Power of thoughts

Thoughts are things and powerful things at that. Man can create nothing which he does not first conceive in thought. You are the creator of your future because of the ability to program your thoughts.

One comes to believe whatever one repeats to one’s self, whether the statement be true or false. We are what we are, because of the vibrations of thought that we pick up throughout our lives and the dominating thoughts of our mind are the ones that define our actions.

You can find the logic of these paragraphs to resemble the principle of mentalism and the principle of vibration. May I highlight the fact that these ideas come from many different books, but they all cross paths and the fact that they are so similar is just one more reason why I believe them to be so important and true.

Power of persistence

To win in any undertaking, you must be willing to cut all sources of retreat. Only by doing so can you be sure of maintaining that state of mind known as the burning desire to win. Nature wraps up in the impulse of strong desire “that something” which recognizes no such word as impossible, and accepts no such reality as failure. Even when reason tells you otherwise, desire backed by faith knows no limitation, no task too difficult.

Every failure brings with it the seed of an equivalent success, and no one has ever been defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality. Keep on keeping on, because persistence is the only insurance against failure.

Power of mindset

We refuse to believe that which we do not understand. We foolishly believe that our own limitations are the proper measure of limitations but there are no limitations to the mind except those we acknowledge. Both poverty and riches are the offspring of thought, no more effort is required to aim high in life, to demand abundance and prosperity than is required to accept misery and poverty. There are millions of people who believe themselves “doomed” to poverty and failure, because of some strange force over which they believe they have no control thus they become the creators of their own “misfortunes”.

If you do not see great riches in your imagination, you will never see them in your bank account. God seems to throw himself on the side of the man who knows exactly what he wants and is determined to get just that. So make sure that you are not holding yourself back, and just let the power of the universe help you overcome any other obstacle.

Power of purpose

There are two qualities you must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, and a burning desire to possess it. The starting point for all who succeed in life is the definiteness of purpose. The most practical method for controlling the mind is the habit of keeping it busy with a definite purpose, backed by a definite plan.

If you are influenced by the opinions of others, you will have weak or no desires of your own, and weak desires bring weak results. If you find yourself lacking in persistence, this weakness may be remedied by building a stronger fire under your desires.

Every successful person has the habit of reaching decisions promptly, and changing those decisions slowly, if and when they are changed. Once you decide on your course of action, tell the world what you intend to do, but first show it. Deeds, and not words, are what counts the most.

Destructive power of fear

There are three main enemies to success: indecision, doubt, and fear. Indecision is the seedling of fear, it crystallizes into doubt and the two blend and become fear. But fears are nothing more than states of mind, and one’s state of mind is subject to control and direction. Man can create nothing which he does not first conceive in the form of an impulse of thought so if someone doesn’t fear an illness, he becomes immune to it. It has been shown most convincingly that the fear of disease, even where there is not the slightest cause for fear, often produces the physical symptoms of the disease feared, and that is why you must keep your mind clear of fear.

In addition to the three main enemies, there is another evil by which people suffer and this evil is called: susceptibility to negative influences. Without a doubt, the most common weakness of all human beings is the habit of leaving their minds open to the negative influence of other people.

Methods and formulas

To finish these book notes, I will give you two lists of rules to follow to achieve anything you desire. These lists are straight from the book and so they will be focusing on money, but you will get the point nonetheless. Instead of money, you can use the same principles to achieve whatever it is that you desire. First I will give you the method for transmuting desire into reality:

Six definite practical steps for transmuting desire:

1. 1. Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire. Be definite as to the amount. “I want plenty of money” isn’t sufficient.
   2. Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire
   3. Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money you desire
   4. Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire, and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action
   5. Write out a clear, concise statement of the amount of money you intend to acquire, name the time limit for its acquisition, state what you intend to give in return for the money, and describe clearly the plan through which you intend to accumulate it.
   6. Read your written statement aloud, twice daily, once just before retiring at night, and once after arising in the morning. As you read, see feel and believe yourself already in possession of the money

The second list of rules will be a self-confidence formula that you can use as a template for any skills that you wish to acquire. It follows some of the steps from the above-mentioned method.

Self-confidence formula:

1. 1. I know that I have the ability to achieve the object of my definite purpose in life, therefore, I demand of myself persistent continuous action toward its attainment, and I here and now promise to render such action.
   2. I realize the dominating thoughts of my mind will eventually reproduce themselves in outward, physical action, and gradually transform themselves into physical reality, therefore, I will concentrate my thoughts for thirty minutes daily, upon the task of thinking of the person I intend to become, thereby creating in my mind a clear mental picture of that person.
   3. I know through the principle of self-talk, any desire that I persistently hold in my mind will eventually seek expression through some practical means of attaining the object back of it, therefore, I will devote ten minutes daily to demanding of myself the development of self-confidence
   4. I have clearly written down a description of my definite chief aim in life, and I will never stop trying until I shall have developed sufficient self-confidence for its attainment.
   5. I fully realize that no wealth or position can long endure unless built upon truth and justice, therefore I will engage in no transaction which does not benefit all whom it affects. I will succeed by attracting to myself the forces I wish to use, and the cooperation of other people. I will induce others to serve me because of my willingness to serve others. I will eliminate hatred, envy, jealousy, selfishness, and cynicism, by developing love for all humanity, because I know that a negative attitude toward others can never bring success. I will cause others to believe in me because I will believe in them, and in myself.
   6. I will sign my name to this formula, commit it to memory, and repeat it aloud once a day, with full faith that it will gradually influence my thoughts and actions so that I will become a self-reliant, and successful person.