To understand how something as minuscule as a thought can create the beautiful music of an orchestra or the damage of an atomic bomb, we have to understand the power of thoughts which are at the center of our existence. They have a dramatic effect on our mind , body, and emotions, and their effect is automatic. Strange as it seems , we don’t have to think about thinking – we’re already doing it.

Every waking moment of every day we choose and entertain thoughts, and those thoughts shape our character and form our destiny. And the way we hang on to some thoughts, choosing them over others, amounts to a set of habits we form over the years – the habits of the mind.

best analogy is that of a horse. Imagine a racehorse, powerful, full of energy, and high-spirited. If I scare it , it will bolt. How do I harness the horse’s power ? With a bridle. The horse learns the "habit signals" of the bridle and obeys its every movement. Turn left. Turn right. Gallop. Stop. The power is not in the bridle, but in the horse’s muscles and body. But the control exerted by the bridle imposes power over the horse.

So also are habits of the mind. They are the controls, the signals that start and stop certain activities. We are not slaves to our minds, but we are slaves to the habits that control our minds. We weave patterns of thought out of ignorance and neglect. We let bad habits become dominant.

The result? Pain and unhappiness, self-defeat and self-destruction. Writer James Allen is right when he says that our mind is the "master weaver, forming both the inner garment of our character and the outer garment of circumstances". The mind defines who we are and creates our environment. Our ugliness or beauty is both on the inside and the outside, shaped by the same forces.

Our mind, not our feelings or actions, ultimately shapes our destiny because it is the bridle that holds the power of control. We are what we think, and how we think is controlled by the habits of the mind ingrained in us from our earliest years, as much a part of our personality as our feelings, actions, and reactions. Changing our way of thinking often transforms some aspects of our personality.

Much has been written about the power of thought. Some of it is grossly simplified and exaggerated and neglects other important aspects of our being. There are those who say that you can accomplish anything you want just by imagining it. Suppose you want to be a great pianist. You just visualize yourself in that role, and you will bring it about quite magically without even learning to play the piano.,

Books on the subject abound. Success through Positive Mental Attitude. Success Unlimited. Success always figures in the title or subtitle of these books. You can accomplish anything you wish, provided you want it strongly enough.

There is no free ride when it comes to being successful. Success takes a lot of work,( working smart) along with the good fortune of being at the right place at the right time.This so called "good fortune" will be brought about by the magnetic power of our mind based on the mind habits we have created.

In actual fact, we have to have a balance between overemphasizing thought to the neglect of action or overemphasizing action to the neglect of thought. Some people have the right thoughts but insufficient action. Others are ready to spring into action but lack the right thoughts.

As Mind Science graduates, where do we stand? Cif0204

Page Two

In these deeper levels of the Mind and with eyes closed, lets us reflect on the following points One by One:

1. Am I FULLY aware of the Power of the Mind in my thinking daily? ( Repeat once more – Pause 15 secs.)
2. Have I formed Habits of the Mind which are producing negative results in my life ( Repeat once more – Pause 15 secs.)
3. 3) Do I have a balance in my life between "just thinking alone" and "just action alone" ( Repeat once more – Pause 15 secs.)

( Leader to invite names for ‘projection’ before starting Cycle )