The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-01-21

Most OF us nave IN luea tDAt tut
structure of our minds Ia determined
for US by heredity or other causes oe-
yond our control In other word, that
the mind IL fixed In It's structure, and
that all that we car do is TO modify IL
a little by education and culture.
The fact IL that what we call our
real selves has been largely determined
by the character and quality OF our
thinking. Outside the mind, our bodies
are no more lhan a stone or q piece OF
wood. The moment the mind leaves
the body, 1t falls, q dead and useless
mass. The mind Is all.
1t Is possible to change the structure
Of the mind by habituaIly controlling
the thought. There Is no reason why
we should allow the mind TO wander
around into all sorts of fields, and to
dwell upon all sorts Of subjects at raO-
dom. The ego, the will power, or
what we call the real self, the govern
or of the mind, ran dominate the
thought. With u little practice, we can
control aud concentrate the mind In
any reasonable way We please.
Attention, therefore, controlled by
the will and directed by reason and
our higher judgment, can so discipline
the mind and thought that they will
dwell on higher ideals, until high
thinking has become q habit. Then
the lower ideals and lower thinking
will drop out of consciousness n the
mind will be left uuon u higher plane.
II IL only q question Of discipline.
Thought-culture Is the most import
ant business of life. Everything de-
pends upon the quality Of the mind;
and, by constant holding the thought
and concentrating 1t upon the good.
the true, aud the beautiful, we shall
soon form q habit of high thinking
which will be 30 delightful that we
shall never wish to let the mind
DROP again.
The possibilities of thought.culture
are beyond calculation. The daily
stretching Of the mind to attain high
Ideals will extend 1t more and more,
and we shall continually approximate
more nearly to perfection.
How great o change do we ofteu
zee effected In the mental structure
of many boys and girls during their
few wears Of school or college life!
The mind is constantly fixed upon
higher models, until Its whole struct-
ure Is changed. The studenp Is no
longer satisfied with low thinking
and low ideals
How often do we note the wonder.
full transforming power OF love In o
young life ! Even course and brutal
natures have been completely changed
under its magic influence. Why ?Sim-
DIV because the daily and hourly
admiration Of q high ideal will, In y
short time, insensibly lead the mind
to measure up to It. When It has once
become conscious that the attainment
of the ideal II possible, 1t can no long
or be satisfied with the mean, the low,
and the common, for the higher life.
the higher ideal. will haunt It forever.
I wish II were possible to show
parepts and teachers the Importance
of thought-culture; tn impress upon
upon them the necessity Of leading
the young tn concentrate their minds
upon high ideals. ,.,
How often we zee nature completely
changed by q few weeks or months oil
depressing Thought, anxiety, and men.
tai suffering! How worn, haggard, ana
forlOrn o mother becomes after q short
period Of mourning over q lost child
How quickly some business men
change In their dispositions, In the
very structure of their minds, after
great reverses or misfortunes, even
when no reflection has been cast upon
their character!
A few weeks Of anxiety and dePres-
sion have not infrequentiy brought
men to the verge Of lunacy; nay. even
beyond the verge, into hopeless insan'
ity Itself.
Thus we see the power, Of thought,
not only to build ur q life, and make
II beautiful, but 10 tear IL down as
well and make it ugly and miserable;
not only to save, but also to ruin 1t.
A habit of constantly looking upon
the dark eide of things, Of thinking
something terrible Is going to happen,
that we are unfortunate, that late ID
against Us, that we were born under
aa unlucky star, ani that U lives are
comparative failures q habit Of think
ing that we, perhaps. are not 30 smarl
"a others who have ~succeeded, are that
We have over-estimated u ability ; In
other words, a habit Of worrying or o
self depreciation will, after u while,
dwarf the highest ideals. ,,,
Descensus Avero facilis est. While
to ascend Is difficult, It Is always easy
to 20 down bill. All we have to do 70
cause anything to run down ID TO lei
It alone. A dead fish will float down
a stream /; only a lire one can 90 up.