LESSON XIX. A CONCENTRATED WILL DEVELOPMENT LEKTION XIX. EINE KONZENTRIERTE WILLENSBILDUNG LECCIÓN XIX. DESARROLLO DE UNA VOLUNTAD CONCENTRADA LES XIX. EEN GECONCENTREERDE WILSONTWIKKELING LIÇÃO XIX. UM DESENVOLVIMENTO CONCENTRADO DA VONTADE УРОК XIX. КОНЦЕНТРИРОВАННОЕ РАЗВИТИЕ ВОЛИ 第十九课。专注的意志发展

New Method. You will find in this chapter a most effective and most practical method of developing the will. You can develop a strong one if you want to. You can make your Will a dynamo to draw to you untold power. Du kannst deinen Willen zu einem Dynamo machen, der dir unermessliche Macht verleiht. Vous pouvez faire de votre Volonté une dynamo pour attirer vers vous un pouvoir incalculable. Exercises are given which will, if practiced, strengthen your will, just as you would strengthen your muscles by athletic exercises.

In starting to do anything, we must first commence with elementary principles. Simple exercises will be given. It is impossible to estimate the ultimate good to be derived from the mental cultivation that comes through these attempts at concentration. Es ist unmöglich abzuschätzen, was letztendlich aus der mentalen Kultivierung, die durch diese Konzentrationsversuche entsteht, resultieren kann. Il est impossible d'estimer le bien ultime à tirer de la culture mentale qui découle de ces tentatives de concentration. Even the simple exercises are not to be thought useless. Selbst die einfachen Übungen sind nicht für nutzlos zu halten. Même les exercices simples ne doivent pas être considérés comme inutiles. "In no respect," writes Doctor Oppenheim, "can a man show a finer quality of will-power than in his own private, intimate life." "In keiner Hinsicht", schreibt Doktor Oppenheim, "kann ein Mann eine feinere Willenskraft zeigen als in seinem eigenen privaten, intimen Leben." "En aucun cas", écrit le docteur Oppenheim, "un homme ne peut montrer une qualité de volonté plus fine que dans sa propre vie privée et intime." We are all subjected to certain temptations. The Will decides whether we will be just, or unjust; pure of thought; charitable in opinion; forbearing in overlooking other's shortcomings; whether we live up to our highest standard. La Volonté décide si nous serons justes ou injustes ; pur de pensée; d'opinion charitable; s'abstenir de négliger les défauts des autres ; si nous respectons nos normes les plus élevées. Since these are all controlled by the Will, we should find time for plenty of exercises for training of the will in our daily life.

You, of course, realize that your will should be trained. You must also realize that to do this requires effort that you alone can command. No one can call it forth for you.

To be successful in these exercises you must practice them in a spirit of seriousness and earnestness. I can show you how to train your will, but your success depends upon your mastery and application of these methods.

New Methods of Will-Training. Select a quiet room where you will not be interrupted; have a watch to determine the time, and a note-book in which to enter observations. Wählen Sie einen ruhigen Raum, in dem Sie nicht gestört werden; haben Sie eine Uhr, um die Zeit zu bestimmen, und ein Notizbuch, in das Sie Beobachtungen eintragen können. Start each exercise with date and time of day.

Exercise 1

Time decided on. Zeit entschieden. Temps décidé. Select some time of the day when most convenient. Wählen Sie eine Tageszeit, wenn es Ihnen am besten passt. Sit in a chair and look at the door-knob for ten minutes. Setzen Sie sich auf einen Stuhl und schauen Sie zehn Minuten lang auf den Türknauf. Then write down what you experienced. Schreibe dann auf, was du erlebt hast. At first it will seem strange and unnatural. You will find it hard to hold one position for ten minutes. But keep as still as you can. The time will seem long for it will probably be the first time you ever sat and did nothing for ten minutes. You will find your thoughts wandering from the door-knob, and you will wonder what there can be in this exercise. Sie werden feststellen, dass Ihre Gedanken von der Türklinke abschweifen, und Sie werden sich fragen, was in dieser Übung alles sein kann. Repeat this exercise for six days.

10 P. M. 2nd Day.

Notes. You should be able to sit quieter, and the time should pass more quickly. You will probably feel a little stronger because of gaining a better control of your will. It will brace you up, as you have kept your resolution. Es wird Sie stärken, da Sie Ihren Vorsatz eingehalten haben. 10 P. M. 3rd Day.

Notes. It may be a little harder for you to concentrate on the door-knob as perhaps you had a very busy day and your mind kept trying to revert to what you had been doing during the day. Keep on trying and you will finally succeed in banishing all foreign thoughts. Then you should feel a desire to gain still more control. There is a feeling of power that comes over you when you are able to carry out your will. This exercise will make you feel bigger and it awakens a sense of nobility and manliness. You will say, "I find that I can actually do what I want to and can drive foreign thoughts out. The exercise, I can now see, is valuable." 10 P. M. 4th Day.

Notes. "I found that I could look at the door-knob and concentrate my attention on it at once. Have overcome the tendency to move my legs. No other thoughts try to enter as I have established the fact that I can do what I want to do and do not have to be directed. I feel that I am gaining in mental strength, I can now see the wonderful value of being the master of my own will-force. I know now if I make a resolution I will keep it. I have more self-confidence and can feel my self-control increasing.

10 P. M. 5th Day.

Notes. "Each day I seem to increase the intensity of my concentration. I feel that I can center my attention on anything I wish.

10 P. M. 6th Day.

Notes. "I can instantly center my whole attention on the door-knob. Feel that I have thoroughly mastered this exercise and that I am ready for another." You have practiced this exercise enough, but before you start another I want you to write a summary of just how successful you were in controlling the flitting impulses of the mind and will. You will find this an excellent practice. There is nothing more beneficial to the mind than to pay close attention to its own wonderful, subtle activities. Il n'y a rien de plus bénéfique pour l'esprit que de porter une attention particulière à ses propres activités merveilleuses et subtiles.

Exercise 2

Secure a package of playing cards. Select some time to do the exercise. Each day at the appointed time, take the pack in one hand and then start laying them down on top of each other just as slowly as you can, with an even motion. Nehmen Sie jeden Tag zur festgelegten Zeit die Packung in eine Hand und legen Sie sie dann so langsam wie möglich mit einer gleichmäßigen Bewegung aufeinander. Chaque jour, à l'heure convenue, prenez le sac dans une main, puis commencez à les étendre l'un sur l'autre aussi lentement que possible, avec un mouvement régulier. Try to get them as even as possible. Essayez de les obtenir aussi uniformes que possible. Each card laid down should completely cover the under one. Do this exercise for six days.

1st Day.

Notes. Task will seem tedious and tiresome. Aufgabe erscheint langweilig und ermüdend. Requires the closest concentration to make each card completely cover the preceding one. Es erfordert höchste Konzentration, damit jede Karte die vorhergehende vollständig abdeckt. You will probably want to lay them down faster. It requires patience to lay them down so slowly, but benefit is lost if not so placed. Es erfordert Geduld, sie so langsam abzulegen, aber der Nutzen geht verloren, wenn sie nicht so platziert werden. Il faut de la patience pour les déposer si lentement, mais le bénéfice est perdu s'il n'est pas placé ainsi. You will find that at first your motions will be jerky and impetuous. Sie werden feststellen, dass Ihre Bewegungen zunächst ruckartig und ungestüm sind. It will require a little practice before you gain an easy control over your hands and arms. You probably have never tried to do anything in such a calm way. It will require the closest attention of your will. But you will find that you are acquiring a calmness you never had before. You are gradually acquiring new powers. You recognize how impulsive and impetuous you have been, and how, by using your will, you can control your temperament.

2nd Day.

Notes. You start laying the cards down slowly. You will find that by practice you can lay them down much faster. But you want to lay them down slowly and therefore you have to watch yourself. The slow, steady movement is wearisome. You have to conquer the desire of wanting to hurry up. Soon you will find that you can go slowly or fast at will.

3rd Day.

Notes. You still find it hard to go slowly. Your will urges you to go faster. Dein Wille drängt dich, schneller zu gehen. Votre volonté vous pousse à aller plus vite. This is especially true if you are impulsive, as the impulsive character finds it very difficult to do anything slowly and deliberately. It goes against the "grain." Es geht gegen den Strich. Cela va à contre-courant du "grain". This exercise still is tiresome. Cet exercice est toujours fastidieux. But when you do it, it braces you up mentally. You are accomplishing something you do not like to do. It teaches you how to concentrate on disagreeable tasks. Es lehrt Sie, sich auf unangenehme Aufgaben zu konzentrieren. Writing these notes down you will find very helpful.

4th Day.

Notes. I find that I am beginning to place the cards in a mathematical way. Je trouve que je commence à placer les cartes de manière mathématique. I find one card is not completely covering another. Je trouve qu'une carte n'en couvre pas complètement une autre. I am getting a little careless and must be more careful. Je deviens un peu négligent et je dois être plus prudent. I command my will to concentrate more. It does not seem so hard to bring it under control.

5th Day.

Notes. I find that I am overcoming my jerky movements, that I can lay the cards down slowly and steadily. I feel that I am rapidly gaining more poise. Ich habe das Gefühl, dass ich schnell mehr Selbstbewusstsein gewinne. I am getting better control over my will each day, and my will completely controls my movements. I begin to look on my will as a great governing power. I would not think of parting with the knowledge of will I have gained. Ich käme nicht auf die Idee, mich von der gewonnenen Willenserkenntnis zu trennen. Je ne penserais pas à me séparer de la connaissance de la volonté que j'ai acquise. I find it is a good exercise and know it will help me to accomplish my tasks.

6th Day.

Notes. I begin to feel the wonderful possibilities of the will. It gives me strength to think of the power of will. I am able to do so much more and better work now, that I realize that I can control my will action. Whatever my task, my will is concentrated on it. I am to keep my will centered there until the task is finished. The more closely and definitely I determine what I shall do, the more easily the will carries it out. Plus je détermine étroitement et définitivement ce que je ferai, plus la volonté l'exécute facilement. Determination imparts compelling force to the will. Entschlossenheit verleiht dem Willen zwingende Kraft. La détermination confère une force irrésistible à la volonté. It exerts itself more. Es strengt sich mehr an. The will and the end act and react on each other.

7th Day.

Notes. Now try to do everything you do today faster. Don't hurry or become nervous. Ne vous pressez pas et ne devenez pas nerveux. Just try to do everything faster, but in a steady manner.

You will find that the exercises you have practiced in retardation have steadied your nerves, and thereby made it possible to increase your speed. Vous constaterez que les exercices que vous avez pratiqués en retard ont stabilisé vos nerfs et ont ainsi permis d'augmenter votre vitesse. The will is under your command. Make it carry out resolutions rapidly. Lassen Sie es Vorsätze schnell ausführen. Hagyja, hogy gyorsan végezzen elhatározásokat. This is how you build up your self-control and your self-command. It is then that the human machine acts as its author dictates. Dann handelt die menschliche Maschine so, wie ihr Autor es vorschreibt.

You certainly should now be able to judge of the great benefit that comes from writing out your introspections each day. Of course you will not have the exact experiences given in these examples, but some of these will fit your case. Be careful to study your experiences carefully and make as true a report as you can. Describe your feelings just as they seem to you. Allow your fancies to color your report and it will be worthless. Laissez vos fantaisies colorer votre rapport et il ne servira à rien. You have pictured conditions as you see them. Vous avez décrit les conditions telles que vous les voyez. In a few months, if you again try the same exercises, you will find your report very much better. Dans quelques mois, si vous réessayez les mêmes exercices, vous trouverez votre rapport bien meilleur. By these introspections, we learn to know ourselves better and with this knowledge can wonderfully increase our efficiency. As you become used to writing out your report, it will be more accurate. Au fur et à mesure que vous vous habituerez à rédiger votre rapport, il sera plus précis. You thus learn how to govern your impulses, activities and weaknesses. So lernen Sie, Ihre Impulse, Aktivitäten und Schwächen zu steuern. Vous apprenez ainsi à maîtriser vos pulsions, vos activités et vos faiblesses.

Each person should try to plan exercises that will best fit his needs. Chaque personne doit essayer de planifier des exercices qui correspondent le mieux à ses besoins. If not convenient for you to practice exercises every day, take them twice or three times a week. But carry out any plan you decide to try. Mais réalisez tout plan que vous décidez d'essayer. If you cannot devote ten minutes a day to the experiments start with five minutes and gradually increase the time. The exercises given are only intended for examples.

Will Training Without Exercise. There are many people that do not want to take the time to practice exercises, so the following instructions for training the will are given to them. Il y a beaucoup de gens qui ne veulent pas prendre le temps de pratiquer des exercices, alors les instructions suivantes pour entraîner la volonté leur sont données.

By willing and realizing, the will grows. En voulant et en réalisant, la volonté grandit. Therefore the more you will, the more it grows, and builds up power. No matter whether your task is big or small, make it a rule to accomplish it in order to fortify your will. Egal, ob Ihre Aufgabe groß oder klein ist, machen Sie es sich zur Regel, sie zu erfüllen, um Ihren Willen zu stärken. Form the habit of focusing your will in all its strength upon the subject to be achieved. You form in this way the habit of getting a thing done, of carrying out some plan. Auf diese Weise entwickeln Sie die Gewohnheit, eine Sache zu erledigen, einen Plan auszuführen. Vous prenez ainsi l'habitude de faire quelque chose, d'exécuter un plan. You acquire the feeling of being able to accomplish that which lies before you, no matter what it is. This gives you confidence and a sense of power that you get in no other way. Cela vous donne confiance et un sentiment de puissance que vous n'obtenez pas autrement. You know when you make a resolution that you will keep it. You do not tackle new tasks in a half-hearted way, but with a bold, brave spirit. Neue Aufgaben gehen Sie nicht halbherzig an, sondern mit Mut und Mut. We know that the will is able to carry us over big obstacles. Knowing this despair never claims us for a victim. Das Wissen um diese Verzweiflung fordert uns niemals zum Opfer. Connaître ce désespoir ne nous réclame jamais pour une victime. We have wills and are going to use them with more and more intensity, thus giving us the power to make our resolutions stronger, our actions freer and our lives finer and better. Nous avons des volontés et allons les utiliser avec de plus en plus d'intensité, nous donnant ainsi le pouvoir de rendre nos résolutions plus fortes, nos actions plus libres et nos vies plus belles et meilleures.

The education of the will should not be left to chance. Die Willensbildung sollte nicht dem Zufall überlassen werden. L'éducation de la volonté ne doit pas être laissée au hasard. It is only definite tasks that will render it energetic, ready, persevering and consistent. The only way it can be done is by self-study and self-discipline. The cost is effort, time and patience, but the returns are valuable. There are no magical processes leading to will development, but the development of your will works wonders for you because it gives you self-mastery, personal power and energy of character.

Concentration of the Will to Win. The adaptability of persons to their business environment is more a matter of determination than anything else. Die Anpassungsfähigkeit von Personen an ihr Geschäftsumfeld ist mehr als alles andere eine Frage der Bestimmung. In this age we hear a good deal of talk about a man's aptitudes. Some of his aptitudes, some of his powers, may be developed to a wonderful extent, but he is really an unknown quality until all his latent powers are developed to their highest possible extent. Certaines de ses aptitudes, certains de ses pouvoirs, peuvent être développés à un degré merveilleux, mais il est vraiment une qualité inconnue jusqu'à ce que tous ses pouvoirs latents soient développés à leur plus haut degré possible. He may be a failure in one line and a big success in another. There are many successful men, that did not succeed well at what they first undertook, but they profited by their efforts in different directions, and this fitted them for higher things, whereas had they refused to adjust themselves to their environment, the tide of progress would have swept them into oblivion. Il y a beaucoup d'hommes qui ont réussi, qui n'ont pas bien réussi dans ce qu'ils ont d'abord entrepris, mais ils ont profité de leurs efforts dans différentes directions, et cela les a préparés pour des choses plus élevées, alors qu'ils avaient refusé de s'adapter à leur environnement, à la marée du progrès. les aurait fait tomber dans l'oubli.

My one aim in all my works is to try and arouse in the individual the effort and determination to develop his full capacities, his highest possibilities. Mon seul but dans tous mes travaux est d'essayer de susciter chez l'individu l'effort et la détermination à développer ses pleines capacités, ses plus hautes possibilités. One thing I want you to realize at the start, that it is not so much ability, as it is the will to do that counts. Une chose que je veux que vous réalisiez au départ, c'est que ce n'est pas tant la capacité, mais la volonté de faire qui compte. Ability is very plentiful, but organizing initiative and creative power are not plentiful. La capacité est très abondante, mais l'initiative d'organisation et le pouvoir créatif ne sont pas abondants. A képességek nagyon bőségesek, de a kezdeményezőkészség és a kreatív erő nem bőséges. It is easy to get employes, but to get someone to train them is harder. Il est facile de trouver des employés, mais il est plus difficile de trouver quelqu'un pour les former. Könnyű munkavállalókat szerezni, de nehezebb valakit kiképezni. Their abilities must be directed to the work they can do. Leurs capacités doivent être dirigées vers le travail qu'ils peuvent faire. They must be shown how, while at this work, to conserve their energy and they must be taught to work in harmony with others, for most business concerns are dominated by a single personality. Il faut leur montrer comment, pendant ce travail, conserver leur énergie et leur apprendre à travailler en harmonie avec les autres, car la plupart des entreprises sont dominées par une seule personnalité.

Concentrating on Driving Force Within. Konzentration auf die treibende Kraft im Inneren. Se concentrer sur la force motrice intérieure. A belső hajtóerőre koncentrálva. We are all conscious, at times, that we have somewhere within us an active driving force that is ever trying to push us onward to better deeds. It is that "force" that makes us feel determined at times to do something worth while. C'est cette « force » qui nous fait nous sentir parfois déterminés à faire quelque chose qui en vaut la peine. It is not thought, emotion or feeling. Es ist nicht Denken, Emotion oder Gefühl. This driving force is something distinct from thought or emotion. It is a quality of the soul and therefore it has a consciousness all its own. Es ist eine Eigenschaft der Seele und hat daher ein eigenes Bewusstsein. C'est une qualité de l'âme et elle a donc une conscience qui lui est propre. Ez a lélek tulajdonsága, és ezért saját tudata van. It is the "I will do" of the will. C'est le « je ferai » de la volonté. It is the force that makes the will concentrate. Many have felt this force working within them, driving them on to accomplish their tasks. Viele haben gespürt, wie diese Kraft in ihnen wirkt und sie antreibt, ihre Aufgaben zu erfüllen. Beaucoup ont senti cette force travailler en eux, les poussant à accomplir leurs tâches. All great men and women become conscious that this supreme and powerful force is their ally in carrying out great resolutions.

This driving force is within all, but until you reach a certain stage you do not become aware of it. It is most useful to the worthy. Il est très utile aux dignes. It springs up naturally without any thought of training. Es entsteht auf natürliche Weise ohne Gedanken an Training. It comes unprovoked and leaves unnoticed. Il vient sans provocation et laisse inaperçu. Provokálatlanul jön, és észrevétlenül távozik. Just what this force is we do not know, but we do know that it is what intensifies the will in demanding just and harmonious action. Was genau diese Kraft ist, wissen wir nicht, aber wir wissen, dass sie den Willen verstärkt, gerechtes und harmonisches Handeln zu fordern. Nous ne savons pas exactement quelle est cette force, mais nous savons que c'est elle qui intensifie la volonté en exigeant une action juste et harmonieuse.

The ordinary human being, merely as merchandise, if he could be sold as a slave, would be worth ten thousand dollars. Der gewöhnliche Mensch, nur als Handelsware, wäre zehntausend Dollar wert, wenn er als Sklave verkauft werden könnte. L'être humain ordinaire, simplement comme marchandise, s'il pouvait être vendu comme esclave, vaudrait dix mille dollars. If somebody gave you a five thousand dollar automobile you would take very good care of it. Wenn Ihnen jemand ein Fünftausend-Dollar-Auto schenkte, würden Sie sehr gut darauf aufpassen. You wouldn't put sand in the carburetor, or mix water with the gasoline, or drive it furiously over rough roads, or leave it out to freeze at night. Vous ne voudriez pas mettre du sable dans le carburateur, ou mélanger de l'eau avec l'essence, ou le conduire furieusement sur des routes accidentées, ou le laisser geler la nuit. Are you quite sure that you take care of your own body, your own health, your only real property, as well as you would take care of a five thousand dollar automobile if it were given to you? Êtes-vous tout à fait sûr de prendre soin de votre propre corps, de votre propre santé, de votre seul bien immobilier, aussi bien que vous prendriez soin d'une automobile à cinq mille dollars si elle vous était donnée ?

The man who mixes whiskey with his blood is more foolish than a man would be if he mixed water with gasoline in his car.

You can get another car; you cannot get another body.

The man who misses sleep lives irregularly—bolts his food so that his blood supply is imperfect. Der Mann, der den Schlaf vermisst, lebt unregelmäßig – verriegelt sein Essen, so dass seine Blutversorgung nicht perfekt ist. L'homme qui manque de sommeil vit de manière irrégulière - il avale sa nourriture de sorte que son approvisionnement en sang est imparfait. That is a foolish man treating himself as he would not treat any other valuable piece of property.

Do you try to talk with men and women who know more than you do, and do you LISTEN rather than try to tell them what you know? Essayez-vous de parler avec des hommes et des femmes qui en savent plus que vous, et ÉCOUTEZ-vous plutôt que d'essayer de leur dire ce que vous savez ?

There are a hundred thousand men of fifty, and men of sixty, running along in the old rut, any one of whom could get out of it and be counted among the successful men if only the spark could be found to explode the energy within them now going to waste. Il y a cent mille hommes de cinquante et soixante ans qui courent dans l'ancienne ornière, chacun d'entre eux pourrait en sortir et être compté parmi les hommes qui réussissent si seulement l'étincelle pouvait être trouvée pour faire exploser l'énergie en eux. va maintenant se perdre.

Each man must study and solve his own problem.