It’s remarkable that Elsie Lincoln Benedict, a woman so ahead of her time, and so influential during her time, could be so overlooked and unknown today. Even the day of her birth is obscure with various sites stating anywhere from November 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. As today is the first day of November, allow me to celebrate and perhaps introduce you to this incredible and indeed, “wonder woman”. It is, after all, a real wonder that we know so little about Mrs. Benedict and her prolific work.
Russel Brunson’s ‘Secrets of Success’
I recently discovered Elsie and her work through Russel Brunson’s ‘Secrets of Success’ program. Secrets of Success members receive a free copy of Napoleon Hill’s book, ‘Think and Grow Rich‘ and two of his manuscripts that were never released to the public. Every month, members also receive exclusive access to the brilliant works of some of the greatest thinkers of the New Thought Movement (established in the late 1880’s). The mastermind group has been a great online forum for discussion with other like-minded personal development nerds like myself. Hope to meet you in there.
The New Thought Movement
I personally think The New Thought Movement is the most fascinating and underrated American era, and I was honestly quite surprised to learn that many leaders and teachers of the movement were women due to the period. Of course, I can’t help but question how much the issue of gender has played into the undermining of Benedict’s work, as well as the known influence that this era still has on today’s “New Age” school of thought. One can barely get through their day without hearing buzzwords like “manifestation” and “law of attraction” whether they are interested in it or not. I, for one, feel as though I have a deep understanding of this topic, and that’s why my ignorance of Elsie and her work was so shocking.
Without indulging too much into the New Thought Movement, I’ll include a quick wiki about it because understanding the underlying belief system is somewhat of a prerequisite to Elsie Lincoln Benedict’s book “How to Get Anything You Want’.
According to Wikipedia, the Chief Tenets of New Thought are:
- Infinite Intelligence or God is omnipotent and omnipresent.
- Spirit is the ultimate reality.
- True human self-hood is divine.
- Divinely attuned thought is a positive force for good.
- All disease is mental in origin.
- Right thinking has a healing effect.
‘How To Get Anything You Want’ by Elsie Lincoln Benedict
In ‘How to Get Anything You Want’, Mrs. Benedict talks about the importance of controlling your moods and maintaining a positive outlook regardless of adverse incidences occurring in one’s life. She stresses the importance of one’s response to a situation being the determinant of their overall life satisfaction versus being a victim to one’s circumstances. She believed our moods were the direct source that created our outer lives, and therefore, maintaining a positive mood is necessary in the creation of our desires.
Below is a 20-step playbook on improving your mood daily transcribed from Chapter 2 of ‘How to Get Anything You Want’ by Elsie Lincoln Benedict.
How to Remake Our Moods: Lesson Two of ‘How to Get Anything You Want’ by Elsie Lincoln Benedict
LESSON 2: HOW TO REMAKE OUR MOODS
When you realize that not one thing that ever happened to you could have hurt you had you applied this great principle, and that nothing in the future can hurt you except as YOU USE IT AGAINST YOURSELF, you can rebuild your entire outlook. Here are the specific steps which will, if adhered to, eventually remake your life:
Elsie Lincoln Benedict
Rule 1.
WHENEVER AN UNHAPPY EXPERIENCE COMES INTO YOUR FRONT PARLOR, DO NOT LET IT DO ALL THE TALKING. MAKE IT SEE YOU ARE MASTER THERE. SAY TO IT, JUST AS THOUGH IT WERE ANOTHER PERSON, “YOU ARE NOT A VERY PLEASING THING NOW, BUT I CAN TURN YOU INTO ONE OF THE BEST LITTLE WORKERS I’VE GOT AND I AM GOING TO DO IT!
FORM THE HABIT OF SAYING THIS FROM THE INSTANT AN UNPLEASANT THING BEGINS TO HAPPEN, AND BEFORE DECIDING ON ANY KIND OF ACTION.
Rule 2.
THEN TO YOURSELF SAY, “THIS EXPERIENCE HAS GOOD IN IT FOR ME SOMEWHERE, AND THOUGH I DO NOT SEE IT JUST NOW I SHALL LOOK TILL I FIND THAT GOOD AND PUT IT TO ACTIVE USE IN MY LIFE.”
THEN SEARCH TILL YOU FIND IT.
Rule 3.
REGARDLESS OF HOW DISASTROUS ANY EVENT SEEMS TO BE, NO MATTER HOW MANY TERRIBLE RESULTS IT IS BOUND TO BRING YOU, DO NOT DWELL UPON THESE ASPECTS.
Rule 4.
START OUT EACH DAY DETERMINED TO GO THROUGH WITH THE MINIMUM OF FRICTION; WITH THE LEAST POSSIBLE WEAR AND TEAR ON YOUR OWN ORGANISM.
DECIDE THAT NOTHING SHALL UPSET OR FRIGHTEN YOU; THAT, NO MATTER WHAT COMES, YOU WILL FINISH TODAY WITHOUT GIVING WAY TO DESTRUCTIVE MOODS.
Rule 5.
REFUSE TO CROSS BRIDGES TILL YOU COME TO THEM.
REMEMBER THE OLD MAN THAT SAID, “I’VE HAD LOTS OF TROUBLES IN MY LIFE BUT MOST OF ‘EM NEVER HAPPENED.”
Rule 6.
CONFINE YOURSELF TO THE BUSINESS IN HAND.
THIS HAS TWO WONDERFULLY HELPFUL EFFECTS. FIRST, IT PREVENTS YOUR IMAGINATION RUNNING WILD AND DRAGGING YOU WITH IT.
SECOND, IT WILL REMOVE THE CAUSE OF ONE OF THE WORST SORE SPOTS IN YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS – THE REALIZATION THAT YOU HAVE BEEN LETTING THE QUALITY OF YOUR WORK DETERIORATE.
Rule 7.
DON’T LET THE FACTS STATED JUST ABOVE OR ANY OTHERS CAUSE YOU TO WASTE ONE MOMENT REGRETTING THE NEGLECT OF YOUR WORK IN THE PAST.
THINK ONLY OF THE FUTURE.
Rule 8.
AVAIL YOURSELF OF SUGGESTION, THE GREATEST LAW OF THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND, BY KEEPING YOURSELF SURROUNDED WITH THE LITTLE THINGS THAT HELP YOU.
THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND DEALS ALMOST ENTIRELY IN SYMBOLS, HENCE THE POWER OF THESE EXTERNAL REMINDERS.
REMEMBER OUR ONE BIG FUNDAMENTAL RULE: MAKE EVERYTHING AS EASY FOR YOURSELF AS POSSIBLE; GIVE YOURSELF EVERY CHANCE. THEN YOU CANNOT FAIL.
Elsie Lincoln Benedict
Rule 9.
AVOID JUST AS MANY INHARMONIOUS IDEAS, EVENTS AND PEOPLE AS YOU CAN.
Rule 10.
AVOID SO FAR AS POSSIBLE ALL PESSIMISTIC, CYNICAL INDIVIDUALS.
Rule 11.
STAY AWAY FROM POLITICAL WRANGLES, ALL MOBS, ALL QUARRELS, AND ALL “AGAINSTER” MEETINGS.
IF YOU WANT TO HELP THE WORLD, REMEMBER ALL THE GOOD THAT HAS COME INTO IT HAS COME IN SPITE OF FIGHTING, NOT BECAUSE OF IT, AND THIS APPLIES TO INDIVIDUALS AS WELL AS NATIONS.
Rule 12.
MINGLE WITH OPTIMISTIC, HOPEFUL, INSPIRING PEOPLE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. SEEK THEM OUT.
Rule 13.
MAKE IT A POINT TO ATTEND MEETINGS, LECTURES, CONVENTIONS, CONCERTS, CHURCHES, ETC., WHERE THE MESSAGE OF HOPE PREVAILS.
Rule 14.
WHEN THINGS GO WRONG IN YOUR WORK, SAY TO YOURSELF, “THESE ARE MERELY ANNOYANCES INCIDENT TO MY BUSINESS. TO LET THEM IRRITATE ME SIGNIFIES I AM NOT BIG ENOUGH FOR MY BUSINESS.”
Rule 15.
IF YOU ARE AN EMPLOYER OF ANY KIND, YOU ARE SURE TO MEET WITH STUPIDITY AND INEFFICIENCY OCCASIONALLY. INSTEAD OF LETTING THESE ENRAGE YOU, REMIND YOURSELF OF ANOTHER OF HUBBARD’S MAXIMS; “IF HE HAD MY BRAINS, HE’D HAVE MY JOB.”
Rule 16.
IF YOU ARE AN EMPLOYEE, BEAR THE SAME THING IN MIND. INSTEAD OF BECOMING BLINDLY ANGRY WHEN THE BOSS CALLS YOU DOWN, SEARCH FOR THE GRAIN OF TRUTH IN WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT YOU AND LET IT GROW INTO SELF-IMPROVEMENT. OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE FOREVER TAKING ORDERS FROM OTHERS.
Rule 17.
ON THE OTHER HAND, DON’T THINK YOU ARE HOPELESS BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT PERFECT.
REMEMBER ALSO THAT YOU CAN NEVER MAKE ANY OTHER HUMAN BEING COMPLETELY, PERMANENTLY HAPPY. PERFECT HAPPINESS IS SOMETHING NO INDIVIDUAL CAN GIVE TO ANOTHER AND WHICH EACH MUST ACQUIRE FOR HIMSELF IF HE IS EVER TO HAVE IT…..HAPPINESS IS AN ACCOMPLISHMENT EACH MUST ACHIEVE FOR HIMSELF.
Rule 18.
DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO GATHER A LONG LIST OF THINGS YOU “JUST CAN’T STAND!”
Rule 19.
STOP KICKING AT EVERY PIN-PRICK LIFE SENDS YOU.
IF YOU WANT TO RESPECT YOURSELF OR EVER MAKE A LIFE WORTHY OF THE NAME YOU HAVE GOT TO BE BIG. BIG THINGS DON’T COME TO PETTY PEOPLE. BUT BIG THINGS SIMPLY CAN’T STAY AWAY FROM BIG PEOPLE.
Rule 20.
BE PERSISTENT, NOT INTENSE IN FOLLOWING THE RULES IN THIS LESSON.
REMEMBER IT ISN’T OCCASIONAL SKIRMISHES BUT “ETERNAL VIGILANCE” THAT IS “THE PRICE OF LIBERTY.”
The Timelessness of ‘How to Get Anything You Want’
I’m always in awe of how timeless truth is. I’m also taken aback by how timely Elsie Lincoln Benedict’s work is. I look forward to finishing this 12-lesson opus and reading ‘Brainology’ as well. Moreso, I’m intrigued to learn more about the woman herself, and the electric era of thought, self-sovereignty, and emotional magnificence.
Want to join the discussion and read more literature by Elsie Lincoln Benedict? Join the Mastermind and get a free copy of ‘Think and Grow Rich’ by Napolean Hill.
