Thought—The Motivating Power
© Alfred J. Parker
Thought is a living, conscious force with the capacity to seek into life and infinity; its clarity of vision, analysis, and concept is subject to the exercise of discipline, logic, and reason, and to the principle of balance and harmony, the same as music is subject to mathematical balance for harmony. Many people depend upon what they feel, i.e., urges, desires, and premonitions, with very little logical reasoning, so they are practically strangers to the realms of mind and have not developed the power of logical thinking. The greatest mystery in the universe is human mind because it is the all-inclusive power, combining within itself all the innumerable details that constitute life. Every little or vast expression of life is mind. Is it any wonder that mind often becomes lost within itself, lost in one of its most insignificant details?
A name attached to the human brain cells creates a complete world unto itself, subject to almost limitless exploration. One often hears the remarks, "How interesting it is to explore the minds of people," and "What a depth there is to some minds as compared to the shallowness of others."
A narrow limited mind is one that accepts an idea or thought without analysis. Analysis is the most necessary form of mental growth, for it parallels vision and understanding by creating logic and reason. The many different angles we see to a question determine our understanding of its many possibilities, thus enabling us to see the other person's viewpoint and conclusions; through analysis of the question, we arrive at a greater understanding. Questions are the search-lights of truth and fact because they create thinking, debate, and conclusion--all of which are tools for constructive mental progress.
We must learn each step of life as related to the law of involution and evolution; to be sure we are upon the right path, we must learn to see clearly the gradual and systematic growth of mind as it unfolds from the lowest form to the highest concept.
First, we must have the proper serious and thoughtful attitude toward life; a full knowledge of the part we must play, not just for our own edification but for the good of the whole; how each of us is a master painter who must contribute our particular part to complete the great canvas of life that no part may be left undone. The proper concept of universality, impartiality, and unity of purpose requires understanding of the basic principles. This concept removes the "self" obstacle, showing that self is only incidental to the whole, for we may become lost in self and thus lose all universal concept. We must realize how necessary is individual effort as our contribution to the evolution of the race and the unfoldment of Consciousness within.
We must have an ideal; we must have the desire to find expression in some phase of mental and spiritual development; we must have full confidence in our ability to materialize that ideal into practical reality. But first—we must study self, then study the successive steps of self-discipline and education necessary for growth, and plan each phase carefully. The most important points are our relationship to the ideal, what are our qualifications, and what changes are necessary in our personal nature and habits.