THE MIRACLES OF RIGHT THOUGHT. Orison Swett Marden

people wonder that they amount to so little, that they cut so little figure and carry so little weight in their community. It is because they do not think and act like conquerors. They do not hold the constructive, victorious attitude; they give the impression of weaklings. No person can be magnetic until he learns the secret of radiating force. The positive character is magnetic; the negative repellent. Victors are always victorious mentally first.

      There are people who give us the impression that they never expect to win out; all they desire is a chance to make a fairly comfortable living. They never expect anything but hard work. They start out with the idea that life at best is going to be a grind, when it should be a perpetual delight, a glory. The life properly lived is a continual growth, and the very knowledge of constant enlargement, the knowledge that we are pushing farther out on our mental horizon, should give a sense of satisfaction that nothing else can bestow. There is nothing that will take the place of a sense of victoriousness, a consciousness of perpetual winning.

      One thing that should be instilled into a child’s very being is that he was born for victory, born to conquer; that he is victory organized, and not failure—organized, as many people seem to think they are. Nobody is organized for failure.

      If children were trained always to hold the victorious attitude, to have great respect for themselves and unlimited faith in their possibilities, failure would be a very rare thing. The time will come when children will be taught to radiate force, to express vigor and hold the victorious attitude, and when this will be considered a most important part of their education and upbringing.

      The mental life must be right before the physical can be harmonious. You must bear a healthy relation to your fellow men; you must stand right with your brothers before you can stand right with yourself or be truly healthy or happy.

      If we would have the victorious attitude, we must eliminate all thoughts of jealousy, hatred, and revenge that may rankle in us, and cultivate that peace of mind and serenity of soul which is characteristic of the really great.

      The whole philosophy of efficiency and happiness consists in the vigorous, consistent affirmation of the thing we are trying to be, and trying to do.

      A young man starting out in life, anxious to succeed, must not say to himself, “I would like to succeed, but I do not believe I am really fitted for the part I have assumed. My profession or my vocation is so crowded, there are so many who can not get a decent living in this field, so many people out of employment, that I believe I have made a mistake; but I will work away the best I can. Perhaps I will come out somewhere.” The young man who talks so, thinks so, does so, will come out somewhere. It will be at the “little end of the horn,” out of pocket, out at the elbow, and out of a job.

      The fact is, others estimate us by what we are, not by what we say. We must radiate our realities. We can say almost anything we wish, but people judge us by that intangible impression which our radiation makes upon them, because that is the reality of us. You cannot keep your real thought, your real estimate of another from him, no matter how honeyed or flattering your words. If you have a grudge in your heart, if you are envious or jealous, if you are uncharitable or antagonistic, he will feel it. We may deceive another with our words, but we cannot change our radiation unless we change our whole mental attitude towards him.

      Think of a man trying to create wealth when his whole mental attitude, when his very face seems to say, “Keep away from me. Prosperity. Do not come near me. I would like to have you, but you were evidently not intended for me. My mission in life is a humble one, and, while I wish I could have the good things which the more fortunate enjoy, I really do not expect them.”

      Abundance cannot get near a person holding such a mental attitude. The mind that fears and doubts repels prosperity.

      Of course, men do not mean to drive opportunity, prosperity, abundance away from them; but they hold the mental attitude filled with doubts and fears, and, lacking faith and self-confidence, they repel without knowing it.

      Many people go through life neither successes nor failures, neither rich nor poor. They live most of their lives balanced between lack and a little, because part of the time their minds are productive, creative, and part of the time negative—hence unproductive. So these people oscillate like a pendulum.

      When they get a little courage, hope, enthusiasm, they produce a little, because their minds are creative. When they lose heart, become discouraged, are filled with doubts and fears, their minds become negative, uncreative, non-producing, and they slide back again to want.

      The time will come when we shall be able to keep our minds in a productive, creative attitude all the time. Then our lives will be filled with an abundance of all that is good.