William Walker Atkinson Thought Vibration – Book Review

Written in 1906, William Walker Atkinson’s Thought Vibration is as current and relevant today as it was a century ago. Atkinson, a somewhat forgotten New Thought pioneer, was also a lawyer, merchant, publisher, and author of more than 100 books, many under pseudonyms.

Without preaching, Atkinson explores the ideas of increasing willpower, mastering the real self, living fully, mind-controlling negative thoughts, training habits, harnessing emotions, and developing new brain power. His old style of writing is still alive and surprisingly refreshing 100 years later.

I love Atkinson’s “in your face” attitude about willpower. (If you don’t have any, you’re a mental bum!) And his thoughts on what he calls “affirming life force” or actually living and experiencing every moment of every day, calls us to stop doing things by halves. . . Take an interest, man!

Atkinson spends a lot of time discussing fear and how it affects our attitudes and ultimately our ability to succeed. Fear, he says, is an expectation of the thing feared. To banish fear, he begins to do some of the things he could do if he weren’t afraid to try. Assert your courage and eventually the fear will recede.

Atkinson leaves us some reflections on our vision of successful people. We imagine that successful people are superior. And if we ever get the chance to meet someone we consider superior, we are often disappointed to discover that he is just like us! The difference, says Atkinson, is the successful person’s belief in himself and his ability to focus. Resist the temptation to underestimate ourselves and overestimate others.

It’s amazing how the world around us is so different, but the human element remains the same!