Many people do not realize that it is the nature of man to modify his environment, not to submit to it except in so far as his own judgment advises him to do so. He has the combinative and constructive power of mind which, acting through his hands, alters and adapts old forms and makes new ones by rearranging and combining them.

Just as he is not built with the capacity to attend to everything that strikes his senses, but is well advised to give full and proper attention to a part of it, so he is not able to alter the whole of it at any time. He has to decide what part of his environment he will accept as it is and what part he will alter. “It is raining today. I accept that. Those things in the attic are still dusty and untidy. I will alter that”. What - not - to - alter and what -to - alter, and what - to - try - to - alter - although - I - am - not - sure - of - success are the three problems that face us every day. Ask them on rising in the morning. They will help to polarize your day and make it clear, strong and fruitful, because it is the nature of man to use thought in all his works.

“But surely we are not to work all the time?” a rather dismayed voice seems to say. No, clearly we do not live to work, and equally clearly working is not living. What then is living? It is a state of consciousness which exists behind and between the acts of mental and physical work. I will venture to say it is a pure sense of being, filled with happiness. It is only for this that we go on trying and trying. We feel a little of it, even amidst the confusion of daily life. We bear all our pains for the sake of this. Stop the confusion, then pains will diminish and this true state of happy being will more and more be known.

I said “behind and between”. There is such a thing as fruitful leisure, when you relax body, emotions and mind. In the triple relaxation the joy of true living can be experienced. You may relax your body quite well, but if the emotions are calling for excitement (“I wish I had a good story to read”) or the mind goes on planning, you are still at work. “But”, says the troubled voice again. “I would be asleep.” No; in such voluntary relaxation you need not become negative; remain positive and you will enjoy a new experience. The old books of India call it by a very long name, but I do not advise anyone to assume or feel that it is beyond his or her reach on that account. Rather avoid any teacher who tries to instil occult timidity into you, and remember the old saying that he who aims high may rise above mediocrity, but he who aims at mediocrity is likely to fall below it.

It is “behind” as well as “between”, because once it is known it will be found to be there even when work of mind and body are going on. Our present consciousness will thus begin to drop into the role of subconscious to that new consciousness, and we shall then understand how all the life-urges are subconscious workings of our own inherent divine wisdom.

The kind of mental and physical work which leads towards and finally permits this experience is that which shows economy of force. Watch out for idle thoughts, emotions and actions — they are signs of something to be righted. Put an end to them more by understanding than by mere suppression, from which they tend to produce a kind of fuming inside. The child swings its legs. Mother says “Don’t”. The child does the “don’ting” instead, and its agitation is now within.

With us, thought and action are to be unified. Resolve to think no thoughts without reference to action or intended action, and to perform no conscious actions without intention. This will lead to the cessation of waste of force.

As regards idle action, avoid the small wasteful activities and mannerisms in which people often thoughtlessly or nervously indulge. There is somewhere a story about a member of parliament in London who always fiddled with one of his coat buttons when he was speaking. One day, when a vital issue was at stake, an opponent quietly cut away the button, and thus completely spoiled the speech of his adversary, even though it had been well prepared. That is an extreme case, but ordinarily people fail to acquire poise as long as they permit small movements such as swinging one leg over the other knee, and phrases such as “You see”, and “Of course”. If you are talking it is better to pause in silence looking for words than to say, “Er-er-er.” Every action or word should have a purpose behind it. The larger wasteful activities must also be proscribed, such as lying in bed late in the morning, wasting time at night, eating unnecessary food, struggling to obtain things which are not really required, and the wasteful activity of unnecessary and irrelevant work. Also bodily excitement and nervous and muscular tension are to be avoided as far as possible. These wasteful habits are difficult to change suddenly, and it is better to make a resolution to operate for an hour daily and carry it out, gradually increasing the time, than to resolve to change every useless habit at once and fail to carry out the resolution.

As regards idle thought, do not go over and over the same, argument. If there is to be a decision — shall we go to the mountains or the sea for our holidays? — and the pros and cons seem equal, it does not matter much which way is decided upon. You may even settle that by tossing a coin. The same rule applies even to weightier matters. Sometimes, however, immediate action is not imperative, and decision can be suspended to await the arrival of additional data or to let the matter settle itself. Quiet suspension of decision is itself also a form of decision; it is the decision what to do now. Practice the habits of voluntary decision and voluntary suspension of thought.

In this practice you can make use of what are often troubles, and even enjoy them — such troubles as delayed business, and personal clashes. Think them over; think them out. “How much truth is there in that disagreeable statement ? What ought to be done in these circumstances, and what can be done? Is this worth attention at all ?” Think first, then decide. First decide to think, then decide whether to decide or to suspend decision.

There remains still the removal of idle emotions. The seeking of small pleasures which are not creative, and the indulgence in emotion without its corresponding action and thought are weakening to the will. Your chief purpose should be your chief pleasure — if it is not so, either the purpose or the pleasure is unhealthy.

acting, constructive power, happiness, nature of man, proper attention, senses, state of consciousness, true state