1.
The Law of Substitution
2.
The Law of Relaxation
3.
The Law of Subconscious Activity
4.
The Law of Practice
5.
The Two Factors
6.
What You Think Upon Grows
7.
The Law of Forgiveness
Seven Laws
by Emmet Fox
There are a few great laws that govern all thinking, just as there are a few
fundamental laws in chemistry, in physics, and in mechanics, for example.
We know that thought control is the Key of Destiny, and in order to learn
thought control we have to know and understand these laws, just as the chemist
has to understand the laws of chemistry, and the electrician has to know the
laws of electricity.
One of the great mental laws is the Law of Substitution. This means that the
only way to get rid of a certain thought is to substitute another one for it.
You cannot dismiss a thought directly. You can do so only by substituting
another one for it. On the physical plane this is not the case. You can drop a
book or a stone by simply opening your hand and letting it go; but with thought
this will not work. If you want to dismiss a negative thought, the only way to
do so is to think of something positive and constructive. It is as though in
order, let us say, to drop a pencil, it were necessary to put a pen or a book
or a stone into your hand, when the pencil would fall away.
If I say to you, "Do not think of the Statue of
Liberty", of course, you immediately think of it. If you say, "I'm
not going to think of the Statue of Liberty", that is thinking of it. But
now, having thought of it, if you become interested in something else, say, by
turning on the radio, you forget all about the Statue of Liberty -- and this is
a case of substitution.
When negative thoughts come to you, do not fight them, but think of
something positive. Preferably think of God; but if that is difficult at the
moment, think of any positive or constructive idea, and then the negative
thought will fade out.
It sometimes happens that negative thoughts seem to besiege you in
such force that you cannot overcome them. That is what is called a fit of
depression, or a fit of worry, or perhaps even a fit of anger. In such a case
the best thing is to go to a good movie or play, or read an interesting book,
say a good novel or biography or travel book, or something of the kind. If you
sit down to fight the negative tide you will probably succeed only in
amplifying it.
Turn your attention to something quite different, refusing
steadfastly to think or rehearse the difficulty, and, later on, after you have
completely gotten away from it, you can come back with confidence and handle it
by spiritual treatment. "I say unto you that you resist not evil"
(Matthew 5:39)
From Make Your Life Worthwhile
Harper & Row publisher. Copyright 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946 by Emmet Fox
Another of the great mental
laws is the Law of Relaxation. In
all mental working effort defeats itself. The more effort you make the less
will your result be. This of course is just the opposite of what we find on the
physical plane, but it will not surprise us because we know that in many cases
the laws of mind are the reverse of the laws of matter.
On the physical plane, usually the more effort we make the greater
the result. The harder you press a drill the faster it will go through a plank.
The harder you hammer a nail the sooner does it go into the wall. The harder
you work in digging the ground the sooner do you have a ditch. The exact
opposite, however, is the case with thought.
Any attempt at mental pressure is foredoomed to failure because the moment
tension begins, the mind stops working creatively, and just runs along on
whatever the old habit pattern is. When you try to force things mentally,when
you try to hurry mentally, you simply stop your creative power. To enable your
mind to become creative again you must un-tense it by consciously relaxing.
In all mental working be relaxed, gentle, and unhurried for effort
defeats itself.
"In quietness and
in confidence shall be your strength". (Isaiah 30:15). From Make Your Life
Worthwhile Harper & Row publisher. Copyright 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946
by Emmet Fox
As soon as the subconscious
mind accepts any idea, it
immediately begins trying to put it into effect. It uses all its resources (and
these are far greater than is commonly supposed) to that end. It uses every bit
of knowledge that you have ever collected, and most of which you have totally
forgotten, to bring about its purpose. It mobilizes the many mental powers that
you possess and most of which you never consciously use. It draws on the
unlimited energy of the race mind. It lines up all the laws of nature as they
operate both inside and outside of you, to get its way.
Sometimes it succeeds in its purpose immediately. Sometimes it takes
a little time; sometimes it takes a long time, depending on the difficulties to
be overcome; but if the thing is not utterly impossible, the subconscious will
bring it about -- once it accepts the idea.
This law is true for both good and bad ideas. This law, when
used negatively, brings sickness, trouble, and failure; and when used
positively, brings healing, freedom, and success. The Bible teaching does not
say that harmony is inevitable no matter what we do -- that is Pollyanna -- it
teaches that harmony is inevitable when our thoughts are positive,
constructive, and kindly.
From this it follows that the only thing we have to do is to get the
subsconscious to accept the idea that we want reproduced, and the laws of
nature will do the rest; will bring forth the healthy body, the harmonious
circumstances, the successful career. We give the orders -- the subconscious mind
does the work
From Make Your Life Worthwhile
Harper & Row publisher. Copyright 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946 by Emmet Fox
Practice makes perfect. This familiar proverb embodies one of the
great laws of human nature and -- being a law -- it is never under any
circumstance broken.
To become proficient in any field you must practice. There is simply
no achievement without practice and the more practice, provided it is done
intelligently, the greater will the proficiency be and the sooner will it be
attained. This is true in the study of music, in the study of a foreign
language, in learning to swim or skate or ski or fly. It is true in every
conceivable branch of human endeavor. Practice is the price of proficiency.
In business life and in any kind of management or
administration, experience is the form that practice takes, and here again it
is practice that makes perfect. That is why, other things being equal, an older
person is usually to be selected for responsible positions rather than a
younger.
In metaphysics the effects of this law are particularly
striking. Thought control is entirely a matter of intelligent practice. And
true religion may well be summed up as the Practice of the Presence of God. But
note that I said intelligent. Violent forcing is not intelligent practice, nor
is monotonous plodding.
Practice is the secret of
attainment. We might paraphrase Danton
and say practice! ... and more practice!! ... and still more practice!!!
"Be ye doers of
the word, and not hearers only" (James 1:22) From Make Your Life
Worthwhile Harper & Row publisher. Copyright 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946
by Emmet Fox
Every thought is made up of two factors, knowledge and
feeling. A thought consists of a piece of knowledge with a charge of feeling,
and it is the feeling alone that gives power to the thought. No matter how
important or magnificent the knowledge content may be, if there is no feeling
attached to it nothing will happen. On the other hand, no matter how unimportant
or insignificant the knowledge content may be, if there is a large charge of
feeling something will happen.
This universal law is symbolized in nature by the bird. A bird has
two wings, neither more nor less, and they must both be functioning before he
can fly.
It makes no difference whether the knowledge content is correct or not
as long as you believe it to be correct. Remember that it is what we really
believe that matters. A report about something may be quite untrue, but if you
believe it, it has the same effect upon you as if it were true; and that effect
again will depend upon the quantity of feeling attached to it.
When we understand this Law we see the importance of accepting
only the Truth concerning life in every phase of our experience. Indeed, this
is why Jesus said, "Know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."
Now we realize why negative feelings (fear, criticism, etc.) are so
destructive, and a sense of peace and good will is such a power for healing.
From Make Your Life Worthwhile
Harper & Row publisher. Copyright 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946 by Emmet Fox
What you think upon grows. This is an Eastern maxim, and it sums up
neatly the greatest and most fundamental of all the Laws of Mind. What you
think upon grows.
What you think upon grows. Whatever you allow to occupy your mind you
magnify in your life. Whether the subject of your thoughts be good or bad, the
law works and the condition grows. Any subject that you keep out of your mind
tends to diminish in your life, because what you do not use atrophies.
The more you think about your indigestion or your rheumatism, the
worse it will become. The more you think of yourself as healthy and well, the
better will your body be.
The more you think about lack, bad times, etc., the worse will
your business be; and the more you think of prosperity, abundance, and success,
the more of these things will you bring into your life.
The more you think about your grievances or the injustices that
you have suffered, the more such trials will you continue to receive; and the
more you think of the good fortune you have had, the more good fortune will
come to you.
This is the basic, fundamental, all-inclusive Law of Mind, and
actually all psychological and metaphysical teaching is little more than a
commentary upon this.
What you think upon grows
(Phillippians 4:8)
From Make Your Life Worthwhile
Harper & Row publisher. Copyright 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946 by Emmet Fox
It is an unbreakable mental law that you have to forgive others if
you want to demonstrate over your difficulties and to make any real spiritual
progress.
The vital importance of forgiveness may not be obvious at first
sight, but you may be sure that it is not by mere chance that every spiritual
teacher from Jesus Christ downward has insisted so strongly upon it.
You must forgive injuries, not just in words, or as a matter of form; but
sincerely, in your heart -- and that is the long and the short of it. You do
this, not for the other person's sake, but for your own sake. It will make no
difference to him (unless he happens to set a value upon your forgiveness), but
it will make a tremendous difference to you. Resentment, condemnation, anger,
desire to see someone punished are things that rot your soul, no matter how
cleverly you may be disguising them. Such things, because they have a much
stronger emotional content than anyone suspects, fasten your troubles to you
with rivets. They fetter you to many other problems which actually have nothing
whatever to do with the original grievances themselves.
Forgiveness does not mean that you have to like the delinquent or want to
meet him; but that you must wish him well. Of course you must not make a
"door mat" of yourself. Of course you must not allow yourself to be
imposed upon, or ill treated. You must fight your own battles and fight them
with prayer, justice, and good will. It does not matter whether you can forget
the injury or not, although if you cease to rehearse it you probably will --
but you must forgive.
Now reconsider The Lord's
Prayer.
From Make Your Life Worthwhile
Harper & Row publisher. Copyright 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946 by Emmet Fox
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