THOUGHT VIBRATION/PART 5

 

CHAPTER 5.

THE SECRET OF THE WILL

While psychologists  may  differ  in  their theories  regarding the nature of the Will,  none deny its  existence,  nor  question  its  power.  All persons recognize the power of strong Will—all see how it may be used to overcome  the greatest  obstacles.  But  few  realize  that  the Will may be developed and  strengthened  by intelligent  practice.  They  feel that  they could accomplish wonders if they had a strong Will, but instead of attempting to develop  it,  they content  themselves  with vain  regrets.  They sigh,  but  do nothing.

Those who have investigated  the subject  closely  know  that  Will  Power, with  all its latent  possibilities and mighty  powers,  may  be  developed, disciplined, controlled and directed, just  as  may  be  any  other  of Nature's forces.  It  does  not  matter  what  theory  you  may entertain  about  the nature of the Will,  you  will obtain  the  results  if  you  practice intelligently.

Personally,  I  have  a  somewhat  odd  theory about  the Will.  I  believe that every man  has,  potentially,  a strong  Will,  and  that  all  he  has  to  do  is  to train  his  mind  to  make use  of  it.  I  think  that  in  the higher  regions  of  the mind  of  every man  is  a great store of  Will  Power  awaiting his  use.  The Will current  is  running along the psychic  wires,  and  all that  it  is necessary to do is  to raise the mental  trolley-pole and  bring down  the power for your use. And the supply is unlimited,  for  your  little  storage battery  is  connected  with  the great  power  house of  the Universal  Will Power, and the power is inexhaustible.  Your Will does  not  need training—but your  Mind  does.  The mind  is  the instrument  and  the supply  of  Will  Power  is  proportionate  to the fineness  of  the instrument through  which it manifests. But you  needn't  accept  this  theory  if  you don't  like  it.  This lesson will  fit  your theory as  well as  mine.

He who  has developed his mind so  that  it  will  allow the  Will Power  to manifest  through it, has opened up wonderful possibilities  for  himself. Not only has  he found  a  great  power  at  his  command,  but  he is  able  to bring into play, and use, faculties, talents and abilities of whose  existence he has  not  dreamed.  This  secret  of  the Will is  the magic  key which opens all doors.

The late  Donald G.  Mitchell  once wrote:  "Resolve  is  what  makes  a  man manifest; not puny resolve, but crude determination; not errant purpose—  but  that  strong  and indefatigable Will  which  treads down difficulties and danger,  as  a  boy  treads down the  heaving  frost-lands of winter;  which  kindles his eye and brain with a proud pulse-beat  toward the unattainable.  Will makes  men  giants"

Many of us feel that if we would  but  exert  our  Will,  we  might  accomplish wonders.  But  somehow  we do not  seem  to want  to  take the trouble—at any rate,  we do not  get  to  the actual willing point.  We  put it  off  from  time to time,  and  talk  vaguely  of "some  day,"  but  that  some  day never  comes.

We instinctively  feel the power of the Will,  but  we haven't  enough energy to exercise it, and so drift along with the tide, unless perhaps  some friendly  difficulty  arises,  some  helpful obstacle  appears  in  our path,  or some  kindly pain stirs  us  into action,  in  either  of  which cases  we are compelled  to assert  our Will  and  thus  begin  to  accomplish something.

The trouble with us  is  that  we do not  want  to do the thing enough to make us  exert  our  Will Power. We don't want to hard enough.  We  are mentally  lazy  and  of weak  Desire.  If you  do  not  like  the  word Desire substitute for it the word "Aspiration." (Some people call the lower impulses Desires, and  the higher,  Aspirations—it's  all  a  matter  of  words, take your choice.)  That  is  the  trouble.  Let  a  man  be in  danger  of  losing his life—let  a  woman  be  in  danger  of  losing a  great  love—and you  will witness a  startling  exhibition  of  Will  Power  from  an  unexpected  source. Let  a  woman's  child  be threatened  with danger,  and she  will manifest  a degree of  Courage  and  Will  that  sweeps  all before it.  And  yet  the same woman will quail  before  a  domineering  husband,  and will lack  the  Will to perform  a  simple  task.  A  boy  will do  all sorts of  work  if he  but  considers it play,  and  yet  he  can scarcely  force  himself to  cut  a  little  fire-wood. Strong  Will follows  strong  Desire.  If you  really  want  to  do  a  thing  very much,  you  can usually develop  the  Will Power  to  accomplish  it.

The trouble is  that  you  have not  really  wanted  to do these things,  and  yet you  blame  your  Will.  You  say that  you  do  want  to do it,  but  if  you  stop  to think  you  will  see that  you  really want  to do something  else more than the thing  in  question.  You  are not  willing to pay  the price  of  attainment. Stop  a moment  and  analyze  this  statement  and  apply  it  to your  own  case.

You  are  mentally  lazy—that's  the trouble.  Don't  talk  to  me about  not having enough Will.  You  have a  great  storehouse of  Will  awaiting  your use,  but  you  are  too  lazy  to  use  it.  Now,  if you  are  really  in earnest  about this  matter,  get  to  work  and  first  find  out  what  you  really want  to do— then  start  to work  and  do it.  Never  mind  about the Will  Power—you'll find  a  full  supply  of  that  whenever  you  need  it.  The thing to do is  to  get  to the point  where you  will  resolve  to  Will.  That's  the  real  test—the resolving.  Think  of  these things  a  little,  and  make up  your  mind  whether or not you  really  want  to  be  a Willer sufficiently  hard  to  get to  work.

Many excellent  essays  and  books  have been  written  on  this  subject,  all of which agree regarding the greatness of Will Power, the most  enthusiastic terms  being used;  but  few  have anything to say  about  how  this  power may be  acquired  by  those who have it  not,  or  who possess  it in but a limited degree. Some have given exercises designed to "strengthen"  the Will,  which exercises  really strengthen  the Mind  so that  it  is  able to  draw upon  its  store of  power.  But  they have generally  overlooked  the fact  that in  auto-suggestion  is  to  be found  the  secret  of  the development  of  the mind  so that  it  may become  the efficient  instrument  of  the Will.

 

Auto-Suggestion

I  Am  Using My  Will  Power.

Say these words several times  earnestly and positively, immediately  after finishing this article. Then  repeat  them  frequently during the day,  at least once an  hour,  and  particularly when  you  meet  something that  calls for  the exercise of Will Power. Also repeat them several  times  after  you retire  and  settle yourself for sleep.  Now,  there is  nothing in  these  words unless  you  back  them  up  with the thought.  In  fact,  the thought  is  "the whole thing,"  and  the words  only pegs  upon  which to hang the thought. So think  of  what  you  are saying,  and  mean,  what  you  say.  You  must  use Faith  at  the start,  and  use the words  with  a  confident expectation  of  the result. Hold the steady thought that you are drawing on your  storehouse of  Will  Power,  and  before long you  will  find  that  thought  is  taking form in action,  and that  your  Will Power  is  manifesting  itself.  You  will  feel  an influx  of  strength with each  repetition  of  the words.  You  will  find yourself overcoming  difficulties and  bad habits,  and will  be  surprised at how things  are  being smoothed  out  for  you.

 

Exercise

Perform  at least  one  disagreeable task  each day during  the month.  If there  is  any specially disagreeable  task  which  you  would like  to shirk,  that  is  the one for  you  to perform.  This  is  not  given  you  in  order  to make  you  self-sacrificing or  meek,  or  anything  of  that  sort—it  is  given you  to  exercise your  Will.  Anyone can  do a  pleasant  thing cheerfully,  but it  takes  Will to do  the unpleasant  thing cheerfully;  and  that  is  how  you must  do  the  work.  It  will  prove  a  most  valuable  discipline  to  you.  Try it for  a  month  and you  will  see  where  it  "comes in"  If you  shirk  this exercise you  had  better stop  right  here and  acknowledge  that  you  do not  want Will Power,  and  are content  to stay where you  are  and  remain  a weakling.