Here’s an interesting quote by William Walker Atkinson:
“Desire is the motivating force that runs the world; as little as we care to admit it in many cases. Look around you and see the effects of Desire in every human act, good or bad.
As a writer has said: “Every deed that we do, good or bad, is prompted by Desire. Desire is the motivating power behind all actions – it is a natural law of life. Everything from the atom to the monad; from the monad to the insect; from the insect to man; from man to Nature, acts and does things by reason of the power and force of Desire, the Animating Motive.”
All the above at the first glance would seem to make of man a mere machine, subject to the power of any stray desire that might happen to come into his mind.
But this is far from being so. Man acts not upon EVERY desire, but upon the STRONGEST Desire, or the Average of his Strongest Desires. This FOCUS of your Desires is that which constitutes your Nature or Character. And here is where the Mastery of the “I” comes in.
Man need not be a slave or creature of his Desires if he will assert his Mastery. He may control, regulate, govern and guide his Desires in any directions that he pleases. Nay, more, he may even CREATE DESIRES by an action of his Will, as we shall see presently.
By a knowledge of psychological laws he may neutralize unfavorable Desires, and grow and develop – yes, practically Create New Desires in their place – all by the power of his Will, aided by the light of his Reason and Judgment. Man is the Master of his Mind.”
Atkinson’s point is straightforward: everything we do is driven by desire: every action, every choice, every habit traces back to something we want, consciously or not.
This is not a moral judgment, instead, it is simply how animals and human beings operate.
But his more important point is the second one.
You are not a slave to every desire that crosses your mind. What actually drives your behavior is your strongest desire, or the average of your strongest desires.
And here is where mastery comes in: you can consciously shape, redirect, and even create new desires through the force of your Will.
Your desires are not fixed, in the same way that your character is not fixed. The man who understands this stops being ruled by whatever impulse happens to arise and starts deciding, deliberately, what he wants to become.
Understand and apply this in your life with the course:
>>> Will Mastery
