sufficient Will-power to carry it through. Will follows the Desire.
Cultivate a Desire and you will find back of it the Will to carry it
through. Under the pressure of a very strong Desire men have accomplished
feats akin to miracles.

If you find yourself in possession of desires that you feel are hurtful
to you, you may rid yourself of them by deliberately starving them to
death, and at the same time growing opposite desires. By refusing to
think of the objectionable desires you refuse them the mental food upon
which alone they can thrive. Just as you starve a plant by refusing it
nourishing soil and water, so may you starve out an objectionable
desire by refusing to give it mental food. _Remember this, for it is most
important_. Refuse to allow the mind to dwell upon such desires, and
resolutely turn aside the attention, _and, particularly, the
imagination_, from the subject. This may call for the manifestation of a
little will-power in the beginning, but it will become easier as you
progress, and each victory will give you renewed strength for the next
fight. But do not temporize with the desire--do not compromise with
it--refuse to entertain the idea. In a fight of this kind each victory
gives one added strength, and each defeat weakens one.

And while you are refusing to entertain the objectionable guest you must
be sure to grow a desire of an entirely opposite nature--a desire
directly opposed to the one you are starving to death. Picture the
opposite desire, and think of it often. Let your mind dwell upon it
lovingly and let the imagination help to build it up into form. Think of
the advantages that will arise to you when you fully possess it, and let
the imagination picture you as in full possession of it, and acting out
your new part in life strong and vigorous in your new found power.

All this will gradually lead you to the point where you will "want to"
possess this power. Then you must be ready for the next step which is
"Faith" or "Confident Expectation."

Now, faith or confident expectation is not made to order in most persons,
and in such cases one must acquire it gradually. Many of you who read
these lines will have an understanding of the subject that will give you
this faith. But to those who lack it, we suggest that they practice on
some trivial phases of the mental make-up, some petty trait of character,
in which the victory will be easy and simple. From this stage they should
work up to more d