tinct, and fasten it in your mind.
Then begin to build around it. Let your thoughts dwell upon the mental
picture. Let your imagination see yourself as possessed of the desired
trait, and _acting it out_. Act it out in your imagination, over and over
again, as often as possible, persevering, and continuously, seeing
yourself manifesting the trait under a variety of circumstances and
conditions. As you continue to do this you will find that you will
gradually begin to express the thought in action--to objectify the
subjective mental image. It will become "natural" for you to act more and
more in accordance with your mental image, until at last the new habit
will become firmly fixed in your mind, and will become your natural mode
of action and expression.

This is no vague, visionary theory. It is a well known and proven
psychological fact, and thousands have worked marvelous changes in their
character by its means.

Not only may one elevate his moral character in this way, but he may
mould his "work-a-day" self to better conform to the needs of his
environment and occupation. If one lacks Perseverance, he may attain
it; if one is filled with Fear, he may supplant it with Fearlessness; if
one lacks Self-confidence, he may gain it. In fact, there is no trait
that may not be developed in this way. People have literally "made
themselves over" by following this method of character-building. The
great trouble with the race has been that persons have not realized that
they _could_ do these things. They have thought that they were doomed to
remain just the creatures that they found themselves to be. They did not
realize that the work of creation was not ended, and that they had within
themselves a creative power adapted to the needs of their case. When man
first realizes this truth, and proves it by practice, he becomes another
being. He finds himself superior to environment, and training--he finds
that he may ride over these things. He makes _his own environment_, and
_he trains himself_.

In some of the larger schools in England and the United States, certain
scholars who have developed and manifested the ability to control
themselves and their actions are placed on the roll of a grade called
the "Self-governed grade." Those in this grade act as if they had
memorized the following words of Herbert Spencer: "In the supremacy of
self-control consists one of the perfections of the ideal man. Not to be
impulsive--not to be spur