The Man Who Tapped the Secrets of the Universe

I recently read this very short tome from author Glen Clark, The Man Who Tapped the Secrets of The Universe.  It clocks in at 61 pages and is a read that can be completed in an hour or so, my kind of book. 

This is an inspirational classic about the life of Renaissance man, Walter Russell.  I hadn't heard of this gentleman before, but he's considered the to be the individual who coined the term New Age, according to Amazon.com, so I was intrigued. 

Short Bio

Briefly, so that we can get to the heart of the matter, Walter Russell was born in 1871 and died in 1963.  History views him as a genius in many different subjects.  According to Wikipedia he was known for his achievements in painting, sculpture, architecture, physics and cosmogony (theorizing on the origin of the Universe).  It's alleged that he was contracted to create a bust of Thomas Edison despite the fact that he had never created a sculpture previously. 

Here is a man touched by God, who lived to his full potential and I was intrigued as to what his personal beliefs about creativity were. 

You'll find the book is not structured in your typical self-help format with chapter headings on specific principles.  Instead, the author imparts liberal sections of dialogue between he and the author, almost like the student asking the teacher questions.  It makes for an interesting read.

What follows are my five favorite success principles from this book.  I've given my own names to the principles since, as said above, they aren't specifically named in the book.   

The Importance of Love

One of the key concepts that drove Mr. Russell was the love of his work.  In his mind, if you can't do your work with love then just quit.  It's disheartening in modern society to hear fo so many people who do work that they despise just so they can have a paycheck to finance their lifestyles.  This is a fundamental principle that I am taking to heart.  I do what I love when I create, when I blog, when I write music, when I write poetry.  These are the things that truly make me happy.

If what you are doing every day is something you hate, then your poisoning yourself and, whatever you create is poison to others.  A meal cooked without love just tastes different. 

One Step Beyond

Another principle of Russell's was that life is a game of inches.  To achieve Greatness, one need only go one step beyond mediocrity.  Of course the devil is in the details.  It's not easy going that last inch.  In fact, it's damn near impossible, according to Russell, until you realize the true divinity within you.  A divine spirit would not settle for being mediocre. 

The Agony Gift of Defeat

Russell believed that defeat was the stepping stone to success.  While many of us wallow in our past failures, it's prudent to not just learn from your mistakes, but to understand that a defeat simply provides impetus for your next great victory.

Communing with the Infinite

Russell believed that meditation between the Self and the Infinite (Universal Consciousness) is the only way to achieve great things.  He cautions to not spend time on the trivial, a principle that I firmly believe in.  It sounds conspiratorial, but it almost seems like great powers conspire against us by bombarding us with trivial diversions every hour of our lives.  That's why it really takes a strong, motivated soul to push past all of that nonsense and get to the heart of what matters. 

Shut everything out, find a quiet place, alone, and meditate with your stillness.  If you are alone from the distractions long enough you will tap into the Infinite mind and hear the whisperings of the Universe.  Practically speaking, I like to write in the wee hours of the late night/ early morning because of that stillness.  Every one is asleep and the distractions of television, neighbors and to-do lists are gone.  It is just me, tapping into the Infinite for a few words to share with everyone else. 

Give More (in creation) Than You Take

The world needs demonstration more than instruction, so states Russell.  It is so important to find and develop your gifts, and share them with the world.  This is one of the Foundational principles that this blog is built on.  You know you've found your gift when in the process of doing some task, or creating some thing, you feel yourself overcome with exstacy.  This is the porthole to the genius mind. 

This is why you are here on this Earth.  You do no one any good by being miserable.  You are here to reach your potential and share your gifts.

This is a terrific little book full of lessons on every page.  At a mere sixty-one pages, some may balk at purchasing such a book.  For those of you with an IPOD Touch or Kindle, you can get the digital version for $2.99 at Amazon.  I think it's worth the cost of the print book as well, as I've read this book again and again, each time I need a quick inspirational pick-me-up.  I hope you've found some value in this article and put it to good use in your life.