Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude

In his book, Climate Makes the Man, Clarence Mills wrote that the United States Government found some inhabitants of the Isthmus of Panama excessively sluggish in their mental and physical activity. A scientific study disclosed that both the plant and animal life, on which they depended for food, lacked the B vitamins. When thiamine was added to their diet, the same people became more energetic and active.

If you suspect that your diet is deficient in certain vitamins and elements so that your energy level is depressed, you should do something about it. A good cookbook can help you, and there are government pamphlets available at low cost If the condition persists, have a physical checkup.

Like your body, your subconscious mind will accept and absorb mental and spiritual vitamins without effort. But, unlike your physical body, the subconscious will digest and retain unlimited quantities. Unlike your stomach, it never becomes stuffed! It will take and hold as much as you feed it ? and still hold more!

Where will you find these mental and spiritual vitamins? In books such as those recommended in Chapter 22, "The Amazing Power of a Bibliography!"

In effect, the subconscious mind is like a battery. From it, you can obtain tremendous surges of mental and spiritual energy which often transmute themselves into physical vitality. These jolts of energy will go to waste if we permit them to be short-circuited by needless negative emotions. But used constructively,

this energy can multiply itself many times, just as a powerhouse generator produces vast amounts of useful power.

The late William C. Lengel, who was a prominent editor-in-chief in the book publishing business, illustrated this point beautifully in an article for Success Unlimited magazine. Lengel described how energy is wasted through needless "worry, hate, fear, suspicion, anger and rage."

"All these waste elements," he said, "could just as easily be transformed into power-producing units."

To illustrate his point, Mr. Lengel drew a picture of an electrical power plant: "... the open mouths of the furnaces, the red flames roaring inside, the water in the steam gauges bobbing at proper temperature level, the steam driving the pistons turning the great generators, the copper commutators ? golden surfaces ? revolving so fast they seem motionless, green and blue sparks flashing from under the brushes, thick cables hooked up to the switchboard, carrying the electric current throughout a city for thousands of useful purposes.

"Then the other side of the picture," Lengel continued. "Same plant, same boilers, engines, generators. The only difference being that the switchboard was dark and the heavy cables, instead of being hooked up to the switch- board were stuck down into a barrel of water while the workmen ran tests on the plant. All of the power is, in effect, wasted. Not an elevator able to run, not a machine able to operate, not a single bulb able to light."

And Lengel concluded that in the same way "a failure uses up as much energy in his work at failing as a successful person uses in winning success."

Tommy Bolt, the golf champion, used to waste his energy that way. If he sliced a ball or missed the green, he would let go with a fit of temper. Frequently, he'd be come so angry that he'd wrap a golf club around the nearest tree.

When he read the famous prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, it changed him into a man who directed his energy into the most fruitful channels. The prayer Tommy new peace of mind and ever since then he carried in his pocket a card imprinted with a portion the prayer. It reads:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Man is the only member of the animal kingdom who, through the functioning of his conscious mind, can voluntarily control his emotions from within, rather than be forced to do so by external influences. He alone can deliberately change habits of emotional response. The more civilized, cultured, and refined you are, the easier you can control your emotions and feelings ? if you choose to do so.

Fear, for example, is good under certain circumstances. If it were not for fear of water, many children would drown. However, it is entirely possible that you are wasting your mental and spiritual energy in this or other misdirected emotions. If so, you can throw a switch to direct the energy into useful channels. How? By keeping your mind on the things you do want and off the things you don't want. Your emotions are immediately subject to action. Therefore, get into action. Substitute a positive feeling for the negative one. For example, if you are fearful and want to be courageous, act courageous!