Extract by Paramahansa Yogananda

https://youtu.be/WD796kqo1Ck

A large part of the materialization of my external world is done subconsciously

• Concentration, awareness, and presence on the kind of information that I'm taking in is going to impact and perform in a way that will materialize
• It's not just the information that I'm taking in that molds my subconscious mind, but it's the meaning and feeling that I'm giving to that information

I want to ensure that I'm taking into my subconscious mind empowering, uplifting information that is related to my vision

• Creating a vision is a process of using my imagination
• The imagination, as Yogananda puts it, is connected to the astral plane/world
• This may sound far fetched, but believing and understanding that I have created something brand new through inspiration, or as others have called it, infinite intelligence, then there is probably some truth to it

Imagination

Imagination is a portal though which I can transcend the imposed limitations of this world

• When I sit still and let my imagination go as far as I can into the realm of my cherished dreams and goals, and if I can hold my mind to one-pointed concentration on the image of what I want to achieve, it will be shown to me in a true-to-life vision

As you believe so it shall be done unto you - The Bible

• Really allowing my imagination to wildly run free and be open to the possibility that I will attract alternative ways of bringing it forth, then I open my mind up to easier, faster ways of materializing that what is in my imagination
• Releasing my bias on how things will materialize causes things to materialize
• It is important to have self-confidence and high self-esteem because then I will be able to tap into abilities to bring forth my vision in my own unique way by not feeling limited by the thinking of others in the external world if I have consumed that information
  • It's not that external information is limited, everybody just has different opinions and ways of doing things and I must tap into a way that works for me
• Question the implications of all thoughts and information to see if they are moving me towards my vision or away from my vision
  • I can consciously choose to give it a meaning that is empowering to me

You don't become enlightened by imagining beings of light, but by making the darkness conscious

• So I "make the darkness conscious" or the areas in my subconscious that I'm not aware of, by increasing my consciousness and awareness through practice, presence, and mindfulness in order to see how I'm the cause

I want to feed my subconscious mind with information that stimulates my imagination

• To develop mental imaging, I used to sit in a room and concentrate on visualizing everything in another unseen room, until my immediate surroundings disappeared and I was seeing in exact detail everything in the other room. By practice, develop proficiency in visualization (concentrating the mind's eye on what I wish to achieve) and devisualization (banishing any images that distract from what I am concentrating on).
• These powers of imagination - used together with the power of will, power of inner silence, power of concentration, and opening of the spiritual eye - will lead me to the astral realm and increased ability to manifest my thoughts in material form

Wisdom and Will

With wisdom and will, whatever I can imagine, and continue to imagine, can become real

• The way to look at something that stands in my way is to maintain concentration with absolute faith and belief that I will overcome and stay with it

If I apply strong will power to realizing my vision, ultimately it will manifest - healing can be effected, successes attained, disasters in my environment lessened or avoided, seemingly impossible needs or worthy wishes fulfilled

• It is easier to maintain faith when I operate from a place of abundance consciousness, which easily defined is a win for me, a win for the other person and a win for everyone else

Intensity of my concentration and calmness

There is a difference between increasing my concentration and being attached

• I want concentration and calm faith in my vision and allow it to materialize by observing what shows up in my imagination and environment and it's done from a place of grace and ease; this takes practice
• When I work, I concentrate on what needs to be done at that moment; I do it, then forget it until it needs my attention again. And if I can't do it, I don't let it distress me

Book Written By Shad Helmstetter

https://youtu.be/Zm5J_Y-F1xU

What I say to myself and how I communicate programs my brain

Great for programming or reprogramming my subconscious mind

Why would I want to reprogram my subconscious mind?
• If I don't consciously program my mind, then I allow others to program it
• Programming my subconscious mind to believe reality to work a certain way and the actions begin to flow from me

I must believe that this work is possible

It makes no difference whether we believe it or not. The brain simply believes what I tell it most. And what I tell it about myself, it will create. It has no choice.
Everything I watch, hear, or see is going into my subconscious mind and altering my perception of reality. Changing the way the way I see reality, and thus, changing my actions and behaviors. If it is not the kind of information that is aligned with my goals and vision, then I am creating conflicting programming and I am setting myself up for a lot of confusion.

The subconscious mind does not know the difference between true or false, what is fact and what is fiction, it believes what I say and if I say it with enough repetition, it becomes my reality and the actions and the habits that flow through or from me comes from the programming that I've placed in my subconscious mind

When I was quite young, I had a soaring imagination. Long before I learned what we could not do, I dreamed of doing what I knew we could. I could reach out and touch those stars. I could imagine any dream and see it come true
Young kids often dream big, however, through the repetition of being exposed to people who don’t think it's possible, they adopt their programming, their ideologies, their beliefs into their own and when they grow up, they no longer believe that it is possible. Instead, they settle into a life that is dictated to them by others

I Learn to Believe

• What adults told me as a child had an incredibly important effect on me. It formed what I believe about most of what is going on around me and almost everything that I come to believe about myself
• Some of my programming is obvious. It stands up, gets my attention and demands my response. But much of my programming is not nearly so apparent. Most of it has been much more subtle.
• Each day each of us receives an endless stream of commands, directives, controls, inducements, and expectations from others. Everything around us nudges, demands, and persuades
• Much of the programming which each of us received was the wrong kind; Much of everything that is recorded and stored in our subconscious mind is counterproductive and works against us- in short, we are programmed not to succeed.
• Most people get their programming from TV, from general social norms, the ways of doing things, and most people are unhappy, do not have control of their finances or health. They were my surroundings when I was a child. I don't want to live like that and I have evolved.
• I can reprogram. I can erase the old negative, counter-productive, work-against-me programming and replace it with a healthy, new, positive, productive kind of programming. And it's easy. Erase and replace. All I have to do is learn how to talk to myself.

In order to become a doctor, I must reprogram my mind to love studying. This leads to passion with every course that I take, every lecture I attend, every bit of homework will be so enjoyable that I don't want to do anything else.

Reprogramming my subconscious mind may initially result in more negative thoughts. This is a survival mechanism. I am changing my subconscious mind's programming despite my life being fairly good, but I want to go higher. I want to level up. My old, dying programming is throwing all this negativity, but I'm aware of it.

The Missing Ingredient from many Self-Help and Business Books

1. Permanence. All "external" solutions are temporary. Even the best idea works only for a time. Without constant attention and effort, even the most exciting success breakthroughs run their course and eventually end up on my list of "good ideas" and "good intentions"
2. A knowledge of the psychological processes of the human brain based on what we now know about actual mind/brain functions. Without an understanding of the actual process by which the human brain accepts information (programming) and in turn, responds, directs and controls us, it would be difficult (or impossible) to create any success plan that worked and kept working indefinitely
3. A new, word-for-word set of directions, new programming to the subconscious mind (the control center of the brain). That means a specific "programming vocabulary" which is worded in a specific way, that anyone can use at any time, to erase and replace the old negative programming with positive, productive new directions

How to Program my Brain with Self-Talk

• All external motivation is temporary. External motivation is the kind that may wake me up, but it will not keep me awake for long. It may influence me to make a change, but it cannot make a change for me.
• How about being my own motivator? How about taking charge and putting myself back in control? I can, just by learning that all true motivation-the only kind that lasts, the only kind I can count on-is internal motivation

Five steps that control my success or failure

1. Behavior
   • The step that most directly control my success or failure is my behavior- what I do or do not do. Behavior means my actions. How I act and what I do each moment of the day will determine whether or not I will be successful that moment or that day in anything that I do
   • The reason I don't heed even my own advice is because of something else which affects, directs, influences, or controls all of my actions. That something that makes me do what I do is called my feelings
2. Feelings
   • Every action I take is first filtered through my feelings. How I feel about something always determines or affects what I do and how well I do it
   • But what causes me to have the feelings which are so much a part of me? Did I get them by accident? What creates the way I feel about anything? Chance? Never. My feelings are created, controlled, determined, or influenced by my attitudes
3. Attitudes
   • My attitudes are my perspectives from which I view life. Most people have a combination of attitudes, some good, some not so good
   • But where do we get our attitudes? Our attitudes are no accident. They don't just happen. Our attitudes are created, controlled, or influenced entirely by my beliefs
4. Beliefs
   • What we believe about anything will determine my attitudes about it, create our feelings, direct our actions, and in each instance, help us do well or poorly, succeed or fail. The belief that we have about anything is so powerful that it can even make something appear to be something different than what it really is. "Belief" does not require that something be the way we see it to be. It only requires us to believe that it is
   • What makes us believe? Our beliefs are not accidents of nature. Our beliefs are created and directed entirely by our programming
5. Programming

How to Change my Programming

What is Self-talk

• Most of our self-talk is unconscious
• If everything I tell myself about myself becomes a directive to my subconscious mind, then any time I make a statement about myself that is negative I am directing my subconscious mind to make me become the person I just described negatively
• I have learned that what I put into my brain is what I will get back out. I also have learned that the subconscious mind will believe anything I tell it. It will even believe a lie. If I tell it often enough and strongly enough. The brain makes no moral judgements, it simply accepts what I tell it

The Five Levels of Self-Talk

1. Level 1 self-talk represents everything from my simplest misgivings to the worst fears I have about myself. It is my way of telling myself to hesitate, question my capabilities, and accept less than I could have done, had I only given myself a chance
2. Level 2 self-talk is characterized by words such as "I need to …," or "I ought to …," or "I should …" Why does that work against me? Because it recognizes a problem, but creates no solution
3. Level 3 self-talk is the first level of Self-Talk that works for me instead of against me. In this level, I recognize the need to change, but also I make the decision to do something about it-- and I state the decision in the "present tense" though the change has already taken place. Level 3 is characterized by the words, "I never …," or "I no longer."
4. Level 4 self-talk is characterized by the words, "I am…" "I am organized and in control of my life. I am a winner! I am healthy, energetic, enthusiastic, and I'm going for it! Nothing can stop me now. I like who I am. I am in tune, on top, and in touch. I have determination, drive, and self-belief."
5. This level of self-talk is of "oneness" with the source. This level speaks of a unity of spirit, a divine and timeless cosmic affinity which transcends all worldly things and gives meaning to my being

How to Implement Self-Talk

There are five different methods for using Self-Talk; I may choose to use some or all of them

1. Silent Self-Talk
   • This goes on all the time. Can be conscious or unconscious. Replace old self-talk with positive new self-talk. Very natural and easy to use. Notice the self-talk that comes up when I am in a challenging situation. Is it empowering? If not, then this comes from the subconscious programming.
2. Self-speak
   • Anything that I say aloud.
3. Self-conversation
   • Actually talking to myself aloud and holding down both ends of the conversation all by myself. When I have a self conversation, more of me gets involved.
4. Self-write
   • The kind of self-talk that I write out, word for word, for myself.
5. Tape-talk
   • Reading cards, one by one, may lead to effects. But recording self-talk and playing it for myself over and over may be more beneficial.

The Self-Talk Check List

1. Is my self-talk stated in the present tense?
2. Is it specific?
3. Does it get the job done without creating any unwanted side effects?
4. Is it easy to use?
5. Is it practical?
6. Is it personal and is it honest?
7. Does my self-talk ask enough of me?

The Matrix is the programs of my egoic conditioning which I have been unconsciously enslaved to

https://youtu.be/Vq6_AFPpNzU

The Matrix is a system of automated triggers which cause me to perceive, think, and react in ways that, at my core, I don't truly want to

The awareness that I've been trapped in a psychic software program called the ego is actually the freedom from it

• The moment I am aware of it, the program loses it's influence because it is dependent on my unconscious belief in order to sustain itself
• The ego fights to keep me in an unconscious state

Steps

1. Answer the call

   • Question my reality, look past the surface layer and become suspicious of the world as I know it
   • The call is from my higher self
   • It is the destiny of the human race to achieve enlightenment collectively
   • The program always appears in the form of an identity or a belief

2. Remove the anchor points of the mind connecting me to the matrix

   • The ego thrives on three main anchor points: The body, mind, and memories
   • There is only life itself and I am only life itself pretending to be a person in order to take part in this evolutionary journey
   • Begin to identify what ideas I am believing in about myself
   • The moment I condense an identity, I attach my self worth to it
   • Consciousness can only expand so all I need to do is stay bound to who I am

3. Don't be swayed by appearances

   • I must let it all go; fear, doubt, and disbelief. I must free my mind
   • Thoughts only gain influence on me when I take them seriously and dwell on them
   • My freedom is not dependent on achieving a state since I am already free

What does it mean to be Free?

• I have the ability to choose my preference in every moment without being overwhelmed or overpowered by the programs of the mind
• Being able to live from my chosen state of being

Develop the Autotelic Personality through Uncertainty

https://youtu.be/wxUXart4Cfo

"Self-Image" Transformation is Change in Form, Nature, and Substance

• The Great Work is consistent purification of the mind into a deeper relationship with the Higher Self, through being in harmony with the laws of nature and creation
  • We all know where we are going and the higher self reveals visions, goals, inspirations, the heart desires of who we aspire to become
  • As I evolve the concept of my self within, I begin to align myself with the thoughts, emotions and the behaviors ad the experiences in the outer world that align to the realization of that vision

A man may rises in high success in the world, and even to lofty altitudes in the spiritual realm, and again descend into weakness and wretchedness by allowing arrogant, selfish, and corrupt thoughts to take possession of him - James Allen

"Autotelic" Mental Lifestyle (Harmony)

• My activities each day have an end purpose in itself
  • My state of being is rewarding based on where I am and what I am doing right now
  • I find more "flow" each day, in different areas of my life
  • I subconsciously "chose" perspectives that are aligned with my goals
  • Each day I find myself deeply engaged in my day to day activities calmly knowing that it is all contributing to what I desire to create
  • Conscious mind at ease and in relationship with the subconscious mind

"Let go" to Reveal the Signs and Synchronicities

• Let go of dogmatic ways of thinking that prevent me from getting the success that I want
  • Meditate, understand the other perspectives, "let go" and focus on what is related to my vision, "let go" of unnecessarily seeking approval and validation, and let go of "information" that instills doubt because this can be how it hooks me. When I dwell in doubt long enough, I become fearful
  • Meditation provides a greater ability to catch a thought and choose whether I want to dwell upon it or identify with it or not
  • Focus on my breathing and observe if thoughts show up, positive or negative, and simply let go of it

Embrace the Three Kinds of Uncertainty

Flow based "Uncertainty"

• I experience challenge but I have just enough skill that I engage with it and I rise up to develop higher levels of skill and perspective within

Controlled Chaos based "uncertainty"

• Placing myself in challenging situations and changing my environment around
• The uncertainty is there to evolve the paradigm and develop a higher degree of faith within myself
• Embrace the uncertainty because I recognize that it contributes to the end result

Chaos based "uncertainty"

• We don't place ourselves in these situations, but they arise and provide a deep level of uncertainty
• It may appear that I don't have the ability to overcome the situation, but here we have the greatest ability to demonstrate faith and completely yield to the being within us to externalize and create the end result by letting it go in the mind and saying "It is going to work out"

Principles for Dealing or Transmuting "Uncertainty"

• Integrate to move forward and realize that whatever shows up is actually contributing more so each day too my vision
• See life as lessons as "Perspectives"
• Opportunities present themselves as obstacles and see obstacles, affirm that it can be done, and believe it
• "The All" provides inspiration to move forward
• Experiences "flow" from state of mind and choose to identify with certain states of mind

"A man becomes calm in the measure that he understands himself as a thought evolved being, for such knowledge necessitates the understanding of others as the result of thought, and as he develops a right understanding, and sees more and more clearly the internal relations of things by the action of cause and effect he ceases to fuss and fume and worry and grieve, and remains poised, steadfast, and serene" - James Allen

Why and How to Change my Paradigm

First, what is my paradigm?

A paradigm is a mental framework containing all that I have subconsciously accepted to be true about myself and reality which automatically externalizes as my reality experience

Further, A paradigm reaffirms itself as interpretations of people, environment, circumstance, and information. Overall, a paradigm creates my experience with the outer world

"What is seen is made out of things that do not appear. Faith does not give reality to things that are not seen. It is loyalty to reality that makes things appear. Can I see the facts the world sees and still believe in the unseen state? If I can remain loyal to the unseen state, in some way I will get confirmation of it"

• Neville Goddard

If I can still believe in my unseen state, yet not deny the facts of the world, then I'll start to see the outer world reflect the unseen state

The paradigm is a subconscious accumulation of interpretations of the different experiences that I have or the information that presents itself from the outer world and my interpretation of it

• To change the paradigm is to further affirm the state that I desire to see
  • This means evolve my perspectives based on what shows up to see it as affirmative and in contribution with what I desire to create

Paradigm is revealed through polarity

• There are varying degrees of interpretation between two polarities that I can assign to different experiences that I have
  • I assign based on my paradigm, which is based on my past experiences
  • To evolve past the paradigm, I must first understand that I am assigning nuance degree of interpretation between a spectrum onto what I am experiencing to reveal where my attention is going based on my reactivity
  • I have the power to choose rather than allow myself react to something in the outer world that polarizes me
  • However, it is not the outer world thing that polarizes me, but it’s the meaning form within a lot of times subconsciously stored in the paradigm
• When I catch myself reacting to negative, I must choose consciously in the beginning and allow it to internalize as subconscious paradigm to automatically experience reality form that perspective of how I choose to experience it

Evolving past old paradigms

1. Thinking the same way can result in thinking harder the same way
   • The paradigm is recreating itself as the experience in reality
   • Despite trying harder, I am still creating force in the same line of thinking
   • Change can be instantaneous through a radical paradigm shift or gradual cause and effect reflection or a combination of both
   • Stay open and respond rather than react with the goal of changing my mind from rigidity to fluidity which allows myself to see different routes to pursue
2. Move into a different state of mind and think from there
   • Consume the same info from different perspectives
   • Change the environment that bypasses fear, doubt, and indecision which can bind me in the current paradigm
3. Intuition guides me into behavioral and environmental change by bypassing overthinking
   • Overthinking can lead to stagnation, which is a form of affirming the current paradigm
   • Whenever I have a desire and I want to express it through a period of creation, I have hunches and inspiration that break me from one paradigm to the next: I must learn to trust it ##Think: What would it be like if it were true? What would I be doing?
   • If no, then I must remember that I am not affirming that way of being
   • If I continue to assume that what I desire will be brought forth, then my intuition will guide me to inspired action and things will begin to change on it's own
   • Being autotelic means unwavering light hearted focus which is what I want to evolve to
   • This is the outcome when I am in a paradigm that I desire to create
   • Always proceed boldly without force and stress in order to transcend fear #Proceed boldly to bypass doubt
   • The Sixth Sense (autotelic connection with intuition) will never function while these three negatives, or any of them remain in my mind. The members of this unholy trio are closely related; where one is found, the other two are close at hand: Indecision, Fear, and Doubt
   • "INDECISION is the seeding of FEAR! Indecision crystalizes into DOUBT, the two blend and become FEAR! The "blending" process often is slow. This is one reason why these three enemies are so dangerous. They germinate and grow without their presence being observed" - Napoleon Hill
   • Move forward before fear appears to have a grip of me
   • Make the bold move at indecision: This is the "hack" to alter the paradigm
4. We further grow by learning how to "receive" the answers within
   • The whole purpose of this is to realize that I am the cause of my reality; that I have the answers within
   • "Be as if" I am already living in the end and do the thing that I know I have to do

Healing the Shadow

https://youtu.be/0VQyTGS3Bh0

Shadow work can be summarized as changing my perception of myself

We are taught that it is not acceptable to feel certain things and because it is in our nature to want acceptance, we reject and suppress these feelings within us as a means to help us earn love

• Whatever aspects of myself that are seen to block me from receiving love are banished into the realms of my subconscious where they become a part of my shadow side

When an aspect of myself is placed into my shadow, it becomes unconsciously projected outside of me and I begin to judge and hate others for those aspects that I've rejected in myself

• It is no longer in my conscious awareness because I believe that I've successfully gotten rid of it by hating and denying it
• It becomes a negative core belief that shapes the way I see everything

What triggers you is what needs healing in you

Whatever I look upon with judgement, rather than compassion, is the reflection of a rejected fragment of myself that is crying out to be made whole

Healing my shadow is a process of deep internal investigation where I look inside of myself and find those parts of me that I rejected long ago and give them the love and acceptance that they need to be transformed into their highest expression

I must look my abuse, traumas, mistakes, fears, and self-loathing in the face and meet all of them with pure unconditional love

I Cannot Rush my Healing Process

If it there is something feeling too difficult to face, then that is probably just a sign that there are other layers of self rejection that need to be addressed first, so I can work my way up to the most difficult traumas of my past

A common shadow work mistake is believing that something is wrong with me

• The whole problem with my shadow is not that something is wrong with me, but that I believe there is something wrong with me
• If I see my shadow as a broken part of me that needs to be fixed, then I will not heal it because the subconscious intention, that this part of me is bad, is still present

Feel everything without judgement

Forgiveness is an unavoidable part of shadow work

• The reason why most people don't see progress, is that they're trying to heal themselves while still holding onto a grievance
• I cannot heal something that I don't forgive

You shadow is essentially trapped energy that

• All energy must be felt out of the body, it cannot leave any other way
• So allow every part of yourself to express without judgement
• Everything here is to be loved because love is the only healing energy in the universe

Love reorganizes erroneous perception

True inner healing happens instantly, the moment you are fully willing to lay down your weapons of judgement and guilt

Healing happens instantly once judgement is surrendered

As a Man Thinketh by Earl Nightingale

I listened too and read James Allen's essays and compiled a list of my takeaways. These essays were written one hundred years ago but they still hold true.

http://www.ldiworld.com/uploads/1/0/8/0/10808754/as_a_man_thinketh_web_version.pdf
https://youtu.be/61d9DKDrMT8

Chapter 5

The Thought-Factor in Achievement

The dreamers are the saviors of the world

Cherish your visions. Cherish your ideals. Cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts, for out of them will grow all delightful conditions, all heavenly environment; of these, if you but remain true to them, your world will at last be built.

He who cherishes a beautiful vision, a lofty ideal in his heart, will one day realize it

Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. Your Vision is the promise of what you shall one day be. Your Ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.

Chapter 6

Visions and Ideals

You will receive that which you earn, no more, no less

The vision that you glorify in your mind, the Ideal that you enthrone in your heart - this you will build your life by, this you will become.

Whatever your present environment may be, you will fall, remain, or rise with your thoughts, your Vision, your Ideal. You will become as small as your controlling desire; as great as your dominant aspiration

• The thoughtless, the ignorant, and the indolent, seeing only the apparent effects of things and not the things themselves, talk of luck, of fortune, and chance. See a man grow rich, they say, "How lucky he is!" Observing another become intellectual, they exclaim, "How highly favored he is!" And noting the saintly character and wide influence of another, the remark, "How chance aids him at every turn!"

• They do not see the trials and failures and struggles which these men have voluntarily encountered in order to gain their experience. They have no knowledge of the sacrifices they have made, of the undaunted efforts they have put forth, of the faith they have exercised, that they might overcome the apparently insurmountable, and realize the Vision of their heart. They do not know the darkness and the heartaches; they only see the light and joy, and call it "luck"; do not see the long and arduous journey, but only behold the pleasant goal, and call it "good fortune"; do not understand the process, but only perceive the result, and call it "chance."

Chapter 7

Serenity

The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good

A man becomes calm in the measure that he understands himself as a thought-evolved being, for such knowledge necessitates the understanding of others as the result of thought. As he develops a right understanding, and sees more and more clearly the internal relations of things by the action of cause and effect, he ceases to fuss and fume and worry and grieve, and remains poised, steadfast, serene.

• The calm man, having learned how to govern himself, knows how to adapt himself to others; and they, in turn, reverence his spiritual strength, and feel that they can learn of him and rely upon him

• Tempest-tossed souls, wherever ye may be, under whatsoever conditions ye may live, know this - in the ocean of life the isles of Blessedness are smiling, and sunny shore of your ideal awaits your coming. Keep your hand firmly upon the helm of thought. In the bark of your soul reclines the commanding Master; He does but sleep; wake Him. Self-control is strength; Right Thought is mastery; Calmness is power

As a Man Thinketh by Earl Nightingale

I listened too and read James Allen's essays and compiled a list of my takeaways. These essays were written one hundred years ago but they still hold true.

http://www.ldiworld.com/uploads/1/0/8/0/10808754/as_a_man_thinketh_web_version.pdf
https://youtu.be/61d9DKDrMT8

Chapter 1

Thought and Character

If man thinks he may like to unmake the atom, he does. If he thinks of living in the depths of the oceans, going to the moon, or voyaging in outer space, he does
The problem then is no longer what man can do, it becomes what man can think.

A man should conceive of a legitimate purpose in his heart, and set out to accomplish it. He should make this purpose the centralizing point of his thoughts. It may take the form of a spiritual ideal, or it may be a worldly object, according to his nature at the time being. But whichever it is, he should steadily focus his thought forces upon the object which he has set before him. He should make this purpose his supreme duty, and should devote himself to its attainment, not allowing his thoughts to wander away into ephemeral fancies, longings, and imaginings. This is the royal road to self-control and true concentration of thought. Even if he fails again and again to accomplish his purpose (as he necessarily must until weakness is overcome), the strength of character gained will be the measure of his true success, and this will form a new starting point for future power and triumph.

• Those who are not prepared for the apprehension of a great purpose should fix the thoughts upon the faultless performance of their duty, no matter how insignificant their task may appear. Only in this way can the thoughts be gathered and focused, and resolution and energy be developed, which being done, there is nothing which may not be accomplished.
• The weakest soul, knowing its own weakness, and believing this truth - that strength can only be developed by effort and practice, will at once begin to exert itself, and adding effort to effort, patience to patience, and strength to strength, will never cease to develop, and will at last grow divinely strong.
• As the physically weak man can make himself strong by careful and patient training, so the man of weak thoughts can make them strong by exercising himself in right thinking.
• Having conceived of his purpose, a man should mentally mark out a straight pathway to its achievement, looking neither to the right nor to the left. Doubts and fears should be rigorously excluded; they are disintegrating elements which break up the straight line of effort, rendering it crooked, ineffectual, useless. Thoughts of doubt and fear never accomplish anything, and never can. They always lead to failure. Purpose, energy, power to do, and all strong thoughts cease when doubt and fear creep in.
• He who has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failure. His every thought is allied with power, and all difficulties are bravely met and wisely overcome. His purposes are seasonably planted, and they bloom and bring forth fruit which does not fall prematurely to the ground. ###Thought allied fearlessly to purpose becomes creative force He who knows this is ready to become something higher and stronger than a mere bundle of wavering thoughts and fluctuating sensations. He who does this has become the conscious and intelligent wielder of his mental powers.

Chapter 2

Effect of Thought on Circumstances

A strong man cannot help a weaker unless the weaker is willing to be helped, and even then the weak man must become strong of himself. He must, by his own efforts, develop the strength which he admires in another. None but himself can alter his condition

The universe does not favor the greedy, the dishonest, the vicious, although on the mere surface it may sometimes appear to do so; it helps the honest, the magnanimous, the virtuous. All the great Teachers of the ages have declared this in varying forms, and to prove and know it a man has but to persist in making himself more and more virtuous by lifting up his thoughts.

• Spiritual achievements are the consummation of holy aspirations. He who lives constantly in the conception of noble and lofty thoughts, who dwells upon all that is pure and unselfish, will, as surely as the sun reaches its zenith and the moon it’s full, become wise and noble in character, and rise into a position of influence and blessedness
• Achievement, of whatever kind, is the crown of effort, the diadem of thought. By the aid of self-control, resolution, purity, righteousness, and well-directed thought a man ascends. By the aid of animality, indolence, impurity, corruption, and confusion of thought a man descends.
• A man may rise to high success in the world, and even to lofty altitudes in the spiritual realm, and again descend into weakness and wretchedness by allowing arrogant, selfish, and corrupt thoughts to take possession of him.
• Victories attained by right thought can only be maintained by watchfulness. Many give way when success is assured, and rapidly fall back into failure.
• He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little. He who would achieve much must sacrifice much. He who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly

Chapter 3

Effect of Thought on Health and the Body

Man is the master of thought, the molder of character, and the maker and shaper of condition, environment, and destiny

Man is always the master even in his weakest and most abandoned state, but in weakness and degradation, he is the foolish master who misgoverns his household

• When he begins to reflect upon his condition and to search diligently for the law upon which his being is established, he then becomes the wise master, directing his energies with intelligence and fashioning his thoughts to fruitful issues, such as the conscious master. And man can only thus become, by discovering within himself, the laws of
• And that he is the maker of his character, the molder of his life, and the builder of his destiny, he may unerringly prove: if he will watch, control, and alter his thoughts, tracing their effects upon himself, upon others, and upon his life and circumstances; if he will link cause and effect by patient practice and investigation, utilizing his every experience, even to the most trivial, as a means of obtaining that knowledge of himself which is understanding, wisdom, power.
  • In this direction, as in no other, is the law absolute that "He that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened"; for only by patience, practice, and ceaseless importunity can a man enter the Door of the Temple of Knowledge

Disease and health, like circumstances, are rooted in thought. Sickly thoughts will express themselves through a sickly body.

• The people who live in fear of disease are the people who get it. Anxiety quickly demoralizes the whole body, and lays it open to the entrance of disease; while impure thoughts, even if not physically indulged, will soon shatter the nervous system
• Out of a clean heart comes a clean life and a clean body.
• Thought is the fountain of action, life and manifestation; make the fountain pure, and all will be pure. Change of diet will not help a man who will not change his thoughts. When a man makes his thoughts pure, he no longer desires impure food
• A sour face does not come by chance; it is made by sour thoughts

Thought and character are one, and as character can only manifest and discover itself through environment and circumstance, the outer conditions of a person's life will always be found to be harmoniously related to his inner state

• So true is this that when a man earnestly applies himself to remedy the defects in his character, and makes swift and marked progress, he passes rapidly through a succession of vicissitudes.
• The outer world of circumstance shapes itself to the inner world of thought, and both pleasant and unpleasant external conditions are factors which make for the ultimate good of the individual. As the reaper of his own harvest, man learns both by suffering and bliss.
• Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are
  • Not what he wishes and prays for does a man get, but what he justly earns. His wishes and prayers are only gratified and answered when they harmonize with his thoughts and actions.
• Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results. Bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results

Chapter 4

Thought and Purpose

As a being of power, intelligence, and love and the lord of his own thoughts, man holds the key to every situation and contains within himself that transforming and regenerative agency by which he may make himself what he wills

Men imagine that thought can be kept secret, but it cannot. It rapidly crystallizes into habit, and habit solidifies into habits of drunkenness and sensuality, which solidify into circumstances of destitution and disease. Impure thoughts of every kind crystallize into enervating and confusing habits, which solidify into distracting and adverse circumstances. Thoughts of fear, doubt, and indecision crystallize into weak, unmanly, and irresolute habits, which solidify into circumstances of failure, indigence, and slavish dependence.

• Pure thoughts crystallize into habits of temperance and self control, which solidify into circumstances of repose and peace. Thoughts of courage, self-reliance, and decision crystallize into manly habits, which solidify into circumstances of success, plenty, and freedom
• Energetic thoughts crystallize into habits of cleanliness and industry, which solidify into circumstances of pleasantness. Gentle and forgiving thoughts crystallize into habits of gentleness, which solidify into protective and preservative circumstances. Loving and unselfish thoughts crystallize into habits of self forgetfulness for others, which solidify into circumstances of sure and abiding prosperity and true riches
• A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances

21 Day Mental Diet

Fusion of Neville Goddard & Emmet Fox's work
https://youtu.be/AH7axVEDl3I

The Key to the Mental Diet

If disempowering information shows up, do not dwell upon it. It is not my thoughts that come to me that matter, but only such of them that I choose to entertain and dwell upon. The end goal is turning this into more than a 21 day challenge, but into a lifestyle. This may seem difficult at first, but over time it gets easier and will become autotelic, which is the goal. I want to experience more flow and eventually become more autotelic. Being autotelic means I have a desire, that which I want to create, and I appear to effortlessly move towards that goal. Whatever I do is from a place of autotelic, it flows through me: Actions and awareness are one.

Flow

Release certain kinds of thoughts out of my mind, identify with certain perspectives that are in alignment with what I desire to create, and the result is more flow. I am in flow when challenge meets skill. I am not overwhelmed by the challenge but I evolve with the challenge.

Autotelic

Actions and awareness become one. My thoughts, emotions, and actions align and are congruent with what I desire to create. I have a desire to create something and I begin to automatically move forward in the direction. At the same time, what I desire to create automatically begins to move forward to me. Together, this is called the bridge of incidence. It is important to experience this bridge of incidence from a place of flow or autotelic rather than reactivity. In other words, don't identify with certain perspectives which show up within my awareness. The identification of these perspectives are revealed during my mental conversations.

Perspectives

Renewing of the mind

Speech is the image of mind; therefore, to change my mind, I must first change my speech. By "speech" is meant those mental conversations that I carry on with myself. I want to consciously choose certain perspectives that are in alignment with what I desire to create.

From "Mental Diet" to "Flow" to "Autotelic"

Begin with perhaps experiencing a lot of resistance and stress between what I want to create and where I am right now, so I begin the mental diet. From there, I experience more and more flow. As a result of experiencing flow and continuing the mental diet, and making this more of a mental lifestyle, I become more autotelic. I begin to create what I desire from a higher degree of congruence of the desire and the thoughts, emotions and actions being in alignment.

"You must train yourself to choose the subject of your thinking at any given time, and also to choose the emotional tone, or what we call the mood that colors it" - Emmet Fox

Recognize!

It's not the thought, but the dwelling of thought that gives it its power, both in positive and negative ways. Do not shame yourself for having negative thoughts, just simply don't dwell on them. It is important to see the journey and destination as one.

The Mental Diet (3 step process)

Step 1

"Pick a goal", and keep it with yourself. What would it look like if it were true?

"The transformation of self requires that we meditate on a given phrase, a phrase which implies that our ideal is realized, and inwardly affirm it over and over and over again until we are inwardly affected by its implications, until we are possessed by it. Hold fast to your noble inner convictions and conversations" - Neville Goddard

I don't have to say the same thing over and over again, but when I have a goal, the mental conversations that I want to have within myself is about the goal from as many different perspectives as possible to fill up my consciousness with different perspectives of how achieving my goal is possible.

Keep written down on a card or phone a statement:

• I now have in my possession $250,000 for medical school tuition. I have created this $250,000 through the constant renewing of my mind through mental diets to the point of light-hearted unwavering conviction, resulting in an "autotelic" state of being where my thoughts, emotions, and actions are aligned as one.
  • Whenever you dwell on a negative thought, read this ^

Step 2

"Let go" any thoughts of failure, disappointment, trouble, criticism, jealousy, or condemnation of others or self. Any thought of sickness or accident; or, in short, any kind of limitation or pessimistic thinking in regards to where I am right now and the realization of my goal.

• Before I dwell on a negative thought, let it go. Or read my statement. Or engage in affirmative self-talk.
• Negative thoughts will not affect my diet so long as I do not accept them. The only way they truly affect me is by fearing them, believing them, being sad about them, or giving them any power at all. However, I can choose my perspectives about my experiences and conditions.
• I am replacing the subconscious identification with the experiences and the conditions with affirmative positive or in-harmony, accurate-thinking based perspectives that are in alignment with bringing forth what I desire

Step 3

"Choose your environments" If disempowering information shows up, do not dwell upon it
Modalities to work with

• Subconscious mind audios
• Self-talk
• Revision
• Environment

Environment

• It is not really the environment, but the interpretations or the perspectives that we assimilate from the environment. Some environments can be more challenging than others. Surround yourself with environments that encourage the desired outcome, encourage who I aspire to be.
• If an environment seems to be too overwhelming, then I can choose to release myself from the environment and choose another environment. If I feel stuck in my current environment, then I can choose my perspectives about what shows up. Don't dwell on the negativity or negativity that I assign to my environment or elements within my environment.
• Environment is anything in this outer world, information, sources, circumstances, physical environments, certain conversations. Anything for a period of time appears to disempower you, you can feel it and release from it. When presented with disempowering information, you have two choices: evolve the meaning behind it or remove the source of that information

S. Keshav. 2007. How to read a paper. SIGCOMM Comput. Commun. Rev. 37, 3 (July 2007), 83–84. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1145/1273445.1273458

How to Read a Paper

The main idea is breaking the reading of a particular paper down into three passes. Each pass through the paper should include more of the paper's specific details and give the reader and overall clearer understanding of the paper's message, author's intentions, and the implications moving forward.

1st pass

First, you want to gain a general idea about the paper. Then, quickly scan to get a birds-eye view of the paper. This should take approximately 5-10 minutes.

Steps

1. Read the title, abstract, and introduction
2. Read section and subsection headings
3. Read the conclusions
4. Glance over the references, tick off the one's you've read

Answer these questions

1. Category
   • What type of paper is this?
   • A measurement paper?
   • An analysis of an existing system?
   • A description of a research prototype?
2. Context
   • Which other papers is it related to?
   • Which theoretical bases were used to analyze the problem?
3. Correctness
   • Do the assumptions appear to be valid?
4. Contributions
   • What are the paper's main contributions?
5. Clarity
   • Is the paper well written?

2nd pass

Here, you want to grasp the paper's content, but not its details. Read with greater care, but ignore the in-depth details. Jot down the key points or make comments in the margins. This pass should take approximately 60 minutes. Finish this section by summarizing the main thrust of the paper, with supporting evidence, to someone else (imaginary or in-person)

Steps

1. Look carefully at figures, diagrams, graphs, and illustrations
2. Mark relevant unread references

3rd pass

This pass helps you understand the paper in depth. The goal is to virtually re-implement the paper. The reader should challenge every assumption in every statement and consider how you yourself would present the particular idea. It is helpful to jot down ideas for future work. This pass should take 4-5 hours for beginners and 60 minutes for experienced readers

Goals

• Be able to reconstruct the entire structure of the paper from memory
• Identify the paper's strong and weak points
• Pinpoint missing citations to relevant work, implicit assumptions, and potential issues with experimental or analytical techniques

Doing a literature survey

1. Use Google Scholar or CiteSeer with well-chosen keywords to find 3-5 recent papers in the area
   • Do 1 pass on each paper
2. Find shared citations and repeated author names in the bibliography
   • Download key papers and set them aside
   • Go to the websites of the key researchers and see where they've published recently
3. Go to the websites of these top conferences and look thru recent proceedings
   • Identify recent high-quality related work
4. Go thru all collected papers and create first version of your survey
   • Make second passes through these papers
   • Look for citations of key papers that you missed before