How The Mind Works
	The Power Of Mind Over Destiny <  Previous Contents Next  >

The destiny of every individual is being created hourly by himself, and that something that determines what he is to create at any particular period in time is the sum total of his ideals. The future of the person is not preordained by some external power, nor is fate controlled by some strange and mysterious force that master minds can alone comprehend and apply. It is our ideals that control and determine our fate. And we all have our ideals, whether we be aware of the fact or not.

To have ideals is not simply to have dreams or visions of that which lies beyond the attainment of the person, nor is idealism a system of ideas that the practical mind would not have the privilege to entertain. To have ideals is to have definite objects in view, be those objects very high, very low or anywhere between those extremes. The ideals of any mind are simply the wants, the desires and the aims of that mind, and as every normal mind will invariably live, think and work for that which is wanted by his present state of existence, it is evident that every mind must necessarily follow his ideals both consciously and unconsciously.

However, when those ideals are low or inferior the individual will naturally work for the ordinary and the inferior, and the products of his mind will correspond in quality to that for which he is working. Thus inferior causes will spring up everywhere in his life and inferior effects will inevitably follow. But when those ideals are high and superior he will work for the superior; he will develop superiority in himself and he will give superiority to everything that he may produce. Accordingly every action that he originates in his life will become a superior cause and will be followed by a superior effect.

The destiny of every individual is determined by what he is and by what he is doing. And what any individual is to be or do is determined by what he is living for, thinking for, or working for, be those objects great or small, superior or inferior. Man is not being made by some outside force, nor is the fate of man the result of causes outside of himself. Man is making himself as well as his future with what he is working for and in all his efforts he invariably follows his ideals.

It is therefore evident that he who lives, thinks and works for the superior becomes superior while he who works for less becomes less. And also that any individual may become more, achieve more and be more by entertaining superior ideals.

To entertain superior ideals is not to dream of the impossible, but to enter into mental contact with those greater possibilities that we are not able to discern. And to have the power to discern an ideal indicates that we have the power to realize that ideal. For the fact is we do not become conscious of greater possibilities until we have developed sufficient capacity to work out those possibilities into practical tangible results.

Therefore when we discern the greater we are ready to attain and achieve the greater, but before we can proceed to do what we are ready to do we must adopt superior ideals, and live up to those ideals according to our full capacity and power.

When our ideals are superior we shall think constantly of the superior because as our ideals are, so is our thinking. And to think constantly of the superior is to grow steadily into the likeness of the superior. Thus all the forces of the mind will move toward the superior. All things in the life of the individual will work together with greater and greater goals in view, and continuous advancement on a larger and broader scale must inevitably follow.

To entertain superior ideals is not simply to desire some larger personal attainment, nor is it to dwell mentally in some belief that is different from the usual beliefs of the world. To entertain superior ideals is simply to think the best thought about everything and to try to improve upon that thought every day. Superior idealism therefore is not mere dreaming of the great and beautiful. It is also the actual living in mental harmony with the very best we know in all things, in all persons, in all circumstances and in all expressions of life. To live in mental harmony with the best we can find anywhere is to create the best in our own mentalities and personalities.

And as we grow steadily into the likeness of that which we think of the most we will in this manner increase our power, capacity and worth, and in consequence be able to create a better future and a more worthy destiny. For it is the law under every circumstance that the man who becomes much will achieve much, and great attainments are invariably followed by a greater future.

To think of anything that is less than the best or to dwell mentally with the inferior is to neutralize the effect of those superior ideals that we have begun to entertain. It is therefore absolutely necessary to entertain superior ideals only, and to cease all recognition of inferiority or imperfection if we want to secure the best results along these lines.

In this connection we find the reason why the majority fail to secure any tangible results from higher ideals, for the fact is they entertain too many lower ideals at the same time. They may aim high, they may adore the beautiful, they may desire the perfect, they may live for the better and they may work for the greater, but they do not think their best thoughts about everything; therefore the house in their case is divided against itself and cannot stand.

Superior idealism, however, contains no thought that is less than the best, and it entertains no desire that has not greater worth in view. Such idealism does not recognize the power of evil in anything or in anybody. It may know that adverse conditions do exist, but it gives the matter no conscious thought whatever. And to pursue this course is absolutely necessary if we would create a better future. For it is not possible to think the best thought about everything while the mind gives conscious attention to adversity and imperfection.

The true idealist therefore gives conscious recognition only to the power of good. And he lives in the conviction that all things in his life are working together for good. But this conviction is not mere sentiment with him because he knows that all things will work together for good when we recognize only the good, think only the good, desire only the good, expect only the good and live only for the good.

To apply the principle of superior idealism in all things, that is, to live, think and work only for the highest ideals that we can comprehend means advancement in all things. To follow the superior ideal is to move towards the higher, the greater and the superior. And no one can continue very long in that mode of living, thinking and acting without creating for himself a new world, a better environment and a fairer destiny. We understand therefore that in order to create a better future we must begin now to select a better group of ideals, for it is our ideals that constitute the cause of the future we expect to create. And as the cause is so will also be the effect.