THOUGHT VIBRATION/PART 14

 

CHAPTER 14.

THE  GREAT DYNAMIC FORCES

You  have  noticed  the difference between  the successful and  strong  men in any walk of life, and the  unsuccessful weak  men around them.  You  are conscious  of  the  widely differing  characteristics of the  two  classes,  but somehow find  it  difficult  to express  just  in  what  the difference lies.  Let  us take  a look  at  the  matter.

Buxton  said:  "The longer  I  live,  the more certain  I  am  that  the great difference between  men,  the feeble and  the powerful,  the great and the insignificant, is energy and invincible  determination—a  purpose once fixed  and  then  Death or  Victory.  That  quality  will do anything that  can  be done in this world—and no talents,  no circumstances,  no opportunities will make  a  two-legged  creature a man  without  it."  I  do not  see how  the idea  could  be  more clearly  expressed  than  Buxton  has  spoken.  He has put  his  finger  right  in  the center  of  the subject—his  eye has  seen  into the heart  of  it.

Energy  and  invincible  determination—these two things  will sweep  away mighty  barriers,  and  will surmount  the greatest  obstacles.  And  yet  they must be used together. Energy without  determination  will  go to waste. Lots  of  men  have plenty of  energy—they are full  to overflowing with  it; and  yet  they lack  concentration—they lack  the concentrated  force that enables  them  to  bring their  power  to  bear  upon  the right  spot.  Energy is not nearly so rare  a  thing as  many  imagine it  to  be.  I  can  look  around  me at  any  time,  and  pick  out  a  number  of people  I  know who  are  full  of energy—many of  them  are energy  plus—and  yet,  somehow,  they do not seem  to  make  any headway.  They  are  wasting their  energy  all  the  time. Now they are fooling with this thing—now meddling  with  that.  They  will take up  some trifling thing  of  no real  interest  or  importance,  and  waste enough energy and  nervous  force to carry them  through  a  hard  day's work; and yet when they are through, nothing has been  accomplished.

Others  who have plenty  of  energy,  fail  to direct  it  by  the  power  of  the Will toward  the desired  end.  "Invincible determination"—those are  the words. Do they not thrill you with  their  power? If  you  have something to  do,  get to work  and  do it.  Marshal  your  energy,  and  then  guide and  direct  it  by your  Will—bestow  upon  it  that  "invincible determination"  and  you  will do the thing.

Everyone has  within  him a giant will, but  the majority  of  us  are  too lazy to use it. We cannot  get  ourselves  nerved  up  to  the point  at  which  we can say, truthfully: "I Will'.’ If we can but screw up our courage to that  point, and will  then pin it  in place  so  that  it  will not  slip  back,  we  will  be  able  to call  into  play  that  wonderful  power—the  Human Will.  Man,  as a  rule,  has but  the faintest  conception  of  the power  of  the  Will,  but  those who have studied along the occult teachings,  know  that  the Will  is  one of  the great dynamic  forces  of  the universe,  and  if  harnessed  and  directed  properly it is capable  of accomplishing  almost  miraculous things.

"Energy and  Invincible Determination"—aren't  they  magnificent words? Commit them  to  memory—press  them  like a  die into  the  wax  of  your mind,  and  they will be a constant  inspiration  to  you  in  hours  of  need.  If you can  get  these words  to vibrating in  your  being,  you  will  be a giant among pygmies.  Say these words  over and  over  again,  and  see how  you are  filled  with  new  life—see  how your  blood will  circulate—how your nerves  will  tingle.  Make  these words  a  part  of  yourself,  and  then  go forth anew  to the battle of life, encouraged  and  strengthened.  Put  them  into practice. "Energy and Invincible Determination"—let that be your  motto in  your  work-a-day  life,  and  you  will be one of  those rare  men  who are able  to "do things."

Many persons  are  deterred  from  doing their  best  by  the fact  that  they underrate  themselves  by  comparison with  the  successful ones of life,  or rather,  overrate  the successful  ones  by  comparison  with themselves.

One of  the curious  things  noticed  by  those who  are  brought  in  contact with the people who have "arrived" is the fact that these  successful people are not  extraordinary  after  all.  You  meet  with some great  writer, and  you  are disappointed  to  find  him  very  ordinary  indeed.  He does  not converse  brilliantly,  and,  in fact,  you  know a  score  of everyday  people who seem far more brilliant than this man who dazzles you by his brightness  in  his  books.  You  meet  some great  statesman,  and  he  does  not seem  nearly  so  wise  as lots of old fellows in your  own village,  who  waste their  wisdom  upon  the desert  air.  You  meet  some great  captain  of industry,  and he  does  not  give you  the  impression  of  the shrewdness  so marked  in  some little bargain-driving  trader  in  your  own  town.  How  is this,  anyway?  Are  the reputations  of  these people fictitious,  or  what  is  the trouble?

The trouble is this: You have imagined these people to be  made of superior  metal, and are disappointed to find them made of the same stuff as yourself and those about  you.  But,  you  ask,  wherein does their greatness  of  achievement  lie?  Chiefly  in  this:  Belief  in  themselves  and  in their  inherent  power,  in  their  faculty to concentrate on  the work  in  hand, when they are working,  and  in  their  ability to  prevent  leaks  of  power when they are not  working.  They  believe in  themselves,  and make  every effort  count. Your village  wiseman spills his wisdom  on every  corner,  and talks to a lot of fools;  when if he  really  were  wise  he  would save  up  his wisdom  and place  it  where  it  would do  some  work.  The  brilliant  writer does  not  waste his  wit  upon  every comer;  in  fact,  he shuts  the drawer  in which he contains his wit, and opens it only when he is ready to concentrate and  get  down  to  business.  The captain  of  industry has  no desire  to  impress you  with  his shrewdness and "smartness."  He  never did,  even  when  he was  young.  While  his  companions  were talking and boasting, and "blowing," this future  successful financier  was "sawin' wood and sayin' nuthin'."

The great  people of  the world—that  is,  those who have "arrived"—are not very  different  from  you, or me, or the rest of  us—all  of  us  are  about  the same  at  the  base.  You  have  only  to meet  them  to see how  very  "ordinary" they are,  after all.  But,  don't  forget  the fact  that  they  know  how  to  use the material  that  is  in  them;  while the rest  of  the crowd  does  not,  and,  in fact,  even  doubts  whether  the true stuff  is  there.  The man  or  woman  who "gets  there,"  usually starts  out  by realizing  that he or she is not so very different,  after all,  from  the successful  people that  they  hear  so  much about.  This  gives  them  confidence,  and  the result  is  they  find  out  that they are  able to "do  things."  Then  they  learn  to  keep  their  mouths  closed, and  to  avoid  wasting and  dissipating  their  energy.  They  store up  energy, and  concentrate it  upon  the  task  at  hand;  while their  companions  are scattering  their energies  in  every direction,  trying to show  off  and  let people know  how  smart  they  are.  The  man  or  woman  who "gets  there," prefers  to  wait  for  the  applause  that  follows deeds accomplished,  and cares  very  little for the praise that  attends  promises  of  what  we expect  to do "some day,"  or  an  exhibition  of  "smartness"  without  works.

One of  the reasons  that  people who are thrown  in  with  successful  men often  manifest  success  themselves,  is  that  they  are  able  to watch  the successful  man  and sort  of "catch  the  trick"  of his greatness.  They see that  he is  an  everyday  sort  of  man,  but  that  he thoroughly  believes  in himself,  and  also that  he does  not  waste energy,  but  reserves  all  his  force for  the  actual  tasks  before him.  And,  profiting  by example,  they  start  to work  and  put  the lesson  into practice  in  their  own  lives.

Now what is the moral of this talk?  Simply this:  Don't  undervalue yourself,  or  overvalue  others.  Realize  that  you  are  made  of good stuff, and  that  locked  within  your  mind  are  many  good  things.  Then  get  to work  and  unfold  those good  things,  and  make something out  of  that  good stuff.  Do this  by  attention  to  the things  before you,  and  by giving to each the best  that  is  in  you, knowing that  plenty of  more good  things  are in you,  ready for  the fresh tasks  that  will  come.  Put  the  best  of  yourself  into the undertaking on  hand,  and  do not  cheat  the present  task  in  favor of some future one.  Your  supply is  inexhaustible.  And  don't  waste  your good stuff on the crowd  of  gapers,  watchers  and  critics  who are standing around watching you  work.  Save your good  stuff  for  your  job,  and  don't be in  too  much of  a hurry  for applause. Save up your  good  thoughts  for "copy" if you are a writer; save up  your  bright schemes  for actual practice,  if you  are  a  business man;  save  up  your  wisdom  for  occasion,  if you  are a statesman; and,  in  each case,  avoid  the desire to scatter  your pearls  before—well,  before  the gaping  crowd  that  wants  to be entertained by  a "free show."

Nothing very "high"  about  this  teaching,  perhaps,  but  it  is  what  many of you  need  very  much.  Stop  fooling,  and  get  down  to  business. Stop wasting good raw material, and start  to work  making something worth while.