…. man can unfold in the fullness of his power only when he has a true ideal, a real purpose in life. A seed can begin to grow only when it is firmly fixed in the ground. The God power within can bring forth a true desire only when it is firmly fixed in the soul of man. (self-realization and the divine power within. The concept of “I AM” as the source of fulfillment aligns with his emphasis on turning inward to the soul rather than seeking external validation or material satisfaction.
The failure of outer things to satisfy leads the soul to seek the power within. Then the individual may discover that I AM, he may know that within him lies all power to satisfy the soul, to fulfill its every need and desire. This knowledge may not come until the individual is driven by the buffetings of the world to seek its inner plane of peace and calm. When he knows I AM is the fulfillment of his desire, the desire is filled. To look outside the God self for the fulfillment of his desire is folly. To unfold, the self must do the unfolding.
Then what a realization, what an awakening to know the I AM; to know that within is the power, substance, and intelligence from which all forms take from; and to know that the moment a definite and true idea of desire can be intelligently formed, the power, intelligence, and substance of spirit must flow to it and bring it forth. Are these not treasures in heaven that we have not beheld? Here, in the unformed, like boundless treasures hid within ourselves. How clear this is to the one that has found the pearl.
Then think, ‘Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. ‘The reason they are added is that they are made out of the very essence of Spirit. The consciousness must first find the Spirit before it can form the desired thing. ‘The awakened one perceives the creative principle within; then he sees and his realization is his life opportunity. He has a vision or becomes aware of this possibilities or the possibilities that lie before him.
Within the knowledge that the creative power lies within, he recalls his heart’s desire; this becomes an ideal, or mold, that draws forth power and substance to fill the mold. I SEE is the soul’s conception; it is the Promised Land, the dream come true, toward which the soul may look in faith. Although it may not yet be consciously possessed, it must come forth into visible form as he fulfills the law. A wilderness of experiences may have to be met and overcome.
Understanding the vision as a Land of Promise, an ideal that is to be realized or to become real, the soul now sees only the good, the object of its desire. Here there must be no doubt, no wavering, no hesitation, for this would be fatal. One must be true to the vision and press on. This vision is typical and as necessary as the plan and specifications of a building. One must be as true to the vision as the builder is true to the plans and specifications the architect has furnished. All but the truth must be eliminated.
All great souls are true to their vision. Everything bright forth was first a vision, a seed idea planted in the soul, then allowed to expand and come forth. These souls never allow the unbelief of others to influence them. They are willing to sacrifice for their vision, they are true to it, they believe in it, and it is to them as they believe. Jesus remained true and steadfast to His vision. He adhered to His plan, even when those nearest and dearest to Him were unbelieving and untrue. It was unto Him as He believed and it is so unto all.
When the individual starts for the Promised Land, the land of darkness must be forsaken, forgotten. He must leave the darkness and start toward the light. It is impossible to go and stay at the same time. The old must forsake, the new adhered to. He must forget the things he does not wish to remember and remember only the things he wishes to retain. One is as essential as the other. The vision only just remembered if he wishes it fulfilled. He must remember by holding in mind the vision he wishes to reproduce. He must disremember or refuse to remember the thing he does not wish to reproduce. Every idea, thought, word, or act must be true to the vision in order to bring it forth. This is true concentration, the concentration of devotion, the centering of the forces upon the essential. This is loving the ideal. It is only through love that an ideal can be given expression. Love makes the ideal become real.
If at first he fails, he must determine and press on. This is the exercise of the will, the cry of self-confidence, the expression of faith directing the power toward the ideal…
-Paramahansa Yogananda