As a Man Thinketh | Page 9

strengthened and purified his thoughts does not need to consider the
malevolent microbe.
If you would protect your body, guard your mind. If you would renew your body,
beautify your mind. Thoughts of malice, envy, disappointment, despondency, rob the

body of its health and grace. A sour face does not come by chance; it is made by sour
thoughts. Wrinkles that mar are drawn by folly, passion, and pride.
I know a woman of ninety-six who has the bright, innocent face of a girl. I know a man
well under middle age whose face is drawn into inharmonious contours. The one is the
result of a sweet and sunny disposition; the other is the outcome of passion and
discontent.
As you cannot have a sweet and wholesome abode unless you admit the air and sunshine
freely into your rooms, so a strong body and a bright, happy, or serene countenance can
only result from the free admittance into the mind of thoughts of joy and goodwill and
serenity.
On the faces of the aged there are wrinkles made by sympathy, others by strong and pure
thought, and others are carved by passion: who cannot distinguish them? With those who
have lived righteously, age is calm, peaceful, and softly mellowed, like the setting sun. I
have recently seen a philosopher on his deathbed. He was not old except in years. He died
as sweetly and peacefully as he had lived.
There is no physician like cheerful thought for dissipating the ills of the body; there is no
comforter to compare with goodwill for dispersing the shadows of grief and sorrow. To
live continually in thoughts of ill will, cynicism, suspicion, and envy, is to be confined in
a self made prison-hole. But to think well of all, to be cheerful with all, to patiently learn
to find the good in all--such unselfish thoughts are the very portals of heaven; and to
dwell day by day in thoughts of peace toward every creature will bring abounding peace
to their possessor.

THOUGHT AND PURPOSE

UNTIL thought is linked with purpose there is no intelligent accomplishment. With the
majority the bark of thought is allowed to "drift" upon the ocean of life. Aimlessness is a
vice, and such drifting must not continue for him 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-pityings, 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.
A man should conceive of a legitimate purpose in his heart, and set out to accomplish it.
He should make this purpose the centralizing point of his thoughts. It may take the form
of a spiritual ideal, or it may be a worldly object, according to his nature at the time being;
but whichever it is, he should steadily focus his thought-forces upon the object, which he
has set before him. He should make this purpose his supreme duty, and should devote
himself to its attainment, not allowing his thoughts to wander away into ephemeral

fancies, longings, and imaginings. This is the royal road to self-control and true
concentration of thought. Even if he fails again and again to accomplish his purpose (as
he necessarily must until weakness is overcome), the strength of character gained will be
the measure of his true success, and this will form a new starting-point for future power
and triumph.
Those who are not prepared for the apprehension of a great purpose should fix the
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 focussed, and
resolution and energy be developed, which being done, there is nothing which 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 the physically weak man can make himself strong by careful and patient training, so
the man of weak thoughts can make them strong by exercising himself 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 only recognize failure 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 his purpose, a man should mentally mark out