By James Allen.
In many ways, the body is the servant of the mind. It obeys the operations of
the mind, whether they be deliberately chosen or automatically expressed. At the
bidding of unlawful thoughts the body sinks rapidly into disease and decay; at
the command of glad and beautiful thoughts it becomes clothed with youthfulness
and beauty.
Disease and health, like circumstances, are rooted in thought. Sickly thoughts
will express themselves through a sickly body. Thoughts of fear have been known
to kill a man as speedily as a bullet, and they are continually killing
thousands of people just as surely though less rapidly. The people who live in
fear of disease are the people who get it. Anxiety quickly demoralizes the whole
body, and lays it open to the, entrance of disease; while impure thoughts, even
if not physically indulged, will soon shatter the nervous system.
Strong, pure, and happy thoughts build up the body in vigor and grace. The body
is a delicate and plastic instrument, which responds readily to the thoughts by
which it is impressed, and habits of thought will produce their own effects,
good or bad, upon it.
Men will continue to have impure and poisoned blood, so long as they propagate
unclean thoughts. Out of a clean heart comes a clean life and a clean body. Out
of a defiled mind proceeds a defiled life and a corrupt body. Thought is the
fount of action, life, and manifestation; make the fountain pure, and all will
be pure.
Change of diet will not help a man who will not change his thoughts. When a man
makes his thoughts pure, he no longer desires impure food.
Clean thoughts make clean habits. The so-called saint who does not wash his body
is not a saint. He who has strengthened and purified his thoughts does not need
to consider the malevolent microbe.
If you would protect your body, guard your mind. If you would renew your body,
beautify your mind. Thoughts of malice, envy, disappointment, despondency, rob
the body of its health and grace. A sour face does not come by chance; it is
made by sour thoughts. Wrinkles that mar are drawn by folly, passion, and pride.
I know a woman of ninety-six who has the bright, innocent face of a girl. I know
a man well under middle age whose face is drawn into inharmonious contours. The
one is the result of a sweet and sunny disposition; the other is the outcome of
passion and discontent.
As you cannot have a sweet and wholesome abode unless you admit the air and
sunshine freely into your rooms, so a strong body and a bright, happy, or serene
countenance can only result from the free admittance into the mind of thoughts
of joy and goodwill and serenity.
On the faces of the aged there are wrinkles made by sympathy, others by strong
and pure thought, and others are carved by passion: who cannot distinguish them?
With those who have lived righteously, age is calm, peaceful, and softly
mellowed, like the setting sun. I have recently seen a philosopher on his
deathbed. He was not old except in years. He died as sweetly and peacefully as
he had lived.
There is no physician like cheerful thought for dissipating the ills of the
body; there is no comforter to compare with goodwill for dispersing the shadows
of grief and sorrow. To live continually in thoughts of ill will, cynicism,
suspicion, and envy, is to be confined in a self made prison-hole. But to think
well of all, to be cheerful with all, to patiently learn to find the good in
all--such unselfish thoughts are the very portals of heaven; and to dwell day by
day in thoughts of peace toward every creature will bring abounding peace to
their possessor.
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This is taken from As A Man Thinketh.
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