Take a Pleasant Thought to Bed

Shut off your mental steam when you quit work. Lock up your business when you lock up your office or factory at night. Don't drag it into your home to mar your evening or to distress your sleep.

Switch off your mind when you finish work. Leave your business behind when you lock up your office or factory at night. Don't bring it home and let it spoil your evening or disturb your sleep.

You can not afford to allow the enemies of your peace and happiness to etch their black pictures deeper and deeper into your consciousness.

You can't afford to let the enemies of your peace and happiness carve their dark images deeper and deeper into your mind.

Many people lie down to sleep as the camels lie down in the desert, with their packs still on their backs. They do not seem to know how to lay down their burdens, and their minds go on working a large part of the night. If you are inclined to worry during the night, to keep your mental faculties on the strain, taut, it will be a good plan for you to have a bow in your bedroom and unstring it every night as a reminder that you should also unstring your mind so that it will not lose its springing power. The Indian knows enough to unstring his bow just as soon as he uses it so that it will not lose its resilience.

Many people go to sleep like camels lying down in the desert with their packs still on their backs. They do not seem to know how to put down their burdens, and their minds keep working much of the night. If you tend to worry at night and keep your mind under strain, try keeping a bow in your bedroom. Unstring it every night as a reminder to unstring your mind too, so it will not lose its spring. The Indian knows enough to unstring his bow as soon as he has used it, so it will not lose its resilience.

If a man who works hard all day uses his brain a large part of the night, doing his work over and over again, he gets up in the morning weary, jaded. Instead of having a clear, vigorous brain capable of powerfully focusing his mind, he approaches his work with all his standards down, and with about as much chance of winning as a race horse who has been driven all night before a contest would have. Not even a man with the will of a Napoleon could win out under such conditions.

If a man works hard all day and spends much of the night mentally repeating his work, he wakes up tired and worn out. His mind is not clear and vigorous or capable of strong focus. Instead, he approaches his work with all his standards lowered. He has about as much chance of winning as a racehorse driven all night before a contest. Not even a man with Napoleon's will could succeed under such conditions.

It is of the utmost importance to stop the grinding, rasping process in the brain at night and to keep from wearing life away and wasting one's precious vitality.

It is extremely important to stop the grinding, grating thoughts in your brain at night. They wear away your life and waste your precious energy.

Many people become slaves to night worry. They get into a chronic habit of thinking after they retire—especially of contemplating their troubles and trials,—and it is a very difficult habit to break.

Many people become slaves to worry at night. They develop a habit of thinking after they go to bed, especially about their troubles and trials. It is a very difficult habit to break.

It is fundamental to sound health to make it a rule never to discuss business troubles and things that vex and irritate one at night, especially just before retiring, for whatever is dominant in the mind when one falls asleep continues its influence on the nervous structure long into the night.

For good health, make it a rule never to discuss business troubles or irritating matters at night, especially just before bed. Whatever dominates your mind as you fall asleep continues to affect your nervous system long into the night.

Some people age more at night than during the daytime, when, it would appear, if they must worry at all, the reverse ought to be true. When hard at work during the day they do not have much time to think of their ailments, their business troubles, their misfortunes. But when they retire, the whole brood of troubling thoughts and worry ghosts fill the mind with horrors. They grow older instead of younger, as they would under the influence of sound, refreshing sleep.

Some people age more at night than during the day. Yet if they must worry at all, it would seem the opposite should be true. When they are working hard during the day, they have little time to think about their ailments, business troubles, or misfortunes. But when they go to bed, a whole brood of troubling thoughts and ghosts of worry fills their minds with horrors. They grow older instead of younger, as they would with sound, refreshing sleep.

Mental discord saps vitality, lessens courage, shortens life. It does not pay to indulge in violent temper, corroding thoughts, mental discord in any form. Life is too short, too precious, to spend any part of it in such unprofitable, soul-racking, health-destroying business. The imagination is particularly active at night, and all unpleasant, disagreeable things seem a great deal worse then than in the day, because in the silence and darkness imagination magnifies everything. We have all dreamed of the evening's experience, after we went to sleep: perhaps it is the refrain of a song or the intense situation in a play which we live over again. This shows how powerful impressions are; how important it is never to retire to rest in a fit of temper, or in an ugly, unpleasant mood. We should get ourselves into mental harmony, should become serene and quiet before retiring, and, if possible, lie down smiling, no matter how long it may take to secure this condition. Never retire with a frown on your brow; with a perplexed, troubled, vexed expression. Smooth out the wrinkles; drive away all the enemies of your peace of mind, and never allow yourself to go to sleep with critical, cruel, jealous thoughts toward any one.

Mental conflict drains our energy, weakens our courage, and shortens our lives. There is no benefit in giving in to violent anger, corrosive thoughts, or mental conflict of any kind. Life is too short and too precious to spend any of it on such useless, soul-tormenting, health-destroying activity. The imagination is especially active at night. Unpleasant things seem much worse then than they do during the day, because silence and darkness make the imagination magnify everything. We have all dreamed about an evening's experience after falling asleep. Perhaps we relive a song's refrain or an intense scene from a play. These dreams show how powerful impressions can be. They also show how important it is never to go to bed angry or in a nasty, unpleasant mood. We should bring our minds into harmony and become calm and peaceful before going to bed. If possible, we should lie down smiling, no matter how long it takes to reach that state. Never go to bed frowning or looking confused, troubled, or annoyed. Smooth out the wrinkles and drive away everything that disturbs your peace of mind. Never let yourself fall asleep with critical, cruel, or jealous thoughts toward anyone.

It is bad enough to feel inimical toward others when under severe provocation or in a hot temper, but you certainly can not afford deliberately to continue this state of mind after the provocation has ceased. The wear and tear upon your nervous system and your health takes too much out of you.

It is bad enough to feel hostile toward others when severely provoked or in a hot temper. But you certainly cannot afford to deliberately stay hostile after the provocation has passed. The strain on your nervous system and your health takes too much out of you.

Be at peace with all the world at least once every twenty-four hours. You can not afford to allow the enemies of your happiness and your manhood or womanhood to etch their miserable images deeper and deeper into your life and character as you sleep.

Be at peace with the whole world at least once every twenty-four hours. You cannot afford to let the enemies of your happiness and your character leave ever deeper marks on your life and character as you sleep.

Many of us with crotchety, sour dispositions and quick tempers sometimes have very hard work to be decent in our treatment of others. But we can, at least when we are alone, and away from the people who nettle and antagonize us, forget injuries, quit harboring unpleasant thoughts and hard feelings toward others.

Many of us who are irritable, sour, and quick-tempered sometimes find it very hard to treat others decently. But at least when we are alone, away from people who annoy and antagonize us, we can let go of past hurts. We can stop dwelling on unpleasant thoughts and hard feelings toward others.

It is a great thing to form a habit of forgetting and forgiving before going to sleep, of clearing the mind of all happiness and success enemies. If we have been impulsive, foolish, or wicked during the day in our treatment of others; if we have been holding a vicious, ugly, revengeful, jealous attitude toward others, it is a good time to wipe off the slate and start anew. It is a blessed thing to put into practise St. Paul's exhortation to the Ephesians: "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath."

It is a great thing to make a habit of forgetting and forgiving before going to sleep. Clear your mind of everything that stands in the way of happiness and success. We may have treated others impulsively, foolishly, or wickedly during the day. Or we may have felt vicious, hateful, vengeful, or jealous toward them. If so, bedtime is a good time to wipe the slate clean and start fresh. It is a blessing to follow St. Paul's advice to the Ephesians: "Do not let the sun go down on your anger."

If you wish to wake up feeling refreshed and renewed, you simply must retire in a happy, forgiving, cheerful mood. If you go to sleep in an ugly mood or while worrying or depressed, you will wake up tired, exhausted and with no elasticity or spring in your brain or buoyancy in your spirits, for the blood poisoned by worry, by discordant mood, is incapable of refreshing the brain.

If you want to wake up feeling refreshed and renewed, you must go to bed happy, forgiving, and cheerful. If you fall asleep in a bad mood, worried, or depressed, you will wake up tired and exhausted. Your mind will lack flexibility and energy, and your spirits will be low. That is because blood poisoned by worry and a troubled mood cannot refresh the brain.

If you have a grudge against another, forget it, wipe it out, erase it completely, and substitute a charitable love thought, a kindly, generous thought, before you fall asleep. If you make a habit of clearing the mind every night of its enemies, of driving them all out before you go to sleep, your slumber will be undisturbed by hideous dreams and you will rise refreshed, renewed.

If you hold a grudge against someone, forget it. Wipe it out completely before you fall asleep. Replace it with a loving, kind, and generous thought. Make a habit of clearing your mind of all its enemies each night before you sleep. If you do, your sleep will be free of horrible dreams, and you will wake up refreshed and renewed.

Clean your mental house before retiring. Throw out everything that causes you pain, everything that is disagreeable, undesirable; all unkind thoughts of anger, hatred, jealousy, all selfish, uncharitable thoughts. Do not allow them to print their black hideous pictures upon your mind. And when you have let go of all the rubbish and have swept and dusted and garnished your mind, fill it full of the pleasantest, sweetest, happiest, most helpful, encouraging, uplifting thought-pictures possible.

Clean your mental house before going to bed. Throw out everything that causes you pain and everything unpleasant or unwanted. Get rid of all unkind thoughts of anger, hatred, and jealousy, and all selfish, ungenerous thoughts. Don't let them leave ugly, dark images in your mind. Once you have cleared away all the rubbish, swept, dusted, and decorated your mind, fill it with mental images. Make them as pleasant, sweet, happy, helpful, encouraging, and uplifting as possible.

An evening-happiness bath ought to be the custom in every home. A bath of love and good-will toward every living creature is more important than a water bath.

Every home should have an evening happiness bath. A bath of love and goodwill toward every living creature is more important than a bath in water.

We should fall asleep in the most cheerful, the happiest possible frame of mind. Our minds should be filled with lofty thoughts—with thoughts of love and of helpfulness—thoughts which will continue to create that which is helpful and uplifting, which will renew the soul and help us to awake in the morning refreshed and in superb condition for the day's work.

We should fall asleep in the most cheerful and happy state of mind possible. Our minds should be filled with noble thoughts of love and helpfulness. These thoughts will continue to create what is helpful and uplifting. They will renew the soul and help us wake up refreshed and in excellent condition for the day’s work.

If you have any difficulty in banishing unpleasant or torturing thoughts, force yourself to read some good, inspiring book—something that will smooth out your wrinkles and put you in a happy mood; something that will make you see the real grandeur and beauty of life; something that will make you feel ashamed of petty meannesses and narrow, uncharitable thoughts.

If you have trouble getting rid of unpleasant or tormenting thoughts, make yourself read a good, inspiring book. Choose something that will smooth away your worries and put you in a happy mood. Let it show you the true grandeur and beauty of life. It should also make you ashamed of petty cruelty and narrow, unkind thoughts.

After a little practise, you will be surprised to see how quickly and completely you can change your whole mental attitude so that you will face life the right way before you fall asleep.

After a little practice, you will be surprised at how quickly and completely you can change your whole outlook. You can face life the right way before you fall asleep.

You will be surprised also to find how wonderfully serene, calm, refreshed, and rejuvenated you will be when you wake in the morning, and how much easier it will be to start right, and wear a smile that won't come off during the day, than it was when you went to bed in an ill-humored, worrying or ugly mood, or full of ungenerous, uncharitable thoughts.

You will also be surprised by how wonderfully peaceful, calm, refreshed, and renewed you feel when you wake up. You will find it much easier to start the day right and wear a smile that lasts all day. Compare this with how you felt after going to bed in a bad, worried, or unpleasant mood, or full of unkind and ungenerous thoughts.

Unless you tune your mind to harmony for sleep, there will be a constant strain upon the nervous system. Even if you do manage to go to sleep with a troubled mind, the brain keeps on working and you will wake up exhausted.

Unless you calm your mind before sleep, your nervous system will remain under constant strain. Even if you manage to fall asleep with a troubled mind, your brain keeps working. As a result, you will wake up exhausted.

We should take special pains to erase the memory of all unfortunate experiences of the day, all domestic business or professional troubles and anxieties, in order to retire in a placid, peaceful, harmonious state of mind; not only because of the necessity of rising refreshed and invigorated in the morning, but because the character and the disposition are affected by the condition of the mind upon falling asleep. Mental discords not only prevent sound sleep but also leave in the blood poisonous waste from the chemical changes which in turn dulls and impairs the brain action.

We should make a special effort to erase the memory of all the day’s unfortunate experiences and all our domestic, business, or professional troubles and anxieties. This will help us go to bed with a calm, peaceful, harmonious mind. We need to do this not only so we can wake up refreshed and energized. We also need to do it because our state of mind as we fall asleep affects our character and disposition. Mental turmoil not only prevents sound sleep but also causes chemical changes that leave poisonous waste in the blood. This waste, in turn, dulls and impairs brain function.

Many business men suffer so much torture at night that some of them actually dread to retire because of the long, tedious, wakeful hours. Financial troubles are particularly exaggerated at night; and even many optimists suffer more or less from pessimism then.

Many businesspeople suffer so much at night that some dread going to bed because of the long, tedious hours they spend awake. Financial troubles seem especially overwhelming at night. Even many optimists feel somewhat pessimistic then.

Business men ought to know how to turn off brain power when they are not using it. They would not think of leaving or closing their factories at night without turning off the machinery power. Why should they then attempt to go to sleep without turning off their mental power? It is infinitely important to one's health to turn off mental power when not actually using it to produce something.

Businessmen should know how to switch off their minds when they are not using them. They would never leave or close their factories at night without turning off the machinery. So why should they try to sleep without switching off their minds? It is extremely important for their health to switch off their minds when they are not using them to produce something.

When you get through your regular day's work, why allow your precious energy to dribble away in little worries? Why carry your business home, take it to bed with you, and waste your life forces in ineffective thinking? Why permit a great leakage of mental energy and a waste of life-force? You must learn to shut off mental steam when you quit work.

When you finish your regular workday, why let your precious energy drain away in small worries? Why carry your work home, take it to bed, and waste your life force on unproductive thoughts? Why let so much mental energy and life force go to waste? You must learn to switch off your mind when you stop working.

Many men use up almost as much mental energy in the evening and in a restless night as during their actual work in the day.

Many men use almost as much mental energy in the evening and during a restless night as they do at work during the day.

Refresh, renew, rejuvenate yourself by play and pleasant recreation. Play as hard as you work; have a jolly good time, and then you will get that refreshing, invigorating sleep which gives an overplus of energy, a buoyancy of spirit which will make you eager to plunge into the next day's work.

Refresh and renew yourself through play and enjoyable recreation. Play as hard as you work and have a great time. Then you will get refreshing, invigorating sleep that gives you extra energy and lifts your spirits. You will be eager to dive into the next day's work.

No matter how tired or busy you are, or how late you retire, make it a rule never to go to sleep without erasing every unfortunate impression, every disagreeable experience, every unkind thought, every particle of envy, jealousy, and selfishness, from the mind. Just imagine that the words "harmony," "good cheer," and "good will to every living creature" are written all over your sleeping room in letters of light.

No matter how tired or busy you are, or how late you go to bed, make this a rule. Never go to sleep without clearing your mind of every unhappy impression, unpleasant experience, and unkind thought. Clear away every trace of envy, jealousy, and selfishness, too. Just imagine the words "harmony," "good cheer," and "good will to every living creature" written all over your bedroom in letters of light.

People who have learned the art of putting themselves into harmony with all the world before they retire, of never harboring a thought of jealousy, hatred, envy, revenge, or ill-will of any kind against any human being, get a great deal more out of sleep and retain their youth much longer and are much more efficient than those who have the habit of reviewing their disagreeable experiences and thinking about all their troubles and trials in the night.

Some people have learned to put themselves in harmony with the whole world before going to bed. They never harbor jealousy, hatred, envy, revenge, or ill will of any kind toward another person. These people get much more out of sleep, stay young much longer, and are much more effective than others. Those others have a habit of replaying unpleasant experiences and thinking about all their troubles and hardships at night.

Make it a rule to put the mind into harmony and a good-will attitude when retiring, and you will be surprised to see how much fresher, younger, stronger and more normal you will become.

Make it a habit to settle your mind and feel goodwill toward others when you go to bed. You will be surprised at how much fresher, younger, stronger, and more normal you become.

I know people whose lives have been completely revolutionized by this experiment of putting themselves in tune before going to sleep. Formerly they were in the habit of retiring in a bad mood; tired, discouraged over anticipated evils and all sorts of worries and anxieties. They would worry over the bad things in their business, the unfortunate conditions in their affairs, and their mistakes, and would discuss their misfortunes at night with their wives. The result was that their minds were in an upset condition when they fell asleep, and these melancholy, black, ugly pictures, so exaggerated in awful vividness in the stillness, became etched deeper and deeper into their minds, and they awoke in the morning weary and exhausted, instead of feeling, as every one should, like a newly-made creature with fresh ambition and invigorated determination.

I know people whose lives have been completely transformed by putting themselves in a better frame of mind before sleep. They used to go to bed in a bad mood, tired and discouraged by fears of trouble ahead and all kinds of worries and anxieties. They worried about problems in their businesses, unfortunate circumstances in their affairs, and their mistakes. At night, they discussed their misfortunes with their wives. As a result, their minds were troubled when they fell asleep. In the stillness, these gloomy, dark, ugly pictures seemed even more terribly vivid. They became etched more and more deeply into their minds. In the morning, they awoke weary and exhausted. Instead, everyone should wake up feeling like a new person, with fresh ambition and renewed determination.

Form the habit of making a call upon the Great Within of you before retiring. Leave the message of up-lift, of self-betterment, self-enlargement, which you yearn for and long to realize but do not know how to bring about. Registering this call, this demand for something higher and nobler, in your subconsciousness, putting it right up to yourself, will work like a leaven during the night; and after a while all the building forces within you will help to unite in furthering your aim; in helping you to realize your vision.

Make a habit of calling on the Great Within you before going to bed. Leave a message asking for the uplift, self-improvement, and growth you long to achieve but don't know how to bring about. Register this call for something higher and nobler in your subconscious. Put it directly to yourself. This will work like yeast during the night. After a while, all the forces within you that help you grow will work together to advance your aim and help you realize your vision.

There are marvelous possibilities for health building, success building, happiness building, in the preparation of the mind before going to sleep by impressing, declaring, picturing as vividly as possible our ideals of ourselves, what we would like to become and what we long to accomplish. You will be surprised to see how quickly that wonderful force in your subjective self will begin to shape the pattern, to copy the model which you thus give it. In these great interior creative, restorative forces lies the great secret of life. Blessed is he who findeth it.

Preparing your mind before sleep offers marvelous possibilities for building health, success, and happiness. Impress your ideals upon your mind, declare them, and picture them as vividly as possible. Picture what you would like to become and what you long to accomplish. You will be surprised at how quickly the wonderful force in your inner self begins to shape itself to that pattern. It will copy the model you give it. The great secret of life lies in these powerful inner forces of creation and restoration. Blessed is the person who finds it.