of Power--a Centre of Influence--a Centre of Thought. And that like the
planets circling around the sun, so does your world revolve around YOU
who are its centre. It will not be necessary for you to argue out this
matter, or to convince yourself of its truth by intellectual reasoning.
The knowledge does not come in that way. It comes in the shape of a
realization of the truth gradually dawning upon your consciousness
through meditation and concentration. Carry this thought of yourself as a
"Centre of Consciousness--Influence--Power" with you, _for it is an
occult truth,_ and in the proportion that you are able, to realize it so
will be your ability to manifest the qualities named.

No matter how humble may be your position--no matter how hard may be your
lot--no matter how deficient in educational advantages you may be--still
you would not change your "I" with the most fortunate, wisest and highest
man or woman in the world. You may doubt this, but think for a moment and
you will see that we are right. When you say that you "would like to be"
this person or that, you really mean that _you_ would like to have their
degree of intelligence, power, wealth, position, or what not. What you
want is something that is theirs, or something akin to it. But you would
not for a moment wish to merge your _identity_ with theirs, or to
exchange _selves_. Think of this for a moment To _be_ the other person
you would have to let _yourself_ die, and instead of _yourself_ you would
be the other person. The real _you_ would be wiped out of existence, and
you would not be _you_ at all, but would be _he_.

If you can but grasp this idea you will see that not for a moment would
you be willing for such an exchange. Of course such an exchange is
impossible. The "I" of you cannot be wiped out. It is eternal, and will
go on, and on, and on, to higher and higher states--but it always will be
the same "I." Just as you, although a far different sort of person from