 "O WELL for him whose Will is strong!," writes Tennyson, and the poets of all nations and times have sung the same song. Tennyson well voices this human regard and admiration for the power of the Will He tells us again; "O living Will, thou shalt endure, when all that seems shall suffer shock." The Will of man if a strange, subtle, intangible, and yet very real thing that is closely connected with the inmost essence of his "I." When the "I" acts, it acts through the Will. The Will is the immediate expression of the Ego, or "I" in Man, which rests at the very seat of his being. This Ego, or "I" within each of us—that inmost self of each one of us—expresses itself in two ways. It first asserts "I Am" by which it expresses its existence and reality; then it asserts "I Will," by which it expresses its desire to act, and its determination to do so. The "I Will" comes right from the center of your being, and is the strongest expression of the Great Life Force within you. And in the degree that you cultivate and express it, is the degree of positivity that you manifest. The person of weak Will is a negative, cringing weakling, while he of strong Will is the positive, courageous, masterful individual in whom Nature delights and whom she rewards. The human Will is an actual living force. It is just as much an active force of Nature as is Electricity, Magnetism, or any other form of natural force. Will is as real an Energy as is gravitation. From atom to man, desire and Will are in evidence—first comes the desire to do a thing, and then comes the Will that does it. It is an invariable law pervading all natural forms, shapes, degrees of things—animate and inanimate. Nothing is impossible to the man who can Will—providing he can Will sufficiently strong. And as Will depends so very much upon one's belief in his ability, it may be said that all action depends upon belief. One does not Will unless he believes that he has a Will. And many a man of inherent strong Will does not express it or exert it, simply because he does not realize that he possesses it. It is only when the necessity arises from some new unexpected demand for the exercise of the Will, that many men realize that they really possess such a Will. To many, alas, such a necessity never comes. In speaking about the Will, I do not mean stubbornness. You will find plenty of people who are as stubborn as mules and their friends and neighbors will say that "they are strong-willed," meaning by this that when they decide a thing "is so, it's so, and you can't make me believe it isn't." This is the mulish attitude of mind coming from prejudice or ignorance and has nothing to do with the Will. The man with the strong Will knows when to recede from his petition as well as when to go forward; he never stands still. When the occasion warrants it, he steps back, but only for the purpose of getting a better start, for he always has a definite goal in view. When the command from within calls him to go forward, he drives right ahead like the mighty ocean steamer, majestic in his power and stopping for nothing. This frame of mind is best illustrated by the following quotation written of Howard the philanthropist: "The energy of his determination was so great, that if instead of being habitual, it had been shown only for a short time on particular occasions, it would have appeared a vehement impetuosity; but, by being unintermitted, it had an equability of manner which scarcely appeared to exceed the tone of a calm constancy, it was so totally the reverse of anything like turbulence or agitation. It was the calmness of an intensity, kept uniform by the nature of the human mind forbidding it to be more, and by the character of the individual forbidding it to be less." The subject of the development of the Will is too large for a single chapter of any book. It is the study of a lifetime. Several fine books have been written covering the subject fairly well, but the best so far, are two recent books by Haddock, "Power of Will" and "Power for Success" which contain the essence of about everything ever written on the subject that is of value to one who desires development along these lines. Buy and study these books by all means. The writer believes that the basis of all personal power resides in the Will and that if one intends to accomplish anything in this world he must acquire a powerful Will. The best way to do this is to first recognize your lack, and then by constant affirmations of "I can and I will accomplish this thing," and by the repetition of selections on the Will, taken from the best literature, build up within yourself, little by little, an invincible power and energy that will overcome every temptation to sidetrack you from your life purpose. At the end of this chapter I have appended some excellent selections and others you will find scattered throughout the book. These selections can be memorized and then repeated in times of trial and discouragement and they will prove invigorating tonic for the depressed mind. The proper attitude of the student of the Law of Financial Success is that mental attitude which may best be expressed as the "I CAN AND I WILL" state of mind. In this mental attitude there are combined the two primary elements of the accomplishment of things. First there comes that belief in one's ability, power, and force which begets confidence, and which causes to make a clear mental channel over which the Will flows. Then, second, comes the assertion of the Will itself—the "I WILL" part of it. When a man says "I WILL" with all the force and energy and determination of his character being poured into it, then does his Will become a very Dynamic Force which sweeps away obstacles before it in its mighty onrush. Not only does this expression of the Will stir into activity the latent powers and dormant energies of the man's mind, bringing to the accomplishment of the task all his reserve force, power and strength, but it does much more. It impresses those around him with a mighty psychical power which compels attention to his words and demands recognition for himself. In all conflicts between men, the strongest Will wins the day. The struggle may be short, or it may be long, but the end is the same always—the man of the strongest Will wins. And not only does the awakened Will do this, but it also acts in the direction of affecting those at a distance from the person. It sets in motion certain natural laws which tend to compel things toward the center occupied by a mighty Will. Look around you, and you will see that the men of giant Wills set up a strong center of influence, which extends on all sides in all directions, affecting this one and that one, and drawing and compelling others to fall in with the movements instigated by that Will. There are men who set up great whirlpools or whirlwinds of Will, which are felt by persons far and near. And, in fact all persons who exert Will at all, do this to a greater or lesser extent, depending upon the degree of Will expressed. Read, study, and absorb the following selections: ***** "The education of the Will is the object of our existence." ***** "They can who think they can. Character is a perfectly educated Will" ***** "Nothing can resist the Will of a man who knows what is true and wills what is good." ***** "To will evil is to will death. A perverse Will is the beginning of suicide." ***** In all difficulties advance and Will, for within you is a Power, a living Force which, the more you trust and learn to use, will annihilate the opposition of matter." ***** "The star of the unconquered Will, He rises in my breast, Serene and resolute and still, And calm and self-possessed." ***** "So nigh is grandeur to our dust, So near is God to man, When Duty whispers low, "Thou must!" The youth replies, 'I can.' " ***** "I will to will with energy and decision! I will to persist in willing! I will to will intelligently and for a goal! I will to exercise the will in accordance with the dictates of reason and of morals." ***** "The human will, that force unseen, The offspring of a deathless soul, Can hew a way to any goal Though walls of granite intervene. ***** "You will be what you will to be, Let failure find its false content In that poor word environment, But spirit scorns it and its free. ***** "It masters time, it conquers space, It cows that boastful trickster, chance, And bids the tyrant circumstance Uncrown and fill a servant's place." ***** "There is no chance, no destiny, no fate. Can circumvent, or hinder, or control The firm resolve of a determined soul. Gifts count for nothing, will alone in great; All things give way before it soon or late. What obstacle can stay the mighty force Of the sea-seeking river in its course, Or cause the ascending orb of day to wait? Each well-born soul must win what it deserves, Let the fools prate of lack. The fortunate he whose earnest purpose never swerves, Whose slightest action, or inaction Serves the one great aim. Why, even Death itself Stands still and waits an hour sometimes For such a will." |
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