THOUGHT VIBRATION/PART 10

 

CHAPTER 10.

TRAINING THE HABIT-MIND

Professor  William  James,  the  well-known  teacher  of,  and  writer  upon Psychology,  very truly says:

"The great  thing in  all  education  is  to  make our nervous  system  our  ally instead  of  our  enemy.  For  this  we must  make  automatic  and  habitual,  as early as  possible,  as many useful actions as we  can,  and  as carefully guard against growing into ways that are likely to be disadvantageous.  In the acquisition  of  a new  habit,  or  the leaving off  of  an  old  one,  we must take care  to launch  ourselves  with  as  strong and  decided  initiative  as possible.  Never  suffer  an  exception  to  occur  until  the new  habit  is securely  rooted  in  your  life.  Seize the very first  possible opportunity to act on  every resolution  you  make  and  on  every emotional prompting you may experience,  in  the direction  of  the habits  you  aspire  to gain"

This advice  is along the lines  familiar to all  students  of  Mental Science, but it  states  the matter more  plainly than  the  majority  of  us  have done.  It impresses  upon  us  the importance of  passing on  to the subconscious mind the proper impulses, so that they will become automatic and "second nature."  Our subconscious mentality  is  a  great  store  house  for  all sorts  of  suggestions  from  ourselves  and  others,  and,  as  it  is  the "habit-mind,"  we must  be  careful  to send  it  the proper material  from  which it may make habits.  If  we  get into the habit  of  doing certain  things,  we may be  sure  that  the  subconscious mentality will make  it  easier  for  us to  do just  the same  thing over  and  over  again,  easier  each  time,  until  finally we are firmly bound  with the  ropes  and  chains  of  the habit,  and  find it more or less difficult, sometimes almost impossible, to free  ourselves from  the hateful  thing.

We should  cultivate good  habits  against  the hour  of  need.  The time  will come when  we will be  required  to put  forth our  best  efforts,  and  it  rests with  us  today  whether  that  hour  of  need  shall find  us  doing the proper thing automatically  and almost  without  thought,  or  struggling to do it bound  down  and  hindered  with  the chains  of  things  opposed  to that which we desire at  that  moment.

We must  be on  guard  at  all times  to prevent  the  forming of  undesirable habits. There may  be no special  harm  in  doing  a  certain  thing today,  or perhaps  again  tomorrow,  but  there may be  much harm  in  setting  up  the habit  of  doing that  particular thing.  If  you  are confronted  with  the question:  "Which of  these two things  should  I  do?"  the  best  answer is:  "I will do  that  which  I  would like  to  become  a  habit  with  me."

In  forming a  new  habit,  or  in  breaking  an  old  one,  we should  throw ourselves  into the  task  with  as  much  enthusiasm  as  possible,  in  order  to gain  the  most  ground  before the energy  expends  itself  when  it  meets  with friction  from  the opposing habits  already formed.  We should  start in by making as strong an impression as possible upon the subconscious mentality.  Then  we should  be  constantly  on  guard  against temptations  to break  the  new resolution "just  this once."  This "just  once"  idea  kills  off more good  resolutions  than  any other one cause.  The moment  you  yield "just  this  once,"  you  introduce the thin  edge of  the wedge that  will,  in  the end,  split  your  resolution  into pieces.

Equally  important  is  the fact  that  each time you  resist  temptation  the stronger  does your resolution become. Act upon your  resolution  as  early and  as  often  as  possible,  as  with every  manifestation  of  thought  in  action, the stronger  does  it  become.  You  are  adding to the strength of  your original  resolution  every time you  back  it  up  with action.

The mind  has  been  likened  to a  piece of  paper  that  has  been  folded.  Ever afterwards it  has a  tendency  to  fold  in  the  same  crease—unless  we  make a  new crease  or  fold,  when it  will follow the  last  lines.  And the  creases are habits—every time  we make  one it  is  so much easier  for  the mind  to fold along the same crease afterward. Let us make  our  mental creases  in  the right  direction.