THOUGHT AND PURPOSE

Until thought is linked with purpose, there is no intelligent accomplishment. With the majority, the ship of though is allowed to “drift” upon the ocean of life. Aimlessness is a vice, and such drifting must not continue for those who would steer clear of catastrophe and destruction.

They who have no central purpose in their life fall an easy prey to petty worries, fears, troubles, and self-pitying, all of which are indications of weakness, which lead just as surely as deliberately planned sins (though by a different route) to failure, unhappiness, and loss. For weakness cannot persist in a power-evolving universe.

We should conceive of a legitimate purpose in our hearts and set out to accomplish it. We should make this purpose the centralizing point of our thoughts. It may take the form of a spiritual ideal or it may be a worldly object, according to our nature at the time. Be whichever it is, we should steadily focus our thought forces upon the object, which we have set before us. We should make this purpose our supreme duty and should devote ourselves to its attainment, not allowing our thoughts wander away into ephemeral fancies, longings, and imaginings. This is the royal road to self-control and true concentration of thought. Even if we fail again and again to accomplish our purpose (as we necessarily must until weakness is overcome), the strength of character gained will be the measure of our true success and this will form a new starting-point for future power and triumph.
Those who are unprepared for the comprehension of a great purpose should fix their thoughts upon the faultless performance of their duty, no matter how insignificant their task may appear. Only in this way can the thoughts be gathered and focused and resolution and energy be developed, through which there is nothing that may not be accomplished.

The weakest soul, knowing its own weakness and believing this truth-that strength can only be developed by effort and practice- will, thus believing, at once begin to exert itself and, adding effort to effort, patience to patience, and strength to strength, will never cease to develop and will at last grow divinely strong.
As physically weak people can make themselves strong by careful and patient training, so people of weak thoughts can make their thoughts strong by exercising themselves in right thinking.

To put away aimlessness and weakness and to begin to think with purpose is to enter the ranks of those strong ones who recognize failure only as one of the pathways to attainment, who make all conditions serve them, and who think strongly, attempt fearlessly, and accomplish masterfully.
Having conceived of our purpose, we should mentally make out a straight pathway to its achievement, looking neither to the right nor the left. Doubts and fears should be rigorously excluded; they are disintegrating elements which break up the straight line of effort, rendering it crooked, ineffectual, useless. Thoughts of doubt and fear never accomplish anything and never can. They always lead to failure. Purpose, energy, power to do, and all strong thoughts cease when doubt and fear creep in.

The will to do springs from the knowledge that we can do. Doubt and fear are the great enemies of knowledge, and those who encourage them, who do not slay them, thwart themselves at every step.
When we have conquered doubt and fear, we have conquered failure. Our very thoughts are alive with power and all difficulties are bravely met and wisely overcome. Our purpose are seasonably planted, and they bloom and bring forth fruit that does not fall prematurely to the ground.

Thought allied fearlessly to purpose becomes creative force. Once we know and accept this, we are ready to become something higher and stronger than a mere bundle of wavering thoughts and fluctuating sensations. Once we apply this in our lives, we become the conscious and intelligent wielder of our mental power.