istress as is possible to you, and keep your
faith in the ultimate justice of God's ways, that the world will move
on, and humanity will slowly attain its destined goal, even if you
never become a millionaire.

Self Conquest

Every New Idea, or supposed New Idea, is a light which attracts the
moths.

The "New Thought" is no exception.

About it flutter hysterical women, unbalanced men: the erratic and the
irresponsible.

The possibilities of performing miracles, of healing the sick,
hypnotizing the well, transforming poverty into wealth, and changing
age to youth, are the rays of light which flicker through the darkness
and draw them into the circle of radiance.

The self-indulgent fat woman subscribes to New Thought literature, pays
for a course of lectures, and goes forth into the ranks of the
unbelievers, proclaiming her power to become a sylph, and to cause
others to become sylphs.

The extravagant and inconsiderate rush forth after having heard a
discourse upon the power of mind over matter, and declare that they
possess the secret of accumulating a fortune by occult means.

The lovers of the marvelous believe that they will become great healers
in a brief space of time.

Not one of these moth converts realizes that the very first step to
take in the direction of "New Thought" is self-conquest.

The gourmand does not know that self-indulgence and a gross appetite
are incompatible with mental or spiritual growth, and will be
insurmountable obstacles in her path toward symmetry.

The spendthrift does not take into consideration the fact that good
sense, thrift and industry, must aid his mental assertion of wealth,
and the miracle lover does not understand that something greater and
more difficult is required than a mere wish to heal before healing
powers can be obtained.

That the physical body and material conditions can be dominated by the
divine spirit in man, is an incontrovertible fact.

But first, last and always, the lesser self must be subjugated, and the
weak and unworthy qualities overcome.

The woman who desires to reduce her flesh cannot do so by reading
occult literature, or joining mystic circles, or attending lectures,
unless she permeates herself so thoroughly with spiritual truths that
she no longer craves six courses at dinner, and three meals a day, and
unless she overcomes her dislike for exercise.

The man who wishes to control circumstances must love better things
than