[pom19]

Mastery of Your Thoughts
by Napoleon Hill

Self-discipline begins with the mastery of your thoughts. If you do not control your thoughts, you cannot control your deeds. Therefore, in its simplest form, self-discipline causes you to think first and act afterward. Almost everyone automatically does exactly the reverse of this. People generally act first and think later--unless they take possession of their minds and control their thoughts and deeds through self-discipline.

Self-discipline will give you complete control over fourteen major emotions listed below. Seven of these are positive, and seven negative:

Positive Emotions
a. Love
b. Sex
c. Hope
d. Faith
e. Enthusiasm
f. Loyalty
g. Desire

Negative Emotions
a. Fear
b. Jealousy
c. Hatred
d. Revenge
e. Greed
f. Anger
g. Superstition

All of these emotions are states of mind and are, therefore, subject to your control and direction. You can see instantly how dangerous the seven negative emotions can be if they are not mastered. The seven positive emotions can be destructive too, if they are not organized and released under your complete, conscious control. Wrapped up in these fourteen emotions is power of a truly explosive nature. If you regulate it properly, it can lift you to heights of distinguished achievement. But if you permit it to run rampant, it can dash you to pieces on the rocks of failure. You should realize that your education, your experience, your native intelligence and your good intentions cannot alter or modify these possibilities.