SERENITY

Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom. It is the result of long and patient effort in self-control…an indication of ripened experience, and…a more than ordinary knowledge of the laws and operations of thought. 26

A man becomes calm in the measure that he understands himself as a thought-evolved being (product of his thought). 26

The calm man, having learned how to govern himself, knows how to adapt himself to others. 26

The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. 26

The strong, calm man is always loved and revered. He is like a shade-giving tree in a thirsty land, or a sheltering rock in a storm. 26

That exquisite poise of character that we call serenity is the last lesson of culture. It is the flowering of life, the fruitage of the soul. 26

How insignificant money-seeking looks in comparison with a serene life… It is a question whether the great majority of people do not ruin their lives and mar their happiness by lack of self-control. 26-27

[Humanity surges with uncontrolled passion, is tumultuous with ungoverned grief, is blown about by anxiety and doubt.] Only the wise man, only he whose thoughts are controlled and purified, makes the winds and the storms of the soul obey him. 27

Keep your hand firmly upon the helm of thought. In the core of your soul reclines the commanding Master; He does but sleep; wake Him. 27

Self-control is strength. Right thought is mastery. Calmness is power. Say unto your heart, “Peace. Be still!” 27

VISIONS AND IDEALS

The dreamers are the saviours of the world. 23

As the visible world is sustained by the invisible, so men, through all their trials and sins and sordid vocations, are nourished by the beautiful visions of their solitary dreamers. 23

He who cherishes a beautiful vision, a lofty ideal in his heart, will one day realize it. 23

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. 23

To desire is to obtain; to aspire is to achieve. 23

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. 23

The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream… Dreams are the seedlings of realities. 24

Your circumstances may be uncongenial (unfriendly), but they shall not remain so if you only perceive an ideal and strive to reach it.

THE THOUGHT FACTOR IN ACHIEVEMENT

All that a man achieves, and all that he fails to achieve (are) the direct result of his own thoughts. 20

A man’s weakness and strength, purity and impurity, are his own and not another man’s. They are brought about by himself and not by another; and they can only be altered by himself, never by another. 20

His condition is also his own, and not another man’s. His sufferings and happiness are evolved from within. As he thinks, so is he; as he continues to think, so he remains. 20

…Oppressor and slaves are cooperators in ignorance, and, while seeming to afflict the other, are in reality afflicting themselves… He who has conquered weakness and has pushed away all selfish thoughts belong neither to oppressor nor oppressed. He is free. 20

Before a man can achieve anything, even in worldly things, he must lift his thoughts above slavish animal indulgence. 21

There can be no progress nor achievement without sacrifice, and a man’s worldly success will be by the measure that he sacrifices his confused animals thoughts, and fixes his mind on the development of his plans, and the strengthening of his resolutions and self-reliance. The higher he lifts his thoughts, the greater will be his success, the more blessed and enduring will be his achievements. 21

The universe does not favour the greedy, the dishonest, the vicious, although on the mere surface it sometimes may appear to do so. It helps the honest, the magnanimous, the virtuous. 21

Intellectual achievements are the results of thoughts consecrated to the search for knowledge, or for the beautiful and true in nature. 21

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 selfless will…become wise and noble in character, and rise into a position of influence and blessedness. 21-22

Achievement of any kind is the crown of effort (and) the diadem of thought. 22

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. 22

A man may rise to high success in the world, even to lofty attitudes in the spiritual realm, and again descend into weakness and wretchedness by allowing arrogant, selfish, and corrupt thoughts to take possession of him. 22

Victories attained by right thought can be maintained only by watchfulness. 22

All achievements, whether in the business, intellectual, or spiritual world, are the result of definitely directed thought. 22

He who would accomplish little need sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much. He who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly. 22

THOUGHT AND PURPOSE

Until thought is linked with purpose there is no intelligent achievement. 18

With the majority the bark (light stick) of thought is allowed to “drift” upon the ocean of life…and such…must not continue for him who would steer clear of catastrophe and destruction. 18

Aimlessness is a vice. 18

They who have no central purpose in their life fall an easy prey to petty worries, fears, and self-pityings…which lead…to failure, unhappiness, and loss. 18

To put away aimlessness and weakness and to begin to think with purpose is to enter the ranks of those strong ones who recognize failure as one of the pathways to attainment. Who make all conditions serve them, and who think strongly, attempt fearlessly, and accomplish masterfully. 19

Doubts and fears…are disintegrating elements which break up the straight line of effort, rendering it crooked, ineffectual, useless. 19

Purpose, energy, power to do, and all strong thoughts cease when doubt and fear creep in. 19

The will to do springs from the knowledge that we can do. Doubt and fear are the great enemies of (that) knowledge, and he who encourages them, who does not slay them, thwarts himself at every step. 19

He who has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failure. 19

Thought allied fearlessly to purpose becomes a creative force. He who knows this is ready to become something higher and stronger…He who does this has become the conscious and intelligent wielder of his mental powers. 19

This March at the Thrive with Babs Academy: The Missing Link

“I’ve done everything I could, but I’m still not quite there. At times, it seems so close, like it’s about to reach my palms, but then it slips again. It feels as if I’m chasing the sun; the closer I get, the farther it becomes.”

“It’s like there is something stopping me, something missing; there is a missing link!”

We all have this feeling sometimes, or we know someone who does. We tick all the boxes and do all the things that experts said we must do to get results, yet things don’t eventually play out as we desire. We know we have done our best, yet something seems missing, and we cannot explain it.

This March, Thrive Academy will be discussing THE MISSING LINK. We shall zero in on the clincher that connects our missing link so as to make our life journey accomplished and more meaningful.

You cannot afford to miss this session.

Venue: 1A, African Church Close, off Coker Road, Ilupeju, Lagos.

Date: Friday, March 31st, 2017

Time: 4:00pm

Attendance is free, but pre-registration is compulsory. To book your seat, please click www.bit.ly/ThrivewithBabs or call: +2348110832280, +2348188708026.