Introduction
In 1910, Walter D. Wattles wrote an unprecedented book called The Science of Getting Rich. It was definitely a book ahead of its time, filled with ideas and concepts that were outside mainstream thinking and beyond the average ideas of common folk. Wattles touched upon opinions that, although rooted in a long history of religion and historical backgrounds, were not the typical way of thinking, nor were they widely accepted. Wattles believed that the mind could manifest anything, and once it tapped into the ‘Powerful Substance’ that created all things, riches could be achieved without any doubt.
His book was a wonderful symphony of idealistic, fantastical, practical, scientific, and concrete theories, all the things to make it both radical and desirable. It was filled with good sense and irrefutable science and, at the same time, steeped in faith, consciousness, and the kind of understanding that required one to stretch beyond what they had been told to adhere to. His book was filled with a passion for riches that demanded a great personal purpose and made it necessary to listen to your heart, trusting there was something more than just working hard to
create wealth. In fact, Wattles went so far as to push the very boundaries of what people believed at the time about how to obtain wealth, and was so bold as to say becoming rich and aspiring to be rich was the only way to be; anything less was a sin.
His opinion was radical thinking at a time when piety and humility ruled. Many thought money was the root of all evil. People were taught money was corrupt, money wasn’t for everyone, and if you had money, you were selfish and greedy. Yet, Wattles painted a different picture when he spoke about money and riches; it was one based on science, explained by facts, and governed by a Universal law that was simply undeniable if you followed it. Every word on the page of his book was proof and more proof that if you lived by the laws and adhered to the ‘Certain Way,’ you couldn’t help but become rich. According to Wattles, being rich was exciting, possible, and even required. To be a good human, give back, teach others, and abolish poverty or oppression, it was your duty to become rich. Anything less was an abomination to yourself, humanity, and God.
Needless to say, Walter D. Wattles was scorned and chastised for his beliefs, and his book caused much controversy in his life. People did not want him to promote the idea that everyone could become rich; that was only for the few and the privileged. Such elitism may have been the exact thinking that prompted Wattles to write his book and preach its pragmatism. Wattles believed any man could become rich if they followed his principles and adhered to the laws that applied equally to all men.
Yes, he said any man and all men.
I want to believe that Wattles wrote his profound work at a time when all people, including women, were capable of utilizing his theories. I also want to believe that women were simply outside the thinking of his target audience. In 1910 the world was run by men. Women were raising children and tending to the home. Few women were reading books about ‘becoming rich,’ and even fewer were running businesses or managing finances that required such advanced ideals. Wattles wrote to the commerce of the time, and that was prominently men. Men were shaping the landscape of industries and the economy; wealth was primarily procured by the male gender. Women were not officially excluded, nor were they consciously included in his book.
When I first read The Science of Getting Rich, I was engulfed by the wisdom and splendor of Wattles’ work. I loved the firm, distinct, and somewhat rigid tone in which he shared exactly what was required to become rich. Immediately, you could tell he had a clear way to obtain great wealth and was willing to share it. His points were concise and bold. His opinions were outspoken and firm. There was no wishy-washy or maybe’s, he told you what you needed to know, and he said it in such a matter-of-fact way that you instantly believed it.
I admired Wattles’ frankness right out of the gate. In the very first chapter, he spoke about becoming rich as if it were the way life should be. He never sugar-coated it or made you jump through hoops to get it. Wattles was open and freely shared his ideas, knowing they were precisely what was required, and he had the science to prove it. He wanted you to learn the principles and live them. To him, following the laws and adhering to the science was a guaranteed way to wealth.
Chapter after chapter, I dove into his concepts, nodding my head as I agreed with his findings. I was drawn to his passion and appreciated his research. I instantly felt a surge of confidence and began living the ‘Certain Way,’ as he suggested, following his lead toward building my own personal abundance. I became enamored with his writing, and found myself underlining and highlighting multiple statements and paragraphs in his book. I underlined one particular paragraph entirely, as I wanted to remember it and find it easily when needing to recall its profound and life-changing insight. It was the kind of paragraph that hits you internally and changes your thinking fundamentally, yet I found myself crossing out all the words he and writing she. Where it said men, I wrote women. He became her, and man became woman. When I was done I found, to my surprise, that I had scratched out his male references twenty-seven times in one single paragraph!
That differentiation shook me to my core.
Although I was enthralled with Waddle’s ideas, I felt disconnected from the one hundred percent masculine vernacular he used. Not one inch of the page spoke to women in any way. It was void of the feminine and the politically correct dual-gender of he/ she double references. His book was all ‘man,’ all ‘he’ and ‘him,’ and had nothing to do with women equaling creating riches in their lives.
It was at that very moment this book sparked into being. I felt there had to be a book filled with these concepts and ideas, and it needed to be dedicated to the women of the world!
I have to believe that Wattles did not purposefully exclude
women as a means of being hurtful or oppressive. Nor did he think women did not deserve the same wealth men did or were incapable of manifesting it. Instead, I feel Wattles wrote exactly what he was supposed to write for him, adhering to his era, his mission as an author, and his time on earth. Now, it was my time to step forth in my mission, to bring these powerful concepts and ideas to the modern world and feminize them for all women to read!
As I began the very in-depth creation of this book, I’ll admit, I kept asking myself what would Wattles write here? What would Wattles say? How would Wattles frame this? I became obsessed with channeling Wattles’s wisdom until the very moment I realized what I was writing was not me channeling Wattles; it was me channeling what Wattles had channeled, God Source, Divine Source, Higher Source. My friend Malissia brought that point to my attention by reminding me that Wattles wrote what he was gifted to share by the Higher Power in 1910 for men. I was now being gifted by Divine Energy to share today’s updated, feminized version. I was not meant to channel Wattles; I was being guided to dip into the very Source of Infinite Wisdom that Wattles had found and bring forth a different learning that would speak to women around the globe in this era. I was being called to channel the Source of feminine wisdom that Wattles could not.
Fully leaning into the notion of Divine Source pouring into me, the way it had over a hundred years ago with Wattles, electrified this book into being. I could barely keep my fingers off the keyboard, much less turn off the tap of wisdom and the flow of concepts that were coming to me. Wattles’s original book inspired me, while Greater Consciousness and Universal Knowing gave
me the words you will read here. Divine Awareness, Absolute Truth, and the God we all believe in had a hand in this book. They gifted me with the ability to reframe the original concepts and inspired me to feminize them. It was obvious that the time had come to translate these laws from a female perspective, as women are more than ready to build and procure their wealth. Becoming rich is our birthright, and I knew women everywhere deserve the tools they need to be rich in their uniquely feminine way.
That deep feminine insight became my motivation and the feeling of becoming versus getting sprung to the forefront. Becoming felt more feminine, more aligned and from a deeper place of knowing and desire to blossom into oneself. Becoming also felt more heart-centered, more an unfolding than a mark across a finish line. After much deliberation, meditation, and tapping into the very essence of this book, I stood convicted and affirmed that becoming rich, in all areas of her life, was the very action women yearn to take.
With great excitement and true divine guidance, I wrote The Science of Becoming Rich for Women, knowing that women of every ilk, and every making, deserve to have these concepts and principles of wealth at their fingertips. From the newly budding entrepreneur in a basement studio to the thriving executive in a corner office to the handmade one-of-a-kind artists to the industrial factory owners, women all over the globe are running businesses and generating a massive portion of the world’s wealth. A book about the science behind creating that wealth should most definitely be available to each of them. Be it the newly graduated college girl or the aging sage in her retirement, all women have the right and the inclination to become extremely rich. Gender
does not define their capacity to do so, and I decided to pick up where Wattles left off and share those possibilities here, in the feminine vernacular, in a relatable way so all women can prosper.
It is time women learned how becoming rich pertains to them.
Despite Waddle’s lack of feminine regard in his original book, I believe he hit the nail on the head in many ways regarding his theories and perspectives. Honing in your mindset, creating winning behaviors, being clear, focused, and living a ‘Certain Way’ are paramount to success, and Wattles shared that beautifully. His work was both defining and redefining for many people and set the tone for what was possible when one used the laws in their favor. He shared powerful concepts and backed them up with science and irrefutable proof. I thoroughly enjoyed his work, but I will admit I’ve heard of others who did not appreciate his long sentences, particular word usage, and archaic references. Many people miss the value of his sharing due to some of the phrases he used and how he wrote his opinions, which was more in a dictation fashion than a sharing or teaching mode. Some find his ideas hard to comprehend and too dated to feel they apply to their current situations. I found this disconnection by others a travesty and felt his work needed to be updated, more reader-friendly, and relevant to what is happening currently.
There were times when I was reading Wattles that I felt as if he was speaking directly to me. But I did feel a great misalignment in his constant references to men and only men. When I asked my other female friends how they felt about his book, many admitted they couldn’t relate to his constant male viewpoint. A few looked past the gender inequality to grasp the essence of the learning,
while most gravitated to other literature that felt more cohesive to today. That was when I knew I had to “translate” Wattles’ ideas and modernize them for the women of the 21st century.
When I first began writing, The Science of Becoming Rich for Women, I simply took Wattles’ manuscript and changed all the masculine references to feminine. For some reason, I thought I would be done at that point and that reworking his writing in such a way would be sufficient for women to enjoy. of course, through the constant rewriting and reworking stages, I found myself adding explanations and antidotes that I felt would help the reader better understand Wattles’s views. I wanted to give further explanations that I believed would round out the dictation format and make it more personable, relatable, and timely. Soon enough, I found myself altering more, eliminating the words that are no longer prevalent in our society and updating the references he shared from the early nineteenth century. As time passed, I began modifying, refining, and updating his thoughts to be fully feminized and modernized. Yet, I took great care to refrain from losing his valuable messages by rephrasing his most poignant thoughts.
As you read through the chapters in this book, you will find slightly shaded paragraphs to indicate what was inspired by Wattles. I have purposefully indicated which areas are based on his concepts so that you can feel the impact he was trying to make, yet, I have rewritten them in a way that sounds relevant to the women of today. I have changed many of his words while at the same time maintaining his meaning. It has been a delicate dance of updating the powerful concepts we are both passionate about, while also expanding upon the meaning so that you can fully enjoy them. Much thought and care went into keeping his
essence alive in this book, and I honor him deeply by doing my best to maintain the vital principles he shared. Many people encouraged me to simply exclude his words entirely, but I felt that would not be fair to him. He had the courage and passion to deliver this message, which deserves to be preserved. I hope that 100 years from now, someone is inspired to update this book and modernize it to make it relevant for the times. When that happens, I hope they maintain some of my ideas while sharing more of their own so that we can preserve these teachings and keep them evolving and relevant for the next generations.
In keeping Wattles’ spirit in this book and his life-changing ideas alive, I felt it was important to relay his intentions and simultaneously be the catalyst for a new version of his teachings in a way that would relate more predominantly to women. I knew if I was going to speak directly to the female heart, I had to add what speaks to women and share in a way that would resonate with them. As brilliant and profound as Wattles’s words are, he can not speak to women as only another woman can. Higher Consciousness tasked me to write The Science of Becoming Rich for Women, while honoring Wattles, but more importantly, honoring women around the globe by empowering them to achieve their wealth and become rich beyond their current position.
Before I knew it, this book was being created by me, a woman committed to elevating other women. And, like many things in life, this book took on a life of its own. There were days when it consumed me; all I could think of was how it had to be written. Many moments were monopolized by its creation. of course, it was a precious and cherished evolution. It has had its gestation period, arduous labor, and glorious birthing process. It has been
set aside to marinate and picked up again with renewed vigor and tenacity, knowing it needed to be in the hands of every woman on the planet. I believe no book comes into being without the desire for it by others, and this book has come forth from that very place—a place of great need and readiness. Women of all ages around the globe have made a great calling for this book, which is why it is in your hands right now, ready to be utilized.
Knowing the importance of this book, I have taken great care to ensure it is layered with the love of a kindred female spirit supporting you on your journey toward your intrinsic wealth. I’ve infused it with all that I have learned in my many years of business, self-development, and personal growth, and I have filled it with the principles that have worked for me and accentuated my wealth. I’ve added my own business wisdom as an international best-selling author, global speaker, and entrepreneur to make it modern, relatable, and effective. As a legacy mentor, helping people build brands for generational wealth, I made sure to inject useful ideas and relevant content that women face daily in their careers. As a philanthropist and humanitarian, I’ve shared the importance of making an impact and using your wealth to help others achieve their own success. I thought long and hard about the ways in which women of today could benefit from concepts of the past and then worked tirelessly to ensure that your mind was stimulated, your heart was invested, and your current markers for success were addressed with feminine power and grace. I also ensured that these concepts speak the present-day truth no matter where you are in your business endeavors. I know what it is like just to be getting started, to be on a roll, to dominate in your market, to overextend, to lose sight of the goal, to push too hard, fail, falter, and then lose it all. I have been through every
cycle of business more than once. I’ve had more money than I knew what to do with, then struggled to buy groceries for my kids. Life has delivered me countless experiences in navigating wealth, and it was not until I found these principles, did I experience their true meaning. I had to shift my entire belief system not to covet money but to learn what it means to be rich from an intrinsic, internal point of view.
Richness and wealth are defined by you
In your hands, you have a clear outline of how to bring abundance and prosperity into your life. You also have the very key to the ‘queendom’ you so deeply desire. Everything you need to update your belief systems and come out on top is within these pages. All your wishes and desires are valid and waiting to come to fruition. You know there is more for you, and you deserve a greater life. You’re here because, in your heart, you long for more of your life to unfold in a richer and more meaningful way. The ideas and concepts you discover here will bring you closer to achieving those dreams. Your life will shift, and how you do success and be rich will be revealed and defined distinctly.
As we begin this amazing endeavor toward you becoming rich, I am going to ask you to be willing to step out of where you are and move toward where it is you want to go. Take one last look behind you and decide all of that ‘stuff’ in your past is in your rearview mirror, and a phenomenal new place awaits you. Say your goodbyes, your thank yous, and take a deep breath because every great transition begins with a precipice, a knowing, a critical awareness that this is the moment where everything changes completely. This is indeed that moment. From this second onward,
you will embark on not just a journey, but a discovery of grand proportions, and everything you thought you knew about wealth will be updated and redefined for your greatest purpose and well-being. Your old thinking will be replaced with new thinking as your mind envelopes these ideas and practices shared specifically for the female heart.
The greatest gift I can give you is to say, envelop the wisdom, do the teachings, adopt the mindset, commit to the practice, and your life will be richer than you ever imagined. Use what you are about to learn here to become rich in every area of your life. If you adopt the science, adhere to the laws, and live the Certain Way, you will undoubtedly become rich. Wattles, and I guarantee it! Although our words are different, the result is the same. If you do what you learn here, you will be rich in more ways than you ever imagined.
Much love to you in bountiful ways, Lady JB owen, roC