From James Allen to You 15

From poverty to power; or, the realization of prosperity and peace.
Part 1: The path to prosperity
The world a reflex of mental states 5

If circumstances had the power to bless or harm,
they would bless and harm all men alike,
but the fact that the same circumstances
will be alike good and bad to different souls
proves that the good or bad is not in the circumstance,
but only in the mind of him that encounters it.

When you begin to realize this
you will begin to control your thoughts,
to regulate and discipline your mind,
and to rebuild the inward temple of your soul,
eliminating all useless and superfluous material,
and incorporating into your being thoughts alone of joy and serenity,
of strength and life, of compassion and love, of beauty and immortality;
and as you do this you will become joyful and serene, strong and healthy, compassionate and loving, and beautiful with the beauty of immortality.

And as we clothe events with the drapery of our own thoughts,
so likewise do we clothe the objects of the visible world around us,
and where one sees harmony and beauty,
another sees revolting ugliness.

to bless = to call or make someone or something holy
to harm = to hurt someone
to encounter = to meet someone unexpectedly
to regulate = to control something
to discipline = to teach someone to behave in a controlled way
to eliminate = to remove or take away someone or something
superfluous = more than is needed or wanted
to incorporate = to include something as part of something larger
serenity = the quality of being peaceful and calm
compassionate = feeling or showing sympathy and sadness for the suffering or bad luck of others, and wanting to help them
immortality = the quality of being able to live or last for ever
drapery = cloth hanging or arranged in folds
revolting = extremely unpleasant