Welcome to the Simply Charlotte Mason podcast. I'm Sonia Schaefer. We are continuing our series

answering your questions about habit training, and today's question is all about the will.

Charlotte Mason believed that training in habits and fortifying the will go hand in hand. Here's the question. What is the best way to train the will

so I can be consistent in forming the habits of my family? Charlotte had a lot of helpful things to say

about the will. We recently did an episode on what the will is and how it works.

In other words, the way of the will.

I'll leave a link in the show notes for you to find that episode and listen to it.

I think it will help you understand this discussion even more.

Here's a short review.

Think of will as the gatekeeper to your mind and heart. Will stands at the door as a security

guard. He has one job, and that is to decide between the ideas that present themselves

at the door to your mind and heart. He chooses whether to allow an idea in to influence your thinking and

behavior or to reject an idea and turn it away. Now, just like other parts of your body,

will grows strong through feeding and exercise. Let me give you five quick tips for strengthening your will. Number one, feed your

will on good, noble, and true ideas. Those ideas, most often found in living books, will give

your will solid standards to use in making decisions.

You see, will does not make those decisions and choices alone. He has an advisor named

conscience. But conscience needs to be instructed in order to advise well.

So feeding on the best ideas from Scripture and other living books helps your will and

your conscience make good choices.

Tip number two.

Establish good habits that will support good decisions and take some of the stress off of your will.

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