The Founders, and the civilizations they studied, were God believers. While there are many different ideas surrounding the nature, characteristics and qualities of deity, the idea that there is a God (a grand governor of the universe) is a universal concept essential to any long term realization of freedom and prosperity. There is however, a catch, and it is a major catch. (See “God: The Major Catch“)
*It is because of this major catch that it is entirely acceptable, permissible, and agreeable for a person who considers himself an atheist, agnostic or just uninterested in opening up the discussion of this principle to its “religious” elements, to chose an alternate articulation of this principle—(i.e. “Principles Govern.”) Through my teachings on this subject I use the phrases “Principles Govern,” “Annuit Coeptis,” and “God is the Author of Prosperity” interchangeably.
When I suggest that God is the author of prosperity, I DO NOT mean to suggest that any being other than you can or will make life’s fundamental decisions for you. I mean instead to suggest that the path to prosperity is not an uncertain path, it has been laid before each of us, and its course is objectively discernible. Or to put the matter even more simply, the essence of this principle is the idea that in order to live a prosperous life, one must follow a deliberate course that conforms to certain laws/principles that exist as a matter of objective fact. Trying to live a happy / prosperous life by contradicting these principles in our minds, or without deliberately discovering, applying, and regularly referencing them along the way–is an exercise in futility.
The fundamental idea related to this principle is that the universe is not a place of chance or chaos, that in all possible circumstances their are reasons “things happen” the “way they happen” and man’s mind is capable of grasping these reasons, learning from these reasons, and changing his behavior to affect positive, predictable, and desirable results. There are natural laws (which in this context I am calling principles) that humankind can rely upon with certainty and we can base our actions upon a reasonable expectation of an anticipated outcome. This first law / principle simply sets out that the origin of all prosperity is found in bringing one’s behavior into conformity with these laws/principles. Therefore, if a person desires prosperity (a tangible form of happiness and joy) then one must learn these natural laws / principles and how to apply them with increasing effectiveness.