People say: "One can't help one's thoughts." But one can. The control of the thinking machine is perfectly possible. And since nothing whatever happens to us outside our own brain; since nothing hurts us or gives us pleasure except within the brain, the supreme importance of being able to control what goes on in that mysterious brain is patent. This idea is one of the oldest platitudes, but it is a platitude whose profound truth and urgency most people live and die without realising. People complain of the lack of power to concentrate, not witting that they may acquire the power, if they choose.
And without the power to concentrate; that is to say, without the power to dictate to the brain its task and to ensure obedience; true life is impossible. Mind control is the first element of a full existence.
Hence, it seems to me, the first business of the day should be to put the mind through its paces. You look after your body, inside and out; you run grave danger in hacking hairs off your skin; you employ a whole army of individuals, to enable you to bribe your stomach into decent behaviour. Why not devote a little attention to the far more delicate machinery of the mind, especially as you will require no extraneous aid? It is for this portion of the art and craft of living that I have reserved the time from the moment of quitting your door to the moment of arriving at your office.
"What? I am to cultivate my mind in the street, at the office, in the bus, and in the crowded street again?" Precisely. Nothing simpler! No tools required! Not even a book. Nevertheless, the affair is not easy.
When you leave your house, concentrate your mind on a subject (no matter what, to begin with). You will not have gone ten yards before your mind has skipped away under your very eyes and is larking round the corner with another subject.
Bring it back by the scruff of the neck. There you have reached the station you will have brought it back about forty times. Do not despair. Continue. Keep it up. You will succeed. You cannot by any chance fail if you persevere. It is idle to pretend that your mind is incapable of concentration. Do you not remember that morning when you received a disquieting letter which demanded a very carefully worded answer? How you kept your mind steadily on the subject of the answer, without a second's intermission, until you reached your office; whereupon you instantly sat down and wrote the answer? That was a case in which "you" were focused by circumstances to such a degree of vitality that you were able to dominate your mind like a tyrant. You would have no trifling. You insisted that its work should be done, and its work was done.
By the regular practice of concentration (as to which there is no secret; save the secret of perseverance) you can tyrannise over your mind (which is not the highest part of "you") every hour of the day, and in no matter what place. The exercise is a very convenient one. If you got into your morning bus with a pair of dumbbells for your muscles or an encyclopaedia in ten volumes for your learning, you would probably excite remarks. But as you walk in the street, or sit in the corner of the compartment behind a pipe, or "strap-hang" on the Subterranean, who is to know that you are engaged in the most important of daily acts? Who can laugh at you?
I do not care what you concentrate on, so long as you concentrate. It is the mere disciplining of the thinking machine that counts. But still, you may as well kill two birds with one stone, and concentrate on something useful. Something that you like and are passionate about.
I wish you the best of luck in the control of your mind. ( Which by the way I don't belive in, I believe in self-effort, not luck!). Persevere and be patient, you will succeed!
**Attn Ezine Editors / Site Owners** Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carl Cholette is a young entrepreneur who is specialized for finding and creating business opportunities.Discover, how you can travel the world at wholesale prices while making $2,000 to $10,000 a month with 95% of the work done for you! Click NOW =====> http://www.coastalcenter.ca
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Lifelong Learning Plan is a conscious, continuous engagement in... Read More
Your mind is the only tool that can create success... Read More
I want to focus our thoughts on each of these... Read More
You can be a master achiever by developing the same... Read More
Choose a personal theme song and soundtrack that stirs you... Read More
It was one of the worst periods of time in... Read More
Knowing when to disconnect, shut it off, unplug, or walk... Read More
If that sounds like you, you're not alone. Everyone needs... Read More
So, how can you succeed online without ever experiencing the... Read More
My life is a bubble; but how much solid cash... Read More
Recently, I was asked to write a Top 10 list... Read More
I wrote an article on this very subject, with the... Read More
(excerpted from The Challenge to Succeed audio series)It is a... Read More
With the end of the year fast approaching, now is... Read More
Create a truth and step into it There is a... Read More
Becoming successful requires a lifestyle change. It requires that you... Read More
Use birthdays and other gift-giving holidays to help reach your... Read More
Is it difficult to be professional?I think from my experience... Read More
Of course by now we are all becoming aware of... Read More
The 2004 final of the World's Strongest Man METRx Championship... Read More
Driven by cultural imperatives and inner promptings, we drive ourselves... Read More
Back from my amazing summer excursion, a month long drive... Read More
From time to time I receive correspondence from individuals with... Read More
If you're so smart, why ain't you rich?Becoming a millionaire... Read More
Why do some people end up with boring jobs living... Read More
family-safe home cleaners Northbrook ..When most of us are asked the most important possession... Read More
Hello,You are reading this article because you are one of... Read More
Critics can destroy or inspire you. Your own self critic... Read More
Coming up with new dreams and passions can be fun,... Read More
If that sounds like you, you're not alone. Everyone needs... Read More
Business knowledge and skills are not the only keys to... Read More
Many among us, on many instances, have the habit of... Read More
To be clear about what success is must be the... Read More
How many times do we fail at something, then attemp... Read More
Most self-help truths are obvious but obvious truths are often... Read More
Too often we wait for the 'right time' or 'the... Read More
A More Effective WayI own a stack of self improvement... Read More
Hey Future Millionaire,There's so much value in reading about the... Read More
Evaluations are a tremendous resource to help us know where... Read More
I've just sent an email to my mailing list based... Read More
Do you feel like your stuck?No matter what you do,... Read More
I call the following seven belief lies of success, taking... Read More
Succinctly said, success is harmony. When the result is congruent... Read More
By popular request, I thought I would put together this... Read More
I don't need to be a gypsy fortune teller to... Read More
Sometimes short cuts are not worth taking. They may bring... Read More
Last month Along The Purpose Path was about how to... Read More
Self-sabotage is one key factor that keeps our business from... Read More
The difference between success and failure is based on behavior.... Read More
Management by Objectives, strategic planning, quality, teams, re-engineering. Passing management... Read More
Success |