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298. This Once

Will Power achieves. Steady will achieves steadily. Vacillating will vacillates, never achieves. When a man of weak will decides or desires to acquire a strong will, he finds himself in a position of having to part with several undesirable habits. Coming face to face with them, he tells himself, 'Let me do it this time and give it up from the next time'. That next time never comes. 'Just this once' means never. Still we know the opposite too. Addicted smokers are known to have abruptly given up smoking once their mind is made up. It is strong will.

The man of strong will only needs knowledge to convince him. What about those whose will is weak? In deserting an undesirable habit like chewing tobacco, smoking, drinking, addiction to coffee, etc. we see those who ultimately give them up take to many routes. Abrupt giving up is only one of the routes. Some fix a deadline and indulge the habit up to that point but give it up on the fixed date. Others pass through alternate periods of sobriety and indulgence before parting with the devil. Sudden changes are likely to relapse. Gradual acquisition of the new habit is likely to last longer. If the Spirit is the Presiding deity of life, what role can it play in saving these truant members? Any method, however powerful, in other cases will fail if the concerned person does NOT want to change.

Once the erring member wants the change, that desire can be fortified by the Spirit better than all the methods. Mostly, it is another person who desires the change, not the person concerned. Desire to change is the exercise of will, as desire itself is more of will than of knowledge. Once a little desire is there, it must be educated by all available information so that the mind of the individual is fully educated. Invocation of the Spirit after such a decision will be found to reinforce the desire to change. Patience and persistence, regardless of the extent of the result, will result in tangible results over time. Those results will be full and will never be lost. The Spirit can be invoked to have instantaneous results. Even when it is possible, it is desirable to go along the path of slowly and steadily enlisting the consenting will. Will enlightened is will conquered. Invocation of the Spirit will raise the mental will to the Spiritual WILL.



story | by Dr. Radut