Learning from adversity

The habit of expressing loosely organized opinions is one of the most destructive of habits. Its destructiveness consists in its tendency to influence people to guess instead of searching for the facts when they form opinions, create ideas, or organize plans.

The habit develops a grasshopper mind one that jumps from one thing to another but never completes anything. And of course, carelessness in the expression of opinions leads to the habit of drifting. From there it is only a step or two until one is bound by the law of hypnotic rhythm which automatically prohibits accurate thinking.

The person who talks too much informs the world of his aims and plans and gives to others the opportunity to profit by his ideas.
Wise men keep their plans to themselves and refrain from expressing uninvited opinions. This prevents others from appropriating their ideas and make it difficult for others to interfere with their plans.

The desire for self expression is inborn in people. The motive behind the habit is to attract the attention of others and to impress them favorably. Actually it has just the opposite effect. When the self invited speaker attracts attention it usually is unfavorable.

The person who insist on talking seldom has an opportunity to learn by listening to others.

The proper place to begin self - discipline is right where you stand. The way to begin is by recognizing the truth that there is nothing for good or evil throughout the myriads of universe except the power of natural law.

There is no human being now living, no human being has ever lived, and no human being ever will live with the right or the power to deprive another human being of the inborn privilege of free and independent thought. That privilege is the only one over which any human being can have absolute control. No adult human being ever loses the right to freedom of thought, but most humans lose the benefits of this privilege either by neglect or because it has been taken away from them by their parents or religious instructors before the age of understanding.

The power of their own thoughts. The only power they can control and may rely upon. The only power which cannot be perverted, colored, modified, and falsified by their dishonest fellow human beings.

You may not be able to control other people.. But you can control how you react to them and their actions. This is an easy thing to say but much more difficult to do. We tend to want to change other people when we can truly only change ourselves and how we react to others.