Your choice: guarantee success by overcoming your bad habits and building up your character or guarantee your failure by refusing to do so. To find a way to escape from evil habit and weaknesses of character, we must go deeper than actual deeds, for actions are effects of hidden causes. The cause of all action is thought. A thought, someone has said, is an action in the process of being born. It is true that we possess primitive desires and impulses, but these can be changed into noble actions and high achievement, thus guaranteeing your success, simply by directing the thoughts and attention to higher and better aims, ambitions and pursuits.

It is impossible to overcome bad habits by fighting them, for the more we fight them the stronger they become. The way of escape is not by fighting evil or wrong habit, no matter what its character may be, but by concentrating upon building a good habit that shall cut the ground from under the feet of the bad one.

Whatever we fix our attention upon, or whatever it is that we idealize, our subconscious mind endeavors to actualize and make real in our life. By fighting a habit we direct subconscious attention to it, and this is fatal, for failure will sure follow. If, however, we turn our whole attention to something entirely different and which is of higher and better, all the powers of the subconscious are directed towards the production, in life and body, of the new object of attention and success will surely manifest.

We see, therefore, that we do not have to overcome habit. If we did our task would be hopeless, for the human will is helpless before the power of the subconscious mind. The subconscious powers can be led by the imagination, but they cannot be coerced by will. The will must be used not to fight the habit, but in raising and directing the attention to something higher and better. By this means a new habit is formed. The attention of the subconscious mind is taken away from the bad habit, and all its powers directed towards the creation of a new and better one. The subconscious does not care what the habit is. It is indifferent as to whether it is good or bad. It is just as willing to produce a good habit as a bad one. We, each of us, therefore, hold our fate in our own hands. We, can, by controlling our thoughts and imagination and by directing our attention to better things, focus all the powers of the subconscious on the building up of good habits, or, on the other hand, we can, by allowing our thoughts and mental pictures to low or weak ideals, fall into undesirable habits. The power that produces the habits is the same in each case; it is the way in which this power is directed that is vital and essential to guaranteeing your success or failure.

It is very necessary to point out that right thinking and correct use of the imagination must be accompanied by corresponding right action. Many people make use of affirmations and expect it to destroy their bad habits and build up better ones, but it never will, or can do so, unaided. Affirmations are useless if it is not followed by constructive action. Most people will find it necessary to do something in order to attract their attention and guide their thoughts to something quite different from the forbidden subject. They should expend our energies in physical culture, hobbies and intellectual pursuits. Later on, however, when they become more advanced in the science of right thinking, they will be able to direct their thoughts into any desired direction. This necessitates constant vigilance. Each thought has to be carefully scrutinized before being allowed to pass the threshold of the mind. By reversing every negative or unworthy thought into its opposite, a change is wrought in the brain and nervous system. The cells formerly used for wrong thinking and for the production of wrong action and failure go out of use as new cells are brought into use for the production of right action and guaranteed success.

This stage leads to one higher still, when it becomes a settled habit to reverse bad thoughts into good ones and perform right actions instead of bad or weak one. The power of the subconscious mind, which at one time seemed so evil, produces right action more or less automatically. When once the habit of cleaning the teeth is established there is experienced an uncomfortable feeling until they have been attended to. When once a dirty person has learnt to wash himself thoroughly and keep himself decent, he will feel uncomfortable if he gets dirty. The same rule applies in the more important things and habits of life. If those who are in the bondage of habit will only direct their thoughts and attention to the building up of good habits, their old weaknesses will die a natural death.

It must not be thought that the victory over life-long habits is easy. It may seem so at first, but sooner or later temptation will com with added force, which may result in a sad fall. If this should happen it is most important that too much attention should not be paid to the incident. Instead, the beginner should pick himself up, and, making a mental note of the immediate cause of his downfall, thus benefiting by the experience, press on again towards freedom. It is most helpful to realize that not only is the subconscious mind willing to be guided right, if we will only persevere long enough (until persevering itself becomes a habit), but that we also have behind us all the Spiritual powers of God. The Infinite One sees to it that the odds are not overwhelmingly against us. Our difficulties are not insuperable, although they may appear to be so.

Romans 5:1-5 1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

We can always win through if we faint not. Heaven looks on with sympathetic interest and rejoices with the struggler when he succeeds, and mourns with him when he fails. The struggle is a stiff one, for it is only by this that the seeker after God can become strong in character, but success can always be won. When the situation appears hopeless, let the struggling one remember that there is a way to escape somewhere, and that God, who is his freedom and deliverer, will reveal it to him if he faints not. If all who seek deliverance will realize that the Power of the Infinite is on their side and that success is guaranteed if they will only keep on. And what a joy is theirs! There is no happiness quite like that which comes to one who has fought the good fight and overcome habit and weaknesses of character.

Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 57:10 You were wearied by all your ways, but you would not say, 'It is hopeless.' You found renewal of your strength, and so you did not faint.

May every reader experience this supreme joy of overcoming and succeeding.

God Bless, Carol Biondo