are only effects, and understand the causes by which these effects were brought into existence.”
With great respect (and thanks for all I’ve learned from you),
Art
I love that quote from Charles F. Haanel. Thank you for passing it along.
Wow! This arrived with super high metaphysical and Spiritual wattage! I love Florence Scovel Shinn. Whatever the issue, problem, the appearance the answer is available. Inside of me with Florence’s direction in her amazing wisdom.
I loved the command to “be in Barbados” it lifted me up several rungs as this is pure metaphysical Truth! Pam you knocked it out of the proverbial ballpark!
Thank you!!
Good one!!! 🙂 Thank you!!!
My pleasure!
It’s always a great day when I find you in my email, well it’s always a great day either way. I do thoroughly enjoy your post, this one was especially good. Thank you.
It is a great day either way! Glad I can be part of making it even better.
Dear Pam,
I thank You for this wonderful post 💝💝💝💝🦋🦋🦋🦋
I think I needed the reminder and I will shift my thinking From ”I Would like to be light to other people or even a little bit lighten their Beingness” into ”I am light to other people and I can lighten their beingness’
💝💝💝💝💝
Thank You, With huge and pure love, Teija and Pelonteet 🦋🦋🦋🦋💝💝💝💝
That’s a perfect reframe!
Neville was one of my early teachers. Ann Lamont, I’ve never read and it must be time. I love that quote about the ten minute walk. It brilliance in action.
Ann Lamott is amazing! I’ve loved her ever since reading Operating Instructions about her journey, similar to mine, as a single mom.
Florence Scovel Shinn was one of the first metaphysical writers I read. I love her books- she has such a down to earth, practical, easy to understand approach and makes metaphysics seem easy, natural and fun. I came upon Neville Goddard more recently and I immediately felt like I’d discovered a magical formula for creating anything in my life. Our imagination and our words are powerful tools, and as Florence would say “Your word is your wand”. Yes! Thank you Pam for reminding me of both these inspiring authors, and for the reminder that everything we need is right where we are. Amen! 💃💛🎩✨🌹
I love all the authors who inspire us. And I include you as one of those, Jenny Louise!
Neville Goddard is one of the authors Wayne suggested to me that I/WE read.
Thank you. Pam
Marianne
On my to read list
Neville is great. Not surprised Wayne would recommend him.
Your questions – “What else do I miss? What else do I walk by each and every day?” – remind me of something I read somewhere a long time ago but haven’t ever been able to locate again for attribution purposes…
“You can have anything you want in life, but you must pay… attention.”
My online search shows several different endings for that statement (e.g., but not everything you want; the price of Mastery; etc.), but I prefer the one in my memory. 🤗 Enjoy all those new art supplies!
I love that there is an abundance of art supplies and anything else I need! When I pay attention!
So beautifully stated, and so true. Thanks for sharing!
Thank YOU!!!
Pam,
Those are two of the teachers, authors I read and love also. Shinn and Neville, both so powerful and sure of the magic that is here for us!
I Love them so much!
And you!
Kate
And I love YOU!!!
I Love you, Pam.
The Truth you share always speaks to my heart.
Thank you.
Our hearts are singing the same language!
Thank you for the reminder in manifesting the good and the beautiful.
The good and the beautiful–that’s what I’m here for.
Thank you Pam!! Like so many out there, I love to see an email from you!!! Happy creating with your endless supply of art materials:) and I will take a walk and get my inspiration ✨️
Refreshing!! Thank you, Pam.
Enjoy your walk!!! And so glad you’re excited to get my emails!
Hi Pam! Wow – I’ve never heard of any of these teachers! I started looking into Neville Goddard last night and found tons of free PDFs of his work and this morning found lectures on YouTube with him actually speaking!! So cool! Usually all the teachers, happily not you, are from other centuries or like Ab Hicks channeled through others and you don’t get to actually hear them speak. I have been doing the 30 day experiment listening and being my own teacher and guide and today is day 30 for me. It’s fascinating that my own inner being has been saying a lot of what Neville is saying ( I had no idea) and then here is your post showing me in my face even more proof that what I’m hearing is spot on. So exciting! I intend to keep going but now I have tons of new materials with Neville to help inspire and connect me more powerfully to learn more concepts and open up my mind and perspective and keep me on track and TRUST myself more! Thank you for all your uplifting posts – I love seeing your name pop up in my email because I know it’s always something exciting. Thank you for your emails and love to help us all grow more, and guiding me to new teachers, and thank you to everyone here that posts comments because your insights are so helpful and I learn from so many here. Have a beautiful day! Hilary
I’m honored to be the one to introduce you to these fabulous teachers! And especially “the teacher” that shows up in your morning pages. That, to me, is the REAL beauty!
Pam, Thank you for the great post! A fav quote from Shinn has adorned my wake-up alarm for years: “Today is the day of my AMAZING good fortune!”
And shortly after rediscovering Neville about 5 yrs ago, I walked into a thrift store…& there was an art print of a street scene of Baxter’s Road, Barbados — now a daily reminder to “be there.” 🙂
RevBronte
Thank you, Pam!
Fatou
I have everything I need, and everything I desire. The Universe provides it to me. The small things, I’ve learned, are really, really big things. Special things. I know I’m always taken care of.
💞🙏💞Thank you Pam for ALL of the LOVE you Share!💞🙌💞Have been reading your “The Course in Miracles Experiment” Daily for a couple of years now… & just today, I finally decided to peak at what you are up to via the World Wide Web… Been catching up on your Wonderful Blogs & this one delighted me because of course, I had encountered a Neville Goddard Booklet on my bedside table that is waiting to be read😅✨💛🙏💛