How To Get Anything You Want by Elsie Lincoln Benedict

Elsie Lincoln Benedict, a renowned author and speaker of the early 20th century, studied the psychology of success long before it became a mainstream topic.

In her book, How To Get Anything You Want, she reveals the secrets of achieving personal and professional aspirations. Her message is clear and profound: "Your unseen world is far more significant than your outer seen world.”

This quote sets the tone for the entire book, emphasizing the power of our internal world in shaping our external realities.

Here, we'll discover that Benedict's teachings are not just about wishful thinking or blind optimism. Instead, they offer a practical and insightful approach to understanding and harnessing the forces within us to manifest our deepest desires… and get anything we want.

Let's explore how Benedict's insights can be as transformative today as they were a century ago!

She spoke to over three million people in her lifetime, writing on themes that later luminaries like Napoleon Hill and Dale Carnegie would explore.

In 1909, she was appointed as the official reporter of the Colorado Senate, showcasing her assertive character and willingness to stand her ground in professional disputes. Later, she became a political editor for the Denver Press and the Denver Post.

Today, Benedict's teachings in "How to Get Anything You Want" continue to hold relevance. Her insights into the power of the mind and the law of attraction echo in contemporary self-help literature.

Her life story serves as an inspiration, demonstrating the impact of resilience, authenticity, and dedication in overcoming societal barriers and achieving personal goals.

Elsie Lincoln Benedict's work, both as a suffragist and a self-help author, marked her as a significant figure in the early 20th century, whose legacy continues to influence us today​​​​!

Here are the main lessons from Elsie Lincoln Benedict’s book, with direct quotes.

The book delves into the concept of predominant moods, emphasizing their significant influence on our lives.

According to Benedict, our moods are not merely reactions to external events; rather, they are the creators of our experiences. The unseen world of our inner moods shapes the seen world of our external reality. By understanding and controlling our predominant moods, we can steer our lives towards happiness, success, and well-being.

"For remember it is not true that your moods are really MADE by what happens to you. What happens to you IN THE BY AND LARGE OF YOUR LIFE IS MANUFACTURED IN THE BACK ROOM OF YOUR TAILOR SHOP by the moods you permit to dwell there... Your unseen world is far more significant than your outer seen world."

Benedict's book places significant emphasis on the role of the subconscious mind in shaping our lives.

She describes the subconscious as a vast, powerful force that stores every impression, memory, and feeling we've ever experienced.

This part of our mind, although often out of sight, exerts a strong influence over our conscious thoughts and actions. Understanding and tapping into this "submerged nine-tenths" of our consciousness can unlock tremendous potential for personal growth and achievement.

"These discoveries reveal that underneath this conscious mind part and parcel of it bound up and wound around it powerfully influencing it but OUT OF SIGHT are the 'submerged nine-tenths' called the subconscious. This subconscious is the warehouse in which you have been unconsciously and involuntarily storing away all the impressions, memories, feelings, accumulated force, and 'aftermaths' of EVERYTHING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU."

In "How to Get Anything You Want," Benedict explores the Law of Attraction, a principle that suggests our thoughts and moods have the power to shape our reality.

The book explains how this law operates continuously, whether we are aware of it or not. By focusing our thoughts and emotions on what we desire, and aligning our actions with these thoughts, we can attract those things into our lives. Conversely, if we focus on what we don't want, we may inadvertently draw that into our experiences as well.

"Whatever your moods bend toward that will you seek finally find then touch and ultimately bring into your life. Whatever you lean away from ever so slightly in your secret soul that will you gradually GROW away from and if the mood of repulsion is continued finally separate yourself from completely.

In order to transform our lives, we must first transform our predominant moods.

This transformation, according to the lesson, is surprisingly simple yet immensely powerful. The process involves reversing the way these moods were established, mainly by refusing to harbor and dwell upon thoughts that feed the unwanted moods, thus allowing them to dissipate for lack of attention and cultivation.

"We are the sole makers and absolute controllers of our own predominant moods. If we would remake our lives we have only to remake our predominant moods. This once you recognize its necessity is a simple thing to do—so simple it seems unbelievable, yet so powerful it will affect your life for the better from the moment you try it. We are so constructed that we rid the subconscious of anything we desire to be free of simply by reversing the process that put it there, viz. by refusing to harbor and dwell upon further thoughts concerning it. The old mood then dies for lack of cultivation."

This lesson delves into the importance of understanding and acknowledging one's deepest desires and aspirations. It highlights the significance of love and emotional investment in personal growth.

The lesson conveys that it's not about how much we are loved, but rather how much we love that contributes to our greatness. Embracing experiences, even those that involve risk and potential heartache, is portrayed as essential for surpassing mediocrity and achieving a fulfilling life.

"It is not how much we have been loved but how much we have loved that makes us great. As proof of this, remind yourself that no man or woman ever rose above mediocrity, ever attained fame, a great personality, or a beautiful satisfying love who did not first pass through fire. Something is forever left out of him who has not known the Gethsemane of a vain love. Something of God enters into him who meets it in the right way."

This lesson underscores the power of preparation in achieving your desires.

It conveys that the level of preparation directly influences the speed and completeness of the realization of your goals. The more swiftly and thoroughly you prepare, the quicker and more completely you attain your objectives. The lesson emphasizes the concept that perfect preparation leads to perfect materialization, encouraging a deep commitment to the preparation process for achieving desired outcomes.

"Whatever we prepare for we get. The more quickly we prepare for it the more quickly we get it. The more completely we prepare for it the more completely we receive it. The more perfect our preparation the more perfect the materialization. Do not waste your time, thought, or energy looking for exceptions to this, for you will not find them. On the contrary, you will discover perhaps for the first time that the REALIZATIONS of the people who get what they want are the direct results of their preparation for it."

The doors to what you truly desire are always open, and it is up to you to find and walk through them. The lesson encourages a proactive approach to life, urging you to seek and knock on these doors, as they lead to ever-expanding vistas of possibility.

It's a call to action to not let lethargy or doubt hinder your journey but to actively pursue your aspirations.

"To him who knocks, each door unlocks. And he who seeks shall find; Nothing can keep thee from thine own Save thine own slothful mind. 'BEHOLD I set before you an open door which no man can shut.' Whatever you really want is waiting for you, and the door leading to it is always and forever open. No man can close YOUR door, and none but YOU can pass through it. These doors swing always outward to larger and larger vistas, to wider and wider fields, to greater and greater heights. Your House of Life is a hall of many mansions, each more beautiful than the last but less lovely than the next."

This lesson explores the Law of Materialization, framing it as the final stage in the journey towards realizing your heart's desires. It encapsulates the journey of transforming one's spirit, clarifying desires, setting precise goals, and undertaking all necessary steps towards these goals.

The lesson metaphorically describes this process as building a strong foundation through preparation, finding and recognizing opportunities (doors), and understanding the 'price' or effort required for each step. It suggests that by following these steps, one can bring their desires into reality.

"We have now come to the last lap of our journey into the land of Heart’s Desire. It remains only to enter into the City of Our Dreams. Through Affirmation, Preparation, and Compensation we have come to Materialization. We have planted the seeds and are ready for the harvest which never fails. We have remade our own spirits through the remaking of our moods; we have decided definitely just what we want; we have set the gages; we have taken every necessary step."

Here are some more great quotes!

"Make everything as easy for yourself as possible; GIVE YOURSELF EVERY CHANCE. Then YOU CANNOT FAIL."

"It used to be supposed that some men had an aim and others had not; that some knew what they wanted and others had no preferences; that some men were blessed with ambitions and others didn’t care. Today we know that every individual has many subconscious wishes and ONE OVERWHELMING SUBCONSCIOUS LONGING."

"Have a definite goal in view. Know what you want and WHY you want it. Use all your intelligence and imagination to select just the things you will want AFTER you get them. You must aim at a target if you expect to hit it."

"The fact that our PREDOMINANT MOOD and not our superficial acts brings the results."

"We often wonder why a promising man with brains, education, advantages, good looks, and every possible chance makes such a mess of his life."

"Blessed is he who is not looking for a soft snap, for he is the only one who shall find it. Walk up to Life’s counter and PAY for what you want."

"We do and say many things which are the result of the things we previously submerged in this subconscious sea."

"The value of 'knowing exactly what you want' cannot be overestimated. We are powerful organisms all of whose energies automatically mobilize ready to go after a thing the instant we absolutely KNOW we want it."

"It is well known that cruel selfish people seldom care for animals. It is equally well known that those who are kind to animals are gentle, refined, sensitive, idealistic—in short, highly evolved men and women."

"From her youth, she had desired one thing above all others—to be a great speaker. And though she desired it so much that she became a well-known lecturer, she still dreamed the dream because she had never reached the complete fulfillment of her ambition."

Amazing stuff, right?

Elsie Lincoln Benedict is one of my favorite authors and that’s why I’ve republished her books (with audiobooks and PDFs!) — including How To Get Anything You Want — for Secrets of Success members!

You can find out more here about the membership and how to get access to her books.

To your success!