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Now Is How

(Taken from the book "A Rich Man's Secret" by Ken Roberts. This is the secret that was found.)


I call you "Dear Friend" for we are of the same cast. If face-to-face, we would sense this special kinship between us. You are unique, for you took most unusual steps in an attempt to find what you hold here. Not knowing what you would discover - if anything at all - you journeyed into the unknown. No one told you to make this journey; you made it of your own accord, listening to the still voice within.
What you seek is here: the elusive Secret men and women through the ages long to discover. It is the secret your heart yearns for. It is the secret your mind cannot grasp.
I know nothing about your particular circumstances, whether you are young or old, male or female, married or single, religious or not. I do know, however, that you are in search of a better life. How do I know? Because I have known the same personal dissatisfaction and internal conflict you know. Once I moved fretfully and fearfully from job to job, from city to city, always thinking that the next place would be the "right" place, forever worrying that others would gain the reward before I did. That life was no life. It was, instead, a nightmare of elusive, unfulfilled desires. But I began to realize, with the help of many mentors - who appeared to me, just as I am now appearing to you, in writing - that there was another way to live.
To enter this new life, however, you must take the first step. Cease worrying about who you were, and who you may someday become. Bury the dead past, and trust not the future. Stay here. Rarely will you meet a person who is here. Most are sadly lost to regrets about the past and fears of the future, lost to the ordinary, anxious thoughts that imperil our existence.
Only by staying here can you ever change. When you ask "How?" realize that Now is always the answer to How.
Like you, I sought success; for many years I floundered. Life was a raging battle. I would advance one pace only to retreat two. I frantically contrived for wealth and security. But what I managed to gain became the object of my fears of losing it, and so was soon lost to my ignorance and greed. Mine was the hellish existence that most never escape. But I too, was given the key, the secret key I now pass to you that opens the Door of Doors. Behind this door is all you can imagine; yet much more than you are capable of imagining. Even to try is to sully it.
Your discovery of this Secret places you on the threshold you were born to cross. From this day forward, your life is changed. Discovering this letter you will forever know that the Door exists. I assure you it does. Entering this Door is what the still, small voice in you thirsts for and ceaselessly nudges you toward. It knows that all your deeds, dreams and desires have fallen short. The world may even elevate and envy you, yet the still, small Voice reminds you there is something more you need to find. But here lies the mystery, that timeless paradox: to enter the Door, you must lose yourself. On the other side, you will live from a new perspective, a higher vantage point. From that invisible plateau you will receive perfect instruction by which you will conduct all your affairs.
No longer will doubt, confusion, and fear darken your spirits. Your actions will no longer be mere reactions; you will be purposeful and live from true confidence. You will become invisible to events. The day's headlines will have no affect on your choices. Indeed, when you receive instruction issued from behind the Door, there is but one right choice to make in every instance, and you will make it without effort, without thinking.
What I am about to reveal to you has been known by only a fortunate few. It obviously is not known by the masses, by educators, or by the so-called learned amongst us. Precious few have ever heard this revelation, although some who have been blessed with this wisdom have rejected it. They resisted and refused to listen, just as you may be so inclined. So this is your chance. I am ennobled to be the one who brings this to you.
Your mind is not the friend you now believe it to be. It is a mere machine that tosses out thoughts incessantly, mechanically. But you are neither your mind nor its myriad of thoughts and emotions. They cannot open the door. If they could, they would have done so. To cross the threshold to a new life, you must remove yourself from your own thoughts. This can be done. Permit me to explain what only seems unexplainable.
At any moment, you can be in only one of two places mentally: you are either immersed in your thoughts, or you are separate from them. Incredible an instrument as your mind is, it cannot lift you above what it knows. And you have a divine instruction within you to transcend 'what you know, but the mind simply cannot perform this miracle, you must take the step of faith: Leave your thoughts behind.
You, as most do, live from your mind - from thoughts and emotions. This is living on the billiard table or in the rushing river. As active and violent as these places are, they are mesmerizing and hypnotic. Living from thoughts as most do is a form of sleep. To remove yourself from this slumber, simply awaken.
Where are your hands now? Are they relaxed or tense? Do you know the expression on your face? Is your brow furrowed and tight? What is the temperature of the air surrounding you? What is the position of your feet? What supports your body this moment, and how is your weight distributed? This awareness of yourself and of your surroundings is Now. In this attentive state you are separate, watching yourself read the words on this paper, witnessing the thoughts and sensations coursing through you.
Becoming awake lifts you out of the tumultuous waters of doubt, anxiety, worry, fear and anger. Your attention places you on a bridge over the tumbling river. You still see the chaos below, but now you are not part of it. You are transformed into an impartial observer. It is in this attentive state that something higher can communicate with you.
It is impossible to sense its directions while in the cascading waters. Although it is always present, always reaching out to you, your work is to clear a path to receive its direction. Do this by becoming awake and attentive. Return to Now.
Rarely will you meet a person who is in the Now state. Most are forever lost in thought. The secret of Now places you at the Door. It is from the Now state that perfect direction can reach you. You cannot hear the voice's direction while asleep, just as you cannot touch a beam of light; they are of two distinct and different natures. Your inner ears can "hear" only when you are standing upon the doorstep of 'Now.
My purpose is not to elaborate, but only to reveal this secret of taking this first step - leaving thought and returning to Now.
Can you do it - can you actually take this step of faith? Your mind is producing doubtful thoughts now, but yes, you can. Think back on your search for this letter: you had to take a step of faith to locate it. This I intended for the very purpose of proving to you the existence of the Door. It also vividly demonstrates how you cannot - must not - trust of or believe what your mind "advises." It did not know the location of this letter. Indeed, thoughts shouted at you to give up the search. To locate this hidden letter, you had to leave the certainty of your mind and its thoughts. Now you will work at doing so in greater and greater measure consciously, from the attentive, awakened state. You will work from Now.
Be as vigilant as you are able; observe yourself as often as you can remember. Observe the numerous states you enter and exit from each day. Inquire of yourself, "who is this that is angry? Doubtful? Fearful? Excited? Depressed?' It is not you; it is only thoughts in your mind using you!
When you do this long enough, an entirely new understanding will emerge and you will begin to think in a manner differently than you do presently.
What will happen? You will become a new person! You will see, hear, and sense as never before. The demon fear will retreat and fall away more and more. You will receive directions to proceed that seem impossible. Take that first step - no more, no less - and the next will be revealed. In this way, you will pass through what formally appeared to be solid brick walls that you avoided. Your way out is through the illusory brick walls! Now you seek "the impossible," knowing it is the very doorway out!
Always remember that what appears, as a solid brick wall is a mere illusion created by the rushing river of thought. It is no more significant than an ant - disguised as a brick wall! The only way to banish this illusion is to proceed through it, watching your fear and trepidation all the while. In this one way, you will know from yourself that it is all an illusion.
While you are conducting business, seated at the dining table, enjoying a walk, conversing with another even as you doze at night, come back to Now. (Where are you at this moment?) Come back to yourself. Come back to yourself. A thousand times a day. Work at this. Keep coming back to yourself, to Now.
As thoughts and feelings attempt to confuse and frustrate you, awaken. Watch these demons, and they will pass. You are viewing from a higher place. Do not jump back into the river, simply observe from above.
Notice others from your watchful state. They live immersed in thought, just as you have done to this point in your life. They are tugged and tousled - at one moment elated, then sullen, teary, depressed, frightened, and angry at the next. As you begin to observe all these states your mind pulls you through, you will be amazed. Return from these thoughts to Now; Now cannot be bandied about. Your attentive state is solid ground; it is of a level overlooking the billiard table and rushing river.
Do not struggle to understand the thoughts you observe; be only watchful of them. Treat them as the outsiders and intruders they are. Say to yourself, "Oh, look at that angry thought." etc. Become the uninvolved bystander. An indescribable new life awaits you as you do this.
You are not on as high a level in your employment or business as you secretly know you are capable. Until now, if you desired to rise from 'this level, you knew only to delve into your thoughts, to refer' to your cerebral library for answers. But your library is of the same level as the questions you pose. Seeking the higher, you must leave the level you presently occupy. To do so, return to Now. In the past, you knew only to delve into your thoughts for the answers you seek. This process uprooted stored information that is lifeless. You found no answers there and your mind then conjured up projections based on these past dead thoughts. This created fantasies and dreams that only perplexed and agitated you more - a vicious, deceitful cycle. This is all your own mind can provide, however. It does not know the answer you require, Now knows. From Now comes the intelligence that knows you and your every need.
When you know not what to do, return to Now. Now knows. Wait there, and what you need will come to you. What you need is not self-produced.
Of course, there are those who gain the world's esteem and manage to gather its riches, but you will find out that it sooner or later destroys them. They gained it out of persistence and the law of Accident. Most everyone who persists does acquire, but of what value is it if it destroys? There is nothing wrong in gaining worldly treasures if you have first the higher wisdom. See for yourself; observe the world's business and political leaders. They are like an infant happening upon a shimmering object; the glow and glisten entices the child to handle it, to play with it. Little does the infant know the bright shining plaything is a finely polished knife. But with understanding, the knife is a keen tool, very practical and productive in wise, skilled hands.
Turn instead to your only true friend - Now. As a child turns to a parent, simply ask for direction. Have no ideas, schemes, or plans. Simply ask - knowing that you do not know - and then await the answer.
Have no preconceived notions; do not attempt to identify or describe any outcome. What a relief to know you are not responsible for (nor capable of) generating right answers! That is the same as instructing a tree how to form and develop. The seed does not require directions from you; it already contains a Divine Instruction - just as you do. You do not know the outcome, you do not know how. But Now knows; Now is how.
Intelligence knows you completely; it is your one true friend. It knows what is highest and best for you. Your mind - intellect - does not know. So cease your continual turning to your thoughts for answers; they have none above the level you are on. If they did, would you still be on your search? If thought held the answers you require, you would not be questioning.
I can relate countless stories of true revelations that came to me through the Door. They were grander than I could have imagined or dared to request! Merely take the first step - honestly and innocently ask. Then confidently await the Right Answer that has been attempting to contact you all along!
Notice - right now - how your mind is clamoring. It is telling you, "This is wrong," "How could this be so?" "What nonsense!" Your mind does not favour being the target of this bright light you are shining upon it. If you believe what your mind shouts, you will continue on as you have; you will be just one more of the mass of lemmings - running blindly; asleep to their impending doom.
But you are different; you sense that the still, small Voice attempts to lead you to something greater than yourself, and thus the solution to every problem and limitation. Give Now this chance and see for yourself. Whatever question you have, put it to Now. Now is the way.
My essential directions contained in this letter place you at the gateway to your own revelations; however, you must experience it for yourself. Every question you have, or ever will have, is answered by Now. I shall prepare you and reveal some experiences you are about to undergo as you begin this, the one true journey:
You will find yourself speaking less as you observe more and more. Most believe that activity evidences productivity, yet you will begin to see through this fallacy. When idle, your thoughts will protest: "You are wasting time!," "Get to work," "Idleness means missed opportunities!," "Activity is productivity!" and so on and so on. These are mere tricks of your mind. Watch them as you wait for true answers to come through the Door. You cannot hear them amid chaos and confusion - the "normal" state of mind.
I smile in anticipation of your revelations, of your coming awake, truly alive. Revelations await you. Some will unnerve you; others will stupefy your senses. These miraculous events will be evidence that you are transcending this notional world and living from the Higher.
Take the first step; come back to Now. The next step will be revealed. All that you need to know - and precisely when - is in Now. Nothing is coincidental from Now where chance does not exist. What sleeping people call coincidences and miracles are understood - and commonplace! - From Now.
Be attentive; come back to Now. All - everything - is there. All true answers come from Now. Now knows. Take the first step - no more, no less - and the next will be revealed.
DO THIS NOW!