But he lacks the confidence and perseverance thought to be necessary for the acquirement of that which he knows he needs. He is not willing to pay the price of attainment. If some great scientist would announce to the world that he had discovered some wonderful chemical combination, or some new "serum," that would develop the shrunken and atrophied faculties of the mind, and which would render a man stronger in the qualities wherein he had been weak, what a rush there would be for the new "regenerator." Thousands would want it, and every man would be able to tell just what brand of serum he needed. He would need the diagnosis or prescription for that. Every man would be able to diagnose his own case and order the serum indicated by his symptom. One would want triple extract of Energy; another, the "Stick-to-it" brand; another, the vial bearing the confident "I CAN" label; and so on. They would be able to round out their characters, and command success. Now, there is no drug that will produce this result. And there never will be. But the desired result can be obtained by the operation of the law of Mental Control.

I can give you but a general idea of the workings of this great law, but if you will pay attention to what I have to say on the subject, you will grasp the principle, and will be able to work out your own salvation. The first point to remember is that we are all creatures of habit, bodily and mentally. Our characteristics are largely the result of habits of thought. We may have inherited impulses which made it easier to form certain habits, and more difficult to form certain habits of thought, and more difficult to form others, and we consequently move along the lines of the least resistance; but the character is, after all, the result of certain acquired habits. We follow well worn mental paths, in preference to making new paths through the woods, even though we know that the new path would be the better, by far, and that is would be as easy to travel over as the present one, when it was finally formed. We know all this. It is an old story. Then why do we not start in to make the new path? Simply because "it is too much trouble." We lack the will power, determination and persistency to do it. I admit that it is no easy task, but think of the reward.