Book Description
This book contains a selection of twenty-four inspiring essays of faith, hope, courage and self confidence by a noted American Authoress-Poet. Her literary work embraced a large number of books, both prose and poetry, and she was a contributor to many publications.

"There is no fate or destiny which puts one man down and another up. 'It is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings.' "

"The world belongs to him who can conquer it. Good things belong to those who can take them by force of purpose and tenacity of determination. There is no power which parcels out good things to a favored few, and gives you and me inferior things."

"The man who has acquired the power of keeping his mind filled with the thoughts which uplift and encourage, the optimistic thought, the cheerful, hopeful thought, has solved one of the great riddles of life."

These are some of the thoughts which Ella Wheeler Wilcox has woven into her essays. You will be surprised to see how quickly her suggestions will brace you up and put new spirit in you.

Contents
<>Let the Past Go; The Sowing of the Seed; Old Clothes; High Noon; Obstacles; Thought Force; Opulence; Eternity; Morning Influences; The Philosophy of Happiness; Common Sense; Optimism; Preparation; Dividends; Royalty; Heredity; Invincibility; The Object of Life; Wisdom; Concentration; Destiny; Sympathy; Deep Breathing; Generosity.

Let the Past Go

Do not begin the new year by recount­ing to yourself or others all your losses and sorrows.

Let the past go.

Should some good friend present you with material for a lovely garment, would you insult her by throwing it aside and describing the beautiful garments you had worn out in past times?

Each new year gives you the fabric for a fresh start in life, why dwell upon the events which have gone, the joys, blessings and advantages of the past!

Do not tell me it is too late to be suc­cessful or happy. Do not tell me you are sick or broken in spirit, the spirit cannot be sick or broken, because it is of God.

It is your mind which makes your body sick. Let the spirit assert itself and de­mand health and hope and happiness in this new year.

Forget the money you have lost, the mistakes you have made, the injuries you have received, the disappointments you have experienced.

Real sorrow, the sorrow which comes from the death of dear ones, or some great cross well borne, you need not for­get. But think of these things as sent to enrich your nature, and to make you more human and sympathetic. You are missing them if you permit yourself in­stead to grow melancholy and irritable.

It is weak and unreasonable to imag­ine destiny has selected you for special suffering.

Sorrow is no respecter of persons. Say to yourself with the beginning of this year that you are going to consider all your troubles as an education for your mind and soul; and that out of the expe­riences which you have passed through you are going to build a noble and splen­did character, and a successful career.

Do not tell me you are too old.

Age is all imagination. Ignore years and they will ignore you.

Eat moderately, and bathe freely in water as cold as nature's rainfall. Exer­cise thoroughly and regularly.

Be alive, from crown to toe. Breathe deeply, filling every cell of the lungs for at least five minutes, morning and night, and when you draw in long, full breaths, believe you are inhaling health, wisdom and success.

Anticipate good health. If it does not come at once, consider it a mere tem­porary delay, and continue to expect it.

Regard any physical ailment as a pass­ing inconvenience, no more.

Never for an instant believe you are permanently ill or disabled.

The young men of France are study­ing alchemy, hoping to learn the secret of the transmutation of gold.

If you will study your own spirit and its limitless powers, you will gain a greater secret than any alchemist ever held; a secret which shall give you what­ever you desire.

Think of your body as the silver jewel box, your mind as the silk lining, your spirit as the gem. Keep the box burn­ished and clear of dust, but remember always that the jewel within is the pre­cious part of it.

Think of yourself as on the threshold of unparalleled success. A whole, clear, glorious year lies before you! In a year you can regain health, fortune, restfulness, happiness!

Push on! Achieve, achieve!

The Sowing of the Seed

when you start in the practical philos­ophy of positive living do not expect sud­den illumination. Do not imagine that you are to become perfectly well, per­fectly cheerful, successful, and a healer, in a few days.

Remember all growth is slow.

Mushrooms spring up in a night, but oaks grow with deliberation and endure for centuries. Mental and spiritual power must be gained by degrees.

If you attained maturity before you commenced applying self-help formulas for sane living it is folly to suppose a complete transformation of your whole being will take place in a week—a month—or a year.

All you can reasonably look for is a gradual improvement, just as you might do if you were attempting to take up music or a science.

Success is a science, the Science of Right Thinking. But the brain cells which have been shaped by the old thoughts of despondency and fear, can­not all at once be reformed.

It will be a case of "Try, try again."

Make your daily assertions, "I am love, health, wisdom, cheerfulness, power for good, prosperity, success, use­fulness, opulence."

Never fail to assert these things at least twice a day; twenty times is better, but if you do not attain to all immedi­ately, if your life does not at once exemplify your words, let it not discourage you.

The saying of the words is the water­ing of the seeds.

After a time they will begin to sprout, after a longer time to cover the barren earth with grain, after a still longer time to yield a harvest.

If you have been accustomed to feel­ing prejudices and dislikes easily, you will not all at once find it easy to illus­trate your assertion, "I am love." If you have indulged yourself in thoughts of disease, the old aches and pains will in­trude even while you say "I am health!"

If you have groveled in fear and a be­lief that you were born to poverty and failure, courage and success and opu­lence will be of slow growth. Yet they will grow and materialize, as surely as you insist and persist.

Declare they are yours, right in the face of the worst disasters. There is nothing that so confuses and frustrates misfortune as to stare it down with hope­ful unflinching eyes.

If you waken some morning in the depths of despondency and gloom, do not say to yourself: "I may as well give up this effort to adopt a success con­sciousness—I have made a failure of it evidently—." Instead sit down quietly, and assert calmly that you are cheerful­ness, hope, courage, faith and success.

Realize that your despondency is only temporary; an old habit, which is reas­serting itself, but over which you will gradually gain the ascendency. Then go forth into the world and busy yourself in some useful occupation, and before you know it is on the way, hope will creep into your heart, and the gray cloud will lift from your mind. Physical pains will loosen their hold, and conditions of pov­erty will change to prosperity.

Your mind is your own to educate and direct.

You can do it by the aid of the Spirit, but you must be satisfied to work slowly.

Be patient and persistent.