Anatomy of Success and Failure

by Swami Kriyananda (J. Donald Walters)

from Money Magnetism, Copyright Hansa Trust

When William the Conqueror landed in England, the first thing he did was to stumble and fall down. A gasp went through his army at this omen of disaster. William, however, rose to his feet, crying: "I am so determined to conquer this land that, behold, I've seized it with both my hands!" At that, a great shout of renewed confidence went up from every throat. William's army went on that day to win one of history's greatest battles. Failure comes only when we accept it as failure. Instead of telling ourselves, "I've failed!" we should say, "I haven't yet succeeded".

A military leader would be foolish to forge ahead in the mere hope that his soldiers will follow him. He must address them; stir them to faith in him and in his enterprise. So must we do with our disorderly subconscious. It isn't enough to ignore its bad habits and conflicting messages. We must inspire it to link hands with our conscious resolutions. A strong affirmation of will has the power to do this.

Many people tend to say: "I shouldn't have those qualities; therefore, I don't have them. I shouldn't be angry; therefore, it wasn't anger; I just displayed a justifiable impatience. I shouldn't be morally weak; therefore, I'm not to blame: It's others who were weak, and who inflicted their weaknesses on me".

Troops whose grievances go unaddressed may eventually become rebellious. So it is with the subconscious. We can't afford to ignore it. Nor, on the other hand, do we need to be led by it, helplessly. We can command it if we face it squarely and honestly.

A general doesn't need to know each and every soldier in his ranks. What he must do is put out the kind of energy they'll respect and obey. The same thing is true for us in our relation to the subconscious. We needn't face each and every mental foe of our conscious resolutions; just address the subconscious with that kind of magnetic determination which will enlist its support.

Meditation is one of the best ways of bringing the subconscious into alignment with one's conscious resolutions. The peace of meditation filters down into deeper-than-conscious layers of consciousness. The practice of meditation, moreover, brings on an awareness of the mind as a totality: subconscious, conscious, and also superconscious (that region where our highest inspirations dwell).

The nature of the superconscious is to be solution-oriented. To tune in to that aspect of your nature which, ultimately, can truly command your destiny, don't dwell on the problems you face. Exert your will in the full expectation that a solution to every problem can be found. If you follow this practice, the right answers quickly come to you. You won't behold the fences around you any longer. They'll simply cease to exist for you. You'll see beyond, farther than the broad meadows and high mountains of expanded awareness, and expanded power. At all times, therefore, be solution-oriented!

Energy generates magnetism. The stronger the flow of energy, the greater the magnetism. It is magnetism, finally, that attracts to us divine blessings and all that we receive in life. Our magnetism depends to a paramount extent on the positiveness with which we direct our will. Positive thoughts are magnetic; negative thoughts weaken our magnetism.

A cheerful attitude is magnetic; discouragement is de-magnetising. Hope is magnetic; despair is de-magnetising. Love is magnetic; hatred and indifference dull our magnetism. Faith is magnetic; doubt destroys magnetism. Be, therefore, always positive, cheerful, full of hope, faith, and love for God.