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As A Man Thinketh

by James Allen
Brought to you by Robb's Daily Motivation www.RobbsDailyMotivation.com

Foreword
This little volume (the result o meditation and e!"erience# is not intended as an e!haustive treatise on the much$written u"on sub%ect o the "ower o thought. &t is suggestive rather than e!"lanatory' its ob%ect being to stimulate men and women to the discovery and "erce"tion o the truth that $ "They themselves are makers of themselves" by virtue o the thoughts which they choose and encourage( that mind is the master weaver' both o the inner garment o character and the outer garment o circumstance' and that' as they may have hitherto woven in ignorance and "ain they may now weave in enlightenment and ha""iness.
)ames Allen

*ha"ter +ne Thought and *haracter


The a"horism' ,As a man thinketh in his heart so is he', not only embraces the whole o a man's being' but is so com"rehensive as to reach out to every condition and circumstance o his li e. A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the com"lete sum o all his thoughts. As the "lant s"rings rom' and could not be without' the seed' so every act o a man s"rings rom the hidden seeds o thought' and could not have a""eared without them. This a""lies e-ually to those acts called ,s"ontaneous, and ,un"remeditated, as to those which are deliberately e!ecuted. Act is the blossom o thought' and %oy and su ering are its ruits( thus does a man garner in the sweet and bitter ruitage o his own husbandry. Thought in the mind hath made us. What we are By thought we wrought and built. If a man's mind ath evil thoughts, !ain "omes on him as "omes The wheel the o# behind . . . If one endure in !urity of thought $oy follows him as his own shadow % sure. Man is a growth by law' and not a creation by arti ice' and cause and e ect is as absolute and undeviating in the hidden realm o thought as in the world o visible and material things. A noble and .odlike character is not a thing o avor or chance' but is the natural result o continued e ort in right thinking' the e ect o long$ cherished association with .odlike thoughts. An ignoble and bestial character' by the same "rocess' is the result o the continued harboring o groveling thoughts. Man is made or unmade by himsel ( in the armory o thought he orges the wea"ons by which he destroys himsel . /e also ashions the tools with which he builds or himsel heavenly mansions o %oy and strength and "eace. By the right choice and true a""lication o thought' man ascends to the Divine 0er ection( by the abuse and wrong a""lication o thought' he descends below the level o the beast. Between these two e!tremes are all the grades o character' and man is their maker and master. + all the beauti ul truths "ertaining to the soul which have been restored and

brought to light in this age' none is more gladdening or ruit ul o divine "romise and con idence than this $ that man is the master o thought' the molder o character' and maker and sha"er o condition' environment' and destiny. As a being o 0ower' &ntelligence' and 1ove' and the lord o his own thoughts' man holds the key to every situation' and contains within himsel that trans orming and regenerative agency by which he may make himsel what he wills. Man is always the master' even in his weakest and most abandoned state( but in his weakness and degradation he is the oolish master who misgoverns his ,household., 2hen he begins to re lect u"on his condition' and to search diligently or the 1aw u"on which his being is established' he then becomes the wise master' directing his energies with intelligence' and ashioning his thoughts to ruit ul issues. 3uch is the "ons"ious master' and man can only thus become by discovering within himself the laws o thought( which discovery is totally a matter o a""lication' sel $analysis' and e!"erience. +nly by much searching and mining are gold an diamonds obtained' and man can ind every truth connected with his being i he will dig dee" into the mine o his soul. And that he is the maker o his character' the molder o his li e' and the builder o his destiny' he may unerringly "rove4 i he will watch' control' and alter his thoughts' tracing their e ects u"on himsel ' u"on others' and u"on his li e and circumstances( i he will link cause and e ect by "atient "ractice and investigation' utili5ing his every e!"erience' even to the most trivial' as a means o obtaining that knowledge o himsel . &n this direction' as in no other' is the law absolute that ,/e that seeketh indeth( and to him that knocketh it shall be o"ened,( or only by "atience' "ractice' and ceaseless im"ortunity can a man enter the Door o the Tem"le o 6nowledge.

*ha"ter Two 7 ect o Thought on *ircumstances


A man's mind may be likened to a garden' which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild( but whether cultivated or neglected' it must' and will' bring forth. & no use ul seeds are !ut into it' then an abundance o useless weed seeds will fall therein' and will continue to "roduce their kind.

)ust as a gardener cultivates his "lot' kee"ing it ree rom weeds' and growing the lowers and ruits which he re-uires' so may a man tend the garden o his mind' weeding out all the wrong' useless' and im"ure thoughts' and cultivating toward "er ection the lowers and ruits o right' use ul' and "ure thoughts' By "ursuing this "rocess' a man sooner or later discovers that he is the master gardener o his soul' the director o his li e. /e also reveals' within himsel ' the laws o thought' and understands with ever$increasing accuracy' how the thought orces and mind elements o"erate in the sha"ing o his character' circumstances' and destiny. Thought and character are one' and as character can only mani est and discover itsel through environment and circumstance' the outer conditions o a "erson's li e will always be ound to be harmoniously related to his inner state. This does not mean that a man's circumstances at any given time are an indication o his entire character' but that those circumstances are so intimately connected with some vital thought element within himsel that' or the time being' they are indis"ensable to his develo"ment. 7very man is where he is by the law o his being. The thoughts which he has built into his character have brought him there' and in the arrangement o his li e there is no element o chance' but all is the result o a law which cannot err. This is %ust as true o those who eel ,out o harmony, with their surroundings as o those who are contented with them. As the "rogressive and evolving being' man is where he is that he may learn that he may grow( and as he learns the s"iritual lesson which any circumstance contains or him' it "asses away and gives "lace to other circumstances. Man is bu eted by circumstances so long as he believes himsel to be the creature o outside conditions. But when he reali5es that he may command the hidden soil and seeds o his being out o which circumstances grow' he then becomes the right ul master o himsel . That circumstances grow out o thought every man knows who has or any length o time "racticed sel $control and sel $"uri ication' or he will have noticed that the alteration in his circumstances has been in e!act ratio with his altered mental condition. 3o true is this that when a man earnestly a""lies himsel to remedy the de ects in his character' and makes swi t and marked "rogress' he "asses ra"idly through a succession o vicissitudes. The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors( that which it loves' and also that which it ears. &t reaches the height o its cherished as"irations. &t alls to the level o its unchastened desires $ and circumstances are the means by which the soul

receives its own. 7very thought seed sown or allowed to all into the mind' and to take root there' "roduces its own' blossoming sooner or later into act' and bearing its own ruitage o o""ortunity and circumstance. .ood thoughts bear good ruit' bad thoughts bad ruit. The outer world o circumstance sha"es itsel to the inner world o thought' and both "leasant and un"leasant e!ternal conditions are actors which make or the ultimate good o the individual. As the rea"er o his own harvest' man learns both by su ering and bliss. A man does not come to the almshouse or the %ail by the tyranny o ate o circumstance' but by the "athway o groveling thoughts and base desires. 8or does a "ure$minded man all suddenly into crime by stress o any mere e!ternal orce( the criminal thought had long been secretly ostered in the heart' and the hour o o""ortunity revealed its gathered "ower. *ircumstance does not make the man( it reveals him to himsel . 8o such conditions can e!ist as descending into vice and its attendant su erings a"art rom vicious inclinations' or ascending into virtue and its "ure ha""iness without the continued cultivation o virtuous as"irations. And man' there ore' as the 1ord and master o thought' is the maker o himsel ' the sha"er and author o environment. 7ven at birth the soul comes to its own' and through every ste" o its earthly "ilgrimage it attracts those combinations o conditions which reveal itsel ' which are the re lections o its own "urity and im"urity' its strength and weakness. Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are. Their whims' ancies' and ambitions are thwarted at every ste"' but their inmost thoughts and desires are ed with their own ood' be it oul or clean. The ,divinity that sha"es our ends, is in ourselves( it is our very sel . Man is manacled only by himsel . Thought and action are the %ailers o Fate $ they im"rison' being base. They are also the angels o Freedom $ they liberate' being noble. 8ot what he wishes and "rays or does a man get' but what he %ustly earns. /is wishes and "rayers are only grati ied and answered when they harmoni5e with his thoughts and actions. &n the light o this truth' what' then' is the meaning o , ighting against circumstances,9 &t means that a man is continually revolting against an effe"t without' while all the time he is nourishing and "reserving its "ause in his heart. That cause may take the orm o a conscious vice or an unconscious weakness( but whatever it is' it stubbornly retards the e orts o its "ossessor' and thus calls aloud

or remedy. Men are an!ious to im"rove their circumstances' but are unwilling to im"rove themselves. They there ore remain bound. The man who does not shrink rom sel $ cruci i!ion can never ail to accom"lish the ob%ect u"on which his heart is set. This is as true o earthly as o heavenly things. 7ven the man whose sole ob%ect is to ac-uire wealth must be "re"ared to make great "ersonal sacri ices be ore he can accom"lish his ob%ect( and how much more so he who would reali5e a strong and well$"oised li e9 /ere is a man who is wretchedly "oor. /e is e!tremely an!ious that his surroundings and home com orts should be im"roved. :et all the time he shirks his work' and considers he is %usti ied in trying to deceive his em"loyer on the ground o the insu iciency o his wages. 3uch a man does not understand the sim"lest rudiments o those "rinci"les which are the basis o true "ros"erity. /e is not only totally un itted to rise out o his wretchedness' but is actually attracting to himsel a still dee"er wretchedness by dwelling in' and acting out' indolent' dece"tive' and unmanly thoughts. /ere is a rich man who is the victim o a "ain ul and "ersistent disease as the result o gluttony. /e is willing to give large sums o money to get rid o it' but he will not sacri ice his gluttonous desires. /e wants to grati y his taste or rich and unnatural oods and have his health as well. 3uch a man is totally un it to have health' because he has not yet learned the irst "rinci"les o a healthy li e. /ere is an em"loyer o labor who ado"ts crooked measures to avoid "aying the regulation wage' and' in the ho"e o making larger "ro its' reduces the wages o his work"eo"le. 3uch a man is altogether un itted or "ros"erity. And when he inds himsel bankru"t' both as regards re"utation and riches' he blames circumstances' not knowing that he is the sole author o his condition. & have introduced these three cases merely as illustrative o the truth that man is the cause (though nearly always unconsciously# o his circumstances. That' while aiming at the good end' he is continually rustrating its accom"lishment by encouraging thoughts and desires which cannot "ossibly harmoni5e with that end. 3uch cases could be multi"lied and varied almost inde initely' but this is not necessary. The reader can' i he so resolves' trace the action o the laws o thought in his own mind and li e' and until this is done' mere e!ternal acts cannot serve as a ground o reasoning. *ircumstances' however' are so com"licated' thought is so dee"ly rooted' and the conditions o ha""iness vary so vastly with individuals' that a man's entire soul

condition (although it may be known to himsel # cannot be %udged by another rom the e!ternal as"ect o his li e alone. A man may be honest in certain directions' yet su er "rivations. A man may be dishonest in certain directions' yet ac-uire wealth. But the conclusion usually ormed that the one man ails be"ause of his !arti"ular honesty, and that the other "ros"ers be"ause of his !arti"ular dishonesty, is the result o a su"er icial %udgment' which assumes that the dishonest man is almost totally corru"t' and honest man almost entirely virtuous. &n the light o a dee"er knowledge and wider e!"erience' such %udgment is ound to be erroneous. The dishonest man may have some admirable virtues which the other does not "ossess( and the honest man obno!ious vices which are absent in the other. The honest man rea"s the good results o his honest thoughts and acts( he also brings u"on himsel the su erings which his vices "roduce. The dishonest man likewise garners his own su ering and ha""iness. &t is "leasing to human vanity to believe that one su ers because o one's virtue. But not until a man has e!tir"ated every sickly' bitter' and im"ure thought rom his mind' and washed every sin ul stain rom his soul' can he be in a "osition to know and declare that his su erings are the result o his good' and not o his bad -ualities. And on the way to that su"reme "er ection' he will have ound working in his mind and li e' the .reat 1aw which is absolutely %ust' and which cannot give good or evil' evil or good. 0ossessed o such knowledge' he will then know' looking back u"on his "ast ignorance and blindness' that his li e is' and always was' %ustly ordered' and that all his "ast e!"eriences' good and bad' were the e-uitable outworking o his evolving' yet unevolved sel . .ood thoughts and actions can never "roduce bad results. Bad thoughts and actions can never "roduce good results. This is but saying that nothing can come rom corn but corn' nothing rom nettles but nettles. Men understand this law in the natural world' and work with it. But ew understand it in the mental and moral world (though its o"eration there is %ust as sim"le and undeviating#' and they' there ore' do not coo"erate with it. 3u ering is always the e ect o wrong thought in some direction. &t is an indication that the individual is out o harmony with himsel ' with the 1aw o his being. The sole and su"reme use o su ering is to "uri y' to burn out all that is useless and im"ure. 3u ering ceases or him who is "ure. There could be not ob%ect in burning gold a ter the dross had been removed' and "er ectly "ure and enlightened being could not su er. The circumstances which a man encounters with su ering are the result o his own mental inharmony. The circumstances which a man encounters with blessedness'

not material "ossessions' is the measure o right thought. 2retchedness' not lack o material "ossessions' is the measure o wrong thought. A man may be cursed and rich( he may be blessed and "oor. blessedness and riches are only %oined together when the riches are rightly and wisely used. And the "oor man only descends into wretchedness when he regards his lot as a burden un%ustly im"osed. &ndigence and indulgence are the two e!tremes o wretchedness. They are both e-ually unnatural and the result o mental disorder. A man is not rightly conditioned until he is a ha""y' healthy' and "ros"erous being. And ha""iness' health' and "ros"erity are the result o a harmonious ad%ustment o the inner with the outer' o the man with his surroundings. A man only begins to be a man when he ceases to whine and revile' and commences to search or the hidden %ustice which regulates his li e. And as he ada"ts his mind to that regulating actor' he ceases to accuse others as the cause o his condition' and builds himsel u" in strong and noble thoughts. /e ceases to kick against circumstances' but begins to use them as aids to his more ra"id "rogress' and as a means o discovering the hidden "owers and "ossibilities within himsel . 1aw' not con usion' is the dominating "rinci"le in the universe. )ustice' not in%ustice' is the soul and substance o li e. And righteousness' not corru"tion' is the molding and moving orce in the s"iritual government o the world. This being so' man has but to right himsel to ind that the universe is right( and during the "rocess o "utting himsel right' he will ind that as he alters his thoughts toward things and other "eo"le' things and other "eo"le will alter toward him. The "roo o this truth is in every "erson' and it there ore admits o easy investigation by systematic intros"ection and sel $analysis. 1et a man radically alter his thoughts' and he will be astonished at the ra"id trans ormation it will e ect in the material conditions o his li e. men imagine that thought can be ke"t secret' but it cannot. &t ra"idly crystalli5es into habit' and habit solidi ies into habits o drunkenness and sensuality' which solidi y into circumstances o destitution and disease. &m"ure thoughts o every kind crystalli5e into enervating and con using habits' which solidi y into distracting and adverse circumstances. Thoughts o ear' doubt' and indecision crystalli5e into weak' unmanly' and irresolute habits' which solidi y into circumstances o ailure' indigence' and slavish de"endence. 1a5y thoughts crystalli5e into habits o uncleanliness and dishonesty' which solidi y into circumstances o oulness and beggary. /ate ul and condemnatory thoughts crystalli5e into habits o accusation and violence' which solidi y into circumstances

o in%ury and "ersecution. 3el ish thoughts o all kinds crystalli5e into habits o sel $ seeking' which solidi y into circumstances more o less distressing. +n the other hand' beauti ul thoughts o all crystalli5e into habits o grace and kindliness' which solidi y into genial and sunny circumstances. 0ure thoughts crystalli5e into habits o tem"erance and sel $control' which solidi y into circumstances o re"ose and "eace. Thoughts o courage' sel $reliance' and decision crystalli5e into manly habits' which solidi y into circumstances o success' "lenty' and reedom. 7nergetic thoughts crystalli5e into habits o cleanliness and industry' which solidi y into circumstances o "leasantness. .entle and orgiving thoughts crystalli5e into habits o gentleness' which solidi y into "rotective and "reservative circumstances. 1oving and unsel ish thoughts crystalli5e into habits o sel $ orget ulness or others' which solidi y into circumstances o sure and abiding "ros"erity and true riches. A "articular train o thought "ersisted in' be it good or bad' cannot ail to "roduce its results on the character and circumstances. A man cannot dire"tly choose his circumstances' but he can choose his thoughts' and so indirectly' yet surely' sha"e his circumstances. 8ature hel"s every man to the grati ication o the thoughts which he most encourages' and o""ortunities are "resented which will most s"eedily bring to the sur ace both the good and evil thoughts. 1et a man cease rom his sin ul thoughts' and all the world will so ten toward him' and be ready to hel" him. 1et him "ut away his weakly and sickly thoughts' and lo; o""ortunities will s"ring u" on every hand to aid his strong resolves. 1et him encourage good thoughts' and no hard ate shall bind him down to wretchedness and shame. The world is your kaleidosco"e' and the varying combinations o colors which at every succeeding moment it "resents to you are the e!-uisitely ad%usted "ictures o your evermoving thoughts. &ou will be what you will to be' (et failure find its false "ontent In that !oor word, "environment," But s!irit s"orns it, and is free. It masters time, it "on)uers s!a"e' It "ows that boastful tri"kster, *han"e, And bids the tyrant *ir"umstan"e +n"rown, and fill a servant's !la"e.

The human Will, that for"e unseen, The offs!ring of a deathless ,oul, *an hew a way to any goal, Though walls of granite intervene. Be not im!atient in delay, But wait as one who understands' When s!irit rises and "ommands, The gods are ready to obey.

*ha"ter Three 7 ect o Thought on /ealth and the Body


The body is the servant o the mind. &t obeys the o"erations o the mind' whether they be deliberately chosen or automatically e!"ressed. At the bidding o unlaw ul thoughts the body sinks ra"idly into disease and decay( at the command o glad and beauti ul thoughts it becomes clothed with youth ulness and beauty. Disease and health' like circumstances' are rooted in thought. 3ickly thoughts will e!"ress themselves through a sickly body. Thoughts o ear have been known to kill a man as s"eedily as a bullet' and they are continually killing thousands o "eo"le %ust as surely though less ra"idly. The "eo"le who live in ear o disease are the "eo"le who get it. An!iety -uickly demorali5es the whole body' and lays it o"en to the entrance o disease( while im"ure thoughts' even i not "hysically indulged' will soon shatter the nervous system. 3trong' "ure' and ha""y thoughts build u" the body in vigor and grace. The body is a delicate and "lastic instrument' which res"onds readily to the thoughts by which it is im"ressed' and habits o thought will "roduce their own e ects' good or bad' u"on it. Men will continue to have im"ure and "oisoned blood so long as they "ro"agate unclean thoughts. +ut o a clean heart comes a clean li e and a clean body. +ut o a de iled mind "roceeds a de iled li e and corru"t body. Thought is the ountain o

action' li e and mani estation( make the ountain "ure' and all will be "ure. *hange o diet will not hel" a man who will not change his thoughts. 2hen a man makes his thoughts "ure' he no longer desires im"ure ood. & you would "er ect your body' guard your mind. & you would renew your body' beauti y your mind. Thoughts o malice' envy' disa""ointment' des"ondency' rob the body o its health and grace. A sour ace does not come by chance( it is made by sour thoughts. 2rinkles that mar are drawn by olly' "assion' "ride. & know a woman o ninety$si! who has the bright' innocent ace o a girl. & know a man well under middle age whose ace is drawn into inharmonious contours. The one is the result o a sweet and sunny dis"osition( the other is the outcome o "assion and discontent. As you cannot have a sweet and wholesome abode unless you admit the air and sunshine reely into your rooms' so a strong body and a bright' ha""y' or serene countenance can only result rom the ree admittance into the mind o thoughts o %oy and good will and serenity. +n the aces o the aged there are wrinkles made by sym"athy' others by strong and "ure thought' others are carved by "assion. 2ho cannot distinguish them9 2ith those who have lived righteously' age is calm' "eace ul' and so tly mellowed' like the setting sun. & have recently seen a "hiloso"her on his deathbed. /e was not old e!ce"t in years. /e died as sweetly and "eace ully as he had lived. There is no "hysician like cheer ul thought or dissi"ating the ills o the body( there is no com orter to com"are with good will or dis"ersing the shadows o grie and sorrow. To live continually in thoughts o ill will' cynicism' sus"icion' and envy' is to be con ined in a sel $made "rison hole. But to think well o all' to be cheer ul with all' to "atiently learn to ind the good in all $ such unsel ish thoughts are the very "ortals o heaven( and to dwell day to day in thoughts o "eace toward every creature will bring abounding "eace to their "ossessor.

*ha"ter Four Thought and 0ur"ose

<ntil thought is linked with "ur"ose there is no intelligent accom"lishment. 2ith the ma%ority the bark o thought is allowed to ,dri t, u"on the ocean o li e. Aimlessness is a vice' and such dri ting must not continue or him who would steer clear o catastro"he and destruction. They who have no central "ur"ose in their li e all an easy "rey to worries' ears' troubles' and sel $"ityings' all o which are indications o weakness' which lead' %ust as surely as deliberately "lanned sins (though by a di erent route#' to ailure' unha""iness' and loss' or weakness cannot "ersist in a "ower$evolving universe. A man should conceive o a legitimate "ur"ose in his heart' and set out to accom"lish it. /e should make this "ur"ose the centrali5ing "oint o his thoughts. &t may take the orm o a s"iritual ideal' or it may be a worldly ob%ect' according to his nature at the time being. But whichever it is' he should steadily ocus his thought orces u"on the ob%ect which he has set be ore him. /e should make this "ur"ose his su"reme duty' and should devote himsel to its attainment' not allowing his thoughts to wander away into e"hemeral ancies' longings' and imaginings. This is the royal road to sel $control and true concentration o thought. 7ven i he ails again and again to accom"lish his "ur"ose (as he necessarily must until weakness is overcome#' the strength of "hara"ter gained will be the measure o his true success' and this will orm a new starting "oint or uture "ower and trium"h. Those who are not "re"ared or the a""rehension o a great "ur"ose' should i! the thoughts u"on the aultless "er ormance o their duty' no matter how insigni icant their task may a""ear. +nly in this way can the thoughts be gathered and ocused' and resolution and energy be develo"ed' which being done' there is nothing which may not be accom"lished. The weakest soul' knowing its own weakness' and believing this truth $ that strength "an only be develo!ed by effort and !ra"ti"e, will at once begin to e!ert itsel ' and adding e ort to e ort' "atience to "atience' and strength to strength' will never cease to develo"' and will at last grow divinely strong. As the "hysically weak man can make himsel strong by care ul and "atient training' so the man o weak thoughts can make them strong by e!ercising himsel in right thinking. To "ut away aimlessness and weakness' and to begin to think with "ur"ose' is to enter the ranks o those strong ones who only recogni5e ailure as one o the "athways to attainment( who make all conditions serve them' and who think strongly' attem"t earlessly' and accom"lish master ully.

/aving conceived o his "ur"ose' a man should mentally mark out a straight "athway to its achievement' looking neither to the right nor to the le t. Doubts and ears should be rigorously e!cluded( they are disintegrating elements which break u" the straight line o e ort' rendering it crooked' ine ectual' useless. Thoughts o doubt and ear never accom"lish anything' and never can. They always lead to ailure. 0ur"ose' energy' "ower to do' and all strong thoughts cease when doubt and ear cree" in. The will to do s"rings rom the knowledge that we "an do. Doubt and ear are the great enemies o knowledge' and he who encourages them' who does not slay them' thwarts himsel at every ste". /e who has con-uered doubt and ear has con-uered ailure. /is every thought is allied with "ower' and all di iculties are bravely met and wisely overcome. /is "ur"oses are seasonably "lanted' and they bloom and bring orth ruit which does not all "rematurely to the ground. Thought allied earlessly to "ur"ose becomes creative orce. /e who knows this is ready to become something higher and stronger than a mere bundle o wavering thoughts and luctuating sensations. /e who does this has become the conscious and intelligent wielder o his mental "owers.

*ha"ter Five The Thought$Factor in Achievement


All that a man achieves and all that he ails to achieve is the direct result o his own thoughts. &n a %ustly ordered universe' where loss o e-ui"oise would mean total destruction' individual res"onsibility must be absolute. A man's weakness and strength' "urity and im"urity' are his own' and not another man's. They are brought about by himsel ' and not by another( and they can only be altered by himsel ' never by another. /is condition is also his own' and not another man's. /is su ering and his ha""iness are evolved rom within. As he thinks' so he is( as he continues to think' so he remains. A strong man cannot hel" a weaker unless the weaker is willing to be hel"ed' and

even then the weak man must become strong o himsel . /e must' by his own e orts' develo" the strength which he admires in another. 8one but himsel can alter his condition. &t has been usual or men to think and to say' ,Many men are slaves because one is an o""ressor( let us hate the o""ressor., 8ow' however' there is among an increasing ew a tendency to reverse this %udgment' and to say' ,+ne man is an o""ressor because many are slaves( let us des"ise the slaves., The truth is that o""ressor and slave are coo"erators in ignorance' and' while seeming to a lict each other' are in reality a licting themselves. A "er ect 6nowledge "erceives the action o law in the weakness o the o""ressed and the misa""lied "ower o the o""ressor. A "er ect 1ove' seeing the su ering which both states entail' condemns neither. A "er ect *om"assion embraces both o""ressor and o""ressed. /e who has con-uered weakness' and has "ut away all sel ish thoughts' belongs neither to o""ressor nor o""ressed. /e is ree. A man can only rise' con-uer' and achieve by li ting u" his thoughts. /e can only remain weak' and ab%ect' and miserable by re using to li t u" his thoughts. Be ore a man can achieve anything' even in worldly things' he must li t his thoughts above slavish animal indulgence. /e may not' in order to succeed' give u" all animality and sel ishness' by any means( but a "ortion o it must' at least' be sacri iced. A man whose irst thought is bestial indulgence could neither think clearly nor "lan methodically. /e could not ind and develo" his latent resources' and would ail in any undertaking. 8ot having commenced man ully to control his thoughts' he is not in a "osition to control a airs and to ado"t serious res"onsibilities. /e is not it to act inde"endently and stand alone' but he is limited only by the thoughts which he chooses. There can be no "rogress' no achievement without sacri ice. A man's worldly success will be in the measure that he sacri ices his con used animal thoughts' and i!es his mind on the develo"ment o his "lans' and the strengthening o his resolution and sel reliance. And the higher he li ts his thoughts' the more manly' u"right' and righteous he becomes' the greater will be his success' the more blessed an enduring will be his achievements. The universe does not avor the greedy' the dishonest' the vicious' although on the mere sur ace it may sometimes a""ear to do so( it hel"s the honest' the magnanimous' the virtuous. All the great Teachers o the ages have declared this in varying orms' and to "rove and know it a man has but to "ersist in making himsel

more and more virtuous by li ting u" his thoughts. &ntellectual achievements are the result o thought consecrated to the search or knowledge' or or the beauti ul and true in li e and nature. 3uch achievements may be sometimes connected with vanity and ambition but they are not the outcome o those characteristics. They are the natural outgrowth o long an arduous e ort' and o "ure and unsel ish thoughts. 3"iritual achievements are the consummation o holy as"irations. /e who lives constantly in the conce"tion o noble and lo ty thoughts' who dwells u"on all that is "ure and unsel ish' will' as surely as the sun reaches its 5enith and the moon its ull' become wise and noble in character' and rise into a "osition o in luence and blessedness. Achievement' o whatever kind' is the crown o e ort' the diadem o thought. By the aid o sel $control' resolution' "urity' righteousness' and well$directed thought a man ascends. By the aid o animality' indolence' im"urity' corru"tion' and con usion o thought a man descends. A man may rise to high success in the world' and even to lo ty altitudes in the s"iritual realm' and again descend into weakness and wretchedness by allowing arrogant' sel ish' and corru"t thoughts to take "ossession o him. =ictories attained by right thought can only be maintained by watch ulness. Many give way when success is assured' and ra"idly all back into ailure. All achievements' whether in the business' intellectual' or s"iritual world' are the result o de initely directed thought' are governed by the same law and are o the same method( the only di erence lies in the ob$e"t of attainment. /e who would accom"lish little must sacri ice little. /e who would achieve much must sacri ice much. /e who would attain highly must sacri ice greatly.

*ha"ter 3i!

=isions and &deals


The dreamers are the saviors o the world. As the visible world is sustained by the invisible' so men' through all their trials and sins and sordid vocations' are nourished by the beauti ul visions o their solitary dreamers. /umanity cannot orget its dreamers. &t cannot let their ideals ade and die. &t lives in them. &t knows them in the realities which it shall one day see and know. *om"oser' scul"tor' "ainter' "oet' "ro"het' sage' these are the makers o the a terworld' the architects o heaven. The world is beauti ul because they have lived( without them' laboring humanity would "erish. /e who cherishes a beauti ul vision' a lo ty ideal in his heart' will one day reali5e it. *olumbus cherished a vision o another world' and he discovered it. *o"ernicus ostered the vision o a multi"licity o worlds and a wider universe' and he revealed it. Buddha beheld the vision o a s"iritual world o stainless beauty and "er ect "eace' and he entered into it. *herish your visions. *herish your ideals. *herish the music that stirs in your heart' the beauty that orms in your mind' the loveliness that dra"es your "urest thoughts' or out o them will grow all delight ul conditions' all heavenly environment( o these' i you but remain true to them' your world will at last be built. To desire is to obtain( to as"ire is to achieve. 3hall man's basest desires receive the ullest measure o grati ication' and his "urest as"irations starve or lack o sustenance9 3uch is not the 1aw. 3uch a condition o things can never obtain $ ,Ask and receive., Dream lo ty dreams' and as you dream' so shall you become. :our =ision is the "romise o what you shall one day be. :our &deal is the "ro"hecy o what you shall at last unveil. The greatest achievement was at irst and or a time a dream. The oak slee"s in the acorn( the bird waits in the egg( and in the highest vision o the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings o realities. :our circumstances may be uncongenial' but they shall not long remain so i you but "erceive an &deal and strive to reach it. :ou cannot travel within and stand still without. /ere is a youth hard "ressed by "overty and labor( con ined long hours in an unhealthy worksho"( unschooled' and lacking all the arts o re inement. But he dreams o better things. /e thinks o intelligence' o re inement' o grace and beauty. /e conceives o ' mentally builds u"' an ideal condition o li e. The vision o

the wider liberty and a larger sco"e takes "ossession o him( unrest urges him to action' and he utili5es all his s"are time and means' small though they are' to the develo"ment o his latent "owers and resources. =ery soon so altered has his mind become that the worksho" can no longer hold him. &t has become so out o harmony with his mentality that it alls out o his li e as a garment is cast aside' and with the growth o o""ortunities which it the sco"e o his e!"anding "owers' he "asses out o it orever. :ears later we see this youth as a ull$grown man. 2e ind him a master o certain orces o the mind which he wields with world$wide in luence and almost une-ualed "ower. &n his hands he holds the cords o gigantic res"onsibilities. /e s"eaks' and lo; lives are changed. Men and women hang u"on his words and remold their characters' and' sunlike' he becomes the i!ed and luminous center around which innumerable destinies revolve. /e has reali5ed the =ision o his youth. /e has become one with his &deal. And you' too' youth ul reader' will reali5e the =ision (not the idle wish# o your heart' be it base or beauti ul' or a mi!ture o both' or you will always gravitate toward that which you secretly most love. &nto your hands will be "laced the e!act results o your own thoughts( you will receive that which you earn' no more' no less. 2hatever your "resent environment may be' you will all' remain' or rise with your thoughts' your =ision' your &deal. :ou will become as small as your controlling desire( as great as your dominant as"iration. &n the beauti ul words o 3tanton 6irkham Dave' ,:ou may be kee"ing accounts' and "resently you shall walk out o the door that or so long has seemed to you the barrier o your ideals' and shall ind yoursel be ore an audience $ the "en still behind your ear' the ink stains on your ingers $ and then and there shall "our out the torrent o your ins"iration. :ou may be driving shee"' and you shall wander to the city $ bucolic and o"en mouthed( shall wander under the intre"id guidance o the s"irit into the studio o the master' and a ter a time he shall say' '& have nothing more to teach you.' And now you have become the master' who did so recently dream o great things while driving shee". :ou shall lay down the saw and the "lane to take u"on yoursel the regeneration o the world., The thoughtless' the ignorant' and the indolent' seeing only the a""arent e ects o things and not the things themselves' talk o luck' o ortune' and chance. 3ee a man grow rich' they say' ,/ow lucky he is;, +bserving another become intellectual' they e!claim' ,/ow highly avored he is;, And noting the saintly character and wide in luence o another' the remark' ,/ow chance aids him at every turn;,

They do not see the trials and ailures and struggles which these men have voluntarily encountered in order to gain their e!"erience. They have no knowledge o the sacri ices they have made' o the undaunted e orts they have "ut orth' o the aith they have e!ercised' that they might overcome the a""arently insurmountable' and reali5e the =ision o their heart. They do not know the darkness and the heartaches( they only see the light and %oy' and call it ,luck,( do not see the long and arduous %ourney' but only behold the "leasant goal' and call it ,good ortune,( do not understand the "rocess' but only "erceive the result' and call it ,chance., &n all human a airs there are efforts, and there are results, and the strength o the e ort is the measure o the result. *hance is not. ,.i ts', "owers' material' intellectual' and s"iritual "ossessions are the ruits o e ort. They are thoughts com"leted' ob%ects accom"lished' visions reali5ed. The vision that you glori y in your mind' the &deal that you enthrone in your heart $ this you will build your li e by' this you will become.

*ha"ter 3even 3erenity


*almness o mind is one o the beauti ul %ewels o wisdom. &t is the result o long and "atient e ort in sel $control. &ts "resence is an indication o ri"ened e!"erience' and o a more than ordinary knowledge o the laws and o"erations o thought. A man becomes calm in the measure that he understands himsel as a thought$ evolved being' or such knowledge necessitates the understanding o others as the result o thought. As he develo"s a right understanding' and sees more and more clearly the internal relations o things by the action o cause and e ect' he ceases to uss and ume and worry and grieve' and remains "oised' stead ast' serene. The calm man' having learned how to govern himsel ' knows how to ada"t himsel to others( and they' in turn' reverence his s"iritual strength' and eel that they can learn o him and rely u"on him. The more tran-uil a man becomes' the greater is his success' his in luence' his "ower or good. 7ven the ordinary trader will ind his business "ros"erity increase as he develo"s a greater sel $control and e-uanimity'

or "eo"le will always "re er to deal with a man whose demeanor is strongly e-uable. The strong calm man is always loved and revered. /e is like a shade$giving tree in a thirsty land' or a sheltering rock in a storm. 2ho does not love a tran-uil heart' a sweet$tem"ered' balanced li e9 &t does not matter whether it rains or shines' or what changes come to those "ossessing these blessings' or they are always sweet' serene' and calm. That e!-uisite "oise o character which we call serenity is the last lesson culture( it is the lowering o li e' the ruitage o the soul. &t is "recious as wisdom' more to be desired than gold $ yea' than even ine gold. /ow insigni icant mere money$seeking looks in com"arison with a serene li e $ a li e that dwells in the ocean o Truth' beneath the waves' beyond the reach o tem"ests' in the 7ternal *alm; ,/ow many "eo"le we know who sour their lives' who ruin all that is sweet and beauti ul by e!"losive tem"ers' who destroy their "oise o character' and make bad blood; &t is a -uestion whether the great ma%ority o "eo"le do not ruin their lives and mar their ha""iness by lack o sel $control. /ow ew "eo"le we meet in li e who are well$balanced' who have that e!-uisite "oise which is characteristic o the inished character;, :es' humanity surges with uncontrolled "assion' is tumultuous with ungoverned grie ' is blown about by an!iety and doubt. +nly the wise man' only he whose thoughts are controlled and "uri ied' makes the winds and the storms o the soul obey him. Tem"est$tossed souls' wherever ye may be' under whatsoever conditions ye may live' know this $ in the ocean o li e the isles o Blessedness are smiling' and sunny shore o your ideal awaits your coming. 6ee" your hand irmly u"on the helm o thought. &n the bark o your soul reclines the commanding Master( /e does but slee"( wake /im. 3el $control is strength( Right Thought is mastery( *almness is "ower.

3ay unto your heart' ,0eace' be still;, The 7nd

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