Our mind is the most powerful tool we will ever work with. Stop and think about that statement for a moment. Does it ring true to you? Does it have a deeper meaning? Or have you perhaps heard it before and not given it a second thought?
I have recently come across the short video clip I shared above from Napoleon Hill, renowned author of the book Think and Grow Rich. In the video, he focuses on several pieces of immense wisdom, but the one that greatly caught my attention was the idea of the two envelopes we are all born with.
If we, as human beings could simply come to understand the idea of the two envelopes, apply it and live it, then life would take on a whole new meaning on both a singular and global level. So new and so different that some people may in fact feel as if they were living in Heaven. So different too that the world we know today, may completely disappear as we know it – only to reveal the human being’s true and full potential of being and living.
Thus, imagine that as you and every other human being on this Earth are born, packed safely with you, for life are two envelopes. They are sealed, both for you to open. They are your guidance, they are your maps, they are your clues, they are your aids to make sure you have something with you as you venture into the new world of the physical, from the spiritual. They are the gift of the creator, the greatest gift that we have received and they are in fact the only thing that a physical being has complete power over.
Envelope one is labeled The riches you may enjoy IF you take possession of your own mind and direct it to ends of your own choice.
Envelope two is labeled The penalties you must pay IF you neglect to take possession of your own mind and direct it.
The contents of the envelopes are not a secret and in fact, they are the same for everyone. There are no chosen few, no favorites, no preferred ones – we all come here with the same 2 envelopes, inside which is a guidance system for all of us to live out the same potentials, same opportunities, in the most equal and justly balanced system. Also, the penalties you” must pay” are not cast upon you by “god” or anyone else. They are simply we can say “the rules of the game”.
So are you ready to find out the contents of the envelopes…
The contents of the first envelope, labeled “riches” includes the following list of blessings:
- Sound health
- Peace of mind
- Labor of love of your own choice
- Freedom from fear and worry
- A positive mental attitude
- Material riches of your own choice and quantity
The contents of the second envelope, labeled “penalties” includes the following list of prices one must pay for neglecting to take possession of one’s own mind:
- Ill health
- Fear and worry
- Indecision and doubt
- Frustration and discouragement throughout life
- Poverty and want
- A whole flock of evil consisting of envy, greed, jealousy, anger, hatred, and superstition.
And that is it as simple as that. So what can we as beings learn today from these two envelopes?
First, we need to recognize that we have them and the guidance system of their contents that we were blessed with.
Secondly, we need to understand and accept that everything in our life comes from and down to how we use our minds. There are those of us who do have complete power over their minds, in the way that they have decided to be accountable for it. You can easily tell who these people are, as their lives consistently exemplify a blissful state. There are no “villains” in their life, no bad days, no hardships. Some in the past have even referred to these as the “chosen ones” or given them similar titles.
Then there are those of us who make the choice over and over to not take control and possession of our own minds, and instead, let it control us. We choose not to be accountable to and for ourselves and always and easily find external sources that we blame for the situations we are in. It is as you can imagine easy to spot these people too. They are never fully satisfied, there always seems to be something “wrong”, some “drama” or “tragedy” in their life.
Of course, many of us fall into the in-between group, where we are just beginning to realize and thus take control of our minds, and slowly or quickly, depending on your comprehension walk away from the illusions of pain and suffering.
Look at the first price for example, as it is a popular and big example in our society today. We have heart disease, cancers, and diabetes that are running rampant over North America. Many of us fall “victim” to disease and usually start by blaming God, their genetics, the government, society or some other source. And yet when we feed ourselves daily, so few of us actually “think consciously” what am I putting into my body and what possible consequence will this action bring. We are quick to use the excuses of “no time”, “no money”, “no help” or whatever the case may be, but as we do this, we are simply choosing to neglect taking possession of our mind to see and connect the consequence with the action.
I have heard many times of Napoleon Hill before this video and his famous book that has changed the lives of many. In this little 7 minute video, that I share with you below, it was great to actually see him and hear him speak, as he is no longer alive today. He explains how he wants to help others to have better lives. He explains that he learned these so-called “secrets” from Andrew Carnegie, and now I explain to you, how I learned them from him.
We are all put here in each other’s lives to serve as the markers, the beacons of light, the teachers. Everyone is a teacher to someone.
I feel that up to this point in my life, I have fully understood and realized that indeed we are in full control of our lives. I know this is still a tough one for many people to swallow and accept. But when we really put into practice the simple idea of “take control of your mind” – our lives change, literally overnight. I know that is how it has felt to me ever since.
I went from the person who had the typical “bad” day, the typical trial and tribulation, the typical person who had a person in their life who “made their life hard,” to the person who can’t decide if yesterday was better than today because all days and all moments are that good. And all because I decided to do one thing – take conscious control of my mind. So that is why I tell people, life really can be that good! Every day, every moment can be the most precious experience and give you the opportunity to reveal your highest self. But it all comes down to what you choose out of your free will – to take possession of your mind or to let it take possession of you.
That is why as soon as I saw this video and heard this message, something inside of me exclaimed “YES! That is it!” I may not have been able to word it as well as I learned thanks to Napoleon Hill, but now the picture has become clear and complete.
I love this analogy of the two envelopes because it is easy to understand and if we all only realized and accepted that much, as I told you earlier, most of us would no longer be yearning for some “imaginary heaven”. It is as many prophets and teachers have said throughout the ages, within us – the Kingdom of God is within us all. All of us CAN live out calm and beautiful lives, without the fears, the worries, the stresses, the lack – no matter what comes our way. It just comes down to taking charge of our mind and directing it, according to your preferred experiences.
So if you like what is in envelope one – you know what to do…