Lesson 6 - Why Should We Be Watchful of Our Thinking?

WHY SHOULD WE BE WATCHFUL OF OUR THINKING?

Purpose: To show the importance of right thinking.

[29] We lay great stress on right thinking, because from thinking comes results in our lives, words and deeds.

If thought is right, we shall speak truly and do our best. Character arises from habit of thought. A man of strong, positive thought will be a man of strong character. Habit of thought is an indication of character. We cannot think loving thoughts and be unkind. Health depends upon our thinking. Environment is also affected by our thinking. If our environment is not such as belongs to one who thinks right thoughts, let us change our thinking.

To change environment or outer conditions we do not have to work directly with them but with our own thinking about them.

If we think rightly, we shall change either our mental attitude toward environment, or environment itself--which ever needs changing. Our accomplishment in every direction, all that we do in the world, in business and in domestic life, is affected by our mental attitude. Hence it is worthwhile to cultivate right habits of thinking.

Every thought writes something. The true thought is recorded faithfully and the untrue thought, with equal certainty.

[30] Every thought, whether spoken or not, brings about a result.

We once believed that it mattered but little how often we grew angry within, if this anger was not expressed, and that we could think ill of one provided that we did not voice the sentiment. Now we know that thought is always recorded outwardly; if not in speech, in other ways. I have often wondered what the effect would be if thought appeared in visible form before us--the good thought as a form, good to see, and the ill thought as an ill-fashioned form. Do you not think that we would then be more careful of our thinking?

All inharmony is the result of letting ourselves think that which is opposite to truth.

Every object has come forth from Mind Universal. Even the house we live in, the clothes we wear, the paintings we admire, were all thought out, then wrought out; the Intelligence that thought these out is Divine, God thinking through man; the Power that wrought these out is God-Power working through man. The world about us is a constant evidence of God's living thought for us.

Everything rests first in Mind. To know and to grasp this is to lay hold of a wonderful principle.

Thought is based upon perception. To a limited view life is narrow. To a broad full perception, life is deep and rich. Perfect thinking depends upon perfect knowledge. The process by which we learn to think aright is that by which we go below the surface of things and view the situation from this standpoint. He who goes below the surface has insight. Insight [31] reveals the truth of things, and from this the world takes on a new hue. Things that we once resisted, we now feel kindly towards. Instead of struggling to attain, we gain insight into the principle of attainment. We believe the primary truths of Being, and thought born of such understanding expresses the best without struggle.

The first step toward knowing the truth of things is to seek the truth earnestly.

No matter what we have believed, we must be willing to reverse it, if truth reveals a newer version. Truth is ever going to unfold to us more and more, if we hold ourselves receptive. Never stand still and say that there is nothing more. Truth is ever revealing to us that receptivity is the open door through which we shall realize more and more fully the powers of the Universal Life. When we say, “I can go no farther,” we shut ourselves off from that unfoldment. After the perception of fundamental principles what are we to do? We must certainly do more than accept. After perception and acceptance, thought is to be trained in the Truth every day.

We have not seen life truly; hence we have believed in two powers, two substances. The study of Truth teaches us better. This is perception. We lay hold of its meaning, and then think. First, perception comes; then thought-training follows until consciousness becomes clear. After this no more thought training, for right thinking is spontaneous. It comes because we are conscious of Truth, and we enter heaven. We are conscious of our divinity, and we live out this Divinity.

[22] Systematic right thinking solves every problem in our daily lives.

Right thinking leads to the realization that the successful life is the life that meets the purpose for which it is here, and that this purpose is attainment, unfoldment, the development of the individual--the making of a Man. Every experience, condition, and circumstance, that comes to us is for the purpose of our development, and will be helpful according to the spirit in which we meet it, and the wisdom with which we handle it.

Growth is attained through Self-expression.

Self-expression is induced by every demand made upon one, by every hardship, by every so-called obstacle that he meets. The strong man has always had what is called a hard life; how else could he become conscious of strength? How else could he prove his strength?

True thinking shows us the meaning of what we are calling difficulties; they are opportunities for the development of the individual, not hindrances.

“The strong man rejoices to run the race.” If we are to measure the success of life, we must read the soul aright. Here and here alone is the true, and indelible, and infallible witness of all achievements. Here we find the only result worth looking for.