The Art of Concentration

I love Emmet Fox (1886-1951), scientist, philosopher, and spiritual teacher, was a leader in the New Thought Movement, and an early contributor to Alcoholic's Anonymous. He is a author of many books and a readership in the million. Anyway, this is Emmet Fox's take on Concentration:


The only subject that matters is getting an understanding of Truth, developing our souls; but in order to develop our souls we must have some knowledge of the power of concentration. If you can learn and practice right concentration, there is no good thing in the universe that you cannot attain. Concentration means literally 'bringing to a common center." Until you can put your attention where you want it you have not become master of yourself. You will have be happy until you can determine what you are going to think about for the next hour.

First make your body comfortable, then tell it to be good until you come back for it. Concentration has nothing to do with the muscles, it has nothing to do with the blood vessels. Concentration means thought control. It is purely a mental thing and if you are rightly concentrating you will find you are actually relaxed.

People imagine that concentration means holding on to one thought. The human mind is so constituted that it is impossible to do that. True concentration is a movement of the mind along a predetermined path. Nineteen people out of twenty people who say they have failed in concentration have been trying to stand still mentally. All people do have good powers of concentration, but not when they want them. You always concentrate on what you are interested in.

Jana Ruth
Author of Laugh and Live Happier: P.L.A.Y.S. for Life
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