forgetting and ignoring of all things which annoy, vex, harrass, tease
or worry us in any way whatever. To expect perfect immunity in this
respect from the unavoidable ills of life is absurd; but having paid
great attention to the subject, and experimented largely on it, I
cannot resist declaring that it seems to me in very truth that no
remedy for earthly suffering was yet discovered equal to this. I
generally put the wish into this form: "I will forget and forgive all
causes of enmity and anger, and should they arise I determine at once
to cast them aside." It is a prayer, as it were, to the Will to stand
by me, and truly the will is _Deus in nobis_ to those who believe that
God helps those who help themselves. For as we can get into the
fearful state of constantly recalling all who have ever vexed or
wronged us, or nursing the memory of what we hate or despise, until
our minds are like sewers or charnel-houses of dead and poisonous
things, so we can resolutely banish them, at first by forethought,
then by suggestion, and finally by waking will. And verily there are
few people living who would not be the better for such exercise. Many
there are who say that they would fain forget and be serene, yet
cannot. I do not believe this. We can all exorcise our devils--all of
them--if we _will_.

_To restrain irritability in our intercourse with others_. It will not
be quite sufficient as regards controlling the temper to merely will,
or _wish_ to subdue it. We must also will that when the temptation
arises it may be preceded by forethought or followed by regret. As it
often happens to a young soldier to be frightened or run away the
first time he is under fire, and yet learn courage in the future, so
the aspirant resolved to master his passions must not doubt because he
finds that the first step slips. _Apropos_ of which I would note that
in all the books on Hypnotism that I have read their authors testify