The Art of Concentering
Definition of the term - Exoteric and esoteric
meanings - A valuable acquirement -Thought combined with action -
Volitional concentering - How to "arrive" - Advantages of
concentering - Means of doing the best work - Getting the full
result of your work -Cure for discouragement - Work out your own
salvation - Don't be a human doormat - Get down to business –
Heaven’s not a loafing place - Work robbed of its terrors - Remedy
for the "blues" - A specific for discouragement - Concentering no
easy task - A simple experiment - Advantages of concentering - No
more waste effort or lost motion -Focusing the attention - Focusing
thought - A valuable remedy for mental and physical exhaustion –
Explanation - Requisites of concentering.
In ordinary conversation, we make frequent use of the word
"Concentration," in the sense of "bringing together," or
"diminishing in bulk and increasing in strength," or
"consolidating," etc. In order to avoid an erroneous conception, I
have preferred to use the term "Concentering." A plain definition of
the word "Concentering" is "the bringing to a common center," or
"focusing." Carry in your mind the analysis of the word, thus
"Con-CENTER," - "to bring to a center."
The word "concenter" has its exoteric, or common meaning, and its
esoteric, or hidden, meaning, when used in connection with the
exercise of the powers of the mind. The exoteric idea is the
concentering of the mind upon the one particular thought or action,
inhibiting all outside thoughts or impressions. The esoteric idea is
the concentering of the mind upon the Ego, the I AM, inhibiting all
outside thoughts or impressions. The esoteric idea is the
concentering of the mind upon the Ego, the I AM, inhibiting all
thoughts of the material body or of the grosser self, and dwelling
the higher regions of the Soul. The First mentioned form of
concentering is a most valuable acquirement for man in his everyday
life; the second form is a most desirable acquirement for those who
would know more of their real self, and who aspire to know something
of the secrets of THE SILENCE. In this lesson I will speak
exclusively of the practical side of concentering, that being the
purpose of this work. I have, however, given the reader hints of the
esoteric phase, that he may know how to proceed if he is attracted
to the same.
The art of concentering upon a give thought or action is one of
the most desirable acquirements, which a man can possess. We have
been told the advantage of "doing a thing with all our might," and
"doing one at a time, and doing it well," etc. We all know of the
painter who attributed his excellent work to the fact that he "mixed
brains in his painting," and of the miner who "put a little brains
into his pick."
We know that the simplest task is better performed, if we but
combine concentered thought with the action. Workmen differ in
degree according to the amount of concentered thought placed in
their work. The man who "takes an interest in his work," and who
finds an intellectual pleasure in his daily task, is the man who
does the best work, and is also the happier man. The man who keeps
his eye on the clock, or who "leaves his pick in the air at the
sound of the whistle," is a mere machine, and will never amount to
anything, unless he changes his point of view regarding work. The
man who "thinks with his hands," or who can "carry a message to
Garcia," is in demand. He is a scarce article, and many employers
are looking for him. When will our boys learn to appreciate this
fact?
Well, what has all this to do with Concentering? Just this, that
the interest and brains that a man puts into his work is the result
of an exercise of volitional concentering. The man who practices
concentering in his daily life, shuts out distracting impressions,
and gives his best thought force to the task before him, and does
better work by reason thereof, whether he be day laborer, architect,
clerk, salesman, poet, painter or banker. Every man who has
"arrived" has developed the art of concentering. He may not realize
it, but he has, just the same. And more, any man who will develop
the art of concentering will "arrive." Try it and be convinced. Why,
you can see it for yourself; it cannot help producing the result. If
you concenter on an object, and hold the thought firmly, you cannot
help doing the best work, and if you do the best work you will
receive the proper reward, providing you have the sense with which
you were born, and have not allowed yourself to be hypnotized into a
belief that you are a worm of the dust, or a human doormat. If you
do the best work, you will find a market for your services; if your
present employer doesn't appreciate you, there are plenty of others
who will. But you will have to do the work - don't forget that. No
man is going to be fool enough to pay you for something that you do
not do. Oh, no, he is not built that way, and he would not "arrive"
if he did. But, just the same, he will not permit you to leave his
employ for that of his rival, if you do the best work, and you will
do the best work if you only will get down to business, and
concenter. If you have been discouraged by your apparent lack of
success in your vocation, just you learn how to concenter and do it;
spit on your hands and take a fresh grip, a little high up, and pull
for all you're worth. You just pull hard enough, and something will
be sure to give at the other end of the rope. Don't you waste your
time complaining of the "oppression of Capital" and all that sort of
thing. If you are a "concentering" man, Capital will soon fall all
over itself to secure your services, or to buy your goods. Can't you
see it, man? Of course you do. Well, then, stop fooling around about
it, and get to work in earnest. Get a move on, and hustle. If you
refuse to accept the means of financial salvations now offered you,
why just lie around and be a human doormat all your life; who cares!
If a man is too lazy to be saved, why, just let him be -the other
thing. It serves him right. Some of you fellows need a man around
you with a spiked club, with instructions to give you a good bang
every time you slack up and engage in mental wool-gathering. Stop
your "moaning" and get down to business. Some people spend their
life in dreaming of the hereafter, where they expect to spend their
time "loafing around the throne." Now, they're sure to be fooled
about that. All Nature is in motion, and God is working hard every
day, and I believe that when you get to the other shore you will be
confronted with a sign having thereon inscribed the words, "NO
LOAFING PERMITTED." If you take an interest in your work, you rob it
of its terrors. Start in, man, and work out your own salvation from
poverty and unhappiness. Do it, and do it NOW.
The man who can concenter has at his hand a sure remedy for the
"blues." How? Why, just by shutting off the unpleasant thought and
concentering on a brighter subject. Now, don't say that you can't do
this. You can do it, if you acquire the "knack." Thousands of people
have found this plan a specific for the "blues," discouragement,
worry, fear, and the rest. Try it, and you will find that life will
appear entirely different to you. Try it, and you will feel so good
that you would not call the President your cousin. Try it, and you
will "feel the thrill of life along your keel," and will thank God
that you are alive, instead of curing the day when you were born.
You will do your work better; you will feel better; you will be
better. Is it not worth the trial?
You may have an idea that you know something about concentering.
Well, maybe you do; let's see. Take up a lead pencil and try to
sharpen it properly. Take your time at it, and turn out a first
class job. Now, see if you can concenter on that pencil sharpening,
to the exclusion of all outside thoughts; try to devote your best
energy and thought to the task at hand. For the moment, live for the
sole purpose of getting an A-1 point on that pencil.
Well, how did it feel? Pretty hard job, wasn't it? Yes, I thought
so. You need practice young man. Take up the exercises given in this
lesson, and go over them until you can do anything, whatsoever,
without your thoughts wandering. Anyone can concenter upon an
agreeable task, but just give them an unpleasant or monotonous, job,
and you will find that their thought will wander away in spite of
them; that is, until they learn to concenter by an effort of the
will. That is the test - the ability to concenter upon an
unpleasant, unattractive, monotonous task. When you have overcome
these troubles, you will know that you have broken the backbone of
Waste Effort of Lost Motion. By concentering you are able to focus
your attention, thought and energy upon a given thing, thereby
obtaining the best possible results. The rays of the sun, when
focused upon an object by means of a sunglass, produce a heat many
time greater that the direct relay of the same source of light and
heat. So it is with that attention. Scatter it and you get but
ordinary results; but focus it upon the thing to be done, and you
obtain a wonderful amount of energy. The concentering man focuses
his attention, and thought force, upon an object, and the result is
that his every action, voluntary and involuntary, is in the
direction of the attainment of that object. As I said in a previous
lesson, a man can have everything he wants if only he wants it hard
enough. If his energies are focused upon a thing, to the exclusion
of everything else, the force so generated and focused must bring
the result.
The moral of all this is: "Whatsoever you do, do it with all your
might." Do it in earnest. "Do one thing at a time, and do it well."
In order to obtain the best results from the thought-coerces, as
explained in preceding lesson, you should acquire the art of
concentering. By focusing the thought, you add to its strength, as a
moment's reflection will show you. The exercises accompanying the
preceding lessons should be accompanied by the exercises in
concentering. These exercises are more or less tedious and
monotonous, but should be persisted at until perfected. You will be
repaid for your work by the conscious increase in your powers of
concentering, which will be apparent from the first.
There is one thing more that I wish to say to you, before
starting in with the exercises, and that is to point out to you the
advantage of concentering, as a means of mental and physical rest.
If this were the only result obtainable by the exercises, it would
be worth your while to acquire it. Suppose you feel completely tired
out by some physical or mental labor, and are sadly in need of rest.
If you lie down, the thought, which has been occupying your mind,
returns to haunt you, and prevents your mind from obtaining the
much-needed rest. Now, the theory is that each thought calls into
operation and activates certain sets of brain cells - the other
cells of course taking a rest in the meantime. This being the case,
you will see, readily, that when one set of brain cells become
utterly fagged out by excessive exercises and work, its only chance
of getting an entire rest is for you to concenter upon an entirely
different line of thought, shutting out the cells which you have
just tired out, and which are still vibrating with excitement from
the strong impetus given them. By concentering upon the new thought,
the old cells are relieved from further work and obtain a
much-needed rest. These cells are hungry for work, and may attempt
to return to their task in spite of you, but if you have acquired
proficiency in the art of concentering, you have learned to master
them. You doubtless remember the time when your brain felt exhausted
by the hard work of the business day, but when you pickup up an
interesting novel you became so interested in it that your old brain
cells "knocked off" for a while, and when the novel was completed
you felt completely refreshed, not withstanding the fact that the
reading of the book was in itself no slight exercises of the mind.
That is the theory. Now, put it into practice, and you will have no
need to complain of mental overwork. You will be able to put
thoughts off and on, like your coat, changing them whenever you see
fit.
I will now give you a few exercises, the practice of which will
enable you to develop the power of concentering. In leaving this
phase of the subject, I again would remind you that the underlying
principle of concentering is the focusing of the attention upon a
certain thought or action. Any exercise, which will strengthen the
faculty of volitional inhibition of non-essential thought, will be
of value, the exercises herein given here being merely furnished as
suggestions of others.
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