In recent years the writers who call their
doctrine by the name of The New Thought - and other kindred thinkers
have called attention to the possibilities of self- help, directing
us to "retire into the silence," there to concentrate our minds upon
those beliefs that are comforting and inspiring to us; and have helped
many thereby to attain peace and self-possession. But still the conscious
use of autosuggestion for the attainment of personal ideals has been
very little discussed, and in the employment of this great power we
are astonishingly backward.
A practicable mechanism of self-control.
Let us, then, outline briefly the chief points necessary to note in
using this force for our own benefit. A necessary preliminary is to
study our problems, analyze our difficulties, make sure exactly what
we want to do and wherein we fail; and thereby to pin our aspirations
down to definite resolves to act in certain ways rather than in certain
other ways. Our ideals are apt to be vague and even conflicting, or
else so abstract and general as to fail to direct us with precision
to any concrete act. We realize dumbly that we are not what we
should be, and we grope for better things; but just wherein the
difference consists, just where is the point where we go off the track,
is uncertain in our minds. As in physical achievement, half the success
lies in applying the effort at just the right place. The men who have
accomplished much are those who have known exactly what they wanted
to do and have concentrated their energies upon that.
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