Poise and Power · 5 of 11
Chapter V
The calm attitude is indispensable to the attainment of Poise, but the fact that the calm attitude has been attained does not prove that Poise has been acquired.
Poise is more than serenity: it is a serenity which is filled with a strong inner life. Therefore, when you are in Poise, you not only feel perfectly calm, but you also feel immensely strong. And it is perfectly natural that you should feel immensely strong while in Poise. You could not feel otherwise while all the energies in your system are being retained.
This fact gives us a simple method for ascertaining whether we are in Poise or not, and will enable us to correct the matter at once.
Since our object is to hold in the system all the energy that is generated in the system, it will be necessary to practice the art of holding energy until this “holding attitude” becomes subconscious, or second nature.
Consequently, a few moments should be taken at frequent intervals for the purpose of trying to hold in the system all the energy generated in the system.
The method is simple and consists in expressing a deep, quiet feeling throughout the system, with the idea of “holding” all the power that you feel.
After a few moments of this practice, the consciousness of added power is realized; sometimes becoming very strong. When a great deal of power accumulates in this way, it is well to direct it to some part of the body or brain that you wish to develop. This is done by concentrating attention upon those parts.
When trying to hold energy in the system the results will increase considerably if the mind is made to think serenely in every part of the entire personality. In other words, think with every fibre in your being. Think serenely; think the holding of power; think Poise.
When full consciousness is attained, one will naturally think with the entire personality, and not simply with the brain. Then it is that one will develop a powerful mind. Then it is that genius will begin.
By expressing deep, serene thought in the entire personality while trying to hold the energy generated in the system, three great things will be accomplished. The process of holding the energy will be promoted to a very great degree; the mind will be trained to think through the entire personality; and the mind will gain conscious control of energy in every part of the system.
The last accomplishment is of extreme importance, because to attain perfect Poise the mind must control every part of the system. This is possible only when the mind thinks in every part of the system.
Such thinking, however, must not be superficial, but must be of the heart; that is, it must be subconscious thought.
To learn to think subconsciously, concentrate attention upon the substance of the personal life. Try to consciously feel the real essence of your being.
To express such thought throughout the entire personality will also produce what may be called interior action—the deep feeling of real life. This is extremely important because it is the real life, the calm, strong, invincible life that is the actual foundation of Poise.
When subconscious thinking begins, the imagination will become far more active, a fact which must be dealt with wisely; because the imaging process is creative, and creation employs energy.
Whenever we imagine anything we create images in mind that are in the exact likeness of that which we imagine; imagination is therefore plainly seen to be a creative process. But is this creative process of any value? If nothing comes of it, both energy and time have been wasted. It is a fact to be remembered that the average mind wastes an enormous amount of energy through useless and aimless imagination. To prevent this loss, we must learn how to use the imagination constructively; to image only those things in mind which we wish to retain as permanent factors in our advancing existence. To imagine that something is taking place that is not taking place is to create an artificial structure for the purpose of tearing it down again—a pastime that seems both innocent and harmless, but it wastes energy to a degree that is startling; there are millions of minds that indulge in it daily. To image upon mind the inferior side, the imperfect side, the dark side, or the disagreeable side of anything, is to create mental structures that will ever be an obstacle to the welfare and the growth of the individual. Therefore, this practice not only uses up creative energy for nothing, but in addition creates mental states that are against us in every shape and form. To imagine ourselves in the past or in the future is also to use energy to no good purpose. We are not in the past; therefore, to create mental structures after the likeness of past events is to create something which we can not use, and which will have to be torn down. Neither are we in the future; and since we do not know in detail what the future is to be, we can not picture anything in mind that will be true to our future. Therefore, what we now imagine about the future will have to be taken out of mind as a false structure, when the future comes.
It is not necessary to illustrate any further. The fact that imagination employs energy is sufficient to cause every mind to exercise caution in the use of the imagination henceforth; and to never permit the imaging faculty to construct what is neither real nor possible now.
To employ the imagination constructively, image yourself in mind as you desire to become through orderly development. Image all your faculties and talents as they are in the ideal and perfect sense; picture upon mind the larger, the higher, and the better of everything that now exists in your life.
By this process energy will be employed in promoting advancement, growth and progress. It is a joy to know that energy employed in this way is not really used up, because the more we advance, the larger becomes our conscious scope of life; and the more life we are conscious of, the more life and power we gain possession of. Therefore, to use energy for the purpose of growth and progress is to multiply energy. The law is, “to him that hath, shall be given.” We shall understand this law perfectly when we realize that we possess in consciousness only that which we constructively employ.
Since our object is higher attainments and greater achievements, it must necessarily be our desire to constructively employ everything that comes into our states of existence. For this reason we must learn to hold in the system all the energy that is generated in the system; to have it ready for the hour of extraordinary action.
The secret of great achievement is to hold all energy in Poise until required; and when required, to direct it through concentration into the proper mental channel. The advancing mind may be called upon to do something remarkable at any time: therefore, it is the height of wisdom to learn how to hold all the power in the system so that there will be abundance of energy to apply when the occasion demands.
After we have employed, with thoroughness, the various methods for holding energy in the system, we shall find that a great deal of energy will begin to remain naturally in the system; and it is then that we shall begin to become conscious of real Poise.
Such consciousness will aid remarkably in the further promotion of Poise, because when we learn what Poise really feels like, the mere thought of Poise will increase the Poise. We shall then find more evidence to prove the great law, “to him that hath shall be given.”
It is therefore of the highest importance to learn to detect the attitude of Poise, and to attain a fuller and deeper realization of this attitude.
Poise holds in the system all the energy generated in the system; consequently, by frequently trying to hold this energy you steadily work yourself into the attitude of complete Poise.
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