Florence Scovel Shinn was a woman ahead of her time. To many, she is considered to be among the likes of James Allen, Wallace D. Wattles and Napoleon Hill. She had the ability to explain her success principles and how they work in an entertaining and easy-to-read style. She can be considered one of last century's most popular success teachers.
Florence Scovel Shinn was born on September 24, 1871, in Camden, New Jersey to Alden Cortland Scovel and Emily Hopkinson. She had an older sister and a younger brother. She was educated at Friends Central School in Philadelphia. She later studied art at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts from 1889 to 1897. While there, she met Everett Shinn, a painter of impressionistic canvases and realistic murals. They married shortly after Florence graduated from the art academy. The Shinns moved to New York where both pursued their separate careers, Everett in the theatre while Florence did illustrations for children's literature in magazines and books.
In 1925, Florence decided to publish her first book 'The Game of Life and How to Play It'. After unsuccessfully finding a publisher for her work, she published it herself. Her second book, 'Your Word is Your Wand' followed in 1928 and her final book 'The Secret Door to Success' was published in 1940 shortly before her death on October 17, 1940. A fourth book, 'The Power of the Spoken Word' is a compendium of her notes, gathered by one of her students and published posthumously in 1945.

Chapter 1 : Weapons Ye Know Not Of   “I have weapons ye know not of!; I have ways ye know not of! I have channels ye know not of! Mysterious weapons, mysterious ways, mysterious channels! For God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform.” The trouble with most people is that they want to know the way and the channels beforehand. They want to tell Supreme Intelligence just how their prayers should be answered. They do not trust the wisdom and ingenuity of God. They pray, giving Infinite Intelligence definite directions how to work, thereby limiting the Holy One of Israel. Jesus Christ said: “When ye pray, believe ye have it.” What could be more simple or direct? “Become as a little child if you would enter the kingdom.” We might paraphrase the scriptures and say, have the expectancy of a little child and your prayers will be answered. A child waits with joyful expectancy for his toys at Christmas. I give the illustration of the little boy who asked for a drum for Christmas. The child does not lie awake at night agonizing over his drum wondering whether he will get it. He goes to bed and sleeps like a top. He jumps out of bed in the morning ready for the happy day before him. He looks with wonder at that which is before him. The grown-up person spends sleepless nights agonizing over his problem. Instead of a drum, he has spoken for a large sum of money. He can’t think of any way it can come, and will it come on time? He will tell you he has perfect faith in God, but, he would like to know more about the channel and how it is to be done. The ans... See more

Chapter 1 : Weapons Ye Know Not Of
 

“I have weapons ye know not of!; I have ways ye know not of! I have channels ye know not of! Mysterious weapons, mysterious ways, mysterious channels! For God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform.” The trouble with most people is that they want to know the way and the channels beforehand. They want to tell Supreme Intelligence just how their prayers should be answered. They do not trust the wisdom and ingenuity of God. They pray, giving Infinite Intelligence definite directions how to work, thereby limiting the Holy One of Israel.

Jesus Christ said: “When ye pray, believe ye have it.” What could be more simple or direct? “Become as a little child if you would enter the kingdom.” We might paraphrase the scriptures and say, have the expectancy of a little child and your prayers will be answered. A child waits with joyful expectancy for his toys at Christmas. I give the illustration of the little boy who asked for a drum for Christmas. The child does not lie awake at night agonizing over his drum wondering whether he will get it. He goes to bed and sleeps like a top. He jumps out of bed in the morning ready for the happy day before him. He looks with wonder at that which is before him.

The grown-up person spends sleepless nights agonizing over his problem. Instead of a drum, he has spoken for a large sum of money. He can’t think of any way it can come, and will it come on time? He will tell you he has perfect faith in God, but, he would like to know more about the channel and how it is to be done. The answer comes, “I have weapons ye know not of.” “My ways are ingenious, my methods are sure.”

“Trust in me, commit your ways unto me.” Committing your ways unto the Lord seems very difficult to most people. It means, of course, to follow intuition, for intuition is the magic path, the beeline to your demonstration. Intuition is a Spiritual faculty above the intellect. It is the “still small voice” commonly called a hunch, which says, “This is the way, walk ye in it.” I refer to intuition very often for it is the most important part of Spiritual development. It is Divine Guidance. It is the God within, it is the eye which watches over Israel and never slumbers or sleeps. With it, nothing is unimportant. Acknowledge me in all your ways and I will make plain your path. Remember—despise not the day of small things (of seemingly unimportant events).

It is very difficult for a person who has always followed the reasoning mind, to suddenly follow intuition, especially people who have, what they call, regular habits. They are accustomed to doing the same thing every day at the same time.

Meals like clockwork. They get up at a certain time and go to bed at a certain time. Any deviation upsets them.

We have the power of choice—we may follow the magic path of intuition, or the long and hard road of experience, by following the reasoning mind. By following the super-conscious we attain the heights. In the intuition, are the pictures of eternal youth and eternal life, where death itself is overcome. We have the power to impress the subconscious mind with the picture of Eternal youth and Eternal life. The subconscious, being simply power without direction, carries out the idea, and we have our bodies transmuted into the body which can never die. We see this idea partly expressed in the moving picture “The Lost Horizon.” Shangrila was a symbolic picture of the “World of the Wondrous,” where all conditions are perfect.

There is a Spiritual prototype of your body and affairs. I call it the Divine Design and this Divine Design is a Perfect Idea in your super-conscious mind. Most people are far from expressing the Divine Idea of their bodies and affairs. They have stamped the contrary pictures of disease, old age and death upon the subconscious, and it has carefully carried out their orders. Now we must give a new order; “Let me now express the Divine Idea in my mind, body and affairs.” If you will impress the subconscious by repeating this statement you will be amazed at the changes which soon take place. You will be bombarded by new ideas and new ideals. A chemical change will take place in your body. Your environment will change for the better, for you are expanding rapidly into the Divine Plan, where all conditions are permanently perfect.

“Lift up your heads, ye gates, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord (or Law) strong and mighty. The Lord mighty in battle.”

Now remember, the Bible is talking about thoughts and states of consciousness. Here is a picture of the Perfect Ideas of the super-conscious mind, rushing into your conscious mind. Gates and doors are lifted up, and “The King of Glory comes in.” “Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty. The Lord mighty in battle.” This King of Glory has weapons ye know not of and puts to flight the army of the aliens (the negative thoughts entrenched in your consciousness for countless ages). These negative thoughts have always defeated the manifestation of your heart’s desire. They are the thought forms which you have built up in your subconscious by constantly thinking the same thoughts. You have built up a fixed idea that “Life is hard and filled with disappointments.” You will meet these thoughts as concrete experiences in life, for “Out of the imaginations of the heart come the issues of life.”

“My ways are ways of pleasantness.” We should all build up in consciousness a picture of peace, harmony and beauty and some day it will push itself into visibility. The Divine Idea of your life often flashes across your consciousness as something too good to be true. Very few people fulfill their destinies. Destiny means the place you were destined to fill. We are fully equipped for the Divine Plan of our lives. We are more than equal to every situation. If we could get the realization back of these words doors would fly open and channels be cleared. We could actually hear the hum of Divine activity, for we would be linked with Infinite Intelligence which knows no defeat. Opportunities would come to us from unexpected quarters. Divine activity would operate in and through all our affairs and the Divine Idea would come to pass.

God is Love but God is Law, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (or laws). Dr. Ernest Wilson told me that his first knowledge of Truth came through reading Emerson’s “Concentration.” Concentration means loving absorption. We see children lovingly absorbed in their play. We can only be a success in a line which interests us greatly. Great inventors are never bored with their work, or they would not bring forth great inventions. Never try to force a child to be something he does not want to be. He will only prove a failure. The first start toward success is to be glad you are yourself. So many people are bored by themselves. They have no self-reliance, and are always wishing they were someone else.

When I was in London I saw a man on the street selling a new song, it was called, “I’m tickled to death I’m me.” I thought that was a wonderful idea—start out by being glad you are yourself. Then you can expand rapidly into the Divine plan of your life where you fulfill your destiny. You may be sure that the Divine plan of your life will give you perfect satisfaction. You will no longer envy anyone. People often become impatient and discouraged. I was inspired by reading in the paper about Omaha, the famous racehorse. The article said, “Omaha has to run a mile before he gets into his stride.” There are, no doubt, a lot of Omahas in the world, but they can get into their Spiritual stride, and win the race, in the twinkling of an eye.

“Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Delight thyself in the law and it will give to thee the desires of thine heart. “Delighting yourself in the law” means to enjoy making a demonstration. To enjoy trusting God, means to be happy in following your intuitive leads. Most people say, “Oh dear; I’ve got to demonstrate money again;” or “Oh dear, my hunches make me so nervous, I haven’t the nerve to follow them.” People enjoy playing golf and tennis, why can’t we enjoy playing the game of life? It is because we are playing with unseen forces. With golf or tennis they have balls they can see and a goal which is visible to the naked eye; but how much more important is this game of life? The goal is the Divine plan of your life where all conditions are permanently perfect.

“In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will make plain thy paths.” Every moment we can link with intuition, will give us as definite a lead as a signpost. So many people are leading such complicated lives because they are trying to think things out instead of “intuiting” the way out.

I know a woman who says she has a thorough knowledge of Truth and its application but the minute she has a problem she reasons and weighs and measures the situation. It is never solved. Intuition flies out of the window when reason comes to the door. Intuition is a Spiritual faculty, the super-conscious, and never explains itself. There came a voice before me, saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it.” Someone asked me if the reasoning mind was ever any good. The reasoning mind must be redeemed. Trust in Spiritual law and “it will be given you.”

Your part is to be a good receiver, prepare for your blessing, rejoice and give thanks and it will come to pass.

I have weapons ye know not of, I have ways which will astound you.

 

Chapter 2 : I Give Unto You Power

 
God’s gift to man is power; power and dominion over all created things; his mind, his body, and affairs. All unhappiness comes from lack of power. Man imagines himself weak and the victim of circumstances, claiming that “Conditions over which he had no control” caused his defeat. Man by himself, is indeed, a victim of circumstances; but linked with God-power all things are possible.

Through a knowledge of metaphysics we are discovering how this can be done. By your word you contact this power. Then, miraculously, every burden is lifted and every battle is won. Life and death are in the power of the tongue. Watch your words with all diligence. You are continually reaping the fruits of your words. And he that overcometh and keepeth my works to the end, to him will I give power and dominion over the nations.” Overcoming means to conquer all doubts, fears and negative vibrations. One man with perfect peace and perfect poise, filled with love and good-will, could dissolve all negative vibrations. They would melt away like snow under the sun. Jesus Christ said: “All power is given unto me to bring heaven upon earth.” Let us give thanks that this is now coming to pass—for evil is unreal and leaves no stain. This God-power is within you, your super-conscious mind. It is the realm of inspiration, revelation and illumination. It is the realm of miracles and wonders. Quick and seemingly impossible changes take place for your good. A door opens where there were no doors. Supply appears from hidden and unexpected channels, for “God has weapons ye know not of.”

To work with God-power you must give it right of way and still the reasoning mind. The instant you ask, Infinite Intelligence knows the way of fulfillment. Man’s part is to rejoice and give thanks, and act his Faith. A very well known woman in England told of this experience: She was asking, with great feeling, for a realization of God. These words came to her “Act as though I were, and I am.” It is exactly what I say, over and over again—only active Faith impresses the subconscious, and unless you impress the subconscious, there are no results.

I will now give you an example to show you just how the law works. A woman came to me whose heart’s desire was her right marriage and happy home. She was very fond of a certain man, but he was a most difficult person. After having shown her every attention and devotion, he suddenly changed, and dropped out of her life. She was unhappy, resentful and discouraged. I said, “Now this is the time to prepare for your happy home! Buy little things for it as if you hadn’t a minute to spare.” She became quite interested in shopping for her happy home, when all appearances were against it. “Now,” I said, “you’ll have to perfect yourself on the situation and become immune to all resentment and unhappiness.” I gave her the statement: “I am now immune to all hurt and resentment: my poise is built upon a rock, the Christ within.” I said, “When you are immune to all hurt and resentment, this man will be given you or his equivalent.” It took many months, when one evening she came to see me and said, “I have only the kindest and most friendly feelings for this man. If he isn’t the Divine selection I would be happy without him.”

Not long after, she happened to meet the man. He was so sorry for the way he had acted. He begged her to forgive him. Not long after, they were married and a happy home came into manifestation. It had built itself around her active Faith.

Your only enemies are within yourself. The woman’s enemies were “hurt” and “resentment.” They are indeed “serpents and scorpions.” Many lives have been wrecked by these two enemies. Linked with God-power, all opposition vanished from this woman’s life. Nothing could by any means hurt her.

Think what that means, to have a life free from all unhappy experiences. It is done through making a conscious contact with God-power every instant.