fear and trouble, we have only to fall back on the law that if
we reverse the cause the effects will be reversed also; and so what we have
to do is simply to reverse our mental attitude and then endeavour to act up
to the new one. The sincere endeavour to act up to our new mental attitude
is essential, for we cannot really think in one way and act in another; but
our repeated failures to fully act as we would wish must not discourage us.
It is the sincere intention that is the essential thing, and this will in
time release us from the bondage of habits which at present seem almost
insuperable.

The initial step, then, consists in determining to picture the Universal
Mind as the ideal of all we could wish it to be both to ourselves and to
others, together with the endeavour to reproduce this ideal, however
imperfectly, in our own life; and this step having been taken, we can then
cheerfully look upon it as our ever-present Friend, providing all good,
guarding from all danger, and guiding us with all counsel. Gradually as the
habit of thus regarding the Universal Mind grows upon us, we shall find
that in accordance with the laws we have been considering, it will become
more and more _personal_ to us, and in response to our desire its inherent
intelligence will make itself more and more clearly perceptible within as a
power of perceiving truth far beyond any statement of it that we could
formulate by merely intellectual investigation. Similarly if we think of it
as a great power devoted to supplying all our needs, we shall impress this
character also upon it, and by the law of subjective mind it will proceed
to enact the part of that special providence which we have credited it with
being; and if, beyond the general care of our concerns, we would draw to
ourselves some particular benefit, the same rule holds good of impressing
our desire upon the Universal Subjective Mind. And if we realize that above
and beyond all this we want something still greater and more enduring, the
building-up of character and unfolding of our powers so that we may expand
into fuller and yet fuller measures of joyous and joy-giving Life, still
the same rule holds good: convey to the Universal Mind the suggestion of
the desire, and by the law of relation between subjective and objective
mind this too will be fulfilled. And thus the deepest problems of
philosophy bring us back to the old statement of the Law:--Ask and ye shall
receive, seek and ye s