Chapter 5 The Thought-Factor in Achievement

Every failure and every achievement are the direct result of our own thoughts. In a justly ordered universe, where loss of equilibrium would mean total destruction, individual responsibility must be absolute. Our weaknesses and strengths, purity and impurity, are our own, and no one else’s. We have brought them upon ourselves; and we are the only ones that can alter them. Our suffering and happiness have evolved from within. As we think, so we are; as we continue to think, so we shall remain.

The strong cannot help the weak unless the weak want to be helped, and even then the weak must become strong on their own. It is something only they can do, and no one can do for them.

Some people think, "Many are slaves because one is an oppressor; let us hate the oppressor." Now, however, there are a few people with a tendency to reverse this judgment, and to say, "One is an oppressor because many are slaves; let us despise the slaves." The truth is that oppressor and slave are cooperators in ignorance, and, while seeming to afflict each other, are in reality afflicting themselves. A perfect Knowledge sees the law in action within the oppressed and the misapplied power of the oppressor. A perfect Love, sees the suffering, which both states entail, and condemns neither. A perfect Compassion embraces both oppressor and oppressed.

Those who have conquered weakness, and has put away all selfish thoughts, are neither oppressor nor oppressed. They are free.

We can only rise, conquer, and achieve by lifting up our thoughts. We can only remain weak, and hopeless, and miserable by refusing to lift up our thoughts.

Before we can achieve anything, especially in worldly things, we must lift our thoughts above slavish animal indulgence. We may not, in order to succeed, give up all animalism and selfishness, by at least part of it. If our primary thoughts are bestial indulgence we can neither think clearly nor plan effectively. We will never develop our latent talents, and will fail in any undertaking. We would not be fit to act independently and stand alone, but would be limited by our thoughts.

There can be no progress, no achievement without sacrifice. Our success will be equal to our sacrifices of carnal thoughts. We must concentrate completely on a definite purpose, and this will strengthen our resolve and self-reliance. By lifting up our thoughts for the good of all mankind, our success will be that much greater and our achievements that much more enduring.

The universe does not favor the greedy, the dishonest, and the vicious, although on the mere surface it may sometimes appear to do so; it helps the honest, the generous, and the virtuous. All the great Teachers over the ages have declared this in varying forms.

Intellectual achievements are the result of thought dedicated to the search for knowledge, or for the beautiful and true in life and nature. Such achievements may be sometimes connected with vanity and ambition but they are not the outcome of those characteristics. They are the natural outgrowth of long an arduous effort, and of pure and unselfish thoughts.

Spiritual achievements are the consummation of holy aspirations. He who lives constantly in the conception of noble and lofty thoughts, who dwells upon all that is pure and unselfish, will, as surely as the sun reaches its zenith and the moon its full, become wise and noble in character, and rise into a position of influence and blessedness.

Achievement, of whatever kind, is the crown of effort, the apex of thought. By the aid of self-control, resolution, purity, righteousness, and well-directed thought we ascend. By the aid of animalism, idleness, impurity, corruption, and confusion of thought we fall.

We may rise to high success in the world, and even to lofty altitudes in the spiritual realm, and again descend into weakness and wretchedness by allowing arrogant, selfish, and corrupt thoughts to take possession of us.

Victories attained by right thought can only be maintained by watchfulness. Many give way when success is assured, and rapidly fall back into failure.

All achievements, whether in the business, intellectual, or spiritual world, are the result of concentrated thought. They are governed by the same law and are of the same method; the only difference lies in the object of attainment.

He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little. He who would achieve much must sacrifice much. He who would attain highly must sacrifice a great deal.