Chapter nine, Asserting the life force. I have spoken to you of the
advantage of getting rid of fear. Now I wish to put life into you.
Many of you have been going along as if you were dead. No
ambition, no energy, no vitality, no interest, no life. This
will never do. You are stagnating. Wake up and display a few signs
of life. This is not the place in which you can stalk around like
a living corpse. This is a place for wide, active, live people,
and a good general awakening is what is needed. Although it would take
nothing less than a blast from Gabriel's trumpet to awaken some of the people who
are stalking around thinking that they are alive, but who are really dead.
To all that makes life worthwhile, we must let life flow through us and
allow it to express itself naturally. Do not let the little worries of life
or the big one either to press you and cause you to lose your vitality.
Assert the life force within you, and manifest it in every thought,
act, and deed, and before long you will be exhilarated and fairly bubbling
over with vitality and energy. Put a little life into your work, into
your pleasures, into yourself stop doing things in a half headed way, and
begin to take an interest in what you are doing, saying, and thinking.
It is astonishing how much interest we may find in the ordinary things of
life if we will only wake up. There are interesting things all around us,
interesting events occurring every moment, but we will not be aware of them
unless we assert our life force and begin to actually live instead of merely existing.
No man or woman ever amounted to anything unless he or she put life
into the tasks of everyday life, the acts, the thoughts. What the
world world needs is live men and women. Just look into the eyes of
the people whom you meet and see how few of them are really alive.
The most of them lack that expression of a conscious life which distinguishes the man
who lives from the one who simply exists. I want you to acquire the
sense of conscious life so that you may manifest it in your life and show
what mental science has done for you. I want you to get to work
today and begin to make yourself over according to the latest pattern. You can
do this if you will only take the proper interest in the task, affirmation
and exercise. Fix in your mind the thought that the eye within you is
very much alive, and that you are manifesting life fully mentally and physically.
And keep this thought there, aiding yourself with constant repetitions of the watchword.
Don't let the thought escape you, but keep pushing it back into the mind.
Keep it before the mental vision as much as possible. Repeat the watch
word when you awaken in the morning, say it when you retire at night,
and say it at meal times and whenever else you can during the day,
at least once an hour, form the mental picture of yourself as filled
with life and energy. Live up to it as far as possible. When
you start in to perform a task, say I am alive, and mix
up as much life as possible in the task. If you find yourself feeling
depressed, say I am alive, and then take a few deep breaths,
and with each inhalation, let the mind hold the thought that you are breathing
in strength and life, and as you exhale, hold the thought that you
are breathing out all the old, dead, negative conditions and are glad to
get rid of them. Then finish up with an earnest, vigorous affirmation I
am alive, and mean it when you say it too, and let your
thoughts take form in action. Don't rest content with merely saying that you are
alive, but prove it with your acts. Take an interest in doing things,
and don't go around mooning or day dreaming. Get down to business and
live. Chapter ten, Training the Habit Mind. Professor William James, the
well known teacher of and writer upon psychology, very truly says the great thing
in all education is to make our nervous system our ally instead of our enemy.
For this, we must make automatic and habitual as early as possible,
as many useful actions as we can, and as carefully guard against growing into
ways that are likely to be disadvantageous. In the acquisition of a new habit
or the leaving off of an old one, we must take care to launch
ourselves with as strong and decided initiative as possible. Never suffer an exception to
occur until a new habit is securely rooted in your life. Sees the very
first possible opportunity to act on every resolution you make and on every emotional prompting
you may experience in the direction of the habits you aspire to gain. This
advice is along the line familiar to all students of mental science, but it
states the matter more plainly than the majority of us have done. It impresses
upon us the importance of passing on to the subconscious mind the proper impulses,
so that they will become automatic, and its second nature. Our subconscious mentality
is a great storehouse for all sorts of suggestions from ourselves and others, And
as it is the habit mind, we must be careful to send it the
proper material from which it may make habits. If we get into the habit
of doing certain things, we may be sure that the subconscious mentality will make
it easier for us to do just the same thing over and over again,
easier each time, until finally we are firmly bound with the ropes and chains
of the habit, and find it more or less difficult, sometimes almost impossible,
to free ourselves from the hateful thing. We should cultivate good habits against
the hour of need. The time will come when we will be required to
put forth our best efforts, and it rests with us today whether that hour
of need shall find us doing the proper thing automatically and almost without thought,
or struggling to do it bound down and hindered with the change of things opposed
to that which we desire at that moment. We must be on guard at
all times to prevent the forming of undesirable habits. There may be no special
harm in doing a certain thing today or perhaps again tomorrow, but there may
be much harm in setting up the habit of doing that particular thing. If
you are confronted with the question, which of these two things should I do?
The best answer is I will do that which I would like to become
a habit. With me in forming a new habit or in breaking an old
one, we should throw ourselves into the task with as much enthusiasm as possible
in order to gain the most ground before the energy expends itself when it meets
with friction from the imposing habits already formed. We should start in by making
as strong an impression as possible upon the subconscious mentality. Then we should be
constantly on guard against temptations to break the new resolution. Just this once,
This just once idea kills off more good resolutions than any other one. Cause
the moment you yield just this once, you introduce the thin end of the
wedge that will, in the end split your resolution into pieces. Equally important
is the fact that each time you resist temptation, the stronger does your resolution
become. Act upon yours as early and as often as possible. As with
every manifestation of thought in action, the stronger does it become. You are
adding to the strength of your original resolution every time you back it up with
action. The mind has been likened to a piece of paper that has been
folded ever afterwards, it has a tendency to fold in the same crease unless
we make a new crease or fold when it will follow the last lines,
and the creases are habits. Every time we make one, it is so
much easier for the mind to fold along the same crease afterward. Let us
make our mental creases in the right direction. Chapter eleven, The Psychology of
emotion. One is apt to think of the emotions as independent from habit.
We easily may think of one acquiring habits of action and even of thinking,
But we are apt to regard the emotions as something connected with feeling and quite
divorced from intellectual effort. Yet, notwithstanding the distinction between the two, both
are dependent largely upon habit, and one may repress, increase, develop,
and change one's emotions, just as one may regulate habits of action and lines
of thought. It is an axiom of psychology that emotions deepen by repetition.
If a person allows a state of feeling to thoroughly take possession of him,
you will find it easier to yield to the same emotion the second time,
and so on, until a particular emotion or feeling becomes second nature to him.
If an undesirable emotion shows itself inclined to take up a permanent abode with
you, you had better start to work to get rid of it, or
at least to master it. And the best time to do this is at
the start, For each repetition renders the habit more firmly entrenched, and the
task of dislodging it more difficult. Were you ever jealous? If so,
you'll remember so how insidious was its first approach, how subtly it whispered hateful
suggestions into your willing ear, and how gradually it followed up such suggestions,
until finally he began to see green. Jealousy has an effect upon the bile
and causes it to poison the blood. That is why the idea of green
is always associated with it. Then you will remember how the thing seemed to
grow, taking possession of you, and who do scarcely could shake it off.
You found it much easier to become jealous the next time. It seemed
to bring before you all sorts of objects, apparently justifying your suspicions and feeling
everything began to look green. The green eyed monster waxed fat. And so
it is with every feeling or emotion. If you give way to a fit
of rage, you'll find it easier to become angry the next time. On
mess provocation. The habit of feeling and acting mean does not take long to
firmly settle itself in its new home if encouraged. Worry is a great habit
for growing and waxing fat. People start by worrying about big things, and
then begin to worry and fret about some smaller thing. And then the merest
trifle worries and distresses them. They imagine that all sorts of evil things are
about to befall them. If they start on the journey, they are certain
there is going to be a wreck. If a telegram comes, it is
sure to contain some dreadful tidings. If a child seems a little quiet,
the worrying mother is positive it is going to fall ill and die. If
the husband seems thoughtful as he revolves some business plan in his mind, then
the good wife is convinced that he is beginning to cease to love her,
and indulges in a crying spell. And so it goes worry, worry,
worry, each indulgence, making the habit more at home. After a while,
the continued thought shows itself in action. Not only is the mind poisoned
by the blue thoughts, but the forehead shows deep lines between the eyebrows,
and the voice takes on that whining, rasping tone so common among worried,
burdened people. The condition of mind known as fault finding is another emotion that
grows fat with exercise. First fault is found with this thing, then with
that, and finally with everything. The person becomes a chronic nagger, a
burden to friends and relatives, and a thing to be avoided by outsiders.
Women make the greatest naggers, not because men are any better, but simply
because a man nagger is apt to have the habit knocked out of him by
other men who will not stand his nonsense. He finds that he's making things
too hot for himself, and he reforms, while a woman has more of
a chance to indulge in the habit. But this nagging is all a matter
of habit. It grows from small beginnings, and each time it is indulged
in, it throws out another branch or tendril, and fastens itself the closer
to the one who has given its soil in which to grow. Envy,
uncharitableness, gossip, scandal mongering are all habits of this kind. The seeds
are in every human breast and only need good soil and a little watering to
become lusty and strong. Each time you give way to one of these negative
emotions, the easier do you make it for recurrence of the same thing or
similar ones. Sometimes by encouraging one unworthy emotion, you find that you have
given room for the growth of a whole family of these mental weeds. Now
this is not a good old Orthodox preachment against the sin of bad thoughts.
It is merely a calling of your attention to the law underlying the psychology of
emotion. Nothing new about it, old as the hills so old that many
of us have forgotten all about it. If you wish to manifest these constantly
disagreeable and unpleasant tray and to suffer the unhappiness that comes from them, by
all means do so. That is your own business and privilege. It's none
of mine, and I'm not preaching at you. It keeps me busy minding
my own business and keeping an eye on my own undesirable habits and actions.
I am merely telling you the law regarding the matter, and you may do
the rest. If you wish to choke out these habits, there are two
ways open to you. First, whenever you find yourself indulging in a negative
thought or feeling, take right hold of it and say to it, firmly
and vigorously get out. It won't like this at first, and will bridle
up, curve its back and snarl like an offended cat. But never mind.
Just say scat to it. The next time it will not be so
confident and aggressive. It will have manifested a little of the fear habit.
Each time you repress and choke out a tendency of this kind, the weaker
it will become, and the stronger will your will be. Professor James says,
refuse to express a passion, and it dies count ten before venting your
anger and its occasion seems ridiculous. Wishing to keep up courage is no mere
figure of speech. On the other hand, sit all day in a moping
posture, sigh and reply to everything with a dismal voice, and your melancholy
lingers. There is no more valuable precept in moral education than this, as
all who have experienced know, if we wish to conquer emotional tendencies in ourselves,
we must assiduously, and in the first instance, cold bloodedly, go
through the outward movements of those contrary dispositions. We prefer to cultivate. Smooth
the brow, brighten the eye, contract the dorsal rather than the ventral aspect
of the frame, and speak in a major key past the genial compliment,
and your heart must be frigid, indeed, if it does not gradually thaw.
Chapter twelve, Developing new brain cells. I have spoken of the plan
of getting rid of undesirable states of feeling by driving them out, But a
far better way is to cultivate the feeling or emotion directly opposed to the one
you wish to eradicate. We are very apt to regard ourselves as the creatures
of our emotions and feelings, and to fancy that these feelings and emotions are
we. But such is far from being the truth. It is true that
the majority of the race, as slaves of their emotions and feelings, are
are governed by them to a great degree. They think that feelings are things
that rule, one of which one cannot free himself, and so they cease
through abel. They yield to the feeling without question, although they may know
that the emotion or mental trays calculated to injure them and to bring unhappiness and
failure instead of happiness and success. They say, we are made that way,
and let it go at that. The new psychologies teaching the people better
things. It tells them that they are masters their emotions and feelings instead of
being their slaves. It tells them that brain cells may be developed that will
manifest along desirable lines, and that the old brain cells that have been manifesting
so unpleasantly may be placed on the retired list and allowed to atrophy from want
of use. People may make themselves over and change their entire natures. This
is not mere idle theory, but is a working fact which has been demonstrated
by thousands of people, and which is coming more and more before the attention
of the race. No matter what theory of mind we entertain, we must
admit that the brain is the organ and instrument of the mind in our present
state of existence at least, and that the brain must be considered in this
matter. The brain is like a wonderful musical instrument, having millions of keys
upon which we may play innumerable combinations of sounds. We come into the world
with certain tendencies, temperaments, and predispositions. We may account for these tendencies
by heredity, or we may account for them upon theories of pre existence.
But the facts remain the same. Certain keys seem to respond to our touch
more easily than others. Certain notes seem to sound forth as the current of
circumstances sweeps over the strings, and certain other notes are less easily vibrated.
But we find if we but make the effort of the will to restrain the
utterance of some of these easily sounded strings, they will grow more difficult to
sound, unless liable to be stirred by the passing breeze. And if we
will pay attention to some of the other strings that have not been giving forth
a clear tone. We will soon get them in good working order. Their
notes will chime forth, clear and vibrant, and will drown the less pleasant
sounds. We have millions of unused brain cells awaiting our cultivation. We are
using but a few of them, and some of these we are working to
death. We are able to give some of these cells a rest by using
other cells. The brain may be trained and cultivated in a manner incredible to
one who has not looked into the subject. Mental attitudes may be acquired and
cultivated, changed and discarded at will. There is no longer any excuse for
people manifesting unpleasant and harmful mental states. We have the remedy in our own
hands. We acquire habits of thought, feeling, and action by repeated use.
We may be born with a tendency in a certain direction, or we
may acquire tendencies by suggestions from others, such as the examples of those around
us, suggestions from reading, listening to teachers. We are a bundle of
mental habits. Each time we indulge in an undesirable thought or habit, the
easy does it become for us to repeat that thought or action. Mental scientists
are in the habit of speaking of desirable thoughts or mental attitudes as positive and
of the undesirable ones as negative. There is a good reason for this.
The mind instinctively recognizes certain things as good for the individual to which it belongs,
and it clears the path for such thoughts and interposes the least resistance to
them. They have a much greater effect than an undesirable thought possesses, and
one positive thought will counteract the number of negative thoughts. The best way to
overcome undesirable or negative thoughts and feelings is to cultivate the positive ones. The
positive thought is the strongest plant, and will in time starve out the negative
one by withdrawing from it the nourishment necessary for its existence. Of course,
the negative thought will set up a vigorous resistance at first, for it is
a fight for life with it. In the slang words of the time,
it sees its finish. If the positive thought is allowed to grow and develop
ssequently, it makes things unpleasant for the individual until he has started well into
the work of starving it out. Brain cells do not like to be laid
on the shelf any more than does any other form of living energy, and
they rebel and struggle until they are too weak to do so. The best
way is to pay as little attention as possible to these weeds of the mind,
but put in as much time as possible watering, caring for, and
attending to the new and beautiful plants in the garden of the mind. For
instance, if you are apt to hate people, you can best overcome the
negative thought by cultivating love in its place. Think love and act it out
as often as possible. Cultivate thoughts of kindness, and act as kindly as
you can to everyone with whom you come in contact. You will have trouble
at the start, but gradually love will master hate, and the latter will
begin to droop and wither. If you have a tendency towards the blues,
cultivate a smile and a cheerful view of things. Insist upon your mouth wearing
upturned corners, and make an effort of the will to look upon the bright
side of things. The blue devils will set up a fight, of course,
but pay no attention to them. Just go on cultivating optimism and cheerfulness.
Let bright, cheerful, and happy be your watchword. And try to
live it out. These recipes may seem very old and time worn, but
they are psychological truths and may be used by you to advantage. If you
once comprehend the nature of the thing, the affirmations and auto suggestions of the
several schools may be understood and taken advantage of. You may make yourself energetic
instead of a slothful actu instead of lazy. By this method, it is
all a matter of practice and steady work new thought. People often have much
to say about holding the thought, and indeed it is necessary to hold the
thought in order to accomplish results. But something more is needed. You must
act out the thought until it becomes a fixed habit with you. Thoughts take
form in action, and in turn, actions influence thought. So by acting
out certain lines of thought, the actions react upon the mind and increase the
development of the part of the mind having close relation to the act. Each
time the mind entertains a thought, the easier becomes a resulting action, and
each time an act is performed, the easier becomes the corresponding thought. So
you see, the thing works both ways action and reaction. If you feel
cheerful and happy, it is very natural for you to laugh, And if
you will laugh a little, you'll begin to feel bright and cheerful. Do
you see what I Am trying to get at? Here? It is in
a nutshell. If you wish to cultivate a certain habit of action, begin
by cultivating the mental attitude corresponding to it. And as a means of cultivating
that mental attitude, start to act out or go through the motion of the
act corresponding to the thought. Now see if you cannot apply this rule.
Take up something that you really feel should be done, but which you do
not feel like doing. Cultivate the thought leading up to it. Say to
yourself, I like to do so and so, and then go through the
motions cheerfully, remember and act out the thought that you like to do the
thing. Take an interest in the doing, study out the best way to
do it, put brains into it, take a pride in it, and
you will find yourself doing the thing with a considerable amount of pleasure and interest.
You will have cultivated a new habit. If you prefer trying it on
some mental tray of which you wish to be rid, it will work the
same way. Start in to cultivate the opposite tray and think it out and
act it out for all you are worth. Then watch the change that will
come over you. Don't be discouraged at the resistance you will encounter it first,
but sing gaily I can and I will, and get to work,
work in earnest. The important thing in this work is to keep cheerful and
interested. If you manage to do this, the rest will be easy.