By Geneviève Behrend.
I think it will be helpful to give a definite idea, in formula form, of how to be and have what you want.
First, you should endeavor to learn to be as near the perfect reflection of your own idea of God as possible, in thought and action. It may seem impossible at first thought, to even approach such a goal, but reflection upon the thought that God made you out of Himself, because He wised to see and feel Himself in you, will help you to persevere. When you first began to learn to read, no doubt you felt in your childish way that it would be wonderful to read as well as the grown-ups could; you kept on trying and then you read. Perhaps you have a big desire which you would give your life to have fulfilled. In reality it is only necessary for you to give a few moments each day to earnest effort, in getting into the spirit of this idea of God and living in it every waking hour.
Then endeavor to find the Spiritual Prototype for your desire. By this I mean inhibit all thought of the physical side of your desire. If you desire a true companion, close your mind entirely to all personality and physical being, and dwell in thought and feeling on the spirit of love and true comradeship, without reference to any physical person. The person is the instrument through which these particular qualities manifest, and not the qualities themselves, as we often learn too late.
Or you may desire improved financial condition. Here again it is not mere money you desire. It is that which money symbolizes: Substance, liberty, Freedom from lack. Therefore, you should go alone night and morning (or any time when you are certain you will not be disturbed) and meditate first upon your own true relation to God. After your feeling has been stimulated to the point of certainty, then meditate upon the ever- present, never-failing substance and freedom of God. Try not to lose sight of the fact that the greatest magnet for acquiring money is Ideas. There is every reason that you should capture one of these big money ideas, if you will persistently follow the suggestions given. If you do this, you will not only capture the idea, but also the courage to put the idea into practical application. This courage, put to positive uses, will bring you to the goal of your desire- substance, love, friends, health, happiness, and the peace that passeth all understanding. May all these come to you in richest measure.
Excerpt from “Attaining your Desires” (1929) by Geneviève Behrend