,,as ,a ,,man ,,thinketh   ,,by  ,,james
 ,,allen   ,author of ,from ,passion to 
,peace      ,mind is the ,master power  
that moulds and makes1   ,and ,man is   
,mind1 and evermore he takes   ,the tool
 of ,thought1 and1 shaping what he      
wills1   ,brings forth a thousand joys1 
a thousand ills3--   ,he thinks in      
secret1 and it comes to pass3           
,environment is but his looking-glass4  
,authorized ,edition  ,new ,york        
,,contents   ,,thought ,,and ,,character
  ,,effect ,,of ,,thought ,,on          
,,circumstances  ,,effect ,,of ,,thought
 ,,on ,,health ,,and ,,the ,,body       
,,thought ,,and ,,purpose  ,,the        
,,thought-,,factor ,,in ,,achievement   
,,visions ,,and ,,ideals  ,,serenity    
,,foreword   ,,this little volume 7the  
result of meditation and experience7 is 
not intended as an exhaustive treatise  
on the much-written-upon subject of the 
power of thought4 ,it is suggestive     
rather than explanatory1 its object     
being to stimulate men and women to the 

discovery and perception of the truth   
that--  ,they themselves are makers of  
themselves4  by virtue of the thoughts1 
which they choose and encourage2 that   
mind is the master-weaver1 both of the  
inner garment of character and the outer
 garment of circumstance1 and that1 as  
they may have hitherto woven in         
ignorance and pain they may now weave in
 enlightenment and happiness4  ,,james  
,,allen4  ,,broad ,,park ,,avenue1      
,,ilfracombe1  ,,england      ,,as ,a   
,,man ,,thinketh     ,,thought ,,and    
,,character   ,,the aphorism1 ,as a man 
thinketh in his heart so is he1 not only
 embraces the whole of a man's being1   
but is so comprehensive as to reach out 
to every condition and circumstance of  
his life4 ,a man is literally what he   
thinks1 his character being the complete
 sum of all his thoughts4  ,as the plant
 springs from1 and could not be without1
 the seed1 so every act of a man springs
 from the hidden seeds of thought1 and  
could not have appeared without them4   

,this applies equally to those acts     
called spontaneous and unpremeditated as
 to those1 which are deliberately       
executed4  ,act is the blossom of       
thought1 and joy and suffering are its  
fruits2 thus does a man garner in the   
sweet and bitter fruitage of his own    
husbandry4    ,thought in the mind hath 
made us1 ,what we are   ,by thought was 
wrought and built4 ,if a man's mind     
,hath evil thoughts1 pain comes on him  
as comes   ,the wheel the ox behind4444 
44,if one endure   ,in purity of        
thought1 joy follows him   ,as his own  
shadow--sure4  ,man is a growth by law1 
and not a creation by artifice1 and     
cause and effect is as absolute and     
undeviating in the hidden realm of      
thought as in the world of visible and  
material things4 ,a noble and ,godlike  
character is not a thing of favour or   
chance1 but is the natural result of    
continued effort in right thinking1 the 
effect of long-cherished association    
with ,godlike thoughts4 ,an ignoble and 

bestial character1 by the same process1 
is the result of the continued          
harbouring of grovelling thoughts4  ,man
 is made or unmade by himself2 in the   
armoury of thought he forges the weapons
 by which he destroys himself2 he also  
fashions the tools with which he builds 
for himself heavenly mansions of joy and
 strength and peace4 ,by the right      
choice and true application of thought1 
man ascends to the ,divine ,perfection2 
by the abuse and wrong application of   
thought1 he descends below the level of 
the beast4 ,between these two extremes  
are all the grades of character1 and man
 is their maker and master4  ,of all the
 beautiful truths pertaining to the soul
 which have been restored and brought to
 light in this age1 none is more        
gladdening or fruitful of divine promise
 and confidence than this--that man is  
the master of thought1 the moulder of   
character1 and the maker and shaper of  
condition1 environment1 and destiny4    
,as a being of ,power1 ,intelligence1   

and ,love1 and the lord of his own      
thoughts1 man holds the key to every    
situation1 and contains within himself  
that transforming and regenerative      
agency by which he may make himself what
 he wills4  ,man is always the master1  
even in his weaker and most abandoned   
state2 but in his weakness and          
degradation he is the foolish master who
 misgoverns his household4 ,when he     
begins to reflect upon his condition1   
and to search diligently for the ,law   
upon which his being is established1 he 
then becomes the wise master1 directing 
his energies with intelligence1 and     
fashioning his thoughts to fruitful     
issues4 ,such is the conscious master1  
and man can only thus become by         
discovering within himself the laws of  
thought2 which discovery is totally a   
matter of application1 self analysis1   
and experience4  ,only by much searching
 and mining1 are gold and diamonds      
obtained1 and man can find every truth  
connected with his being1 if he will dig

 deep into the mine of his soul2 and    
that he is the maker of his character1  
the moulder of his life1 and the builder
 of his destiny1 he may unerringly      
prove1 if he will watch1 control1 and   
alter his thoughts1 tracing their       
effects upon himself1 upon others1 and  
upon his life and circumstances1 linking
 cause and effect by patient practice   
and investigation1 and utilizing his    
every experience1 even to the most      
trivial1 everyday occurrence1 as a means
 of obtaining that knowledge of himself 
which is ,understanding1 ,wisdom1       
,power4 ,in this direction1 as in no    
other1 is the law absolute that ,he that
 seeketh findeth2 and to him that       
knocketh it shall be opened2 for only by
 patience1 practice1 and ceaseless      
importunity can a man enter the ,door of
 the ,temple of ,knowledge4     ,,effect
 ,,of ,,thought ,,on ,,circumstances    
,,man',s mind may be likened to a       
garden1 which may be intelligently      
cultivated or allowed to run wild2 but  

whether cultivated or neglected1 it     
must1 and will1 bring forth4 ,if no     
useful seeds are put into it1 then an   
abundance of useless weed-seeds will    
fall therein1 and will continue to      
produce their kind4  ,just as a gardener
 cultivates his plot1 keeping it free   
from weeds1 and growing the flowers and 
fruits which he requires1 so may a man  
tend the garden of his mind1 weeding out
 all the wrong1 useless1 and impure     
thoughts1 and cultivating toward        
perfection the flowers and fruits of    
right1 useful1 and pure thoughts4 ,by   
pursuing this process1 a man sooner or  
later discovers that he is the          
master-gardener of his soul1 the        
director of his life4 ,he also reveals1 
within himself1 the laws of thought1 and
 understands1 with ever-increasing      
accuracy1 how the thought-forces and    
mind elements operate in the shaping of 
his character1 circumstances1 and       
destiny4  ,thought and character are    
one1 and as character can only manifest 

and discover itself through environment 
and circumstance1 the outer conditions  
of a person's life will always be found 
to be harmoniously related to his inner 
state4 ,this does not mean that a man's 
circumstances at any given time are an  
indication of his entire character1 but 
that those circumstances are so         
intimately connected with some vital    
thought-element within himself that1 for
 the time being1 they are indispensable 
to his development4  ,every man is where
 he is by the law of his being2 the     
thoughts which he has built into his    
character have brought him there1 and in
 the arrangement of his life there is no
 element of chance1 but all is the      
result of a law which cannot err4 ,this 
is just as true of those who feel out of
 harmony with their surroundings as of  
those who are contented with them4  ,as 
a progressive and evolving being1 man is
 where he is that he may learn that he  
may grow2 and as he learns the spiritual
 lesson which any circumstance contains 

for him1 it passes away and gives place 
to other circumstances4  ,man is        
buffeted by circumstances so long as he 
believes himself to be the creature of  
outside conditions1 but when he realizes
 that he is a creative power1 and that  
he may command the hidden soil and seeds
 of his being out of which circumstances
 grow1 he then becomes the rightful     
master of himself4  ,that circumstances 
grow out of thought every man knows who 
has for any length of time practised    
self-control and self-purification1 for 
he will have noticed that the alteration
 in his circumstances has been in exact 
ratio with his altered mental condition4
 ,so true is this that when a man       
earnestly applies himself to remedy the 
defects in his character1 and makes     
swift and marked progress1 he passes    
rapidly through a succession of         
vicissitudes4  ,the soul attracts that  
which it secretly harbours2 that which  
it loves1 and also that which it fears2 
it reaches the height of its cherished  

aspirations2 it falls to the level of   
its unchastened desires1--and           
circumstances are the means by which the
 soul receives its own4  ,every         
thought-seed sown or allowed to fall    
into the mind1 and to take root there1  
produces its own1 blossoming sooner or  
later into act1 and bearing its own     
fruitage of opportunity and             
circumstance4 ,good thoughts bear good  
fruit1 bad thoughts bad fruit4  ,the    
outer world of circumstance shapes      
itself to the inner world of thought1   
and both pleasant and unpleasant        
external conditions are factors1 which  
make for the ultimate good of the       
individual4 ,as the reaper of his own   
harvest1 man learns both by suffering   
and bliss4  ,following the inmost       
desires1 aspirations1 thoughts1 by which
 he allows himself to be dominated1     
7pursuing the will-o'-the-wisps of      
impure imaginings or steadfastly walking
 the highway of strong and high         
endeavour71 a man at last arrives at    

their fruition and fulfilment in the    
outer conditions of his life4 ,the laws 
of growth and adjustment everywhere     
obtains4  ,a man does not come to the   
almshouse or the jail by the tyranny of 
fate or circumstance1 but by the pathway
 of grovelling thoughts and base        
desires4 ,nor does a pure-minded man    
fall suddenly into crime by stress of   
any mere external force2 the criminal   
thought had long been secretly fostered 
in the heart1 and the hour of           
opportunity revealed its gathered power4
 ,circumstance does not make the man2 it
 reveals him to himself ,no such        
conditions can exist as descending into 
vice and its attendant sufferings apart 
from vicious inclinations1 or ascending 
into virtue and its pure happiness      
without the continued cultivation of    
virtuous aspirations2 and man1          
therefore1 as the lord and master of    
thought1 is the maker of himself the    
shaper and author of environment4 ,even 
at birth the soul comes to its own and  

through every step of its earthly       
pilgrimage it attracts those            
combinations of conditions which reveal 
itself1 which are the reflections of its
 own purity and1 impurity1 its strength 
and weakness4  ,men do not attract that 
which they want1 but that which they    
are4 ,their whims1 fancies1 and         
ambitions are thwarted at every step1   
but their inmost thoughts and desires   
are fed with their own food1 be it foul 
or clean4 ,the divinity that shapes our 
ends is in ourselves2 it is our very    
self4 ,only himself manacles man3       
thought and action are the gaolers of   
,fate--they imprison1 being base2 they  
are also the angels of ,freedom--they   
liberate1 being noble4 ,not what he     
wishes and prays for does a man get1 but
 what he justly earns4 ,his wishes and  
prayers are only gratified and answered 
when they harmonize with his thoughts   
and actions4  ,in the light of this     
truth1 what1 then1 is the meaning of    
fighting against circumstances8 ,it     

means that a man is continually         
revolting against an effect without1    
while all the time he is nourishing and 
preserving its cause in his heart4 ,that
 cause may take the form of a conscious 
vice or an unconscious weakness2 but    
whatever it is1 it stubbornly retards   
the efforts of its possessor1 and thus  
calls aloud for remedy4  ,men are       
anxious to improve their circumstances1 
but are unwilling to improve themselves2
 they therefore remain bound4 ,the man  
who does not shrink from                
self-crucifixion can never fail to      
accomplish the object upon which his    
heart is set4 ,this is as true of       
earthly as of heavenly things4 ,even the
 man whose sole object is to acquire    
wealth must be prepared to make great   
personal sacrifices before he can       
accomplish his object2 and how much more
 so he who would realize a strong and   
well-poised life8  ,here is a man who is
 wretchedly poor4 ,he is extremely      
anxious that his surroundings and home  

comforts should be improved1 yet all the
 time he shirks his work1 and considers 
he is justified in trying to deceive his
 employer on the ground of the          
insufficiency of his wages4 ,such a man 
does not understand the simplest        
rudiments of those principles which are 
the basis of true prosperity1 and is not
 only totally unfitted to rise out of   
his wretchedness1 but is actually       
attracting to himself a still deeper    
wretchedness by dwelling in1 and acting 
out1 indolent1 deceptive1 and unmanly   
thoughts4  ,here is a rich man who is   
the victim of a painful and persistent  
disease as the result of gluttony4 ,he  
is willing to give large sums of money  
to get rid of it1 but he will not       
sacrifice his gluttonous desires4 ,he   
wants to gratify his taste for rich and 
unnatural viands and have his health as 
well4 ,such a man is totally unfit to   
have health1 because he has not yet     
learned the first principles of a       
healthy life4  ,here is an employer of  

labour who adopts crooked measures to   
avoid paying the regulation wage1 and1  
in the hope of making larger profits1   
reduces the wages of his workpeople4    
,such a man is altogether unfitted for  
prosperity1 and when he finds himself   
bankrupt1 both as regards reputation and
 riches1 he blames circumstances1 not   
knowing that he is the sole author of   
his condition4  ,i have introduced these
 three cases merely as illustrative of  
the truth that man is the causer 7though
 nearly always is unconsciously7 of his 
circumstances1 and that1 whilst aiming  
at a good end1 he is continually        
frustrating its accomplishment by       
encouraging thoughts and desires which  
cannot possibly harmonize with that end4
 ,such cases could be multiplied and    
varied almost indefinitely1 but this is 
not necessary1 as the reader can1 if he 
so resolves1 trace the action of the    
laws of thought in his own mind and     
life1 and until this is done1 mere      
external facts cannot serve as a ground 

of reasoning4  ,circumstances1 however1 
are so complicated1 thought is so deeply
 rooted1 and the conditions of happiness
 vary so1 vastly with individuals1 that 
a man's entire soul-condition 7although 
it may be known to himself7 cannot be   
judged by another from the external     
aspect of his life alone4 ,a man may be 
honest in certain directions1 yet suffer
 privations2 a man may be dishonest in  
certain directions1 yet acquire wealth2 
but the conclusion usually formed that  
the one man fails because of his        
particular honesty1 and that the other  
prospers because of his particular      
dishonesty1 is the result of a          
superficial judgment1 which assumes that
 the dishonest man is almost totally    
corrupt1 and the honest man almost      
entirely virtuous4 ,in the light of a   
deeper knowledge and wider experience   
such judgment is found to be erroneous4 
,the dishonest man may have some        
admirable virtues1 which the other does1
 not possess2 and the honest man        

obnoxious vices which are absent in the 
other4 ,the honest man reaps the good   
results of his honest thoughts and acts2
 he also brings upon himself the        
sufferings1 which his vices produce4    
,the dishonest man likewise garners his 
own suffering and happiness4  ,it is    
pleasing to human vanity to believe that
 one suffers because of one's virtue2   
but not until a man has extirpated every
 sickly1 bitter1 and impure thought from
 his mind1 and washed every sinful stain
 from his soul1 can he be in a position 
to know and declare that his sufferings 
are the result of his good1 and not of  
his bad qualities2 and on the way to1   
yet long before he has reached1 that    
supreme perfection1 he will have found1 
working in his mind and life1 the ,great
 ,law which is absolutely just1 and     
which cannot1 therefore1 give good for  
evil1 evil for good4 ,possessed of such 
knowledge1 he will then know1 looking   
back upon his past ignorance and        
blindness1 that his life is1 and always 

was1 justly ordered1 and that all his   
past experiences1 good and bad1 were the
 equitable outworking of his evolving1  
yet unevolved self4  ,good thoughts and 
actions can never produce bad results2  
bad thoughts and actions can never      
produce good results4 ,this is but      
saying that nothing can come from corn  
but corn1 nothing from nettles but      
nettles4 ,men understand this law in the
 natural world1 and work with it2 but   
few understand it in the mental and     
moral world 7though its operation there 
is just as simple and undeviating71 and 
they1 therefore1 do not co-operate with 
it4  ,suffering is always the effect of 
wrong thought in some direction4 ,it is 
an indication that the individual is out
 of harmony with himself1 with the ,law 
of his being4 ,the sole and supreme use 
of suffering is to purify1 to burn out  
all that is useless and impure4         
,suffering ceases for him who is pure4  
,there could be no object in burning    
gold after the dross had been removed1  

and a perfectly pure and enlightened    
being could not suffer4  ,the           
circumstances1 which a man encounters   
with suffering1 are the result of his   
own mental in harmony4 ,the             
circumstances1 which a man encounters   
with blessedness1 are the result of his 
own mental harmony4 ,blessedness1 not   
material possessions1 is the measure of 
right thought2 wretchedness1 not lack of
 material possessions1 is the measure of
 wrong thought4 ,a man may be cursed and
 rich2 he may be blessed and poor4      
,blessedness and riches are only joined 
together when the riches are rightly and
 wisely used2 and the poor man only     
descends into wretchedness when he      
regards his lot as a burden unjustly    
imposed4  ,indigence and indulgence are 
the two extremes of wretchedness4 ,they 
are both equally unnatural and the      
result of mental disorder4 ,a man is not
 rightly conditioned until he is a      
happy1 healthy1 and prosperous being2   
and happiness1 health1 and prosperity   

are the result of a harmonious          
adjustment of the inner with the outer1 
of the man with his surroundings4  ,a   
man only begins to be a man when he     
ceases to whine and revile1 and         
commences to search for the hidden      
justice which regulates his life4 ,and  
as he adapts his mind to that regulating
 factor1 he ceases to accuse others as  
the cause of his condition1 and builds  
himself up in strong and noble thoughts2
 ceases to kick against circumstances1  
but begins to use them as aids to his   
more rapid progress1 and as a means of  
discovering the hidden powers and       
possibilities within himself4  ,law1 not
 confusion1 is the dominating principle 
in the universe2 justice1 not injustice1
 is the soul and substance of life2 and 
righteousness1 not corruption1 is the   
moulding and moving force in the        
spiritual government of the world4 ,this
 being so1 man has but to right himself 
to find that the universe is right2 and 
during the process of putting himself   

right he will find that as he alters his
 thoughts towards things and other      
people1 things and other people will    
alter towards him4  ,the proof of this  
truth is in every person1 and it        
therefore admits of easy investigation  
by systematic introspection and         
self-analysis4 ,let a man radically     
alter his thoughts1 and he will be      
astonished at the rapid transformation  
it will effect in the material          
conditions of his life4 ,men imagine    
that thought can be kept secret1 but it 
cannot2 it rapidly crystallizes into    
habit1 and habit solidifies into        
circumstance4 ,bestial thoughts         
crystallize into habits of drunkenness  
and sensuality1 which solidify into     
circumstances of destitution and        
disease3 impure thoughts of every kind  
crystallize into enervating and         
confusing habits1 which solidify into   
distracting and adverse circumstances3  
thoughts of fear1 doubt1 and indecision 
crystallize into weak1 unmanly1 and     

irresolute habits1 which solidify into  
circumstances of failure1 indigence1 and
 slavish dependence3 lazy thoughts      
crystallize into habits of uncleanliness
 and dishonesty1 which solidify into    
circumstances of foulness and beggary3  
hateful and condemnatory thoughts       
crystallize into habits of accusation   
and violence1 which solidify into       
circumstances of injury and persecution3
 selfish thoughts of all kinds          
crystallize into habits of self-seeking1
 which solidify into circumstances more 
or less distressing4 ,on the other hand1
 beautiful thoughts of all kinds        
crystallize into habits of grace and    
kindliness1 which solidify into genial  
and sunny circumstances3 pure thoughts  
crystallize into habits of temperance   
and self-control1 which solidify into   
circumstances of repose and peace3      
thoughts of courage1 self-reliance1 and 
decision crystallize into manly habits1 
which solidify into circumstances of    
success1 plenty1 and freedom3 energetic 

thoughts crystallize into habits of     
cleanliness and industry1 which solidify
 into circumstances of pleasantness3    
gentle and forgiving thoughts           
crystallize into habits of gentleness1  
which solidify into protective and      
preservative circumstances3 loving and  
unselfish thoughts crystallize into     
habits of self-forgetfulness for others1
 which solidify into circumstances of   
sure and abiding prosperity and true    
riches4  ,a particular train of thought 
persisted in1 be it good or bad1 cannot 
fail to produce its results on the      
character and circumstances4 ,a man     
cannot directly choose his              
circumstances1 but he can choose his    
thoughts1 and so indirectly1 yet surely1
 shape his circumstances4  ,nature helps
 every man to the gratification of the  
thoughts1 which he most encourages1 and 
opportunities are presented which will  
most speedily bring to the surface both 
the good and evil thoughts4  ,let a man 
cease from his sinful thoughts1 and all 

the world will soften towards him1 and  
be ready to help him2 let him put away  
his weakly and sickly thoughts1 and lo1 
opportunities will spring up on every   
hand to aid his strong resolves2 let him
 encourage good thoughts1 and no hard   
fate shall bind him down to wretchedness
 and shame4 ,the world is your          
kaleidoscope1 and the varying           
combinations of colours1 which at every 
succeeding moment it presents to you are
 the exquisitely adjusted pictures of   
your ever-moving thoughts4    ,so ,you  
will be what you will to be2   ,let     
failure find its false content   ,in    
that poor word1 'environment1'   ,but   
spirit scorns it1 and is free4    ,it   
masters time1 it conquers space2   ,it  
cowes that boastful trickster1 ,chance1 
,and bids the tyrant ,circumstance      
,uncrown1 and fill a servant's place4   
,the human ,will1 that force unseen1    
,the offspring of a deathless ,soul1    
,can hew a way to any goal1   ,though   
walls of granite intervene4    ,be not  

impatient in delays   ,but wait as one  
who understands2   ,when spirit rises   
and commands   ,the gods are ready to   
obey4     ,,effect ,,of ,,thought ,,on  
,,health ,,and ,,the ,,body   ,,the body
 is the servant of the mind4 ,it obeys  
the operations of the mind1 whether they
 be deliberately chosen or automatically
 expressed4 ,at the bidding of unlawful 
thoughts the body sinks rapidly into    
disease and decay2 at the command of    
glad and beautiful thoughts it becomes  
clothed with youthfulness and beauty4   
,disease and health1 like circumstances1
 are rooted in thought4 ,sickly thoughts
 will express themselves through a      
sickly body4 ,thoughts of fear have been
 known to kill a man as speedily as a   
bullet1 and they are continually killing
 thousands of people just as surely     
though less rapidly4 ,the people who    
live in fear of disease are the people  
who get it4 ,anxiety quickly demoralizes
 the whole body1 and lays it open to the
 entrance of disease2 while impure      

thoughts1 even if not physically        
indulged1 will soon shatter the nervous 
system4  ,strong1 pure1 and happy       
thoughts build up the body in vigour and
 grace4 ,the body is a delicate and     
plastic instrument1 which responds      
readily to the thoughts by which it is  
impressed1 and habits of thought will   
produce their own effects1 good or bad1 
upon it4  ,men will continue to have    
impure and poisoned blood1 so long as   
they propagate unclean thoughts4 ,out of
 a clean heart comes a clean life and a 
clean body4 ,out of a defiled mind      
proceeds a defiled life and a corrupt   
body4 ,thought is the fount of action1  
life1 and manifestation2 make the       
fountain pure1 and all will be pure4    
,change of diet will not help a man who 
will not change his thoughts4 ,when a   
man makes his thoughts pure1 he no      
longer desires impure food4  ,clean     
thoughts make clean habits4 ,the        
so-called saint who does not wash his   
body is not a saint4 ,he who has        

strengthened and purified his thoughts  
does not need to consider the malevolent
 microbe4  ,if you would protect your   
body1 guard your mind4 ,if you would    
renew your body1 beautify your mind4    
,thoughts of malice1 envy1              
disappointment1 despondency1 rob the    
body of its health and grace4 ,a sour   
face does not come by chance2 it is made
 by sour thoughts4 ,wrinkles that mar   
are drawn by folly1 passion1 and pride4 
,i know a woman of ninety-six who has   
the bright1 innocent face of a girl4 ,i 
know a man well under middle age whose  
face is drawn into inharmonious         
contours4 ,the one is the result of a   
sweet and sunny disposition2 the other  
is the outcome of passion and           
discontent4  ,as you cannot have a sweet
 and wholesome abode unless you admit   
the air and sunshine freely into your   
rooms1 so a strong body and a bright1   
happy1 or serene countenance can only   
result from the free admittance into the
 mind of thoughts of joy and goodwill   

and serenity4  ,on the faces of the aged
 there are wrinkles made by sympathy1   
others by strong and pure thought1 and  
others are carved by passion3 who cannot
 distinguish them8 ,with those who have 
lived righteously1 age is calm1         
peaceful1 and softly mellowed1 like the 
setting sun4 ,i have recently seen a    
philosopher on his deathbed4 ,he was not
 old except in years4 ,he died as       
sweetly and peacefully as he had lived4 
,there is no physician like cheerful    
thought for dissipating the ills of the 
body2 there is no comforter to compare  
with goodwill for dispersing the shadows
 of grief and sorrow4 ,to live          
continually in thoughts of ill will1    
cynicism1 suspicion1 and envy1 is to be 
confined in a self made prison-hole4    
,but to think well of all1 to be        
cheerful with all1 to patiently learn to
 find the good in all--such unselfish   
thoughts are the very portals of heaven2
 and to dwell day by day in thoughts of 
peace toward every creature will bring  

abounding peace to their possessor4     
,,thought ,,and ,,purpose   ,,until     
thought is linked with purpose there is 
no intelligent accomplishment4 ,with the
 majority the bark of thought is allowed
 to drift upon the ocean of life4       
,aimlessness is a vice1 and such        
drifting must not continue for him who  
would steer clear of catastrophe and    
destruction4  ,they who have no central 
purpose in their life fall an easy prey 
to petty worries1 fears1 troubles1 and  
self-pityings1 all of which are         
indications of weakness1 which lead1    
just as surely as deliberately planned  
sins 7though by a different route71 to  
failure1 unhappiness1 and loss1 for     
weakness cannot persist in a power      
evolving universe4  ,a man should       
conceive of a legitimate purpose in his 
heart1 and set out to accomplish it4 ,he
 should make this purpose the           
centralizing point of his thoughts4 ,it 
may take the form of a spiritual ideal1 
or it may be a worldly object1 according

 to his nature at the time being2 but   
whichever it is1 he should steadily     
focus his thought-forces upon the       
object1 which he has set before him4 ,he
 should make this purpose his supreme   
duty1 and should devote himself to its  
attainment1 not allowing his thoughts to
 wander away into ephemeral fancies1    
longings1 and imaginings4 ,this is the  
royal road to self-control and true     
concentration of thought4 ,even if he   
fails again and again to accomplish his 
purpose 7as he necessarily must until   
weakness is overcome71 the strength of  
character gained will be the measure of 
his true success1 and this will form a  
new starting-point for future power and 
triumph4  ,those who are not prepared   
for the apprehension of a great purpose 
should fix the thoughts upon the        
faultless performance of their duty1 no 
matter how insignificant their task may 
appear4 ,only in this way can the       
thoughts be gathered and focussed1 and  
resolution and energy be developed1     

which being done1 there is nothing which
 may not be accomplished4  ,the weakest 
soul1 knowing its own weakness1 and     
believing this truth that strength can  
only be developed by effort and         
practice1 will1 thus believing1 at once 
begin to exert itself1 and1 adding      
effort to effort1 patience to patience1 
and strength to strength1 will never    
cease to develop1 and will at last grow 
divinely strong4  ,as the physically    
weak man can make himself strong by     
careful and patient training1 so the man
 of weak thoughts can make them strong  
by exercising himself in right thinking4
  ,to put away aimlessness and weakness1
 and to begin to think with purpose1 is 
to enter the ranks of those strong ones 
who only recognize failure as one of the
 pathways to attainment2 who make all   
conditions serve them1 and who think    
strongly1 attempt fearlessly1 and       
accomplish masterfully4  ,having        
conceived of his purpose1 a man should  
mentally mark out a straight pathway to 

its achievement1 looking neither to the 
right nor the left4 ,doubts and fears   
should be rigorously excluded2 they are 
disintegrating elements1 which break up 
the straight line of effort1 rendering  
it crooked1 ineffectual1 useless4       
,thoughts of doubt and fear never       
accomplished anything1 and never can4   
,they always lead to failure4 ,purpose1 
energy1 power to do1 and all strong     
thoughts cease when doubt and fear creep
 in4  ,the will to do springs from the  
knowledge that we can do4 ,doubt and    
fear are the great enemies of knowledge1
 and he who encourages them1 who does   
not slay them1 thwarts himself at every 
step4  ,he who has conquered doubt and  
fear has conquered failure4 ,his every  
thought is allied with power1 and all   
difficulties are bravely met and wisely 
overcome4 ,his purposes are seasonably  
planted1 and they bloom and bring forth 
fruit1 which does not fall prematurely  
to the ground4  ,thought allied         
fearlessly to purpose becomes creative  

force3 he who knows this is ready to    
become something higher and stronger    
than a mere bundle of wavering thoughts 
and fluctuating sensations2 he who does 
this has become the conscious and       
intelligent wielder of his mental       
powers4     ,,the ,,thought-,,factor    
,,in ,,achievement   ,,all that a man   
achieves and all that he fails to       
achieve is the direct result of his own 
thoughts4 ,in a justly ordered universe1
 where loss of equipoise would mean     
total destruction1 individual           
responsibility must be absolute4 ,a     
man's weakness and strength1 purity and 
impurity1 are his own1 and not another  
man's2 they are brought about by        
himself1 and not by another2 and they   
can only be altered by himself1 never by
 another4 ,his condition is also his    
own1 and not another man's4 ,his        
suffering and his happiness are evolved 
from within4 ,as he thinks1 so he is2 as
 he continues to think1 so he remains4  
,a strong man cannot help a weaker      

unless that weaker is willing to be     
helped1 and even then the weak man must 
become strong of himself2 he must1 by   
his own efforts1 develop the strength   
which he admires in another4 ,none but  
himself can alter his condition4  ,it   
has been usual for men to think and to  
say1 ,many men are slaves because one is
 an oppressor2 let us hate the          
oppressor4 ,now1 however1 there is      
amongst an increasing few a tendency to 
reverse this judgment1 and to say1 ,one 
man is an oppressor because many are    
slaves2 let us despise the slaves4  ,the
 truth is that oppressor and slave are  
co-operators in ignorance1 and1 while   
seeming to afflict each other1 are in   
reality afflicting themselves4 ,a       
perfect ,knowledge perceives the action 
of law in the weakness of the oppressed 
and the misapplied power of the         
oppressor2 a perfect ,love1 seeing the  
suffering1 which both states entail1    
condemns neither2 a perfect ,compassion 
embraces both oppressor and oppressed4  

,he who has conquered weakness1 and has 
put away all selfish thoughts1 belongs  
neither to oppressor nor oppressed4 ,he 
is free4  ,a man can only rise1 conquer1
 and achieve by lifting up his thoughts4
 ,he can only remain weak1 and abject1  
and miserable by refusing to lift up his
 thoughts4  ,before a man can achieve   
anything1 even in worldly things1 he    
must lift his thoughts above slavish    
animal indulgence4 ,he may not1 in order
 to succeed1 give up all animality and  
selfishness1 by any means2 but a portion
 of it must1 at least1 be sacrificed4 ,a
 man whose first thought is bestial     
indulgence could neither think clearly  
nor plan methodically2 he could not find
 and develop his latent resources1 and  
would fail in any undertaking4 ,not     
having commenced to manfully control his
 thoughts1 he is not in a position to   
control affairs and to adopt serious    
responsibilities4 ,he is not fit to act 
independently and stand alone4 ,but he  
is limited only by the thoughts1 which  

he chooses4  ,there can be no progress1 
no achievement without sacrifice1 and a 
man's worldly success will be in the    
measure that he sacrifices his confused 
animal thoughts1 and fixes his mind on  
the development of his plans1 and the   
strengthening of his resolution and     
self-reliance4 ,and the higher he lifts 
his thoughts1 the more manly1 upright1  
and righteous he becomes1 the greater   
will be his success1 the more blessed   
and enduring will be his achievements4  
,the universe does not favour the       
greedy1 the dishonest1 the vicious1     
although on the mere surface it may     
sometimes appear to do so2 it helps the 
honest1 the magnanimous1 the virtuous4  
,all the great ,teachers of the ages    
have declared this in varying forms1 and
 to prove and know it a man has but to  
persist in making himself more and more 
virtuous by lifting up his thoughts4    
,intellectual achievements are the      
result of thought consecrated to the    
search for knowledge1 or for the        

beautiful and true in life and nature4  
,such achievements may be sometimes     
connected with vanity and ambition1 but 
they are not the outcome of those       
characteristics2 they are the natural   
outgrowth of long and arduous effort1   
and of pure and unselfish thoughts4     
,spiritual achievements are the         
consummation of holy aspirations4 ,he   
who lives constantly in the conception  
of noble and lofty thoughts1 who dwells 
upon all that is pure and unselfish1    
will1 as surely as the sun reaches its  
zenith and the moon its full1 become    
wise and noble in character1 and rise   
into a position of influence and        
blessedness4  ,achievement1 of whatever 
kind1 is the crown of effort1 the diadem
 of thought4 ,by the aid of             
self-control1 resolution1 purity1       
righteousness1 and well-directed thought
 a man ascends2 by the aid of animality1
 indolence1 impurity1 corruption1 and   
confusion of thought a man descends4  ,a
 man may rise to high success in the    

world1 and even to lofty altitudes in   
the spiritual realm1 and again descend  
into weakness and wretchedness by       
allowing arrogant1 selfish1 and corrupt 
thoughts to take possession of him4     
,victories attained by right thought can
 only be maintained by watchfulness4    
,many give way when success is assured1 
and rapidly fall back into failure4     
,all achievements1 whether in the       
business1 intellectual1 or spiritual    
world1 are the result of definitely     
directed thought1 are governed by the   
same law and are of the same method2 the
 only difference lies in the object of  
attainment4  ,he who would accomplish   
little must sacrifice little2 he who    
would achieve much must sacrifice much2 
he who would attain highly must         
sacrifice greatly4     ,,visions ,,and  
,,ideals   ,,the dreamers are the       
saviours of the world4 ,as the visible  
world is sustained by the invisible1 so 
men1 through all their trials and sins  
and sordid vocations1 are nourished by  

the beautiful visions of their solitary 
dreamers4 ,humanity cannot forget its   
dreamers2 it cannot let their ideals    
fade and die2 it lives in them2 it knows
 them as the realities which it shall   
one day see and know4  ,composer1       
sculptor1 painter1 poet1 prophet1 sage1 
these are the makers of the after-world1
 the architects of heaven4 ,the world is
 beautiful because they have lived2     
without them1 labouring humanity would  
perish4  ,he who cherishes a beautiful  
vision1 a lofty ideal in his heart1 will
 one day realize it4 ,columbus cherished
 a vision of another world1 and he      
discovered it2 ,copernicus fostered the 
vision of a multiplicity of worlds and a
 wider universe1 and he revealed it2    
,buddha beheld the vision of a spiritual
 world of stainless beauty and perfect  
peace1 and he entered into it4  ,cherish
 your visions2 cherish your ideals2     
cherish the music that stirs in your    
heart1 the beauty that forms in your    
mind1 the loveliness that drapes your   

purest thoughts1 for out of them will   
grow all delightful conditions1 all1    
heavenly environment2 of these1 if you  
but remain true to them1 your world will
 at last be built4  ,to desire is to    
obtain2 to aspire is to1 achieve4 ,shall
 man's basest desires receive the       
fullest measure of gratification1 and   
his purest aspirations starve for lack  
of sustenance8 ,such is not the ,law3   
such a condition of things can never    
obtain3 ask and receive4  ,dream lofty  
dreams1 and as you dream1 so shall you  
become4 ,your ,vision is the promise of 
what you shall one day be2 your ,ideal  
is the prophecy of what you shall at    
last unveil4  ,the greatest achievement 
was at first and for a time a dream4    
,the oak sleeps in the acorn2 the bird  
waits in the egg2 and in the highest    
vision of the soul a waking angel stirs4
 ,dreams are the seedlings of realities4
  ,your circumstances may be            
uncongenial1 but they shall not long    
remain so if you but perceive an ,ideal 

and strive to reach it4 ,you cannot     
travel within and stand still without4  
,here is a youth hard pressed by poverty
 and labour2 confined long hours in an  
unhealthy workshop2 unschooled1 and     
lacking all the arts of refinement4 ,but
 he dreams of better things2 he thinks  
of intelligence1 of refinement1 of grace
 and beauty4 ,he conceives of1 mentally 
builds up1 an ideal condition of life2  
the vision of a wider liberty and a     
larger scope takes possession of him2   
unrest urges him to action1 and he      
utilizes all his spare time and means1  
small though they are1 to the           
development of his latent powers and    
resources4 ,very soon so altered has his
 mind become that the workshop can no   
longer hold him4 ,it has become so out  
of harmony with his mentality that it   
falls out of his life as a garment is   
cast aside1 and1 with the growth of     
opportunities1 which fit the scope of   
his expanding powers1 he passes out of  
it forever4 ,years later we see this    

youth as a full-grown man4 ,we find him 
a master of certain forces of the mind1 
which he wields with worldwide influence
 and almost unequalled power4 ,in his   
hands he holds the cords of gigantic    
responsibilities2 he speaks1 and lo1    
lives are changed2 men and women hang   
upon his words and remould their        
characters1 and1 sunlike1 he becomes the
 fixed and luminous centre round which  
innumerable destinies revolve4 ,he has  
realized the ,vision of his youth4 ,he  
has become one with his ,ideal4  ,and   
you1 too1 youthful reader1 will realize 
the ,vision 7not the idle wish7 of your 
heart1 be it base or beautiful1 or a    
mixture of both1 for you will always    
gravitate toward that which you1        
secretly1 most love4 ,into your hands   
will be placed the exact results of your
 own thoughts2 you will receive that    
which you earn2 no more1 no less4       
,whatever your present environment may  
be1 you will fall1 remain1 or rise with 
your thoughts1 your ,vision1 your       

,ideal4 ,you will become as small as    
your controlling desire2 as great as    
your dominant aspiration3 in the        
beautiful words of ,stanton ,kirkham    
,davis1 ,you may be keeping accounts1   
and presently you shall walk out of the 
door that for so long has seemed to you 
the barrier of your ideals1 and shall   
find yourself before an audience--the   
pen still behind your ear1 the ink      
stains on your fingers and then and     
there shall pour out the torrent of your
 inspiration4 ,you may be driving sheep1
 and you shall wander to the            
city-bucolic and open-mouthed2 shall    
wander under the intrepid guidance of   
the spirit into the studio of the       
master1 and after a time he shall say1  
',i have nothing more to teach you4'    
,and now you have become the master1 who
 did so recently dream of great things  
while driving sheep4 ,you shall lay down
 the saw and the plane to take upon     
yourself the regeneration of the world4 
,the thoughtless1 the ignorant1 and the 

indolent1 seeing only the apparent      
effects of things and not the things    
themselves1 talk of luck1 of fortune1   
and chance4 ,seeing a man grow rich1    
they say1 ,how lucky he is6 ,observing  
another become intellectual1 they       
exclaim1 ,how highly favoured he is6    
,and noting the saintly character and   
wide influence of another1 they remark1 
,how chance aids him at every turn6     
,they do not see the trials and failures
 and struggles which these men have     
voluntarily encountered in order to gain
 their experience2 have no knowledge of 
the sacrifices they have made1 of the   
undaunted efforts they have put forth1  
of the faith they have exercised1 that  
they might overcome the apparently      
insurmountable1 and realize the ,vision 
of their heart4 ,they do not know the   
darkness and the heartaches2 they only  
see the light and joy1 and call it luck4
 ,they do not see the long and arduous  
journey1 but only behold the pleasant   
goal1 and call it good fortune1 do not  

understand the process1 but only        
perceive the result1 and call it chance4
  ,in all human affairs there are       
efforts1 and there are results1 and the 
strength of the effort is the measure of
 the result4 ,chance is not4 ,gifts1    
powers1 material1 intellectual1 and     
spiritual possessions are the fruits of 
effort2 they are thoughts completed1    
objects accomplished1 visions realized4 
,the ,vision that you glorify in your   
mind1 the ,ideal that you enthrone in   
your heart--this you will build your    
life by1 this you will become4          
,,serenity   ,,calmness of mind is one  
of the beautiful jewels of wisdom4 ,it  
is the result of long and patient effort
 in self-control4 ,its presence is an   
indication of ripened experience1 and of
 a more than ordinary knowledge of the  
laws and operations of thought4  ,a man 
becomes calm in the measure that he     
understands himself as a thought evolved
 being1 for such knowledge necessitates 
the understanding of others as the      

result of thought1 and as he develops a 
right understanding1 and sees more and  
more clearly the internal relations of  
things by the action of cause and effect
 he ceases to fuss and fume and worry   
and grieve1 and remains poised1         
steadfast1 serene4  ,the calm man1      
having learned how to govern himself1   
knows how to adapt himself to others2   
and they1 in turn1 reverence his        
spiritual strength1 and feel that they  
can learn of him and rely upon him4 ,the
 more tranquil a man becomes1 the       
greater is his success1 his influence1  
his power for good4 ,even the ordinary  
trader will find his business prosperity
 increase as he develops a greater      
self-control and equanimity1 for people 
will always prefer to deal with a man   
whose demeanour is strongly equable4    
,the strong1 calm man is always loved   
and revered4 ,he is like a shade-giving 
tree in a thirsty land1 or a sheltering 
rock in a storm4 ,who does not love a   
tranquil heart1 a sweet-tempered1       

balanced life8 ,it does not matter      
whether it rains or shines1 or what     
changes come to those possessing these  
blessings1 for they are always sweet1   
serene1 and calm4 ,that exquisite poise 
of character1 which we call serenity is 
the last lesson of culture1 the fruitage
 of the soul4 ,it is precious as wisdom1
 more to be desired than gold--yea1 than
 even fine gold4 ,how insignificant mere
 money seeking looks in comparison with 
a serene life--a life that dwells in the
 ocean of ,truth1 beneath the waves1    
beyond the reach of tempests1 in the    
,eternal ,calm6  ,how many people we    
know who sour their lives1 who ruin all 
that is sweet and beautiful by explosive
 tempers1 who destroy their poise of    
character1 and make bad blood6 ,it is a 
question whether the great majority of  
people do not ruin their lives and mar  
their happiness by lack of self-control4
 ,how few people we meet in life who are
 well balanced1 who have that exquisite 
poise which is characteristic of the    

finished character6  ,yes1 humanity     
surges with uncontrolled passion1 is    
tumultuous with ungoverned grief1 is    
blown about by anxiety and doubt only   
the wise man1 only he whose thoughts are
 controlled and purified1 makes the     
winds and the storms of the soul obey   
him4  ,tempest-tossed souls1 wherever ye
 may be1 under whatsoever conditions ye 
may live1 know this in the ocean of life
 the isles of ,blessedness are smiling1 
and the sunny shore of your ideal awaits
 your coming4 ,keep your hand firmly    
upon the helm of thought4 ,in the bark  
of your soul reclines the commanding    
,master2 ,he does but sleep3 wake ,him4 
,self-control is strength2 ,right       
,thought is mastery2 ,calmness is power4
 ,say unto your heart1 ,peace1 be still6