Like
a stone
thrown into the water--Thought produces ripples and waves which spread
out over the great Ocean of Thought. There is this difference, however:
the waves on the water move only on a level plane in all
directions--whereas thought-waves move in all
directions from
a common
center, just as do the rays from the sun.
Just
as we here, on Earth, are
surrounded by a great sea of air--so are we surrounded by a great sea
of Mind. Our thought-waves move through this vast mental
ether--extending, however, in all directions, as I have
explained--becoming somewhat lessened in intensity, according to the
distance traversed, because of the friction occasioned by the waves
coming in contact with the great body of Mind surrounding us on all
sides.
These
thought-waves have other
qualities differing from the waves on the water. They
have the property
of reproducing themselves. In
this respect they resemble sound-waves--rather than waves upon the
water.
Just
as a note of the violin
will cause the thin glass to vibrate and "sing," so will a strong
thought tend to awaken similar vibrations in minds attuned to receive
it.
Many
of the "stray thoughts"
which come to us are but reflections or answering vibrations to some
strong thought sent out by another. But
unless our minds
are attuned to receive it--the
thought will not likely affect us.
If
we are thinking high and
great thoughts, our minds acquire a certain keynote corresponding to
the character of the thoughts we have been thinking. And this keynote,
once established--we will be apt to catch the vibrations of other minds
keyed to the same thought.
On
the other hand, let us get
into the habit of thinking thoughts of an opposite character--and we
will soon be echoing the low order of thought emanating from the minds
of the thousands thinking along the same lines.
We
are largely what we have
thought ourselves into being--the balance being represented by the
character of the suggestions and thought of others which have reached
us--either directly by
verbal
suggestions or telepathically by
means of
such thought-waves.
Our
general mental attitude,
however, determines the character of the thought-waves received from
others--as well as the thoughts emanating from ourselves. We
receive only such
thoughts as are in harmony with the general mental attitude held by
ourselves--the
thoughts not in
harmony
affecting us very little, as
they awaken no response in us.
The
man who believes thoroughly
in himself and maintains a positive strong mental attitude of confidence and determination is
not
likely to be affected by the
adverse and negative thoughts of discouragement
and
failure
emanating
from the
minds of other persons,
in whom these last qualities predominate.
At
the same time, these negative
thoughts--if they reach one whose mental attitude is pitched on a low
key--deepen his negative state and add fuel to the fire which is
consuming his strength; or if you prefer this figure--serve to further
smother the fire of his energy and activity.
We
attract to us the thoughts of
others of the same order of thought. The man who thinks success will be
apt to get into tune with the minds of others thinking likewise, and
they will help him, and he them. The man who allows his mind to dwell
constantly upon thoughts of failure brings himself into close touch
with the minds of other "failure" people--and each will tend to pull
the other down still more.
The
man who thinks that all is
evil is apt to see much evil--and will be brought into contact with
others who will seem to prove his theory. And the man who looks for
good in everything and everybody will be likely to attract to himself
the things and people corresponding to his thought. We generally see
that for which we look.
You
will be able to carry this
idea more clearly if you will think of the Marconi wireless
instruments, which receive the vibrations only from the sending
instrument which has been attuned to the same key--while other
telegrams are passing through the air in near vicinity, without
affecting the instrument.
The
same Law
applies to the operations of Thought. We receive only that which
corresponds to our mental attunement.
If
we have been discouraged, we
may be rest-assured that we have dropped into a negative key and have
been affected--not only by our own
thoughts--but have also received the added
depressing thoughts of similar character, which are constantly being
sent out from the minds of other unfortunates who have not yet learned
the Law of Attraction in the Thought World.
And
if we occasionally rise to
heights of enthusiasm and energy--how quickly we feel the inflow of the
courageous, daring, energetic, positive thoughts being sent out by the
live men and women of the world.
We
recognize this without much
trouble when we come in personal contact with people and feel their
vibrations--depressing or invigorating, as the case may be. But the
same Law operates when we are not in
their
presence--although less strongly.
The
Mind has many degrees of
pitch, ranging from the highest positive note to the lowest negative
note, with many notes in between--varying in pitch according to their
respective distance from the positive or negative extreme.
When
your Mind is operating
along positive lines, you feel strong,
buoyant,
bright, cheerful, happy, confident and
courageous--and
are
enabled to do your work well, to
carry out your intentions, and progress on your roads to success. You
send
out strong, positive
thought--which affects others and causes them to co-operate with you or
to follow your lead--according to their own mental keynote.
When
you are playing on the
extreme negative end of the mental keyboard, you feel depressed,
weak,
passive, dull, fearful, cowardly.
And you find yourself unable to make progress--or to succeed. And your
effect upon others is practically nil. You are led by--rather
than leading others--and are used
as a human doormat or football by more positive
persons.
In
some persons the positive
element seems to predominate--and in others the negative quality seems
to be more in evidence. There are, of course, widely varying degrees of
positiveness and negativeness--and B may be negative to A, while
positive to C.
When
two people first meet,
there is generally a silent mental conflict in which their respective
minds test their quality of positiveness--and fix their relative
position toward each other. This process may be unconscious in many
cases, but it occurs nevertheless. The adjustment is often automatic,
but occasionally the struggle is so sharp--the opponents being so
well-matched--that the matter forces itself into the consciousness of
the two people.
Sometimes
both parties are so
much alike in their degrees of positiveness that they fail to come to
terms, mentally. They never really are able to get along with each
other--and they are either mutually repelled and separate--or else stay
together amid constant broils and wrangling.
We
are positive or negative to
everyone with whom we have relations. We may be positive to our
children, our employees and dependents, but we are at the same time
negative to others to whom we occupy inferior positions--or whom we
have allowed to
assert
themselves over us.
Of
course, something may
occur--and we will suddenly become more positive than the man or woman
to whom we have heretofore been negative. We frequently see cases of
this kind.
And
as the knowledge of these
mental laws becomes more general, we will see many more instances of
persons asserting themselves and making use of their new-found power.
But
remember--you
possess the power
to raise the keynote of your mind to a positive pitch by an effort of
the Will.
And,
of
course, it is
equally true that you may allow yourself to drop into a low, negative
note by carelessness or a weak Will.
There
are more people on the
negative plane of Thought than on the positive plane--and consequently
there are more negative thought vibrations in operation in our mental
atmosphere.
But,
happily
for us, this is counterbalanced by the fact that a positive thought is
infinitely more powerful than a negative one--and if by force of Will
we raise ourselves to a higher mental key, we can shut out the
depressing thoughts and may take up the vibrations corresponding with
our changed mental attitude.
This
is one of the secrets of
the affirmations and autosuggestions used by the several schools of
Mental Science and other New Thought cults. There is no particular
merit in affirmations of themselves, but they serve a two-fold purpose:
(1)
They tend to establish new mental attitudes within us and act
wonderfully in the direction of character
building - the Science of making ourselves over.
(2)
They tend to raise the mental keynote so that we may get the benefit of
the positive thought-waves of others on the same plane of Thought.
Whether
or not we believe in
them, we are constantly making affirmations. The man who asserts that
he can
and
will do a
thing-- and asserts
it earnestly--develops in himself the qualities conducive to the
well-doing of that thing, and at the same time places his Mind in the
proper key to receive all the thought-waves likely to help him in the
doing.
If,
on the other hand, one says
and feels that he is going to fail--he
will
choke and smother the thoughts
coming from his own subconscious mentality, which are intended to help
him--and at the same time will place himself in tune with the failure-thought of
the
world. And there is plenty of the
latter kind of thought around--I can tell you!
Do
not allow yourselves to be
affected by the adverse and negative thoughts of those around you. Rise
to the upper chambers of your mental dwelling and key yourself up to a
strong pitch--away above the vibrations on the lower planes of Thought.
Then
you will not only be immune
to their negative vibration--but will be in touch with the great body
of strong positive Thought coming from those of your own plane of
development.
My
aim will be to direct and
train you in the proper use of Thought and Will, that you may have
yourself well in-hand and may be able to strike the positive key at any
moment you may feel it necessary.
It
is not necessary to strike
the extreme note on all occasions. The better plan is to keep yourself
in a comfortable key,
without much strain--and to have the
means at command whereby you can raise the pitch at once when occasion
demands.
By
this knowledge, you will not
be at the mercy of the old automatic action of the Mind--but may have
it well under your own control.
Development
of the Will is very
much like the development of a muscle--a matter of practice and gradual
improvement. At first it is apt to be tiresome, but at each trial one
grows stronger--until the new strength becomes real and permanent.
Many
of us have made ourselves
positive under sudden calls or emergencies. We are in the habit of
"bracing-up" when occasion demands. But
by intelligent
practice,
you
will be
so much
strengthened that your habitual
state will
be equal to your "bracing-up"
stage now--and then when you find it necessary to apply the spur, you
will be able to reach a stage not dreamed of at present.
Do
not understand me as
advocating a high tension continuously. This is not at all
desirable--not only because it is apt to be too much of a strain upon
you--but also because you will find it desirable to relieve the tension
at times and become receptive, that you may absorb
impressions.
It
is well to be able to relax
and assume a certain degree of receptiveness, knowing that you are
always able to spring back to the more positive state at Will.
(The
habitually, strongly,
positive man loses much enjoyment and recreation.)
Positive--you
give out
expressions. Receptive--you
take in
impressions.
Positive--you
are a teacher. Receptive--a
pupil.
It
is not only a good thing to
be a good teacher--but
it is
also very important to be a
good listener at
times.