Self of which you are a part. All these things that have worried you are
but incidents of the Personal Life, and are seen to be illusions when
viewed from the standpoint of the Universal Life.

Carry the Universal Life with you as much as possible into your everyday
life. It belongs there as much as anywhere, and will prove to be a tower
of strength and refuge to you in the perplexing situations of your busy
life.

Remember always that the Ego is master of the mental states and habits,
and that the Will is the direct instrument of the Ego, and is always
ready for its use. Let your soul be filled with the strong Desire to
cultivate those mental habits that will make you Strong. Nature's plan is
to produce Strong Individual expressions of herself, and she will be glad
to give you her aid in becoming strong. The man who wishes to strengthen
himself will always find great forces back of him to aid him in the work,
for is he not carrying out one of Nature's pet plans, and one which she
has been striving for throughout the ages. Anything that tends to make
you realize and express your Mastery, tends to strengthen you, and
places at your disposal Nature's aid. You may witness this in everyday
life--Nature seems to like _strong_ individuals, and delights in pushing
them ahead. By Mastery, we mean mastery over your own lower nature, as
well as over outside nature, of course. The "I" is Master--forget it not,
O student, and assert it constantly. Peace be with you.

MANTRAM (OR AFFIRMATION).

I am the Master of my Mental Habits--I control my Character. I Will to be
Strong, and summon the forces of my Nature to my aid.

THE TWELFTH LESSON.

SUB-CONSCIOUS INFLUENCES.

In this lesson we wish to touch upon a certain feature of sub-conscious
mentation that has been much dwelt upon by certain schools of western
writers and students during the past twenty years, but which has also
been misunderstood, and, alas, too often misused, by some of those who
have been attracted to the subject. We allude to what has been called the
"Power of Thought." While this power is very real, and like any other of
the forces of nature may be properly used and applied in our every day
life, still many students of the power of the Mind have misused it and
have stooped to practices worthy only of the followers of the schools of
"Black Magic." We hear on all sides of the use of "treatments" for
selfish and often base ends, those following thes