第8章 思想的守望者

The Watchman at the Gate

佛罗伦萨·斯高伏尔·西恩/Florence Scovel Shinn

在人类思想的门口，一定有一个守门人，而这个守门人就是每个人的超意识。

我们有能力按照自己的心愿选择思想。

数千年以来，人类就是用自己的思考能力不断地生活、繁衍。有时，思想在我们的头脑里会像受惊的牛羊般四处奔逃。这时的思想，看起来根本无法控制。

可事实上并非如此，面对受到惊吓而疲于奔命的羊群，一只牧羊犬就可以轻松地把羊群重新赶回羊圈。

我曾经在一部新闻短片中，看到过一只牧羊犬和三只羊的画面。牧羊犬负责看管整个羊群，可是有三只羊心存不满，蓄意抵抗。它们咩咩地叫着，高高抬起前蹄表示自己的不满。然而牧羊犬只是静静地蹲坐在它们前面，并用眼睛紧紧地盯着它们。牧羊犬既没有朝三只羊狂吠，也没有要恐吓它们的意思，它只是用坚定的信念一动不动地注视着这三只羊。没过多久，这三只羊垂着头，乖乖地回到羊圈。

我们可以用牧羊犬的方法来支配自己的思想——依靠文雅的意志力，而不是粗暴的蛮力。

当陷入暴跳如雷、愤怒难耐的状态中时，我们必须要坚定信念来克服它，并一直坚持下去。

我们当然不可能一直做到情绪稳定，但是至少你可以把握住言语并坚持告诫自己能够控制住潜意识。这样的话，我们便可以控制眼前的局势了。

你思想的“守门人”决定了你能否在生活中取得成功，分享幸福。“守门人”的作用迟早会在你的言行中体现出来。

很久以前，喇叭便作为一种乐器用来吸引人类的注意力——关注胜利，关注秩序。

当你认识到思想和言语的重要时，你就会养成重视思考和言语的习惯。

丰富的想象力作为心灵的剪刀，会孜孜不倦地剪掉那些乏味的生活琐事。

We must all have a watchman at the gate of our thoughts. The watchman at the gate is the superconscious mind.

We have the power to choose our thoughts.

Since we have lived in the race thought for thousands of years， it seems almost impossible to control them. They rush through our minds like stampeding cattle or sheep.

But a single sheep-dog can control the frightened sheep and guide them into the sheep pen. I saw a picture in the news-reels of a shepherd dog and three sheep.He had rounded up all but three.These three resisted and resented.They baaed and lifted their front feet in protest， but the dog simply sat down in front and never took his eyes off them.He did not barks or threaten.He oust sat and looked with his determination.In a little while the sheep tossed their heads and went in the pen.

We can learn to control our thoughts in the same way， by gentle determination， not force.

We take an affirmation and repeat it continually， while our thoughts are on the rampage.

We cannot always control our thoughts， but we can control our words， and repetition impresses the subconscious， and we are then master of the situation.

Your success and happiness in life depend upon the watchman at the gate of your thoughts， sooner or later， crystallize on the external.

A trumpet is a musical instrument， used in olden times， to draw people's attention to something—to victory， to order.

You will form the habit of giving attention to every thought and word， when you realize their importance.

The imagination， the scissors of the mind， is constantly cutting out the events to come into your life.