Sarah Billington - Florence Scovel Shinns Guide to Life : Harness the Power of Intuition, Connect to the Laws of Attraction, and Discover Your Divine Plan

Florence Scovel Shinns Guide to Life

Harness the Power of Intuition, Connect to the Laws of Attraction, and Discover Your Divine Plan

Sarah Billington

Text copyright 2022 Sarah Billington. Design and concept copyright 2022 Ulysses Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized duplication in whole or in part or dissemination of this edition by any means (including but not limited to photocopying, electronic devices, digital versions, and the internet) will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Published by:

Ulysses Press

PO Box 3440

Berkeley, CA 94703

www.ulyssespress.com

ISBN: 978-1-64604-312-5

ISBN: 978-1-64604-338-5 (eBook)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021946577

Acquisitions editor: Claire Sielaff

Managing editor: Claire Chun

Editor: Renee Rutledge

Proofreader: Barbara Schultz

Front cover design: Ashley Prine

Interior design and layout: Jake Flaherty

Artwork: cover chasiki/shutterstock.com; interior Gregor Buir/shutterstock.com

Production assistant: Yesenia Garcia-Lopez

Every man has power to lift the fog in his life. It may be a fog of lack of money, love, happiness, or health.

Florence Scovel Shinn, Your Word Is Your Wand

The laws of the Universe emerged from the New Thought philosophical movement of the nineteenth century. These philosophical concepts offer guidance to redirect your thoughts from negative aspects of your life (such as worries about the future, current stressors, and sources of anxiety) to the positives: cultivating gratitude for what you have, whether it be big or small, optimism, and a sense of anticipation that good things are coming.

With influences from ancient Greece, ancient Rome, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and other cultures and their related belief systems, the laws of the Universe focus on the relationship between thought, belief, and consciousness, and how you can harness them to create the life of your dreams.

In 1925, New Thought leader Florence Scovel Shinn discussed five laws in her books on metaphysical theory and affirmation: the Law of Prosperity ().

Life has changed significantly since the days when Florence wrote her books, so as well as discussing the above laws and how to make them work for you, I have included several modern additions to contemplate in order to help you craft your dream life. These include the Law of Unwavering Desire ().

Ultimately, the philosophies discussed here encourage love, compassion, and forgiveness. They help you focus on your desires and will lead you to a more peaceful, happy life. Whether you believe wholeheartedly in the laws of the Universe or think theyre a bit unconventional, there are very few downsides to investigating the fundamental principles and seeing how they can improve your life.

So why not try it?

In this book, I will discuss Florence Scovel Shinn, the New Thought movement, and metaphysical theorythe underpinning philosophy behind the laws and concepts Florence proposed for how to live your best life.

I will also investigate the differences and surprising similarities between organized religion and spirituality/agnosticism ().

Through reading this book, you will learn how and why to trust your intuition (), and how your subconscious, conscious, and superconscious minds influence your beliefs and work together to affect your whole life. You will learn tips and tricks on how to adjust those beliefs to help you be more content, peaceful, and prosperous.

You will also discover the benefits of practicing affirmations, how they work, and how to recite them for the most effective results. You will come to understand how expressing gratitude can change your entire life for the better ().

Following a discussion of the many laws of the Universe, with examples and case studies showing them in action, over one hundred affirmations will be broken down into categories to get you started manifesting and attracting your dream life into being ().

After reading this book you will be armed with all the tools you need to begin harnessing the power of the Universe, changing your mindset, and transforming your life. Even if you dont believe that the Universe has a plan for you, by repeating positive thinking and gratitude, you can truly change your outlook on life and attract happiness.

Though the benefits of self-improvement, positive thinking, and mindfulness are well recognized today, in 1925, when fifty-four-year-old New Jersey native Florence Scovel Shinn first discussed these concepts in The Game of Life and How to Play It, she was absolutely a woman ahead of her time.

With strong faith in God and her background as a teacher of metaphysical theory and New Thought teamed with an accessible and easy-to-understand teaching style, Florence became a thought leader in the metaphysical space. Many of her philosophies are just as relevant today as they were in the early decades of the twentieth century, if not more so.

So, who was Florence Scovel Shinn anyway, and what did she teach?

If you were to mention her name, many people these days would ask, Who is Florence Scovel Shinn? So, you may be surprised at the lasting impact this childrens book author and illustrator turned New Thought leader has had on millions of individuals and groups around the world to this day.

Born September 24, 1871, in Camden, New Jersey, to Emily Scovel (ne Hopkinson) and Alden Cortlandt Scovel, a practicing lawyer, Florence was the middle child between an older sister and younger brother. Being educated himself, it is no surprise that Alden encouraged Florences own education.

Florence grew up to be a freethinking woman in an America changed by the womens rights movement of the 1840s, but long before the first American woman would be granted the right to vote. She attended the Friends Central School, then studied art at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts from 1889 to 1897. Here she also met her future husband, painter of impressionistic and realistic works, Everett Shinn.

Together, Florence and Everett moved to the Washington Square area in New York City. He found success in painting and writing theater shows. She, meanwhile, was not content as a lady of leisure or housewife as was typical for women of the time, but worked as an illustrator of popular childrens literature in magazines and books. Her illustrations were a perfect snapshot of late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century horse-drawn carriages and lamp posts, of top hats and dapper daywear.

In 1912, after fourteen years of marriage in a time when divorce was rare and very much taboo, all was not well between the married couple, and Everett requested a divorce from Florence.

As a divorce living in New York City, Florence was a shining example of women emerging from the patriarchal lifestyles enforced by prior generations, an example for future generations that women could be more than just wives and mothers if they wanted.