228 THE PRINCIPLES OF SELF-MASTERYHabit is created by repeatedly directing one or more of the five
senses of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling, in a given direc-
tion. After habit has been well established, it will automatically control
and direct our bodily activity, wherein may be found a thought that
can be transformed into a powerful factor in the development of Self-
Confidence: Voluntarily) and by force if necessary) direct your efforts and
your thoughts along a desired line until you have formed the habit that will
take hold and continue) voluntarily) to direct your efforts along the same line.
The object in writing out and repeating the Self..:Confidence formula
is to form the habit of making beliif in yourself the dominating thought
of your mind until that thought has been thoroughly embedded in your
subconscious mind, through the principle of habit.
You learned to write by repeatedly directing the muscles of your
arm and hand over certain letter outlines, until finally you formed the
habit of tracing these outlines. Now you write quickly and easily, with-
out tracing each tetter slowly. Writing has become a habit with you.
The principle of habit will take hold of the faculties of your mind
just the same as it will influence the physical muscles of your body,
as you can easily prove by mastering and applying this lesson on Self-
Confidence. Any statement that you repeatedly make to yourself, or any
desire that you deeply plant in your mind through repeated statement,
will eventually seek expression t~rough your physical, outward bodily
efforts. The principle of habit is the very foundation upon which this
lesson on Self-Confidence is built, and if you will understand and follow
the directions laid down in this lesson, you will soon know more about
the law of habit, from firsthand knowledge, than could be taught to you
by a thousand such lessons as this.
You have little concept of the possibilities that lie sleeping within
you, just awaiting the wakening hand of vision to arouse you, and you
will never have a better concept of those possibilities unless you develop
sufficient Self-Confidence to lift you above the commonplace influences
of your present environment.