That Something

Shared with you by Alita

I enjoyed reading this following excerpt, of a story in the recent issue of Pathways to Family Wellness magazine. It is called, ‘That Something’, originally from a volume called “The Bigness of the Fellow Within”, written by BJ Palmer, the developer of chiropractic (son of the founder of chiropractic, DD Palmer) copyright 1949. The article in Pathways was written by Dr. Jeanne Ohm, DC (In italics). My additions are in orange:

“We can all relate to hearing the voice of knowing from within. Sometimes called intuition or guidance, this voice will speak to us about decisions both trivial and life-changing...”That Something”(the excerpt below) reflects a time in the writer’s life before he “awakened,” as he terms it. It was a rough time in his life, filled with strife and discord. He was homeless, poverty stricken, hungry and dissolute. He recounts a moment when he asked a stranger in the street for a meal, and the stranger’s reply:

  "No," he answered, a note of pity in his voice.  "I cannot help you.  No man can."  "But you could feed  me," I said, with some petulance in my voice.  "It is not food you need!"  "What then?" I asked.  "That Something," was his reply.

“The author then recounts an experience of falling asleep, having a dream and hearing a voice:

"Who are you?" I asked.  "I am 'That Something'," came the reply.  "But where are you?"  "I am hidden in your soul.  For some moments I thought over what was said.  Then I stammered, "How – how did you get there?"  "I was born there."  "Why have I not known you were there before?"  "No man knows it," answered the voice, "until he awakes."  "Are you in other men’s souls, as well?"  "There is 'That Something' in every man’s soul, which can move the mountains or dry the seas."  "Then you must be Faith!"  "Yes," came the answer, "I am Faith, but I am more – I am that which makes men face the fires of hell, and win."  "Then you must be Confidence, as well."  "Yes, I am more than Confidence – I am that which makes the babbling brooks lift worlds upon their wavelets."  "You are Power," I cried.  "Yes, I am more than Power," answered the voice.  "I am that which makes the wretched failure lift up himself and rule the world."  "You are Ambition – I know you now."  "Yes, I am all you say – Faith, Confidence, Power, Ambition, and more.  For greater than all is ‘That Something.’  I am that which every man must find in his soul or else he will be but a clutter of the earth on which he lives."
    "But how can man find you?"  "Even as you are finding me now.  First you must awaken, then seek, and when you have found you must learn to control . . ."  "Control what?" I asked, confused.  "‘That Something’ . . . borrow it from your soul and baptize your life with it.  Anoint your eyes, that you may see; anoint your ears, that you may hear; anoint your heart, that you may be!"
     "But tell me," I cried frantically, for the voice was trailing off to almost nothing, "how can I do this?  How?  How?"  "This is the secret," came the voice to me as the whisper of a gentle breeze, "these words – 'I will'."

   “The story continues with how the author listened to the voice, and followed its moment-to-moment promptings. Opportunities and shifts in all areas of his life occurred.”

The story ends with a discussion between the writer, the man, Randolf, who gave him the idea of “That Something” instead of food, and a professor who was lamenting his age and saying “That Something” could not be reawakened within him:

 I watched the professor of many ologies.  I saw the kindled fires in his eyes gradually die out.  He shook his head wearily.  "No, it can’t be done; it can’t be done," he murmured.  "I have drunk deeply of the cup of life and I am now drinking the dregs.  The cup is filled but once, and when it is gone there’s nothing left but the dregs of old age and poverty."
    "You fool," cried Randolph, leaning forward and shaking the little man roughly.  "You almost had ‘That Something’ in your power, and now you sing it back to sleep with your silly song of pessimism.  It’s the false philosophy, which such as you sing, which has kept men in the ruts of their own digging for centuries past.  Wake, man, wake!  Wake ‘That Something’ within your soul!"
    The two men sat looking deeply into each other’s eyes.  It was the little man who broke the silence.  "Thank you, Randolph," he said quietly.  "You are right.  I will."

Together we light the fire of That Something within you, for you to create your health and your life from...continue to raise the roof on your own health and wellbeing by saying, “I will.”