Chapter Four: Thought And Purpose
by James Allen
Until thought is
linked with purpose there is no intelligent accomplishment. With the
majority the bark of thought is allowed to "drift" upon the ocean of life.
Aimlessness is a vice, and such drifting must not continue for him who
would street clear of catastrophe and destruction.
They who have no central purpose
in their life fall an easy prey to petty worries, fears, troubles, and
self-pityings, all of which are indications of weakness, which lead, just
as surely as deliberately planned sins (though by a diff route), to
failure, unhappyness, and loss, for weakness cannot persist in a
power-evolving universe.
A man
should conceive of a legitimate purpose in his heart, and set out to
accomplish it. He should make this purpose the centralizing point of his
thoughts. It may take the form of a spiritual ideal, or it may be a
worldly object, according to his nature at the time being. Whichever it
is, he should steadily focus his thought-forces upon the object he had set
before him. He should make this purpose his supreme duty and should devote
himself to its attainment, not allowing his thoughts to wander away into
ephemeral fancies, longings, and imaginings. This is the royal road to
self-control and true concentration of thought. Even if he fails again and
again to accomplish his purpose--as he must until weakness is
overcome--the strength of character gained will be the measure of his true
success, and this will form a new starting point for future power and
triumph.
Those who are not
prepared for the apprehension of a great purpose, should fix the thoughts
upon the faultless performance of their duty, no matter how insignificant
their task may appear. Only in this way can the thoughts be gathered and
focussed, and resolution and energy be developed. Once this is done, there
is nothing which may not be accomplished.
The weakest soul knowing its own
weakness, and believing this truth--that strength can only be developed by
effort and practice--will, thus believing, at once begin to exert itself.
And, adding effort to effort, patience to patience, and strength to
strength, will never cease to develop and will at last grow divinely
strong.
As the physically weak
man can make himself strong by careful and patient training, so the man of
weak thoughts can make them strong by exercising himself in right
thinking.
To put away aimlessness
and weakness and to begin to think with purpose is to enter the ranks of
those strong ones who only recognize failure as one of the pathways to
attainment. Who make all conditions serve them, and who think strongly,
attempt fearlessly, and accomplish masterfully.
Having conceived of his purpose,
a man should mentally mark out a straight pathway to its achievement,
looking neither to the right nor left. Doubts and fears should be
rigorously excluded. They are disintegrating elements which break up the
straight line of effort, rendering it crooked, ineffectual, useless.
Thoughts of doubt and fear can never accomplish anything. They always lead
to failure. Purpose, energy, power to do, and all strong thoughts cease
when doubt and fear creep in.
The
will to do springs from the knowledge that we can do. Doubt and fear are
the great enemies of knowledge, and he who encourages them, who does not
slay them, thwarts himself at every step.
He who has conquered doubt and
fear has conquered failure. His every thought is allied with power, and
all difficulties are bravely met and overcome. His purposes are seasonably
planted, and they bloom and bring forth fruit that does not fall
prematurely to the ground.
Thought allied fearlessly to purpose becomes creative force. He who knows
this is ready to become something higher and stronger than a bundle of
wavering thoughts and fluctuating sensations. He who does this has become
the conscious and intelligent wielder of his mental powers.
Chapter Three
Chapter Five