Thoughts are Things

2011 Reprint of 1908 Edition. Prentice Mulford wrote this book in 1889, long before more well-known, contemporary authors began writing about the power of thought. Despite being over 100 years old, this is a powerful book on thought. Mulford explains we have, in effect, two minds: the mind of the body and the mind of the spirit. The mind of the body is limited and fights change. It thinks things must always be the way they've always been. The mind of the spirit trusts in the Supreme Power which made all things and knows that anything is possible if you believe. Long before the law of attraction became widely known, Mulford talked about the fact that what we talk about and think about is what we attract to ourselves. He explains that if a group of people talk about disease or suffering, they will eventually bring disease and suffering to themselves in some form. He also notes that the surest way for a woman to become ugly is to be discontented, cross, complaining and envious of others. He therefore encourages the reader to call on the help of the Supreme Power to get into the thought current of things that are healthy, natural, strong and beautiful, and leave the negative thinking behind. While the book talks about many aspects of the power of thought that will be familiar to today's readers, he also covers some topics you don't hear discussed as much today. One of my favorite chapters is the one on cultivating courage. He notes that courage and presence of mind mean the same thing; and cowardice and lack of mental control mean about the same thing. He notes that courage comes from discipline regarding so-called little or trivial things. It means focusing on whatever you're doing at the moment, rather than allowing your thoughts to scatter in many directions. This focus allows you to have the presence of mind to do what needs to be done, rather than to panic.