For the purpose of illustrating the personal qualities of the dynamically positive man, along the lines of Personal Influence, I shall proceed to describe these qualities as existing in a person whom 1 will call the Dynamic Individual. Let us consider this man as an actually existent individual, in our treatment of him. You must endeavor to imagine him in this way, that you may understand his qualities. He is a very positive man, magnetically - one of the examples of a strong, forceful man of affairs, who is constantly meeting people, and having relations with them. How does such a man act, talk, look, move and conduct himself. Let us see!

In the first place, let us consider his appearance He may be tall or short; dark or fair; stout or slender - these things do not count. But, notice this that no matter which of the characteristics just mentioned he may possess or lack, he has a certain "air about him" that all may recognize, once they have seen it in any one. Let us notice this "air" carefully, for it may give us a clue.

The principal feature about this "air" of the Dynamic Individual is its suggestion of self-confidence and fearlessness. Our man seems to have a certainty of an inward power and force about him. Not the blustering, self-important air manifested by the pinchbeck imitators of our man, but a calm, contained, poised consciousness of strength and self-confidence. Our man seems to feel that there is "something in him" that gives him a strength and firmness unknown to the majority of people. Every such man has this inner consciousness, and I shall tell you what it is.

As I said in the first chapter, there exists in Nature a Universal Dynamic Mental Principle. In this principle each individual is a Center of Power. This Dynamic Principle in its outward manifestations of one pole of it's energy, at least, resembles a universal will. That is, while its inner nature cannot be known, yet in the outer aspect of one of its poles of energy it resembles a universal will in operation everywhere. And, so, we are justified in thinking of it as Universal Will-Power.

The more positive a man becomes, in dynamic mentation, the closer does he become in contact with this Universal Will. And the closer he is to this Universal Will, the more positive does be become. It is a case of action and re-action. "To him that hath shall he given" applies in this case. The quality of dynamic positivity draws one to the Universal Will, and the nearness to this will renders one more and more positive.

But there is this to be noted in connection with this truth. When a man feels the sense of power that comes from a mental relation with the Universal Will, and allows the energy to flow through him, and to manifest in his acts, he has a reservoir of willpower back of him which is inexhaustible and never failing. But if, in his conceit arising from some successful action, he begins to think that the power is due to some "personal strength," then he becomes "conceited" and "the pride of personality" grows upon him. This is where he makes his mistake. By this personal view of the matter he fences himself off from the Universal Will and limits his force to that portion which is locked up within his own mind, induced there by the will of the universe. Such a one separates himself from the source of power and puts up a barrier between himself and the universal supply. This is in accordance with the inner teachings of the great schools of occultism, and which teachings agree perfectly with the latest theories of modern Science. There is a great ocean of Universal Will, in which we are but centers of activity, and if we will but open ourselves to the power and will contained therein, we will have an unfailing store of power upon which to draw.

Let us pause for a moment and see what forces are combined in this active mentative center. In the first place we see that the dual aspect of the Mind-Power manifests itself always. That which we have called the Desire-Force, and that which we have called the Will-Power, appear as the two mentative poles. You know this well, for you have studied the previous chapters wherein this point is brought out and illustrated. But here is an aspect of the matter that I did not bring out in those chapters, I allude to the resemblance of the two phases of Mind-Power, i. e., Desire-Force and Will-Power, to the physical phenomena of magnetism and electricity respectively.

Desire-Force, like magnetism, manifests in a drawing, pulling, attracting power; while Will-Power, like electricity, manifests in a pushing, compelling, driving power. Desire-Force, like magnetism, tends to draw things inward and to itself; while Will-Power, like electricity, tends to drive things outward and away from itself. This dual manifestation of energy is seen all through Nature in all of its manifold forms and conditions. There is ever the drawing in to a center - and there is ever the pushing outward from the center. And this law manifests upon the mental plane as well as upon the physical plane.

We have heard much of people being "magnetic," that is, having the power to attract persons to them - but that is merely one phase of the operation of dynamic mentation. We do not hear so much about people being "electric," and yet the term is just a? proper and applicable as the term "magnetic." "Electric" people are the people in whom Will-Power is strongly developed and manifest. These people "get after" others and make them do things.

They are the active, energetic, forceful men and women who get behind things and push them along. All great leaders possess this phase of energy to a marked degree. The mere mention of the matter to you will cause you to think of instances of people who possess mentative "electricity." There are men who are able to make the crowd around them do their bidding - they are able to work their will upon the mass of people. These men are seen to possess a strange power, but very few understand it. It is entirely different from the fascinating, alluring, charming, attractive personality of the "magnetic" man, for it forces, and compels by sheer force of character and will, instead of drawing and attracting. You will see why I have spoken of these two phases as masculine and feminine respectively when you consider their different manner of manifestation.