Rule 2

Learn to concentrate. By so doing you will be able to focus your will upon any object desired, and thus get the greatest effect. In using the will endeavor to make it "one-pointed" as the orientals say. That is, have for the object of the will some one main object and then focus the will firmly upon that object. Cast from your mind all ideas and thoughts not in harmony with the one idea upon which you are concentrating your will. In the beginning it will be well to avoid all persons, environments, etc., calculated to distract you from the main idea. But after a hit you will be able to interpose a resistance to these distracting things and banish them from you by a mental command. While acquiring will in this way you will find that it often takes even more will to turn away from these outside objects than to follow your main object. You must learn to master these temptations even if in SO doing you find it necessary to act like Ulysses who made his companions stop up their ears with was lest they be fascinated by the song of the Sirens.

Rule 3

In acquiring a will-habit use every occasion in order to repeat the effort of the will along the lines of the habit. Give your will much exercise- Every time you do a certain thing the easier does it become to repeat it, for the habit becomes more firmly established. Habit is a form of "impression," and the oftener you sink the die of the will into the was of the mind, the deeper is the impression. Exercise, exercise, exercise - practice, practice, practice.

Rule 4

The greatest struggle is at the beginning of the practice or formation of a new will-habit. Here one has to fight with all his might - but the first battle well won, the after-fights moderate and finally become mere skirmishes. Hence it behooves one to gird on his armor firmly and grasp his sword with strength at this first fight. Let one stop smoking or drinking, for instance, and he will find that three-quarters of the entire struggle is condensed in the fight of the first week if not the first day. Remember the case of Rip van Winkle with his " well, this glass don't count" - he never could get started. And, beware of a single slip at the start, for such slips weaken one more than he can regain in a whole day of success. After having made up your will to acquire a habit, you must not allow a single slip for this reason. A well-known writer on the subject has compared these slips to a ball of cord which one is endeavoring to wind - each drop of the ball unwinds more than many windings can replace.

Rule 5

Endeavor to fix the habit as a strong mental impression by any and every means that suggest themselves to you. For when this habit becomes firmly impressed upon your mind you will find it most "natural" and easy to act along its lines, and most difficult to break away from it or to act Con-trary to it. You are building "second-nature," remember.

Rule 6

"Look before you leap," and "Be sure you're right, then go ahead." Always take a good look at a thing before plunging in. Give it the benefit of your judgment and do not be carried away by the judgment of others. Use your reason and judgment - that's why you have them. But, after once having decided a thing is "right" for you to do, then you must learn to "go ahead" to the finish, Learn to "place your hand upon the plow and look not backward." Learn to control your Will-Power and do not let it leap into action until you are sure it is right to do so. And all of this means rigid self-control and mastery of one's moods as well as one's passions and emotions. Guard yourself against yourself. And also guard your desire from the influences of others, for through your desires your will is called into action.

Children, savages and undeveloped individuals manifest little or no mastery over their desires bat allow themselves to he affected by every little wave from wiihin or without and then let their will fly into action in response thereto. The individual learns to "inhibit" (that is to "check, restrain, hold back, forbid, prohibit," etc.) emotional states and feelings. By so doing he will hold his Will-Power under control for use when it is advisable. Pull the trigger of your Will-Power yourself after you have taken deliberate aim and at some object worth while. Do not allow others to pull it for you nor do you, yourself, pull it in response to a whim, a dare, an unrestrained feeling. A useful rule along these lines is given by Prof. Hoffding, who says: "Even if we cannot prevent a feeling from arising, we may possibly prevent it from spreading, by inhibiting the organic movement which accompanies it, the indulgence in which augments it." In other words, restrain the physical action and the feeling dies. This idea of physical expression and "acting-out" runs shoulder to shoulder with the idea of mental states all through the subject of psychology.

Rule 7

Keep the mind filled with mental pictures of the thing which you wish to become a habit, for by so doing you are constantly adding oil to the flame of desire - and desire is the cause of the manifestation of will. The feminine desire asks, and the masculine will seeks to gratify the request of his mate in any direction indicated by her. Therefore, the more she sees what she wants the more she asks - and the more she asks the more eager does he become to please her. The apple was shown Eve, then she told Adam it was good and asked him to take a bite, and then Adam ate and the mischief was done. But this rule works for good as well as for bad - "it's a poor rule that won't work both ways." But the principle is the same in both good and evil eases.

Rule 8

Act out the habit as often as possible, and as well as possible. Learn to go through the motions until the part becomes perfect and easily performed. I needn't tell you students the reason for this again - it should be an old story with you by this time.