Inertia may hinder our paying much attention to this inner urge, but it is always there. It is what keeps us going ahead, sometimes almost against our will. It is an inherent quality of man and asserts itself whether we welcome it or not, because it is what we are, demanding expression. Made in the image and likeness of the Father, one cannot accept stagnation; something protests against it. We must be moving forward into a higher and more satisfying spiritual stature. This “divine discontent” is a factor in our very make-up, and unless we are following its promptings we are not happy. We cannot get away from it because it is a part of our nature.

We are well aware of the fact that many people seem to have disregarded the important matter of spiritual growth, and, insofar as can be seen, are going down instead of up. But this may be entirely aside from the point; we do not know their inner experiences, their thoughts, nor hopes, nor longings. We do not know just where they are in spiritual awareness, nor how much they had to overcome in order to get even that far. Even though we may have known them from childhood, still we cannot really know their background in all its details. Because of this we cannot possibly know what their efforts toward growth really are. It is not our place to judge them. We have all we can do to look after our own unfoldment, and that is something for which we are specifically responsible.

Dominion of the Body
It is encouraging to realize that your very nature is such as to keep you growing, and also to provide the instrument through which that growth is accomplished. You have a physical body, a complex emotional nature, and an intellect. These three phases of your nature are so closely interrelated, and they react so definitely upon each other, that you have a triple set of capacities to be utilized in the process of advancement.

You are better acquainted with the nature of your physical body than with your emotions and mind, and it is well to begin with it...Your body is entitled to your respect. “Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy [Spirit] . . .?”

The body is acted upon by the emotions, and is particularly responsive to your emotional states. If you are sad, discouraged, gloomy, worried, or fearful—all of which are unwholesome emotions— your body immediately reflects that unwholesomeness and your state of health is lowered. The word “health” is simply the modern expression of the Old English “wholth,” meaning wholeness. If you are not healthy emotionally, you cannot be in good health physically. Either will reflect the condition of the other, that which is predominant at the time. To keep the body in the best state of wholeness is of paramount importance.

An Atmosphere of Health
We know now that there is such a close relationship between the body and the emotions that we learn to build bodily health through emotional health. Time ought to be given daily to such building. It is especially wise to faithfully keep in mind such expressions as these:

expressions as these: “I am filled with the Life and Love of God.” “I am strong and vibrant.” “God-Life surges through my entire body.” “I function normally, wholesomely, and effectively.” “The Power and Perfection of God flow through me constantly and keep me in superb health.” “I rejoice in physical wholeness.”

When such statements are made with exuberant happiness, they carry a thrill of joy to every part of the body. They create and maintain that atmosphere of health in which new cells are created and in which they function. The good feeling which attends such statements becomes an “associated attitude” in the body, which persisted in becomes a habit carrying with it the power to continually reproduce itself.

This is very important because everyone sometimes finds himself below par physically and needs something to bring him back to normalcy. One of the best things you can do is to practice the use of such assertions. And also practice the appearance of a healthy body, such as the expanded chest, the erect posture, the free and easy carriage—all indicating good physical condition. They will become so associated with the positive and affirmative statements you make that they literally go together. Merely to begin repeating one of the statements will at once tend to reproduce the associated good physical condition.

Right Emotional Control
Good health, which is one of the results of such endeavor, is an important factor in the development of a fine personality; it shows that you have learned emotional control. We found that a good personality brings friendships, happiness, success, and prosperity. These are all of much interest to you. You want them. Now you see that they are directly tied up with the condition of your body; that they are largely the result of your emotions, and that your personal, social, and business success are all intertwined with this matter of emotional control. The relationships are so intimate and close that you cannot consider one without the other.

You need, of course, to train yourself steadily in the development of all those fine qualities which are positive, helpful, creative, and God-like.

Again we see that all phases of your nature cooperate. Right thinking brings right control over the emotions. When you feel well physically, you are happier. You also know that when you are happy you can keep your mind more easily attuned to what you want to be thinking. So, we also find that the condition of the body affects the quality of our thinking. When we use our intellect according to its real nature, we think clearly, logically, effectively, and have a vastly better perspective. We see things, conditions, events, and people in their right proportions. Through such thinking our good thoughts become things. When you recognize these fundamental facts and understand the threefold nature of yourself better you can use your creative thought to bring to pass those deep desires of your heart which mean so much to you.

You Change Your Environment
By means of such thinking you change your environment. For one thing, you have a higher appraisal of people and surroundings. You more clearly see the good in them, and much which before may have been hidden. There is a reaction to this appraisal! This is something you can easily prove for yourself and, incidentally, it is something you ought to be proving every day. When you think well of someone and especially when you express that approval, you immediately set a standard for him to which he tries to measure up. It is the quickest way to bring out the desired good qualities in any person.

Your environment consists of “things,” as well as people, but your appreciation and approval of all that is good, even in things, will at least sustain their desirable qualities in your consciousness, thus making you happier. In addition, it will almost surely bring to mind something you can do to add to the appearance, condition, or usefulness of those same things, thus further increasing their desirability. Yes, thought does change Environment.

Spiritual Realization
Affirmative thinking makes it possible for you to work out your plans. This is so important that you can never afford to let negation interfere. Your thought must contain the best, because you do want to bring your good to fruition in the best possible way. When you are free from the negation of emotional conflict the mind becomes a clear, pure channel through which God-Wisdom flows, and there is created for you the good you desire. That is what is needed if you are to be successful. Then, too, the ability to think without the interference of negative feelings is necessary to the unfoldment of that deeper spiritual realization which is your highest aspiration. This is something you cannot neglect! Such realization is an unfoldment eminently deeper than intellectual accomplishment. It is such a conscious unifying of self with the Father that one is aware of a complete oneness. This is an experience one may not be able to put into words, but nevertheless it is so real that no one who experiences it can ever dispute it. It is what all mankind has forever sought, because it is the inherent nature of man, eventually, to find his true relationship to God—a son of God.

Clear thinking, health, happiness, friendships, and prosperity are all important and worthy. They are steps on the stairway up which man climbs in his ascent in spiritual realization. •

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