It can therefore be readily seen that had our “know how” been better at that particular moment—that is had we been in a more harmonious and constructive state of consciousness, or mind, or thought current at that moment—we would not have committed the act. Our work then is to so develop our human mind that we will create within ourselves such a harmonious and constructive state of consciousness as will cause our “know how” to at all times accord with our highest ideals. Had the man who wrote me the inquiry at the beginning of this letter done this he would never have “betrayed the confidence” of his friend, for his “know how” would have accorded with his highest ideals and so prevented the betrayal when the opportunity arose. He then could not have been used as the destructive instrument in the life of his friend to betray the latter’s confidence. While it is true that we are only instruments in the hands of God—the great Universal Law—to work out in the lives of those with whom we contact the effects of the causes they have set in motion, it is also true that we are not compelled to be blind, ignorant and destructive instruments, directed and propelled by a “fate” over which we have no control. It is for each life to determine whether it shall be a constructive or destructive instrument in the hands of the Universal Law. No one else can decide this question for us. We alone have the power of choice. We alone are responsible for the effect of our decision. We can make this decision consciously and intelligently or unconsciously and ignorantly. We can continue to manage our life “with eyes which do not see and ears which do not hear” as long as we may wish. We can remain both blind and ignorant of the effects of the causes we are momentarily setting in motion just as long as we desire. God—the great Universal Law—never steps in and interferes with our doing anything we may desire, no matter whether its effect on us is what we call “good” or “bad.” He always permits us to go on, knowing that “the cure of the thing is in the thing itself,” and that when we have reaped enough of the effects of the destructive causes we have set in motion we will open our eyes to the larger truth and learn that we alone were responsible for the cause.