October 4, 2025 • 31 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Lessons nineteen and twenty of the Power of concentration Lesson
nineteen A concentrated will development new method. You will find
in this chapter a most effective and most practical method
of developing the will. You can develop a strong one
if you want to. You can make your will a
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dynamo to draw you to untold power. Exercises are given,
which will, if practiced, strengthen your will just as you
would strengthen your muscles by athletic exercises. In starting to
do anything, we must first commence with elementary principles. Simple
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exercises will be given. It is impossible to estimate the
ultimate good to be derived from the mental cultivation that
comes through these attempts at concentration. Even the simple exercises
are not to be thought useless in no respect, writes
doctor Oppenheim. Can a man show a finer quality of
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will power than in his own private, intimate life. We
are all subjected to certain temptations. The will decides whether
we will be just or unjust, pure of thought, charitable
in opinion, forbearing and overlooking other shortcomings, whether we live
up to our highest standard. Since these are all controlled
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by the will, we should find time for plenty of
exercises for training of the will in our daily life. You,
of course realize that your will should be trained. You
must also realize that to do this requires effort that
you alone can command. No one can call it forth.
For you to be successful in these exercises, you must
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practice them in a spirit of seriousness and earnestness. I
can show you how to train your will, but your
success depends upon your mastery and application of these methods.
New methods of will training. Select a quiet room where
you will not be interrupted, Have a watch to determine
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the time, and a note book in which to enter observations.
Start each exercise with date and time of day. Exercise
one time decided on. Select some time of the day
when most convenient, Sit in a chair and look at
the door knob for ten minutes. Then write down what
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you experienced. At first, it will seem strange and unnatural.
You will find it hard to hold one position for
ten minutes, but keep as still as you can. The
time will seem long, for it will probably be the
first time you ever sat and did nothing for ten minutes.
You will find your thoughts wandering from the door knob,
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and you will wonder what there can be in this exercise.
Repeat this exercise for six days. Ten p m. Second
day notes. You should be able to sit quieter and
the time should pass more quickly. You will probably feel
a little stronger because of gaining a better control of
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your will. It will brace you up as you have
kept your resolution. Ten p m. Third day notes. It
may be a little harder for you to concentrate on
the door knob, as perhaps you had a very busy
day and your mind kept trying to revert to what
you had been doing during the day. Keep on trying,
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and you will finally succeed in banishing all foreign thoughts.
Then you should feel a desire to gain still more control.
There is a feeling of power that comes over you
when you are able to carry out your will. This
exercise will make you feel bigger, and it awakens a
sense of nobility and manliness. You will say, I find
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that I can actually do what I want to and
can drive foreign thoughts out. The exercise I can now
see is valuable. Ten p m. Fourth day notes, I
found that I could look at the door knob and
concentrate my attention on it at once. Have overcome the
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tendency to move my legs. No other thoughts try to enter.
As I have established the fact that I can do
what I want to do and do not have to
be directed. I feel that I am gaining in mental strength.
I can now see the wonderful value of being the
master of my own will force. I know now if
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I make a resolution, I will keep it. I have
more self confidence and can feel my self control increasing
ten p m Fifth day notes. Each day, I seem
to increase the intensity of my concentration. I feel that
I can center my attention on anything I wish ten
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p m. Six day notes. I can instantly center my
whole attention on the doorknob. Feel that I have thoroughly
mastered this exercise and that I am ready for another.
You have practiced this exercise enough, but before you start another,
I want you to write a summary of just how
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successful you were in controlling the flitting impulses of the
mind and will you will find that this is an
excellent practice. There is nothing more beneficial to the mind
than to pay close attention to its wonderful subtle activities.
Exercise two. Secure a package of playing cards, select some
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time to do the exercise each day at the appointed time,
take the pack in one hand, and then start laying
them down on top of each other, just as slowly
as you can with an even motion. Try to get
them as even as possible. Each card laid down should
completely cover the under one. Do this exercise for six days.
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First day Notes, task will seem tedious and tiresome. Requires
the closest concentration to make each card completely cover the
preceding one. You will probably want to lay them down faster.
It requires patience to lay them down so slowly, but
benefit is lost if not so placed. You will find
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that at first your motions will be jerky and impetuous.
It will require a little practice before you gain an
easy control over your hands and arms. You probably have
never tried to do anything in such a calm way.
It will require the closest attention of your will, but
you will find that you are acquiring a calmness that
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you never had before. You are gradually acquiring new powers.
You recognize how impulsive and impetuous that you have been,
and how by using your will you can control your temperament.
Second day Notes, you start laying the cards down slowly.
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You will find that by practice you can lay them
down much faster. But you want to lay them down slowly,
and therefore you have to watch yourself. The slow, steady
movement is wearisome, but you have to conquer the desire
of wanting to hurry up. Soon, you will find that
you can go slowly or fast at will. Third day notes.
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You still find it hard to go slowly. Your will
urges you to go faster. This is especially true if
you are impulsive, as the impulsive character finds it very
difficult to do anything slowly and deliberately. It goes against
the grain. This exercise still is tiresome, but when you
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do it, it braces you up mentally. You are accomplishing
something you do not like to do. It teaches you
how to concentrate on disagreeable tasks. Writing these notes down,
you will find very helpful. Fourth day notes. I find
that I am beginning to place the cards in a
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mathematical way. I find one card is not completely covering another.
I am getting a little careless and must be more careful.
I command my will to concentrate more. It does not
seem so hard to bring it under control. Fifth day notes.
I find that I am overcoming my jerky movements that
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I can lay the cards down slowly and steadily. I
feel that I am rapidly gaining more poise. I am
getting better control over my will each day, and my
will completely controls my movements. I begin to look on
my will as a great governing power. I would not
think of parting with the knowledge of will I have gained.
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I find it is a good exercise and know it
will help me to accomplish my tasks. Six day notes.
I begin to feel the wonderful possibilities of the will.
It gives me strength to think of the power of will.
I am able to do so much more and better
work now that I realize that I can control my
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will action. Whatever my task, my will is concentrated on it.
I am to keep my will centered there until the
task is finished. The more closely and definitely I determine
what I shall do, the more easily the will carries
it out. Determination imparts compelling force to the will. It
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exerts itself more. The will and the end act and
react on each other. Seventh day notes. Now try to
do everything you do today faster. Don't hurry or become nervous,
Just try to do everything faster, but in a steady manner.
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You will find that the exercises you have practiced in
retardation have steadied your nerves and thereby made it possible
to increase your speed. The will is under your command,
make it carry out resolutions rapidly. This is how you
build up your self control and your self command. It
is then that the human machine acts as its author dictates.
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You certainly should now be able to judge of the
great benefit that comes from writing out your introspections each day.
Of course, you will not have the exact experience given
in these examples, but some of these will fit your case.
Be careful to study your experiences carefully and make as
true a report as you can. Describe your feeling just
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as they seem to you. Allow your fancies to color
your report, and it will be worthless. You have pictured
conditions as you see them. In a few months, if
you again try the same exercises, you will find your
report very much better. By these introspections, we learn to
know ourselves better, and with this knowledge can wonderfully increase
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our efficiency. As you become used to writing out your report,
it will become more accurate. You thus learn how to
govern your impulses, activities, and weaknesses. Each person should try
to plan exercises that will best fit his needs. If
not convenient for you to practice exercises every day, take
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them twice or three times a week, But carry out
any plan you decide to try. If you cannot devote
ten minutes a day to the experiments, start with five
minutes and gradually increase the time the exercise is given.
Are only intended for examples will training without exercise. There
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are many people that do not want to take the
time to practice exercises, so the following instructions for training
the will are given to them. By willing and realizing,
the will grows. Therefore, the more you will, the more
it grows and builds up power. No matter whether your
task is big or small, make it a rule to
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accomplish it in order to fortify your will. Form the
habit of focusing your will in all its strength, upon
the subject to be achieved. You form in this way
the habit of getting a thing done, of carrying out
some plan. You acquire the feeling of being able to
accomplish that which lies before you, no matter what it is.
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This gives you confidence and a sense of power that
you get in no other way. You know when you
can make a resolution that you will keep it. You
do not tackle tasks in a half hearted way, but
with a bold, brave spirit. We know that the will
is able to carry us over big obstacles. Knowing this,
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despair never claims us for a victim. We have wills
and are going to use them with more and more intensity,
thus giving us the power to make our resolution stronger,
our actions freer, and our lives finer and better. The
education of the will should not be left to chance.
It is only definite tasks that will render it energetic, ready, persevering,
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and consistent. The only way it can be done is
by self study and self discipline. The cost is effort, time,
and patience, but the returns are valuable. There are no
magical processes leading to will development, but the development of
your will works wonders for you because it gives you
self mastery, personal power, and energy of character. Concentration of
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the will to win. The adaptability of persons to their
business environment is more a matter of determination than anything else.
In this age, we hear a good deal of talk
about a man's aptitudes. Some of his aptitudes, some of
his powers may be developed to a wonderful extent, but
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he is really an unknown quality until all his latent
powers are developed to their highest possible extent. He may
be a failure in one line and a big success
in another. There are many successful men that did not
succeed well at what they first undertook, but they profited
by their efforts in different directions, and this fitted them
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for higher things. Whereas had they refused to adjust themselves
to their environment, the tide of progress would have swept
them into oblivion. My one aim in all my works
is to try and arouse in the individual the effort
and determination to develop his full capacities his highest possibilities.
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One thing I want you to realize at the start
that it is not so much ability as it is
the will to do that counts. Ability is very plentiful,
but organizing, initiative and creative power are not plentiful. It
is easy to get employees, but to get someone to
train them is harder. Their abilities must be directed to
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the work they can do. They must be shown how
while at work to conserve their energy, and they must
be taught to work in harmony with others. For most
business concerns are dominated by a single personality concentrating on
driving force within. We are all conscious at times that
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we have somewhere within us an active driving force that
is ever trying to push us onward to better deeds.
It is that force that makes us feel determined at
times to do something worth while. It is not thought, emotion,
or feeling. This driving force is something distinct from thought
or emotion. It is a quality of the soul, and
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therefore it has a consciousness all its own. It is
the eye will do of the will. It is the
force that makes the will concentrate. Many have felt this
force working within them, driving them on to accomplish their tasks.
All great men and women become conscious that this supreme
and powerful force is their ally in carrying out great resolutions.
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This driving force is within all, but until you reach
a certain stage, you do not become aware of it.
It is most useful to the worthy. It springs up
naturally without any thought of training. It comes unprovoked and
leaves unnoticed. Just what this force is we do not know,
but we do know that it is what intensifies the
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will in demanding just and harmonious action. The ordinary human
being merely as merchandise, if he could be sold as
a slave, would be worth ten thousand dollars. If somebody
gave you a five thousand dollar automobile, you would take
very good care of it. You wouldn't put sand in
the carburetor, or mix water with the gasoline, or drive
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it furiously over rough roads, or leave it out to
freeze at night. Are you quite sure that you take
care of your own body, your own health, your own
real property, as well as you would take care of
a five thousand dollar automobile if it were given to you.
The man who mixes whiskey with his blood is more
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foolish than a man would be if he mixed water
with gasoline in his car. You can get another car,
You cannot get another body. The man who misses sleep
lives irregularly bolts his food so that his blood supply
is imperfect. That is a foolish man tree eating himself,
as he would not treat any other valuable piece of property.
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Do you try to talk with men and women who
no more than you do? And do you listen rather
than try to tell them what you know? There are
a hundred thousand men of fifty and men of sixty
running along in the old rut, any one of whom
could get out of it and be counted among the
successful men, if only the spark could be found to
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explode the energy within them now going to waste. Each
man must study and solve his own problem. Lesson twenty
Concentration reviewed. In bringing this book to a close, I
again want to impress you with the inestimable value of concentration,
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because those that lack this great power, or rather that
fail to develop it, will generally suffer from poverty and unhappiness,
and their life's work will most often be a failure,
while those that develop and use it will make the
most of their life's opportunities. I have tried to make
these lessons practical, and I am sure that many will
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find them so. Of course, the mere reading of them
will not do you a great deal of good. But
if the exercises are practiced and worked out and apply
to your own individual case, you should be able to
acquire the habit of concentration in such measure as to
greatly improve your work and increase your happiness. But remember,
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the best instruction can only help you to the extent
to which you put it into practice. I have found
it an excellent idea to read a book through first
and then reread it. And when you come to an
idea that appeals to you, stop and think about it. Then,
if applicable to you, repeat it over and over that
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you will be impressed by it. In this way you
can form the habit of picking out all the good
things you read, and these will have a wonderful influence
on your character. In this closing chapter, I want to
impress you to concentrate on what you do instead of
forming most of your work unconsciously or automatically, and tell
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you have formed habits that give you the mastery of
your work and your life powers and forces. Very often
the hardest part of work is thinking about it. When
you get right into it, it does not seem so disagreeable.
This is the experience of many when they first commence
to learn how to concentrate. So never think it a
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difficult task, but undertake it with the I will spirit,
and you will find that its acquirement will be as
easy as its application will be useful. Read the life
of any great man, and you will generally find that
the dominant quality that made him successful was the ability
to concentrate. Study those that have been failures, and you
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will often find that the lack of concentration was the
cause one thing at a time, and that done well
is a good rule. As I can tell. All men
are not born with equal powers, but it is the
way they are used that counts. Opportunity knocks at every
man's door. Those that are successful hear the knock and
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grasp the chance. The failures believe that luck and circumstances
are against them. They always blame someone else instead of
themselves for their lack of success. We get what is
coming to us, nothing more or less. Anything within the
universe is within your grasp. Just use your latent powers,
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and it is yours. You are aided by both visible
and invisible forces when you concentrate on either to do
or to be. Every one is capable of some concentration,
for without it you would be unable to say or
do anything. People differ in the power to concentrate because
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some are unable to will to hold the thought in
mind for the required time. The amount of determination used
determines who has the strongest will. No one's is stronger
than yours. Think of this whenever you go against a
strong opponent. Never say I can't concentrate today. You can
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do it just the minute you say I will. You
can keep your thoughts from straying, just the same as
you can control your arms when once you realize this fact,
you can train the will to concentrate on anything you wish.
If it wanders, it is your fault. You are not
utilizing your will. But don't blame it on your will
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and say it is weak. The will is just the
same whether you act as if it were weak or
as if it were strong. When you act as if
your will is strong, you say I can. When you
act as if it were weak, you say I can't.
It requires the same amount of effort in each case.
Some men get in the habit of thinking I can't
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and they fail. Others think I can and succeed. So
remember it is for you to decide whether you will
join the army of I can't or I can. The
big mistake with so many is that they don't realize
that when they say I can't, they really say I won't. Try.
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You cannot tell what you can do until you try.
Can't means you will not try. Never say you cannot concentrate,
for when you do, you are really saying that you
refuse to try. Whenever you feel like saying, I can't say. Instead,
I possess all will, and I can use as much
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as I wish. You only use as much as you
have trained yourself to use. An experiment to try before
going to bed tonight, repeat, I am going to choose
my own thoughts and to hold them as long as
I choose, I am going to shut out all thoughts
that weaken or interfere that make me timid. My will
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is as strong as any one else. While going to
work the next morning, repeat this over. Keep this up
for a month, and you will find you will have
a better opinion of yourself. These are the factors that
make you a success. Hold fast to them always. Concentration
is nothing but willing to do a certain thing. All
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foreign thoughts can be kept out by willing that they
stay out. You cannot realize your possibilities until you commence
to direct your mind. You then do consciously what you
have before done unconsciously. In this way, you note mistakes,
overcome bad habits, and perfect your conduct. You have at
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times been in a position that required courage, and you
were surprised at the amount you showed. Now, when once
you arouse yourself, you have this courage all time time,
and it is not necessary to have a special occasion
reveal it to you. My object in so strongly impressing
this on your mind is to make you aware that
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the same courage, the same determination that you show at
certain exceptionable times, you have at your command at all times.
It is a part of your vast resources. Use it
often and well, and working out the highest destiny of
which you are capable. Final concentration instruction. You now realize
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that in order to make your life worthy, useful, and happy,
you must concentrate a number of exercises. And all the
needed instruction has been given. It now remains for you
to form the highest ideal that you can in the present,
and live up to that ideal and try to raise it.
Don't waste your time in foolish reading. Select something that
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is inspiring that you may become in rapport with those
that think thoughts that are worth while. Their enthusiasm will
inspire and enlighten you. Read slowly and concentrate on what
you are reading. Let your spirit in the spirit of
the author commune, and you will then sense what is
between the lines, those great things which words cannot express.
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Pay constant attention to one and one thing only for
a given time, and you will soon be able to concentrate.
Hang on to that thought ceaselessly until you have attained
your object. When you work, let your mind dwell steadily
on your task. Think before you speak, and direct your
conversation to the subject under discussion. Do not ramble. Talk slowly, steadily,
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and connectedly. Never form the hurry habit, but be deliberate
in all you do. Assume static attributes without moving a
finger or an eyelid or any part of your body.
Read books that treat of but one continuous subject. Read
long articles and recall the thread of the argument. Associate
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yourself with people who are steady, patient, and tireless in
their thought, action, and work. See how long you can
sit still and think on one subject without interruption, concentrating
on the higher self. Father time keeps going on and on.
Every day he rolls around means one less day for
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you on this planet. Most of us only try to
master the external conditions of this world. We think our
success and happiness depends on us doing so. These are,
of course important, and I don't want you to think
they are not. But I want you to realize that
when death comes, only those inherent and acquired qualities and
conditions within the mentality, your character, conduct, and sole growth
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will go with you. If these are what they should be,
you need not be afraid of not being successful and happy,
for with these qualities you can mold external materials and conditions.
Study yourself, find your strong points and make them stronger
as well as your weak ones and strengthen them. Study
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yourself carefully, and you will see yourself as you really are.
The secret of accomplishment is concentration, or the art of
turning all your power upon just one point at a time.
If you have studied yourself carefully, you should have a
good line on yourself, and you should be able to
make the proper interior readjustments. Remember, first, last, and always,
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right thinking and right living necessarily results in happiness, and
it is therefore within your power to obtain happiness. Any
One that is not happy does not claim their birthright.
Keep in mind that some day you are going to
leave this world, and think of what you will take
with you. This will assist you to concentrate on the
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higher forces. Now start from this minute to act according
to the advice of the Higher Self in everything you do.
If you do its, ever harmonious forces will necessarily ensure
to you a successful fulfillment of all your life purposes.
Whenever you feel tempted to disobey your higher promptings, hold
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the thought my higher Self insures to me the happiness
of doing that which best answers my true relations to
all others. You possess latent talents that, when developed and utilized,
are of assistance to you and others. But if you
do not properly use them, you shirk your duty, and
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you will be the loser and sufferer from the consequences.
Others will also be worse off if you do not
fulfill your obligations. When you have aroused into activity your
thought powers, you will realize the wonderful value of these principles,
and helping you to carry out your plans, the right
in the end must prevail. You can assist in the
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working out of the great plan of the universe and
thereby gain the reward, or you can work against the
great plan and suffer the consequences. The all consuming fires
are gradually purifying all discordant elements. If you choose to
work contrary to the law, you will burn in its crucible.
So I want you to learn to concentrate intelligently on
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becoming in harmony with your higher self. Hold the thought
I will live for my best. I seek wisdom, self knowledge, happiness,
and power to help others. I act from the higher self. Therefore,
only the best can come to me. The more we
become conscious of the presence of the higher self, the
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more we should try to become a true representative of
the human soul and all its wholeness and holiness. Instead
of wasting our time dwelling on some trifling external quality
or defect, we should try to secure a true conception
of what we really are, so as not to overvalue
the external furnishings. You will then not surrender your dignity
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or self respect when others ignorantly make a display of
material things to show off. Only the person that realizes
that he is a permanent being knows what the true
self is.
Lessons nineteen and twenty of the Power of concentration Lesson
nineteen A concentrated will development new method. You will find
in this chapter a most effective and most practical method
of developing the will. You can develop a strong one
if you want to. You can make your will a
(00:23):
dynamo to draw you to untold power. Exercises are given,
which will, if practiced, strengthen your will just as you
would strengthen your muscles by athletic exercises. In starting to
do anything, we must first commence with elementary principles. Simple
(00:43):
exercises will be given. It is impossible to estimate the
ultimate good to be derived from the mental cultivation that
comes through these attempts at concentration. Even the simple exercises
are not to be thought useless in no respect, writes
doctor Oppenheim. Can a man show a finer quality of
(01:04):
will power than in his own private, intimate life. We
are all subjected to certain temptations. The will decides whether
we will be just or unjust, pure of thought, charitable
in opinion, forbearing and overlooking other shortcomings, whether we live
up to our highest standard. Since these are all controlled
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by the will, we should find time for plenty of
exercises for training of the will in our daily life. You,
of course realize that your will should be trained. You
must also realize that to do this requires effort that
you alone can command. No one can call it forth.
For you to be successful in these exercises, you must
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practice them in a spirit of seriousness and earnestness. I
can show you how to train your will, but your
success depends upon your mastery and application of these methods.
New methods of will training. Select a quiet room where
you will not be interrupted, Have a watch to determine
(02:10):
the time, and a note book in which to enter observations.
Start each exercise with date and time of day. Exercise
one time decided on. Select some time of the day
when most convenient, Sit in a chair and look at
the door knob for ten minutes. Then write down what
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you experienced. At first, it will seem strange and unnatural.
You will find it hard to hold one position for
ten minutes, but keep as still as you can. The
time will seem long, for it will probably be the
first time you ever sat and did nothing for ten minutes.
You will find your thoughts wandering from the door knob,
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and you will wonder what there can be in this exercise.
Repeat this exercise for six days. Ten p m. Second
day notes. You should be able to sit quieter and
the time should pass more quickly. You will probably feel
a little stronger because of gaining a better control of
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your will. It will brace you up as you have
kept your resolution. Ten p m. Third day notes. It
may be a little harder for you to concentrate on
the door knob, as perhaps you had a very busy
day and your mind kept trying to revert to what
you had been doing during the day. Keep on trying,
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and you will finally succeed in banishing all foreign thoughts.
Then you should feel a desire to gain still more control.
There is a feeling of power that comes over you
when you are able to carry out your will. This
exercise will make you feel bigger, and it awakens a
sense of nobility and manliness. You will say, I find
(04:00):
that I can actually do what I want to and
can drive foreign thoughts out. The exercise I can now
see is valuable. Ten p m. Fourth day notes, I
found that I could look at the door knob and
concentrate my attention on it at once. Have overcome the
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tendency to move my legs. No other thoughts try to enter.
As I have established the fact that I can do
what I want to do and do not have to
be directed. I feel that I am gaining in mental strength.
I can now see the wonderful value of being the
master of my own will force. I know now if
(04:42):
I make a resolution, I will keep it. I have
more self confidence and can feel my self control increasing
ten p m Fifth day notes. Each day, I seem
to increase the intensity of my concentration. I feel that
I can center my attention on anything I wish ten
(05:04):
p m. Six day notes. I can instantly center my
whole attention on the doorknob. Feel that I have thoroughly
mastered this exercise and that I am ready for another.
You have practiced this exercise enough, but before you start another,
I want you to write a summary of just how
(05:25):
successful you were in controlling the flitting impulses of the
mind and will you will find that this is an
excellent practice. There is nothing more beneficial to the mind
than to pay close attention to its wonderful subtle activities.
Exercise two. Secure a package of playing cards, select some
(05:48):
time to do the exercise each day at the appointed time,
take the pack in one hand, and then start laying
them down on top of each other, just as slowly
as you can with an even motion. Try to get
them as even as possible. Each card laid down should
completely cover the under one. Do this exercise for six days.
(06:12):
First day Notes, task will seem tedious and tiresome. Requires
the closest concentration to make each card completely cover the
preceding one. You will probably want to lay them down faster.
It requires patience to lay them down so slowly, but
benefit is lost if not so placed. You will find
(06:35):
that at first your motions will be jerky and impetuous.
It will require a little practice before you gain an
easy control over your hands and arms. You probably have
never tried to do anything in such a calm way.
It will require the closest attention of your will, but
you will find that you are acquiring a calmness that
(06:57):
you never had before. You are gradually acquiring new powers.
You recognize how impulsive and impetuous that you have been,
and how by using your will you can control your temperament.
Second day Notes, you start laying the cards down slowly.
(07:18):
You will find that by practice you can lay them
down much faster. But you want to lay them down slowly,
and therefore you have to watch yourself. The slow, steady
movement is wearisome, but you have to conquer the desire
of wanting to hurry up. Soon, you will find that
you can go slowly or fast at will. Third day notes.
(07:42):
You still find it hard to go slowly. Your will
urges you to go faster. This is especially true if
you are impulsive, as the impulsive character finds it very
difficult to do anything slowly and deliberately. It goes against
the grain. This exercise still is tiresome, but when you
(08:02):
do it, it braces you up mentally. You are accomplishing
something you do not like to do. It teaches you
how to concentrate on disagreeable tasks. Writing these notes down,
you will find very helpful. Fourth day notes. I find
that I am beginning to place the cards in a
(08:22):
mathematical way. I find one card is not completely covering another.
I am getting a little careless and must be more careful.
I command my will to concentrate more. It does not
seem so hard to bring it under control. Fifth day notes.
I find that I am overcoming my jerky movements that
(08:45):
I can lay the cards down slowly and steadily. I
feel that I am rapidly gaining more poise. I am
getting better control over my will each day, and my
will completely controls my movements. I begin to look on
my will as a great governing power. I would not
think of parting with the knowledge of will I have gained.
(09:07):
I find it is a good exercise and know it
will help me to accomplish my tasks. Six day notes.
I begin to feel the wonderful possibilities of the will.
It gives me strength to think of the power of will.
I am able to do so much more and better
work now that I realize that I can control my
(09:30):
will action. Whatever my task, my will is concentrated on it.
I am to keep my will centered there until the
task is finished. The more closely and definitely I determine
what I shall do, the more easily the will carries
it out. Determination imparts compelling force to the will. It
(09:52):
exerts itself more. The will and the end act and
react on each other. Seventh day notes. Now try to
do everything you do today faster. Don't hurry or become nervous,
Just try to do everything faster, but in a steady manner.
(10:12):
You will find that the exercises you have practiced in
retardation have steadied your nerves and thereby made it possible
to increase your speed. The will is under your command,
make it carry out resolutions rapidly. This is how you
build up your self control and your self command. It
is then that the human machine acts as its author dictates.
(10:37):
You certainly should now be able to judge of the
great benefit that comes from writing out your introspections each day.
Of course, you will not have the exact experience given
in these examples, but some of these will fit your case.
Be careful to study your experiences carefully and make as
true a report as you can. Describe your feeling just
(11:00):
as they seem to you. Allow your fancies to color
your report, and it will be worthless. You have pictured
conditions as you see them. In a few months, if
you again try the same exercises, you will find your
report very much better. By these introspections, we learn to
know ourselves better, and with this knowledge can wonderfully increase
(11:23):
our efficiency. As you become used to writing out your report,
it will become more accurate. You thus learn how to
govern your impulses, activities, and weaknesses. Each person should try
to plan exercises that will best fit his needs. If
not convenient for you to practice exercises every day, take
(11:45):
them twice or three times a week, But carry out
any plan you decide to try. If you cannot devote
ten minutes a day to the experiments, start with five
minutes and gradually increase the time the exercise is given.
Are only intended for examples will training without exercise. There
(12:05):
are many people that do not want to take the
time to practice exercises, so the following instructions for training
the will are given to them. By willing and realizing,
the will grows. Therefore, the more you will, the more
it grows and builds up power. No matter whether your
task is big or small, make it a rule to
(12:28):
accomplish it in order to fortify your will. Form the
habit of focusing your will in all its strength, upon
the subject to be achieved. You form in this way
the habit of getting a thing done, of carrying out
some plan. You acquire the feeling of being able to
accomplish that which lies before you, no matter what it is.
(12:50):
This gives you confidence and a sense of power that
you get in no other way. You know when you
can make a resolution that you will keep it. You
do not tackle tasks in a half hearted way, but
with a bold, brave spirit. We know that the will
is able to carry us over big obstacles. Knowing this,
(13:10):
despair never claims us for a victim. We have wills
and are going to use them with more and more intensity,
thus giving us the power to make our resolution stronger,
our actions freer, and our lives finer and better. The
education of the will should not be left to chance.
It is only definite tasks that will render it energetic, ready, persevering,
(13:36):
and consistent. The only way it can be done is
by self study and self discipline. The cost is effort, time,
and patience, but the returns are valuable. There are no
magical processes leading to will development, but the development of
your will works wonders for you because it gives you
self mastery, personal power, and energy of character. Concentration of
(14:02):
the will to win. The adaptability of persons to their
business environment is more a matter of determination than anything else.
In this age, we hear a good deal of talk
about a man's aptitudes. Some of his aptitudes, some of
his powers may be developed to a wonderful extent, but
(14:22):
he is really an unknown quality until all his latent
powers are developed to their highest possible extent. He may
be a failure in one line and a big success
in another. There are many successful men that did not
succeed well at what they first undertook, but they profited
by their efforts in different directions, and this fitted them
(14:44):
for higher things. Whereas had they refused to adjust themselves
to their environment, the tide of progress would have swept
them into oblivion. My one aim in all my works
is to try and arouse in the individual the effort
and determination to develop his full capacities his highest possibilities.
(15:05):
One thing I want you to realize at the start
that it is not so much ability as it is
the will to do that counts. Ability is very plentiful,
but organizing, initiative and creative power are not plentiful. It
is easy to get employees, but to get someone to
train them is harder. Their abilities must be directed to
(15:27):
the work they can do. They must be shown how
while at work to conserve their energy, and they must
be taught to work in harmony with others. For most
business concerns are dominated by a single personality concentrating on
driving force within. We are all conscious at times that
(15:47):
we have somewhere within us an active driving force that
is ever trying to push us onward to better deeds.
It is that force that makes us feel determined at
times to do something worth while. It is not thought, emotion,
or feeling. This driving force is something distinct from thought
or emotion. It is a quality of the soul, and
(16:10):
therefore it has a consciousness all its own. It is
the eye will do of the will. It is the
force that makes the will concentrate. Many have felt this
force working within them, driving them on to accomplish their tasks.
All great men and women become conscious that this supreme
and powerful force is their ally in carrying out great resolutions.
(16:35):
This driving force is within all, but until you reach
a certain stage, you do not become aware of it.
It is most useful to the worthy. It springs up
naturally without any thought of training. It comes unprovoked and
leaves unnoticed. Just what this force is we do not know,
but we do know that it is what intensifies the
(16:57):
will in demanding just and harmonious action. The ordinary human
being merely as merchandise, if he could be sold as
a slave, would be worth ten thousand dollars. If somebody
gave you a five thousand dollar automobile, you would take
very good care of it. You wouldn't put sand in
the carburetor, or mix water with the gasoline, or drive
(17:21):
it furiously over rough roads, or leave it out to
freeze at night. Are you quite sure that you take
care of your own body, your own health, your own
real property, as well as you would take care of
a five thousand dollar automobile if it were given to you.
The man who mixes whiskey with his blood is more
(17:41):
foolish than a man would be if he mixed water
with gasoline in his car. You can get another car,
You cannot get another body. The man who misses sleep
lives irregularly bolts his food so that his blood supply
is imperfect. That is a foolish man tree eating himself,
as he would not treat any other valuable piece of property.
(18:04):
Do you try to talk with men and women who
no more than you do? And do you listen rather
than try to tell them what you know? There are
a hundred thousand men of fifty and men of sixty
running along in the old rut, any one of whom
could get out of it and be counted among the
successful men, if only the spark could be found to
(18:26):
explode the energy within them now going to waste. Each
man must study and solve his own problem. Lesson twenty
Concentration reviewed. In bringing this book to a close, I
again want to impress you with the inestimable value of concentration,
(18:47):
because those that lack this great power, or rather that
fail to develop it, will generally suffer from poverty and unhappiness,
and their life's work will most often be a failure,
while those that develop and use it will make the
most of their life's opportunities. I have tried to make
these lessons practical, and I am sure that many will
(19:09):
find them so. Of course, the mere reading of them
will not do you a great deal of good. But
if the exercises are practiced and worked out and apply
to your own individual case, you should be able to
acquire the habit of concentration in such measure as to
greatly improve your work and increase your happiness. But remember,
(19:31):
the best instruction can only help you to the extent
to which you put it into practice. I have found
it an excellent idea to read a book through first
and then reread it. And when you come to an
idea that appeals to you, stop and think about it. Then,
if applicable to you, repeat it over and over that
(19:52):
you will be impressed by it. In this way you
can form the habit of picking out all the good
things you read, and these will have a wonderful influence
on your character. In this closing chapter, I want to
impress you to concentrate on what you do instead of
forming most of your work unconsciously or automatically, and tell
(20:14):
you have formed habits that give you the mastery of
your work and your life powers and forces. Very often
the hardest part of work is thinking about it. When
you get right into it, it does not seem so disagreeable.
This is the experience of many when they first commence
to learn how to concentrate. So never think it a
(20:35):
difficult task, but undertake it with the I will spirit,
and you will find that its acquirement will be as
easy as its application will be useful. Read the life
of any great man, and you will generally find that
the dominant quality that made him successful was the ability
to concentrate. Study those that have been failures, and you
(20:57):
will often find that the lack of concentration was the
cause one thing at a time, and that done well
is a good rule. As I can tell. All men
are not born with equal powers, but it is the
way they are used that counts. Opportunity knocks at every
man's door. Those that are successful hear the knock and
(21:20):
grasp the chance. The failures believe that luck and circumstances
are against them. They always blame someone else instead of
themselves for their lack of success. We get what is
coming to us, nothing more or less. Anything within the
universe is within your grasp. Just use your latent powers,
(21:41):
and it is yours. You are aided by both visible
and invisible forces when you concentrate on either to do
or to be. Every one is capable of some concentration,
for without it you would be unable to say or
do anything. People differ in the power to concentrate because
(22:01):
some are unable to will to hold the thought in
mind for the required time. The amount of determination used
determines who has the strongest will. No one's is stronger
than yours. Think of this whenever you go against a
strong opponent. Never say I can't concentrate today. You can
(22:22):
do it just the minute you say I will. You
can keep your thoughts from straying, just the same as
you can control your arms when once you realize this fact,
you can train the will to concentrate on anything you wish.
If it wanders, it is your fault. You are not
utilizing your will. But don't blame it on your will
(22:43):
and say it is weak. The will is just the
same whether you act as if it were weak or
as if it were strong. When you act as if
your will is strong, you say I can. When you
act as if it were weak, you say I can't.
It requires the same amount of effort in each case.
Some men get in the habit of thinking I can't
(23:05):
and they fail. Others think I can and succeed. So
remember it is for you to decide whether you will
join the army of I can't or I can. The
big mistake with so many is that they don't realize
that when they say I can't, they really say I won't. Try.
(23:26):
You cannot tell what you can do until you try.
Can't means you will not try. Never say you cannot concentrate,
for when you do, you are really saying that you
refuse to try. Whenever you feel like saying, I can't say. Instead,
I possess all will, and I can use as much
(23:47):
as I wish. You only use as much as you
have trained yourself to use. An experiment to try before
going to bed tonight, repeat, I am going to choose
my own thoughts and to hold them as long as
I choose, I am going to shut out all thoughts
that weaken or interfere that make me timid. My will
(24:08):
is as strong as any one else. While going to
work the next morning, repeat this over. Keep this up
for a month, and you will find you will have
a better opinion of yourself. These are the factors that
make you a success. Hold fast to them always. Concentration
is nothing but willing to do a certain thing. All
(24:29):
foreign thoughts can be kept out by willing that they
stay out. You cannot realize your possibilities until you commence
to direct your mind. You then do consciously what you
have before done unconsciously. In this way, you note mistakes,
overcome bad habits, and perfect your conduct. You have at
(24:50):
times been in a position that required courage, and you
were surprised at the amount you showed. Now, when once
you arouse yourself, you have this courage all time time,
and it is not necessary to have a special occasion
reveal it to you. My object in so strongly impressing
this on your mind is to make you aware that
(25:11):
the same courage, the same determination that you show at
certain exceptionable times, you have at your command at all times.
It is a part of your vast resources. Use it
often and well, and working out the highest destiny of
which you are capable. Final concentration instruction. You now realize
(25:33):
that in order to make your life worthy, useful, and happy,
you must concentrate a number of exercises. And all the
needed instruction has been given. It now remains for you
to form the highest ideal that you can in the present,
and live up to that ideal and try to raise it.
Don't waste your time in foolish reading. Select something that
(25:56):
is inspiring that you may become in rapport with those
that think thoughts that are worth while. Their enthusiasm will
inspire and enlighten you. Read slowly and concentrate on what
you are reading. Let your spirit in the spirit of
the author commune, and you will then sense what is
between the lines, those great things which words cannot express.
(26:20):
Pay constant attention to one and one thing only for
a given time, and you will soon be able to concentrate.
Hang on to that thought ceaselessly until you have attained
your object. When you work, let your mind dwell steadily
on your task. Think before you speak, and direct your
conversation to the subject under discussion. Do not ramble. Talk slowly, steadily,
(26:46):
and connectedly. Never form the hurry habit, but be deliberate
in all you do. Assume static attributes without moving a
finger or an eyelid or any part of your body.
Read books that treat of but one continuous subject. Read
long articles and recall the thread of the argument. Associate
(27:08):
yourself with people who are steady, patient, and tireless in
their thought, action, and work. See how long you can
sit still and think on one subject without interruption, concentrating
on the higher self. Father time keeps going on and on.
Every day he rolls around means one less day for
(27:29):
you on this planet. Most of us only try to
master the external conditions of this world. We think our
success and happiness depends on us doing so. These are,
of course important, and I don't want you to think
they are not. But I want you to realize that
when death comes, only those inherent and acquired qualities and
conditions within the mentality, your character, conduct, and sole growth
(27:55):
will go with you. If these are what they should be,
you need not be afraid of not being successful and happy,
for with these qualities you can mold external materials and conditions.
Study yourself, find your strong points and make them stronger
as well as your weak ones and strengthen them. Study
(28:16):
yourself carefully, and you will see yourself as you really are.
The secret of accomplishment is concentration, or the art of
turning all your power upon just one point at a time.
If you have studied yourself carefully, you should have a
good line on yourself, and you should be able to
make the proper interior readjustments. Remember, first, last, and always,
(28:41):
right thinking and right living necessarily results in happiness, and
it is therefore within your power to obtain happiness. Any
One that is not happy does not claim their birthright.
Keep in mind that some day you are going to
leave this world, and think of what you will take
with you. This will assist you to concentrate on the
(29:02):
higher forces. Now start from this minute to act according
to the advice of the Higher Self in everything you do.
If you do its, ever harmonious forces will necessarily ensure
to you a successful fulfillment of all your life purposes.
Whenever you feel tempted to disobey your higher promptings, hold
(29:23):
the thought my higher Self insures to me the happiness
of doing that which best answers my true relations to
all others. You possess latent talents that, when developed and utilized,
are of assistance to you and others. But if you
do not properly use them, you shirk your duty, and
(29:44):
you will be the loser and sufferer from the consequences.
Others will also be worse off if you do not
fulfill your obligations. When you have aroused into activity your
thought powers, you will realize the wonderful value of these principles,
and helping you to carry out your plans, the right
in the end must prevail. You can assist in the
(30:07):
working out of the great plan of the universe and
thereby gain the reward, or you can work against the
great plan and suffer the consequences. The all consuming fires
are gradually purifying all discordant elements. If you choose to
work contrary to the law, you will burn in its crucible.
So I want you to learn to concentrate intelligently on
(30:30):
becoming in harmony with your higher self. Hold the thought
I will live for my best. I seek wisdom, self knowledge, happiness,
and power to help others. I act from the higher self. Therefore,
only the best can come to me. The more we
become conscious of the presence of the higher self, the
(30:53):
more we should try to become a true representative of
the human soul and all its wholeness and holiness. Instead
of wasting our time dwelling on some trifling external quality
or defect, we should try to secure a true conception
of what we really are, so as not to overvalue
the external furnishings. You will then not surrender your dignity
(31:16):
or self respect when others ignorantly make a display of
material things to show off. Only the person that realizes
that he is a permanent being knows what the true
self is.
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