Uriel Buchanan – The Minds Attainment

Contents

Chapter 1 — The Supreme Force

Power immanent in all nature — The source of beauty and strength — How to receive and appropriate — The law of persistent demand — How to attract the good — Faith a factor of success — Every desire a prophecy of its possible fulfillment — Live in the present — A foregleam of nobler achievements — The mind’s awakening

Chapter 2 — Man’s Divinity

The eternal builder — The cause of suffering — Self control — Aspiration The value of cooperation — Conservation of energy — The power of well defined thought — Magnetic Sympathy — Confidence and persistent desire — Constructive force — How to overcome adverse influences — A keen intellect — A magnetic personality

Chapter 3 — Mysteries

The three brains — The mind a globe of light — Evolution of the brain cells — How to increase the capacity of the brain — Active and passive attention — How to intensify the mind action — The three realms of mind — The inner ether — How to concentrate — The law of thought transference — How to receive and interpret a thought wave

Chapter 4 — The Science of Breath

Laws of Health — Natural way in diet — How to control the appetites and passions — Concentration and deep breathing — Helpful exercises — How to eliminate impurities from the blood — Detrimental habits — The way to self mastery — The universal energy — Atomic rays — How to attract force from the air

Chapter 5 — Self mastery

Desire an attribute of life — The power to do and dare — Straightforward thought — Harmonic mental action — The value of well directed effort — Electricity and Magnetism — How to direct magnetic currents

Chapter 6 — Mental Control

Imagination: the eye of the mind — How to train the imagination — How to make every undertaking successful — Force omnipresent — Threshold of the perfect way — Health and prosperity — Permanent moods determine surrounding conditions — The organ of thought perpetually changing — Mental and physical drills

Chapter 7 — The law of Suggestion

All thought a result of stimulation — Proofs of brain light — The mind a fathomless sea of untouched thought — Intense thinking — Thought waves — The influence of environment — Inspired by the higher faculties — How to unfold the divine nature —Transmutation of force — Useful exercises

Chapter 8 — The Sovereign Will

Solitude — Communion with nature — How to grow in wisdom — Incessant change the law of life — Renewal of mental and physical strength Intensity of desire — The universal will — Cultivating will power — Help from unseen sources

Chapter 9 — The Power of Silence

The self existent principle — Invisible influences — A foregleam of man’s possibilities — No place for drones — Activity the law of nature — Affirmation — Practical application — A refuge — The sanctuary — Beauties and realities of the present

Chapter 10 — Individual Supremacy

The primary cell — Life’s gradations — The evolutionary impulse — The mind builds — Desire brings things desired — Our divine heritage — The call for workers — The demand for freedom — No vicarious atonement — Each has a place to fill — The only way

Chapter 11 — The Spirit of Youth

Perfect development — How to prolong life — Talisman of the adept — The strong survive — Character building — The use of knowledge and experience — Infinite capacities awaiting recognition

Chapter 12 — Mental Influences

Thought acts apart from the body — The value of cheerfulness and courage — Thought a moving force — Success determined by the state of mind — In touch with the Supreme Power — Destructive forces — Self assertion the first principle of selfhood — Enkindling sympathies

Chapter 13 — Elements of Success

The value of perseverance — The Right use of natural talents — Irresolution a detrimental habit — Faith and courage — Clearness of mental vision — The power of repose — The value of diversion

Chapter 14 — Demand and Supply

Preparation of the mind — Power of thought to satisfy desire — How to realize every hope — Sympathetic relationship awakens higher harmonies — How to attract a helpful element from others — How to acquire health, happiness and prosperity — How to increase the drawing force of the mind

Chapter 15 — The Higher Life

Within reach of all — The supreme aim of man — The harmony and goodness of natural law — Man created in the image of the Infinite — Unlimited possibilities — Truth and freedom — The inner life — Lifting the veil — In touch with the Infinite Supply — The mystical river of life

Chapter 16 — Our Destiny

Man has enslaved the elements — Everything points to a higher goal — The will and mind are supreme — Under the influence of the divine nature — Long cherished ideals preparing the way for expression

Chapter 17 — Human Progress

Primary processes of world building — Story of the earth’s unfoldment — Primitive races — Symbols an evidence of the unity of life — Man’s marvelous skill in the fine arts — Love, a power for good — The infallible oracle — Man’s glorious possibilities

Chapter 18 — Divine Guidance

The chief aim of life — The path to power — How man is warned — How to realize every desire and demand — Faith as an element of success — Happiness and peace

Chapter 19 — A Lesson from Nature

When the earth was young — The growth of a tree — A symbol of man’s development — The eternal presence — Goodness and peace — Questioning the oracles of life — Close to the Infinite Source

Chapter 20 — Aspiration

The mind builds — Thoughts determine environment — How to make the best use of talents — The mood of cheerfulness — Courage and resolution — Opportunities for all — The Infinite Mind in nature — The attainment of every desire — The abuse of power the cause of suffering — Aspiration attracts the good

Chapter 21 — The Highest Goal

Mankind near to the realization of cherished ideals — A knowledge of self — Laws of heredity and instinct — The unfettered will — Opposing forces — Man a victim of wavering feebleness — Training the faculties to act in unison — Man the master — The fountain of happiness — An abiding sense of the Infinite — A protecting power

Introduction

The suggestions given in this volume, while dealing with truths which are as old as humanity, are presented in such a way as to stimulate original thinking, and to assist the reader to obtain a better understanding of principles which, if recognized and acted upon, will insure the realization of perfect peace, power, happiness and the highest possible success. Inherent in every mind are potentialities for reaching the highest goal of human attainment. Man shapes his environment and determines his place in the world in exact accord with the use he makes of interior forces. The aim of this work is distinctly practical. It reveals some of the great laws which govern the workings of human thought. It points out the way how best to show forth the ideal, to materialize our dreams and yearnings in everyday life. That the diffusion of this knowledge will aid man to enrich his own life, to help others, and to always be kind, is the earnest desire of the author. – U.B.

CHAPTER 1

THE SUPREME FORCE

There is but one force in the universe, which is inseparably related to all created things. It is in the whirlwind and surging sea, in the earthquake and the lightning’s flash, in cloud and sunbeam, in the growing plant and bursting bud. It gives brilliancy to the bird’s plumage and harmony to its song. It gives to the animal its strength and beauty, and endows man with courage and will.

Think of the wonders of chemistry and the magic of alchemy, to have shaped from the one primordial essence the infinite variety of forms which inhabit the universe. The atoms which now pulsate to every throb of the human heart have responded to life in other forms—in beast and bird; in plant and stone; in sea and air and fire—through eons of time. And these forces bounding through our veins possess the attributes of Infinity—being indestructible, immortal, undying. They are concentrated in man in great volume and variety of power, and he has made use of them to conquer the earth and sea.

There is no possible source for anything outside of the Infinite Power, for it embraces everything that is. There is no center or place which confines it, yet it is not absent from the minutest point in space. No object or idea can have existence apart from it, for it is omnipresent. It is the only reality of life. It is impossible for the human mind to fathom the mystery of this power, which had no beginning and can have no ending. The more we apprehend of its workings the more evidence we have that its manifestation is governed by immutable laws. Every individuality composing mankind is an inseparable part of this power.

The recognition and faith in its reality will enable you to appropriate intelligently and draw upon it as much as you will for your happiness and success. It is a never failing force which you may learn to use in all efforts. It will manifest through you in greater fullness as you keep your mind in the right current of thought. You must cease trying to generate force by a spasmodic effort. Call your wandering thoughts to a peaceful center within the mind, place your reliance on the Supreme Power which you feel flowing to you from the unseen, and use your will only to direct that power as it plays through you, as you would steer a boat that is moved by the wind.

To you as a part of the Supreme Power belong knowledge and wisdom and all things you can receive and appropriate. You will gain increasing power to draw from the exhaustless source in proportion to the force of demand. Keep in mind the idea that you are a magnet drawing from the universe all things necessary for happiness. You are made of forces which you have drawn to yourself by repeated demands. These forces have been built into your body, and have become literally a part of your flesh and blood. If you have entertained negative, timid, despondent thoughts, you have a corresponding weak, disordered body. If you have earnestly demanded of the Infinite the things which will elevate and ennoble and give strength and courage, these principles are incorporated and will act on you for perfect wholeness, beauty and refinement.

Persistent, silent demand of the Infinite Power for positive, imperative thoughts, for abundant energy, for enthusiasm, determination and courage, if held in the mind with unwavering confidence, will bring to you the desired response. Every aspiration which goes out from the heart as a positive, earnest demand will attract a power to effect results. By your desire you can create for yourself a thought atmosphere corresponding to your motive and purpose. If your thoughts are high and lofty and you ask for wisdom and purity, you will attract similar influences from the unseen and from kindred minds whose thoughts are in unison and sympathy with your own.

Aspiration, demand, desire, when concentrated in the right direction, for the most enduring good, will lift the mind above all morbid fancies, all hatred, apprehension and fear, will free the body from physical ills, and give support, confidence and courage.

If it is your desire to live in harmony and peace with the world, to be just and kind, to be progressive, prosperous and happy, keep yourself in sympathetic touch with the Infinite Power. Its hidden light will make your pathway clear to the realization of all that is true and good. Can you not realize the wonderful possibilities at your command, patiently awaiting recognition?

Within your being are sympathetic chords which should vibrate in response to all the symphonies of nature. If there are visions of beauty to which you are blind, and joyous harmonies you have not heard, and depths of feeling you have not fathomed, know this for a certainty, that as you open your mind and heart to the higher and purer influences and place yourself in a child like attitude to receive, you will draw nearer to the bright and beautiful unseen world, and the finer forces of the world will draw nearer to you.

Keep your mind in the thought of truth and purity, of health and vigor, and become as a magnet in the proper attitude of aspiration to attract the element of finer material. Every thought or desire to be better, more noble, more refined, every determination to rise above all that is selfish and sordid, arouses an element of strength which works in you and through you as a magnetic current of ever increasing power. You will gradually cut off the undesirable thought currents from inferior minds and will bring yourself in closer communication with the higher realm of thought and intelligence where all things needful will come to you. The mind should be trained persistently to shut out all morbid, depressing, fear currents of thought, and to be ever receptive to the positive, inspiring thought currents coming from helpful sources.

When matters look dark and uncertain, and you are discouraged and haunted by fear of loss, of sickness and misfortune, if you will look within and invoke the aid of the unseen elements, you will command a silent force which will banish weakness and give renewed strength and cheerfulness.

Any great success is gained by the exercise of personal power and the recognition of an unlimited capacity to draw from the unseen currents the inspiration and energy to move things and shape events at will. If you lean on others, their support will be withdrawn. If you play with luck in the game of life, you are sure to lose. If in mind you think it impossible to do what another has done, if you are overawed by the world’s pretentiousness, if you behold the display of wealth and feel that these things are beyond you, by your negative, timid thoughts you place the only real barrier to reaching them.

If you have sufficient faith in your own ability and in the universal force with which you cooperate, if you feel that the best things the world can give are none too good for you, that you have the knowledge, the talent and the executive ability to move things, to influence people and command attention, if you live in this permanent state of mind, you will draw to you the material counterpart of every thought demand. Put your mind in harmony with the Infinite Source and in line of correspondence with the things you seek, then you will receive impressions in regard to the steps to be taken to reach the goal desired.

The less you depend upon others and the more you trust your enlightened reason, the clearer you will see and the more strength you will have to stand alone. You will realize that as an inseparable part of the infinite power of good, you may command the qualities needed to accomplish wonderful results. You will receive an impulse and inspiration that will be finer and more effective. You will advance to higher planes of usefulness and grow in knowledge and understanding.

Keep yourself positive, and banish all unwelcome thoughts that seek entrance. Study yourself, your relation to environment, your desires and possibilities. Surround yourself by those who have kindred desires and talents. Strengthen your forces by keeping in touch with those who can help you to realize your ideals. There is no one thing in life, within the range of possibility, which you cannot accomplish, if you will recognize the power and efficiency of well directed thought, supported by an unwavering faith, resolution and persistent desire.

You should recognize every permanent desire as being a prophecy of its final fulfillment. To say, “Impossible, I cannot reach the goal of my ambition” is to erect the only real barrier between you and ultimate success. When you say, “I can and I will,” you have already achieved victory within your mind. And this thought, if continually held, will insure its final realization on the objective plane. Keep in touch with the thought current of all that is helpful and inspiring. Keep the mind filled with bright and cheerful thoughts. Avoid selfish and sordid people, and all surroundings which have a depressing influence. Do not dwell on the past with its mistakes and disappointments, and have no fear concerning the future; for your life is in the keeping of a faithful power, and if you are true to the highest and best, in the light of the knowledge that if given you, all will be well.

Hold ever in mind an image of the ideal you are seeking to make manifest. That image will become a central living magnet which will begin to draw to you the experiences that must be encountered and the conditions that must be overcome before the ideal can be attained. Concentrate all the forces of your being on the undoubted duty of the moment; then the numberless wants will be forgotten, and the troubles and uncertainties of life will pass away. The pathway of today is illumined by the experience you have gained from the yesterdays; and the light that dispels the mystery surrounding the present gives greater knowledge, which will shine with increased brightness tomorrow. The things that are true, the things that are good, and all that is helpful, will gravitate to you only in proportion to the degree that you desire and invite them.

Though the unwelcome duties of the hour may cause unrest, and the barren outlook of the future discourage, have faith in your power to triumph over all things which would wrest from your grasp the glorious heritage. Have faith in the harmony, the love and the goodness of the immutable laws which govern life and destiny and change.

Though there are times when we ignore the monitions of the higher self and grope in the darkness where we hear but a faint echo of the voice of truth and catch only a gleam of the light, yet if we look more deeply and listen intently, there will come to our vision a glimpse of the beckoning ideal and a foregleam of nobler achievements. In the most trivial occurrences of daily existence there will come to those who have faith a whispering of the voice which calls out in the wilderness and leads through life’s turmoil’s to the final awakening and deliverance.

There are many who live idle and useless lives, because they believe they have nothing within them worthy of attention. The fact that we possess the mysterious gift of existence is sufficient cause for lofty endeavor. In every mind are possibilities which should be recognized and unfolded. It is the duty of each to make the best possible use of his talents. We should see beneath the falsehood and weakness, we should pierce through the mask, and discover the power, the talent and the yearnings which await our encouragement and help.

There is a refuge, a strength, a fountain of happiness at the summit of the inner life, to which all who are noble may go for inspiration and guidance. From the deepest recess of this refuge arises a joy which banishes sorrow and floods the heart and mind with peace. When things go contrary to every desire, and you find no cause in present events for rejoicing, there is always a refuge deep down in the consciousness where against all the opposing forces shall beat in vain. There is not a beautiful thought, or a generous deed, but had its first impulse deep down in the inner life. Back of every noble deed are countless unexpressed impulses for good which have never been brought to the surface. But every lofty desire will ennoble the character and strengthen some purpose.

CHAPTER 2

MAN’S DIVINITY

The eternal builder — The cause of suffering — Self control — Aspiration — The value of cooperation — Conservation of energy — The power of well defined thought — Magnetic Sympathy — Confidence and persistent desire — Constructive force — How to overcome adverse influences — A keen intellect — A magnetic personality

The divinity in man is the eternal builder, transmuting the cells into a physical form of ever increasing symmetry and beauty. It arouses the mind to effort, kindles the fire of unrest and gives a longing to push forward to greater achievements. There is never a time in the career of the most brilliant and gifted when they cannot feel their incompleteness. What they have done is only prophetic of the greater capacity for attainment, when the divine power is permitted to unfold itself without hindrance. The pain we suffer, the dissatisfaction and disappointment, is the punishment inflicted by the Divine Law, giving the lessons needed to reveal the way to happiness and peace. When we know the law and are faithful to the duties that progression claims, every sincere desire will obtain an answer.

It is the universal law that man should live in harmony, gratitude and unselfishness; and whoever departs from this law must suffer the penalty of the transgression. Sorrow and pain are not the result of an evil power, but come as ripening experiences to force mankind into truer conditions.

The further you progress, the more closely will you come into relationship with the law which will protect you from all harm. You will control your thought so that you will rise superior to adverse environment. You will control your feelings so that the heart will obey the dictates of reason, leading no more to harmful entanglements. You will have that happiness and serenity which will make your presence magnetic, drawing others within the charmed circle where all is contentment.

The time will come, if it has not already come, when you will know the cause of your seeming failures. You will know why your efforts were futile. You will know why the events were shaped by influences beyond your control. You have had visions of things which you cried out for in the darkness; you have caught glimpses of what you are, but had not the strength to reach out and claim them. You thought then that it was a cruel, inexorable fatality which had implanted yearnings without the possibility of their attainment. But all the past struggles have been the result of the evolutionary impulse — the incarnated ray of divinity — consuming the dross and preparing the mind for its awakening.

When reason’s torch burns brightly, when you come into the conscious possession of your rightful inheritance, you will know why it is that nature guards zealously the portals which open to the storehouse of her treasures. You will know that he who would partake of her bounties must prove his worthiness to receive.

We have learned that there is no avenging Deity, no stern judge sitting on his throne in the supreme court of heaven, whose chief pleasure consists in punishing humanity for every violation of law, we know that the universe is governed by the Infinite Spirit of Love, which constantly inspires to greater goodness, purity and unselfishness, lifting us up to a happier and finer state of being. Every noble impulse awakens a multitude of helpful thoughts which rush to us to give strength and encouragement, while every evil thought or act is instantly rebuked by the monitor within, from whose judgment there is no escaping.

To obtain more of the spirit of love, to acquire power from the Infinite Source, to grow in knowledge and wisdom and overcome the defects of our nature, we must have a mind that ever aspires to the highest and best. As a part of the Infinite Mind, we should reach up and demand what we most need. We will have power to obtain results in proportion to the force and earnestness of our thought and desire. Persistent earnest desire is a magnetic power which, when encouraged by faith and strengthened by effort, will invariably draw to you the thing wished for. Every obstacle that is conquered, every new victory gained, will give you more faith in your power, and you will have greater ability to win.

If you have an unfaltering purpose, and are determined to push your plans to completion, if you are not vexed or discouraged by those who oppose you, if you can always persist in your work and keep up enthusiasm, energy and faith, you will draw to you an ever increasing power from the unseen, which will act on you and on other minds, establishing magnetic currents of sympathy which will awaken great confidence and hope and give the ability to achieve success.

The greater the number who cooperate with you and give you their sympathy, the more power will you receive. The force you will obtain may be transmuted by thought, desire and will into a vital attractive power which, if wisely expended, will give unlimited capacity for material accomplishment. We are continually sending out a mental force which establishes invisible connections with other minds on the same plane of unfoldment; and to send out with this force an attractive influence will draw to us sympathetic thoughts which will aid us.

By conserving the energies which are being constantly generated and transmuted, and being governed at all times by the law of use in the expenditure of force on the physical and mental planes, directing the finest and most subtle elements thus generated toward the realization of the things wished for, you will become a living magnet to draw from the material world all that is desirable. Realize that nothing is greater, nothing more powerful than a well defined thought, or image, set up in your mind, clothed with the magnetic elements of your being and sent out and sustained by an unwavering faith in the fulfillment of its mission.

If there is some one thing you desire to accomplish, go where you can be alone with your thoughts, undisturbed by the opposing influences and conflicting desires of others. Still the activity of the senses and place yourself in a receptive attitude. Then call up successive mental pictures of the different persons whom you are to use as agencies in helping you to attain the object desired. As you thus mentally converse with each one, question his attitude toward you, and ascertain, by the impressions received, the measure of response you may expect from him.

And if there should be any one whose first impulse you feel would be to oppose you when approached in regard to the matter in question, hold him in thought until you can see him clearly with the mind’s eye. Then send out to him harmonious, loving vibrations; talk to him mentally as you would talk to a friend; send out suggestions of magnetic sympathy. And when the time comes to approach him in person, enter his presence with a feeling of kindness, confidence, and power. Feel from your heart that he will gladly respond to your wishes and will grant you the favor desired.

If there is no doubt or hesitancy in thought, if you are sincere and are truthful and earnest in all you say, rest assured that you will receive the desired response and aid from all whom you thus approach. And so, by constantly studying your relation to environment, to the different people with whom you have dealings, finding the keynote of each and sending out appropriate suggestions according to need, you will learn that you have power to effect results which may at first surprise you.

Your attitude of mind will determine your success or failure in whatever you undertake. Your mind is a magnet which will attract to you the elements you earnestly desire. If you set up thoughts of determination, strength, cheerfulness, hope and kindred attributes of success, you will establish invisible magnetic connection with those who are richly endowed and inspired by similar aims and will draw these elements to you. When you take a firm stand for justice, order and precision, when you resolve to remain steadfast, to push forward and be true to your highest leadings, you will draw to you a host of invisible thought elements which will rapidly increase your ability to control the events of your life.

If your acts are inspired by your highest idea of right, if you are confident, earnest and determined you will use the finest and most subtle thought element at your command, which will go out with an irresistible constructive force that will shape things to your desire. If you fix your mind persistently upon some plan, and will allow nothing to distract you or cause you to swerve from your purpose, you can use your power to accomplish wonderful results.

To hold steadfastly to the silent concentration of mind, to think of some high purpose and aim, and to persistently resolve, will bring new suggestions and easier methods for pushing your plans to completion. To have a special purpose in life and to work earnestly for its accomplishment will fill your mind with cheerful thoughts and keep you in touch with all the progressive currents of nature.

When the body is unconscious in sleep, the mind continues to act in the realm corresponding to the suggestions given when awake. Each night you should ensphere yourself with the thought that while your body rests your mind is gathering to itself from the realm of cause the knowledge it seeks and the power it needs to bring you success in your chosen work. And when you arise with renewed strength, go out into the world and win for yourself the recognition your efforts merit.

If you continually worry about the innumerable little things which come up in daily life to oppose your plans and purposes, if you are haunted by fear of failure, if you lack confidence in your power to attain the results you seek, it is because you have not yet awakened to a knowledge of your rightful inheritance. You are still tossed about on the currents of a superficial existence and superficial apprehension.

Always remember that the determined action of an invincible will and persistent desire, charged with the resistless power of love, and lighted by the torch of reason, will enable you to overcome the adverse influences of heredity and environment, break the bondage of traditional creed and custom, and build up an individuality which will turn every opposing force into an idle wave beating vainly against the magnetic wall which surrounds and protects you.

To take an important part in the world’s work, to perform well the duties of life, to rise above the discordant influences of adverse environment, to banish fear, to be enthusiastic, progressive and happy, you must have not only physical strength, but a keen intellect and a magnetic personality. Not only these, but a noble character, inspired by high ideals and worthy ambitions.

Whatever man has accomplished in the past in the way of invention and the mastery of nature’s forces, of great achievements in literature and art, and the acquirement of dominion and power in the varied realms of activity, has been done by contending every step of advancement, throwing the conserved energies of his life into the constant struggle.

Man should be glad to live, because of the opportunities presented for a successful career. The mind always rejoices when some victory is gained over the opposing influences of the material world. It is man’s mission to subdue, to learn the secrets of nature, to cooperate with the creative power of the universe and demonstrate his right to rule.

CHAPTER 3

MYSTERIES

There are three distinct divisions in the brain of man: the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and medulla oblongata. This third brain is the upper portion of the spinal column. It controls the systems of respiration, circulation and digestion. The cerebellum, which is the small brain at the back and base of the head, controls all the voluntary muscles. The cerebrum is the large front brain, the seat of intelligence. Folded within the convolutions of this brain are countless millions of electromagnetic cells capable of being aroused from the hypnotic sleep and their potentialities converted into a dynamo of resistless energy.

The perfectly developed brain is omni-relative, and is capable of receiving and reflecting all possible knowledge and power. The mind is a concretion of the finest forces of man’s being, a globe of light, a star, shining through the brain. All changes which the mind undergoes are accompanied by a corresponding change in the cells of the brain. If man’s nature is coarse his perception is relatively dull. He is slow in forming conclusions, hesitating in speech, vacillating and uncertain in everything he does. The man who is refined has a keenness of perception and delicacy of distinction which enables him to outwit others, to think quickly and to accomplish more.

The brain cells are living entities, subject to the laws of evolution. All physical, mental or moral discipline have a direct influence on these cells, endowing them with higher qualities. The brain cell may be compared to an egg. It has an outside covering which contains a certain quantity of protoplasmic matter, and the matter holds within its mass a more refined material. The outside of this cell may be compared to the shell, the protoplasmic matter to the white, and the more refined substance to the yolk. In the center of this yolk is a tiny speck, which emits a light that grows in brilliancy by self discipline.

This luminous point indicates that the cell is fructified, receiving within itself a concretion, or spark, from the Divine Mind. An aggregation of these sparks creates a magnetic fire which gives power to heal, to effect psychic phenomena, and to help others in their upward endeavor. This fire illuminates the brain of the genius, lighting the way to inconceivable heights of power and attainment. The different faculties of the brain may be compared to an army of men. The will is the captain. If the will has no commanding power and is governed by no fixed purpose, the various mind organs will act just as they are played upon, and very little can be accomplished. But when each faculty is made to act in its appropriate place, and all are collectively controlled by a trained and invincible will, a power for achievement is at command which is unlimited.

You should guard closely the portals of that realm of thought whence issue the living streams of energy so wondrously potent in shaping your destiny. Instead of permitting a multitude of drifting thoughts to come and go amid the greatest confusion, you should be able to hold the thoughts that you desire and to reject what thoughts you will. You must learn not to give way before the innumerable thoughts sent to you from other minds, but to direct them, that all opposing influences may be overcome and the greatest victories won by the greatness of personal power.

The act of thinking increases the capacity of the brain. The tendency of the mind to wander, to yield to cares and disappointments, to be easily distracted, is the direct cause of so many failures. If you do not concentrate your mind on what you are doing, your efforts will be barren of results. You should learn to fix your whole attention on one thing at any given moment to the exclusion of all other thoughts. There are two kinds of attention: passive and active. In the passive attention you still the senses and place yourself in a receptive mood; not in a state of anxious expectancy, but of quiet repose. In the active attention you place your mind in a positive receptive attitude.

You listen with concentration. You send out suggestions at the same time you are receiving them. There is a dual action of the mind. You are listening to what is being said, and at the same time are forming conclusions and sending back a silent mental answer. You should never give your passive attention to one who seeks a favor, or would take advantage of you. While you should be receptive to the suggestions of another, you should at the same time be in that positive state which will make you impervious to any influence that is undesirable. You should stand guard at the threshold and permit no unworthy or harmful suggestion to enter your mind. Every thought sent out should be under the control of the will. Every word should be carefully weighed until the habit of right speaking is well established. And every deed should be done from the center of the higher self. You should breathe your very life into everything you do.

The use of your thought power will not be effective if spasmodic. When addressing another, the mind should be intense in its action and the thought concentrated on the subject being discussed. There should also be concentration of the gaze. The intense thought and magnetic will and earnest speech, will fire the cells of the brain with a magnetic, irresistible force. If there are times when you feel depressed and are indifferent and negative, if you desire to increase your forces and intensify the mind action, recall some great crisis in .your life which stirred to earnest effort. Arouse yourself to the same state of mind, then send the thought currents out to accomplish your purpose. If while writing, or painting, or doing any mechanical work, you feel tired, discouraged and indifferent, throw open the windows and breathe deeply the refreshing air. By an effort of the will throw your mind into a positive exalted state. Get yourself in touch with the Supreme Power, then you will have renewed strength and courage to go on with your work and to put into it the highest and best part of yourself. If you do this, your efforts will invariably bring success.

There are three realms of mind: the subconscious, the conscious and the super conscious. The conscious mind belongs purely to the objective world, using the five senses as instruments. The subconscious mind is the stored up memories acquired by the conscious mind during the past years of its search for knowledge and experience on the human plane. The super conscious mind has the power of recognition of thought by a sympathetic process, without the use of the five material channels of sensation. So many instances of unusual power in this direction have come to the notice of scientific investigators that the world has been convinced of this phenomenal keenness of mind. It has been demonstrated beyond question that there is a faculty of perception in the mind which can know what is taking place about it by means independent of the five senses.

The super conscious mind, or subliminal self, is as real as the human form, yet it has no weight or measure, and is unlike anything we can see, or touch or analyze. The microscope does not reveal it. Deepest thought and purest reason fail to discover its origin, its nature and destiny. Yet it is within the mind of man, substantial and luminous. The body changes, thoughts come and go, our relations to the great world at large are altered, hopes and loves are born in the heart, live, desire and perish, and others come and go in their place in endless succession; yet through all the shifting scenes in the visible world, there is something within which remains steadfast and true, shedding its mysterious luster through the enchanted realms of mind.

By the medium of the super conscious mind you are brought into conscious relationship with the Infinite Power, from which you can draw the energy needed to supply all the demands of your nature.

It is universally agreed that there is an inner ether which fills all space. This is the intervening medium through which thought impulses send their waves. The mental energy is best exerted at a distance when directed by a strong will power and sustained by a perfect faith in your ability to impress your thoughts on others. And you must be able to hold in your mind a single image to the exclusion of all else.

To prove your strength or weakness in this direction, close your eyes and think of some object in the room where you are sitting. Hold the picture in the mind’s eye until you seem to see the object itself. If your power of concentration is weak, you will not be able to focus your attention for a sufficient length of time to see a clear picture of the original object. Your mind will wander to surrounding objects and your ideas will be confused. For practice, hold the picture of some object, or person, in your mind for as long a time as possible, without permitting your thoughts to wander. At first, if not trained in this direction, you will not be able to hold the picture for more than two or three minutes. But persistent effort will train the mind so that you can give your undivided attention to a single thing for any length of time desired. Then you will be able to impress your thoughts and desires on others who are negative and receptive.

The voice causes the exhaled breath to tremble by waves of sound which roll through the air. The universal ether penetrates everything. It unites mind with mind. It transmits thoughts and emotions. It bears the same relation to the mind that the air does to the voice. A thought vibrates the ether and reproduces corresponding thoughts in minds that are attuned. A thought wave sent forth travels as sound through the air, or as the electric flash of a wireless message through invisible space.

The ability to receive and interpret a thought wave depends upon the degree of sensitiveness and the power of attention. The gift may be cultivated by practicing the concentration of mental energy. This is done by fixing the attention so as to exclude all other thought waves and counter influences. A great idea, held and sent out by a powerful mind, may create an irresistible wave, which will change the world of thought and influence millions for the good of the race.

CHAPTER 4

THE SCIENCE OF BREATH

In order that the manifestations of the mind may not be hindered, that the thought currents may be forceful and effective, it is necessary to keep the body in perfect condition—to have pure blood, healthy cells and a reserve fund of vitality. The different nerve centers must be in perfect order and the entire system kept in harmony. For this purpose you should carefully observe the laws of health. Living at high tension, with improper food, little exercise, and breathing the impure air of hot, unventilated rooms and offices, creates disease in the system which soon destroys the natural vitality of the body. If you have the strength of will to change your habits of living, if you will put forth a little effort in the right direction, you may prolong life and have a more peaceful existence. The requirements are simple, and the results are certain.

To strengthen the will and get perfect control of the physical, you should subject yourself to a rigidly plain diet, consisting of such foods as toasted bread, made of white flour and whole wheat flour mixed; barley food; vegetables that are relished; fruits and nuts; rice, boiled milk; cracked wheat, with cream, and honey and whole wheat bread; with variations and in quantity according to taste and appetite. Use very little starchy foods, meat, tea and coffee; and avoid pastry, such as pies, cakes, puddings and dressings.

These rules in regard to diet are to be observed principally for the purpose of strengthening the will and getting perfect control over the appetites and passions. If, for instance, a certain kind of food is delicious, you can only eat a certain quantity of it. If you eat more than you require it will cause injury.

The vital forces of the body will be wasted in attempting to digest it. If you are using ten articles of diet and decide to limit yourself to six, when the seventh is offered, if you refuse it you increase the strength of will. If you have formed the habit of drinking coffee for breakfast and feel that you must have it, by breaking the habit for a time, you demonstrate the supremacy of the mind and will. If you depend upon certain articles of diet, stimulants or drugs, if you are swayed by trivial desires and are bound by fixed habits of life, and cannot command the strength of will to break them, it is useless to talk about the mastery of self and the attainment of inestimable freedom.

Control of the material part of man’s nature is the first step to be taken on the path to power. You should sleep at least eight hours at night. Rest a short time prior to the noonday and evening meals, and also for twenty or thirty minutes afterwards, with your thoughts dwelling on subjects that are uplifting. Bathe the body daily. Spend at least one hour in the open air, walking or riding, and practice deep breathing. And always be cheerful and hopeful.

It is necessary to bear in mind that in concentration, no practice of breathing should be adopted until the body has been made pure, so far as is possible. You should have a room set apart for meditation, concentration and breathing, and this room should be used for no other purpose. The surroundings of the room should be pleasant. Everything that is placed in the room, everything that decorates the walls, should correspond to your intellectual taste and requirements. The books should be those you like the best, and the pictures of your own selection.

When you practice breathing or concentration, assume the posture of body which gives ease and comfort. Do not incline your back or head. Sit straight on the chair, keeping the neck and body quite straight. Concentrate your mind on your highest ideal of health and power. Then breathe regularly, deeply and fully. This is the whole science of breathing so far as health is concerned.

To breathe fully, the breath must fill the whole thorax. A certain time for inhaling, retaining and exhaling should be observed. For inhaling, if the time is five seconds, then for retaining the breath it should be nine seconds, and for exhaling it should be seven seconds. This proportion ought to be observed. When you retain the breath in the lungs, do not allow the retained breath to influence any part of the nervous system, nor the ears or brain. In order that the breath may not influence the brain or ears, just as you begin to retain it in the lungs, lower the head. When you lower the head the breath cannot affect them. This breathing exercise will establish harmony and preserve the health.

There is another exercise which may be used for the purpose of removing impurities from the blood and establishing the harmonious function of the different organs. Sit on a chair, keeping the body, neck and head in one straight line. Exhale all the air from the lungs. Then press the right nostril with the thumb of the right hand and inhale through the left nostril. After filling the lungs, retain the breath, and just at the time of retaining it, press with the last two fingers the left nostril also, and at the same time lower the head so the breath will not influence any other part of the body.

After holding, remove the thumb from the right nostril, raise the head, and exhale slowly. When you breathe out through the right nostril, stop for a short time, and then inhale. Close the right nostril with the thumb, lower the head and retain the breath. Then raise the head and exhale through the left nostril. In this way the process is to be repeated.

Little impurities that may have gathered in the lungs may be eliminated by a special system of breathing. Take short volumes of breath into the lungs simultaneously. Take one small volume of air, then another and another, until the lungs become full, then lower the head and retain the breath. Then raise the head and exhale slowly through the nostrils. Little volumes of air, by instantaneous admission, will come in contact with different parts of the lungs with such a force as to separate the little impurities that may have gathered there.

A’ strong positive mentality will help you to focus the energies of the mind on one thing at a time, so that your study, your concentration and your progress will be sure, will be without any failures, any faults. Mere breathing and diet and physical postures are only helps. It is not by breathing alone, nor by certain physical postures, nor by concentration, that the highest attainment is made. But these preliminary steps will strengthen the physical and give greater power and efficiency to rise superior to the destructive influences. The physical and mental are so interblended that if one is neglected the other loses its power. The nerve force should be sound and strong.

The forces that regulate the working of the lungs, the stomach, the heart and brain must be in perfect harmony. There must be purity of body and purity of mind. When there is bodily and mental purity you will be able to conserve the latent energies and direct them to higher uses. If the body is diseased, or the mind disordered, your forces are being continually wasted in making repairs.

When a habit that is detrimental to progress is to be overcome, it can be done in two ways. It can be broken immediately, by a determined effort of the will, or it can be overcome slowly by outgrowing the desire or attachment, just as the child outgrows childish things as it advances in years. Suppose there is a powerful magnet that can draw to itself a bar of iron. This bar will be held there a certain length of time, depending on the intensity of the force in the magnet. There are two ways of separating the bar of iron from the magnet. The magnet will become demagnetized in course of time, and the bar will fall away of its own accord. But to separate the bar at once can be accomplished only by using force.

The habits you have formed will be outgrown in the natural course of events, or you may overcome them at once by drawing a new force that will counteract their influence. By right thoughts, acts and words, by determination and decisive effort you may attract the forces which will change your thoughts and desires and give you greater power and ability to overcome all that is unpleasant and harmful.

The body should be kept pure and all sluggishness removed by bathing, exercise 2nd deep breathing. Then you will enjoy being active. Work will become delightful. You will not get tired. A change will be produced in your features and your general appearance will be improved. Regular circulation of the blood will be established. The mind will be transformed, and you will have greater power of concentration. The different vehicles and nerves through which the psychic force passes will gain in strength and capacity.

The universal energy pervades and surrounds us. It is in the sunlight, in the air, in water, in food, in blood and tissues, and everywhere. This energy is seen in its operations, and its existence is proved in many ways. You have no doubt felt the vitality of a strongly magnetic person by merely standing in his presence. Notice two persons together whose vitality seems to be widely variant; that is, one who is sickly and one who is vigorous. The latter is full of magnetism, the former lacks it. One is timid, nervous and negative, while the other is forceful, positive and commanding.

The man who is charged with an abundance of vitality always takes the lead. All persons within the circle of his influence give up their own vitality for the time being and live in the strength of his more powerful forces. This influence can be broken only by the use of mental suggestions and exceedingly strong will power. But if you are not strong physically the thought waves you will send out will lack an element of force which is needed to make the influence irresistible.

The air that is in motion when the sun is shining is charged with atomic rays of energy which you may draw into your system by deep breathing, concentration and the tensing of muscles. By merely closing the hands, after an inhalation of pure air on which the sun is shining, will, if accompanied by the exercise of the will power, result in the lungs and blood absorbing this energy.

While holding the breath, close the hands tightly and tense the arms and chest and send a forceful suggestion through the body, holding to the positive thought that the air in your lungs is full of fire, or life, and that this central flame of glowing energy is being diffused through all the nerves from the breast to the head, down the spinal column and throughout the system. When you perform this exercise rightly you will feel the increase of energy while holding the breath, and by repeating the breathing and tensing of the muscles a few times you will become charged with an element of life which will drive all impurities from the blood and give you a feeling of renewed strength and courage.

If you will draw a solid ball on a blank page, and around this ball draw a circle just as close as you can without touching the ball; another around that, not quite so close, and others, until the page is filled with circles growing thinner, lighter and farther apart as they become distant from the center, you will have a diagram which represents the radiation of vital energy. Its loss of strength should be borne in mind, as represented by the weakening and thinning of the outer circles. This radiation is called the aura of the person, and its influence can always be felt at a distance ranging from three to twelve feet. The nearer you approach a person the stronger becomes the circle of his influence. When two persons approach each other, the stronger always counteracts the influence of the weaker. Some persons are so magnetic that they can charge a whole room with their presence and dominate all persons near by the tone of their voice and the glance of their eye.

CHAPTER 5

SELF MASTERY

The condition of the body and the quality of the nerve force determine to a great degree the strength of the mind. The action between the brain and body is a reciprocal interchange. The brain is nourished by the nervous and magnetic fluids, which are the energies that feed the flame of the mind. Desire is an attribute of life seeking expression in the world of form. The mind appropriates the forces according to the nature and intensity of the desire. According to the quality of the desire will be the attainment. We surround ourselves by associations kindred to our yearnings. Your present environment, to a very great degree, is the result of the forces you have set in action by your past desires. It is desire which awakens the power to do and dare. The mind appropriates the energy thus evoked and expends it in the effort to attain the thing desired. Let your desires lead ever upward, drawing about you all that is good and beautiful. See that there is purity of heart. Cultivate straight forward thought. An honest thought sent out from the mind with strict honesty of purpose, sustained by a determined will and earnest, persistent desire, will create a force that is irresistible.

If you will be absolutely true to the highest monitions, true to yourself and to all men, honest, upright and pure in every thought and act, you will nourish the magic flame that will give peace, power and self mastery. Then you can look the whole world in the face, with head erect and free, untroubled by remorse or fear. If you will never compromise with deceit or stratagem, if you will stand firm upon the summit of truth, with a strong will and unwavering purpose, the forces within will be transmuted into elements of power. Success will attend your undertakings and your heart will not be vexed with disappointments.

Be earnest and purposeful in all you do. Perfect harmonic mental action, straightforward thought and strong will power will charge your being with a superabundance of life, and you will diffuse about you a glow of deep and abiding sincerity which others will recognize and emulate. As you gain control over the thoughts and feelings of your own mind and heart you will gain strength to influence other minds and to inspire those you meet in daily life with a confidence which will cause them to trust you implicitly in all you do and say.

Banish from your life all that is disagreeable or demoralizing. Encourage your mind to dwell on thoughts that are hopeful and helpful. Recall every noble deed you have witnessed, and every pleasant experience that has come to you. To do this repeatedly will cause your feelings to change. Your mind will open to finer impressions. Your faith in humanity will grow. The inner consciousness of advancement will prompt you to greater effort.

You will be fearless in regard to the opinion of others. You will be impervious to reproach and insensible to flattery. If there are times when you become depressed and discouraged, search for the cause and you will find that the enemy has entered by way of uncontrolled thought or foolish fancies. Having discovered the cause, sum up your possibilities and invoke the aid of the hidden forces at your command; then press on with renewed determination, supported by the thought that thousands of hearts are beating in unison with your own, that thousands of purposeful minds are pressing on against the same opposing influences which are met by you, and every victory you achieve will influence others who will become the stronger for your endeavor.

Cultivate true desire and perfect self control. The highest desire awakens in the heart the purest love—the love which recognizes the vital relationship existing between nature and every human being. With the awakening of this love, unsuspected powers will be developed. You will gather to yourself new vigor, magnetism and force. Learn to control every impulse, passion and desire which spring up in the changeful heart. Maintain the attitude of the master. Be sincere, noble and upright, and have faith in your power to overcome all obstacles which are to be met in the upward march to success. Let your zeal be broad and deep. When the opportunity comes for action, let your efforts be well directed, and with a force that conquers.

Recognizing the beauty of the higher life, resolve to make each day’s record better than that of the preceding one, to make each hour’s effort a stepping stone by which you will rise to better things. Let your thoughts and desires ever roar upward. Let no mistrust of your powers cause you to hesitate, for the worthy exercise of the gifts you already recognize will bring you to a knowledge of others still more to be prized. The fulfillment of your highest aspirations is possible if you will control and make the best use of the forces within. Have no fear of placing before yourself impossible ideals. But in thinking of the goal you are to reach in the future, do not lose sight of the present. The one who looks to the future, unmindful of the present, may lose the opportunities of today and the possibilities of tomorrow. No promise of good to be done or of triumph to be achieved in the future can compensate for the neglect of the present.

All powerful people are known to be magnetic, and the possession of this power is considered by many as being a special gift which only a chosen few may enjoy. Yet this power, in common with all gifts of nature, may be possessed by all. Personal magnetism is the most subtle element of the human organism; it is the fire which warms and invigorates man, and which gives him the power to influence others. This power will come in greater measure to the one who places himself in a harmonious attitude with nature and closely observes her laws. He will be as the commander who places himself at the head of unnumbered legions. His sense of power will make him dauntless and invincible; his evenness of balance, mastery of self and sure control of others will make him lavish of the life he feels throbbing in every pulse. As he gives, he receives in return from nature’s storehouse. He breathes the infinite life, which is transmuted into currents of magnetic force with which he moves men at will.

Open your heart and mind to the inflow of the magnetic life. Let this be your silent demand: Oh Power Supreme, make me a worthy part of the universal life. Let me be pure in thought and motive. Fill me with the sacred fire that will enable me to win others to truth and purity. Let my thoughts be of goodness. Let my deeds bring happiness.

Magnetism is the life of the world. Electricity is motion without life. Magnetism is life without motion. Union of the two results in the manifestation of celestial harmonies. These in a way are the manifestation of the same force; they are dual. Electricity and magnetism, uniting in the physical organism, are constantly generating the vital force, or human fire. To arouse these energies of your being and to wisely direct them, is to have opened unto you the gates of the realized ideal. Magnetism is the king. Electricity is the servant. We can say to electricity, you shall run our cars, illuminate the cities by night, and carry news from continent to continent by the lightning’s flash. But we cannot say that to magnetism. It will not be ordered. We must draw it and supplicate it. We draw it by thought and love. Magnetism is produced and increased by silent meditation. Magnetism gives power to infuse new life and build new purpose.

Who has not grasped the hand of a magnetic person and felt the magic influence that the touch inspires, or has been thrilled by the searching gaze of the magnetic eye. Magnetism is the key which unlocks the storehouse of nature and gives free access to an ever present and ceaseless supply of power for all the purposes and demands of life. To absorb an abundance of this force will give brilliancy to the eyes, color to the lips and cheeks, and great vitality.

There are many people who work incessantly, yet their efforts are barren of results. They work without understanding. They are under the delusion that nothing can be achieved except by bodily activity. They have not learned the value of forethought. They rush blindly about, striking a blow here and one there, until physically exhausted; then they sit down and wail at the cruelty of fate; and in moments of retrospection they see what might have been done if they had only known; but the awakening comes too late.

Their ways of working without a knowledge and proper use of their magnetic forces may be compared to one who might cross the continent on foot instead of taking the train. Thus they continue to struggle with adverse conditions, in perpetual conflict with the world and with themselves, all because they depend upon externalities and deal with effects while ignorant of causes.

While bodily activity is essential in all mechanical pursuits, yet when the physical organism is made plastic and responsive to the will, every movement may be made with a rhythm that will increase the magnetic energy, so that all necessary mechanical labor can be performed without any discordant motions. It is working while out of tune with the higher self that destroys the nervous energy and causes exhaustion. No movement of any voluntary muscle of the body should be made unless directed by the will.

Every idle thought should be banished from the mind. The indwelling magnetic will should have absolute control of the mind and body, and in place of disobedience and confusion there should be established rule and order. You should consciously recognize the divinity of every heart beat; .should feel that every respiration is the inbreathing and outbreathing of the life that pervades the universe; you should feel and know that from the food you eat and the water you drink the wise chemist of the body is appropriating and transmuting the proper elements for the renewing and rebuilding of the physical organism in form and quality corresponding to your highest ideal of symmetry and beauty.

The man who can master the magnetic force and learn how to use it, may achieve everything that he desires. In order to do this he must have an indomitable will, must persistently think of and yearn for the object desired, and must project the magnetic suggestions of attraction toward the object or wish.

To invoke the power desired and to direct the magnetic currents by the will, it is necessary to establish perfect physical repose, to silence the mind’s activity and hold yourself receptive to the impressions that come from within. Clothe the images of your subjective thought with the finest essence of your being, and send them out from the inmost center of consciousness with a living power that nothing can check or hinder. To be able to accomplish this you must have fixedness of purpose. Every thought, aspiration, desire and attachment must be so thoroughly centered on the ideal you wish to attain that nothing external can affect you. No obstacle should discourage, and no experience of the outer man or outer world should have power to swerve you from the ascending path that leads to truth.

CHAPTER 6

MENTAL CONTROL

Imagination is the eye of the mind. It should be trained to image only the highest. A disordered imagination will confuse the mind and dissipate the energies. But when controlled by the will you can direct it to see yourself in better environments. And the more you do this in imagination, the greater will be your power to make the picture a reality. Live over in mind the acts you should perform, the words you should utter and the attitude you should assume to take hold of the world and win from it the things you demand. Was not the world made for you? Who has a greater right than you to enjoy the beauties of nature and art, to have the glow and symmetry of health, and to possess the treasures which the earth contains and the sea hides? The world is your estate. It is yours by the divine right of universal humanity. Recognizing this fact, train your imagination to see yourself surrounded by every luxury. See yourself with others who are bright and prosperous. Imagine that you are courageous, that you are gifted, that you have tact and that you have irresistible power.

The things you hold most in thought and imagination you will make a reality. But there must be steadfastness of purpose and persistent faith and effort. To say to yourself daily, “I can and I will,” to send an unbroken current of thought in the direction of the desire, to aim well and to neglect nothing that will aid you, will insure the final realization of every reasonable ambition. But if you have courage today and make spasmodic efforts, and the next day feel depressed and are doubtful, you will send out destructive forces which will hinder your progress. Negative, despondent, irritable thoughts are as potent to destroy as are positive, hopeful, courageous thoughts to build up. If your mind wanders, if you doubt and hesitate, if you lack faith and persistency of purpose, you will continue to drift with the tide of circumstances discouraged and helpless on life’s surging sea.

The great starting point to freedom and power is the conservation of force. Force is omnipresent. The most important problem is not how to get force, but how to conserve, arouse and wisely direct the force already at command. The physical organism is like an engine, and the mind is the engineer. If the boiler is full of holes, the force will be dissipated, and the machine cannot do effective work. You must stop the leakage, the useless waste by dissipation, and the worry and discontent arising from a distorted imagination. You must cultivate more constructive thought and put vital force into all your actions. You must learn to concentrate the mind to the consideration of a single thing, at any given time, to the exclusion of all else. And everything you do should be a stepping stone to some fruitful end. The mind must become steadfast and unwavering, and your thoughts creative, expressing the highest and best within. Only as you have health and happiness and use the force of body and faculties of mind aright can you rise to the threshold of the perfect way.

You are by the attitude of thought you hold always drawing to you corresponding conditions which are beneficial or injurious. There is a mental state which, if permanently held to, will draw to you all that is desirable. If you are always calm and determined and have an unwavering purpose, you will attract to you from the invisible domain the things you silently demand. But if you lack faith and are haunted by fear and uncertainty, you will drive happiness from you and will attract misfortune and failure.

Whatever you think you actually make a reality in the realm of mind. If you hold the same thought through days and months and years you give the idea tangible form. If you keep the idea of success in your mind, and dwell on thoughts whose aim is good, you set in motion the attractive force which goes out in the unseen and influences material agencies to serve you. And the longer your mental forces are fixed on the bright and beautiful, on success and happiness, the more power you will have to draw health and prosperity to you. To fix your mind persistently on some definite purpose, to resolve that nothing shall interfere, that you will have the thing desired, maintaining the mood of calm, patient determination, you will grow in possibilities not yet dreamed of.

Every thought of yours is a force which is building for the future. If at the present you are obliged to live amid discordant environments, to associate with uncongenial people, do not feel that you will be forced to continue such relationship. You are there now because the associations are kindred to past thoughts and desires. The mood of mind you are most in now will determine your future for good or ill. If you cultivate cheerfulness, are full of hope and ambition, and are living in imagination in better surroundings, among superior people, you will develop forces which will carry you forward to higher truth and possibility. You absorb the thought and take on the characteristics of those with whom you are most associated. If their mind is on a lower plane of thought, if they are coarse and materialistic, they fetter your aspiration and deaden the finer sensibilities.

You have latent in you some special capacity different from that possessed by any other person. To discover your talents and set diligently to work to develop them, to allow no influence to check you, no barrier to discourage, you will grow into ever increasing possibilities of strength and usefulness. It is your rightful heritage to be permanently freed from all disease, all weakness and the slavery of fear, and to live in close relationship with the Infinite Mind, from which you may draw life, strength and inspiration sufficient for all demands.

You should spend a short time each day in the practice of mental and physical drills and deep breathing. Dwell on uplifting emotions and memories. Cheerfulness is conducive to health, while sadness and anxiety produce disease. Constant direction of the thoughts to any part of the body will alter the circulation of the blood in that part. It is impossible to be strong and vigorous while all the time sending through the body negative, unhealthy thoughts. To become magnetic and strong, you must send positive thought currents through the body and have in your mind high and noble ideals. As the organ of thought is perpetually changing in cell structure, to hold a number of bright pictures in the mind, and to repeat the process daily, the images which at first are indistinct will become vivid. Impulses and desires which at first are vague will become more definite, and the dreams of today will become the realities of tomorrow.

In your silent sitting, flash the searchlight of concentrated thought through the hidden recesses of the nerves. Breathe deep and slow, with longer exhalations, in point of time, than inhalations. Send all thought and feeling to a center in the breast. Pass from the breast to the solar plexus. Then to the feet. Concentrate about one minute in each function. Now direct the thought currents from the feet steadily upward to the base of the spine, then along the spine to the base of the brain. Keep the vibratory waves uniform and try to make the current harmonize with the vibratory rates of the different functions. If there is excessive action of any of the vital centers, contract the parts and reduce the vibrations by suggesting the counteractive thought of cold, icy, deathlike quiet. If there is lack of power in any function, increase the vibrations by directing a stimulating, fiery, current to the weakened parts, until they glow with intensity.

At first you will find it difficult to concentrate the life forces and hold the thought steadily where directed. But patience and perseverance will give encouraging results.

Understanding the laws of the human mind, you will be able to consciously direct your thoughts by the will to any part of the body, and by sending forceful suggestions of health and power, you may acquire a vitality which will protect you from the ravages of disease and enable you to rise above the adverse influences of environment.

As month by month you drill yourself in these things, you will discover that thought is not confined to the brain, but that it traverses the nerves and penetrates every part of the body. You will also learn that it is not confined to the body, but that it may be sent in vibratory waves through the inner ether to the most distant parts of the world.

CHAPTER 7

THE LAW OF SUGGESTION

Every particle of animate matter is endowed with consciousness, or a perception of self being. But supreme in mental development is man. Yet he does not know why he thinks, how he thinks, or what thinking is. The human mind and its complicated processes are among the deepest mysteries of life. The more the brain develops the more capacity we have for thinking. The act of thinking develops the brain, and events develop thinking.

All thought is the result of stimulation. The convolutions of a well developed brain are like a disturbed sea crested with huge billows. The ceaseless flow of blood through the brain supplies the material which builds it. The blood pours over the brain an acidulous fluid which deposits phosphorus to be absorbed. Phosphorus is a mysterious element absorbed from food. It is the most remarkable substance known. The gleaming eyes of an excited person or animal in the darkness are distinctly visible. A magnetic person may excite enough light in his own brain to see in the dark. There are many proofs of brain light. Phosphorus is the element which endows the nerves with power to move the muscles. It furnishes the brain with its gray matter and gives to the mind its vigor.

The course of thought lies in the gray matter that occupies the brain and body. The part of the brain which thinks, as it receives an excitant from the blood, contracts and expands with great rapidity. A thought excites the blood, and the blood in turn excites the brain. The mind is a fathomless sea of untouched thought. Wonderful possibilities are latent within the mind, awaiting some stimulus to arouse them. Only a word, an event, or a thought from another mind, may awaken some dormant faculty or power undreamed of. The habit of intense thinking may be cultivated to a remarkable degree by individual effort. . In proportion to the growth of this power success in mental achievement will be greater. One who understands the power of concentrated and well directed thought may exert an influence that is far reaching and irresistible.

There are times when the mind is under the influence of thought waves projected from other minds. The mind is sensitive to every influence of environment. A favorable combination of surroundings, a forceful suggestion received from another, the reading of a helpful thought or listening to delightful music, will start a train of thought which gives inspiration, force and courage. At such times we feel the possibilities within and have an intense yearning to unfold them, to give expression to the harmony we feel, to make use of the thoughts which stir the depths of our being. But when the stimulus is withdrawn, when discordant thought currents are again awakened, the inspiration passes from us, and we awaken, as from a beautiful dream, to the commonplace facts of the material. There are many times when the higher faculties influence and inspire us; but our efforts ebb and flow like the tides of the sea, and the billows of thought are moved by the storm and passion of a resistless, uncontrollable force.

There is one great law which makes it possible to encourage the higher facilities to gradually unfold the divine nature and to overcome the aimless, drifting tendencies of mind. A certain mood may be recalled in thought by an effort of the will. Hold your thought concentrated in the memory of some beautiful experience. Endeavor to feel that you are under the same influences again. This attitude, held to repeatedly, will give greater ability to control your thoughts and to awaken feelings which will inspire and strengthen the mind. If while sleeping you have had a pleasant dream, when you awake endeavor to recall the details of the dream. By holding your mind in line of correspondence with the original vision, you will pass into the same mental state again, and will go to sleep.

Create in your mind a vivid memory of some great emotion or impulse you have felt in the past. This attitude of mind will intensify the corresponding faculties of the brain, and by repetition you will be able to hold your thought permanently in any state desired. The first time you attempt to perform a difficult mechanical act, great effort is required to succeed. The second time the act is performed with greater ease, and by repetition the muscles are trained to respond without any conscious effort. The same law applies to all mental attainment. By the intense desire and persistent effort to hold the mind receptive to a high current of influence, the faculties become more and more responsive. Rigid discipline will accomplish wonderful results in this direction. We must have the ambition which will arouse the will and fire the heart with a determined resolve which will give no rest until we have reached the goal of every desire.

All culture and growth are the result of faithful and continued effort. Hold your mind by the will in the right attitude to receive a constant stimulus from the higher faculties, or subliminal self. Lift yourself above all negative, discordant influences, all feeling . of weakness and fear. Hold steadfastly to the high current of thought which will connect you with all the constructive forces of human life. Never acknowledge in thought that you cannot succeed, that the odds are against you. See nothing before you but the goal of your ambition. Go out with a sustained and living force from the mind’s highest center and transmute all the forces at your command into the subtle, irresistible waves which will carry you forward to the highest attainment.

To know that the mind is the builder, that the mind is a concretion of the most potent forces of life, that thought is a dynamic power more potent than any possible opposing influence, will give you encouragement and strength to create nobler thoughts and to make use of your talents for the accomplishment of the greatest good.

A chart should be hung in the room of every person who is working to develop the higher attributes of his nature, and on this chart should be printed in attractive letters the words and sentences which will suggest thoughts that will be specially helpful. To have the chart in a prominent place where your eyes will rest on it when you are meditating, and also during odd moments when your mind wanders from your book or writing or any work you are doing, the suggestions you will receive at such times will take hold of your thoughts and exert a beneficial influence in your daily life. To place before your mind, during the last hour of the evening and the early moments of the morning, whatever thought you desire to absorb in your nature, will aid you to develop corresponding attributes of character.

The five pointed star is a good emblem of the mind. It should be drawn on a cardboard about twelve inches square, and at the five points should be written the following words, one of the words being placed opposite each point: Virtue, Wisdom, Power, Riches, Glory. Hang the cardboard in a prominent place, and when looking at the star think of the different words and their meaning.

Virtue is the first principle. Without virtue it is impossible to achieve anything great or glorious. It is the underlying principle which governs the attainment of every exalted position. See that the thoughts are kept pure and the heart clean. Let the emotions outgrow passion, and shun every temptation.

The second principle is wisdom. Let its light always direct you. Say to yourself mentally: I can do nothing that is not good and true. I am guided by Infinite Wisdom. I turn from all error. I will rise above every appearance of evil. I will transmute the memory of past experiences into the pure gold of knowledge and wisdom, and will walk in the way of truth and goodness.

The third principle is power. You should affirm mentally. I have planted my feet on the rock of virtue and wisdom. On this rock I will stand. No matter how fierce the storms, no matter how great the conflict, I am fearless, confident and free. I will remain steadfast. I will unfold into the divine likeness. I am conscious of unlimited power. My faith and loyalty to truth shall not be shaken. I have dominion over all things. I have realized the perfect ideal.

The fourth principle is riches. Affirm mentally: In my individual supremacy as the expression of Infinite Power, I command all the resources that are needful. The treasures of the earth are my rightful possessions. Every demand I make shall compel response. Every effort shall receive its reward. I rise to higher power, to wider planes and greater riches.

The fifth principle is glory. Affirm: I rejoice because my words and my works follow me. I have caused blessings to spring up in the lives of many. Because of my life, art is more beautiful and nature fairer. Because of my thoughts, humanity lives nearer the ideal. My mind and body are in tune with divine peace.

CHAPTER 8

THE SOVEREIGN WILL

To live in sympathy with nature’s moods and in harmony with her changeless laws will lead to the unfoldment of all that is great and good. The beautiful earth and radiant heavens will inspire the mind with visions of hidden truths. An unbroken affinity with nature will keep aglow the fire of enthusiasm in the human heart and give renewed courage for lofty endeavor. There is a force in nature which awakens in man a feeling of kinship with the Infinite. Unless the finer sensibilities are dead man yearns for occasional solitude and for the renewal of strength which comes from the hidden life of nature.

In the midst of native forests or mountains, surrounded by all that is wild and natural, man feels an exhilaration and freedom which gives renewed life. The trees and the waving grass, the rocks and rills, the birds and wild flowers, the earth and sky and all visible things unite in a living picture that is eloquent with love. And giving to nature our love in return, we may draw nearer in consciousness to the source of being and hold communion with the Infinite Mind.

Man knows that the myriad forms of nature are expressions of the Infinite Mind and that he may attract from them a part and quality of the Infinite. The earth and all it contains, the melody of the winds and waters, the grandeur of the woods and plains, and the beauty of all living things, speak with a pleading eloquence which bids man arise in the dignity of the power that nature has given him, and to manifest the growing harmonies that spring up from within.

To grow in wisdom, to have a lighter heart and greater freedom, to commence each day with the feeling of a new pleasure, a higher hope and more determined endeavor, we must draw nearer to the Infinite and absorb the element of life and power from the trees and plants and all the myriad expressions of nature. The closer we feel our relationship with nature, the more can we attract of the qualities of the Supreme Mind pervading all things.

And the more refined we become, the greater will be our power to appreciate the indescribable beauty and harmony of the rugged mountains, the forests and valleys.

Throughout the domain of nature we see the evidence of progress. Every manifestation is growing and increasing in refinement and beauty. In the barren rock are elements which will ultimately enter the tree and flower. Back of all visible things is the ceaseless workings of an immeasurable force which moves all things forward. This force causes the rock to crumble that the elements it contains may live in higher forms. It causes the dead leaves to fall, and new ones, full of freshness and beauty, to come forth with each return of spring. It causes the tree to send its roots deep into the soil and to reach out with its branches into the air and sunlight, that it may draw nourishment from the earth and. the heavens. The vast treasures of coal and oil which man takes from the depths of the earth are the accumulated elements of energy drawn from the sun, ages ago, by the trees and the luxuriant foliage of nature. The stately trees which send up their branches and leaves to sway in the wind are literal conductors of new life and energy coming to the earth in atomic rays from the sun. The leaves are the lungs of the trees, which breathe the new life and absorb the element that is ever working in nature to build the more perfect and beautiful.

Let us learn from nature the lesson of progress. Let us cease to look back, to live over in memory the vanished days. We do not want the narrow life, the false beliefs and the discordant environments of our dead selves. There is a spirit of progressiveness within us which cares relatively little for the past. We welcome new experiences, we invite new joys, knowing that what awaits us will surpass anything we have realized before. Incessant change is the inevitable law of life. There is nothing permanent in the boundless universe. To live at one place, to meet the same people day after day, to follow one pursuit in the same locality and to be bound by an unvarying set of habits at the home and the office or workshop, to repeat the same thoughts, to be haunted continually by the same dismal and cheerless moods, will rob the strongest man of courage and keep his body and mind in abject bondage.

To banish sickness and the fear of loss and failure, to dispel the weariness and monotony of existence, turn your thoughts on the bright and beautiful in nature. Behold the falling snowflakes, the moving clouds, the driving rain and the ocean surge. Feast on the beauty of woodland scenes and the sublimity of the mountains. Respond to the silent harmonies of the blue skies, the bright sunshine and fields of waving green. By cultivating a love of nature you will keep in the thought current that will exert a powerful influence for good. You will follow the promptings of the higher self. You will advance to higher realms of power and usefulness. You will work in the right direction and will have knowledge and faith in your capacity to draw things needed and to be successful in all you undertake.

Recognizing your vital relationship with the Infinite Mind and all nature, you will know there is nothing to fear. Then you will step out into the sunshine of your true life. Strengthened and renewed mentally and physically, you will no longer cling to the outgrown past, but will strike out boldly into new and untried realms of activity, knowing that you will never be left guideless in the dark or unsupported by the Infinite Power. You will keep in the current and let it bear you on to the realization of health, happiness and freedom. You will grow tired of laboring for that which gives so little return, of the business cares pressing upon you, of the misunderstanding and opposition, of your happiness all crossed with strife and pain; you will follow the monitions of the higher self, and you will find the way out of bewilderment into serene regions where all the problems that have vexed you will disappear. Then you will threaten to pass by all that has held you, and to ignore what once seemed essential to happiness. You will gain the strength of unwavering perseverance and will walk in the light of high ideals, reaching up after all that is true and good.

The universal will, acting through man as directed by thought and desire, enables him to control the forces of nature and to use the ether of space as a medium for conveying his message and command to the most distant parts of the world. By the power of his will man should dispel fear and uncertainty and assume the dignity of his rightful place. The degree of man’s success is determined by the nature and intensity of desire and the strength of his will. The will concentrates into a tiny cell the immensities of the universe. Fundamentally it is identical with universal life, acting in us either consciously or unconsciously, natural or unnatural, as determined by choice and desire. Concentration of will power and harmonic mental action, impelled by persistent desire, will remove all barriers and make a straight pathway to the highest goal.

The will should be disciplined to work incessantly for the right and good. You should refuse to recognize all that is useless, selfish or sordid. You should direct your forces unerringly to study and self development. You should be filled with a determination to do that which you recognize as necessary to the highest attainment. The will should be thoroughly understood and subjected to the severest scrutiny. The earnest desire to live in harmony with the higher laws will gradually emancipate the mind and give invincible courage.

How often we meet with difficulties which oppress the heart and cause the will to waver, when we might arise in the dignity of selfhood and speak the word which would set free the latent energies of the mind and will and give power to conquer all things which bar the way to liberty and progress. We are swayed by the hypnotic suggestions which other minds project, and we yield to the binding influence of race beliefs which we have inherited from the generations of the past, so that the highest part of our nature sleeps, not dreamlessly, but as one fettered by the chain of circumstances which he cannot break.

Have an undoubting assurance that deep in yourself abides the unlimited power which will give mastery over every possible condition of material environment. Have no apprehension of evil, or impending misfortune; for what appears evil, which you may encounter on life’s highway, will never be greater than the strength which you possess for protection. Though you may pass through troublous times, let fear be unknown to your heart. If the mind be inspired by the principles of goodness and truth, all that shall happen to you will be fraught with blessings; and looking through the mists of the uncertain future, you will see where the waves of seeming adversity break on the final shores with a murmur that awakens the echo, “All is well.,,

Resolve to persevere in the cultivation of all that is true and good. Be active and energetic, and direct your forces in a straight line toward the attainment of your object or wish, never forgetting the privilege of others, and being honest and sincere in your dealings with man. Be clean of body; be pure in heart; control passion, banish evil thoughts and guard well the tongue. Cultivate the spirit of love, and let it guide you in every act. Cultivate a love for flowers and music, and for all that is beautiful in nature and art.

Love others as you would have them love you, and fear not to let them feel and see the warmth and sunlight you hold for them. Remember that thousands are crushed and discouraged because of the world’s indifference and coldness, needing but a word, spoken by a friend in tones of sympathy, to fire them with renewed strength to push forward and win. Keep the body and mind in touch with the spirit of harmony. The blue of the sky, the colors of the rainbow, and the blending of shades where the air and sunshine kiss waving grass and graceful foliage are the visible expressions of the law of harmony as manifested through nature. Likewise the glow of the cheek, the brightness of the eye, the quick step and graceful bearing reveal the divine self expressing its harmonies through the most wonderful instrument of a supreme creation.

With the consciousness of power, the love for high attainment and the unwavering resolve, there must also be faith in the harmony and goodness of the laws and forces you invoke to your aid. If you remain true to the highest monitions, and are not led astray by the counter influences which constantly appear, if your love for the attainment of the highest and best is greater than your attraction toward all that is unworthy, you will bring to your aid the host of invisible powers which work on the human plane for the upliftment of man. In countless ways you will have unmistakable evidence of help from unseen sources, which will strengthen your faith in the divine leadings and give courage to reach up and attain.

Let your watchword be onward, and turn not back; but with your eyes fixed on the final goal, with uplifted, eager hands, continue to tread the path which leads towards the heights; and know that the time will come when that mysterious force within you, which now causes the heart to beat with infinite longings, will not be silenced until you have received response to every yearning and realized the fulfillment of every hope.

CHAPTER 9

THE POWER OF SILENCE

Back of all that we see—back of the vast universe of countless forms—is the self existent principle which is eternally building and destroying through the agency of immutable laws. Invisible influences, sustained by the energies of nature, are ever working in man to awaken a deeper consciousness and nobler ideal. And he who faithfully responds to the evolutionary forces which spring up in the heart as an everlasting fountain will find the true source of goodness and peace, and his mind will be illumined by the unfading light of wisdom and love.

There is a faculty of the mind which has power to arouse and direct the latent energies and stamp with the character of purpose every thought and act. By the focalization of the will the brain is made plastic and capable of receiving suggestions from the super conscious mind. The magnetic influence sent out from the inmost center of consciousness is transmitted from the brain to the different nerve centers of the body until the whole organism is thrilled by the fire of internal energy.

When the conscious and subconscious faculties of the mind are attuned with one accord and dominated by a singleness of purpose, a battery is formed which is invincible, brooking no interference and heeding no obstacles. Will power is intensified by the deep desire of the subliminal self reaching out through the avenues of the senses in search of things desired. By the nature and intensity of desire, which governs the use of the will, man relates himself either to the kingdom of light or to the realm of darkness.

Desire is the invincible magnet which establishes an affinity with the objective world and draws from environment the things most desired. The direction of desire determines the course of man’s destiny. If man desires only the true and the good, he has power to gradually surround himself with associations kindred to his yearnings; or if he desires the frivolities of life and is governed by ignoble thoughts which arise from the lower instincts, he will attract failure and misfortune.

When there is intense concentration of thought by one deeply in earnest, a magnetic battery is formed in the vital centers which imparts to the body a positive vibration that acts on other persons and compels response, influencing all who are brought within range. He who once feels this power awakening within realizes to what heights he may ascend and receives a foregleam of the possibilities which await him.

To come into a realization of power you must cultivate a true love for the highest ideas of the mind. The degree of love’s intensity will determine the force of the heart’s desire; and desire is the magic wand which kindles the hidden fire of the will and awakens the resolve to do and dare. You must learn patience and silence, and weave the elements of your being into a chord of harmony and strength. Conserve the forces which nature has given you and direct them by an invincible will to the highest uses of life.

There is no place for mental and physical drones anywhere in the broad empire of the world. Inactive people are useless to themselves and a burden to their friends and the race. By the constant toil of invisible creatures—the tiniest insects—the structure of the world was built and the foundation of the loftiest mountains laid. Activity is the universal law of nature. It is manifested by the busy insects in their ceaseless round of toil, bv the brightness of the sun, whose penetrating rays open the buds and color the flowers, by the floating clouds and the noise of storms, by the terrific speed of the lightning and the voice of the thunder.

All that is inanimate from atom to sun, and all animate things, from insect to man, are governed by the eternal law of activity and change. It is the nature of this law to push everything from a lower to a higher state of existence, to manifest the growing harmonies of evolution, and to shape all things into the image and after the likeness of perfect types. But man, through egotism and ignorance, partially ignores this law, and in proportionate degree closes the avenues of his heart to the influx of wisdom and love.

Repose is the opposite of motion. Everything in existence is dual, having a positive and negative aspect. In nature we see the dual manifestation in the alternation of night and day, darkness and light, winter and summer. Force is centrifugal and centripetal, and its dual attributes are expressed by repulsion and attraction. Life is a dual expression of will and desire, action and repose. The highest power is found in repose—not the repose of idleness, but the repose of conscious self mastery and power; the repose that achieves without exertion. Man can never know his possibilities until he is alone with himself and by introspection learns what is within him.

Genius is born of the silent moments spent in communion with the higher self. In silence the planted seed attracts the forces from the dark surroundings of its lodging place, until the expanding germ uncloses the shell of its limitation and pushes its way through the damp soil, winning for itself a place in the bright sunlight and wooing breezes. Silently the invisible vapor is carried upward from the heaving bosom of the seas by the warmth of the sunlight until the rolling vapors are slowly condensed into shower clouds that freshen the earth with tears of crystal raindrops.

In peaceful silence, beneath the white mantle of snow, all nature becomes renewed, and gathers in her heart the melody of a new song. Out of the long night of winter comes the morning of spring; out of the darkness, on wings of light, is carried the message of life; out of the silence comes forth the music of nature. In silence sink your mind down to the center of contemplation in the still depths of your being; hold yourself receptive to the impressions that will come to you, and listen with concentrated attention for the voice of the monitor within. Go into the silence each night preparatory to entering the peaceful realm of sleep.

Lay aside all thought and care of the events of the day, and have no anxiety for the morrow. With resignation and confiding joy, even in the midst of threatened disaster, raise yourself above all forebodings, and while in sympathetic touch with the invisible currents of power, repeat to yourself mentally the following thoughts:

I am perfect life, in loving relation to the universal order. While my body is being renewed by nature’s healing forces, I will seek affinity with thoughts to which I am most attracted—thoughts that will help me to realize my supreme possibilities, my highest hopes. I now find rest from thoughts that disturb the mind; and like the crystal waters of the mountain lagoon, whose unruffled surface at night reflects the glory of the stars, my brain shall reflect the image of those jeweled thoughts which shine in the firmament of truth. I sleep, but am yet conscious. I pass from discord to peace, from darkness to light.

That personality which in daydreams I have called self, I now see is only a broken reflection, an imperfect symbol of the real self, which sleeps not, and never changes. I will repair the neglected temple and renew the fires on the altar of the human heart with the sacred breath of undying love—love for the beautiful, enthusiasm for the good, and devotion to all that is true. The past is forgotten, the present only is mine. ’ I know myself as I am. I dwell in the eternal now.

How sweet, to those who toil, is the spirit of sleep. It soothes the aching brow and rebuilds the wasted tissues with the elixir of omnipresent life. It transmutes the sluggish, timid heart, which beats to the discord of crushed and fluctuating hopes, into the strong and eager pulsations which fire the blood with a magnetic energy that revivifies the body and brain.

To arise at the dawn of day, when the welcome morning, with its rays of peace and new born hope wakes out of darkness into light, will open the eyes to unexpected visions and bring to the mind a spirit of adoration. You will be inspired by the mental atmosphere of that peaceful hour and will feel your nearness to the great heart of nature. The earliest inspiration of the day will live in your heart and influence your mind through all the hours till night.

A practical application of the principle of motion and repose may be summed up in the words, “Haste not, rest not.” Have a fixed purpose, a high ideal, and make no false steps, no intemperate haste, no feverish rush; but with controlled energy and unceasing effort, having a thorough knowledge of details and the power of execution, move calmly and unfalteringly toward the accomplishment of some great purpose.

Have ever present in your mind one central thought—one noble ideal—which towers above all others. Allow no anxieties, no thoughts of possible failure to haunt the mind; but with absolute control of the invisible forces of your being, follow with an unquestioning faith the bright star that leads to the fulfillment of your highest hopes. Keep yourself in harmony with the living currents of advanced thought and in sympathetic touch with the present realities.

Banish fear and invoke the spirit of courage to give you strength in the hour of trial. Fear is the canker worm of happiness. . It steals away man’s better judgment and makes him cringe and crawl. There is nothing to fear. The worst that can happen is death; and death we have no reason to fear when we learn that the mind is free in its omniscience. The real self is an inseparable part of that life which extends from the everlasting to the everlasting. To this self there is no disease or misfortune, no pain or sorrow. It is untouched by the wreck of matter and the crash of worlds. Beyond the cloudland and shadow is the real self, which cannot be affected by anything we do or leave undone. Place your reliance there.

Enter the silence and come face to face with the Infinite Power. There you will find the sanctuary where the divine and human blend. There you will find a refuge from the tumult of the world and will gain strength to go forth with a living power which will drive from you all that is morbid or weak.

Then you will realize that you already dwell in eternity, in the real, and that the dazzling dream you have had of the future, in some mystical world beyond the skies, may be realized here and now. Then every sense will become alive to the beauties and realities of the eternal present. Then you will know that every tree and plant and flower, the ocean and the vaulted heaven, as well as every human being, live in the radiance of Divine Love, Truth and Goodness. And when you feel this to be true, there is no limit to the power you may draw to you for the accomplishment of the things desired.

CHAPTER 10

INDIVIDUAL SUPREMACY

All that we see is a symbol of that which we cannot see. Every conceivable form is the result of an aggregation of cells containing the divine spark. The primary cell is the same in the stone, the plant, the bird, the man. There is an unbroken gradation of life, from the microscopic drop of protoplasm in the fertile egg of the tiniest insect to the perfect composite man. The force which imprisons the cell in the rock is the same that controls the heart’s ceaseless beating, holds the planets in their orbits and feeds the quenchless flame of suns.

The destructive elements reduce the rock to dust; the dust becomes soil, from which the tiny seeds draw nourishment and strength to send forth their tender shoots into the air and sunlight. The vegetable life is eaten by man, the cells become flesh and blood, and are finally transmuted into the most refined elements of nervous force and thought potency.

The evolutionary impulse in every cell urges it forward to higher and still higher forms of expression. It reaches the human plane, and becomes subservient to the power of mind. The mind weaves from the innumerable cells a structure corresponding in beauty and strength, or ugliness and weakness, to the positive or negative thoughts of the individual. Sudden fright turns the face pale, contracts the cells, retards digestion, paralyzes the muscles and affects injuriously the entire system.

Despondent, irritable, worried thought will poison the blood, ruin the complexion, and mark the face with lines and creases; while if we hold persistently to our highest ideal of health and beauty, strength, courage and happiness, we become powerful magnets to draw to us and make manifest the things desired. We surround ourselves by associations kindred to our thoughts. Adverse environments and unpleasant influences come as the result of negative states of mind, and the habit of allowing discordant currents sent out by the unawakened arid undeveloped to take control of our moods and to influence our actions.

Whatever suggestion is accepted by the mind we make a reality. We give it strength and activity. If we invite feelings of anxiety, fear, hatred and discouragement, we give such things vitality. If we hold to aspiring, cheerful, uplifting thoughts, the good within us will thrive, and create an intelligence of harmony. It is always our duty to nourish and cultivate only the true and good. The only hope of freedom from fear, grief, anxiety, disappointment and failure is in alertness and watchfulness.

You should awaken harmonious living pictures which will inspire to noble effort and high aspiration. You should rise above morbid conditions and invoke the support of principles which are immutable and divine. You should be alone with yourself as much as possible, for concentration and individual aspiration. The problems of your life should be thought over and worked out in contemplation and solitude. At such times your mind will be free from the influence of others. Force yourself to think of some worthy achievement, until the memory of the thing sinks deep into your mind. Hold persistently to an intense special desire for the accomplishment of some noble aim.

This attitude of mind will stir the divine nature within. By the quiet intensity of a determined resolve you will arouse a magnetic, nervous fire of energy which will execute your purpose against all odds.

It is an absurd position to assume that we are the helpless victims of every discordant influence which enters the mind. It is ignorance and weakness in man which welcome perverted thoughts. And realizing the disastrous effects of fear, worry and hate, and other passions and emotions, we should turn a pure and positive stream of thought into the subjective mentality with such force and earnestness that every impure, negative, distorted thought will be swept away from us for all time.

With every step of advancement in the gaining of more perfect control over the elementary, unorganized forces of life will come the reward for our efforts in the form of more strength and confidence.

Every time we master some defect of our nature, every struggle we pass through in breaking some habit and overcoming the baneful influences which hold us in bondage, there comes to the mind an exhilarating sense of freedom and the consciousness of man’s divinity. There is a force within us which we may arouse and command at will; a force which connects humanity with all the enkindling sympathies of life. Those who evoke it and wisely use it will rise above the shadow of pessimism, will conquer adversity and tread the upward path toward the ideal and perfect.

Our divine heritage gives us the power to uprear a mental structure that will be symmetrical and beautiful, and to call into existence a corresponding wholesome environment. The mind of the average person is a product of the surrounding materialism in which it is immersed; an aggregation of traditional theories, falsities and delusions; a personification of morbid impressions seen by a distorted imagination. But above all this illusive atmosphere the mental horizon is growing brighter, because there are great forces in the universe which are working for good.

In spite of the substratum of ignorance and sensuousness, humanity is pressing towards the ideal. With the unfoldment of the divine force which is universal in all nature, and incarnate in man, there will come to the human race all potency and possibility. When the divine in man feels its affinity with the Inexhaustible Fountain, he will acquire, by thought discipline and control, a legitimate supremacy over material thralldom. Being a component part of the Supreme Power, we are ever attracting more of it to us by earnest desire and demand. In the measure that we recognize the reality of this power and gain the knowledge of how to use and direct it, we may obliterate the discordant, destructive thought forces, and cause the mind to become more and more responsive to the prompting ideas and suggestions of the higher self.

There is a great work to be done in the world today. And those who have awakened to an understanding of the needs of the times, by taking advantage of the opportunities presented, may achieve remarkable success. The world is continually calling for zealous workers who have the strength of mind and the power of will to grapple with difficulties and to be equal to every demand made in the competitive struggle for supremacy. There is no excuse for failure. On every hand are opportunities presented for achievement such as have never before existed.

Are you dissatisfied with life, and disposed to blame fate and the injustice of social and commercial laws for your lack of achievement ? The fault is not in the law; for unto every man is given the latent power and potentiality which he may make use of to the profit of a glorious success. If you feel the oppression of the world’s indifference and coldness and are deprived of the sympathy and help you deserve, let your thoughts dwell on all that is beautiful in nature, and search with your aspirations for the light of high ideals. Though you may seem alone and neglected, and deprived of many things which make life beautiful and desirable, if you will listen to the monitor within you will receive help and guidance.

You, as a part of the Infinite Power, may share all the riches and glory belonging to human existence. No man or set of men, no government or assigned authority, have the right to deprive you of freedom. For in the beginning of time it was ordained that you, an offspring of the Infinite, should inherit the riches belonging to universal life. Then, in the name of that power and that wisdom whose domain extends through all space and all time, reach up to the source of being and demand your rightful inheritance. There is no need to drift with the tide of adversity away from the source of your strength and your sustenance. You need only to go forth with the consciousness of your relationship to the eternal to demand from the world the recognition of your divine selfhood.

Why remain longer in bondage to the drift of circumstances and to the hypnotic influence of imperious natures? Who are they that you should yield to their unreasonable demands and have your life ruled by their suggestions? You came into the world alone, and you will go out alone; and what you shall do while under the law of human existence should be determined by no authority outside the sanctuary of your inmost being, where the divine and human blend. When you shut out the discordant influence of the world’s erroneous thought and beliefs, and come face to face with the Infinite in the silent recesses of your consciousness, then you will learn the work set for you in life’s voyage of hidden mysteries, and will gain strength and courage to push forward to unexplored realms of usefulness. And you will become a steadfast, shining beacon in life’s firmament, revealing to those who suffer the way to the truth.

By concentrating the esoteric knowledge acquired by humanity through the long procession of ages, it is in man’s power to control the vibrations of the bodily molecules and check the waste and drain of the volatile life, so as to prolong existence and call into his being the scattered forces from the earth, and sea, and sky. And with trained fingers he may touch the key of that chorded instrument of law, through which is awakened the sleeping potentialities and undiscovered harmonies within. In so doing, he bows not his head, nor bends his knee, nor lifts his voice in supplication to any god or supernatural power.

Uniting his efforts with the evolutionary forces, he gradually gains control over every externality of environment. It is not by faith; it is not by prayer, however earnest; nor by the assistance of friendly human beings, that man may achieve his divine destiny.

Through all the centuries he has prayed to the gods, fervently and with faith; but all were dumb and immovable, careless alike of the sweep of elemental forces which destroyed, or of the sunshine and the seasons which warmed and nourished. Man may rest for a time, protected by those who are more powerful; friends may assist him during a period of need; but for the assistance he receives, in this barter and exchange, he is forced to repay in compound interest; for while being carried, he loses much from the storehouse of his own possessions.

There is no vicarious atonement for man. And this false doctrine, more than all else, has kept him from the knowledge and attainment of his rightful inheritance. There are no two beings alike. The pathway of each leads through vast silences, which no sound of preceding footsteps has broken; it leads through the wilderness and the highways and strange countries.

There are problems to face and obstacles to encounter which one must meet alone. There are things to be done by each that no one else can do. To recognize this fact and to look not for aid outside the power of one’s own heart forces, is to strike the keynote of individual supremacy. And the one who has entered this realm, who has become a god by his own safe election, may extend his dominion over the world’s natural forces and rise to the threshold of the perfect way.

CHAPTER 11

THE SPIRIT OF YOUTH

Perfect development — How to prolong life — Talisman of the adept — The strong survive — Character building — The use of knowledge and experience — Infinite capacities awaiting recognition

Through the days of childhood and youth the evolutionary force at work in the organism manifests a constantly increasing vitality. The growth of the body corresponds to the growth of the mind. For a number of years the divine selfhood within, acting through the ganglionic centers, directs the course of the aggregated cells in building up a most wonderful structure whose forces are controlled and inspired for divine purposes. The perfect development of the physical organism, which is only the self made visible, permits free activity and expression of the divine life, opens up infinite capacities of attainment and qualifies for all possible duties. The material form, having its birth in the natural world, is subject to the laws of its earthly existence.

The mind and body are maintained for a number of years by a reciprocal action which is nearly equal. But as the evolution of the incarnated principles which constitute the real self can never pause, there arrives a period when the elements which enter into the composition of the physical structure fail to unfold in harmony with the inner life. Because of false methods of living and erroneous teaching relative to the allotted time of man’s earthly existence, thoughts of the gradual approach of old age and death are set up in the mind, causing the finest and most subtle essences to be slowly withdrawn.

Earth finally reclaims her own, the purifying fire of nature consumes the dross and remolds the primal elements into other forms. Yet the human constitution, being an aggregation of cells which in their essence, forms and particles are indestructible, is endowed with the power of maintaining its individuality as an instrument of the eternal life currents as long as man is bound by the law of love and attraction to the things of life.

There are those who have lived seventy years or more, who, by changing every habit of mind and body and cultivating an active interest in the spirit of the present, might awaken new hopes and aspiration and continue in the full vigor of usefulness for thirty or forty added years. Therefore dispel from your mind the thought of age, and feel that deep down in yourself is a luminous center whose power perpetually renews the tissues and builds up the cells, producing rhythmic vibrations that unite the energies of the body to omnipresent life. To dwell on this and similar thoughts and keep your mind on the bright side of all things, will enable the spirit of youth to abide in your heart for all time.

The most important step in the attainment of self mastery is taken by gaining the power to subdue and direct the impulses and feelings. The next step is to conquer thought, then speech, and finally to gain control over all the voluntary organs of the body so as to consciously direct every movement by the will.

To cultivate the feelings so as to be influenced only by pure impulses and noble aspirations there must be harmonious and beautiful environment; thorough mental culture by contact with bright intellects; purity of thought and periods of silent meditation; companionship with nature and thought communion with the higher self. And there must be virtue, for virtue is the great lodestone which attracts the finer essence of life and shapes it into the stately structure of the regenerated body. Virtue is the talisman of the adept and the keynote of magical power. The unscarred purity of one’s heart is the priceless pearl of eternity.

By hard and persistent work, concentrating all the energies of body and mind in the effort to achieve the thing desired, being thorough and honest, enthusiastic and kind, having faith in one’s natural ability and innate power, there is no task too difficult and no environment so fraught with obstacles which one may not conquer.

When every faculty of the mind, every nerve center of the body, every muscle and every cell become completely polarized to the spark of life which glows within the invisible center of the higher self, then every word will be a sovereign decree and every act a perfect manifestation of the word. As long as you remain ignorant of the fact that life is omnipresent and that you are an inseparable part of that life, you will fail to appropriate that which is rightfully yours, and will live and move in a circle that is limited by your own thoughts and acts.

That universal force which gives to the blazing suns their quenchless flames of fiery energy, that inner ether through which the innumerable planets move in their appointed orbits with magical equilibrium and unvarying precision, which gives to the flowers their perfume and to the birds their song, is the one eternal life of the universe; it flows into the heart of man, and the breath of its energy feeds and renews him like the air that flows into the lungs to energize and purify the blood.

It is the paramount duty of every human being to seek and delve and find the hidden truths which pertain to the unfoldment of whatever latent gifts may be consciously or unconsciously possessed, for herein lies the royal road which leads to the concentration and mastery of scattered forces and to an ultimate triumph over all obstacles to be met in the relentless battle for existence. So many helpless human beings grope blindly and unprogressively through the dull, eventless years, passing a purposeless life hemmed in by narrow and discordant environments, without a solitary experience to uplift and enlighten.

Man becomes the sport of fate, swayed by the elemental forces which destroy without mercy, or the builder of a divine destiny, the master of all things, according to the uses he makes of the mysterious powers hid deep in himself. By persistent effort and a determined, unfaltering will he may direct the controlled energies against the fortified walls where numberless invisible foes vigilantly guard life’s unrevealed treasures, and contending every step of advancement, may finally pass through the marble gateway to the white palace of truth. Only by will and struggle may man hope to wrest from the storehouse of nature the jewels she hides from him.

For millions of years nature has turned a deaf ear to the cries and groans of the weak and helpless, and the pulses of her great throbbing heart have gone out in fullness to the strong and victorious. Call it a stern, unjust law if we will; it is none the less true, and its decree is inexorable. There is no sentiment and no variableness in the heart of nature. The strong survive and the weak perish. The indifferent and the useless shall give way to the alert and powerful.

We may pity those who innocently suffer. We may help the poor and oppressed and by the magic power of gold change their environment from attic to palace. Yet if we fail to awaken within them a knowledge of their untried strength and to create in their hearts a desire to persist with determined resolve in shaping their lives to noble ideals, the result of our efforts will be of small value.

Journeying with the swift fleeting years toward that horizon where the evening shadows forebode the coming night, the degree of man’s happiness and worth will not be measured alone by the hoarded productions of wealth, and the broad lands he may claim, but by the treasures of knowledge and the stores of wisdom, by the strength and beauty of his mind, and by the purity and glory of the light which burns on the altar of the heart’s sanctuary.

To thirst for knowledge and yearn for the true and beautiful, to enrich the mind, to feast on the wonders of nature and the beauties of art, is to awaken in man a knowledge of his rightful inheritance and endow him with that priceless possession which fire cannot consume nor time obliterate. A noble character evolved from the imperishable principle of truth is the white flower of the mind, whose beauty and fragrance fill the heart with peace and love.

The man who would make the highest attainment must become identified with the world’s progressive movement and give himself freely for the good of the race. The rightful answerings to all important problems will not be found in lofty contemplation and abstract knowledge, but among the common things of life itself. The man who would become wise must accept the responsibilities of his position and keep in sympathetic touch with humanity. Every man owes to the world the duty to serve according to the measure of his best ability. And he who bends all his powers to lifting the load and sharing the burdens of the many will unite his forces to the central power of the universe.

Develop an independent judgment. Study yourself, your hopes and aims, your relation to environment and the possibilities that are yours. Look deep into your being and receive from the inward source the revelations of life. With steadfast eye fixed on the highest goal, maintain your allegiance to truth, and resolve that no power shall control and direct you save the commands issued from the throne of that invisible kingdom which is yours by every law. Use the knowledge and experience of others, if it is helpful to personal advancement, but maintain an independent judgment and flash the searchlight of reason on all subjects that are vague.

Lift yourself above the shadow of pessimism and despair and bask in the sunlight of freedom and progress. The gift of a liberal and progressive individuality, independent, determined and sincere, is the noblest heritage of man. Its culture and growth lead to the emancipation of the mind and will from the rule of others. There are infinite capacities within the self which simply await our loving recognition to bud and blossom into tangible realities. The deep inward yearning is the progressive spirit of life which impels humanity onward; it is the mute pleading of the aspiring self in search of the destined goal of its mission.

CHAPTER 12

MENTAL INFLUENCES

Thought is an invisible substance which acts apart from the body. It vibrates through space and exerts an influence over responsive minds. As you learn how to make the best use of thought, how to concentrate and direct it, you can accomplish more in any business or undertaking and attract more and more of the element of power which gives success. The mind is like a magnet. It attracts an element of force corresponding in nature to the dominating quality of thought. If you hold in your mind the positive thought of determination, enthusiasm, cheerfulness, strength, sympathy, hope and courage, you will attract more and more of such qualities from the unseen realm of mind. To set your thoughts in the right direction of desire and aspiration for these and similar elements of success you will send out invisible waves which will act on others whose thoughts will meet and mingle with your own, you will gather new strength from such contact and will attract forces favorable to the attainment of your purpose. But if you are under the influence of fear, of discouragement or hopelessness, you will attract thoughts of like kind which will affect you disagreeably.

Association with any one of lower thought will cause you to absorb his thought. Though you may be positive and determined, you will be influenced more or less by whatever quality of thought dominates the mind of your associate. You will carry a part of his negative, discordant thought with you and will send out a similar influence which others will feel.

Thought is the moving force of all progress or retrogression, of all success or failure. The nature of the thought we hold determines the conditions which surround us. Like creates like in the domain of mind, and there is a force within us which is ever at work to create a material correspondence of every persistent desire.

The measure of man’s success in any direction is determined by the predominant state of his mind. If you are hopeful, enthusiastic and courageous, and do not yield to the influence of despondency and doubt, you are sending out forces which will attract the good; and as your faith becomes stronger in your ability to control and direct your thoughts, you will absorb the finer elements which bring health, peace, happiness and all things desired. It is difficult to keep permanently in a hopeful, confident mood of mind, as there are times when progress is slow and the opposing influences seem greater than the forces which aid. But the man who has faith in his power, the man who sees only the good and knows that from every experience will come more strength and greater persistency, wisdom and courage, will bend all things to his purpose and make every circumstance aid him in material advancement. Having a definite aim always in view, a thought force is generated which is felt by all with whom you have dealings.

If you have confidence in your power, if you know that the work you are doing is legitimate, that while advancing your own interests you are also doing that which will be effective for good to the world at large, you will awaken response in the minds of others and attract from all with whom you have dealings an element of force which will help you to attain success. Those who are on the same plane of thought as yourself will send you currents of sympathy which will strengthen your purpose and aid you to keep in communication with powerful influences which will carry you onward to the highest happiness and greatest success.

Man can accomplish but little when working alone. He may be in touch with the Supreme Power and invoke the aid of all the forces of nature, yet he feels the need of encouragement that comes, from sympathetic contact with human life. Those who make the greatest attainment in any field of human endeavor receive much of their strength from powerful minds which work in unison. Valuable ideas and plans for advancement are obtained by talking with others. A constructive thought current is established between kindred minds which results in a mutual encouragement and help.

But there are destructive forces which are as potent to tear down as others to build. There are people who carry with them an atmosphere of gloom and despair. They have no knowledge of the law, no faith in the goodness of humanity, no confidence in themselves. They invite disaster and failure. They have no courage to assert themselves, to stand up for their rights, to demand recognition. They can reach no decision. They are swayed by every discordant influence sent out by immature minds, by the ignorant, the unawakened. It is essential to cut off all association with such minds before you can hope to rise to a brighter atmosphere and overcome the negative influences which cause disease, weakness and failure. Self assertion is the first principle of selfhood.

Before you can help another you must gain the knowledge and strength to help yourself; and this can be accomplished only by a total estrangement from all harmful association, by cutting off the muddy currents of thought from minds that are diseased and morbid. If your work brings you in contact with the despondent, the weak, the hopeless, you should make yourself impervious to the baneful influence coming from them by sending out a positive force which will instantly repel every disagreeable thought. And when you have gained the power to attract an abundance of superior force coming from helpful sources, you may exert an influence over inferior minds which will help them to rise to a higher plane. Through silent demand you may call down power from high invisible sources and radiate an influence which others will feel and respond to. When you have made a success of your own life, when your feet are firmly set on the rock of knowledge and your mind is in line of correspondence with the Infinite Power, you can reach out your hand to the weak, the ignorant, the discouraged and point out to them the way to a knowledge of truth, to fullness of life and freedom from pain, misfortune and failure.

When you have passed through life’s trying experiences, when you have gained an exalted place by your own efforts, when you have established sympathetic relationship with the Supreme Power and live permanently in its helpful current, others will see the light in vour eyes and will desire it, will respond to the tones of your voice and be drawn nearer to the Fountain of all Life, Wisdom and Love.

If you have any great undertaking to accomplish which will benefit the world as well as yourself, you will receive help and encouragement from countless invisible sources. If your heart is right, your desires noble, your aims lofty, you will receive help in many mysterious ways which will strengthen your faith in the Divine leading. As you seek earnestly to cooperate with the evolutionary forces of nature you will unite yourself with all the enkindling sympathies of life. Your ideals will expand, your faith will grow stronger and you will reach up into the realm of cause and attract all power needed to manifest the harmonies of that larger and broader and more sympathetic life which recognizes man’s vital relationship to the Infinite.

We can, in our association with others, absorb their passive, negative, discordant thoughts, and so become slaves to similar beliefs and conditions; or, by keeping in touch with the higher forces, by becoming positive, magnetic and active, we can attract the helpful influences which give confidence, courage and self mastery.

He who takes the attitude of the slave will become the slave. He who takes the attitude of the master, by the supremacy of his mind and the power he attracts from the higher and more potent influences, will become the master. Each has latent within him the power to determine whether his life shall be eventful or purposeless, whether he shall have bright and beautiful environments and all that the aspiring mind desires, or only the unwholesome, degrading surroundings created by thoughts of fear and despair.

The universe is filled with all that is good and beautiful, all that is needful to satisfy man’s highest hopes, his fondest dreams and yearnings. Every possible thing that ever was or shall be already exists in potentiality in the great storehouse of the universe, awaiting the magic touch of human thought to bring it forth into the world of form. Every flight of genius, every great attainment in all the varied realms of human endeavor, every grand achievement made through the historic ages, are but prophecies of the more wonderful power concealed in the heart of the race, awaiting the command of a masterful mind to come forth as a living token and proof of man’s divinity.

CHAPTER 13

ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS

The one who is persevering will obtain the best things of life. Every great accomplishment is the result of unremitting effort. Persistence is the fundamental principle of all material advancement. One may have great talent without any permanent aim, and drift through the years with indifferent success. To get at the heart of things, to be satisfied with slow advancement, to patiently work with concentrated purpose, to faithfully perform the work presented from day to day, will insure the final attainment of every worthy ambition. Rush and hurry create a habit of mind which destroys the health and causes dissatisfaction and weariness. You must learn to concentrate your thought and effort and gain the power to hold a certain mental attitude for as long a time as may be required to obtain the best results.

To practice concentration and gain control over the creative force of thought, will enable one who has perseverance and faith to push steadily forward to broader fields of usefulness. If you desire to make the best possible use of your natural talents, to control great interests, to become the leader of great movements which will help the world to advance to a more ideal state of existence, hold your mind in meditation upon the power desired, until every obstacle in the way of its attainment has been removed. By faith, perseverance and concentrated effort, fixing the attention unwaveringly upon the thing that is to be accomplished, you will arouse an element of power which will invariably produce results. You should have some high purpose, some noble ideal, to which everything else in life is subordinated. If you have no definite aim upon which to concentrate your energies, your life will be a failure. A person with an ordinary mind, by concentrating his forces on one supreme aim, will accomplish more than the most talented and gifted who dissipate their energies by sending their thoughts in too many directions.

By constantly directing the mental forces and holding fast to some high purpose, all downward tendencies and harmful habits will be overcome, and the attributes of the lower nature will be transmuted into the pure gold of lofty character. To turn the consciousness inward, to commune with the beautiful pictures and ideas which the mind creates, to be self centered, confident and determined, to listen to the promptings of the higher self, will change every disturbing influence into a wave of harmony and compel the forces of nature to give aid in your upward endeavor.

Closely connected with the habit of concentration, and dependent upon it, is the ability to decide quickly. Irresolution is the cause of many defeats and disasters. While we hesitate, opportunity passes. The best prize is won by the swift and strong. The habit of indecision in trivial matters is caused by carelessness and indifference; in more important things, by fear and lack of confidence. You should cultivate the feeling that you are master over circumstances and are able to control all things by the will. Never acknowledge defeat. Keep your head erect and look the whole world in the face with confidence and courage.

Perhaps when a child you have sometimes been left alone in the silence of night in a desolate room. You stood still for a moment and listened. You heard only the heart’s rapid beating. Then you saw shadowy forms in the darkness. Then came a nameless fear and the uncontrollable impulse to escape the solitude and stillness. You rushed to the room where your parents were. And perhaps, taking a light, they returned with you. Then you saw there was nothing to fear. The phantoms had vanished with the darkness. There are many who are thus haunted through all the years of their life by phantom thoughts, by needless fear, dreading some great misfortune that will never come. Flashing the searchlight of reason through the hidden recesses of the mind, the phantoms you have harbored by thoughts of fear, by doubt and ignorance, will pass away, and you will see yourself dwelling in a universe of truth and love, you will know that you are led by the Eternal Light, that you are protected by the Infinite Power.

Do not fear. Have faith. Though the shadows of sorrow and adversity gather about you, do not fear. You are a child of the Infinite. The Divine Light within will cause the darkness to flee and the phantoms to vanish. Have courage. There is a power within you which will make you the master over every circumstance and condition. Invoke the aid of the higher potencies. Let the heart be brave, the hand steady and the will unwavering. Have faith in your power to attain all that is good, all that is true and desirable. Breathe inspiration and life into all effort. Be persistent, hopeful and patient.

It is within your power to gratify the cherished ambition which lies nearest your heart, be it the desire for wealth, love or fame, for health and happiness or high attainment in any field of human endeavor. The power to realize your ideals is within yourself, so also are the barriers which stand in the way of present manifestation. The greatest enemies to progress are fear and doubt, weakness and ignorance, and belief in limitations. To come into an understanding of the omnipotence of thought will give you the assurance and strength to accomplish seemingly impossible results. You will have faith in your power to overcome difficulties. You will assume responsibilities and command a force and inspiration which will insure the success of your ventures.

Having once commenced an undertaking, if you have faith in your ability to accomplish the desired end, if there is clearness of mental vision and your forces are constantly directed to definite action, the true way of success will be revealed.. The thing you commence may be more difficult than at first was expected, unforeseen barriers may arise to discourage your efforts, but by perseverance and a determined will, directness and energy of action, every undertaking may be brought to a successful termination.

You should feel that the work you are doing is useful, that it will be of benefit to humanity. Your ideals should be higher than the accomplishment of mere personal ends, embracing the greater good which results from unselfish work in aiding the world’s advancement.

All visible things are the result of invisible causes. Your present environment is an expression of past thoughts and desires. To have a beautiful environment, your thoughts which create it must be harmonious. The real elements of success are in the mind. When there is clearness of perception, harmony of thought, force and determination, there will come a corresponding expression in the, outer world. Fill the mind with brightness, banish gloom and despondency, have faith in the Supreme Power, and work incessantly to demonstrate the law that whatever we earnestly and persistently desire shall be obtained.

There are many today who are world weary, many whose hearts are sad, many who yearn for that peace which never comes, for the strength which has left them, for the old hopes and ambitions that are dead. The fever for gain, the competitive struggle, the rush and hurry for place and power, give no time for rest, no time for repose. Wherever we turn we see the anxious faces, the strained expression, the searching eyes. Activity is in the air. Humanity is moving forward, and as a whole toward the good. But there is a note of discord in the upward movement—the discord of selfish greed, exerting a force that is ever pressing closely about us, driving us like slaves in the name of necessity and duty. We cannot pause. We must act today. If we step aside, others will pass us. Others will take up the work and reap the reward.

Since we cannot escape, let us create for ourselves new life and new bodies, let us renew our strength and vigor, that we may lift burdens from the shoulders of the weary, and make use of our gifts to encourage a broader and more generous life. Let us send out an influence which will help humanity to become less selfish, to take more time, to be more patient and to cultivate repose.

The one who can dismiss all thought, all schemes, anxieties and worryings and place the body and mind in a state of perfect repose, will be able to accomplish more than others whose minds work night and day in one direction. To let go of all elements of discord and despondency and to change the attitude and direction of your thought to a reposeful condition, will attract finer forces and brighter ideas and give greater ability to accomplish results. When the mind is fixed on a certain thing or purpose it sends out an attractive force which works in the domain of thought to create conditions for the accomplishment of that purpose. There is no need to worry about results. After you have made an earnest demand and have put forth all reasonable effort on the material plane to obtain the thing desired, you should banish all fear and anxiety and have faith in the Infinite Force which is working through you for your advancement.

To hold the thought on one thing or in a certain mood for too long a time without rest will tire the brain and exhaust the vitality. To carry any business in the mind continually will not bring the same results as changing the thoughts at intervals and letting the mind dwell on other things. If you have been working all day in an office with your thoughts concentrated in one direction, when the time comes to leave, let go of every train of thought connected with the business of the day. Enter a new and fresher element of thought, free from care and anxiety. Associate with cheerful and congenial people. You will then go back to your business with more inspiration and force. You will gather new thoughts and ideas and will be more successful in all things undertaken. Repose will lift the mind to a higher plane of happiness and will make all work more agreeable. It will lead into the way of wisdom, will unfold the finer perceptive powers and open to the mind new sources of enjoyment and possibilities of grander achievement.

CHAPTER 14

DEMAND AND SUPPLY

The experience you have had and the knowledge you have gained by past effort has been only the preparation of your mind for the accomplishment of things which will surpass all you could possibly have done in former years. If you are satisfied with what you have done in the past, and no longer feel the influence of an urging force and desire which gave strength and courage in your early efforts, nothing less than some great misfortune will have power to break the spell and free your mind from lethargy. But if you have the desire to accomplish greater things, if you find new interest and new sources of pleasure in your daily experiences, by concentrating your forces and directing your thoughts toward some definite purpose, you will become more powerful and will achieve greater success.

The desire to do a thing, if within the range of human possibility, is a proof that you have latent within you the talent or force required for its accomplishment. Every desire should be gauged by reason. In estimating your possibilities there should be a logical relation between cause and effect. You might have the desire to still the winds and the waters, to walk on the billows of the sea, to move through the invisible air without material aid; but such desire would be unreasonable and outside of the range of possibility, because not in accordance with the laws of man’s nature. But every legitimate desire to make the best possible use of the faculties with which the mind is richly endowed, if accompanied by faithful effort, will invariably obtain results.

The exercise of your natural ability may be partially hindered by unfavorable surroundings and the lack of opportunity. But if there is some one thing in life you are determined shall be accomplished, if you persist through every period of weariness and discouragement, if you never lose interest, though you may fail time after time, you will gradually advance from relative success to a final perfect result. A steadfast purpose and never ceasing desire will arouse the creative energies and send out a force from the mind which will bring you in touch with the progressive currents of nature. You will enter with keener interest into the world’s work, and will draw toward you invisible forces that are powerful to help.

If you feel that you are always to remain where you are, that you are not able to command a better salary, that you cannot do more effective work, that you cannot improve your talents, you are by such thoughts creating limitations which will become more and more difficult to break. If you are lacking in ambition and purpose, if you are negative and indifferent, you are encouraging a state of mind which will eventually enslave you. Progress in any direction is determined by the attitude of mind. The man who in imagination is always aiming higher, always aspiring to possess and enjoy the most beautiful things, and always cultivating faith in the wondrous force he feels struggling within for expression, by the law of persistent demand will invariably attract corresponding conditions.

By the thought you are holding today, you are shaping the future, for good or ill. If you have in your mind an image of a bright and prosperous future, if you see yourself in better surroundings, with greater ability and better opportunities for advancement, if you see yourself as being successful in all undertakings, you are using a thought force which will result in the constant improvement of material conditions. Men who are the most’ prosperous live in a thought atmosphere of cheerfulness. They are always confident, hopeful and determined.

You should carefully avoid the thought atmosphere of the discouraged and despondent. The influence of their negative, confused thoughts will cause depression, unrest and fear. If you are daily associated with people who are unhealthy, avaricious and sordid, who live in the belief of the material and perishable, you will be affected more or less by similar influences. It is very difficult to realize the positive condition of mind which is permanently freed from periods of depression, while associating with people who are continually sending out anxious, worried and discordant thoughts. But clearness and brilliancy of mind, and health and strength of body, will generate a silent power which will be far more potent than any destructive influence; and every undesirable thought force, coming from immature minds, can be readily turned into a higher, better channel.

The development of the best that is within can be greatly assisted by contact with others who have similar ideals. Sympathetic relationship results in the awakening of higher harmonies. When two or more are united for a common purpose and are working in perfect accord for noble aims, a powerful battery is formed which will draw the thought element and force required to achieve the best results. Mingling the greater part of our time with the mass of humanity whose minds are dominated by material and sensual thoughts and ignoble aims, we are to a great extent affected by such influences.

And for this reason those who are endeavoring to follow the law which teaches that health, happiness and freedom from the bondage of sensualism is possible, should keep in sympathetic touch with each other for mutual strength and encouragement. To come in personal contact with one who has demonstrated the power of thought in the attainment of individual supremacy will inspire to greater effort to attain a more happy, magnetic and positive state of mind. If you have in your mind some plan of work or business that is based upon right principles, if you can produce something the world needs, or possess a new idea that will be of interest, if humanity by your effort will be aided or entertained, you should study diligently the workings of mind upon mind, and by silent demand attract a helpful thought element from others who have like desires.

If you have an ambition to become a great artist, you will study art and gravitate naturally toward those who have been successful in that direction. If you desire to become a successful writer, you will study literature and the lives of great authors. If you desire to become a rich merchant or to be eminently successful in any branch of the commercial world, you will take advantage of the opportunity offered to associate with those who have been successful in business. Permanent thoughts and desires, faithfully held to through all changes and opposing influences, will attract to you their material correspondence. If you desire success, health, happiness and all things beautiful, you should associate with people who have acquired these things. To study their ways and methods will give inspiration and help and new ideas.

We are always drawing things to us which correspond to our most dominant mood or state of mind. There is a mental condition which will insure the acquirement of health, happiness, prosperity and all things desired. It is that mood which is always calm, self composed, confident and determined, that state of mind which recognizes its power to attract from the unseen current of realities the material correspondence of very thought demand.

As the finer senses are more and more developed, man learns that space is filled with ideas and entities containing infinite possibilities. To fix the mind persistently on some definite purpose, to exert a steadfast drawing power and to send out thoughts as messengers into the unseen realm of realities in search of the element corresponding to the thing desired will insure its final attainment. Man’s mind is the builder, the creator, the controller of every condition of material environment.

There is no limit to the possibilities of the human mind when once freed from the influence of race beliefs and erroneous thoughts. At times when you feel this unlimited power of the mind and will, when you know that there is something within which gives you the power to overcome every influence of adversity, if you will encourage this mood and maintain it permanently, you will increase the drawing force of the mind and will attract to you the association and environment corresponding to your highest ideals.

We must grow into a faith in the existence of the Supreme Force and our ability to draw to us an unlimited supply for every purpose and demand. It will come to us and give an increase of strength and inspiration in all effort, all progress, as we learn to keep the mind in the right attitude of faith in the reality of this power and ‘maintain the earnest desire to receive it. Attracting force from the unseen makes all work a pleasure. We feel our nearness to the source of all things, and know that nothing can take from us its help and protection.

CHAPTER 15

THE HIGHER LIFE

For ages the idea has prevailed that the path to truth is difficult to tread, that the way is narrow and the destiny of those who walk therein is one of sacrifice and sorrow. And so it has been for all who have fixed their gaze beyond the realities of the present and have followed the mirage of an impossible heaven, seeking a personal nirvana in which the race was not to share.

Within reach of all, demanding neither loss nor suffering, is the royal highway that leads to self mastery and to a knowledge of truth. It is not by renouncing the happiness that is near us, nor by ignoring the beauties of nature and art and all that is bright and beautiful in human life, that shall grow wise and good. The supreme aim of man is to be happy. We have learned that it is possible to be happy and still to be wise. It might almost be said that there happens to men all things that are earnestly desired. We have surely the right to demand a knowledge of the law of our being; and we have also the right to expect that this knowledge will place in our hands the key to success and happiness and perfect control over environment.

There is no virtue in the self torture that is inflicted for the hope of reward. There is no genuine goodness in the heart of those who assume piety for the sake of gain, just as there is no true charity that is prompted by the knowledge that the benevolent deed will be heralded abroad. If it were possible to obtain riches by being good, what a great revival of the religious sentiment the world would experience. But what can be said of the quality of that goodness which is inspired by the hope of present or future reward? True charity is the help given with no thought of compensation or applause. And the only goodness that has merit is that principle which urges man to live up to his highest ideals of right, indifferent alike to the world’s scorn or applause.

Heretofore we have lived in the bosom of hypocrisy and greed. We have worn the mask of pretense. We have surrounded ourselves by a false light, smothering in our hearts the white flame of native honor. It is idle to speak of truth, of justice, happiness, morals, and all things related thereto, before the mask has been torn from us and all that is false in our nature crushed. The darkness that hangs over our life will then pass away. Whatever our relation may be to the world at large, we cannot find the happiness we seek, nor exert a great influence in any sphere of activity until we gain the strength of character to be absolutely straight forward and honest in our dealings with men. And happen what may, the time can be never ill spent that we give to acquiring mastery over some defect in our nature.

If we conceive ourselves to be superior to the follies and temptations which hinder our progress, by the gradual increase of the power within us, our moral and mental life will derive strength and permanent support. To do our true duty, it must ever be done with the aid of our faith in the harmony and goodness of natural law. While the reason is fettered and bound, we are slaves to the discordant thought currents projected by unawakened minds. But when silent reason keeps faithful watch over the mysterious inner forces of mind, man’s life will be steered to the haven of wisdom and happiness.

Folded within the brain of man are all possibilities, for he is created in the image of the Infinite. The life within him is without beginning and without end. Forms change. The visible becomes invisible, and out of the unseen new creations spring. Nebula becomes sun and suns become nebula again. But pervading all is the current of an absolute consciousness of which man is an inseparable part. In him the Infinite awakens to self consciousness. There cannot be an extract without an original abstract. Man is an epitome of the universal, and by recognizing this true relationship he may give expression to the divine harmonies of a supreme creation. As a thought entity he is an ever growing power, unfolding like the seed which sends its roots deep into the soil and sends out its tendrils into the air and sunlight. The Earth receives the divine germs of the race from the atomic rays of the sun.

Every struggle of the mind, every aspiration of the heart, every desire to give expression to the things vaguely left, is an actual expanding of the divine self pushing aside the things which restrain it. We have always existed, in essence, in the bosom of the Infinite; and the atoms which now clothe the subliminal self have been propelled forward by the surging wave of mundane life, which has beat upon the shores of Earth since prehistoric times, and vibrated in the star dust of cosmic substance when this world existed only as an unmanifested idea in the Infinite Mind. We call the ground beneath us clay, soil, dust. These names are but symbols of certain energies, tendencies, unlimited possibilities.

The earth is not lifeless. It is made of forces which vibrate through the universal ether. It is fed by unseen currents vibrating from the sun and from stars innumerable. This that we call matter has been everything we know; also much that we cannot know. Every visible thing is an aggregation of cells containing the divine spark, and as such every cell is endowed with a progressive impulse, urging it to seek its affinity on higher and still higher planes of expression.

All that is best in the good that is now being done, as well as the deepest knowledge that has yet been vouchsafed to us, is the result of forces that have been struggling for expression in the life of humanity since the birth of man. Slowly and painfully we have been wresting from nature the secrets she has long hidden from us, and our progression has been fraught with mistakes and with suffering. The darkness that hangs over the past still casts its shadow over the world today. But the mysteries that have been fathomed by science, and the knowledge acquired by those on the heights, shed an increasing light far down into the valley; and all who will open their eyes to the living realities round about them may read the signs of the time and feel the thrill of a quickening power.

Deep down in regions unlit by the light of the dawn, a few still grope in the darkness and cling to the phantoms of vanished days. But the radiance grows greater with the march of the years, and heeds not the murmur of dissenting voices down there in the shadows. Invisible forces of nature are blending with forces in the mind of man, and the light on life’s horizon grows brighter and purer, and shines with a mightier radiance into the heart and life of progressive humanity.

Within reach of those in the deep valley below, as well as to one who has approached nearer the summit of the highest ideal— within reach of all is the knowledge of truth and the attainment of freedom which wisdom gives. Ours is the choice—whether the monitions of wisdom and truth shall guide our wandering footsteps to the threshold of freedom and power, or that we shall remain deaf and blind to the whir of the white wings of the dove of peace that flies over the pathway of our destiny.

The inner life, in its most permanent form, is built up in the consciousness of the man who has suffered himself to become beautiful and pure. The inner sanctuary may be entered by the lowliest of men, while it often may happen that one of vast knowledge who seeks the invisible presence shall fail to discover the way that leads to the threshold of happiness. The intellect alone cannot lift the veil that enwraps the inmost consciousness of man, cannot survey the sacred recesses where life abides in the majesty of peaceful repose; but one who grows nobler in an ever loftier consciousness and purer love, one who is gentle and good, shall receive the light that will illumine the mind, reveal the way to the mysterious sources of vision and open the heart to the influx of profoundest joy.

Who has not heard in the depths of his being the whisper of loftiest instincts, and felt the influence of a resistless power surge up from the mysterious gulf within? They who have dwelt in the silence, they who have dived down to explore the undercurrents of destiny, have brought a few secret jewels from the treasure of truth to the surface. But they who have gone down deepest have touched only the shoals of the hidden life, and they alone know how unfathomable is the sea of infinity on which humanity reposes.

There are those who have drawn themselves away from the life movement of the race, and plunged into the abyss of abstraction with an eagerness to gain for themselves the riches that lie hidden there, and to wrap themselves in the robe of proud intellectualism, without respect to the burden of sorrow that enthralls mankind. But the possession of true knowledge draws man nearer to man, and identifies those who think with those who toil. It becomes the office of the truly wise to consecrate their gifts to the useful service of all, and to infuse the light of their wisdom into the minds of the unawakened. In imagination alone does the gulf exist between the saint and the sinner; for there is an invisible goodness in the heart of the most depraved, and a faint glimmering of wisdom even in the mind of a fool.

The man of true power is he who invokes the living streams of life, which descend from the hills of universal nature, and compels them to flow through the barren plains and waste places of earth, as well as through peaceful and fertile valleys where golden harvests wave. Let us not dam up the currents of energy that inflow to us, for in the great reservoir of nature is the essence of all power; and while reaching up with one hand to receive the gifts that are bountifully bestowed, let us ever extend the other to those in the darkness, that they, too, may become conscious of the deeper realities, and receive a foregleam of the higher destiny that awaits them.

If we close up the avenues of our mind through which flow the magnetic streams from the mysterious deeps, the waters of life will become stagnant within us. If our life be truly in touch with the infinite supply, there need be no fear of exhausting our forces by giving to others; the streams that branch out from the clear fountain of wisdom will ever enlarge as they flow; the currents will grow deeper and broader as they blend with other streams from the same sources of life, finally forming the wide and deep rivers, which carry the burden of many a frail bark, whose white sails would never have been unfurled to the breeze and the heavens, but for the brooklets that flow from perennial sources back there in the mountains.

The mystical river of life flows on, renewed eternally by crystal streams from the fountain of truth. It flows through the dark canyons where the sun never gleams on its waters, as it flows by the great cities where all is activity and glory; it flows through vast deserts where no echo responds to its murmur, as it flows through broad valleys and green pastures where all is gladness and peace; it streams on forever, in search of the sea of universal humanity.

CHAPTER 16

OUR DESTINY

Man has toiled tirelessly in his search for knowledge; and by his power and genius he has transformed the face of nature into symmetry and beauty. He has felled the forests and reared in their place cities and empires; he has spanned the rivers, crossed the continents with railways, and conquered the adverse waves of the sea, over which he rides swiftly and fearlessly by the magic power of resistless steam. He has cunningly enslaved the elements of the world and subjected even the wind and the lightning to his command.

The telegraphs and cables have annihilated space and time, and brought the people of every land into closer and more vital relation with each other. He has taken dull clay and shaped it into a beauteous vase; a block of marble and chiseled into a perfect image of the ideal form; a string and piece of wood, and made a sweet voiced violin. At his command waste places have blossomed into gardens of luxuriance. Fire and air, electricity and light have been subdued to his service. The printing press has made us acquainted with the noble thoughts and deeds of the great men of every age — with the heroes, who have spent their lives for others, the poets and orators, who have charmed the world with eloquence and song; the painters and sculptors, who have created immortal forms with brush and chisel; the composers, who have interpreted the melody of sound, and the philosophers, who have searched the depths of being and learned the secrets of the stars. These marvelous achievements and many more have been recorded, and such things will enlighten and encourage the generations yet to be.

Thus life, with all the mysteries that enshroud it, with all the pain and joy that accompany it, has flowed on in an ever widening stream, coursing through the veins of the rude and uncultured, whose thoughts are only of the visible things surrounding daily life—on, ever on—awakening at times to a vague consciousness, to come again with renewed forces, pulsating now to the heart throbs of genius. And thus will it continue to flow, until it has scintillated through every influence that the stream of progression claims. The love of life is a universal instinct whose aspirations are the wooings of the infinite.

Seers have had visions, prophets and teachers have been inspired, and great minds in every period of the historic ages have foreseen vaguely the future existence of a race which shall inhabit the earth when the old world shadows have passed away. A new race without disease, perfect in every form and function, possessing a knowledge of the laws which govern life.

Have all these prophecies, all these visions and inspirations been only an illusion, only a dream, an ecstasy, with no foundation, no reality in the realm of truth?

Everything points to a higher goal. Nothing is permanent. Every element in life and nature is seeking a more perfect expression. The divine elemental fire which is the source of all aspiration burns brightly in the heart of humanity, and we stand today on the threshold of a brighter era. The clouds of superstition, bigotry and ignorance are passing from the minds of men. We are connected by closer sympathies, inspired by higher ideals and are nearer to the source of all knowledge and power. Above the noise and confusion, those who listen will hear the divine harmonies, and will feel an irresistible force, which has taken hold of awakened minds to exert a potent influence over the life of the world. The human race may soon enjoy the tranquility and peace for which it has yearned through all the centuries.

Each one may hasten the day by joining his forces with the high and pure currents of thought and holding steadfastly to noble ideals. Deep in the mind of every thoughtful person are beautiful pictures and dreams of an ideal state of existence which surpasses the present as the brightness of the sun outshines the stars. The sublimity of nature, the glory of the sunset, the beauty of the sea and sky, the vaulted heavens, the nourishing air, and the bounteous store of fruits and grains for man’s material needs, are all an evidence of the harmony and goodness of the law which gave him being and endowed him with the possibility of obtaining dominion. We are so near to striking the keynote of supremacy, so near to the realization of all the truth and beauty of the world.

We know that we have power to break every fetter made by the mistakes of the errorful past and to create an individuality which will express all the divine attributes of the higher self. And yet we continue to walk in the shadows, to cling to the old customs, and to follow the path of bitter experiences. And we know, too, that suffering inevitably awaits us, that the inexorable law will punish every transgression. The dross has not all been consumed. The purifying fire is not yet extinguished. But we are learning that the will and mind are supreme, that we may overcome every limitation, banish every phantom, conquer every opposing force and win our way to the goal of every worthy ambition. We are coming more and more under the direct influence and leading of the divine nature. We are beginning to express the best that is within us. And as the torch of reason bums more brightly, we are treading the pathway which leads to the heights.

The time is not far distant when character will determine man’s place in the world, when justice will have recognition, and all shall receive a reward for their labors according to merit. You who have gained a knowledge of the laws of mind, who understand the force of persistent, earnest desire and demand, by holding a clear vision of the ideal state governing the new order of humanity, may hasten the time of its fulfillment. Send out daily the silent word over the human sea of thought, and affirm that the world is now emerging into the light of wisdom, that the heart of humanity is responding to the influence of unselfish love, that the spirit of truth is descending to abide with all men.

With the new light that is now dawning on the world, sickness, poverty, sorrow and weakness will pass away. Hearts now ruled by antagonism will melt to love, minds now grasping and selfish will become generous and broad. The poor and the helpless will be taught the way to opulence and strength. Misery and want will no more thrive, like weeds in a garden, by the side of the rich and powerful. Human equality and justice will be no longer a dream, for all men will walk in the light of high ideals and each will perform his part in the great work of the world, receiving reward and recognition. The discontent, the turmoil and conflict of today is the result of great changes taking place in the domain of mind, and the long cherished ideals are preparing the way for material expression.

CHAPTER 17

HUMAN PROGRESS

There are no living witnesses to the marvelous scenes which belong to the primary processes of world building, for in the earlier stages of the planet’s formation no individualized self conscious life could exist. But man may read the story of the earth’s unfoldment from the hieroglyphs of nature—from the mountain cliffs, the sand swept deserts, the majestic rivers and the billowy seas. From the milestones along the mysterious way, aided by the illumined vision of science, man may look back through centuries upon centuries that had passed away before the period of human existence upon this planet began—back to the time when the moving force of universal life first projected itself into crystallized form in the bosom of the earth as mineral.

He may follow the continuous and progressive gradations of life through its manifestation in the protoplasmic slime in ancient seas—ever onward through the ages of evolution, from the tiniest finny beings to the monstrous creatures that finally emerged from the bed of the Silurian ocean and crawled over vast bogs and roamed through primeval forests. By the destructive agencies the huge clumsy forms were broken into pieces again and again, and cast into the crucible of nature to be remolded each time into symmetrical and fairer shapes.

Thus all forms have been slowly evolved from the gross to the delicate, from the simple to the complex, from mammoth to man. The force imprisoned in the chrysolite obeys the impulse of progressive change. In its demand for onward march the mineral form is broken, and life repictures itself into shape after shape more and more wonderful in structure. The strength and power that first bound the atoms in the solid rock, now paints the flower with tints of wondrous beauty, grows in the foliage, lives in the trembling leaves, opens broadly in the sunlight and is kissed by the wooing breeze.

Slowly the grasp of matter relaxes its hold, and life is evolved from the plant and the tree to the plane of animal existence, where conscious power is first made manifest through instinct and love. The cruder forces of animal strength begin to respond to the influence of mind, until the dumb creatures of the higher order of the animal kingdom approach the threshold of that domain that belongs to the dignity and glory of man.

The primitive races of mankind dwelt in caves, in rude huts and beneath twisted boughs. Tribes were separated by unexplored regions. Man wandered at will through unclaimed forests. Continents were divided by mysterious and unsailed seas. But the movement of the palpable life stream has flooded the world, and carried forward on its slow moving tide the people of every continent.

Those who have explored the ancient ruins, which survive in many lands, find the symbols of the same mystery graven upon the walls. Identical symbols were used by tribes on opposite parts of the globe, even in that far off time when the world was young and the race simple and untaught—long before cables of steel had united the continents and long before ships had navigated the seas. One of the earliest emblems used to express the invisible forces of nature and the perpetual life of the human race was that of the serpent.

While the symbol of the serpent has an important place in the magical lore of Egypt, and in the sacerdotal mysteries of Oriental lands, it was also used as a sacred emblem by the primitive races of America, and is a prominent figure among the surviving works of the mound builders. Hence we see that the races of mankind, even in the long ago, were united by the invisible currents of thought which flowed from one source and impelled humanity onward. And from century to century we see a gradual unfoldment of the human race, passing from stage to stage along the ascending spiral, manifesting in greater fullness the power and supremacy of mind.

Reason, at first rude and untaught, has become radiant with knowledge and crowned with jeweled thoughts as beautiful and vast as the sky of stars. Affection, once narrow and selfish, has grown to a love and sympathy that is broad and true. Man’s marvelous skill in the fine arts, his wondrous handicrafts, his magic power and mastery in every department of nature, together with his trained reason and the maturity of his heart and conscience, rightly place him on a height far up on the road of attainment.

One of the most potent principles operating to purify and elevate humanity is the influence of love. It is love that lightens the burdens of life and animates to ceaseless toil. Love lights the eyes with an unfading luster and paints the cheeks with a magnetic glow. The spirit of love that throbs in every heart enables man to see some ray of light in the mind of the most ignorant, some gleam of hope in the bosom of the most depraved. The man who is dominated by the spirit of love is like the magnet to fragments of steel; his thoughts are deep and pure; his words are like the music of a stream.

We look up into the heavens at night and behold the countless worlds moving with magical equilibrium through boundless space, held in their appointed places by the law of attraction, which is another name for love. We look about us and see in all nature a manifestation of the silent and ceaseless power of love, expressing itself in every blade of grass, giving symmetry and beauty to every tree and plant and flower.

In all animate creation below the race of human beings there is the guiding presence of an instinct whose monitions are unerringly followed by the untaught creatures of earth. We see a manifestation of this presence in the active life of the bee as it gathers honey from the flowers in distant fields, and returns in a straight course to its native hive. We see this presence manifested in the migratory instinct of birds as they come and go with the changing seasons of the year. The carrier pigeon, when freed from captivity, rises and circles in the air and takes an undeviating flight to its native home.

There is a voice within which makes itself heard above the heated centers of commercial life, above the din and noise of the clashing streets. It is that wordless voice which whispers from the inmost depths of the heart’s sanctuary; it is that all pervading interior light which has lighted man’s way through the passing centuries. To one who listens, it will make of life a song; to one who accepts this light as guide, his career will be a symphony. It is a faculty of perception in the mind which gives one a knowledge not taught by the academies, reveals truths unknown to scholastic systems, gives culture without the college, and endows the mind with wisdom and power.

This silent voice, this inexpressible light, is the highest heritage of humanity. Those who persistently ignore it and refuse to cultivate it, grow tired of the years, grow tired of the world, grow old and die. Those who cherish the light and follow its monitions are continually renewed from the invisible sources and are given strength to go on with their work and their life, and to pass from victory to victory. Regarded faithfully, it reveals the secret of life and indicates destiny’s crown. It continually whispers in subdued tones, “this is the way, come up higher.*’ It is the one infallible oracle and trustworthy guide to ways of righteousness and peace. Let no false teaching, however enticing, no authority, however gilded, blind you to the interior light and take from you its leading. What the world needs is to have this light increased; to inculcate the ideal, to manifest the harmonies of a nobler and truer existence.

Call it what you will—intuition, intellect; conscience, wisdom, or the dictates of reason—words fail to describe its qualities; no language can define its attributes. It is nevertheless a presence that is felt by all at times, and is never absent from the heart where hope dwells. Where pure life glows, where reason’s torch bums brightest, where truth has its home, and love its shrine, there the invisible presence abides; and no harm will come to those who walk in the shadow of its radiance; no fatality can lurk in their hearts, no misfortune attend their destiny; for the rays of this light will penetrate and purify the mind and heart, and its hidden fire will consume all dross.

It is not that this presence is ever withdrawn that men wander from the center of rest and peace, from the threshold of happiness and power. For this light to man is like the presence of the visible sun to the material world. The heat through the summer days is more intense, though the earth in reality is farther away from its source and its sustenance than it is through the coldest days of the winter. It is not the vast distance, or nearness, but the nature of the aspect, which determines the degree of the light and the warmth the earth receives from the sun. The more direct the rays are, the more intense will the heat be. Likewise it is man’s aspect and relation to the interior light which determines the nature of his life and destiny. The light is there; it shines on eternally. It is man who vacillates — not the light — sometimes in close affinity with the positive pole of goodness and truth, again vibrating to the opposite pole of negation and darkness.

Let us invoke the light and bask in the direct rays of its presence. And like the needle to the pole, if the storms of affliction and the tumult of the senses cause the desires and the will to swerve from this center of truth and goodness, of love and light, let us swing back again, after the clouds have vanished, and guide the frail bark of our life safely to the haven of its rest and its gladness.

Let us cultivate a keener perception of our glorious possibilities and hasten our progress on the upward path that leads to the attainment of the highest happiness which is the rightful heritage of our earthly existence. Nowhere in all the universe can there be a place more appropriate for our expression and advancement than is to be found on the planet of our present abode. For it is here we were placed by the creative power which brings into existence all creatures in accordance with the divine plan—the supreme law of design—which fills the vast void with shining stars, sends them whirling through trackless space in orderly and rhythmic movements, and with mathematical precision and artistic touch gives perfect form and beauty of coloring to the numberless things which spring brightly to being on the galaxy of worlds.

CHAPTER 18

DIVINE GUIDANCE

The chief aim of life — The path to power — How man is warned — How to realize every desire and demand — Faith as an element of success — Happiness and peace

The chief aim of life is to advance to an ever increasing capacity for happiness, an ever growing power of expression. Everything in nature is eternally progressive. We cannot stop growing. Every experience, every feeling and thought effect a change in the mind. Every human being desires to obtain the most happiness, with the least possible pain. But man cannot escape the laws of nature. There is only one way to fullness of life, to power and happiness, to wisdom and love, and to the realization of all the hopes and yearnings of the human heart. And that way leads us to live in harmony with the law of our being, with the law of nature, and the law of the Supreme Mind.

These blend in perfect order. Man, occupying the highest plane, may come into close relationship with the Supreme Mind and may consciously cooperate with the mind in helping forward the life of the world. It is the law of the Supreme Mind that all men should live in harmony and usefulness, that all men should be active, noble, progressive. The violation of any one of these laws will bring pain. The man who wanders from the appointed path is warned time and again of the dangers ahead. He is warned by pain, by unrest, by fear and failure. The chastening hand of an unseen power is ever pressing against him, urging him to be guided by higher principles, to find the better way. When man lives in harmony with the divine law and is always true to the higher leadings, he will rise superior to pain and unpleasant experiences. He will grow in power to attract all that he needs of material things. His body will be free from weakness and pain. His mind will be positive and clear. He will have power to concentrate his mental forces on any plan or undertaking and attract the agencies needed to carry out that plan.

To keep the mind in the right current of thought will endow the body with more strength, more power of endurance and give it more symmetry and beauty. To keep the mind in the right state to attract more and more of the Supreme Force will give ability to realize every desire and demand. When you demand power from the unseen you may rest assured that you will receive the force needed to accomplish your plan or purpose. The Supreme Power is always at the command of one who places his mind in a childlike attitude to receive. To have faith in the existence of that power as you have faith in the law of gravitation, to cooperate with it and direct it, will give you unlimited capacity.

The one who is most successful in life keeps his mind in the attitude of cooperation with the Supreme Power. To keep in touch with the unseen currents of power will give inspiration, courage and insight. You will have faith in the goodness of law. You will know that every earnest demand will obtain an answer. Every desire of your heart will be gratified. In thought you will never acknowledge an impossibility.

Every failure man makes is caused by severing connection with the source of his strength and inspiration, by trusting to his own limited powers apart from any invisible help or guidance. Man’s egotism and ignorance are his greatest foes. The gratification of selfish and ignoble passions deaden his sensibilities. He feels no longer the caress of the unseen hand. Ignoring the help of the Infinite Power, he shuts himself off from the source of supplies.

But the race is being taken out of the shadows. The great silent force of nature is urging to larger growth, inspiring man’s mind with new thoughts and greater power. As he advances to higher realms of thought, he is gaining more confidence, more courage. He knows that by keeping his mind receptive to the higher influences there will come a constant inflow of happiness and peace. He knows that by working in harmony with the Supreme Mind his life will be a constant succession of victories.

There are many who have learned to invoke the aid of the Infinite Power. They have faith in themselves because they are sustained by immortal energies. It does not matter to them if things seem uncertain. They may not be able to see the pathway of their future. But they know that it will lead them upward to greater joy, to wider freedom. They know that the eternal and constant law of progress will lead them on. They know they will emerge from the shadow, from every sorrow. They know that the Infinite Light is shining steadfastly in the heavens, and they will be led by its beckoning ray.

You need to have more faith in yourself, faith in the laws of life, faith in the Infinite Power of which your being is an inseparable part. Why lack faith when you see the evidence of truth and justice, of wisdom and love in every star, in the order and beauty of nature, in the golden glow of the sunset?

Looking back over the winding pathway, can you not see how you have been led by an unseen hand, by a faithful power, which called your wandering thoughts back, which turned you from imminent danger, which brought you time and again out of the gloom, which placed your feet on the solid ground and gave you more strength and courage? When we look back and see how often we have been worried, how we have stumbled, how we have been moved by fear and tortured by needless pain, and when we see how at the critical moment, when all seemed lost, the clouds vanished and we beheld the thing we had feared transformed into some blessing, is it not time that we banish doubt and walk in the light of unwavering faith?

There is absolutely nothing in the universe to fear. If we recognize our nearness to the Infinite Power, if we respond to the mind’s high leading and walk in the path of truth, we will overcome all things, we will work in harmony with the unfathomable power of the boundless universe, from which will come every blessing which the human heart can desire. We are parts of the Infinite Power, and that power within us is ever carrying us up to higher planes of being, to more perfect expression, and to greater joys.

Man, in his ignorance, is like the bewildered stream blindly groping its way down the steep hillside, turned in its course by every resistance it meets; rushing, retreating and halting, moved by the weak force of an inferior instinct. Some invisible power carries it onward. It knows not the nature of that power. It seems to tie carried by an impulse from within. After a time the stream grows wider and deeper, its current less swift. Then it enlarges to the calm, peaceful river which flows steadily and unerringly through the wide valleys on its appointed way to the sea. Likewise man is led onward by the mysterious force of a superior destiny. At first he rushes about impetuously, and murmurs because of the restrictions imposed by the law. But his consciousness grows broader and deeper with the march of the years and in the clear waters of mind he sees a reflection of some of the great truths of the universe. His visions of the beauty of that inner world of ideas inspire him to a life of noble endeavor.

Humanity as a whole is like the streams and rivers of earth. All men are moving irresistibly onward/ carried by some mysterious power they feel, but cannot fathom. Humanity at last will reach the boundless sea, where there will be no discord, no unrealized yearnings, no limitation. Deep down in the still waters all hearts will find peace.

CHAPTER 19

A LESSON FROM NATURE

In the long ago, when the earth was young, the creative impulse, charged with one purpose and will, and longing to manifest the slumbering energies in the harmony and beauty of diversified forms, crystallized into an acorn. Working in silence, it slowly attracted the invisible forces from the dark surroundings of its lodging place in the barren ground. The hot sun poured down its fierce rays and warmed the earth’s surface day after day, until the germ of life in the acorn unclosed the shell of its limitation and projected itself above the inert materials of its anchorage, winning for itself a place in the light and the wooing breeze. In the peace of the dawn the tiny structure was kissed by a dew drop, which awoke within it the first gleam of consciousness. Its desire became greater than ever to reach up and attain.

A ray of sunlight came down a golden pathway from the vaulted skies, played gently around it, and found lodgment in its yearning heart. The acorn had received no token of its purpose; but the plant was grateful for the dew drop and the sunbeam which brought the happiness and joy it craved. As it grew high in stature in the air and sunlight it began to put forth rootlets to hold it steadfast in its place, that it might be able to withstand the storms and vicissitudes of time. But it soon perceived that its environment was unsuited to harmonious and rapid unfoldment. The inexorable law of nature had placed it in the cleft of a rock, with no room for expansion and growth. Then it repined that the cruelty of fate had placed it there, feeling that it would fail to fulfill the purpose and design of the power which gave it birth.

What am I? Why am 1 here? Is my existence to be objectless? were the questions it asked of the breeze and the sunbeams that played around it. But no answer came in response to its questioning. Its life grew desolate and its frail leaves drooped, for the dewdrops failed in their efforts to quench the thirst of its greater needs, and the sunbeams began to dry up the sap within it. But one day the skies and the sunlight were obscured by dark clouds from which fell crystal raindrops, bringing refreshment and life to the fragile and fading plant. A tremor of joy passed through its being once more.

A new sensation of energy and resistless power was aroused within it; the roots went deeper, the body grew larger and taller, the branches spread out, and the miracle of life was complete. A tiny acorn, concealed in the cleft of a rock, had been transformed by the power of creative law into a giant oak, destined to withstand the destructive elements from century to century. And if the life in the growing tree can rend asunder the rock which impedes its progress, is it to be wondered at that man, with his powers and capabilities, should be able to accomplish even greater things than this, in his efforts to attain a gloriously rounded and perfect manhood?

Where can be found a more perfect symbol of man’s beginning and development than that of the tree; and how many lessons of patience and strength might be learned from these inanimate symbols which grow up round about us?

The man who stands at the threshold of life, awaiting the time when a way will be opened to him for achievement in some chosen pursuit, ofttimes becomes vexed and disheartened because of delay. Obstacles confront one at every step, and all the forces of nature at times seem to conspire to thwart the accomplishment of one’s purpose and aims. But the very obstacles man meets on the journey are simply the hills he must climb before he can peacefully rest on the summit which towers above the cloud and the storm.

The opposing forces man meets and masters, the suffering and sorrow he endures, as well as the love and the joy that are his, come to him as lessons to be learned, experiences to be gained, which compel the roots of his consciousness to delve more deeply into the soil of truth. Man should not feel discouraged if destiny seems slow in the fulfillment of the heart’s deep yearnings, but should learn from the monarch of the forest the secret it holds for him. Slowly and invisibly it draws by the law of accretion the nourishment needed to sustain and increase its power. Again and again it is stripped of its foliage, and its limbs are twisted and scarred by the winds, the hail and the lightning. Yet the tree grows larger with the march of years, until at last it stands alone in its strength and its majesty, bidding defiance to the destructive forces which often beat fiercely against it.

Deep down in the innermost depths of all beings there has been implanted the invisible germ of that mysterious principle called life. The perpetuity of our individual selfhood is maintained by an eternal process of living and dying, assimilating and consuming, building and destroying. The outer dies daily and the inner becomes manifest. All the part is a flow of life which unites the generations of humanity without a break — a vast unbroken stream which has flowed from the primeval and eternal source of the universe. The creative tide that has evolved humanity has never been lost to its source, and its eternal flow is propelled by the heart throbs of Universal Nature.

There is a presence which broods in eternal silence upon the white snow of frozen summits, over the fertile valleys and upon the face of the deep. Its power is manifested in the wind and lightning and the rushing waters; in the fair groves and gardens and mossed fountains. And in the vast desert, where solitude dwells, men feel this power and take courage. Like the tide of a fathomless sea whose shores are planets and suns, it flows forever over the hills and wastes of earth and floods the hearts of the human race with the balm and benediction of its love. We cannot fathom the mystery of this light and this guidance. Yet nearer than the brain throb and the heart pulse, in the inmost sanctuary where consciousness itself is enthroned, broods that mystical power which pervades and enfolds us; and those who willingly abide in its tranquil presence place themselves under the sheltering care of the Almighty. Silently as the approach of dawn the Supreme Power draws near to the one who is watchful, and breathes softly the message of gladness and peace. In wordless communion question the oracles of life, and measure, if you can, the potentialities of your being. In the hush of that peaceful hour, brought face to face with the silent guardian which keeps faithful account of your wanderings, the touch of a divine fire will quicken the dull brain, and the sluggish heart will become responsive to an energy which lifts man out of the confines of the physical and draws him close to the Infinite Source.

CHAPTER 20

ASPIRATION

The things which the mind dwells on the most become a reality. If your mind dwells on the dark side of things you will attract all that is morbid and unnatural. If you entertain negative thoughts, if you lack faith in your power to do a thing, you will fail in every effort. You are making environments for yourself in the future by the thoughts you are holding most in mind. If you are living now in imagination in better surroundings, if you are sending out the silent demand for improved conditions, for greater attainments, you are creating forces which will draw to you the better things.

To aspire to make the best use of your talents will give an ever increasing capacity for attainment. As you approach nearer to the Infinite Mind, you will have more faith in yourself and will receive fresh inspiration and courage. When you put your dependence and trust in the Supreme Power you will attract the idea, the event, the opportunity for realizing the thing you desire.

When our thoughts are negative, immature, or despondent, we draw to us corresponding influences. If we are fearful or apprehensive of something disagreeable we will attract the disagreeable. People who are always complaining, who feel that fate is against them, that the world is unkind, will invariably attract unpleasant experiences. The thought or mood of mind most helpful is the desire to make the best possible use of the power at your command. There are many who feel that some time in the future they will have more favorable opportunities for advancement, and living in that thought, they neglect the present.

They form habits of careless thinking, and the character of their thought is expressed in their environment. If you desire to develop the power of your mind, to direct your energies toward the accomplishment of something worthy, you must live in moods of cheerfulness and build elements that will give courage and resolution. The mind needs to be kept under constant control. If you have a fixed aim, proceed to do the first thing which will bring you nearer the goal. Do one thing at a time, and do it well. Avoid the habit of hurry. Keep in the current of thought which will keep your body strong and vigorous. Cultivate repose. Have confidence. Keep your mind in the permanent mood of expecting success.

Events and opportunities will come for making the best use of your own peculiar powers. You should feel that there is a work for you in life which no one else can do as well. Study yourself, your desires, your hopes and fears, your strength and weakness. Measure yourself and see where you are tending. Each day, by your thoughts and acts you are weaving the web of your destiny. See to it that your mind is in touch with the highest. Be not discouraged because of the obstacles you meet. This is an evidence of progress. The obstacles do not come to you, but as you approach nearer the heights you will have hills to climb, you will have difficulties to meet. And this is well. If you are always true to the divine leading, all that shall come to you will be fraught with blessings.

The sufferings you endure will be ripening experiences which will force your mind into truer conditions. If your mind is clear, your ideals noble and your courage unflinching you will overcome all and realize every cherished longing. There may be times when you apparently lose much you had previously gained. You will have periods of discouragement when you will doubt the harmony and goodness of natural law. You will feel that you are left alone, the laws of the universe will seem cruel and unfeeling. Life will seem desolate. You will have no definite aim. But when the mind wanders, when you feel the destructive thought waves coming from immature and ignorant minds, take yourself in hand. Rise above the shadows. Avoid the gloom and sadness which pervades human life. Concentrate your thought on the potent forces existing both in you and the universe.

You will gradually awaken to an understanding of life’s deep meaning. You will know the purpose of your own existence. You will realize that you exist in a world that is governed by law. You will recognize expressions of the Infinite Mind in all nature. You will learn that there is an exhaustless force moving in all things, and you will discover the way to an ever increasing happiness. You will have no anxiety for the morrow, for you will know that your days of pleasure will always continue. You will have at your command a force which is renewed and sustained by the Supreme Power. You will learn that this power is a reality and that it will always act in and through you to accomplish your purpose. Be persistent, keep planning and looking ahead to greater things, and move steadily on toward the accomplishment of every desire.

The man who knows his true nature must recognize the fact that he is a divine being, whose power extends as far as his thoughts can reach. To understand the laws and forces which govern life and to employ them wisely, to make use of our gifts for good purposes only, will result in the highest happiness. Knowledge without wisdom, or power without goodness, are dangerous for one to possess. The abuse of power and misapplication of knowledge are the cause of all suffering. There is no excuse for ignorance. If we only permit the divine light to shine, if we only keep the mind open to the influx of high and pure influences which come from the Infinite Mind, we will know the truth. We will feel the presence of the infinite within our hearts and will respond to its leadings. When the divine principles have fully awakened to self consciousness in man, he understands his relation to the infinite and acts in accordance with the higher law.

The universe is filled with life, and of this life there are myriad planes of manifestation extending beyond the capacity of the mind to fathom. As we aspire to the realization of more and more of this life we attract elements from the unseen current of realities, which become literally a part of ourselves. We are continually growing in knowledge and wisdom. We are drawing to us finer forces which give us capacity for greater attainments. Every experience forces the mind into truer conditions, brings us in closer touch with the Infinite Source, gives us more courage, more patience and gentleness. Aspiration is the law of life, from the crudest forms up to the highest, from the gross to the delicate.

Every aspiration brings one nearer the cherished ideal. The aspiration of the mind toward the pure, the unselfish, the beautiful will attract more and more of these qualities from the unseen. Desire for the highest and most enduring good, if sincere and persistent, will purify the heart and endow the mind with an irresistible power. Persistent desire and demand for the true and good will bring you in touch with the infinite resources of the universe. It is desire that has brought the race to the present plane of unfoldment, and desire will lead to grander achievements, to wisdom and power greater than the world has known. The inspiration which enables one to discover a principle, to invent, to receive helpful ideas, comes as the result of desire. You will have power to effect results in proportion to the amount of earnest desire and demand. The more desire you have the more power you awaken to attract a corresponding element from the Supreme Mind.

CHAPTER 21

THE HIGHEST GOAL

Why not always speak as though mankind were near to the realization of its cherished ideals? Thither are we led by our desires and instincts, though we may never behold all we have hoped for. Our life must be lived while we wait, and we should govern our acts as though we were always on the eve of great joy. We should endeavor to feel that whatever happens to man is that which is most required. We are taught by the failure of our noblest efforts that there is something greater to be attained. Defeat only arouses the energies within. Of this inner force many are fully aware. A knowledge of self gives man faith in himself, for he knows in advance how events will be received by him, and he knows too that he has an immovable anchorage against which the opposing forces will beat in vain. As man becomes wise he transforms into blessings the apparent misfortunes of life.

It is the general belief that human existence is a prolonged struggle against fate. And there are certain mysterious laws of heredity and instinct which exert a relentless influence over those who have not taken hold of the ideas that lie beyond the reach of fatality. But the man who is wise may use his unfettered will to curb the blind forces and to keep back every unmerited misfortune. The highest and inmost thought governs and dominates all. If you look for nothing but evil, you will see an element of evil in every event; but if you have learned to think only of the good, you will discover that at the heart of things truth has its dwelling.

The man who lives in thought above the selfishness and vanities of everyday life, will escape many unpleasant experiences which will likely befall those who have not attained such loftiness. And come success or failure, joy or sorrow, the man who is inspired by a great idea will never be left without hope and courage. When the heart is on fire with some great ambition, the trivial events pass by unnoticed; and all that transpires is made to revolve around the leading idea, causing the flame to burn the more ardently.

A positive command, issued by one who has faith in himself, will compel the submission of every opposing influence. Among the forces that oppose our schemes there may be some that are too intricate for the mind to grasp. There may be agencies at work beyond our immediate control. There may be thoughts and intentions in the minds of others which would defeat our aims. These counter influences at times are enormous, but rarely irresistible. If the unfettered will works in perfect accord with the mind, if we fight on bravely against the enemy that is visible, we need have no fear of the future. Every victory gained will give us the strength to conquer the greater foe which may appear in the distance.

Can it be true that fatality exists? Does some kind of predestination govern every circumstance of life? It seems to be a fact in the lives of many, who are bound by a certain chain of events which are contrary to the desires of the heart. Yet if we look more closely, if we study the life of one who is thus fettered, who seems unable to escape the bondage of an adverse environment, we will find that the gloom which enwraps him is the result of his own morbid thought, that the fatality which follows him is called into existence because of corresponding defects in his character.

When we meet one who is unfortunate, one who is discouraged, we invariably find that his mind dwells on the dark side of things. We find that he has always been negative, with no great ambition or hope to inspire him. Man too often submits patiently to wrongs which he has never challenged. He is often a victim of his own wavering feebleness. Confidence, courage, determination—these are qualities essential to the making of any advancement. The will becomes powerful only by exercise. All the faculties of the mind should be trained to act like the soldiers of a conquering army; they must gain strength with every step of advancement and be sustained at the cost of all that opposes them.

Those who desire to overcome the influence of heredity, to change their habits of life and to create a better environment, must have steadfastness of purpose and march with unwavering conviction along the path that will lead out of thralldom to the unexplored regions of truth. We should always act as though we were masters—as though all forces in the universe were waiting for the touch and command of our thoughts to obey us. But they will not come to our aid if they find not, deep down in our being, a resolute and invincible will. Power is born of the union of the forces of nature with a masterful will. The man who sees before him the winding path which leads over the hills of difficulties toward the distant summit he desires to reach, who beholds in every event a cause for rejoicing, who defies fate and meets every conflict with an unfaltering will and determined resolve, will always be ready for emergencies and will gain the victory in every struggle.

Suffering, sorrow and regrets are emotions which are caused by our faults. We murmur at the unkind fatality which compels us to suffer without any just cause. Fatality is neither just nor unjust. Men of inferior degree who will not govern their lives according to right principles must have fate pass judgment upon them. They are slaves to selfishness and passion. They are controlled by the very first thing that draws near. Hostile forces take possession of all that is negative in the character. And every enemy that gains entrance becomes a source of fatal influence. But each one has the power to master, or alter within him, every event of life. There are many who yield too readily to opposition. They become discouraged, and absorb themselves in the idea that they are the victims of a cruel fatality. And there are others who have been taught that there is virtue in mere suffering, that pain and defeat come as their appointed portion. This renouncement is often made by the feeble who lean for support on some mythical being who they believe will finally reward them for the sacrifice they have made. It is not by weakness and abandonment, bv renouncement and sorrow, that men help each other, but by the strength of their life, by cheerfulness and courage.

It is not our duty to weep with all who are weeping, to be discouraged when others fail. This attitude will be no help to those who suffer, will take them no nearer the heights, but will drag down our own life to their level. Let us constantly strive to acquire more power and a deeper faith in the greatness of man. Let us send out forceful suggestions to stimulate the weak, to encourage the faltering.

We should keep our eyes fixed on the goal we desire to reach and move forward with assurance and earnestness, with peace and confidence. We should look fearlessly upon life. We should feel that the laws of nature are just, that the Supreme Power is kind, that all forces are working in unison to bring to us the happiness we seek. Man should enjoy the happiness that lies in his grasp. He should not bemoan his errors or losses. Happen what may, there will always be gladness and peace for the one who goes to the refuge within. All that remains, when adventures and passions are over, is the abiding sense of the infinite. The one who has gained a deep perception of life will find joy in all things that happen. A protecting power will enfold him. His mind and heart will be alive with the flame of wisdom and love.

The End

Uriel Buchanan – The Minds Attainment

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