| | Johnny had been working hard and had learned hundreds of thoughts like
red, white, coat, beard and man. One winter day when he was getting into
something that he was not supposed to, his mother said that if he behaved
himself, Santa Claus would bring him some toys. "Who is Santa Claus?" was his
next question.
As his mother explained, John took the thoughts that he had learned, and
created an image of a big man with a white beard, wearing a red coat and
carrying a little ball. This image is called a belief. This process is the
reverse of thinking. Instead of John creating a thought from what he had seen,
he used his thoughts to create an image of what he has not seen.
While this believing process can be valuable, it also can cause John many
problems. If he accepts that Santa Claus exists, he emotionally will feel the
pleasure of having someone to give him presents like his parents. But when he
learns that there is no Santa Claus, he not only will feel the pain of losing
Santa Claus, he may lose his confidence in all his mental images. To avoid this
problem, Johnny needs only to think about what people say, and never just accept
what they believe.
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