The Power of Concentration

relatives and friends. Very often they did not have the bare
necessities of life, yet, by sheer determination and resolute
courage, they managed to exist somehow until they perfected their
inventions, which afterwards greatly helped in bettering the
condition of others.

Everyone really wants to do something, but there are few that
will put forward the needed effort to make the necessary
sacrifice to secure it. There is only one way to accomplish
anything and that is to go ahead and do it. A man may accomplish
almost anything today, if he just sets his heart on doing it and
lets nothing interfere with his progress. Obstacles are quickly
overcome by the man that sets out to accomplish his heart's
desire. The "bigger" the man, the smaller the obstacle appears.
The "smaller" the man the greater the obstacle appears. Always
look at the advantage you gain by overcoming obstacles, and it
will give you the needed courage for their conquest.

Do not expect that you will always have easy sailing. Parts of
your journey are likely to be rough. Don't let the rough places
put you out of commission. Keep on with the journey. Just the way
you weather the storm shows what material you are made of. Never
sit down and complain of the rough places, but think how nice the
pleasant stretches were. View with delight the smooth plains that
are in front of you.

Do not let a setback stop you. Think of it as a mere incident
that has to be overcome before you can reach your goal.



LESSON II.  THE SELF-MASTERY: SELF-DIRECTION POWER OF
CONCENTRATION

Man from a psychological standpoint of development is not what he
should be. He does not possess the self-mastery, the
self-directing power of concentration that is his by right.

He has not trained himself in a way to promote his self-mastery.
Every balanced mind possesses the faculties whose chief duties
are to engineer, direct and concentrate the operations of the
mind, both in a mental and physical sense. Man must learn to
control not only his mind but his bodily movements.

When the controlling faculties (autonomic) are in an untrained
condition, the impulses, passions, emotions, thoughts, actions
and habits of the person suffer from lack of regulation, and the
procedure of mental concentration is not good, not because the
mind is necessarily weak in the autonomic department of the
faculties, but because the mind is not properly trained.

When the self-regulating faculties are not developed the
impulses, appetites, emotions and passions have full swing to do
as they please and the mind becomes impulsive, restless,
emotional and irregular in its action. This is what makes mental
concentration poor.

When the self-guiding faculties are weak in development, the
person always lacks the power of mental concentration. Therefore
you cannot learn to concentrate until you develop those very
powers that qualify you to be able to concentrate. So if you
cannot concentrate one of the following is the cause:

1. "Deficiency of the motor centers."
2. "An impulsive and emotional mind."
3. "An untrained mind."

The last fault can soon be removed by systematic practice. It is
easiest to correct.

The impulsive and emotional state of mind can best be corrected
by restraining anger, passion and excitement, hatred, strong
impulses, intense emotions, fretfulness, etc. It is impossible to
concentrate when you are in any of these excited states.

These can be naturally decreased by avoiding such food and drinks
as have nerve weakening or stimulating influences, or a tendency
to stir up the passions, the impulses and the emotions; it is a
very good practice to watch and associate with those persons that
are steady, calm, controlled and conservative.

Correcting the deficiency of the motor centers is harder because
as the person's brain is undeveloped he lacks will power.

To cure this takes some time. Persons so afflicted may benefit by
reading and studying my course, "The Master Mind."[*]


[*] To be published by Advanced Thought Publishing Co., Chicago,
Ill.


Many have the idea that when they get into a negative state they
are concentrating, but this is not so. They may be meditating,
though not concentrating. Those that are in a negative state a
good deal of the time cannot, as a rule, concentrate very well;
they develop instead abstraction of the mind, or absence of mind.
Their power of concentration becomes weaker and they find it
difficult to concentrate on anything. They very often injure the
brain, if they keep up this state. To be able to concentrate you
must possess strength of mind. The person that is feeble-minded
cannot concentrate his mind, because of lack of will. The mind
that cannot center itself on a special subject, or thought, is
weak; also the mind that cannot draw itself from a subject or