James Allen, who wrote the masterpiece, As a Man Thinketh, talks about the vital power of the mind in creating success. All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct results of his own thoughts. In a justly ordered universe, where loss of equipoise would mean total destruction, individual responsibility must be absolute. A mans weakness and strength, purity and impurity, are his own, and not another mans; they are brought about by himself, and not by another; and they can only be altered by himself, never another. His condition is also his own, and not another mans. His suffering had his happiness are evolved from within. As he thinks, so is he as he continues to think, so he remains. We neglect our minds by allowing them to be conditioned, by habits, by environment, by our social systems, and when things go wrong, we blame it on others, or events outside our control, but, in truth, we are the ones responsible...for our minds are perfectly capable of rising to the occasion, of creating original thoughts based on fresh perceptions. Those who use the mind well may produce sublime works of art or science, create great fortunes, discover new worlds. An alert, well-ordered mind is a powerful asset. Do you neglect the power of your mind? Do you, for example, ask your mind for terrible things? Thoughts create effects, on your body, in your personal interactions, and in the environment. They are dynamic. Even a passive thought is having some kind of effect on your internal organs or the way your biochemistry works. Do you ask your mind for ill-health, poverty, fear, ignorance, bad habits, incompetence, misfortune? If you are experiencing any such conditions it is because you have specifically directed your mind that way. Or do you, simply, not use your mind to create your reality, but merely respond to your environment, acting reflexively, without original thought or perception, without much awareness, lulled into a mind-numbing routine. The mind is vital to creation. If it is used well, it can produce thoughts that create a magical reality around you. However, if , for one reason or another, you have become a slave to habits, to autonomic thought processes, to reflexive behavior and unoriginal thinking, then your thoughts will produce poor results in your life, and, you might throw away a fortune. |
