Before preparing oneself by the exercise of reasoning and will-power for
the acquisition of poise, it is vitally necessary to make oneself
physically fit for the effort to be undertaken.

One should begin with this fundamental principle:

Timidity being a disease one must treat it just as one would any other
illness.

Like all other physical maladies it is sure to be the cause of loss of
social prestige to those who suffer from it.

It must then be combated in the same way as any other infirmity of long
standing that threatens to ruin the life of the sufferer.

It is a grave mistake to consider it merely a mental ailment that can be
alleviated by nothing but psychological treatment.

One's nervous condition plays a very large part in the conquest of
poise.

We must, therefore, watch most carefully over the good health of the
body before taking any measures whatever to abolish a condition of
affairs that has been engendered by physical weakness and that will be
fostered by it unless such weakness can be eradicated or more or less
dissipated and ameliorated by a thousand little daily acts of care.

It must be understood that we are not now speaking of medical treatment.
We have reference merely to that common-sense hygiene which has become
more or less a part of modern existence, and the daily practise of