Self Help; with Illustrations of Conduct and PerseveranceSmiles, Samuel
Philosophy
Self Help; with Illustrations of Conduct and Perseverance
Smiles, Samuel
Conduct of life
Mr. Walker, author of the ‘Original,’ had so great a faith in the power
of will, that he says on one occasion he _determined_ to be well, and he
was so. This may answer once; but, though safer to follow than many
prescriptions, it will not always succeed. The power of mind over body
is no doubt great, but it may be strained until the physical power breaks
down altogether. It is related of Muley Moluc, the Moorish leader, that,
when lying ill, almost worn out by an incurable disease, a battle took
place between his troops and the Portuguese; when, starting from his
litter at the great crisis of the fight, he rallied his army, led them to
victory, and instantly afterwards sank exhausted and expired.
It is will,—force of purpose,—that enables a man to do or be whatever he
sets his mind on being or doing. A holy man was accustomed to say,
“Whatever you wish, that you are: for such is the force of our will,
joined to the Divine, that whatever we wish to be, seriously, and with a
true intention, that we become. No one ardently wishes to be submissive,
patient, modest, or liberal, who does not become what he wishes.” The
story is told of a working carpenter, who was observed one day planing a
magistrate’s bench which he was repairing, with more than usual
carefulness; and when asked the reason, he replied, “Because I wish to
make it easy against the time when I come to sit upon it myself.” And
singularly enough, the man actually lived to sit upon that very bench as
a magistrate.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account