The poor man I have told you about was the man who washed the club man"s auto.
The strenuous pleasure seeker fails to get happiness; that is an inexorable law. He develops into a pessimist with an acrid, satirical disgust at all the simple, worth-while, real things in life.
This is not a new discovery of mine; it"s an old truth. Read Ecclesiastes, the pessimistic chronicle of the Bible, and you"ll find what comes to the pleasure-chaser, and you will know about "vanity and vexation of spirit."
Do something for somebody. Engage in moves and enterprises that will be a service to the community and help the uplift of mankind. This making others happy is a positive insurance and guarantee of your own happiness.
You must keep a stiff upper lip, a stiff backbone; you must forget the wishbone and the envious heart.
Paul had trials, setbacks, hardships and hard labors; he had defeats and discouragements and still the record shows he was "always rejoicing."
Paul was a man of Pep. In the dungeon with his feet in stocks he sang songs and rejoiced. Paul was happy, ever and always, not because he strove to get happiness, but because he had dedicated his life to a service to mankind.
The real hero, the real man of fame, the real man of popularity, doesn"t arrive through direct quest, for any of these things; the result is incidental.
The real hero forgets self first of all; that is the essential step to greatness.
Washington at Valley Forge had no thought that his acts there would furnish inspiration for a picture that would endure for generations.
Lincoln, the care-worn, tired n.o.ble man, in his speech at Gettysburg, never dreamed that speech would stamp him as a master of words and thought, in the hearts of his countrymen. He thought not of self. He was trying to soothe wounds, cheer troubled spirits, and give courage to those who had been so long in shadowland.
Ever has it been that fame, glory, happiness are rewards, given not to those who strive to capture, but to those who strive to free others from their troubles, burdens and problems.
THOUGHT CONTROL
"As a Man Thinketh in His Heart so is He"
A little child is crying over a real or fancied injury to her body or to her pride.
So long as she keeps her mind on the subject she is miserable.
Distract her attention, get her mind on another subject, and her tears stop and smiles replace frowns.
This shows how we are creatures of our thoughts. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he" is a truth that has endured through the centuries.
We are children in so far as we cry and suffer when we think of our ills or hurts or wrongs or bad luck.
We can smile and have peace, poise and strength if we change our thoughts to faith, courage and confidence.
Our condition is what we make it. If we think fear, worry and misery, we will suffer. If we think faith, peace and happiness, we will enjoy life.
Every thought that comes out of our brain had to go in first.
If we feed our brain storehouse with trash and fear, and nonsense, we have a poor material to draw from.
The last thought we put in the brain before going to sleep is most likely to last longest. So it is our duty to quietly relax, to slow down--to eliminate fear-thought, self-accusation, and to subst.i.tute some good helpful thought in closing the mental book of each day.
Therefore read a chapter or two from a worth-while book the last thing before going to bed.
Say to yourself, "I am unafraid; I can, I will awake in the morning with smiles on my face, courage in my heart, and song on my lips."
These suggestions for closing the day will be of instant help to you.
The great power for good, the wherewith to give you strength, progress and efficiency is within yourself and at the command of your will.
You can"t think faith and fear, good and bad, courage and defeat, all at the same time.
You can only think one thing at a time.
Your great power is your will, and the wherewith to help yourself is your thought habit.
Change your thought habit as you go to bed. You can do it; it"s a matter of will determination. The more faithful you are to your purpose, the easier your task will be. Be patient, conscientious rational and confident.
You are what your thoughts picture you to be. Your will directs your thoughts.
Don"t get discouraged if you can"t suddenly change your life from shadow to sunshine, from illness to wellness.
Big things take time and patience. The great ship lies in the harbor pointed North. A tug boat could make a sudden pull and break the great chain or tow line.
Yet you could take a half-inch rope and with your own hands turn the great ship completely around by pulling steadily and patiently. The movement would be slow, but it would be sure and you would finally accomplish your purpose.
Don"t jerk and fret and be impatient with yourself. You have been for years perhaps worrying and thinking fear-thoughts. You have put a lot of useless and harmful material in your brain.
You can"t clean all your brain house in a day or a week, but you can do a little cleaning each day.
You can take the faith rope of good purpose and start to pull gently, and finally you will turn your whole life"s character toward the port of success.
If you have read "Pep" and followed its rules, you are now in a state of poise, efficiency and peace, and realize the truths of this chapter, for you learned in detail the rules for your daily conduct, practice, and how to apply suggestions.
The great crowd worries; only the few have learned the power of the will, and the benefits to be derived from mental control.
Business and social duties call for strong men and women. You can"t reach mastership if you remain a slave.
Your first duty is to yourself, and success or failure is your reward exactly in proportion as you exercise your will power and handle your thought habits.
MEDICINE
Proofs That Mind Control is the Best Medicine
The doctors are giving less medicine and doing more in the way of suggesting diet, and exercise rules, sanitation and preventive practices.