The world is full of "New Thought" Literature. It is helpful and
inspiring to read.
It is worth many dollars to any one who will _live_ its philosophy.
I talked to a man who has been studying along these lines for some
years.
"Oh, I know all that philosophy," he said; "it is nothing new. I am
perfectly familiar with it."
Yet this man was continually allowing himself to grow angry over the
least trifle; he was quick to see and speak of the faults in others; he
was demanding more of those he associated with in the way of
consideration and justice than he was willing to give, and he was
untidy in his person and improvident in his use of money.
Now it is the merest waste of time for this man to read "New Thought"
literature or practice "deep breathing", since he will not put into
daily and hourly practice what is taught by the New Religion.
He is like the orthodox Christian who mumbles through the Lord's Prayer
and then goes forth to do exactly as he would not be done by in
business, social and domestic life.
_Man is what he thinks_. Not what he says, reads or hears. By
persistent thinking you can undo any condition which exists. You can
free yourself from any chains, whether of poverty, sin, ill health or
unhappiness. If you have been thinking these thoughts half a lifetime
you must not expect to batter down the walls you have built, in a week,
or a month, or a year. You must work and wait, and grow discouraged
and stumble and pick yourself up and go on again.
You cannot in an hour gain control over a temper which you have let fly
loose for twenty years. But you can control it eventually, and learn
to think of a burst of anger as a vulgarity like drunkenness or
profanity, something you could not descend to.
If you have allowed yourself to think despondent thoughts and believe
that poverty and sickness were your portion for years, it will take
time to train your mind to more cheerful and hopeful ideas; but you can
do it by repeated assertions and by reading and thinking and living the
beautiful New Thought Philosophy.