ed, they have the effect of strengthening the will-power,
which will be found to have materially gained by this means.

When the desired result appears to have been accomplished and one feels
oneself strong enough to meet or to avoid another person's eye, while at
the same time one is conscious that one can dominate with one's own, it
will be well to experiment upon the people with whom one is closely
associated.

One can thus become accustomed, little by little, to control one's gaze,
to force an estimate of its influence, and to neutralize the effect of
that of other people.

THIRD SERIES--THE MOTIONS, THE CARRIAGE

Another highly important point in the conquest of poise is the struggle
against awkwardness, which is at once the parent and the offspring of
timidity.

Let us make ourselves clear.

Many people only lack poise because they fear ridicule of their obvious
embarrassment and of the awkward hesitation of their movements.

Others fall into this embarrassment as the result of exhibitions of
clumsiness in which they cover themselves with ridicule. The terror of
renewing their moments of torture drives them into a reserve, from which
they only emerge with a constraint so evident that it is reflected in
their gestures, the evidences of a deplorable awkwardness.

It is exceedingly simple to find a remedy for these unpleasant
conditions. One must make up one's mind to combat their exhibitions of
weakness by determining to acquire ease of movement.

We have all noticed that awkwardness occurs only in public.

The most embarrassed person in the world carries himself, when alone, in
a fashion quite foreign to that which is the regret of his friends.

It may happen, however, that awkwardness too long allowed to become a
habit will have a disastrous effect upon our daily actions, and that the
person who is lacking in poise will end by keeping up, even in private,
the awkward gestures and uncouth movements that cause him eternal shame
at his own expense.

In such a case a cure will be a little more difficult to effect, but it
can be arrived at, without a shadow of doubt, if our advice is
faithfully followed out.

It is an obvious truth that the repetition of any act diminishes the
emotion it gave rise to in us at the first performance.

Physical exercises are then in order, to achieve for us suppleness of
movement and to extend its scope.

Every morning, after our breathing exercises (which can be perfo