Additional Instructions

In forming a conception of health, it is necessary to think of the manner in which you would live and work if you were perfectly well and very strong; to imagine yourself doing things in the way of a perfectly well and very strong person, until you have a fairly good conception of what you would be if you were well. Then take a mental and physical attitude in harmony with this conception; and do not depart from this attitude. You must unify yourself in thought with the thing you desire; and whatever state or condition you unify with yourself in thought will soon become unified with you in body. The scientific way is to sever relations with everything you do not want, and to enter into relations with everything you do want. Form a conception of perfect health, and relate yourself to this conception in word, act, and attitude.

To form an idea of health, think about how you would live and work if you were perfectly healthy and very strong. Imagine yourself doing things as a perfectly healthy and very strong person would. Continue until you have a fairly clear idea of what you would be like if you were healthy. Then adopt a mental and physical attitude that matches this idea, and do not depart from it. You must unite yourself in thought with what you desire. Whatever state or condition you unite with yourself in thought will soon become united with you in body. The scientific way is to cut ties with everything you do not want and connect yourself with everything you do want. Form an idea of perfect health, and connect yourself with this idea in your words, actions, and attitude.

Guard your speech; make every word harmonize with the conception of perfect health. Never complain; never say things like these: "I did not sleep well last night;" "I have a pain in my side;" "I do not feel at all well to-day," and so on. Say "I am looking forward to a good night's sleep to-night;" "I can see that I progress rapidly," and things of similar meaning. In so far as everything which is connected with disease is concerned, your way is to forget it; and in so far as everything which is connected with health is concerned, your way is to unify yourself with it in thought and speech.

Watch what you say. Make every word reflect the idea of perfect health. Never complain. Never say things like: "I did not sleep well last night," "I have a pain in my side," or "I do not feel well today." Say "I am looking forward to a good night's sleep tonight," "I can see that I am making rapid progress," and things like that. Forget everything connected with disease. In your thoughts and speech, unite yourself with everything connected with health.

This is the whole thing in a nutshell: make yourself one with Health in thought, word, and action; and do not connect yourself with sickness either by thought, word, or action.

Here is the whole idea in a nutshell: make yourself one with Health in thought, word, and action. Do not connect yourself with sickness in thought, word, or action.

Do not read "Doctor Books" or medical literature, or the literature of those whose theories conflict with those herein set forth; to do so will certainly undermine your faith in the Way of Living upon which you have entered, and cause you to again come into mental relations with disease. This book really gives you all that is required; nothing essential has been omitted, and practically all the superfluous has been eliminated. The Science of Being Well is an exact science, like arithmetic; nothing can be added to the fundamental principles, and if anything be taken from them, a failure will result. If you follow strictly the way of living prescribed in this book, you will be well; and you certainly CAN follow this way, both in thought and action.

Do not read "Doctor Books," medical literature, or writings by people whose theories conflict with those in this book. Doing so will certainly undermine your faith in the Way of Living you have begun. It will also bring your mind back into contact with disease. This book gives you everything you need. Nothing essential has been left out, and practically everything unnecessary has been removed. The Science of Being Well is an exact science, like arithmetic. Nothing can be added to its fundamental principles, and removing anything from them will result in failure. If you strictly follow the way of living prescribed in this book, you will be well. And you certainly CAN follow this way, both in thought and action.

Relate not only yourself, but so far as possible all others, in your thoughts, to perfect health. Do not sympathize with people when they complain, or even when they are sick and suffering. Turn their thoughts into a constructive channel if you can; do all you can for their relief, but do it with the health thought in your mind. Do not let people tell their woes and catalogue their symptoms to you; turn the conversation to some other subject, or excuse yourself and go. Better be considered an unfeeling person than to have the disease thought forced upon you. When you are in company of people whose conversational stock-in-trade is sickness and kindred matters, ignore what they say and fall to offering a mental prayer of gratitude for your perfect health; and if that does not enable you to shut out their thoughts, say good-by and leave them. No matter what they think or say; politeness does not require you to permit yourself to be poisoned by diseased or perverted thought. When we have a few more hundreds of thousands of enlightened thinkers who will not stay where people complain and talk sickness, the world will advance rapidly toward health. When you let people talk to you of sickness, you assist them to increase and multiply sickness.

Think of yourself and, as much as possible, everyone else as perfectly healthy. Do not sympathize with people when they complain, or even when they are sick and suffering. If you can, turn their thoughts in a constructive direction. Do all you can to relieve their suffering, but keep the thought of health in mind. Do not let people tell you their troubles and list their symptoms. Change the subject, or excuse yourself and leave. It is better to be thought unfeeling than to have thoughts of disease forced on you. When you are with people who constantly talk about sickness and related matters, ignore what they say. Instead, silently offer a prayer of gratitude for your perfect health. If that does not help you shut out their thoughts, say goodbye and leave. It does not matter what they think or say. Politeness does not require you to let yourself be poisoned by diseased or distorted thoughts. When a few hundred thousand more enlightened thinkers refuse to stay where people complain and talk about sickness, the world will move rapidly toward health. When you let people talk to you about sickness, you help them increase and multiply sickness.

What shall I do when I am in pain? Can one be in actual physical suffering and still think only thoughts of health?

What should I do when I am in pain? Can someone be in physical pain and still think only thoughts of health?

Yes. Do not resist pain; recognize that it is a good thing. Pain is caused by an effort of the Principle of Health to overcome some unnatural condition; this you must know and feel. When you have a pain, think that a process of healing is going on in the affected part, and mentally assist and co-operate with it. Put yourself in full mental harmony with the power which is causing the pain; assist it; help it along. Do not hesitate, when necessary, to use hot fomentations and similar means to further the good work which is going on. If the pain is severe, lie down and give your mind to the work of quietly and easily co-operating with the force which is at work for your good. This is the time to exercise gratitude and faith; be thankful for the power of health which is causing the pain, and be certain that the pain will cease as soon as the good work is done. Fix your thoughts, with confidence, on the Principle of Health which is making such conditions within you that pain will soon be unnecessary. You will be surprised to find how easily you can conquer pain; and after you have lived for a time in this Scientific Way, pains and aches will be things unknown to you.

Yes. Do not resist pain. Recognize that it is a good thing. Pain is caused by the Principle of Health trying to overcome some unnatural condition. You must know and feel this. When you feel pain, think of healing as taking place in the affected area. Mentally help and cooperate with that healing process. Bring your mind into full harmony with the power causing the pain. Help it along. When necessary, do not hesitate to use hot compresses and similar treatments to help the good work along. If the pain is severe, lie down. Focus your mind on quietly and easily cooperating with the force working for your good. This is the time to practice gratitude and faith. Be thankful for the power of health that is causing the pain. Be certain that the pain will stop as soon as its good work is done. Focus your thoughts with confidence on the Principle of Health. It is creating conditions within you that will soon make pain unnecessary. You will be surprised to find how easily you can conquer pain. After you have lived for a time in this Scientific Way, you will no longer know pains and aches.

What shall I do when I am too weak for my work? Shall I drive myself beyond my strength, trusting in God to support me? Shall I go on, like the runner, expecting a "second wind"?

What should I do when I'm too weak to work? Should I push myself beyond my strength, trusting God to support me? Should I keep going, like a runner, expecting a "second wind"?

No; better not. When you begin to live in this Way, you will probably not be of normal strength; and you will gradually pass from a low physical condition to a higher one. If you relate yourself mentally with health and strength, and perform the voluntary functions of life in a perfectly healthy manner, your strength will increase from day to day; but for a time you may have days when your strength is insufficient for the work you would like to do. At such times rest, and exercise gratitude. Recognize the fact that your strength is growing rapidly, and feel a deep thankfulness to the Living One from whom it comes. Spend an hour of weakness in thanksgiving and rest, with full faith that great strength is at hand; and then get up and go on again. While you rest do not think of your present weakness; think of the strength that is coming.

No, it is better not to. When you begin to live this way, you probably will not have normal strength. Your physical condition will gradually improve. If you think of yourself as healthy and strong, and carry out life's voluntary functions in a perfectly healthy way, your strength will increase each day. But for a while, you may have days when you lack the strength to do the work you want to do. At such times, rest and give thanks. Recognize that your strength is growing rapidly, and feel deeply grateful to the Living One from whom it comes. Spend an hour of weakness giving thanks and resting, with complete faith that great strength is near. Then get up and go on again. While you rest, do not think about your present weakness. Think of the strength that is coming.

Never, at any time, allow yourself to think that you are giving way to weakness; when you rest, as when you go to sleep, fix your mind on the Principle of Health which is building you into complete strength.

Never let yourself think you are giving in to weakness. When you rest, just as when you go to sleep, focus on the Principle of Health, which is building you into complete strength.

What shall I do about that great bugaboo which scares millions of people to death every year—Constipation?

What should I do about constipation, that great fear that scares millions of people to death every year?

Do nothing. Read Horace Fletcher on "The A B Z or Our Own Nutrition," and get the full force of his explanation of the fact that when you live on this scientific plan you need not, and indeed cannot, have an evacuation of the bowels every day; and that an operation in from once in three days to once in two weeks is quite sufficient for perfect health. The gross feeders who eat from three to ten times as much as can be utilized in their systems have a great amount of waste to eliminate; but if you live in the manner we have described it will be otherwise with you.

Do nothing. Read Horace Fletcher on "The A B Z or Our Own Nutrition." Fully understand his explanation of what happens when you follow this scientific plan. You need not, and indeed cannot, have a bowel movement every day. A bowel movement anywhere from once every three days to once every two weeks is enough for perfect health. People who eat three to ten times as much as their bodies can use have a great deal of waste to eliminate. But if you live as we have described, that will not be true of you.

If you eat only when you have an EARNED HUNGER, and chew every mouthful to a liquid, and if you stop eating the instant you BEGIN to be conscious of an abatement of your hunger, you will so perfectly prepare your food for digestion and assimilation that practically all of it will be taken up by the absorbents; and there will be little—almost nothing—remaining in the bowels to be excreted. If you are able to entirely banish from your memory all that you have read in "doctor books" and patent medicine advertisements concerning constipation, you need give the matter no further thought at all. The Principle of Health will take care of it.

If you eat only when you have an EARNED HUNGER, chew every mouthful until it becomes liquid, and stop eating the instant you BEGIN to feel less hungry, you will prepare your food perfectly for digestion and absorption. Practically all of it will be absorbed, and little, almost nothing, will remain in the bowels to be excreted. If you can completely forget everything you have read about constipation in "doctor books" and patent medicine advertisements, you need not give the matter any more thought. The Principle of Health will take care of it.

But if your mind has been filled with fear-thought in regard to constipation, it may be well in the beginning for you to occasionally flush the colon with warm water. There is not the least need of doing it, except to make the process of your mental emancipation from fear a little easier; it may be worth while for that. And as soon as you see that you are making good progress, and that you have cut down your quantity of food, and are really eating in the Scientific Way, dismiss constipation from your mind forever; you have nothing more to do with it. Put your trust in that Principle within you which has the power to give you perfect health; relate It by your reverent gratitude to the Principle of Life which is All Power, and go on your way rejoicing.

But if your mind has been filled with fearful thoughts about constipation, you may want to flush your colon occasionally with warm water at first. There is no need to do this, except to make it a little easier to free your mind from fear. It may be worthwhile for that reason. As soon as you see that you are making good progress, eating less, and truly eating in the Scientific Way, dismiss constipation from your mind forever. You have nothing more to do with it. Trust the Principle within you that has the power to give you perfect health. Through your reverent gratitude, connect it to the Principle of Life, which is All Power. Then go on your way rejoicing.

What about exercise?

What about exercise?

Every one is the better for a little all-round use of the muscles every day; and the best way to get this is to do it by engaging in some form of play or amusement. Get your exercise in the natural way; as recreation, not as a forced stunt for health's sake alone. Ride a horse or a bicycle; play tennis or tenpins, or toss a ball. Have some avocation like gardening in which you can spend an hour every day with pleasure and profit; there are a thousand ways in which you can get exercise enough to keep your body supple and your circulation good, and yet not fall into the rut of "exercising for your health." Exercise for fun or profit; exercise because you are too healthy to sit still, and not because you wish to become healthy, or to remain so.

Everyone benefits from using all their muscles a little each day. The best way to do this is through play or amusement. Get exercise naturally, as recreation, not as a chore done only for your health. Ride a horse or a bicycle. Play tennis or bowling, or toss a ball. Take up a hobby like gardening, where you can spend an hour each day with pleasure and benefit. There are a thousand ways to get enough exercise to keep your body flexible and your circulation good. You can do this without falling into the rut of "exercising for your health." Exercise for fun or benefit. Exercise because you are too healthy to sit still, not because you want to become or stay healthy.

Are long continued fasts necessary?

Are long fasts necessary?

Seldom, if ever. The Principle of Health does not often require twenty, thirty, or forty days to get ready for action; under normal conditions, hunger will come in much less time. In most long fasts, the reason hunger does not come sooner is because it has been inhibited by the patient himself. He begins the fast with the FEAR if not actually with the hope that it will be many days before hunger comes; the literature he has read on the subject has prepared him to expect a long fast, and he is grimly determined to go to a finish, let the time be as long as it will. And the sub-conscious mind, under the influence of powerful and positive suggestion, suspends hunger.

Seldom, if ever. The Principle of Health rarely needs twenty, thirty, or forty days to prepare for action. Under normal conditions, hunger will come much sooner. In most long fasts, hunger does not come sooner because the patient has held it back himself. He begins the fast with the FEAR, if not the actual hope, that hunger will not come for many days. What he has read about fasting has led him to expect a long fast. He is grimly determined to see it through, however long it takes. Under the influence of this powerful and positive suggestion, the subconscious mind suspends hunger.

When, for any reason, nature takes away your hunger, go cheerfully on with your usual work, and do not eat until she gives it back. No matter if it is two, three, ten days, or longer; you may be perfectly sure that when it is time for you to eat you will be hungry; and if you are cheerfully confident and keep your faith in health, you will suffer from no weakness or discomfort caused by abstinence. When you are not hungry, you will feel stronger, happier, and more comfortable if you do not eat than you will if you do eat; no matter how long the fast. And if you live in the scientific way described in this book, you will never have to take long fasts; you will seldom miss a meal, and you will enjoy your meals more than ever before in your life. Get an earned hunger before you eat; and whenever you get an earned hunger, eat.

If you lose your hunger for any reason, cheerfully continue your usual work. Do not eat until your hunger returns. It does not matter if it takes two, three, ten days, or longer. You can be perfectly sure that you will be hungry when it is time to eat. And if you remain cheerful and confident, and keep your faith in health, fasting will cause you no weakness or discomfort. When you are not hungry, you will feel stronger, happier, and more comfortable if you do not eat. This is true no matter how long you fast. And if you live in the scientific way described in this book, you will never have to fast for long. You will seldom miss a meal, and you will enjoy your meals more than ever before. Work up an earned hunger before you eat. And whenever you have an earned hunger, eat.