THOUGHT VIBRATION /PART 12

 

CHAPTER 12.

DEVELOPING NEW BRAIN-CELLS

I  have  spoken  of  the plan  of  getting  rid  of  undesirable states  of  feeling by driving  them  out.  But  a  far  better way  is  to cultivate  the feeling or emotion  directly  opposed  to  the one you  wish to eradicate.

We are very apt  to  regard  ourselves  as  the creatures  of  our emotions  and feelings,  and  to fancy that  these feelings  and  emotions  are "we."  But  such is  far from  being the truth.  It  is  true that  the majority of  the race are slaves  of  their  emotions  and  feelings,  and  are governed  by  them  to  a great  degree.  They think  that  feelings  are  things  that  rule one and  from which one cannot  free himself,  and  so they  cease  to  rebel.  They  yield to the feeling without  question,  although  they may know  that  the emotion or  mental  trait  is  calculated  to injure  them,  and  to bring unhappiness and failure  instead  of happiness and success.  They  say  "we  are  made  that way"  and  let  it  go at  that.

The new  Psychology is  teaching the  people better things.  It  tells  them that  they  are  masters  of  their emotions  and  feelings,  instead  of  being their slaves. It tells them that  brain-cells may  be  developed that  will manifest  along desirable lines,  and  that  the  old  brain-cells  that  have been manifesting so unpleasantly  may  be placed  on  the retired  list,  and allowed  to atrophy from  want  of  use.  People may  make themselves  over, and  change their  entire natures.  This  is  not  mere idle theory,  but  is  a working fact  which has  been  demonstrated  by  thousands  of  people,  and which is  coming more and  more  before the attention  of  the race.

No matter  what  theory of  mind  we entertain,  we must  admit  that  the brain  is  the organ  and  instrument  of  the mind,  in  our  present  state of existence, at least,  and  that  the brain  must  be considered  in  this  matter. The  brain is like  a  wonderful musical  instrument,  having  millions of keys,  upon which  we  may  play innumerable  combinations of sounds.  We come into the world with certain tendencies, temperaments, and predispositions.  We may  account  for  these tendencies  by  heredity,  or  we may account  for  them  upon  theories  of  pre-existence,  but  the facts remain  the same.  Certain  keys  seem  to  respond  to our  touch more easily than  others.  Certain  notes  seem  to sound  forth  as  the current  of circumstances  sweeps  over  the strings.  And  certain  other  notes  are less easily vibrated.  But  we  find  that  if we  but  make  an effort  of the  will to restrain  the utterance of  some of  these easily  sounded  strings,  they  will grow  more difficult  to sound,  and  less  liable to  be stirred  by  the  passing breeze.  And  if  we  will  pay  attention  to some of  the other strings  that  have not  been  giving forth a  clear  tone,  we will  soon  get  them  in  good  working order;  their  notes  will  chime forth clear and  vibrant,  and  will  drown  the less pleasant  sounds.

We have  millions  of  unused  brain-cells  awaiting our  cultivation.  We are using but  a  few  of  them,  and  some of  these we are working to death.  We are  able  to give some of  these  cells a  rest,  by using  other  cells.  The  brain may be  trained  and  cultivated  in  a manner  incredible to  one who has  not looked into  the  subject.  Mental  attitudes may  be  acquired  and cultivated, changed and discarded,  at  will.  There  is no  longer  any  excuse  for  people manifesting  unpleasant  and  harmful  mental  states.  We  have  the  remedy in  our  own  hands.

We acquire habits  of  thought,  feeling,  and  action,  by  repeated  use.  We may be  born  with  a  tendency in  a  certain  direction,  or  we  may  acquire tendencies by suggestions  from  others;  such as  the examples  of  those around  us,  suggestions  from  reading,  listening to teachers.  We  are a bundle of  mental habits.  Each time we indulge in  an  undesirable thought or  habit,  the easier  does  it  become to  repeat  that  thought  or  action.  And the oftener  we give  forth  a  certain  desirable thought,  or  perform  a desirable  action,  the easier  does  it  become for  us  to repeat  that  thought or action.

Mental scientists  are in  the habit  of  speaking of  desirable  thoughts  or mental attitudes as "positive," and  of  the undesirable ones  as  "negative." There is  a good  reason  for  this.  The mind  instinctively recognizes  certain things  as  good  for  the individual  to which it  belongs,  and  it  clears  the path for such thoughts,  and  interposes  the least  resistance to them.  They have a  much greater  effect  than  an  undesirable thought  possesses,  and one positive thought  will counteract  a  number  of  negative  thoughts.  The best  way to overcome undesirable or  negative thoughts  and  feelings  is  to cultivate the positive ones.  The positive thought  is  the strongest  plant, and  will  in  time starve out  the negative one by  withdrawing from  it  the nourishment  necessary  for its  existence.

Of  course  the negative thought  will set  up  a  vigorous  resistance  at  first, for it  is  a  fight  for  life with  it.  In  the slang words  of  the time,  it  "sees  its finish"  if  the positive thought  is  allowed  to grow  and  develop;  and, consequently,  it  makes  things  unpleasant  for the individual  until  he has started  well into the work  of  starving it  out.  Brain  cells  do not  like  to be laid  on  the shelf  any more  than  does  any other  form  of  living energy,  and they rebel  and  struggle until they become too weak  to do  so.  The best way is  to  pay  as  little attention  as  possible to  these weeds  of  the mind, but  put  in  as  much  time  as  possible watering,  caring for  and attending to the new  and  beautiful plants  in  the garden  of  the mind.

For  instance,  if  you  are apt  to hate people,  you  can  best  overcome the negative thought  by cultivating Love in  its  place.  Think  Love,  and  act  it out,  as often as possible.  Cultivate  thoughts of kindness,  and act  as kindly  as  you  can to  everyone  with  whom  you  come  in contact.  You  will have  trouble  at the  start,  but  gradually  Love  will  master Hate,  and  the latter will  begin  to  droop  and wither. If you have a tendency toward  the "blues"  cultivate  a  smile,  and a  cheerful  view of things.  Insist  upon your mouth wearing up-turned  corners,  and  make  an  effort  of  the will  to look upon  the  bright  side of  things.  The "blue-devils"  will set  up  a  fight,  of course,  but pay no attention to them— just go on cultivating optimism and  cheerfulness. Let "Bright, Cheerful and Happy,"  be your watchword,  and  try to  live  it  out.

These recipes may seem very old and timeworn, but they are psychological truths and  may be  used  by  you  to advantage.  If  you  once comprehend  the nature of  the thing,  the affirmations  and  auto-suggestions  of  the several schools may be understood and taken advantage of. You may  make yourself energetic instead of slothful,  active instead  of  lazy,  by  this  method. It is all a matter of practice and steady work. New Thought  people often  have  much to say about  "holding the thought;"  and,  indeed,  it  is  necessary to "hold the thought" in order to accomplish results. But  something more is needed. You must "act out" the thought until it  becomes  a  fixed  habit  with you.  Thoughts  take  form in  action;  and  in  turn actions influence thought. So by "acting out" certain lines of  thought,  the  actions  react  upon  the mind,  and  increase the development  of  the part  of  the mind  having close relation  to  the act. Each  time the mind  entertains  a  thought,  the easier  becomes  the resulting  action —and  each time an  act  is  performed,  the  easier  becomes the corresponding thought.  So you  see the thing  works  both ways—action and reaction.  If you  feel  cheerful and  happy,  it  is very natural  for  you  to laugh.  And if you  will laugh  a  little,  you  will begin to  feel  bright  and cheerful.  Do you  see what  I  am  trying  to get  at?  Here it  is,  in  a nutshell:  If you  wish  to  cultivate  a  certain  habit  of  action,  begin by  cultivating the mental  attitude  corresponding  to  it.  And  as  a  means  of  cultivating that mental  attitude,  start  in  to  "act-out,"  or  go  through,  the  motions  of  the act corresponding  to  the  thought.  Now,  see if  you  cannot  apply this rule. Take up  something that  you  really  feel should  be done,  but  which  you  do not  feel  like doing.  Cultivate  the thought  leading up  to  it—say  to  yourself:

"I  like to  do so and  so,"  and  then  go through the motions  (cheerfully, remember!)  and  act out  the  thought  that  you  like to do the thing.  Take an interest  in  the doing—study  out  the  best  way  to  do  it—put  brains  into  it— take  a pride  in  it—and  you  will  find  yourself  doing the thing with a considerable amount of pleasure and interest—you will have  cultivated  a new habit.

If  you  prefer  trying  it  on  some mental  trait  of  which you  wish to  be rid,  it will work  the same  way.  Start  in  to cultivate  the opposite trait,  and  think it  out  and  act  it  out  for  all you  are worth.  Then  watch  the change that  will come over  you.  Don't  be discouraged  at  the resistance you  will encounter at  first,  but  sing  gaily:  "I Can and I  Will,"  and get  to  work  in earnest.  The important  thing in  this  work  is  to keep  cheerful and  interested.  If  you manage to do this,  the rest  will  be easy.