At the end of our exploration of the path to purpose we encounter a law of nature that, if we can harness it, gives us momentum in our journey and removes obstacles that stand in our way. This law of nature is as fundamental and as powerful as gravity; it governs the way our life unfolds—the thoughts we have, the habits we adopt, the people with whom we become close, and the success we enjoy in life. This is the law of nature through which like attracts like, known as the law of harmonious attraction.
The law of harmonious attraction dictates that forces and things that are suited to the needs of another in the great scheme of life have a natural tendency to get together.
We see this law in operation in nature, as vegetation attracts the mineral and chemical elements of the soil and combines them with units of energy in the air so as to product everything that grows in the soil—the means by which all life is sustained.
Here we find no antagonism, no “fighting” among the elements of matter or units of energy. They do their work in response to the great law of harmonious attraction, without opposition among themselves.
With humans, the law manifests the same way—for good or for bad. When thoughts of a negative nature dominate in the mind, they attract to them more negative thoughts after their own kind, bringing along other individuals whose thoughts are destructive, and so on. The person with negative thought patterns thus invites more negativity into their life, so that they look around and say, “Everything is conspiring to work against me—I can’t catch a break, I have no one I can trust, and I cannot obtain the success I envisioned for myself.” And so it is; in this case, the law of harmonious attraction ensures that the negative energy broadcast from that individual is met with energy of the same kind, both from within the individual and without.
On the other hand, those individuals who have mastered the principles of this philosophy and have formed the habit of applying these principles in all of their relationships with other people are benefitted by the law of harmonious attraction by having conditioned their mind so it will attract to them only such people and material things as they desire. Moreover, they have eliminated from their own mind all conflicting emotions, such as fear, envy, greed, hatred, jealousy, and doubt, so that they can prepare their minds for the application of the principle of Controlled Attention.
The students of this philosophy who have mastered it and apply it daily know that it is costly to be forced to combat the unfriendly forces of other minds. They know it is fatal to their chance of success if they neglect to conquer the unfriendly forces of their own minds. Great achievements come from minds that are at peace with themselves!
Peace within one’s mind is not a matter of luck, but it is a priceless possession that can be attained only by self-discipline based upon Controlled Attention.
Conditioning Your Mind for Harmonious Attraction
Now let us examine the method by which you may condition your mind so as to get the fullest benefit from the law of harmonious attraction.
1. Definiteness of Purpose
Through the application of this principle, you decide what is desired, create a plan for attaining it, and then proceed to concentrate the major portion of your thoughts and efforts toward the attainment of that end. Then, using Controlled Attention, you can impress your desires, aims, plans, and purposes upon your subconscious mind, where the law of harmonious attraction finds contact with them.
2. Applied Faith
By adopting a Definite Major Purpose and actively carrying out the object of your purpose, you thereby demonstrate faith in your ability to attain your objective. When you take this step, your mental attitude has become predominantly positive, many of the self-imposed limitations of fear, doubt, and discouragement have disappeared, and you have no room left in the mind for thoughts of failure. You are so busy carrying out the object of your major purpose that you have no time to hesitate or procrastinate— and you have no desire to do so.
3. Personal Initiative
Through the application of personal initiative, you organize plans for the attainment of your Definite Major Purpose; then you test those plans for soundness. By this time, you have a solid basis for your faith in the ultimate success of your plans; therefore, you move with self-reliance that practically defies opposition. You are no longer held back by fear, doubt, or indecision.
4. Self-Discipline
Through the application of this principle, all the emotions— both the positive and the negative emotions—are harnessed and brought under complete control, thus providing you with the means of guarding against expending your energy unnecessarily on negative emotions or unproductive actions. At this point, your mind begins to function like a perfectly constructed machine, with no lost motion and no dissipation of energy, for you have acquired the ability to translate your emotions into a powerful driving force by which your Definite Major Purpose may be attained.
It is also at this point that you have begun to develop willpower, which enables you to bring all the departments of your mind under your complete control and make them work together for the attainment of your Definite Major Purpose.
You must either take charge of your mind and feed it with the type of food you wish to reproduce, or you must pay the penalty of having your mind taken over by the negative influences of your own environment. There is no compromise between these two circumstances. You either take possession of your own mind and direct it to the attainment of what you desire, or your mind takes possession of you and gives you whatever the circumstances of life hand out.
The choice, however, is within the control of every human being, and the very fact that the power of thought is the only thing over which any human being has been given the right of complete control is highly suggestive of the huge potentialities available through the exercise of this profound prerogative.
Source: Napoleon Hill’s Path to Purpose by Napoleon Hill