<h2><SPAN name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII"></SPAN>CHAPTER VIII.</h2>
<h2><span class="smcap">Summary of the Mental Actions.</span></h2>
<p>Let me now summarize the
mental actions and attitudes
necessary to the
practice of the Science of
Being Well: first, you believe
that there is a Thinking Substance,
from which all things are made,
and which, in its original state, permeates,
penetrates, and fills the interspaces
of the universe. This Substance is the
Life of All, and is seeking to express
more life in all. It is the Principle of
Life of the universe, and the Principle
of Health in man.</p>
<p>Man is a form of this Substance, and
draws his vitality from it; he is a mind-body
of original substance, permeating
a physical body, and the thoughts of his
mind-body control the functioning of
his physical body. If man thinks no<span class='pagenum'>[Pg 75]</span>
thoughts save those of perfect health,
the functions of his physical body will
be performed in a manner of perfect
health.</p>
<p>If you would consciously relate yourself
to the All-Health, your purpose
must be to live fully on every plane of
your being. You must want all that
there is in life for body, mind, and soul;
and this will bring you into harmony
with all the life there is. The person
who is in conscious and intelligent harmony
with All will receive a continuous
inflow of vital power from the Supreme
Life; and this inflow is prevented by
angry, selfish or antagonistic mental
attitudes. If you are against any part,
you have severed relations with all; you
will receive life, but only instinctively
and automatically; not intelligently and
purposefully. You can see that if you
are mentally antagonistic to any part,
you cannot be in complete harmony
with the Whole; therefore, as Jesus
directed, be reconciled to everybody<span class='pagenum'>[Pg 76]</span>
and everything before you offer worship.</p>
<p><i>Want for everybody all that you want
for yourself.</i></p>
<p>The reader is recommended to read
what we have said in a former work<SPAN name="FNanchor_A_1" id="FNanchor_A_1"></SPAN><SPAN href="#Footnote_A_1" class="fnanchor">[A]</SPAN>
concerning the Competitive mind and
the Creative mind. It is very doubtful
whether one who has lost health can
completely regain it so long as he remains
in the competitive mind.</p>
<div class="footnote"><p><SPAN name="Footnote_A_1" id="Footnote_A_1"></SPAN><SPAN href="#FNanchor_A_1"><span class="label">[A]</span></SPAN> The Science of Getting Rich.</p>
</div>
<p>Being on the Creative or Good-Will
plane in mind, the next step is to form
a conception of yourself as in perfect
health, and to hold no thoughts which
are not in full harmony with this conception.
Have FAITH that if you
think only thoughts of health you will
establish in your physical body the functioning
of health; and use your will to
determine that you will think only
thoughts of health. Never think of
yourself as sick, or as likely to be sick;
never think of sickness in connection
<span class='pagenum'>[Pg 77]</span>with yourself at all. And, as far as
may be, shut out of your mind all
thoughts of sickness in connection with
others. Surround yourself as much as
possible with the things which suggest
the ideas of strength and health.</p>
<p>Have faith in health, and accept
health as an actual present fact in your
life. Claim health as a blessing bestowed
upon you by the Supreme Life,
and be deeply grateful at all times.
Claim the blessing by faith; know that
it is yours, and never admit a contrary
thought to your mind.</p>
<p>Use your will-power to withhold your
attention from every appearance of disease
in yourself and others; do not study
disease, think about it, nor speak of it.
At all times, when the thought of disease
is thrust upon you, move forward into
the mental position of prayerful gratitude
for your perfect health.</p>
<p>The mental actions necessary to being
well may now be summed up in a single
sentence: Form a conception of your<span class='pagenum'>[Pg 78]</span>self
in perfect health, and think only
those thoughts which are in harmony
with that conception.</p>
<p>That, with faith and gratitude, and
the purpose to really live, covers all the
requirements. It is not necessary to
take mental exercises of any kind,
except as described in Chapter VI, or
to do wearying "stunts" in the way of
affirmations, and so on. It is not necessary
to concentrate the mind on the
affected parts; it is far better not
to think of any part as affected.
It is not necessary to "treat" yourself
by auto-suggestion, or to have others
treat you in any way whatever. The
power that heals is the Principle of
Health within you; and to call this Principle
into Constructive Action it is only
necessary, having harmonized yourself
with the All-Mind, to claim by FAITH
the All-Health; and to hold that claim
until it is physically manifested in all
the functions of your body.</p>
<p>In order to hold this mental attitude<span class='pagenum'>[Pg 79]</span>
of faith, gratitude, and health, however,
your external acts must be only
those of health. You cannot long hold
the internal attitude of a well person if
you continue to perform the external
acts of a sick person. It is essential
not only that your every thought should
be a thought of health, but that your
every act should be an act of health,
performed in a healthy manner. If
you will make every thought a thought
of health, and every conscious act an act
of health, it must infallibly follow that
every internal and unconscious function
shall come to be healthy; for all the
power of life is being continually exerted
toward health. We shall next consider
how you may make every act an act of
health.</p>
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<p><span class='pagenum'>[Pg 80]</span></p>
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