Professional Documents
Culture Documents
by Paramhansa Yogananda
December 2013
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Most people spend all their lives desiring to do something perfectly, such as playing the piano or
painting, but are too lazy to put forth the effort required to reach perfection in the chosen activity.
They go on for years performing inefficiently and excusing themselves by saying, I had no time to
practice or to find a good teacher, and anyway, I am not a genius. They fail to realize that
extraordinary talent is not as necessary as unswerving purpose and unfailing effort.
The key to happiness, power, and health lies within your mind. Mental laziness and lack of initiative
and perseverance are the greatest enemies of success in any field of activity. A mentally lazy person
grunts and moans, and considers it a terrible expenditure of energy if he must take time to think, plan,
or create. He is unwilling to initiate creative or self-emancipating thinking. We can understand
physical idleness, when it is sometimes necessary for relaxation from overwork, but we cannot excuse
the mentally lazy person.
Ive often said: the whole universe is sitting on a little piece of Gods thought. Everything in the
universe is the result of thought. Gods mind underlies and guides every aspect of creation. The image
of God within you includes that same potential of unlimited mental power, but you must learn to
develop that power by making greater use of your mind. Most of your troubles in life can be traced to
the failure to develop the power of your mind.
the better. If you allow such thoughts to take hold you have already lost half the battle. Throw all such
thoughts out of your mind and affirm with deep conviction that whatever has been done, and is
currently posing challenges in your life, can be undone. Every new effort after a failure must be well
planned and charged with increasing intensity of attention.
Remember, if you make up your mind that you are going to control your circumstances, your
circumstances will adjust themselves accordingly. Friendly success tendencies are ready to help you,
depending on your unflinching efforts. These are your invisible friends. Rouse your will by repeated
judicious efforts, and ultimately you are certain to awaken the success tendencies sleeping in the dark
chamber of your subconsciousness.