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TheArtofBeingAliveSuccessThroughThought 10001137
TheArtofBeingAliveSuccessThroughThought 10001137
TheArtofBeingAliveSuccessThroughThought 10001137
A R T O F B E I NG A LI VE
SUCC E S S T H R O UG H T H OUG H T
BY
ELLA W H E E L E R W I LCO X
HAR PER 6
’
BR OT H E RS P UBL I S H E R S
N E W YO R K A N D LON DO N
MC M XI V
C O P YR I G H T. I B I A . DY H A R P E R O B R O TH E R S
P R I N T E D I N T H E U N IT E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A
P U B L IS H ED J U LY I 9 I 4
.
CO N T E N T S
AR T THO U AL IVE ?
B EIN G AL IVE
THE SC IE NC E O F SEN SI BL E THI N KING
THE L IF E WOR TH WHILE
B EGI N NOW
COMMON SE N S E L E AVE N O F THE L A W
-
THE B U SI NE SS O F L I FE
TH E W AST E OF TH O U GH T FO R C E
-
H EALTH A ND B EA UTY
SEL F CONT R OL
-
THE S P R I N G S OF H AP P I NE SS
THE AR T O F BECOMI N G P OP ULAR
L I FE S G R AY D AY S
’
A RT THO U ALI VE ?
whi ch he desires .
A re you a li ve
THE S C I E NCE OF S E NS IBLE TH I NKI NG
the world .
I ha ve no ri ght to m ix wi th m y employees or
,
2
THE LI F E W ORTH W H ILE
worth while .
— —
m ore i n this inca rna tion or a nother from wa nt
ing to trea d tha t p a th .
'
Som e feet m ust t rea d t he m oun tai n s base
B efore t hey gai n t he height .
the im pulse .
I 4 TH E AR T OF B E I NG ALI VE
An d there must be som ething m ore tha n m ere
persona l a ggra ndi zem ent or the effort to outshine
or o utdo som e other or a ll others to m a ke i t a
, ,
’
Since its reversa l is Crea tion s la w .
'
And when Crea tion s ea rly
work was done,
Wha t crude beginnings out of cha os ca m e
A formless nebula , a wa veri ng a me, fl
An erra nt comet , a vora cious sun .
TH E LIFE WORT H WH ILE :5
y ou h a ve r ea ched you r go al th a t y ou m a y be a n
influence for good in t he world ?
Only as we an al yze our m otives a nd bri ng them
to the sta nda rd where they ca n m ee t the clear
eyes of our own consciousness ca n a m bition fi t
into the lif e worth while .
e
r al, un til a t last we are sim ply lumin ous spiri t ,
a nism whi ch
produces the violet ra ys of the soul .
—
eas e a nd sham e all these a nd many m ore whose ,
to them .
B y— a nd b y -
a nd Tim e enough m ottoes -
.
hum a nity .
—
Wha tever you intend to do B y an d by begin -
N OW .
THE CO MM O N -
S E NS E LE AVE N OF T HE LA W
g
26 T H E AR T OF BE IN G ALI VE
give hi m Opport uni ty t o develop his taste for
a thleti cs Thereupon the m other deci ded the re
.
good sense .
“
m usi c even though they sca nned a ccording to
,
l
co or blind a nd una ble to di stingui sh shad es an d
-
content sa ve wi th a book in ha nd .
self conscious
-
They are frequently in the wa y
.
of their elders .
m a n s will I n a ll t hi ngs
’
.
as in the present da y .
p r od u ce sa n e str
,o ng chi ldre n who are m en tally
3 6 THE AR T OF BE IN G ALI VE
a nd all its ramifica tions of diseas e ; violent tem
p ;
er la zin ess a n d fa ilure to pro vi de for a fam ily
these are the m a in cha pters in the book of mas
culin e offenses a gainst ha ppy hom es Bu t the
.
Yet the wea pons she has used in sla ying Cupid
ha ve been concea led from a ll eyes sa ve her hus
band s or other eyes under her roof And the
’
.
It is perha ps the
, , the pendulum
swin gn of
never t o return .
py , c lea n, h arm o ni o us ho m es ?
tram ple you under their feet but if you tam e and
,
t
s an d your laws of perpetual rej uvena tion a nd to
illustra te them
’
.
t welve m onths .
shall be a dded
’
.
— —
Sorrow ma y be na y must be the portion ,
, .
ve
g
inert .
you .
TO YO U N G ME N 55
“
Get a hea d of yourself not of som e rival
,
.
56 THE AR T OF BEING ALI VE
If you a shop or a n offi ce to a
com petitor, a
H is m a ni fold blessings .
ence m ea ns.
“
Such a colossal thought ought to ta ke such
com plete possession of you tha t nothin g petty ,
“
Thi s pra yer will be from the depths of your
being a nd it will be repea ted every da y a nd you
, ,
tha t will bring the best joy into your own life
a nd mi nd a nd m ental a nd
powers you t
spiri u al
her rooms ?
If you are the parents of sm all children a re you ,
fully .
older progeny .
as a b a be unborn .
p l
e ; he ha d i nf g
ri n ed u pon the ri ghts of others; he
ers a nd fruits .
best ?
E a ch one of us is a m a nsion . E a ch on e of us
is a ma nsion wi th its different stori es, it s groun d
fl oor, its upper room s a nd it s tower
, We must
.
H a ve you ?
There are som e things we know better tod a y
than any one knew a thousa nd or fifty yea rs a go .
on the kn ees .
t ki i f om G o i ve e good ’
y o u are a ng n r d s un rs
80 THE ART OF BE IN G ALI VE
health good will success ha ppiness a nd useful
, , , ,
Try it .
t a l a tm osphere .
feel cross If you sit and smile you will soon feel
.
a ged m ort al .
We ca n .
e
n ss, or imm ora lity a nd m a ke no protest or gi ve
no w arning .
ma ntic love :
Of a ll the rhetori cal comm onpla ces in litera
ture a nd conversa tion none is more frequently
repea ted tha n the a ssertion tha t love as depi cted
—
the gospel of m odern love the rom a ntic a dora
—
tion of a ma iden by a youth reveal ed for the
first tim e in defini te lan gua ge Geni us however
.
, ,
to our ha ppiness .
trouble .
a nd self assertion-
There was never a tim e when
.
ca n com e to m e
’
.
When lifeiv
g es
The burden of a du t y, difficult
And ha rd t o ca rry , t hen rej oice, 0 Soul,
An d know t hyself one chosen for hi gh t hi ngs .
wi ll la st ?
You m a y ha ve m a de m oney or gained a social
,
er a ll pass a wa y
, .
ta king a dri nk
when you know it is not good
for you ; or to decline food tha t you are con
scious di sa grees wi th you a nd lea ves unpleasa nt
effects af terward ?
It is ei ther easier or m ore difli cult ; we never
t
s an d still You are
. certa inly a bit stronger or a
bit wea ker in your will power tha n you were a
Whi ch is it ?
your office or shop you are bri nging out the worst
,
virtues .
T o show t he Go d wi thi n,
And who wa lks t here will never
B e sla ve of fea r or sin .
—
fa ctor in the world not m erely of your town or
church Try an d be broa d a nd large in your out
.
look .
ities .
8
XVI I I
W H AT C H ARM ?
!
IS
“
Now, wha t do they m ea n by charm ? she
!
as ked .
“
of her once : First of a ll she is good ; then she
is brilli a nt ; then she is bea utiful .
ness is a dded .
KE E P S T ILL
ture you ha ve ?
Are you disturbing the pea ce a nd comfort of
those a bout you wi th talk of nerves a nd hea da ches ?
Then you are commi tting a sin a gainst God a nd
hum ani ty You are defiling the a tm osphere wi th
.
—
ties Love the Crea tive instincts will power an d
, ,
—
indulgence ignora nce a nd indolen ce a n d as a
, ,
be gi ven .
God finished
woma n in the t wilight hour,
And sa id, T o-morrow thou shalt find thy pla ce
Ma n s complem ent , the mother of the ra ce,
’
—
lif ted soul all these m ean a lovely mi ddle a nd
!
of life .
“
TH E DAN GEROU S AGE
!
1 13
gra y or a
g y .
plun ges into the vortex of fas hiona ble di ssi pa tion
a nd fin ds her only enjoym ent in i ts whirlpool of
folly .
Out of th e groping
bla ckness
My hea rt nds a world in bloom ;
fi
For i t someho w i s fashioned for hoping
And it ca nnot li ve in the gloom .
“
To be a ble to see the funny Side of lif e en
!
t er
.
nearly so a rtistic .
9
XX I I
S CI E NC E A ND T HE A U RA
a big ha rvest .
desira ble Sha des for auras in dica ting spiri tuali ty
, ,
a ffecti on a nd in tellect
, .
—
to the color of their a uras those whose auras
a ppea red to be blue blue mixed with gra y a nd
, ,
dull .
T HE MONE Y ! UE ST ION
was but one sex Yet tha t one sex was bi sexual
.
-
,
record .
1 34 TH E AR T OF BE ING ALI VE
Then the ra ce began to study into la ws of hered
it y a nd it was observed tha t da ughters m ore fre
,
10
13 8 T HE AR T OF BEIN G AL I VE
B e industri o us .
hala ti ons a nd sa y
, I am brea thing I n the benefi t
,
—
m akin g good use of them use whi ch will benefi t
o thers a nd lea ve the ra ce better off for your ha ving
—
lived then you will be obliged to return without
THE LAW OF J U STICE 1 41
every hour .
la w of j ustice .
peri od .
the slum s .
'
her sins She will imm edia tely join the spiri t of
,
!
B ut such a woman has not m a de such a reuni on
possi ble She will ha ve to earn her a dm ission
.
THE B U S INE SS O F LI FE
funeral pile .
TH E WA STE O F TH OU GH -ORCE
T F
never to be roused a t a ll .
self .
p in ess L
. if t your so ul t o the v as t ness of sp a c e
a nd refuse to be petty a nd sm a ll a nd jealo us an d
R eceive it a nd go your wa y
, .
ll
1 54 TH E AR T OF BEIN G AL I VE
light .
lence .
—
time Should indeed regard it as a generous
, ,
se f cont rol
l - . Uni ty
.
ha ve .
“
I t i s not so i mporta nt tha t thi ngs go as I thi nk
they should a s i t i s tha t I should be ma ster of them
by self-control .
XXXI
H A T is ha ppiness ?
a vera ge person ?
I s ha ppiness desira ble ?
If ha ppiness were possible would not a grea t
,
ness a bsolute .
to hum a nity .
TH E ART O F B E COMING P O P U LA R
a ll inds
g
.
1 70 T H E AR T or BE I NG AL I VE
p l
i shm en t s he rself a nd w i tho
,u t bea u ty or grea t
mental gifts sta nds a far better chance of becom
,
FE
’
LI S G RA Y DA YS
then to do i t .
n r
1 76 THE AR T OF BE ING ALIVE
decision in his ea rly youth or B enj amin Fra nklin
, ,
Wh a t losers we would a ll be by it !
It is not m erely you yourself who is t o be
, ,
m a y be .
m ent , the plea sure lies alm ost wholly in the a ntici
p a tio n
. The m om en t the lo nged-fo r eve n t a rri ve s
m ust return .
hours of pain .
yo u y
, ou will u se i t t o the w orld s a dv
’
a n ta ge .
“
Your only fea r will be the fear of not living
!
THE RE VIVA L OF A
D NCI NG
vided , no es ac pe valve - .
—
the grasses of the m ea dow all da nce The sun .
of physi ca l grac e .
a rt
. It seem ed like som e stra nge crea ture whi ch
1 84 THE AR T OF B E ING ALIVE
Long a go in Eastern lands devout and reveren t
, ,
da nced .
tests a gai nst the wa ltz and two step Yet both - .
participants so wish .
fl oor .
wi th life wi th destiny
, E verything we desire .
hum anity .
yo u to do is t o i
pp e your m en ta l faculti es to thi s
yo u ar e tu rn i n g o n a f a u cet It is o f li ttle. u se in ,
T HE NEED O F T HE WOR L D
men .
1igi on .
self
!
.
li ne should be .
scholar wa s Swedenbo rg
,
And this man ga ve .
THE E ND