In terms of the Work-Octave we have to return to the note Do and sound it more strongly. Many 'I's attack this note and seek to drain its energy of vibration—mocking 'I's, clownish 'I's, ugly 'I's, cruel 'I's, hard 'I's, arguing 'I's, denying 'I's, mob 'I's. All unpleasandt things in you seek to attack this opening note of the Work.

You must have a genuine matured conscious aim that starts in the light of the Work and to which you hold on every time you remember yourself and every time you think of what you are doing practically in this Work. Only then will the Work help you

Aim must be made consciously, with insight, after long observation, in view of realizing what is putting you to sleep and what helps you to keep awake.

Aim can never become mechanical. Aim must be something that is consciously kept going through new supplies of thought and insight. It is just like building up a barrier near the sea. The sea keeps coming in and washing away parts of this barrier which have to be constantly renewed.

Now unless we have some kind of aim the Work cannot influence our lives for then we are not surrounded by the Work, but remain open to all the influences of life. We can compare aim in the Work with something inside which we stand for the time being.

Aim can come from right or wrong places in us. Aim may be right and come from a wrong place, and aim may be wrong and yet come from a right place. In order to understand what this means, we have to turn back to centers and parts of centers and also speak a little about Attention once more.

Here are some more suggestions about aim: Find out what helps and what hinders you in working and what stops you from working. By keeping to Work aim we create will. You should weigh your aim and see what you are prepared to give up for it. Aim requires effort.

Here are some suggestions of aim: Anything anti-mechanical is a temporary aim and helps us to awaken. All making of effort against mechanicalness is aim. Efforts made when you are tired are useful, if you yourself make them—not otherwise.

If you find you cannot keep your aim as first intended, because it is too difficult, modify your aim, and then you may find that a better aim is suggested to you, especially if you remember your aim whenever you try to remember yourself. Everything taught in this Work on its practical side shows more than one aim to you. You must begin with one thing. But after a time you must include all the rest.

Now as regards the often-asked question: "Can you give me examples of what personal aim means?" On the side of knowledge, personal aim means to become familiar with the ideas of the Work. On the side of Being, personal aim means to observe yourself in the light of the knowledge of the Work and apply it to yourself. Personal work on your own Being begins when you notice something that the Work tells you about in yourself.

Make a clear-cut definite Work-aim of this kind and try to keep consciousness in it for a time. You will then see for yourself the result. But as a rule people never will make a simple clear-cut Work-aim of this kind. They merely worry or vaguely wonder what to do.

In the Work it is said that it is necessary to have aim. Without aim, we in the Work drift. Aim must have a definite formulation. To aim to be better in a vague sense, is not asking. When it is said: "Ask and ye shall receive," it means to ask something real, something you have seen and wish to change.

Unless you have an aim, to make force by working against some mechanical or habitual side of yourself is not enough. One must work on oneself, deny oneself, so that the force goes into one's aim.

The Work says that you have no real permanent will because you have no real permanent 'I'. But it says that you have a small degree of will, comparable with the degree of freedom of movement a violin has in its case. But it will all depend in what direction you use the small will that youy naturally have.

The Work explains to us that we must have an AIM. It says that without an AIM we cannot do the Work. We can listen to it, attend meetings, sit looking at the diagrams on the board, but this will not be the same as doing the Work. And unless we do the Work we will never understand what it is all about.

To remember oneself it is necessary to look in and look out. One must see the outer and see oneself in relation to the outer. But actually no one can see in and see out at the same time any more than a person can breathe in and breathe out at the same time. An act of Self-Remembering is a double movement as is an act of breathing.

If you feel emotional about getting to know your Chief Feature, and really want to know about it, you may catch glimpses. Sometimes you can see Chief Feature in other people. Ask yourselves: "What is it in this person that would make him different if it were changed?" Sometimes it is possible to see this in someone else.