The will is the seat of power and what a man wills to do and be, he will do and be. And where the will calls in the help of imagination, there are few things he cannot achieve, in the changing of habits, in the re-shaping of personality and character. Tremendous achievements are often accomplished by people whose only asset in the beginning appeared to be their sheer will power. In the world of business politics, profession, family and social life, they attain success by determination. It is only possible but also easy for anyone to develop his will power. To begin with he must understand how the will works and how it can be developed first by the conscious mind and ultimately by the unconscious mind. Unwavering faith, strong self confidence and an optimistic outlook are the essential aids to strengthen one’s will power. The will has been compared to the engine of a motor. It is there all the time strong, capable and powerful. However it needs, like the engine, some outside force to propelit, activate it and make it go. According to psychologists, this magic power is imagination. Imagination serves as the basis of success in everything. It fires us with enthusiasm, it creates and sustains the interest and it motivates each and every one of our actions. Emil Coue has clearly demonstrated the close relationship between the imagination and will by a simple example. If there is a narrow plank which serves as a bridge very close to the ground, our imagination does not visualize accidents and dangers. We walk across the plank nonchalantly. But if the very same plank is placed at a considerable height, our imagination makes us develop cold feet. We hesitate to walk across the plank. Here the imagination conflicts with the will. Where this happens, the will power is weakened. We must therefore ensure that imagination and will work together.
Imagination will enable us to get rid of undesirable habits and attitudes. First we have to imagine and picture in our mind as we would like to be. This means developing a positive frame of mind by using our imagination. If we are reserved, irritable, shy, timid, dull and hesitant we can imagine ourselves as being free from these drawbacks. We can picture ourselves as free, jovial bold, active and dashing. Then we can exercise our will to work towards those aims. It would be better to reduce to writing as to what all we desire, what exactly is our goal, and how we propose to work to attain that goal, and how we propose to work to attain that goal. The ideal must be kept clearly and persistently before us. We must then pursue the path selected by ourselves with determination. We should avoid distracting temptations by exercising but will powers. When the will is weak or hesitant, it should be reinforced by imagination.Imagination has always been the pivot of our mental power. The great men have always displayed will pivot. concentration and determination in their efforts. Since imagination is part and parcel of the mental make-up of every human being, it can be de developed to great advantage be every one of us. In words by acting and enriching our imagination we can develop our personality and make it attractive as well as forceful.