HOW TO WILL THE WILL

Thames Star, Volume LII, Issue 13808, 25 September 1918, Page 6

HOW TO WILL THE WILL

SOME USEFUL AJWICE ON! TRAINING' THE MUSCLES OF YOUR MIND. By T. c7~Bridgie&. : "George Thornton rose from his ofoair. H© drew a deep breath- and squared his shoulders. Has lips tightened and his whole face, hardened. Then lie began to speak." I The above is noei-ely a quotation from a ■ story in which Thornton, a man who had committed a crimie, at last made tip 'his mind to confess it, and so ,put an end to ■ the misery which, had fallen upon another man wrongly accused of the act. Notice tihe phrase, "made uip his mind.". He had to will himself to tell the disgraceful story. , Bad he remained, hunched up in tlhe chair, h» could hardly have done so. Body amd mind work so closely together that any person in a like would feel the necessity, of - standing up, and—as we put it—of ' 'pulling himself together" before nuafking such c confession. MENTAL EXERCISES. The point tihat very few people do realise is that everyone wiho is not an idiot has a. will, land* can, iif he really desires it» improve and strengthen that will.. Everyone has heard of Sandow. He has written his own story, and explained how, in tihe beginning he was a puny, sickly little boy, and how, by making up his mind, he became one of tihe strongest men in the world. Listen to his own words. "It is all a matter of mind. \ Nothing will 1; mUaike a (man strong except his own concentration of thought." Just as each, of us comes into the world witih: a body, so each, is born witih a mind, and a will. Some Ibodies are naturally strong ; some are weak. The case is the same with will power. But just as a weak boy can foe made strong, by exercise, so tihe will can be improved by mental exercises. * With mind power the case is different altogether. It does not matter if you. who read this are grey-headed and ibent. It ds not too late to begin work on your will. That never grows old. . FEAR CURED BY CONFIDENCE. You have within yourself tremendous powers of which few of, the human race have as yet an idea. It has probably never occuirred to you, for instance, that you can will yourself into a state in which fear does not exist. , : Consider what this would mean to you! You would never bie "dowxu in the mouth" any more. You would have made the biggest, stride possible ■ in the direction of what we are all , striving for—tihat is happiness. In order to get rid of fear, you-re-quire confidence. Sit down a minute ? and consider wha^ it is that worries you miost; It may not fbe a fear, it' may not be a dislike or a failing, such'as a quick or a peevish temper. Everyone has some failing of the sort. ■ . ' • ""'■.■■ Get the thing clear in your mind, and then say to. yourself, "I mean to cure that." , Put your wish into words. It isoif no earthly use to think of it vaguely or foggily. [. When you have done this wait un- ' til evening. Eat a light /supper. This remember, is part of the prescription, and a very important part. Mind and "body are so mixed up that you cannot possibly train 'your mind or will unless, your digestion is working properly. ; -When you. go to ibed put out the light, and tlie in the dads.. Then say to yourself very slowly, very dis-; tinctly, and meaning it as hard as you can; "I intend "to cure '^^msyiself .- of so and so" (whatever the fault may be). IMNER MIND NEVER SLEiEPS. Say it.over and o^er again, not aloud unless you like to, but with all your might. Don't let your attention wamder for a single moment. You need not keep on very long, but try to have the wisto in your mind as you go to sleep. ! The result will be tbat yt>ur inner mind, which-—as opposed to your brain—wever. sleeps at all, takes up this fhouglit and chews it over all night longj. Nothing will haippen for a. day or two, but on the 'fourth or fifth day you will notice that" the temptation, the fear, or whatever it is you 1 are fighting against is beginning; to lose its strength. / Stick to it, amd at the end o>f tihree weeks youi will find that you have won. Also that you have so strengthened your will power that the next failing you tackle you can sweep away within half tihe time. i In a similar way, you riot only fight failings but you • can improve your memory and your physical happiness such as you have never dream-! edof. • , | One word of warning. Do not go t mto mtental training just as a pas-j bime. Unless entered Uiponi withi a serious determiination to persevere, j it had better be left alone altogether. ■. ————————— j