by Michael Maciel
Adulterate (verb): to render a substance poorer in quality by adding another substance, typically an inferior one: “The meat was ground fine and adulterated with potato flour.” Synonyms: to make impure, degrade, debase, spoil, taint, contaminate; doctor, tamper with, dilute, water down, weaken; bastardize, corrupt.
This commandment is similar to the First Commandment (You will have no other gods before me). Their common theme is fidelity. This means that when you formulate your prayer and begin the creative process, you mustn’t allow contradictory thoughts to cloud your intention. You can’t pray for sunshine and worry that it might rain.
This is where most people get hung up about the Law of Mind—how can I see myself as healthy when I am obviously sick? I don’t have a job; where’s the money going to come from? I’m fat and ugly; who’s going to find me attractive? The problem stems from an over-identification with the world of appearances. Your senses are telling you that what you see is what you get, while your knowing is saying, “What you image is what you will get.” But you can’t adulterate the image with the “facts.” If you do, you change the image. And when it comes to the Law of Mind, the image is everything.
“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”
– Proverbs 29:18
One of the misconceptions about the Law of Mind is that all you have to do is hold the vision of what you want in your mind, and it will magically appear. This is definitely not the case. Just look at those people who have accomplished really great things, people like Martin Luther King, Jr. or Mahatma Gandhi. Both men had extraordinary visions, but were their paths easy? No. They had to work long and hard—incredibly hard—to turn their visions into reality.
Does this mean that the Law of Mind only works when we apply great effort, the way King and Gandhi did? It does if our vision is as large as theirs were. They were out to change the world, not buy a new car. But what made it possible for them to succeed where others had failed? Was it simply a matter of good timing, or was something more at play? The thing they had above all else was fidelity. They were true (faithful) to their vision. And they were also willing to pay the price.
“Ask for what you want, then pay for it.” – Sufi saying
How does this apply to you? You’re probably not out to change the world, not in the way these two men were, but your vision—the thing you want to manifest in your life—will most likely change your world, right? So, what can you learn from Gandhi and King? How can you approach your creative act in the same way they did? Well, one way is not to settle for anything less than your vision. Fidelity. Don’t grab the first thing that comes along as a result of your prayer. Because it will, you know. The universe will try to bargain with you just to see how serious you are. “You want a red convertible? How about a blue one instead?”
This is a silly example, I know, but extend it out to the bigger picture. If you’re in pain, do you just want the pain to go away, or do you want to be healed? If your company is on the verge of bankruptcy, will you settle for a stopgap measure, or do you want the opportunity to adapt to changes in the marketplace? It’s not as though the universe is playing games with you; it’s unfolding the possibilities in a logical way. The more faithful you are to your vision, the more opportunities will show up. It’s up to you to resist the temptation to lunge for the first thing that catches your eye. Why cheat on your dream?
This is what separates the men from the boys, the women from the girls, and the whatevers from the whatevers. Are you mature enough to hold out for the best? Can you stare down the universe and call its bluff when it tries to approximate your wishes? Can you override its autocorrections to your vision? Just because the Law of Mind is automatic doesn’t mean your demands have to be logical. Dream Big. Push the envelope. The cosmos will adjust. It has to.
Marriage is a long term project. You have to work on it. In the same way, your life vision is a lifelong commitment as well. The bigger the vision, the greater the commitment. Divorce can be tragic, but giving up on your dreams is even worse. Be faithful to your first love. Whatever it is that lights you up, be true to it. The key to using the Law of Mind is fidelity. It’s the one time you really should put all of your eggs in one basket.
See also:
The First Commandment—it’s not what you think!
The Second Commandment—is it really about worshipping idols?
The Third Commandment—get over yourself!
The Fourth Commandment—do I really have to go to church?
The Fifth Commandment—my mother, drunk or sober
The Sixth Commandment—Thou Shalt Not Kill Bill
Books by Michael Maciel
World Priest—Bringing Heaven to Earth
The Five Vows—Raising Your Spiritual Commitment to the Next Level
The Mystical Christ 
There is a broader picture in which when comprehended it all fits. Just for a moment view all of nature, all things material and every human being regardless of gender as FEMALE. All countries, ethnicities, sexual preferences etc. melt into one universal female. And view your spiritual existence, ‘that little voice’ which should direct all of your activities and movements, as the ‘Universal MALE’. Ah! the perfect marriage is now within the mind of your temporary body. When the Bible speaks of prostitution and homosexuality it is referring to material on material pleasures and not the conjugal thought process with your Eternal husband.