TH E

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
-

M ODER N MARR IAGE

THE G ENE R OU S YE A R s
TO YO UN G ME N
MOR B I DI TI S
P R E NATAL I NFL UE NC E

THE NEGL EC TED AR T OF GOOD P A R E NT

THE TOW ER ROOM

L O VE
THO UGHT NAIL S
-

A M E NTAL I NVE NTO RY

THE SMALL TOWN
WHA T I S CHARM
KEEP STILL
 CONTE NTS
THE D AN GE R OU S AGE
THE SEN S E OF H UMOR
SC IE NCE A ND THE A UR A
M ONEY ! UE STION
SE X

THE P OW ERO F RECON STR UCTION

THE L A W O F J U STIC E

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
’

THE REVIVAL OF D ANC I N G

P R ACTICAL M E NTAL P R E SC R I PTI ON
THE NEED OF THE WORLD
THE L IFE H ER EAFT ER
TH E ART O F BEI NG ALI VE

A RT THO U ALI VE ?

Art thou alive ? Na y, not t oo soon reply ,

Tho ha nd a nd foot , a nd lip , a nd ea r, a nd eye
’

R espond, a nd do thy biddi ng ; yet ma ybe

G rim dea t h has done his dirdst work with thee .

Life, as God gives it , is a thing a pa rt

From a ctive body a nd from bea t ing hea rt .

I t is t he vi t a l spark, the unseen fi re ,

Tha t m oves the mind to reason a nd aspire ;
I t is the force t ha t bids em otion roll,
I n might y billows from the surging soul .

I t is the light tha t grows from hour t o hour,

An d floods t he b rai n wi th consci ousness of power;
I t is the spirit domina t ing a ll,
An d rea ching God with it s i m perious ca ll,
U nt il the shini ng glory of hi s fa ce
Illumina t e: ea ch sorrowf ul, da rk pla ce ;
I t is the t ruth tha t sets the bondsma n free,
Knowin g he will be wha t he wills t o be .

With its unburi ed dea d the ea rth is sa d .

Art thou a live ? P rocla im i t a nd be gla d .

P ercha nce t he dea d ma y hea r thee a nd a rise ,

Knowing they live, a nd H E RE is P ara di se .
 B E ING A LIVE

St op looking for fa ult s a nd fla ws ;

Rise up t o-da y in your pride a nd sa y,
“
I a m pa rt of the First Grea t Ca use !
!

N every thousand people who are li ving on thi s

.

ea rth not more than one is a live

, .

To be really a live m ea ns m ore than to be a

m oving brea thing ea ting drinking and talking
, , , ,

H e who is a ctually ali ve fin ds the da ys too

short for all the wonderful explora tions whi ch
life offers in three realms to the reverent and

H e fin ds life itself a continual ad venture , a n

unfolding panorama with opportuni ties for pleas
,

H e fin ds hims elf an object of interesting stu dy ,

however dissa tisfied he m a y be with the present

results of tha t study for he , perceives tha t he is

lie a ll the powers an d possibilities la tent in the

 BE IN G ALIVE 3

Uni verse . tha t in him self lies the will to

An d
work out these possibili ties .

H e who is fully alive enjoys the ea rth a nd all

it s pleasures H e loves the Sla p of the wind u pon
.

his cheek the da sh of the wa ves u pon hi s breast

, ,

the m otion of his lim bs in the swift w alk ; the

thrill of the good steed s body under hi s own ; the
’

ecstas y of rhyt hm in the da nce ; the vibra nt swing

of the oar H e loves la bor a nd the fa tigue
.
,

whi ch follows ; a nd in his ha rm oni ously developed

fram e there is not one la zy or unused muscle .

But being a live does not stop here .

The m an who is pra ctising the art of being

a live to it s full extent ha s an al ert recepti ve ,

brai n a nd a n a wa kened spirit Without these

he would sim ply be a splendi d a ni m al With .

these he is the highest expression of the Crea tive

Power visi ble to m orta l vi sion And wi th these .

he finds his opportuni ties for ha ppiness useful ,

ness a nd plea sure in existen ce thr eefold

,
.

H e knows the pleas ures of the physi cal plane ,

for whi ch hi s body is fashi oned ; he dra ws to him

self the pleasures of the m en ta l pla ne a nd he ,

senses the pleasures of the spiri tua l pla ne whi ch ,

lies nea r and deri ves power therefrom

,
.

The m an who is alive in a ll these wa ys must

ra di a te light cheer sym pa thy a nd helpfulness
, , ,

to all who com e wi thin his aura B eing a live to .

the vibra tions from three realms he knows all ,

tem pta tions ; a nd from having mad e ma ny mis

steps him self in his roa d to unfoldm en t he ca n
, ,
4 TH E AR T OF BE IN G ALI VE

sym pa thize counsel a nd help onward those who

, ,

ha v e not been a ble to keep step wi th him in hi s

The ma n who is really alive realizes tha t he

must use hi s own position in the world an d hi s ,

ow n en vi ronm ent as the fi rst fi eld of a ction if

,

he hopes to rea ch success in a ny venture H e .

must not wa it for lfick or a m ira cle to give him a

cha nge of loca tion an d surroun dings better suited

to his tas te Out of wha tever destiny ha s be

.

stowed u po n him he will m a ke the conditions

whi ch he desires .

And out of every ea rth da y he will m ake a

little bit of hea ven .

No difii culty ca n discoura ge no obsta cle dis ,

ma y no trouble di shearten the m a n who has

,

a cqui red the a rt of being a live Di fli culties a re

.

but da res of fa te obsta cles but hurdles to t ry

,

his skill troubles but bitter toni cs to give him

,

strength ; an d he rises higher a nd looms grea ter

a fter ea ch en coun ter wi th a dversity .

The m a n who is wholly a live fin ds pleasure in

the sim plest things ; a nd to him nothing is com
monplace nothing is m enial
, And he is never .

bored for na ture a nd hum an na ture a nd him self

,

are ever in teresting subjec ts of contem pla tion a nd

st udy And the fu ture to him is a ra diant vision

.
,

growing ever m ore a nd m ore wonderful .

If you are ali ve you a re in touch wi th every

new m ovem ent ; you are a wak e to the conscious
ness of the m arch of progress a nd the discoveries
 BE IN G ALI VE 5

of s cience ; a nd you are lending a li stening ear to

wha t the students of meta physical thought ha ve
to sa y.

If you are dull or indifferent or unbeli evi ng

when the grea t fa cts rela tive to thi s subj ect are
m entioned in your presence then you are no ,

more ali ve to the vita l truths of the da y than is

the child unborn or the vi ctim of the sleeping
,

si ckness who lies for months in a sta te of leth argy

, ,

una ble to thi nk or reas on even thou gh not dea d

, .

The m arvels whi ch exist a ll a bout you the won ,

derful experiences whi ch are rela ted by thousa nds

of intelli gent huma n beings who ha ve given tim e
,

a nd concentra tion to the explora tion of the men

t al rea lm ha ve a ppealed to your mi nd a nd hea rt

,

suffi ci ently to a wa k en your respectful interest if ,

y o u are rea lly a li ve .

If you are bored wi th lif e a nd work if you think ,

the yea rs of ea rly youth alone a re ha ppy yea rs ,

if you believe sentim ent a nd rom a nce a re eva nes

cent feelings if you fi nd daily life comm onpla ce
, ,

if you ima gine you are too old or too busy to

ma ke som ethi ng worth while out of your Oppor
t unities then you a re not a li ve
, .

If you believe sickness poverty an d unha ppi

, ,

ness ca nnot be cha nged to hea lth com fort a nd , ,

pea ce by yourself then you are indeed unborn ;

,

a nd if you thi nk elas ti city of bo dy a nd m ind a nd ,

a joyful outlook an d worthy a chi evem ents a nd

, ,

vi tal j oy in lif e ca nnot a ccom pa ny hum a n beings

a long the wa y a fter the half centu ry mark has -
6 T H E AR T OF BE ING ALIVE
been pas sed , you are not a liYou m erely exist
ve
. .

And you are losing your wonderful cha nce to

u tilize for the good of the world a nd for your own
good here a nd hereaf ter these golden da ys by a
, ,

knowledge and use of the Divine Will in yourself .

A re you a li ve
 THE S C I E NCE OF S E NS IBLE TH I NKI NG

H owever full the world,

There is room for a n ea rnest ma n .

I t ha d need of me, or I would not be

I am here to st rength the pla n .

FE W years a go the philosophy of Mind

Over Ma tter was talked a nd beli eved only
by a dva nced think ers a nd dream ers, the spiri tual
minded a n d the visio ary P t c , every da y
n .ra c i a l -

people la ughed a t or ig ored all phases of the new

n
version of a very old science .

It is gra tifying a nd surprising to find how the

la w is to da y being un derstood a nd em ployed in
-

the world .

Not long since a successful mana ger of t wo

very large hotels was com plim ented u pon the har
m ony a nd ha ppiness whi ch perva ded his hotels .

E m ployees a nd associa tes all seem ed to regard

the em ployer as a persona l friend a nd work as
a recrea ti on .The proprietor was a handsom e ,
fl orid m an of mi ddle a ge alert a nd a ctive
, , . A
casual observer would have consi dered him a man
p a rti cular ly fond o f the luxuries o f lif e , a nd if hi s
8 THE AR T OF BE ING ALIVE

one would ha ve sai d tha t the ra ce tra ck a nd -

bridge whi st took the lea d a nd religi ous ma tters

were left to the wom en of hi s fam ily Instead , .

this ma n, in a conversa tion regarding his hotel

success , remarked tha t he felt hi s prosperity was

entirely due to the fa ct tha t for fi ve yea rs

he had been a pa tient student of Mental S ci
ence, a nd was a pplying its laws to hi s da ily

When things go a t all wrong with me he ,

“
sai d , a nd I feel nervous or out of sort s I go a t ,

once to m y room sit alone a nd ta ke a half hour

, ,
-

of concentra tion un til I grow pea ceful I know

, .

I ha ve no ri ght to m ix wi th m y employees or
,

guests un til I ha ve harmoni ous conditions wi thin

m yself I a m m y own hea ven a nd hell m y own
.
,

fai lure or success It is not alwa ys m y fa ult if

.

things go wrong but it is m y fault if they do not

,

becom e righted It is m y fa ult if I do not make

.

a success of wha tever I un derta ke Until fi ve .

yea rs ago I ha d no su ccess in a nything I blam ed .

Fa te a nd condi tions a nd every body an d thing

but myself Then I went into the stu dy of Mental
.

Laws a nd bega n to learn wha t a limitless field the

mind has a nd wha t wonderful powers a re con
t ai ned in the st of m a n a nd since then every
,

thi ng has turned m y wa y Wha tever I undertake.

succeeds a nd I ha ve no trouble wi th help or

,

business associa tes An y pas sing disturbance I

.

ca n trace to its source a nd a lla y

!
.
 T HE SCI E NCE OF SE N S I BLE TH IN KIN G 9

These words from a practical business ma n

w ere especially interesting .

The earth has too ma n y expensi ve churches a nd

t oo much Sunda y reli gion Wha t it wan ts is a
.

religion tha t is a ppli ed every hour of the da y in

the street a nd ma rt a nd ofli ce a nd hom e a t e —

ligi on whi ch helps men to be ha ppy in their w ork
a nd m a kes their e mployees a nd associa tes ha ppy .

A reli gion to keep hea lth of body a nd m ind a nd

harmony a nd hope in the m ental a tm osphere a nd
to crea te a hea ven right here on earth .

The purpose of thi s book is to a ssist those who

seek a sim ple p ra ctica l m ethod of a pplyi ng the
,

la ws of Mind to the da ily a ff a irs of life .

The book m a kes no claim of ori gi nali ty of

thought or of litera ry excellence I ts ideas are
.

as old as the uni verse . The centra l them e m a y

be found in the Vedas a nd in a ll the la ter B ibles
of the world . These old old truths ha ve been
,

reva m ped a nd presen ted to the public by gifted

m inds in countless forms M a n y of these form s

.

ha ve been bea utiful a nd of ra re litera ry value .

This book a im s only a t sim plicity a nd pra cti

ca lit y in the use of these a ge Old truths
- .

It aim s to help ma ny not to plea se the few

, .

This work is not intended to com pete for im

perisha ble honors in the ha lls of a rt bu t to be ,

here a nd now a da ily help to struggling souls on

life s crowded highwa ys
’
.

2
 THE LI F E W ORTH W H ILE

Like one blindfolded groping out his wa y,

I will not t ry t o t ouch b eyond t o-da y
.

Since a ll t he fut ure is concea led from sight ,

I need but st ri ve t o ma ke th e next step right .

H E Life Worth While di fl ers in the mi nds

of i ndi viduals . Tha t whi ch seems wort h
while to one m a y seem unendura ble t o a nother ;
an d so a ny a nal ysis of the subjec t m us t be m a de

from the purely persona l sta ndpoint , an d m ust

not be cons i dered an effort t o la y down arbitrary
la ws for the hum a n ra ce t o follow .

The religious fa na tic in cert ain parts of India

thinks lif e is worth while if he is ena bled t o sit
in one position for t en years a nd to suffer physi cal
a ngui sh while he holds his arm a bove hi s hea d

in order t o prove hi s willi ngness t o mortify the

body H undreds of devotees do him reverence
.
,

a nd furni sh him wi th food to sustai n life in order

tha t he m a y continue to suffer ; a nd in thi s pe

culia r m a nner he illu stra tes hi s idea l of t he life

worth while .

The Yogi, who is of a hi gher order of mind , be

 2 TH E AR T OF BE IN G ALIVE

a nd wrong things whi ch people do are som e

the
tim es worth while beca use they lea d those who
,

are enga ged in them to knowledge of their worth

lessness Lo oking ba ck along the roa d of lif e,

.

many of us ca n see where we profi ted by pursui ng

the wrong tra il for a season We learned tha t it
.

led to the la nd of nowhere or into j un gles a nd

qua gmires a nd now we are protected for ever
,

— —
m ore i n this inca rna tion or a nother from wa nt
ing to trea d tha t p a th .

N ot every soul ca n wi n the ra ce

B y al wa ys run ning righ t .

'
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 .

Yet if thi s consciousness of wha t is best and

right an d wi se a nd true be born in a m a n o r
, , ,

bred in him from hi s cra dle to ma turity blest is ,

he tha t need not lea rn through his mistakes !

B ut doubly then is he bles t if wi th thi s con
, ,

sciousness dwell sym pa thy a nd un dersta nding for

those who m ust learn the lesson otherwise For .

sympa thy is the keynote to the lif e worth while .

Most lives contai n som ethi ng whi ch mak es

them worth while ; but once a t leas t I ha ve , ,

seen a life whi ch seem ed to m e utterly worthless .

An elderly wom a n going down into the va lley of

,

old a ge born to weal th wed ded to one who ha d

, ,

g ive n he r ki n dn ess an d devotion yet li vi ng a ,

lif e of u tter selfishness ; concerned only wi th the

events of her personal social circle ; worrying
 TH E LI FE WORTH WH I LE 13

a bout gowns a nd her m enus stimula ting a de

her ,

p le t ed system to ca rry her through her petty

am bitions a n d seekin g sleep through the m edi um

,

of drugs Yet when this woma n was born there

.

was a grea t rejoicing for she inherited wealth

,

a nd an honora ble nam e a nd every blessing .

Surely no child born in a poor tenem ent house -

or no foundlin g left upon a doorstep ever ma de

lif e less worth while tha n this fa vori te of fortun e .

For even upon the verge of the gra ve she ha d

fa iled to lea rn how tri vial a nd petty were her
aim s a nd am bitions a nd no regret for was ted
,

opportunities touched her a trophi ed old hea rt .

Such a life m ust renew itself in a la ter inca rna tion ,

in poverty a nd loneliness ; an d spurred by neces,

sit y it m ust struggle out into the light of knowl

,

edge a nd lea rn the blessedn ess of work a nd the

growt h whi ch com es through effort .

My own ideal of the lif e worth while is one

whi ch bri ngs into pla y all the physi ca l m ental , ,

a nd spiritual powers inherent in the hum a n being .

I t includes growth a long all of those lines from ,

the crudeness of a dolescence to the ma turity of a ge ,

First of a ll m ust com e a purpose a n objec t , .

It m a y be the cultiva tion of a talent it m a y be ,

the lea rning of a tra de it ma y be the a ccom plish

,

m ent of som e phila nthropic a im or the esta b ,

lishm ent of a n ideal hom e or the performa nce of

,

a duty .But wha tever it is however sim ple or

,

however grea t there must be enthusiasm behind

,

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
, ,

corner stone of the life worth while

-
.

With such a purpose in the hea rt and a goal ,

in the di sta n ce toward whi ch continual effort is

directed there m ust be a consciousness o f the
,

necessity to be as well as t o do if the life is t o,

be m a de worth whi le So m a ny of us striving

.
,

to a chieve a nd t o perfect the work we ha ve

chosen to do fa il to realize how m uch m ore im
,

porta nt is the work given us to do by the grea t

Mas ter the perfecting of chara cter Should not
— .

tha t be consi dered t he rea l work of a life worth

while ?

I n wha t I do I not e t he ma rring fl a w,

The im perfec tion s of t he work I see ;
No r a m I one who d ra t her do t ha n be,
’

’
Since its reversa l is Crea tion s la w .

Na y , since better a nd a worse,

there lies a

A lesser a nd a la rger, in men s View ,

’

I would be bett er t ha n t he t hi ng I do,

As God is grea ter tha n his u ni verse .

H e sha ped H imself before H e sha ped one world

A m illion eo ns, t oili ng da y a nd night ,
H e b uilt H i mself t o ma j est y a nd might ,
Before t he pla nets i nt o spa ce were hurled .

'
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

An d , still una ble t o perfect H is pla n ,

Wha t a wful crea t ures a t H is t ouch found birth
Those p ro toplas mi c m onst ers of the ea rt h ,
Tha t owned the world before H e fas hioned Ma n .

And now, behold the poor, unfinished sta te

Of this, H is la t est ma sterpiece ! T hen why ,
Seeing the fla ws in m y own work , should I
B e t roubled tha t no voice p rocla ims it grea t ?

Before m e lies the cycling rounds of yea rs ;

With t his small ea rth will die the thi ng I do ;
The t hing I a m, goes j ourneying onward throug h
A million lives, upon a milli on spheres .

My work I build, as best I ca n a nd ma y ,

Knowing a ll m ort a l efi ort ends in dust .

I build m yself , no t as I ma y, but m ust ,

Knowi ng, for good or ill, tha t self m ust sta y .

Along the a ges, out a nd on , af ar,

I ts j ourney lea ds , a nd must perforce be ma de
Likewise i ts choice , with things of sha m e a nd shade,
Or up t he pa th of light , from star to sta r .

When all these sola r di sperse ,

syst ems sha ll
P ercha nce this la bor, a nd t his self-cont rol,
Ma y find rewa rd, a nd m y com plet ed soul
Will fli ng in spa ce a li ttle uni verse .

One who ets him self thi s task of perfecting

s
his na ture as he goes along toward a chi evem ent
, ,

will fin d the a nalysis of hi s own m otives a nd the

ca use of hi s own ac tions full of interest a nd
benefit Are you intent u pon erect ing a house
.

of many stories ? If so why ? I s it to bu ild a

,
16 TH E AR T OF BE IN G AL I VE

mansion taller tha n your eighbor s an d one tha t

’
n

shall ca use all ob servers to envy you ? Or is it

to gi ve comfort and light a nd fresh air to its

Do you seek wealth ? For W ha t then ? I s it ,

to ena ble you to give expensive dinners to wear ,

im ported garm ents an d to ou tshi ne your com

,

ra des in lif e s journey ? Or is it t o ena ble you to

’

m a ke yourself m ore useful in the world ? And

are you suffi ci ently a cquai nted wi th your own

disposition a nd sure of your own good sense a nd

will power to be cert ain tha t you would live the
life worth while a nd di spense your ri ches wi sely
, ,

if you a ttai ned your object ?

Do you seek fa m e a nd glory ? For wh a t ? Tha t
y ou m a y be en vi ed a n d la u ded ; or th a t y ou m a y
develop the best tha t lies in you u se a ll your
,

powers and utilize all your talents ; and after

,

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 .

The m a n or wom a n who a chi eves grea t thin gs

in the m en tal world a nd who neglects the body ,

the health the personal a ppea ra nce ca nnot live

, ,

When we pass from ea rth we will dispense with

this physical body ; a nd as we go through ea ch
plane of life we will becom e more a nd m ore ethe
 TH E L I F E WORTH WH I LE 17

e
r al, un til a t last we are sim ply lumin ous spiri t ,

ual beings clothed in a body of light .

But un til we en ter these realm s a nd while we

a re on earth the physica l body deserves our

care our respect a nd it s m easure of our a ttention

, ,
.

It was crea ted by our thoughts and a cts in other

in carna tions a nd has been gi ven us as the result
,

of our own deeds in the past Wha tever it is we .

,

m a de it so ; a nd it behooves us to tak e good care

of it while here to refine it by our m ethods of
,

lif e t o bea utify it by our thoughts a nd to keep

, ,

it clea n strong a nd well clothed

, ,
.

Com ely clothi ng has it s p art in lif e with ,

lovely hom es an d fai r scenery wi th gra ceful ,

furniture and a ppetizing food All the m a terial .

things of this life are m ea nt for our ra tion

al enjoym ent while we occu py the m a terial
body .

To despise them and to endea vor to li ve wholly

,

in the Spiri t before we a re ta ken out of thi s realm

, ,

is to serve only one part of the school lif e in tended

for our developm ent T o live wholly for a nd in
.

m a teri al pleasures is t o kee p in the pri m ary class

of tha t school a nd refuse to progress to higher
gra des The indi vi du al who a pprecia tes the physi
.

cal a nd m enta l si des of existen ce a nd ta kes no

interest in spiritua l m a tters can never live the

rea lly worth while lif e -
.

Man is a tria ngle ; an d he is a bnorm al if any

on e si de of thi s tri a ngle is dwa rfed H e is like .

a tree which roots deep into ea rth a nd sprea ds

18 TH E AR T OF BE IN G ALIVE
t ggli ng wi de bra nches but does not grow
out s ra , ,

up into the light .

H a ve you not m et the intellect ual gi a nt with

a strong physi que a bulging brow a nd brillia nt
, ,

eye who scoff ed a t a ny idea of life imm ortal ?

,

Or who if he did not scofl turned a listless look

,

and a n I ndi ff erent ear to an y remark u pon spiri t

Andha ve you not felt tha t sam e shock whi ch

a ccom pa nies the first si ght of a physi cally de

form ed hum a n being ?

Even when such a person m akes no referen ce
to Spiri tual m a tters the finely a ttuned hum an
,

being with delica te perceptions misses som ethin g

from hi s personality .

Every thought we send from our mind ca rries

with it a certa in vibra tion E very em otion we
.

conceal in our hea rts sends forth its infl uence .

The man who has a n a w a kened consciousness of

his own di vine inheritan ce ma y not Speak of it ;
but he radi a tes a certain somethi ng whi ch ma y
be likened to the ultra violet ra ys ca rrying heal
-

ing a nd bea uty on their beam s .

The m an who is a gnostic indifferent or an , ,

unbeliever in a nythi ng beyon d thi s physical plan e

of existence ca nnot ra di a te thi s light beca use he

a nism whi ch
produces the violet ra ys of the soul .

Wea lth educa tion an d position m a y a ll en

, ,

a ble the indi vi dual who is properly equi pped

otherwi se to live the life wort h while in a broa der

20 TH E AR T OF BE IN G ALI VE
listeni ng to its sedu ct ive voice yet turning a wa y
,

a nd performi ng wea ry a nd ofttim es distasteful

work in order t o keep their self respect a nd t o

-

be wort hy of the love a nd confi dence of parents

a nd rela tives depe ndent u pon them for su pport .

Every su ch work girl in our grea t country is

-

living the life worth while .It does not m a tter

wha t her creed or how grea t her la ck of educa tion
, ,

or ho w limited her sphere in the world The fa ct

.

tha t she has chosen the rough , right wa y, a nd

turned her ba ck u pon the seemingly sm ooth ,

wrong wa y beca use she knew it to be wrong

, ,

pla ces her in the ranks of those who are living

the lif e wort h while .

I once hea rd a m a n bem oa ning the fa ct tha t

he ha d fa iled to a chieve a nything in life H e ha d.

mi ssed his ea rly goal ; he ha d not left a nam e

in the world of m an ly endea vor Yet thi s m an
.

ha d in early youth sa cri fi ced personal pleas ures

a nd a m bitions in order to devote his life to ai ding

needy rela tives H e ha d m a de his na m e blest by

.

the wi dow a nd the fa therless ; a nd through

hi s infl uence a nd exam ple other lives were bet
t ered a nd b ri ghtened This m a n di d not know
.

tha t he had been living the Life Wort h While .

H e ima gined tha t he ha d fa iled beca use he ha d

not car ved his nam e in letters of gold on the
tem ple of Ma mm on or Fame .

The wom a n who m a kes a n ideal hom e for her

husba nd a nd her children ; the m an who keeps
the fl am e of lo ve a nd rom ance burning in the
 TH E LIFE WORTH WH ILE 21

heart of the wife of hi s youth (pas sing by those

tem pta tions for a dventure in the realm of passion
whi ch com e to every m a n!; the business m a n who
prefers a clear clea n record a nd continual need
,

of econom y t o a fli uence a nd gra ft ; t he wom a n

who chooses hard work a nd self respect before

-

—
eas e a nd sham e all these a nd many m ore whose ,

sim ple li ves a re un known t o the world a re living

,

the lif e worth while Viewed from every sta nd

.

point life seem s t o be worth while

, .

I n thi s earthly life lie a ll the elem ents of bea uty ,

ha ppiness and growt h whi ch the devout minds

,

associa te onl y wi th the life beyon d .For ea rth is

the a nteroom of hea ven if we choose to see it so
, .
 B E GI N NOW

L ove sent me forth , to Love I go a gain,

F or Lo ve i s a ll, a n d over a ll
. Am en .

F you a re the victim of fa ilure , a nd a re won

dering why you ha ve not su cceeded a s well
as m a n y other less deserving people of your

a cqua inta nce , it m i ght be well for you to cas t a

retrospective eye over your p ast .

It is of course , m ore a greea ble to la y the blam e

,

of a ll your m isfortunes u pon Fa te ; but your future

will sta nd a better cha nce of being brighter if

y ou di s cover wh a t p a rt o f i t li es in yourself a nd
lea rn how t o overcom e circum sta nces a nd cha nge

Perha ps you sta rted out on the get ch qui ck

-
ri -

m ethod of fi na nci ering You m a de up your m ind

.

tha t old fashioned ideas of industry a nd pa tient

-

la bor w ere a ll nonsens e in thi s ra pid a ge You .

ha d exa m ples of m ultirnilliona ires to Offer as

argum ents when a ny one doubted your wi sdom .

B ut not every m a n ca n be a su ccessful villai n ,

thi ef or li ar And the ma n who undertakes t o

, .
 BEG IN NOW 23

follow the m ethods of grea t robbers on a small

sca le usua lly fi nds himself in prison or ou t of a

position , instea d of rich a nd popular I n t he .

present sta ge of our evoluti on the world tempo

ra ri ly a dmires a big swindler, but it eterna lly

despises a li ttle one .

B etter right a bout fa ce a nd reconstruct your

- -

life on a wholly old fashi oned basis of integrity

-

a nd worth . Perha ps you were mean ing t o walk

the ri ght pa th , bu t went astra y a nd fell into t he
qua gmires of error a nd sin Now you do not .

know the wa y bac k a nd feel tha t it is too la te to

try a nd fin d the pa th .

B ut there is never a soul so lost tha t it ca nnot

g et b a ck int o T ruth ’
s ro a dwa y if i t cri es pers
.
i st
ently enough to the sentinels from the Invisible
R ea hn s who sta nd near to help those who a ppeal
,

to them .

Keep ca lling ; they will lif t you from the qua g

mi re but you m us t help yourself a t the sam e tim e
, .

God s a ngels help those who help themselves

’
.

Perha ps you ha ve begun ten thi ng s a nd never

fi ni shed one a nd ha ve formed slipshod m ethods
,

of thought and a ction which are the real ca use

,

of all your fa ilures .

You can do twenty things a fter a fashi on and ,

nothin g well Yet you wonder why you ha ve

.

never found your pla ce in the world a nd why

your ma ny ca pa bilities ha ve met wi th such poor

You ma y be one of those people who o

no so ner
24 TH E AR T OF BE IN G ALI VE
begin a piece of work than they are seized with
a feveri sh desire t o do something else a nd so ,

rush through wha t they ha ve sta rt ed to a ccom

p lis h a t b rea kn eck s peed sli ghting the w ork i

,n
han d for the work in mind .

Or still worse you ma y be a Victim of the

, ,

B y— a nd b y -
a nd Tim e enough m ottoes -
.

Alas for the people w ho are alwa ys going

“
to do things The Va lley of Pretty Soon is
white wi th the blea chi ng bones of m en a nd wom en
who di ed while telling how they were goi ng to do
thi s a nd tha t .

Thought is power a nd when thought is spent ,

on the B y a nd by instea d of being used on the

- -

Now it is as wasteful as to throw gold into the

,

sea instea d of sendin g it in to circula tion to benefi t

hum a nity .

I f you h a ve a n a m bition or purpose in your

mi nd a ct upon i t a t once There is not a n hour to
, .

was te D o somethi ng toward beginnin g

. R ouse .

yourself from the lethargy of drea ms a nd m a ke

a sta rt o n fa cts It is wonderful wha t pow er com es
.

to us a fter we really begin a ny underta ki ng .

With every postponem ent of tha t beginnin g j ust ,

so m uch power is dissip a ted The roa d t o success .

li es a long the pa th of D ecision a nd up the hi ll of ,

E ndea vor a n d a cross the bri dge of Pa ti ence

, .

The roa d t o D efea t lies through the Valley of

Pretty Soon a nd the winding pa ths of Wait a while
,
- - .

—
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

The t ruest grea t ness lies in being kin d ,

The truest wisdom in a ha ppy mind .

H E RE was a woman of limited m enta l pow

ers who listened to lectures on Mental
Science a nd the power of m ind , a nd she decided
t o develop her child of t en into a wonder of wit
a nd a m usica l pro di gy .

She was utterly la cking in a sense of hum or

herself a nd she ha d never been a ble t o under
,

sta nd the difi erent ma j or a nd minor keys or the

intri ca cies of time in m usi c .

She decided to give her son those things she

la cked She put him in the ha nds of m usi c tea ch
.

ers, a nd she procured for hi m a ll the hum orous

books she could find in the librari es Then she .

devoted a n hour in the Silence ea ch da y to as

serting su ccess for her child .

B ut the boy was bored wi th the bo oks ; a nd

he was the dullest pupil in m usic ever known ;
a nd a fter three years hi s discoura ged musi c

master a dvised the m other to waste no more

mo ey on her son s m usi cal educa tion, but to
’

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
.

was no truth in Men tal Science or the theori es

a bout the di vine power in ea ch soul to be wha t

it willed to be B ut the W oma n ha d not used

.

good sense .

Wit is a gift like music poetry a nd pai nting

, , , .

A sense of hum or la cking it is diffi cult t o train ,

or direc t a mind to see the m erry or a bsurd or

comical side of things It would be im possible .

to tea ch a boy born wi th a m echa ni cal genius t o

com pose ora tori es or epics It would be a wa ste .

of tim e t o try Just so it would be folly to try

.

t o tra i n the seri ous or philosophica l mi nd t o

h um or .

L et each huma n bei ng grow i nto the best of hi s

own ki nd .
—
Tra in him a long na tural lines tha t
is the wa y t o edu ca te .

Comm on sense is qui te a nother thing It ca n .

be cultiva ted by tea chers a nd parents in children

who do no t seem to possess i t in a ny degree B u t .

fi rs t the pa rents a nd the tea chers mus t poss es s i t

a nd few do .

I ha ve seen a drea m y vi sionary irnprovident , , ,

a nd extra v a ga n t boy tra ined into pra c ti cal pru

dence thrif t a nd econom y by the persistent

, ,

gui dance of a n uncle he loved a nd who loved hi m .

The brain cells were entirely rem a de in the course

-

of a few years of consta nt associa tion with the

uncle .

Fear is self consciousness som etim es some

-
,
28 THE ART OF B EI NG ALI VE
into a human being a ll the unworthy and un
,

fortuna te trai ts ca n be educa ted out, a nd the

gr ea t Vi rtu es a wa kened by persi s tent efl orts on
the part of associa tes gui des a nd tea chers
, , .

A man who wrote good strong prose a nd who

was a devout beli ever in the power of the will to

in adetermi na tion to be a poet H e studied a ll .

the la ws governing verse a nd he put large virile

, ,

ideas into correct m echa ni ca l form Yet he was .

una ble to produce one line of poetry All he wrote .

in verse left hi s rea ders cold a nd un stirred ; m a ny

of his would be poem s j arred like di scords in
-

“
m usi c even though they sca nned a ccording to
,

rule . B ut the d i vi ne somethi ng was not there .

H e ha d mista ken his voca tion I n our a pplies. .

oi this grea t L a w of the power of the Will to

,

a chieve results we m ust em ploy reas on a nd logi c

, .

We m ust use this la w along the line of least re

sista nce .

Finding where our strongest powers lie, a nd

our best a bilities we should turn our whole intel
,

lect ual a nd spiritual ba tteri es in tha t directi on .

Think study m edi ta te a fi rm , pra y, a nd work

, , ,

to a ttain desired results in the underta king for

whi ch we are fi tted by na ture The ma n who is
.

l
co or blind a nd una ble to di stingui sh shad es an d
-

tones eas ily ma y overcome thi s mi sfortun e to a

g ea t degree by pa tient pra cti ce in studying
r

colors B ut he should never seek a position on

.

trains or ships where the observance of signals

,
 COMMON SEN SE LEAVE N OF
-
THE LAW 29

is anim porta nt part of duty ; nor should he try

to becom e an artist . I n neither fi eld could he
gai n honors .

Children should be wa tched as they develop

into thinking beings a nd their tastes and t en
,

dencies should be ca refully noted by Wi se pa rents

a nd instru ctors Then every effort should be
.

ma de a ccording t o Old a nd new thought m ethods

to encoura ge the growt h of the very best qua li
ties a nd t o elimi na te by la ck of use a ll undesi
ra ble tra its an d propensities .

B y encoura ging words a nd by forceful silent

thought vibra ti ons the m ost unprornising child
m a y be helped to grow into wha t a wi se parent
desires B ut the wise parent never desires the
.

im possible H e does not t ry to m a ke a m echa ni c

.

out of a m usica l prodi gy nor a m usica l prodi gy

,

out of a born m echani c who is tone dea f He -

.

does not t ry to produce a B ea u B rumm el or a

diletta nte out of a n a thlete whose na ture cries
for the open nor a fa rm er out of one who is never
,

content sa ve wi th a book in ha nd .

Find wha t your child ca n best do wha t he is ,

best fitted by na ture to underta ke Then give .

hi m the benefi t of your a flirm a tions for success .

All New Thought m ethods should first fi t into

God s suprem e plan Then they ca nnot fa il
’
. .
 MODE RN MARRI AGE

This ever-growi ng a rg um en t of sex

I s most unseem ly a nd d evoid of sense .

Wh y waste m ore t im e in cont roversy, when

T here is no t t im e enough for a ll of love,
Our right ful occup a ti on in this lif e ?

HY the contention the separa tions the

, ,

ever increasing ra tio of divorces tha t follow

-

the ma rria ges of to da y ? I n short wha t is the

-
,

m a tter wi th the m odern m arria ge ?

There is nothing the m a tter wi th m odern mar

The trouble lies wi th m odern m en a nd wom en .

An d there is nothi ng the m a tter wi th m odern

m en a nd wom en sa ve growing pains
-
.

When the boys and girls are sufferi ng from

growing pa ins they lose the charm of early child
-

hood a nd displa y un gra ceful a nd a wkward tra its ;

they do not know wha t to do wi th their ha nds
a nd feet ; a nd their m a nners a nd a ttitudes are

self conscious
-
They are frequently in the wa y
.

of their elders .

So the men and wom en who are pa ssing from

 MO DER N MAR R IAGE 3 1

ea rly imm a ture social conditions to a hi gher sta te

a re similarly a ffli ct ed .

They ha v e lost the Old repose of a ccepted tra di

tions ; they are restless with self consciousness ; -

a nd their m a nn ers a nd em otions ca use them t o

be in their own wa y a nd in the wa y of others .

It is often rem arked by the pessimi st who feels ,

tha t the ra ce is goin g to the devil tha t divorce ,

is a m odern evil a nd tha t its frequency to da y

,
-

proves how the hum a n family in civilized lands

ha s degenera ted .

Our gra ndpa rents rega rded divorce as a di s

gra ce There was one di vorce in their da y to a
.

hundred in the present tim e B ut tha t does not

.

m ea n tha t there were ni nety ni ne ha ppy m arri

-

a ges in those da ys com p ared t o one i n thi s epoch .

It m ea ns tha t m en a nd wom en bore their m ari

tal un ha ppin ess m ore p a tiently a n d silently in
olden tim es beca use it was the custom a nd be
, ,

ca use they drea ded the sca nda l a nd reproa ch

whi ch would result if they sought for freedom .

Wom en especi a lly in the da ys of our a nces tors

ha d not begun to feel growi ng pai ns They a o
-
.

cept ed wha tever ills fell to their lot in m arria ge

wi th a certa in Pa tient Griselda spiri t believ ,

ing it to be w om a n s sphere in life to submi t t o

’

m a n s will I n a ll t hi ngs
’
.

If the m a n built la rge com forta ble barns for

,

his stock a n d housed hi s horses m ore luxuriously

tha n his fa m ily if he com pelled his wi fe to do
,

her household work under the m ost trying condi

32 THE AR T OF BE IN G A LIVE

tions if he was ni ggardly with hi s m oney a nd

,

humilia ted her to the dust by m a king her beg

for every penn y she spent on her wea ri ng a p -

pa rel a nd then com plained of her extra va ga nce

, ,

she bore it a ll wi thout a n i dea of rebelling a nd

told her troubles only t o her m other who a dvised ,

her to be pa ti ent a nd ma ke the best of her situ

a tion .

She ha d litt le opport unity t o com pare her des

tiny wit h other lives as hom es were isola ted
, ,

m ethods of tra vel prim i tive a nd newsp a pers did

,

not la y bare the dom estic lives of comm uni ties ,

as in the present da y .

E ven infi delity on the par t of the husba nd

was born e a s best it m ight be in those d a ys be ,

ca use sep a ra tion of m a n a n d Wi fe left the wif e

wi th a stigm a u pon her for ever And ra ther tha n .

return t o her p arent s hom e bra nded a nd ostra

’

ci zed she rem a in ed in her hus ba n d s house a nd

’
,

seemed t o i gnore her hum ilia ting position .

To listen to the pra ttling of people who delight

in la nding the p ast to the detrim ent of the pres
en t one would be led to believe tha t our a ncestors
,

were a ll m odels of nobility a nd tha t the m en a nd

wom en of the present da y a re degen era te speci
m ens of worthy forebears .

B ut a little investiga ti on wi ll prove tha t the

sins of om ission a nd com mi ssi on of our a ncestors

produced the divorce while you wait type of

- - -

m en a nd wom en of our own tim es .

H a d the old m a n never failed in his duty the

 MO DER N MARR IAGE 33

new wom a n would never ha ve sprung into ex

ist ence All the one tim e dom estic Virtues of
-

women were ta ken as a m a tter of course by the

m en folk .

Woman s work wa s in the hom e a nd it was a

’
,

too generally a ccepted idea tha t she was in ca

p a ble of h a ndlin g m on ey a n d th a t,She needed no

diversion no independent p urse a nd no m ental

, ,

outlook beyond the wa lls of her hom e a nd the

villa ge Church .

The type of m a n who held such ideas prepa red

the wa y for the arm y of sufi ra gists who m arch
through the la nd to da y -
.

The Puri ta n Fa thers were m erciless in their

a ttitude to wa rd a w om a n who m a de a mi sst ep in

the pa th of rectitude a nd the two sta ndards of

,

m ora ls which m a de light of the sin of the erri ng

,

youth a nd da m ned for ever the erring gi rl helped ,

to bring a bou t the re volt of wom a n a gai nst the

esta blished order of thin gs .

The Silence of m others on m a tters of sex has

pa ved a broa d hi ghwa y for un ha ppy m a rri a ges ,

a nd now tha t wom en are rea di n g thinkin g a nd , ,

observing they da re to sta nd forth in the light

,

of Knowled ge a nd dem a nd clea ner sa ner a nd , ,

sa fer la ws to protect them from the evi ls which

the old fashioned wi ves endured in silent sham e

-

Ithas been the boast of senseless and un think

ing m others , ba cked by selfi sh a nd un com pre
hendi ng fa thers tha t their da ughters went to
,
34 THE AR T OF BE IN G AL IVE
the m arria ge t ign ora nt a nd inn ocent in
a l ar as

m ind as new born b a bes in m a tters of sex It

!
-
.

would be j ust as sensible to boast tha t a school

tea cher went to her duties ignora nt of rea ding
a nd writin g or a m usi ci a n ign ora n t of notes The .

misery the destru ction to hea lth a nd ha ppiness,

,

the wretchedn ess whi ch has gone into the second

a nd third genera tions throu gh thi s i gn ora n ce of

girl wi ves a nd m others regardi ng the na tura l

la ws whi ch govern m arria ge a nd m otherhood
would fill volum es if wri tten out even in short
ha n d.

The silen ce of fa thers toward their sons on

these grea t la ws of life has a ided a nd a bett ed the
na tura l selfi shness a nd sensuousn ess of the m as
culin e na ture in sex rela ti on s a nd the fa ct tha t
,

un til wi thi n a com para ti vely short peri od of tim e

a ll physi cia ns were m en has been a nother fa ctor

in the buildi ng of condi tions whi ch in their tim e

in evita bly produ ced revolt .

The report of the Comm ittee of One H un

dred on health together wi th the sta tisti cs of
,

the Board of H ealth of New York a nd other

st a tes com pels the m ost optimi stic mi nd t o real
,

ize the m ena ce to the na tiona l conserva tion of

vi tality whi ch lies in the ignora nce of men a nd
wom en in m a tters of sex hygien e .

When m en are edu ca ted in ea rly youth t o un

derst and the im porta nce of keep in g the blood
pure a nd the body a nd mind clea n in order to ,

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
.

off enses of wives are so frequently subtle a nd

elusive and so veiled from the public eye tha t
, ,

only those who li ve in the closest rela tions m a y

discover them .

They are little foxes in the vines and parasites

in the trees .

The Am erica n girl is almost invaria bly a spoiled

child before she rea ches a dolescence .

She rules her fa ther a nd mother and her broth ,

ers wa it u pon her She is virtua lly the hea d of

.

the house and her wish is la w and her whims are

,

like royal edi cts If she m arri es the spoiled son

.

of a fond m other it is a cas e of Greek m eeting

Gree k a nd discord must ensue And if she mar
, .

ries a n uns elfish a nd worshi ping hus ba n d she ,

often forge ts th a t there is such a thi ng as the

turning of a crushed worm and im poses u pon his

,

pa tience a nd kindness a nd un selfi shness until he

walks forth to m eet her only in the divorce court .

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
’
.

undi scerni ng public is m ore tha n lia ble to be

lieve she is the inj ured party when the divorce

The passion of ma ny women for hotel life for ,

excitem ent and for displa y a mounts to a diseas e .

,
 MODER N MARR IAGE 37

It is perha ps the
, , the pendulum
swin gn of

from the dull a nd drea ry m onotony whi ch cha r

a ct erized the li ves of their forem others The .

wom en of this genera tion a re in m a ny wa ys suf

feri ng from a sort of hysteria ca used by the sup
pression of the em otional na tures of their m others
a nd gra n dm others Just as sons of clergym en
.

do to excess frequently everythi ng whi ch their

, ,

fa thers refused to do in reas on .

The gra ndm others a nd m others who lived only

t o work a nd m a ke the hom e comforta ble for the
m en folk produ ced by the crucifixion of a ll na tural
,

desires for pleas ure a nd am usem ent as descend ,

a nts a ra ce of w omen pleasure seekers But in .

hi s tas te for hom e life m a n cha nges little H e .

is the sam e in every genera tion And the woman .

who wa nts t o m a ke the m a n she m arries ha ppy

needs to un dersta n d thi s fa ct ; a nd wh a tever else
she m a y ask of him to give hi m first the foun
,

d a tion of a comf orta ble bea utiful well ordered

, ,
-
,

a nd a ttra ctive h om e where even thetra nsient gu est

,

ca n feel the a tm osphere of well being a n d c ontent -

.

Thi s ca n be m a de only by the m ental em a na tions

of its inha bita nts .

A wom an who sets forth in m arried lif e deter

mined to m a ke a real wife a nd m other has chosen
the most wonderful a nd fascina ting career it is
p o ssib le for her to p ursu e a nd it s sc o pe,is as wi de
as the uni verse . To crea te such a hom e a nd ma g
netize i t wi th the love a n d enj oym ent o f a good
woma n s mind is to prepare an a nteroom for hea ven
’
.
38 T HE AR T OF BE IN G ALI VE
Ma ny a m a n inclined to stra y into forbid den
folds a nd to seek un wholesome associa tions would
linger in this a nteroom were it provided for him
by love and good sense in pla ce of his being forced
,

in to the unna tura l surroun di ngs of hotels .

Petty j ealousies of wi ves ham pering a good

,

he arted m an in his im mlses toward his rela tives

a nd near fri ends a re ofttim es ca uses of di vorces
, .

A m a n has been known t o m arry for love (as m en

usua lly do! a nd t o set forth wi th every intention
of bein g a fair a nd kind a nd j ust husb a n d ; but

before m a ny m onths he foun d hi s rela tives his ,

m en comra des a nd even his books a nd dom estic

,

pets objects of a sm a ll minded wom a n s na gging

-
’

jea lousy And Cupid was dri ven out of doors

.
,

never t o return .

Unreasona ble extra va ga nce of wom en is a nother

ca use of di sas ter to the m a rit a l associa tion ; a n d

this propensi ty dri ves m a ny a good hea rted m a n

-

whose grea t desire is t o please hi s wife into di s

honesty a nd double dea ling in business ma tters .

B ehin d prison doors to da y m en are serving

-

long senten ces who sinned first through wea kness

a nd o ver devotion to the whims of selfi sh a n d
-

un thinki ng wi ves The indolent wife who settles

.
,

down lazily into the com fort of a good hom e ,

sa tisfi ed wi th the fa ct tha t she is m a rr i ed to a

m a n who loves her a nd unconscious tha t she
m ust m a ke a n eff ort to keep her husba nd in love ,

is a nother likely ca ndi da te for the di vorce court .

I n our own tim e a nd clim e ninety nine m en -

 MO DER N M ARRIAGE 39

Of ea ch hundred like to feel proud of their wi ves .

They enj oy seeing them look well a nd regret t o

observe the effect of tim e upon their bea uty .

The wom an who does not try to keep herself

a ttra ctive a nd who a llows self indulgence a nd in
-

dolence to destroy her figure a nd com plexion is

inviting unha ppiness to com e into her hom e .

I n thi s busy a ge when tra ins shi ps telegra phs

, , , ,

a n d telephon es keep the whole world in to uch ,

m en are a wa re of the existence of wom e n who

understand the a rt of defyi ng tim e a nd who
rem a in a ttra ctive despite the p assin g of yea rs .

E ven in rem ote country pla ces m en ha ve c eased

to regard old a ge for the m a tron as a necessity .

They rea lize there is som ething la cking in the

tem perament of a w om a n who lets herself go
m erely beca use she is a wife a nd a m other .

Sin ce m en view the subject in this light the ,

wi se woma n will not perm it her husba nd t o feel

asham ed of her . She will think of the art of
preserva tion of her charms as one of her sa cred
duties and she will regard the gym nasium a nd
,

the study of physical culture a nd the pra ctice of

m ental calistheni cs with respect close t o reverence .

I n the new li fe which has com e t o wom en in the

past genera tion there lies a da nger of becomi ng
too a bsorbed in personal pursuits to keep in
touch wi th the tastes a nd ambitions of the hus
—
band even to lose a ll interest in them .

It is well for husba nd a nd wife to ha ve their

separa te occu pa tions a nd t o follow sep ara te tas tes
40 T H E AR T OF BE IN G ALI VE
a nd pleasures to a certain degree But tha t degree .

must never lea d t o di verging interests an d m us t

never lea ve the husb a nd feelin g soli tar y a nd wi th
out the com pa ni onshi p or sym p a thy of the wif e ,

either in hi s business or hi s am usem ents ; nor

m ust the wif e be left to find sym pa thy or a dmira
tion elsewhere tha n a t hom e .

Since the hom e is the foun da tion of the na tion ,

it is well worth while for indi vidua ls who esta blish

homes to m a ke som e personal sa cri fi ce of tim e and
im pulses to crea te a soli d rock bed for tha t foun
da tion .

The lover fin ds it easy to show a n interest in

the m ost fri volous or feminine a ccom plishm ent of
hi s la dy love t o a dm ire her em broidery to listen
-
, ,

to her singing or to help her fi t up her booth for a

,

chari ty bazaa r A nd wha tever she sa ys or does

.

wins hi s a ttention Why not continue tha t a tti

.

tude af ter m arria ge a nd give the wif e the ha ppy

Sense of copartnershi p in a ll her doings ?
E very wife as a rule is rea d y to be ta ught som e
, ,

thi ng of her husband s business or professional ’

a ffa irs enough to m a ke her un derst a n d hi s a mbi

,

tions a nd sym pa thi ze with his trials ; but it i s

only the oc ca siona l wife who has the perception to

un derstand the delica te difference betw een sym pa

t hi zing a nd interfering wi th a m a n s a ffairs P er
’
.

ha ps it is beca use of thi s da nger of interference

tha t so few m en m a ke their wi ves a cquainted with
their business lives And this rs a point on whi ch
.

wom en need trai ni ng A ta ctful ma n ca n so trai n

.
 MO DER N MARR IAGE 41

the woman he loves before m arria ge by praise

, ,

of other Wom en who ha ve shown the art of helping

their hus ba nds by the right a ttitude of mind a nd
the right m ethods of a ction Surely there is noth
.

ing too m uch trouble nothi ng too tim e ta king

,
-
,

whi ch ma y lea d to a successful m arri a ge ! I t is

the im portant work of the hum a n ra ce For wha t .

is the worth of successful art or successful busi

ness wha t is the worth of pea ce power and pros
, , ,

p eri t y in a n a ti on, w h a t i s the u se of in terna ti ona l

arbitra tion unless tha t n a tion is foun ded on ha p

py , c lea n, h arm o ni o us ho m es ?

ha ppy hom e lif e is the a larming tendency of the

present genera tion to a void parenta ge .

Youn g m a rried people in good hea lth with good ,

brains and bodi es to transmi t to offspring resort ,

to even cri minal m ethods of prevention a nd wi ves ,

who might be the proud m others of sta tesm en or

beautiful da ughters in the da ys t o com e remain

a nd bea uty ra ther than a ccept the responsibiliti es

of m otherhood .

H ere a gain we find the refl ex a ction of mi nd ;

for often these wives are da ughters of m others
who ha ve borne too ma ny children a nd ha ve
mi ssed the ha ppiness of youth a nd the rela xa tion
a perfect hom e should gi ve in the never ceasing
-

ca res of a la rge family I do not know wha t the

.

sta t sti cs sta te regardi ng the rela tive num ber of

i
4 2 T HE AR T OF BE IN G ALI VE
di vorces am ong childless people and those who
a re paren ts but I do know tha t N a ture intended
,

ma rria ge to be followed by parent a ge as na turally

as summ er follows spring . And I kn ow tha t even
the sa d experience of a m otherhood whi ch las ts
but a few brief hours Often ma kes a new a nd
indescri b a bly sa cred bond of a ffecti on between a
husba nd a nd wif e There are m a ny ha ppy ma r
.

ria ges w here no children are it is tru e yet the wi fe

, ,

who has never felt the stirring of a little being

under her hea rt has m issed one of lif e s a nd love s
’ ’

m ost wonderful experi ences .

44 THE AR T OF B E ING ALI VE
But it rests with you to ma ke the years generous
a nd benevolent ins tea d of gras ping a nd cruel .

The yea rs m a y be com pared to droves of wild

horses If you fl y in terror before them they will
.

tram ple you under their feet but if you tam e and
,

harness them they will carry your chariot to the

summi t of success .

Aga in, we m a y think of them as a depts a nd

m as ters dwellin g in the tem ple of life , rea dy to
,

im part their wi sdom to those who com e reverently

to them those who bring p a tience and faith in the
,

sea rch for eternal truths .

It has been the custom of the foolish world for

a ges to think talk a nd wri te of bea uty joy an d
, , , ,

ha ppiness as perta ining only to early youth .

This sa m e fooli sh a nd mi st a ken world has edu

ca ted wom a n in the idea tha t ea ch year after her
—
first score com es to her as a n enem y a hi ghwa y
—
ma n bent upon robbing her of all she holds
m ost precious .

It has ta ught m an to regard as a lim i ted one hi s

period of m enta l an d physical prowess ; and so
these false and unwholesom e tra ditions ha ve
helped to hurl the ra ce into prema ture deca y and
dea th.

The wi se indi vi dual fa ces ea ch year wi th expec

t a ncy and coura ge , m ingled wi th reverence , yet
wi th a n inner cons ciousness of superiority .

E xpectancy of new revela ti ons of lif e , coura ge

to m eet wha tever com es, reverence for the a ccu
mula t ed wi sdom whi ch the years ca rry , a nd a
 TH E GE N EROU S YEARS 45

e e of superiority through the knowledge tha t

s ns
ma nkind is the hi ghest ex pression of the crea tive
power yet evolved a nd the possession of a thi nk
,

ing brain a nd a loving hea rt pla ce hi m in the

rank wi th the lords of the universe .

On her birthda y m orni ng every wom a n should

talk with the year whi ch is coming as wi th a fri end
who is crossing her threshold to bring her gifts .

Let her sa y Oh Year I welcom e you Let m e

, , , .

com e close to you ; let m e wa lk beside you a n d

listen to a ll the secrets whi ch you keep in your

grea t soul for m y sharing You ca n tea ch m e the .

divine la ws of hea lth bea uty pea ce usefulness

, , , ,

a nd consequent ha ppiness You ca n tea ch m e .

order a n d system in a ll m y wa ys You ca n im .

press upon m e the power whi ch com es through

the exercise of pa tien ce the stren gth whi ch re ,

sults from cold rains a nd biting frosts the ,

pleas ure whi ch lies in giving of m y bounty t o

others and the di gni ty a nd pride whi ch a ccom
,

pa ny the prepara tion of bea utiful and a ppropria te

a pparel for ea ch season .

If I brea the in your pure a irs if I live a ccord ,

ing to those na tural la ws which govern you if ,

I a ccept the Sprin g the summ er the a utum n

, , ,

the winter of life as perfect ex pressions of God s ’

bounty then I too m a y grow in bea uty a nd

, , ,

charm a nd opulence as the yea r grows You ha ve .

com e to tea ch m e these truths ; you ha ve com e

to help m e a nd I will be richer a nd ha ppier from
your assocra tion And I will be a ble to under
.
4 6 T HE AR T OF BE IN G ALI VE

t
s an d your laws of perpetual rej uvena tion a nd to
illustra te them
’
.

E a ch man should welcom e the year which ad ds

m a turi ty to hi s life as a tea cher who has com e
to instruct him in power a nd knowledge of the
deeper m ea nings of existence H e should expect .

t o grow in stren gth a nd worth a n d to m a ke a

nobler ex a m ple of hi s lif e wi th the p assing of ea ch

t welve m onths .

Those who fa ce the years wi th such resolutions ,

a nd who determ ine to be the reci pien ts not the ,

losers in their encounter wi th Tim e will fi nd life

, ,

growing ri cher a nd m ore interesting a s they pass

from early youth into m a turity and from m a turi ty
into the still larger fi eld of vision a fforded as they
clim b the western hill .

F or the last earthly journey is not a des cent ,

but a clim b for those who ta ke toll from the

,

years instea d of pa ying it .

We should not ta lk of going down in to the

va lley of dea th or old a ge .

We should stand upon the summi t of a hill

from where we behold t he world we ha ve tra '

versed and the shi ni ng pea ks of the world be

yond whi ther we are going
, .

E x pect m uch of the years Then set yourself

.

to work to a id those years in giving you wha t

y ou exp ec t .

D o you desire health ? Think of the year as

charged wi th hea lth a nd use a ll the opportun i ties
,

it a ffords you to brea the deeply the fresh air it

 TH E GE N EROU S YEAR S 47

Offers t yourself wi th it s fresh fruits

a nd sus a in

a nd veget a bles a n d it s wholesom e bevera ges .

Keep your m ind a nd your body clea n ; keep every

m uscle a nd organ a ctive a nd free from im puri ties ;
let no part of yourself becom e sluggish or a trophied
from la ck of use B elieve hea lth is your di vine
.

right a nd decla re it is yours ev ery hour in the da y

, .

D O you desire bea uty ? Then decla re bea uty

a nd think a nd ta lk of bea utiful thi ngs a nd per

form bea utiful deeds R efus e to dwell upon ugli

.

ness in a ny form Study the needs of your body

.
,

a n d reform such portions as do not pleas e your

sense of bea uty C all in such a ids as science a nd

.

hygi ene ha ve provided for the a ccom plishm ent of

your purpose
Clothe yourself in a ccorda nce wi th your en
larged un dersta nding of the la ws of bea uty ; a nd
a lwa ys rem em ber tha t the body is only the cas ket

of the inn er jewel a nd let your spiri t the divine

, ,

gem shi ne through the ca sket a nd crea te a ra di

,

a nce a bout you wherever you go .

D o you desire opulen ce ? Then thi nk opulence ;

be large in your a ff ections ; give freely of good
will of prai se of a pprecia tion of helpful words
, , ,

a nd a cts Never a llow yourself to begrudge

.

a nother wha t ha s com e to him ; never dispar

a ge a nother s a chi evem ents Le t your mind be

’
.

planted with seeds of love a nd j oy a nd hope a nd ,

coura ge a n d universa l good will a nd opulent ,

harvests sh all grow therefrom Think of ea ch .

y ear a s a sow er s ca tterin g thes e seeds in y our

4 8 THE AR T OF BE ING ALI VE
hea rt ; then wa ter with the dews of sym pa thy and
throw open the windows to the broa d sunlight of
hea ven while they ripen A nd as surely as the .

da ys com e a nd go so surely sha ll your life grow

in opulence spiri t ua l a nd m a teria l
, Seek ye .

first the kingdom of hea ven a nd all other thin gs ,

shall be a dded
’
.

— —
Sorrow ma y be na y must be the portion ,

som e of the years bring you But un derstood and .

,

a ccepted as the working out of a di vine la w wi th ,

a holy purpose stren gth power a nd a n enlarged

, , ,

vision will be given you through this experience .

There is no grea ter bea utifi er in life tha n a sor

row borne with reverent understa ndi ng a n (1 ao

cept ed in tha t spirit .

Le t us m eet the coming years with a n invoca

tion .

Oh w onderful years share wi th m e your under

, ,

st a ndi ng of life ; im press u pon m y m ortal m ind

the bea uty of tem pera te living the j oy of useful ,

la bor the efli ca cy of a pplied thought the re

, ,

vealing mira cles of pra yer .

Lea d m e to the Grea t Source from whi ch com es

your eternal youth un dying bea uty vital force
, , ,

a nd crea tive powers H elp m e to cla im m y own ;

.

t o sha re with others a ll tha t is mi ne a nd to ma ke ,

life on earth a growing glory until I pas s onward

to other realm s Amen . .
 TO YO U N G ME N

God chooses H is lea ders i n the world,

own

A nd from th e rest H e a sks b ut willi ng ha nds .

A s migh t y m ounta ins int o pla ce a re hu rled ,

While pa t ient tides ma y only sha pe t he sa nds .

The wei ght of a n ea gle s body i s ma ny ti mes grea ter tha n

’

tha t of the a i r on whi ch i t fl i es . I t, theref ore, na tura lly

g r a vi ta te s tow a rd th e ea rth
.

Under the la ws of gra vi ty i t would , if left al one, na turally

fa ll to th e gr ou nd , n ev er to ri se a ga i n B
. ut thi s mona rch of the

a i r ha s the power wi thi n i tself , a nd of i ts own ri ght, to over

come the force of gra vi ty a nd ri se a t will to rea lms beyond

the cloud s a nd the shad ows of ea rth, i nto the clea r sunli ght of
hea ven .
— From The Grea t P sychologi cal Cri me .

OU ha ve your own ght key young ma n ni -

, ,

a nd you are your own m as ter .

No one as ks where you are going or a t wha t

hour you will ret urn .

You do as you please .

And if it pleases you to see life a nd know

the world you consider it nobody s business
,
’
.

It is a part of every m an s educa tion you sa y ’

, .

And even if you plant a crop of wild oa ts tha t , ,

so THE AR T OF BE IN G AL IVE

too , you believe to be included in your Life School

Curri culum .

E very protest ma de you consider prea chi ng .

B u t ha ve you never observed tha t lif e i tself

is a grea t prea cher ?
Life a nd Fa ther Tim e are two grea t m oralists .

E ven when they seem to be la u ghi ng com ra des ,

helping you sow your crop of !

they are
sneeri ng a t you secretly a nd wai ting the hour

when they ca n talk to you on the benefi t s of m o

ra li t y a n d right li vi ng
.

The Grea t Crea tive Power whi ch m a de the

Universe a nd system s of universes gi ves ea ch
, ,

hum an being certa in nervous force s a n d vi tal

Properly used these qualities a nd forces ca n

,

m ak e m a n alm ost Godlike in hi s m ental physi cal , ,

a n d Spiri tu a l stren gth .

Just as a large fortune properly m a na ged a nd

sa v ed ca n a ccom pli sh m ira cles in the wa y of u se

fulness when rightly a pplied .

B ut if tha t fortun e i s dissip a ted da y by da y ,

m onth by m onth yea r by yea r it s possessor

, ,

eventu a lly fin ds him self a pau per .

Precisely so the viri le m a n finds him self a

pauper a nd worse tha n a p a u per if he begins
, ,
“
sowing hi s wild oa t s a nd seeing life a nd know
ing the world a ccording to the sta ndards set

by the devotees of Folly .

Lo ok a bout you a nd ta ke m ental notes of mi ddle

a ged m en who ha ve led the li fe ou are li ving
y .
52 THE AR T OF BE IN G ALI VE
physicians to sa y they ha ve rheum a tism a nd
n euritis a nd other comm onpla ce m ala dies are ,
“
vi ctims of their own vi ces They ha ve seen .

lif e as you are seein g it

!
.

Lo ok a t the fa ces of m en in fas hiona ble

club s ; how m a ny of these m en are a t forty or ,

fifty or sixty types whi ch seem a dmira ble to

,

You young in the m orning of life ; before

are ,

y ou w as te yo ur sp len di d yo uth a nd p rep a re your

self to be a physi cal p a u per a t middle lif e stop

a nd thi nk of these thi ngs a bit .

And consider wha t qua lities a nd propensities

a nd wha t kind of b lood you are prep ari ng to
’

ve
g

No doubt it is your intention to give them a

pure mi nded a nd clea n bodi ed m other
- -
.

B ut wha t sort of a fa ther will they ha ve ?

When you tell m e tha t you are so domina ted
by inherited tendencies a nd m orta l p assions an d
a ppetites a nd so surroun ded by tem pt a tion s
,

tha t you ca nnot overcom e circum sta nces a nd

m a ke a m a n of yourself I as k you to rea d the
,

a bove ex tra ct a n d to ponder u pon it .

Are you the self confessed inf erior of the ea gle ?

-

Ca n you not overcom e the law of inherit a nce or

environm ent whi ch you sa y is keeping you from
,

rising a nd m ount over circum st an ces a nd a tta in

,

your goal ? You tell m e you ha ve no wi ngs ; tha t

the ea gle is provi ded with the m echa ni sm whi ch
ena bles him to soar from low to hi gh pla ces ,
 To YOU N G ME N 53

while you are cum bered wi th a body of a ppetites

and p assi ons whi ch link you to ea rth .

B ut never yet w ere there wings of birds so

strong a nd mighty as the wings of the will of

ma n ; never were there heights so lofty for the

fea thered crea ture to seek as those whi ch a wai t
the mind of m a n on ce he sprea ds the pinions of
,

hi s will a nd ri ses from the level pla ces to the

summ i ts .

B eg to da y to unfold these pinions

i n - .

R elinqui sh som e h a bit which you know in your

secret hear t i s h arm ful but whi ch you believ e
,

y o u h a ve n o t stre n gth to overcom e .

It m a y be dri nk , it m a y be ciga rettes it m a y ,

be drugs or extra va ga nce or i dleness or sensu

a lity or a gro ss a ppetite or ga m bling ; it m a y be

a va cilla ting ch a ngea ble min d or a m orbid de

,

pression tha t borders on m ela ncholia or fea r ,

a nd e f consciou sness a n d a la ck of self reli a n ce

s l - -

whi ch prevents you from a ttem ptin g a n y n ew

venture ; but wha tever your besetting sin is you
know a nd you ca n rise over it as the ea gle rises
,

over the la w of gra vi ty a nd a ttains the m oun

tai n s pea k Unless you do unfold the hi dden
’
.

wings of your will a nd rise you m ust go lower in

the hum an scale tha n you sta nd t o da y -
.

There is no su ch thi ng as sta nding still in thi s

world . E a ch soul is ei ther a little stronger or
a little wea ker a li ttle nob ler or a little less noble
, ,

a litt le m ore self relia nt or a li ttle m ore depen

-

dent to da y tha n it was yesterda y

-
.
54 THE AR T OF BEIN G AL IVE
The sa m e
e of cha nge will tak e place
proc ss

to m orrow a nd the next da y a nd the next You

-
, ,
.

m a y not be consciou s of it but the frien ds who ,

sa w you last year a n d see you now after a n in

t erval of m onths are a ble to sa y whether you

ha ve gone forward or ba ckward in the wa y of
chara cter .

They would not like to tell you so perha ps , ,

but they know These thi ngs show in your ex

.

t erior a ppea ra n ce a nd in your deportm ent .

You are young a nd the world is before you , ,

but do not m a ke the mi sta ke of thinking there is

tim e enough a hea d for im provem ent E a ch da y .

the tas k will becom e a little m ore di ffi cult E a ch .

d a y your besetting w eak n ess w ill be harder t o

overcom e E a ch da y the heights will recede a nd
.

seem m ore difli cult of a tt a inm ent And ea ch .

d a y your will 3 unused wings wi ll grow more

’

inert .

Unfold them tod a y .

Like a newly fl edged bird t ry only short fli ghts ,

a t first D o not expect to ma ke the m oun tai n

.

su mmi t in your first a ttem pt An d even if you .

fa il once or twice do not be discoura ged I ha ve .

seen young birds fa ll over a nd over a ga in bu t ,

fi nally soa r beyond m y vi sion Fight a wa y the .

thou ghts of fea r doubt a nd despon dency whi ch

, ,

wi ll fl ock a bout you a t tim es li ke swarms of

vi cious insects They belong t o the m arshy
.

pla ces a nd after you rise hi gher they will lea ve

,

you .
 TO YO U N G ME N 55

There is a God of love a nd you are H is ex ,

pression You are di vi ne a nd your na ture is a ll

.
,

love and stren gth a nd power Doubt a nd de .

spondency a re serious hi n dra nces to the u se of

A young m a n scarcely more tha n a la d sa ys

, ,
“
of a n enterprise he h as in mi n d : I m ea n to
get a hea d of all rivals in the sam e line of en
dea vor .

I do notlike thi s phras e , or the idea it involves .

NO m a n or wom a n should harbor the ambition

to get a hea d of others in m ental m oral, or ,

purely business m a tters Where there is con

.

test of physi ca l powers a swimming run ning or

, , ,

j um ping ra ce the expression is well enough ; but

,

outside of such tests there are hi gher qualities to

be considered in the effort towa rd a chi evem ents .

I n tra des in the professions a nd in the arts

, ,

there is never a n exa ct m ethod o f procedur e or

a n exa ct result which pla ces these occup a tions on

a level w ith physi cal sports Indivi duality alwa ys

.

enters into the su ccess Of a ny m a n in hi s lif e vo

ca tion be tha t wha t it m a y The one thi ng to
, .

consider in a ny occupa tion un dertak en i s the best

a nd mos t com plete development of i ndi vi dua li ty .

Instea d of lying a wa ke ni ghts a nd pla nni ng

wa ys to get a hea d of com petitors , devote your
self to the developm ent of your best a bili ties ,

your m ost origi nal powers, and your highest as pi

ra tions .

“
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

w ord for him when oc ca si on dem a nds a nd to

,

yourself sa y Whoever com es into thi s pla ce of

,

business sha ll receive the best trea tm ent and the

m ost courteous a ttention in my power to give .
 MOR B I D I TI S

When love , hea lth , ha ppiness, a nd plenty hea r

Thei r na m es repea t ed over da y b y da y ,
Th ey wing their wa y lik e a nswering fa iri es nea r,
T hen nestle down wi t hin our homes t o sta y .

HE conceited girl or wom a n is tiresom e a nd

unpleas a nt as a com p a nion but the m orbi dly
,

discontented wom a n is far worse Perha ps you .

ha ve m et her wi th her eterna l complain t of the

,

i nj us tice of Fa te toward her .

She feels tha t she is born for better things than

ha ve befallen her ; her fam ily does not under
sta nd her ; her fri ends misj u dge her ; the publi c

sli ghts her .

If she is m arried she fin ds herself superior to

her husba nd a nd to her a ssocia tes She is eter .

na lly longi ng for wha t she has not ; a nd when she

gets the thi ng cra ved for she no longer cares for
it
. It ha s com e too la te she sa ys The sorrowful
, .

side of life a lone a ppea ls to her Thi s she believes

.

is due to her artistic na ture The inj ustice of

!
.

For une a nd the unkindn ess of society are topics

g
5 8 T H E AR T OF BE IN G A L I VE

dea r to her hea rt . She finds her only ra pture in

If she is religiously inclined she looks toward

hea ven wi th m ore gri m sa tisfa ction 1n the thought
tha t it will stri p fam e fa vors a nd fortun e from
, ,

the unworthy than beca use i t will gi ve her the

benefi ts she feels she deserves She does not .

dream tha t she is losing years of hea ven here

u pon ea rth by her own m en tal a ttitu de We .

build our hea vens thought by thought .

If you are dwelling upon t he dark phas es of

your destiny a nd upon the un gra cious a cts of
Fa te you are sha ping m ore of the sam e experi
,

ence for yours elf here a nd m realm s beyond You .

are m a king ha ppiness irn possible for yourself u pon

a ny pla ne I n your own self lies D estin y

. .

I ha ve k nown a wom an to keep her entire fam ily

despon den t for years by her continu al assertions
tha t she was out of her sphere misunderstood ,

a nd una pprecia ted The m in ds of sensitive chil

.

dren a ccepted these sta tem en ts a nd grieved over

“
poor m other s sa d lif e un til their own youth
’

w as em bittered The m orbid m other seized upon

.

the sym pa thi es of her children like a leech a nd

sa pped their youn g liv es of joy .

The husba nd grew discoura ged a nd indifferent

un der the continu a l stra in a nd wha t m ight ha ve
,

been a ha ppy hom e was a desola te one and it s ,

m em ory is a ni ghtm a re t o the children to da y -

.

Understa nd yourself a nd your di vine possi

bilities a nd you will ceas e to think you are mis
,
60 THE AR T OF B E I NG ALI VE
You brea the good fresh air in your home ; you
are not shut up in a tenem ent house ; you are

not confin ed i n a fa ctory all da y ; a nd you are not

starved for good food .

Why m y dear girl wi th such a list of thi ngs

, ,

whi ch could m a ke life hard in deed for one left

out of wha t F a te gives you it seem s to m e your

da ys should be one pma n of tha nks to Go d a nd

one p ra yer for voi ce a nd words to praise H im for

H is m a ni fold blessings .

An inh a rrn oni ous hom e is indee d a grea t trouble ;

but the only thi ng for one to do who suffers
from su ch a ca use is to be one note of ha rmony

Spea k the silent word of love to ea ch m ember

“
of the family ; sa y Pea ce be still to the
,
!

troubled dom estic ocea n a n d by every thought

, ,

word a nd a ct set the ex a m ple of harm ony

, .

Mira cles ha ve been wrought by one loving pa ,

tient soul in a hom e of m a ny wra ngling m in ds .

R efuse to quarrel ; refuse to be sullen ; refuse to

be sarcastic ; a nd by the exam ple of love a nd
kindness a nd good cheer sham e the other
m em bers of the household into better be
ha vior .

Then if they continue to be disa greea ble speak

, ,

the word of freedom to your own soul ; a nd pic

ture to yourself a life a part from the fam ily .

It will com e to you if you live in a wa y deserving

of thi s freedom It will com e either by a cha nge
.

in the people who m a ke the di scord or in your

 MOR BI D I TI S 61

cha nge to other surroundin gs It ca n never com e

.

while you a re pityi ng yourself Self pity is wea k

.
-

ness a nd a was te of m ental force It is a grea t .

wea kness of chara cter to continually cra ve pity

a nd sym pa thy a nd to wa nt people to be sorry

Jus t as well m ight every pupil who is given a

lesson ask a ll the tea chers a nd a ll the oth er schol
ars t o be sorry a nd bestow sym pa thy We
!

are pla ced in this world where our a c tions a nd

thoughts in other lives direct our p a th ; a nd we

are here to build chara cter a nd learn the po wer

which lies in our m inds to chan ge present condi

tions a nd sha pe a better future We ca n never do
.

thi s by consta ntly mourning over our situa tion .

For such feeli ngs waste our energi es a nd prevent

constructive processes of thought .

B egin right now tod a y m y dea r girl to tha nk

, , ,

God for wha tever has com e to you ; tha nk H im

for trouble a nd sorrow ; a nd as k H im to Show
y u the wa y to tra nsm ute these thi ngs into a
o

strong , helpful chara cter a nd to give you the

, ,

power to w ork up a nd out of all conditions whi ch

a re di stas teful to you .Thi s is your work ; a nd
y o u a lo n e ca n do it. The n look a bou t yo u for

things to rejoice over a nd think a nd talk of

,

these a nd a llow no one to be sorry for you

, .

Sta nd before your mirror a nd la ugh every da y

for fi ve minutes ; a nd when you feel the corners
of your m outh turni ng down bring them up and —
la ugh a ga in.
62 THE AR T OF BE ING ALIVE
And before very long you will discover that
y o u are no longer t o be p iti ed
, b ut to be congra tu
la ted .

For you will ha ve ma de a new hea ven and a

new earth for yourself .
 P RE NATAL INF LU E NCE

God loved so much , H is t houghts burst i nto flame ,

And from tha t sa cred Source crea tion ca me .

H ERE isothing we ca nnot hope for for

n
future genera tions once m en a nd wom en are
a wak ened to a rea liza tion of wha t prena tal infl u

ence m ea ns.

S ix or seven years a go a discoura ged a nd trou

bled wom a n wrote to a friend of her misfortunes .

The husba nd was out of em ploym ent there were ,

five children to feed a nd clothe a nd a nother child

H ow ca n I be gla d of thi s child or feel a ny

thing but despair a t the thought of bringin g a n
other being into this troubled life ? she asked
’
.

H ow ca n I give m y un born offspring prena ta l

influences for a n ything but sorrow ?
’

Try urged the fri en d in reply Fa ce the

!
, , .

inevita ble wi th a coura ge whi ch sha ll com pel the

respect of the unseen presences a lwa ys a bout us .

Select som e pi cture whi ch pleases you an d look

upon it often thin king you would like your child
,

to resem ble it Select som e chara cter in history,

.
64 THE ART OF B E ING ALI VE
a nd then from your neighborhood library obtain
books a bout tha t cha ra cter a nd rea d a nd thi nk
,

of the qualities which your child m a y a cqui re by

your efforts Focus your min d upon thi s subject
. .

Whenever you becom e m ela ncholy use your wi ll

power a nd sa y to yourself tha t the Crea tor of a ll
,

lif e is grea t a nd good enough to ca re for you a nd

protect you through your trial a nd tha t the work
,

for you to do is to m old your child into a bea u

tiful cha ra cter a nd to fi t it for a comfort a nd joy
to yourself a nd hum a ni ty You are buildi ng
.

som ething which will m ea n good or evil for the

world for tim e a nd eternity You are bri nging

.

into exi stence a huma n bei ng .

“
Such a colossal thought ought to ta ke such
com plete possession of you tha t nothin g petty ,

n othin g gloom y nothing selfi sh nothi ng less tha n

, ,

grea tness a nd glory could ent er your mind .

Tha t child now un der your hea rt has lived

many tim es before on ea rth It will com e wi th
.

m a ny im pulses a nd tendencies brou ght over from

old in ca rna tions a nd ma n y others from your own
,

a n cestors a nd tho se of the fa ther B ut grea ter

.

tha n a ll these i mpulses a nd tendenci es i s the

mi nd of the mother to mold a nd sha pe tha t
chi ld i nto wha t i t will be.If you rea lize how won
derful is the work given to do , a nd how far
rea chin g will be the results of how you do it a ,

grea t a we will fall upon you , wi th a grea t exulta

You will fall on your knees and lift your face

 PRE NATAL IN F LUE N CE 65

to the Invi sible H elpers a nd cry out : Crea tor , ,

God a nd all H oly Angels a nd Intelli gences in

,

the world a nd system s of worlds a bout a nd be

yond m e help m e to be worthy of this mi ghty
,

mission of m otherhood with whi ch I am cha rged .

Thrill m e stir m e enlighten m e wi th wisdom ;

, ,

give me light a nd guida nce ; a nd show me the

wa y to gi ve to the w o rld a perfe ct child I .
’
a

“
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
, ,

will fall asleep a t ni ght wi th the words on your

li ps
.

Then you will guard yourself from all evi l

thi nking or Spea ki ng from gloom y or depressing
,

thoughts ; beca use you will know tha t one who

so respe ct s the mi ssion intrusted to her a ndz who
so believes in her grea t responsibility will be
gua rded a nd helped over all the ha rd pla ces by
the Divine Gui des who are ever a bout us, .

You will a void looking a t the ugly the de ,

formed or the repulsive things of ea rth

, You .

will rea d no tales of crim e a nd a llow no one to

talk such things to you beca use you will not wa nt ,

to pass on to your unborn child a nyt hing but the

bea utiful hea lthful a nd inspiring thin gs of lif e
, ,
.

You will rea d good books biogra phi es ,

of noble lives a ccounts of bra ve a nd noble

,

deeds ; a nd you will listen to sw eet musi c a nd go ,

into churches a nd galleri es a nd see bea utiful

pictures or walk in woods a nd fi elds a nd look a t
,

lovely na ture Andj alwa ys will there be the

.
66 THE AR T OF BE IN G AL IVE
pra yer a nd the faith in your hea rt tha t brings
the Invi sible H elpers near You will believe .

tha t a Grea t Soul is coming to earth through ,

you a,soul tha t wi ll be helpful a n d ha ppy a nd ,

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

will love thi s ba by hi dden a wa y under your hea rt ;

a nd you will be bra ve a nd coura geous a nd know

tha t a ll must be well wi th you a nd it For of .

su ch i s the Ki ngdom of H ea ven

!
.

Mea ntim e the friend sent the bu rden ed m other

books a nd letters to cheer her a nd ma de such
efl ort as was in her pow er to obtai n work for the

fa ther a nd clothin g a nd fu el for the fam ily .

R ecently the fri en d received a letter from

the mother sa ying wha t cha nges the years had
brought to the family The husba nd a nd fa ther
.

has a good position a nd by ca reful econom y

,

they are a ble to sa tisfy the a ctu al needs of the

eight m em bers of the household a nd to pa y
a sm all sum ea ch w eek to li quida te their debts .

And the b a by whi ch wa s the ca use of su ch de

sponden cy a nd a lm ost desp a ir to the expecta nt

m other is the glory a nd joy of the household .

Alrea dy the child seem s to ra di a te sunlight a nd

hope a nd to show unusual bea uty a nd a t trac

Poor as we still are the m other writes m y

, ,

hea rt is full of j oy all da y long over our im proved

condi tion a nd the control I learned to exercise
,
68 THE AR T OF B E ING ALI VE
tion and of course lost an opportunity to benefit
,

by her knowledge Not un til I lived to see m y

.

own un controlled m oods refl ected in m y child ,

a nd to suffer for the rnj ur y I h a d don e him when

he was helpless t o defend himself di d I a w ak en

,

to the wonder a nd ma jesty a nd terror of prena tal

’
condi tions And now I am going to do wha t
.

I ca n to m ak e other w om en realize their pow er

to m old their children t o be wha t they desire .
!

Thi s is a grea t work for a ny wom a n t o under

tak e and ma y success a nd joy a ttend her
, .
 T HE NE G LE CTE D ART O F G OOD P ARE NTH OOD

Lo ve much T here is no waste in freely giving

.

H e who loves much a lone fin ds life wort h livi ng

Love on, t hrough doub t a nd da rkness ; a nd believe
There is no thi ng whi ch Love ma y not a chi eve .

RE you parent of grown children ?

a

If so just wha t do you know of their m ethods

,

of enj oym ent outside the hom e or even a t hom e ?

,

Do you ta ke a sym p a thetic in terest in a ll their

plea sures a nd do you try to ma ke them feel you
,

are their fri end a nd tha t you ha ve not forgotten

,

your own youth ?

Are they on such h a ppy terms wi th you tha t
they tell you a ll their little secrets a nd talk over
all their hopes a nd a mb itions a nd longi ngs ? H a ve

y ou m a de you r ow n son feel res pect a n d a hi gh

sense of respo nsib ility toward a ll wom en ? D oes
he un dersta nd tha t sex rela tions are sa cred m a t
ters a nd tha t a ny light or low view of the subject
is fra ught wi th enorm ous da ngers for him a nd for
his descenda nts ? Unless a young ma n knows
thi s from the scientifi c a nd m edi cal side he is
, ,

not well equi pped to go a bout seeking for social

 0 TH E AR T OF B E IN G ALIVE
pleasures in sa fety H e is in da nger hims elf a nd
.
,

he is lia ble to becom e a m ena ce to those with

Whom he associa tes .

H a s your young da ughter a ny knowledge of

herself as a woma n a nd a possible m other of a n
other genera tion whi ch will protect her from dis
,

as ter m ora lly or physica lly ?

,
Possi bly being your ,

da ughter you feel she m ust be sa fe from doing

,

a ny fooli sh or wrong a ct B ut you m ust rem em ber

.

how m a ny other a ncestors h a ve given her t en

dencies a nd qualities a nd im pulses of whi ch you
know nothing .

First a nd forem ost she is a hum a n being a part ,

of na ture a nd she will p ass through the sa m e

,

sta ges of developm ent whi ch fl ow ers a nd pla nts

a nd a ni m a ls p as s through Just as the tree buds

.

a nd then fl owers a nd then bea rs fruit so every ,

norm al woma n experi ences these instincts to carry

on na ture s work B ut as she ca nnot perform
’
.

these functions as na tura lly a nd frankly as the

things in the vegeta ble a nd a nim al kingdom do ,

she n eeds gui da nce a nd protecti on through the

rom a ntic b ud a nd fl ower period s of her unfold

m ent . Tendencies which an un ki nd a nd undis

cri m ina ting world mi ght ca ll evil are simply na t
ural tendencies for m a ting a n d bea ri ng off spring .

They show them selves in rom a ntic im pulses a nd a

desire t o enjoy the society of the opposite sex .

Tha t desire should be gra tifi ed but it should be,

g u i ded a nd p rote c ted Are you p.rotecti ng your

da ughter ? D o you know wha t hours she keeps

 T H E AR T OF GOO D PARE NTH OO D 7 1

with her ca llers ; a nd when She vi sits her girl

fri ends do you know wha t p la ces they vi sit a nd
,

who are their escorts a nd wha t hour she rea ches

,

her rooms ?
If you are the parents of sm all children a re you ,

giving them a ny founda tion of good m a nners a nd

a greea b le beha vior a nd kindly instincts whi ch

will m a ke them tra cta ble students when t hey be

g in to a tten d schoo l a n d will ca use the ten drils

of their young minds to rea ch up to lovely qua li

ties instea d of tra iling down into the dust of self
,

ishness a nd the mire of imm orality ? The m ost

im porta nt duties of parenthoo d are often ca st on
the burdened shoulders of tea chers .

H a ving brought a child into the world a nd to

a school a ge is not all of the responsibili ty of a

fa ther a nd m other Not even when a ccom pa ni ed

.

by generosity a nd a willingness to pa y tea chers

to do the work neglected a t hom e Nothing ca n .

ever qui te recom pense a child who has rea ched

the a ge of t en wi thout ha ving received the lovi ng ,

careful tra ining of a pa tient m other or fa ther in the

sma ll gra cious thin gs which m a ke u p dai ly conduct
, .

Any parent however poor ca n tea ch a c hild

, ,

to spea k low to a void fla t contra di ctions to be

, ,

respectful to elders to si t correctly to p a rta ke

, ,

of food Silently and enter and lea ve a room gra ce

,

fully .

Did you ever know how the story ca m e to

be told children th a t the stork brings the little
brothers a nd sisters to the household ?
7 2 T H E AR T OF BE IN G ALIVE
It seem s tha t the stork is very much devoted
to its youn g a nd also m ost a ffectiona te to its
,

older progeny .

I n southern Europe a nd Egypt the storks are

m uch loved a nd protected They build their
.

nests in chi mneys or in old rui ns or chur ch spires .

The Fa ther Stork is devoted to hi s fami ly a nd

su pplies food for the youn g in the n ests a nd he ,

a nd Mother Stork are very ca reful to keep the

birdi es in their nests till they are quite strong

enough to lea rn to fl y W hen they ca n saf ely fl y
.
,

they start with their parents to wa mrer la nds .

I n H ollan d som e people build n ests on the house

tops to induce the storks to com e People would .

ra ther bui ld a n ew chim n ey th a n disturb a stork s

’

nest as they are co nsidered grea t goo d luck to

,

ha ve near ; a nd as alm ost a ll people in those la nds

,

think large families are a blessing the belief grew ,

up tha t ha ving the devoted Stork p arents build

ing nests on the roof brought them the ha ppiness
of a large fam ily .

Modest parents declare they want to keep

their children inn ocent a nd i gnora nt of all
thin gs pertaini ng to those subjects just as long as
possible ; a nd ma ny a proud m other is hea rd de
cla ri n g her da ughter of seventeen i s as innocen t

as a b a be unborn .

B ut such innocence is cri minal on the part of

the parent .

B esides it is seldom true

, .

The mother is deceived .

 THE AR T OF GOO D PARE NTH OO D 73

Few e go through one pri ma ry term

childr n
in public school a nd rem ai n ignora nt of these
subjects But the ir knowled ge is gained from
.

low sour ces usua lly a nd their minds are ta rnished

,

by ha ving to receive the instruction in a vulgar

It is t he m other s pla ce to talk to her children

’

a nd to tell them j ust as m a ny of life s grea t truths

’

as their young minds ca n assimila te , a nd then

to impress upon them the di gni ty a nd good form

of silence on these subject s When a mother .

ma kesher child a confi da nt in thi s wa y she wra ps

it a bout wi th a ma ntle of purity an d protection
whi ch no rude han d can tea r a wa y .

All the fa thers a nd m others in Am eri ca who

believe themselves to be in any wa y decent a nd
respecta ble peop le continually deplore the preva

lence of graf t di shonesty a nd every form of

, ,

thi every in our la nd And yet not one pair of

.

pa rents in ten bring up little childre n with ca reful,

high idea ls respect ing the ri ghts a nd property of
their neighbors and their associa tes It is during .

the first t en years of a child s life tha t such ideals

’

must be form ed in order to becom e a pa rt of the

cha ract er An especially bri ght , intellectual boy
.

of ten yea rs of a ge was hea rd comm enting with ,

regret , on the dishonesty of Am eri ca n politics .

H e declared hi s opinion tha t a ll politicians were

thi eves pocketing the m oney whi ch belonged
,

to the people for their own use Yet the very .

same day this sma ll boy ha d stopped by the roa d

6
74 TH E AR T OF BE ING AL IVE

si de a nd picked fl owers from a garden which be

longed to a neighbor .

H e a t first surveyed the ground wi th a wa tch

ful eye to see tha t no gardener was in sight ; a nd
he ha d gla nced up a t the windows of the m ansion
to assure hi mself tha t no one was looking ; then
he hurriedly helped him self to a bouquet a nd
pa ssed on .

To be sure the garden was loa ded with fl owers

, ,

a nd those tha t he ha d ga thered would never be

missed . Nevertheless he had viola ted a pri nci
,

p l
e ; he ha d i nf g
ri n ed u pon the ri ghts of others; he

had ta ken property which did not belong to hi m .

The only reproof a dmi ni stered by hi s m other

when she lea rned of the fa ct was , Oh you ,

shouldn t ha ve done tha t Then she put the

’
.

fl owers in a vas e a n d set them on the cen ter-ta ble .

It was a childish a ct she sa id The sort of thing

, .

tha t every boy does som e tim e in hi s life Yet .

the a ct was petty larceny ; nothi n g m ore and

nothing less Similar thefts occur in every neigh
.

borhood where there are fruit trees

-
.

A m a n who has been m ost generous in the

pri vileges he has gra nted neighbors , fri ends a nd ,

stra ngers in the use of the bea u tiful groun ds

surroundin g hi s summ er hom e pla nted a few

cherry trees som e years a go thinking it would
-
,

be a plea sure to ea t cherries from his own trees .

So far he has been deni ed tha t pri vilege beca use

hi s neighbors children ha ve helped them selves to
’

the cherries before they were fairly ripe They .

76 THE ART OF B E ING ALI VE
A peddler of ca kes and condim ents found his
cart nea rly em pty As he emerged from a house
.

where he ha d been deli vering pa cka ges a bevy of

scream ing youths un der fifteen years of a ge ran
, ,

out of rea ch la ughi ng a t his look of consterna

,

tion They were children of respecta ble church

.
,

going resi dents of the little suburba n resort It .

seem ed to them a n excellent j est to steal th e m a n s

’

ca kes a nd cookies and feas t upon them while his

ba ck was turned .

A child s mind should be form ed to regard other

’

people s property with respect before it rea ches

’

six yea rs of a ge Thi s ca n be done by daily

.

cha ts a nd pleasan t conversa tion of the parents ,

fashioned to the understandi ng of the child .

Little boys ca n be m a de to consider a nother

boy s m arbles a nd tin soldi ers as personal prop
’

erty not to be u sed or touched wi thout t he own

,

er s permissi on a nd knowledge a nd never to be

’
,

Little girls be ma de to regard other chil

ca n

dren s dolls a nd toys in the sam e light The im

’
.

pression should be indelibly fi xed upon the deli

ca te mi nd texture tha t a ny viola tion of this rule
is vulgar a nd indica tes la ck of good breeding .

Children so ta ught by tactful a nd considera te

parents will never become thi eves a nd will never ,

be gui lty of petty purloinings of neighbors fl ow ’

ers a nd fruits .

D a y schools and Sun da y schools ma y profi tably

- -

em ploy a few m om ents three times ea ch m onth

 THE AR T OF GOO D PARE NTHOOD
at least to direct young mi nds to hi gh , fin e idea ls

pense for courts of j ustice in years to com e And .

it will m ak e the world a sweeter a nd m ore com

forta ble pla ce for gron genera tions .
 T HE T O W E R ROOM

An d I ha ve looked up th rough th e veil of skies

Wh en a ll th e world was st ill a nd u n derst ood
Th a t I a m one wit h Na t ure a nd wi th Go d .

RE you living up to the best there is in you ?

Are you even li ving up t o one ha lf of tha t
-

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
.

live m a ny hours on the groun d fl oor W e ha ve

.

our pra ctica l du ti es our n eeds of the body our

, ,

dai ly ca res whi ch requi re our presence in the lower

room .

Nearly a ll of us spend hours in the u pper cham

bers where we find repose and rela xa tion but how
. ,

m an y of us go every d a y into the tower room ?

H ow ma ny of us, in deed kn ow , or knowing , t e
, ,

m em ber tha t we possess this tower room ?

The ground fl oor room is tha t m ental condition
-

whi ch obliges us to thi nk wholly of the needs of

the body ; the upper cha m bers are those m om ents
or hours when we enj oy the plea sures a nd com
 TH E TOWER R OOM 79

forts of ea rth without a nxiety or sordid cares ;

a nd the t ow er room is tha t ex alted st a te of mi n d

wherein we feel our close kins hi p to the Suprem e

Cause a nd to the Invisible H elpers of the uni verse .

Just a bri ef tim e spent in tha t room of your

being ea ch da y will help you to pea ce power a nd , ,

prosperi ty It will help you t o grow in strength

.
,

health usefulness a nd ha ppiness If you have

, , .

never entered this room you cannot rea ch it a ll

a t once .You will ha ve to clim b p a tiently to it .

Many people belong t o a church a nd believe in a

creed a nd in hea ven yet ha ve never entered the
,

tower room in their own being .

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 .

Other thi ngs were known better a thousa nd a nd

fi ve thousa nd yea rs a go tha n we know them .

Concentra tion was one of these things The .

tendency of m od ern tim es is t o sca tter our mind

—
forces a nd to render us irrita ble resentful a nd , ,

ill tem pered

-
H ere is a little form ula whi ch will
.

help us all in our sea rch for control com posure , ,

a nd concentra tion S it in a qui et room in a com

.
,

forta ble chair erect with the ha nds resting lightly

, ,

on the kn ees .

Close the eyes inhale a deep brea th through

,

the nostrils until counting seven hold the brea th ,

while counting the sam e a nd slowly exha le the ,

sa m e leng th of tim e Think as you do this tha t

.
, ,

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
, , , ,

ness a nd m a king them your own

, D o thi s for five
.

mi nutes only m orni ng a nd ni ght a nd see if your

, ,

nerves do not com e m ore un der your control

a nd the tas k of keeping am i a b le does not grow

less difli cult .

Of course you will not becom e perfect in a day,

week , or year You will ha ve your ups a nd downs,
.

your setba cks a nd your discoura gernents But .

y o u w ill be helped a nd be n efi ted by this sim ple

exercise in a surprising degree .

Try it .

It is good for every hum a n being on ear th to

brea the deeply and fill the whole body with pure ,
fresh air m any tim es a da y It is good for every
.

living thing to love a nd be loved It is good for

.

a ll hum a n beings t o live ou tdoors as m uch as pos

sible a nd to sta nd a nd walk correct ly .

There is no one so peculiarly constru cted tha t

he will not be benefi ted by these things ; there
is no one who will not be ha rm ed by a n opposite
course ; and there is no one who has a sorrow or a
trouble so indivi dual or special who will not be
harm ed by consta nt conversa tion a bou t it or
who will not be helped by the right a ttitu de of
mi nd toward thi s subject .

Science has proven tha t there is a physi cal

change ma de in the brain cells by ea ch thought
- .

Even a m om entary sight of colors has produced

a n eff ect upon the color cells of a n a nim al .

Ima gin e, then, wha t continual thought of any

 TH E T OWE R R OOM 8I

kind m ust be doing for our own brains Anger .

,

re venge, fea r sorrow despondency worry a nd

, , , ,

m ela n choly are a ll li ttle Chi sels chi pping a wa y

a t the physi ca l stru cture of our hea ds as well ,

as chan ging the ex pressions of our fa ces the a tti ,

tudes of our bodi es and the chemicals of our men

,

t a l a tm osphere .

The wom a n who writes long m elancholy let ,

ters recounting the wrongs and troubles she has

borne is sha ping her bra in to new sorrows a nd
robbing herself of the pow er of concentra tion

a nd of the vital force she needs to p rodu ce other

a nd ha ppier events For events are grea tly of

.

our own m oldin g a nd m a n y thin gs whi ch seem

,

inevita ble a ccidents are onl y the result of m enta l

It is a curi ous thi ng how the body a nd mind

rea ct one on the other If you sit before the mir .

ror a nd frown for t en minutes you will begin to

feel cross If you sit and smile you will soon feel
.

your hea rt growing m erry Tra in your body and .

your fa ce to be a lert hopeful a nd energetic a nd , , ,

luck will com e to you t en tim es where it would

com e once to the despondent and drooping vi s -

a ged m ort al .

I was told of a young girl who cam e to New

York to find work a nd who ha d the m ost remark
a ble run of good fortun e befa ll her H er first .

effort was successful and she left tha t position,

to fill another tha t offered twi ce the sa lar y .

B orn to luck a friend said to m e

,
!
.
82 T H E AR T OF BE IN G ALIVE
Afterwa rd I m et the girl She cam e on a n er
.

ra nd . I t was a da y of ra in a nd wind but she

,

blew into the room like a sunbeam an d a summ er

breeze in one She wa lked as if there were spri ngs
.

She went di rectly to the object of her Visi t , ma de

her errand known in a few concise , clearly spoken
words a nd went a wa y lea ving me wi th the feeling
, ,

tha t som e vital part of the world s m echani sm

’

ha d pas sed before m e No wonder she is lucky ,

.

for her lu ck lies in herself .

If we are not born wi th it , let us cultiva te it .

We ca n .

And he who clim bs daily to the Tower R oom

of hi s mind will surely one da y sight the rncoming
Shi p of Success, bea ri ng to him I n its hold a ll the
hi ghest an d best dreams of his heart ma terialized .
84 TH E AR T OF B E IN G ALI VE
su ch degra da tion as di d the fan a ti cism of these
ea rly Christia n Fa thers .

H ere are som e proverbs a bout wom en whi ch

men ma de popular in tha t era :
Wom en and horses m ust be bea ten .

Wom en and m oney a re the ca uses of a ll evils .

Trust no woma n even were she dea

If you a re too ha ppy ta ke a wife
, .
!

Montaigne recomm ended poetry t o wom en be

“
ca use it is a wa nton cra fty a rt disguised a ll
, ,

for pleasure a ll for show j ust as they a re

!
, , .

John Stua rt Mill once sai d in reference to those

Some genera tions a go when sa tires on wom en

,

were in vogue m en thought it clever to insult

,

wom en for being wha t m en ha d ma de them .

The world has grown a wa y from such ideas of

women ; a nd wi th other cha nges it s vi ewpoint
, ,

on wha t cons titu tes love ha s cha nged Where .

once woman was supposed to be m an s a bsolute ’

chattel she is now regarded as his comra de ma te

, , ,

fri end a nd equal ; a nd comra deshi p ra ther than

,

service is dem anded of her .

This question is propoun ded : Wha t is the

highest form of wom a n s love for man ?
’ !

The question is a t once sim ple a nd comd ex .

Not every wom an is endowed with the qua lities

whi ch ena ble her t o be a loveress Not every .

wom an so endowed m eets the one ca p a ble of in

spiri ng her Not every wom a n who loves deeply
.

possesses the spiri tual and m ental trai ts whi ch

 LOVE 5

al no e render tha t love a blessing and a power for

good to the recipient There are wom en whose
.

love blights a nd ruins There are others whom to

.

love or be loved by brings forth the la tent powers

in a man s na ture a n d spee ds him to the summits
’
.

The highest form of love in a wom an is tha t

whi ch ennobles not only the man who receives it ,

but her who gives it .

I ha ve m ore than once seen a wom a n belittled

a nd chea pened by a spa niel like devotion t o a m an
-

who was unworthy of the sentim ent bestowed

upon him a nd who was wea ri ed by it Such love .

is pitiful a nd holds no elem ent of gra ndeur It .

is m erely one form of hysteri cs a nd ou ght to com e

,

under the hea d of n ervous diseases .

A gr ea t love the highest form of love m ust

, ,

contai n a large elem ent of wom a nly self respe ct -

,

a nd m ust dignify the gi ver as well as the recipient ,

even in its m ost extra va gant phases .

It m us t t o som e degree a bsorb all other loves

an d m a ke them secon da ry ; yet if it renders the

heart which is its hom e cruel to every livi ng

, ,

thing or blind to an y duty it ceas es to be the

,
“
hi ghest form of love .
!

Phaedrus tells of a woman who loved her hus

band so m uch tha t in com pari son fa ther a nd
m other seem ed like stra ngers This wi fe was .

Alcestis the da ughter of P elius

, She ch eerfully .

lai d down her life for her husba nd a nd the gods ,

a c corded her the rare virtu e of returning to ea rth

when she felt like it .

86 T H E AR T OF BE IN G AL IVE

I t is qui te possi ble tha t these pa rents deserved t o

seem like stra ngers to their da ughter . Pa ren tal
affection is not infrequently a m ost selfi sh sen ti

m ent , and one whi ch in no sens e inclu des the hi gh

est good for the children . To the ma jority of
fa thers and m others the inner life of their off
spri ng is as unknown as the Sanskri t la ngu a ge .

A m ere tie of blood ca nnot force us to love wha t

is unlova ble .

If Alcestis passed from the hom e where the

a vera ge dom esti c conditions exist into the full

efi ulgence of a rea l love life , it is no won der her

parents seem ed strangers to her But if her new

.

foun d ha ppiness ca us ed her to ignore their feel

ings or to disregar d a properly courteous an d
thou ghtful code of conduct toward them , then it
“
was not the hi ghest type of love
!
.

To love truly, a bsorbingly, and passiona tely

a ny one hum a n being ou ght to m a ke us m ore

consi dera te a nd tender t oward a ll hum a ni ty ;

j ust as the sunlight pen etra tes into da rk recesses

a nd warms a nd blesses every lea f a nd bla de of

grass, so a grea t love should cast its ra dia tions

upon all who com e within its a ura .

Our sym pa thi es , our benevolen ce , our a ffec

tions should all be deepened a nd widened by the
presen ce of the grea t a wa kener in our hearts A .

wom a n s fa ith in the m a n she loves should be

’

firm a nd pa tient , yet it should not be blin d .

It Should expect results It should not be sa ti s

.

fi ed to see him degenera te into selfishness , greedi

 LOVE 87

e
n ss, or imm ora lity a nd m a ke no protest or gi ve
no w arning .

It should be a spur to hi s best na ture , to hi s

highest im pulses .

Unless a man im proves un der the infl uence of

a wom a n s love there is som ethi ng wrong with
’

her love or the m an

Every hum a n being either im proves or degener
a tes as yea rs pas s by To the unprej udi ced eye
.

these subtle cha nges are Visible year by yea r .

There is no such thing as rem a ining sta tionary,

m enta lly m ora lly or physi cally
, , .

A m a n m a y lose fortune a nd position , yet grow

into a fin er a nd m ore a dm ira ble m a nhood through
the ex peri ence H e m a y gain wea lth a nd a t the
.

sam e tim e lose or ga in in m oral worth , a nd these

cha nges Should be first vi sible to the eyes of the

wom a n who loves him .

The hi ghest type of love is not blin d It has .

the good of it s object too near it s hea rt to be

blind to the changes whi ch encompass it .

Pa tient Griselda wa s not a noble type of

loving woma n She encoura ged the bru te a nd the
.

tyra nt in the m an a nd a llowed him to lower him

self in the m oral scale .

When a m an sa ys of a wom an , NO ma tter

wha t I do she will sa y it is all right , be sure tha t
,

wom a n is not gi ving the hi ghest type of love .

Wha t a m a n ought to be a ble to sa y is : NO “

m a tter how a ppea ra nces are a gai nst m e She will

,

believe in m e un til I ca n explain to her, a nd if I

88 THE AR T OF B E I NG ALI VE
ma ke a mista ke she will be the first to encoura ge
me to begin a new a nd the quickest t o forgi ve .
!

No wom a n who loves u tterly would thi nk it a

grea t sa cri fi ce to gi ve up her life for her lover

Aperfect love must include Spiritual sym pa thy ,

m ental com panionshi p physi cal responsiveness

, .

Any one of these elem en ts la cking love is cri ppled, .

H ere is wha t H enry T Fin ck has to sa y of R O

.

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

in a thousa nd novels a nd poem s every year has

existed a t a ll times a nd in every coun try immu ,

ta ble as the m oun tai ns a nd the stars but rom antic ,

love is a m odern sentim ent less than a thousan d

Not till Dante s Vi ta Nuova a ppeared was

’

—
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
.
, ,

is a lwa ys in a dvan ce of it s a ge in em otions as

,

well as in thoughts a nd the feelin gs experi enced

,

by D an te were obvi ously not shared by his con

tem porari es who found them too subtle a nd sub
,

lima t ed for their com prehension And in fa ct .

, ,

they were too ethereal to qui te correspond with

rea lity The stri ngs of D a nte s lyre were strung
’
.

too hi gh and touched by his m a gic hand ga ve

, ,
 LOVE 89

forth harmoni c overtones too celestial for mun

da ne ea rs t o hear —R oma nti c Love a nd P ersona l
.
!

This curious and interesting book whi ch dea ls ,

with a ll phas es a nd a ttributes of love has nothi ng ,

wha tever to sa y of Pla toni c love .

There is wholesom e sincere friendshi p between

,

ma n a nd woman It is in no sense Pla toni c love

. .

The m om ent we use the word love we spea k of

a claim a necessity
, The elem ent of love enter
.

ing into our a ffection we fin d the object necessa ry

,

to our ha ppiness .

When a m an becomes in a ny wa y necessa ry

to a woma n or a woma n to a man the tie is no
, ,

longer m ere fri endshi p nor ca n a ny trum ped ,

up ma keshift of Pla tonism disgui se its real

na ture . When a ny hum a n being becom es a part
of your plans for pleas ure or ha ppiness ea ch da y
or ea ch week or ea ch m onth there is da nger ,

a hea d for you if tha t being is of the opposite sex

a nd not rela ted to you by blood tie s .

Wrea the it over as you will with fl owery ta lk

of Pla toni c love nevertheless you are m a rchin g
,

to the chasm of da ngerous experi m ent You m a y .

as well ca rry a lighted ma tch into a dyn am i te

fa ctory and sa y you are sa fe A m an s house .

’

keeper or secreta ry m a y be necessa ry to his com

fort or to the successful a ccom plishm ent of hi s
business H e ma y sa y I could not get along
.
,

without her But tha t is an other question

. .

It is when the social a nd holida y side of the

7
90 T H E AR T OF BE I NG A LIVE

m a n s na ture feels the necessity of som e one

’

Woma n t o share his enj oym ent tha t he n eeds to

be on gua rd if he wishes to a void giving or
his
rec ei ving pa in or finding himself in som e sort of

trouble .

It ha s been sa id : There are two grea t prob

—
lem s of li fe the problem of sex a nd the problem
of God It is hard t o sa y which is the m ore
.

tormenting ; it is enough tha t ea ch is a whi rling

the problem of God we can a lwa ys fall

But in
ba ck on the consciousness tha t L ove a nd progress
cover the whole question while in the problem
,

of sex love is only the hi gher phase a nd before

, ,

we climb to it we are in da nger of stum bling into

the mi re below if we are not eterna lly on gua rd .
92 THE AR T OF B EI NG ALI VE
sa n d or the ocea n or the fl am es ? Every thought
we send out is a na il in the construct ion of Char
a cter tha t ma nsion we a re sen t to thi s ea rth plan e
,
-

to build To use these thou ght nails in fear

.
-
,

worry despondency gloom ha tred resen tm ent

, , , , ,

a nd doubt of God a nd ourselves is a s foolish a nd

wi cked as would be the waste of na ils by the car

p en t er who h ad contra ct ed to build the house
m a de by ha nds .

Never before in the last century ha d Am eri ca

such need of knowled ge of the pow er of the mi nd

to control circumsta nces as now Never was there .

a grea ter dem a nd for the ex ercise of self control -

a nd self assertion-
There was never a tim e when
.

those who believe in prophecies ha d grea ter need

of bala nce a nd comm on sense m ixed with thi s
belief There is no question but m any people
.

possess the si xth sense which ena bles them to see

som e a pproa chi ng events B ut few very few
.
, ,

possess the knowledge of the ti me such events

will tra nspire .

Therefore it is un wise to be one of those who ,

through fear of dea th li ve alwa ys in bonda ge

, ,

a nd who by continua l fear of calam ity br i ng it

nearer .

There is a n invisible world a bout us in whi ch

events whi ch occur here a re form ula ted ; a nd there
are eyes on ea rth whi ch see those even ts in the

process I n centuries to com e a ll hum an beings

.

will possess thi s sixth sense But not a ll who pre .

tend to possess it are to be trus ted And how .

 TH OUGHT NAI LS -
93

ever true ma y be the prophet who foretells your

future a t the tim e of the telling rem em ber you ,

a re a pa rt of desti ny a nd you ca n modify events

,

a nd turn di sasters i nto blessi ngs by your menta l

This you ca nnot do if your mind is full of fear .

Fea r is a devil of m a n s own m aking ; ha ve

’

nothin g to do with him a nd he will lea ve you .

Enterta in him a nd he will destroy you .

H owever scientifi c m a y be the ca uses on whi ch

som e prophet bas es hi s assertion tha t a grea t

di saster ha ngs over your loca lity or yourself be ,

g i n e a c h da y w i th a n a sse r ti on of tru st i n the

Crea tor of a ll thi ngs Then clea r your mind of all

.

despondency all ha te a nd a ll revenge Forgive

, ,
.

everybody who has wronged you a nd sa tura te

(your hea rt wi th the thou ght I am surrounded ,

by a circle of Divine Lo ve a nd nothing but good ,

ca n com e to m e
’
.

If you find fear a nd gloom a pproa chi ng the

ci ta del of your mi n d duri ng the da y sa y : I was ,

pla ced on ea rth t o m ak e the m ost of m y oppor

t uni t ies .I am here for a good purpose or I would ,

not be here Wha tever oc curs it is m y part to

.
,

be calm trustful a nd helpf

, , When you hear
people ta lking of fl ood a nd ea rthqua ke an d war
a nd pes tilence fi ll your mi nd wi th sunshi ne se
, ,

reni t y pea ce a nd heal th

, , .

If you do thi s persistently a nd system a tically

y o u w ill in the
, eve nt th a t a n y of thes e d isas ters

come find yourself a rock of saf ety for others

, ,
94 TH E AR T OF BE IN G A LI VE

a nd you be protected by seemi ngly miracu

will
lous circumsta nces in the mi dst of peril .

Most of us Sh elt er som e pet fear in our hea rts .

Man y of us give room rent free to a whole brood

, ,

of fea rs The old orthodox religion of our early

.

Chri stia n Fa thers was built on fear The Puri .

ta ns loved the fear of God m ore tha n they loved

the love of God or huma nity .

A m ore wholesom e creed is ta ught in our da y ;

even the churches are begi mring to tea ch love
in pla ce of fear .

The New Thought philosophy m a kes fear the

only devil Yet even those who kn ow the fool
.

ishness a nd da nger of entertai ning fear fi nd it

difi cult to exile the dem on from their hearts and
m inds so a bsolut ely tha t it ca nn ot fin d som e wi n
dow left open thr ough whi ch it m a y creep in a nd
curl up in one corner .

The fear of poverty when it becom es a settled

,

thought is classed as insa nity by brai n specialists

,
.

Ma ny m en of wealth di e in mi sery vi ctim s of ,

thi s m ani a Fear of being Slighted or inj ured by

.

others when indulged an d dwelt upon becom es

, ,

a nother form of i nsa ni ty ca lled p ara noea F ear .

of misfort un e a nd ba d luck ca used a successful

a nd hea lthy m a n to commi t sui cide recently be

ca use he foun d the shi p on whi ch he ha d ta ken

passa ge for E urope was to sail on the thirteenth

of the m onth So deeply rooted ha d becom e
.

hi s su perstitious fear of the da te tha t he lost his

reason .
96 THE AR T OF BEI N G ALI VE
of Divine Love , a nd n othing but good ca n c ome
to m e .

You wi ll wa ken with a new sense of securi ty

a nd strength in the m orning If duri ng the da y .

old fear tries to creep in ma ke your good ni ght-

,

a ssertion a gai n a nd refuse to thi nk of fea in r-

spiri ng things R ecall to yourself the innum er

.

a ble tim es when fears whi ch you ha ve entertai ned

in the pas t proved to be nothing but the result

of your own im a gina tion .

If you a re inclined to question the existence of

Angel H elpers or Invi sible Fri en ds res t on the
, ,

fa ct tha t there ca n be produced a mighty arm y

of brillia nt a nd san e souls who ha ve proven these
thi ngs to their own sa tisfa ction ; a nd tha t the
grea test a chi evem ents in the hi story of the world
ha ve been a ccom plished by m en a n d wom en who
believed in Spiri tual Intelligences a nd their power
t o a i d m a nkin d .

These intelligen ces these helpers do exi st ; a nd

, ,

they wi ll bri ng you into the kingdom of your own

soul a nd dri ve a wa y fear if you a sk their a ssi st

a nce B ut a fter it is gi ven a n d while you a re

.
,

a skin g you m ust help yourself by pra cti cal a nd

,

persistent m ethods Their work is to help those .

who help themselves ; not to do your work for

you .

P eace P ower, , a nd P lenty belong to you . Claim

your own .
 A ME NTA L I NVE NTORY

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 .

H AT ha ve you a ccom plished thi s year ?

I m ea n wha t ha ve you a ccom plished tha t
,

wi ll la st ?
You m a y ha ve m a de m oney or gained a social
,

foothold or crea ted a rOle in the dram a tic world

, ,

or wri tten a book or pla y or opera ; you m a y

ha ve tra veled a nd received a dula tion from foreign
la nds b ut tha t is not wha t I m ea n
, .

Not one of these things will last They a ll .

pas s awa y wi th tim e M oney fa m e bea uty pow

.
, , ,

er a ll pass a wa y
, .

Cha racter only rem ains Wha t ha ve you done

.

toward building your chara cter ?

Si t down a lone by yourself in a quiet room a nd
turn the lights low a nd think it over .

H a ve you grown stron ger in a ny worthy pri n

ciple ? H a ve you exercised self c ontrol in your-

a ppetites ? I S it easier or harder for you to resist

98 T H E AR T OF BE IN G A LI VE

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 ?

H a ve you gai ned a nythi ng intellectually in

this yea r ? Do you know m ore in an y desira ble
line of study or resea rch ? Or has your brai n been
fri ttered a wa y on the da ily news a nd light fi ction ,

a nd things whi ch ha ve done you no good m ore

than to pass a wa y tim e ? H a ve you stored up

one historical fa ct or scientifi c piece of inf orma

tion tha t will help you or ha ve you thought seri

,

ously on a ny topi c whi ch developed your brai n

powers ? H a ve you m a de a ny progress in any

a rt profession or a ccom plishm ent ?
, ,

H a ve you cultiva ted self denia l for the sa ke

-

Of others ; ha ve you restrained yourself in selfish

pleasures an d ha bits now a nd then tha t you ,

might gi ve m ore tim e a nd pleas ure to som e one

near you — a parent a child a husb and a wi fe ?
, , ,

H a ve you thought a li ttle a bout the life to com e ?

The years are hurrying by ; a hea d li es the path
tha t we m ust all t a ke alone one of these da ys .

H a ve you gi ven a little thought to where tha t

pa th lea ds ?
There is nothi ng of m a terial possessions or
1 00 THE AR T OF B EI NG ALIVE
m otor ca r or several new m otors, a nd feels that
-
,

his year is a grea t tri um ph .

Som e wom a n ma y be qui te sa tisfi ed with ha v

ing ma de sa cri fi ces for her children ; she ha s
t oiled for them ; she has dressed pla inly tha t they
might dress well; a nd she has been in every pos
Sible wa y a help to her husband in the economi ca l
m ethod of usin g his incom e for the best interests

B ut wha t , dea r Sir or ma da m , has been your

da ily deportm ent in your hom e or in your busi
ness ? Your m oney is not the im porta nt thing
t o consider a t thi s tim e of yea r . It is your
cha ra cter Wha t progress ha ve you m a de in
.

the las t yea r toward developing a n a dm ira ble

an d lova ble disposition ? Wha t sort of m em ories
a re you storing up for th ose neares t to you

Wife , husband , children, or business associa tes?

They m a y outlive you, and how will they re
m em ber you ?
Are you doing by them exa ctly as you would
like to be done by ? Tha t is not a new idea bu t ,

it is qui te as well worth your considera tion as if

it were You m a y be a busy m a n weighed down
.
,

with ma tters of political or business im porta nce ,

a nd you will thi nk m y question a trivi a l one per ,

ha ps B ut nothi ng on ea rth i s of more i mporta nce

.

tha n doi ng ri ght by our da i ly associ a tes Nothing

.

here or herea fter can a tone for our neglect to

bring out the best in those nea rest us .

If you are cold , irrita ble in di fferent , na gging,

,
 A ME NTAL I N VE NTORY I OI

selfish stingy or thoughtless in your home or

, ,

your office or shop you are bri nging out the worst
,

— not the best qualities in others You a re .

spoiling bea utiful da ys weeks an d m onths for

, ,

others a nd tha t is m ore criminal tha n spoiling

,

their property ; t he tim e despoiler the ha ppiness

-
,

sla yer is the m ost cruel va ndal on ea rth .

B esi des wronging others you are ruining your

,

self in the recolle ction of those who outlive you .

If you a re devoting your whole time an d

strength to m a king m on ey for your wif e a nd chil
dren or if you as their m other a re sa crifi cing
, , ,

pleasure an d you th to gi ve them a dva nta ges ,

do not im a gine you are doing all tha t is required

of you To be a greea ble to be pa tient to be
. , ,

com paniona ble those are the qualities whi ch

help to m ake life worth livin g for those near us .

It is a tra gedy to spoil one da y for an other hum a n

being by a la ck of these qualities even though ,

we bes tow a fortune upon tha t being when we

pass on .

It is a tra gedy to be rem em bered as a n un

comforta ble an d unam iable person even of la rge ,

virtues .

H ow do you im a gi ne those a bout you will t e

mem ber you when you a re gone ?
 THE S MALL T O WN

Along thi s world benighted

Where clouds a nd sha dows roll,
One narrow pa th is lighted
For ea ch imm orta l soul .

The pa th of Love s endea vor

’

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 .

0 not let your min ds narrow down t o the

lim its of your town ; do not let your ideas
becom e dwa rfed your am bitions stunted your
, ,

outlook limi ted There is no need of it in this da y

.

a nd a ge of low pri ced litera ture an d free libraries

- .

You ca n keep in m ental tou ch wi th the whole

world if you wi sh to do it There is no need of
.

confining your inform a tion to the social colum n

of your country pa per R ea d the m a gazines a nd
.

w eekli es a nd book revi ews when you ca nn ot oh

tain the books Thi nk of yourself as a n im porta nt
.

—
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 .

The m oment you find yourself dwellin g on

1 04 THE AR T OF B E ING ALI VE
fess tha t it is in the la tter I ha ve found g a
r e ter

pa thy am ong people together with broa der j udg

,

m ents I n the a vera ge country ham let one needs

.

to be ill or an object of chari ty to bring out the

tenderness in the hea rts of hi s neighbors Let .

it be known tha t si ckness or poverty has vi sited

a household a nd the tongue of gossip is silenced
,

a nd the indifl erént or disa greea ble a ir gives pla ce

to solicitous kindness while the trouble lasts !

But rem em ber we ca nn ot a ll in thi s world be in
, ,

vali ds or beggars Yet we a ll love sym pa thy a nd

.

Many wom en in the country love to pla y La dy

B ountiful m erely for the gra tifica tion of being
looked up to B ut a grea ter na ture finds plea s
.

ure in showing a ff ect iona te interest in a n equa l on

whom it ca n bestow nothi ng but fri endshi p .

Thi nk every da y how large the world is com

pared to your town yet do not despise your ,

town in consequence R espect it as part of the .

grea t Consolida ted Com pa ny of H um an B eings ,

a nd ma ke it as interesting a pla ce as possible

by your own m enta l m oral and social qual , ,

ities .

Study thi nk rea d work a nd love Sym pa thize

, , , , .

with your neighbors a im s am bitions efforts

’
, , ,

hopes a nd trials Cheer them a ll you ca n a nd

, .
,

never a llow a thought of jea lousy or envy t o enter

your mind if som e one seems to you to be suc
ceeding better than you or yours .
 THE S M ALL TOWN

Do not permi t yourself to be sma ll a nd petty

beca use you live in a sm all town B e so large
.

of soul tha t you will di gnify the town in the min d

of a ny one who knows it is your pla ce of resi den ce
.

8
 XVI I I

W H AT C H ARM ?
!
IS

Oh, a grea t world, a fai r world, a true world I find it

A sun tha t never forgets to rise ,
On the da rkest ni ght a sta r in the skies,
And a God of love behi nd it .

H E French wom en confess tha t the Am erican

wom en are ha ndsom e , well dressed enter ,

taining, a nd brillia nt , but thi s is their criti cism :

The Am erica n wom a n has no charm !
.

It was a n Am eri ca n woma n who told m e of ,

heari ng this rem a rk m a de m an y tim es in Pari s .

“
Now, wha t do they m ea n by charm ? she
!

as ked .

You mi ght as well wha t is m ea nt by sa ying

a sk

a fl ower has no perfum e Cha rm, in a wom a n ,

.

is as subtle a thing as perfum e in a fl ower It .

does not pertain to persona l a ppea ra n ce ; it does

not perta in to a ccom pli shm ents ; i t does not per
tai n to m a nner, edu ca tion , dress, or conversa tion ,
y et i t permea tes a ll these A n d w.i tho ut i t all of
these e dered m eani ngless
are r n .

A wom a n m a y be fascina ting without being

charmi ng She m a y fascina te with smiles and
.
1 08 TH E AR T OF B EI NG ALI VE
beloved by her own sex as she was a dmired by
the opposite She was goodness and charm per
.

sonified as well as bea uty

, A wom an fri end sai d
.

“
of her once : First of a ll she is good ; then she
is brilli a nt ; then she is bea utiful .

Ninon de L E nclos who was not good like

’

R eca mi er was charmi ng I n spite of her free and

, .

eas y m orals she left the im pression of grea t charm

,

upon the world H er m oral dereli ctions are for

.

gotten in her cha rm She was kindn ess itself to

.

other wom en and to the a ge of eighty four re

,
-

tai ned her hold upon the a ff ections of both sexes .

Charm m ust spring from a n a fi ect iona te na ture

a nd from a hear t whi ch desires to gi ve p leas ure

ra ther tha n t o be a dmired B ut the cha rming.

wom a n usua lly recei ves m ore a dmi ra tion than

the professional bea uty the grea t geni us or the
, ,

m ost brilli a nt of her sex who do not possess charm .

Of a ll com plim ents a woma n can receive t he ,

“ “
grea test is to be called charming when good !

ness is a dded .
 KE E P S T ILL

Would yo u believe in P resences Unseen

I n life b eyond thi s ea rt hly life ?
B e still;
B e stiller yet ; a nd li sten .

H A T is your m orning conversa tion ?

Are you telli ng ea ch m em ber of the family
how poorly you Slept wha t ni ghtma res disturbed
y ou, ho w w a keful you w er e , a nd wh a t a t em pera

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
.

m ental em a na tions of diseas e a nd nervousness

a nd crea ting discord for yourself a nd others .I
ha ve seen a whole fam i ly s ha ppiness for the da y
’

destroyed by one hysterica l wom a n who insisted

on ha vi ng every one feel her pulse a nd no te its

ra pid bea t , whi le she recoun ted a ll the ca uses

whi ch ha d led t o her delica te nervous condition .

Mea ntim e she was devoutly religious a nd be

lieved it was Go d s will she should suffer But
’
.
I IO TH E AR T OF BE ING ALI VE
was it God s will she Should mak e every one
’

in her vi cini ty suffer ? God has nothing to do

wi th suffering a nd disea se H e never m ad e it . .

H e m a de Love , H ealth opportuniti es for ha ppi ,

ness I n ea ch soul H e put H is own di vine qua li

.

—
ties Love the Crea tive instincts will power an d
, ,

the a bility to be , t o do t o know , .

Men ha ve perverted misused or left unused

—
,

— these qualities an d substituted ha te lust self

, ,

—
indulgence ignora nce a nd indolen ce a n d as a
, ,

result di seas e a nd poverty a nd unh a ppiness a re

in the world They are not God s will You are

’
. .

not a Chri stia n or a reli gious wom a n if you are

ta lking a bout your diseas es to every one a bout

You m a y be born with a tendency t o disease

through the m a ny wrong thoughts a nd ha bits
of ancestors But if you fill your soul full of Lo ve
.

— grea t deep hi gh broa d profound Lo ve— a nd

, , , ,

if you live wi th a pra yer of tha nk fulness in your

hea rt to God for Life a nd believe health is your ,

right a nd tha t it will be gi ven to you a nd fashion ,

your whole conduct to sui t tha t thought i t wi ll ,

be gi ven .

It will never com e if you harp on the old strain

of God s will when you suffer an d persist in
’

ha ving a n a udience for every pai n Not only .

will it never com e t o you but you will destroy ,

the hea lth of those a bou t you You pri de your .

self on being a good w om a n a nd a heroine where

si ckness is concerned All invalids do But you. . ,

 TH E D A N GE R O U S A GE

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,
’

With love t he motive power

The one compelling power .

VE R Y young marri ed woman ought to cas t

a thoughtful gla nce along the fu ture a nd
m a ke som e provision for middle a ge Not pro .

visi on for a rai ny da y but prepara tion which ,

will insure a sunn y seas on when mi ddle life ar

ri ves . At twenty five forty seems far a wa y ; but
-
,

tha t a ge Speeds toward us with the velocity of a

fl ying express train .

It is a bea utiful a ge when we m eet it with the

wi se prepa ra tion Culture accom m

. ishm ent s a , ,

perfectly developed body a well trai ned min d ,

-
,

a n enlightened spiri t a sym pa theti c hear t a n up

, ,

—
lif ted soul all these m ean a lovely mi ddle a nd
!

old a ge And all these thi ngs m ust to reach their

.
,

best development be begun in the earlier season

,

of life .
 “
TH E DAN GEROU S AGE
!
1 13

Between the a ges of th ty

ir fi ve a n
-
d fift y five
-

the lif e of the a vera ge wom a n becom es ei ther

gra y or a
g y .

In the world of fashion the ga y ma tron is

to be found She lea ds in her circle She invents
.
,

new a m usem en ts she deli ghts in being ca lled

,

da ngerous a nd she pra ctises all the a rts of

,

coquetry u pon the m en She m eets especia lly ,

m en youn ger than herself Life is a feverish

.

drea m t o her a nd She is never ha ppy sa ve when

,

in the midst of social excitem ent Not infrequent .

ly she brings a scandal u pon her nam e through

indiscretions of conduct a n d She fi gures m ore
,

frequently in the divorce court tha n do youn ger

women .

I n the qui eter walks of life the wom en who

rea ch t hirt y fi ve begin to find the world assum
-

ing a gra y color All the gold a nd cri m son fa des ;

.

the a m bitions of early youth are lost with ma ny ,

of its illusions ; roma nce has fa ded a nd duty only ,

rema ins They perform the ta sks required of them

.

as wives a nd m others in a m echani ca l ma nner ,

an d becom e settled in figure a nd stolid in fa ce

a nd prema turely old in a ppea ran ce Yet a t thi rty .

fi ve a woma n is entering the very best period of

her whole life .

From then until sixty a t least she should be in

possession of her m ost ri pened m ental powers ,

a nd she Should be m ost pleasing to the eye like ,

a ra dia nt a utum n la ndsca pe Life should be a .

thi ng of delight to her an d she ought to enjoy it

,
n 4 THE AR T OF B E ING ALIVE
with m ore intensity than ever before beca use of
her deeper un dersta ndi ng an d broa der sym pa thi es
a nd clea rer j u dgm ent .

It is not di ffi cult for a student of hum a n na ture

to understa nd how the society wom an of mi ddle
a ge becom es a
g y W om a n
. s em o ti ona l n
’
a ture
is a t its height a t thi rty five a nd forty a nd she
-
,

cra ves love m ore tha n in her shy a nd unform ed

youth Mrs Grundy incites her votaries to

. .

folly an d shuts her eyes to indiscretions so long

as they are not fla gra nt I f m arria ge has proven
.

a disa ppointm ent to the society wom a n She ea sily

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 .

The very cra ving for sentiment in the hea rt

of the ma ture wom a n in the Villa ge or country
town is wha t mak es life assum e a gra y color for
her . She is a sham ed of her own wea kness an d
puts a wa y the thoughts whi ch assa il her as evi
dences of a m orbid min d She tells herself tha t
.

she is no longer youn g tha t she has ou tli ved her

,

rom a nti c period a nd tha t she m ust be sa ti sfi ed to

,

a ccept the dull old a ge whi ch li es before her So .

she m eets it ha lf wa y upon the road to show she

-

does not care .

The husba nd of such a woman does not dream

wha t is going on in her mind a nd soul H e has
.

iticS or inthe pursui t of som e career I f hi s .

hom e is well ordered hi s wife and children

,
1 16 THE AR T OF B E IN G ALIVE
see
s tha t other men a dm ire you he will be m ore
a lert to the necessi ty of rem a ining your lover .

Ta ke the ha ppy saf e m edi um pa th betw een a

, ,

gra y a nd a gay life by keeping it ra dia nt a nd

bri ght R ea d and think a nd talk of cheerf ul
.
,

hopeful interesting subjects Avoid small gos

,
.

sip a nd be careful in your criti ci sm of neighbo rs

,
.

Som etimes we must cri ti cize but spea k to people

,

whose fa ult s you feel a word of counsel ma y

Mak e your life a ft er it rea ches its noon glorious

wi th sunli ght ri ch with ha rvests a nd bright wi th
, ,

color B e alive in mind heart a nd body B e

.
, .

attra ctive without being flirta tious a ttentive to ,

others needs without being ofli cious a nd in

’
,

structive without too grea t a di spla y of erudition .

B e a noble loving lova ble woman

, , .
 TH E S E NS E OF HU MOR

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 .

T is a grea t thing t o possess a sense of hum or .

It is a misfortune to be devoid of tha t sense .

“
To be a ble to see the funny Side of lif e en
!

a bles one to la ugh where others cry a nd to be

am used where others are a ngry a nd distressed

over un expected or undesired events .

The ma n wi th a sense of hum or loses his wa y

on a journey a nd wa nders far afi eld but he is so ,

am used over hi s queer experience tha t he keep s

himself from being nervous or out of tem per .

The woman who ha s a n a cute sense of the ri

di culous or the comi ca l is a ble to la u gh when left
wi thout servan ts j ust as She is expecting a house
ful of gu ests ; a nd she receives her guests in su ch
excellent spiri ts tha t they a ll join in her mirth ,

a nd in som e wa y the difli cult Situa tion is sure

t o resolve i tself into a huge joke and everybody

,

has the best kin d of a tim e .

1 18 TH E AR T OF B E ING ALIVE
The wom an devoid of hum or rn tha t situa tion
develops nervous prostra tion Wom en ar e sai d .

by scientists to lack a sense of humor The Ger .

ma n na tion like the E nglish is supposed to be

, ,

qui te devoid of the qua lity of brai n whi ch en

a bles a huma n being to fin d easily som ethin g

la ugha ble in life But qui te recently a la dy living

.

in B erlin proved the exception t o the rule if rule ,

it be When she lea rned tha t t wo a erona uts ha d

.

dropped with their basket from a balloon ri ght

, ,

through the roof of her house a nd into her bou

doir destroying chimn ey roof a nd bri c a bra c
, , ,
- -

as they went down she sent the gentlem en a note

,
“
expressing her regret tha t she was not a t hom e
when they dropped in .

Ma ny a nother wom a n would ha ve gone into

hysterics a nd then a ppealed to the courts to
a ward her da m a ges .

An Am erica n woman ha d plann ed a week of

amusem ent a nd pleasure a t the house p a rty of a

friend It was to be the sta r week of the yea r

. .

But when it a rri ved She was lying in bed wi th a

broken lim b ca used by j urnping from a window
’

to esca pe fire When her fri end a nd expected

.

hostess ca lled to condole wi th her she foun d the

pa tien t jeo pardi zing the splintered lim b by her
la ughter It strikes m e a s very droll sai d the
.
,
!

invalid tha t a fire a nd a broken leg constitu te

,

m y pleasure thi s star week of the yea r .

Yet there is an other side t o this quality of hu

mor in m en and wom en When we la ugh a t our .
1 20 TH E AR T OF B E ING ALIV E
a nd hopeful things , a nd merry a nd dra m a tic oc

We will ca tch a nd retain in our m ental tra ps

those things which we seek To seek the hum or .

ous a nd am usin g Si de of life is an excellent ha bit ;

but t o bec om e a chronic guyer a nd to ridi cule

!
,

where we could a t leas t remai n silent or where

we could bestow a kindly word of a pprecia tion
for the moti ve pla ces us on the level wi t h the
,

Much of this ridi cule a nd guying indulged in

by hum a n beings com es not from a keen sense of
,

hum or but from petty despica ble jealousy I n

, ,
.

country towns there is alwa ys som e one girl who

m akes a pra ctice of ri di culing the a dmirers of
other young wom en But the ha bit ca nnot be
.

a ttribu ted t o a n unusual a pprecia tion of the com

ica l however m uch she m a y claim it t o be It is
,
.

m erely the outcom e of envy B efore you la ugh .

a t other people their m a nners ha bits or perform

, , ,

a noes be sure you kn ow why you la ugh To

,
.

la ugh a t the wrong tim e or thing is often a n evi

dence of ignora nce a nd vulgarity .

Two bell boys a t a hotel wa tched the pai nful

-

progress of a partially paralyzed young man

a cross the offi ce and nudged ea ch other a nd
la ughed a udibly .

The cruelty of these boys was the result of

ignorance Their m others ha d never taught
.

them to feel sym pa thy a nd Show courtesy to the

 TH E SE N SE OF HU MOR 121

Wha tever they sa w tha t was unusual they con

sidered funn y A grea t ma ny grown people
.

who ha ve ha d opportuni ti es for culture are equally

vulgar when it com es to the deli ca te sensibilities
of their fellow pilgri m s
-
.

There are a few rules whi ch a m other mi ght

tea ch her children as soon as they a rrive a t a
thi nking a ge regarding the la ugha ble things of life .

Never la ugh a t the crippled the deform ed the , ,

Old the poor the b a dly dressed or the unfort u

, , ,

Never la ugh a t the pygm y or gia nt unless they ,

are performi ng in pu bli c where they expect la ugh

t er
.

Never laugh a t the foreigner who wea rs a dif

ferent costum e from the one you are a ccus tom ed
to see R em em ber your costum e would look as
.
,

stra nge in hi s country a nd in a ll proba bility not

,

nearly so a rtistic .

When you are a guest never laugh a t the enter

tai nm ent whi ch is off ered you unless you are
convinced it was intended to mak e you la ugh .

Just as you would refrai n from cri ti cising the

food a t ta ble even if it did not a ppea l to your
,

pala te refrai n from cri ticising the entertai nm ent

,

your friends Ofl er you .

La ugh to keep yourself and the world a bout

yo u in good h um or Neve r la u gh
. to ma ke others
uncomforta ble .

9
 XX I I

S CI E NC E A ND T HE A U RA

Science , the doubter of a ccepted t ruths,

Sha ll yet revea l God s secret s t o t he world
’

And prove the fa cts it seeks to overthrow .

the oldest religions of the earth we find m en

tion of the a uras .

Auras a nd haloes are genera lly supposed to be

crowns of light hoveri ng over the hea ds of sai nts .

B y prac t ical minded people the a ura has long

-

been regarded as a delusion of overwrought sen

sibili t ies .

R eligi ous devotees m ediums fa na ti cs poets

, , , ,

a nd insa ne bein gs were al one considered sus cep

tible to these ha llucina tions .

Theosophi sts ha ve alwa ys talked of a uras as

a part of the m ental and physi cal belongi ngs of
every hum a n being .

But by the m a terial mi nd the theosophist is

considered insa ne And now com es Sci ence la g
.
,

gi ng a lon g w i th, i ts p r oof o f wh a t the t heos o

p hi st s a nd othe r a dv a n c ed so u ls ha ve lon g k n own

to be true .

Tha t there is a haze or a tmosphere o

surr undi ng
1 24 THE AR T OF B EI NG ALI VE
most fascina ting pa rts of this subject a nd a t t he ,

same tim e it does not requi re a prophet t o foresee

a big ha rvest .

Dr Kilner likens the

. a ura t o the ra ys pro

his e the ma gneti c cloud em a na ting from a

scr en
ma gnet a ppea re d distinctly Visi ble in the sam e
ma nn er as did the huma n a ura H e beli eves tha t
.

distinct from those producing the m a gnetic clou d ,

a nd tha t there is m ore than a Sin gle force a t work ,

one producing the outer a nd a nother the inner a ura .

These forces he believes are m ost proba bly

, ,

genera ted in the body in som e such wa y as the

e vous force
n r .

H e also la ys down the la w tha t the a ura is

influenced by the Will power H e has m a de m a ny
.

experim ents whi ch ha ve gone t o prove this su ch ,

as telling a person t o will tha t a ra y shoul d ex

tend from his finger towa rd a nother person The .

ra y he sa ys soon m a de its a ppea ra nce a nd di s

, ,

a ppeared directly the pa ti ent left off willi ng .

Dr Kilner m entions a youn g woma n twenty

.

years old upon whom he experim ented a nd whom ,

he asked t o Shoot ra ys from her two shoulders ,

first one a nd then the other The beam s m ani .

fested them selves a lmost direct ly ta king a n up ,

war d a nd outward direction She was asked to

.

turn sidewa ys then a nd to will a ra y to extend

,

from the tip of her nose .

 S CI E NCE AND T H E AURA I 25

Inthis sai d the doctor She was perfect ly

, ,

successfu l as it a ppea red alm ost imm edi a tely

,

a nd stretched outward seven or eight in ches .

Thi s was beyond the external margin of the vis

Dr Kilner la ys distinct em phasis on the sta te

.

m ent tha t he is not a n occultist nor does he ma ke ,

pretense t o clairvoya ncy Wh a t he wa nts people

.

to understan d is tha t his researches ha ve been

entirely physi ca l a nd tha t they ca n be repea ted
by a ny one .

There ca nnot be the sli ghtest doubt he ,

sa ys, as t o the reality of the existence of an a ura

enveloping hum a n beings an d this will be in a ,

Short tim e a uni versa lly a ccepted fa ct now tha t ,

it ca n be m a de vi sible t o a ny one possessing nor

m al eyesight It would indeed be stran ge if the
.

a ura di d not va ry under diff erent circum sta nces ,

a nd we firm ly believe th a t a study of its m odi

fi ca tions will show tha t they will ha ve a di a gnos

tic value .

Now in the fa ce of these scientifi c fa cts it

, ,

behooves ea ch one of us to gi ve som e thought to

the subject of a uras .

We need to realise first of a ll tha t the a ura

, ,

is as m uch a part of us as our hea ds or han ds .

And tha t its Sha pe a nd color are la rgely under

our control .

Long a go the theosophists a nd clairvoya nts

said the da rk gra y or green or m uddy brown a ura
- -

was a n evi dence of unwholesom e condi tions of

1 26 THE AR T OF BE IN G ALIVE
mi nd a nd
body B lue and pink a nd yellow were
.

desira ble Sha des for auras in dica ting spiri tuali ty
, ,

a ffecti on a nd in tellect
, .

Dr Kilner s book cla ssifies people a ccordi ng

’
.

—
to the color of their a uras those whose auras
a ppea red to be blue blue mixed with gra y a nd
, ,

those wi th gra y a uras Ta king these classifi ca .

tions he exami ned one hundred persons H e found

, .

forty in the blue a ura class Of these forty per

-
.

sons none was below the a vera ge in m en tal power ,

an d som e w ere di stinct ly a bove it .

Thirty six were in the second class wi th a uras

-
,

showing a com bi na tion of blue a nd gra y Am ong .

these were two epilepti cs a nd one wi th m eningi tis .

Seventeen ha d gra y a uras a nd am ong these sev ,

ent een were t wo eccentric people six epilepti cs , ,

one insa ne person a nd three who were m enta lly

,

dull .

From those observa tions the doctor deduces

the theory tha t if you ha ve a blue a ura you a re
m ost a pt to be m entally fi t but if your a ura is ,

gra y you are proba bly a bit defi cient in intellec

Now tha t cience so closely a grees with the

s
seers we ca nnot rea sona bly doubt tha t psychi c
,

people ha ve seen a nd do see a uras And it ren .

ders one a bit uncomforta ble to think how m a ny

clear seeing eyes m a y ha ve beheld very ugly a uras
-

Every thought emotion , , a nd feeling is ha ving

its infl uence in h ping
s a a nd coloring our a uras .
 XXI I I

T HE MONE Y ! UE ST ION

And ma n sha ll lea ve his fevered drea ms behind him

The drea ms of a varice a nd lust a nd Sin ;
And seek his Lo rd ; yea , he shall seek a nd find H im
I n hi s own soul, Where H e ha s a lwa ys been .

E talk much of wom an s independence in

’

Am erica , of the generosity an d unselfish

ness of Am erica n husbands a nd of the wonderful
,

privileges enjoyed by wives in all classes of society

in this lan d of the free an d hom e of the bra ve .

But there is a nother si de to the picture not fre

,

quently shown to the public .

I n every city a nd town in Am eri ca even t o a

,

certai n degree in our la rgest m etropolis (a nd sec

ond a nd third largest!, exist wom en who dress

well li ve well a nd dona te generous sum s to ch ar

, ,

it y, yet who never ha ve the ha ndli ng of one dolla r

without aski ng for i t a nd wi thout sa yi ng to wha t
p p
u r ose i t i s to be d edi c
.a ted
These wo en e the wi ves of e to do m en ;
m ar w ll- -

m a ny of them are the wi ves of m en of large

wea lth ; a nd such a condi tion is reputed t o exist
 TH E MON EY ! UE STION : 29

in the hom e of one of Am erica s m ost wi dely’

known m ultimillionai res .

Knowledge of the hum ilia ting position of these

wi ves com es to the public thr ough the secretive
m ethods by which they endea vor to possess them
selves of a few dollars of their husb a nd s m oney
’

without ha ving to submi t to his ca techism . One

wom an asked her French tea cher to m a ke a bill
of double Size a nd when he cashed the check to
,

g i v e h er the a m o un t re m ai ni ng a fter hi s bill was

paid Another follows a Sim ilar course with a

.

dressma ker ; an other wi th a physi cia n or dentist .

I n every case the husba nd has the superfi cial

reputa tion of being a m ost generous provi der a nd

a good husb a n d . I n a lm ost every case the ma n is

proud of ha ving his wi fe a nd da ughters dress well
a nd enterta in la vishly .

! ui te frequ e n tl y th i s genero us provi der is ex

tra va ga nt in the m a tter of expensive foods wi nes , ,

ga rm ents a nd jewels ; but while he pa ys hi s bills

,

wi thout comm ent a nd as ks no retrenchm ent he ,

becom es a mi ser an d a sla veh older the m om ent

his wif e asks for a purse of her own or a regular
a llowa nce for her personal needs .

It seems alm ost incredible tha t such a condi

tion ca n exist to da y in our land of opulence an d
-
,

am ong people who a re supposed to be cultured

a nd progressive a nd where wom an is consi dered

,

to be queen in her own rea lm .

Yet thi s condi tion does exi st to a n amazing ex

tent I t is one ca use of the growth of the Equal
.
1 30 THE AR T OF BE ING ALIVE
Fra nchise party , and invari a bly where it exists
the m en who are the home mi sers are violently
opposed to a llowing woma n the vote .

These m en are relics f a n Old fashioned system

o -

whi ch m ust give wa y before the m a rch of pro gress

-
a n old system where wom a n was regarded ast a

cross between a child a nd a grown person of ar

rested m enta lity , an d where , instea d of being

m a n s helpma te an d comra de , she was m erely hi s

’

legal cha t tel a nd upper servan t of his household .

With the increa se of wealth a nd the cha nged

condi tions of living he has ceased to think of her
in thi s light ; but while he regards her wi th sum
,

cient pride to wish her to be well ca red for, well

a ppareled a nd well wa ited on he has not been
, ,

a ble to un dersta nd her na ture sufi cient ly t o trust

her with m oney or to rea lize the indelica cy of hi s

trea tment of her in this respect The da ily humili
.

a ti on whi ch m a n y refi ned wi ves endure in the

m a tter of m oney m a kes the position of their

serva nts seem envi a ble to them .

There ca n be no roma nce , no sentiment , no

ha ppy love life , a nd no mutua l respect between
m a n a nd wi fe without fina ncial independence a nd
com plete trust in m oney m a tters If a woma n
.

Shows a tendency to use m oney unwisely it should

be the duty of the husband to train her in business
m ethods .

There is no better tra ining for a woma n in this

mat ter than ha ving a n a llowa nce a nd understa nd
ing tha t all her persona l needs must be provided
 XXI V

Over a nd over we ca m e t his wa y,

I
!

For j ust one purpose ; b

oh, st ub o rn Soul,
Turn wi th a will to your work to -da y
And lea rn the lesson of Self -Cont rol .

E R SONS of large intellect who ha ve gi ven ,

years of their lives to profound study of lif e

a nd a ll its m ysteri es m ak e bold to assert tha t
,

long a nd long a go in a prehistoric peri od there

, ,

was but one sex Yet tha t one sex was bi sexual
.
-
,

both ma n an d woma n ; an d when tha t ra ce ocon

pied the pla ne of m a nifesta tion beings were crea ted
by other la ws tha n those which now govern

Gra dually the masculine elem ent in om e of s

these beings began to be a ccented the femini ne ,

elem ent in others ; a nd so a fter m a ny eons of ,

t h e the t wo separa te sexes were es ta blished

,
.

At first the a ll ma le crea ture or the a ll fem a le

- -

was regarded as som e stra nge specim en a di stor ,

tion a n a bnorma l crea tion But gra dua lly they

, .

increas ed in num bers until they beca m e uni versa l .

And then followed all the evils of sex excesses

 SE X 1 33

a nd a buses which ha ve m a de so m uch trouble in

the world ever since a nd ha ve a bout culmi na ted
in the present Iron Age of the ea rth .

And now it is sa id the pendulum is begi nning

, ,

to swing ba ck towa rd the bi Sexua l sta nda rd a gai n

-

as the gro wi ng tendency of m as culini ty of the

fem ale a nd the gron feminini ty of the male

indi ca te .

And a ll thi s is wa tch ed over by the Grea t Lords

of Ka rm a who ha ve gi ven souls this experi ence
,

i n order tha t they m a y lea rn by pa in a nd suffering

the folly of seeki ng for ha ppiness in a ny pa ths
whi ch lea d a wa y from the spiri tual .

One of the first evils of the sex separa tion Showed

i tself in the t wo di stinct codes of m orals esta b
lished for m en a nd wom en who broke the la ws of
the world in sexua l m a tters .

Through som e stra nge course of reasoning it

wa s sup posed tha t the femi ni ne being m ust be
a ll chas ti ty a ll virtue a ll spiri tua li ty and wholly
, , ,

beyond a nd a bove tem pta tion of a ny ki nd a nd ,

tha t she m ust be kept in ignora nce of sex ma t

ters until She was a wi fe a nd m other Yet She .

m ust prove perfect in both rela tions a nd fill those

positions with unerring skill a nd wisdom .

Mea ntim e the m a n was expected to be sensua l

a nd polyga m ous to m a ke a nd brea k his own la ws
, ,

to follow his impulses a n d use no self control -

,

beca use he was a m an a nd to be forgi ven a nd

,

a ccepted by society a t large no m a tter W ha t hi s

,

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
,

quently resem bled the fa ther than the m other an d

tha t they qui te as frequently inh erited the fa ther s ’

na ture as his fea tures a nd som e inqui ri ng minds

,

asked why the da ughter of the sensua l pleas ure ,

loving fa ther who was the living im a ge of her sire

, ,

should be expected to grow into a mira cle of m od

esty a nd Vi rtue wi thout a ny gui de from her par

ents or society or a ny special effort ma de in her

behalf but m erely on the supposition tha t she
,

was protected by her sex or why she should be

,

punished m ore severely than m a n if she failed .

Some wise minds of a n inquiri ng tendency are

a skin g tha t question every yea r a nd m ore minds
,

Of a conventi onal m old are findi ng it a di fl icult

question to a nswer Gra dua lly it is being borne

.

in upon the public consciousness tha t m en an d

wom en are crea ted by the sam e powers a nd wi th
the sam e tendencies an d em oti ons a nd passions
a nd tempta tions a nd th a t they Should be pro
,

tected a nd j udged by the sam e la ws Gra dua lly .

,

but very very slowly the trend of publi c opin

, ,

ion is toward a la rger Vi ew in these ma tters of

It is curi ous thi ng tha t the Christia n Church

a

has been so very ta rdy in m a king the pa th of the

repentan t wom a n sinner ea sier Sin ce of a ll sinners
,

m enti oned by Christ the Mas ter H e was m ost ,

leni en t toward the Ma gdalen and the woman

ta ken in a dultery .
 THE P OWE R O F RE CONST RU CTI ON
Oh, grea t this a ge ; i ts mighty work is Ma n
Knowing hi mself the universa l life ;
And grea t our fai th which sho ws itself in works

OU ca n r econstruct your life no m a tter wha t

,

your environm ent physi ca lly m enta lly a nd

, ,

m orally as well as fi na ncia lly if you will

, , .

If you ca me into the world with weak lungs

a nd a nemic blood it will require m ore effort for
,

y ou to beco m e robu st tha n for som e w ell born -

,

virile child who has only to brea the a nd froli c

to keep I n heal th But you ca n do it if you will
.

pra ctise deep brea thing a nd learn wha t not to

ea t a nd dri nk a nd insist upon your right to all

the hea lth a nd vigor of the universe .

I ha ve m et a nd ta lked with a hale a nd hea rty

wom an of sixty whose fami ly all passed a wa y
wi th consum ption a nd who was herself ex pected
“
to die in her teens She resolved to live how
.
!
,

ever a nd began to brea the She devoted half

, .

a n hour three tim es a da y to deep b rea thi ng in

the open a ir At first i t ca used violent coughing

.
 TH E POWER OF RE CON STRU CTION 13 7

spells but they grew less frequent as She persisted

, .

She lived outdoors as m uch as possible a nd Slept

in a well ven tila ted room
-
She put compresses of
.

cold wa ter on her chest for a n hour every night

a nd bega n ta king cold sponge ba ths until She

was strong enough t o indulge in cold tub

ba ths .

She ga ve up pastry fine brea d tea a nd coffee

, , ,

a nd a t e no pork She dra nk nothing a t her m ea ls

.
,

but copiously of fresh spri ng wa ter a nd good

crea m y milk between m eals She pra ctised gentle .

ca listheni cs every da y increasing their force as

,

she gained in strengt h ; an d ni ght a nd da y she

thought hea lth for herself a nd believed She was

to becom e robust She rea lized her expecta tion
.

— m arri ed a nd was the m other of strong children

, ,

whom She began to train in their infa nc y to

brea the a nd exercise properly to live out of doors , ,

a nd to ba the in cold wa ter .

There is no evil power no evil inheri ta nce , ,

no cruel environm ent which ca n hi nder or cir

,

cum vent a strong a nd determined soul seeki ng

for health usefulness truth a nd success
, , , .

Keep tha t fa ct well in mind and live to it no ,

ma tter wha t the whole world ma y sa y to the

contra ry .Fear nothi ng You are a part of the
.

Splendid uni verse and you are here to get the

,

best out of thi s phase of life You ca n do this .

only by developing the very finest qualities in

yourself an d by controlling wha tever is unworthy
a nd unwholesome and di sa greea ble B e well a nd .

10
13 8 T HE AR T OF BEIN G AL I VE

s elf a nd t o others I repea t health rs the sim plest

.
,

thing in life if you brea the ea t exercise an d , , ,

think properly It requi res no a id of a ny one if

.

y o u w ill b e fa i th fu l I n these thi n gs .

B e industri o us .

You were put on ea rth to do your share of work ,

a nd idleness is a sin Do som ethin g even if you

.

ca nnot a t once do t he work you prefer ; a nd a ll

the tim e assert tha t your right em ploym ent is
coming t o you It will come Look for som ething
. .

t o be thankful a nd gla d over each da y a nd you ,

will find it Co nsider ea ch di sa ppointm ent a nd

.

t rouble as so m uch experience a nd as a tem porary

lesson set for you t o lea rn When it seems in .

supporta ble as these thi ngs do a t first go alone

, ,

by yourself si t down a nd ta ke a few deep in

, ,

hala ti ons a nd sa y
, I am brea thing I n the benefi t
,

a nd strength a nd wi sdom whi ch thi s experi ence

was mean t to bestow upon me After fi ve min

!
.

utes of thi s thought a nd pra cti ce you will go forth

wi th ca lm nes s a nd new strength to fac e the
world . Cas t out every bitter a nd resentful
t hought . Nothing of worth ca n be ac hi eved by
y o u in a ny li ne w h i le yo ur v i ta l forces are vi
tia ted by a ng er revenge or ha tred , , .

Le t the Grea t La wm a ker of the universe ad

j ust things All you need to do is to ma ke your
.

self a recepta cle for H is love an d power t o do

good in the world a nd t o your fellow men If - .

a ny one does evil to you pass on your wa y without ,

 THE LA W O F J U ST ICE

You your own devi l, you are your own God

are .

You fashioned the pa ths tha t your footsteps ha ve trod .

And no one ca n sa ve you from error or sin

Until you shall ha rk to the Spirit within .

ATE VE R you here on eart h wha t

are ,

ever you possess you ha ve in som e life

,

earned And upon you and you alone depends

.
, ,

your next situa tion If you ha ve poverty a nd ill

.

health and you are determined to im prove your

condi tion by industry econom y a nd sensible liv
, ,

i g though you ma y die before you a ttain your

n ,

a im still you ha ve lai d the spiri tual founda tion

,

for a better fortune and a better body I n the next

incarna tion .

If you ha ve longed for educa tion a nd a ecom

p li shm ent i f y
,ou h a ve st ruggled t o obt a in them ,

every effort you ma ke will be pla ced to your credi t

when you com e a ga in .

If you ha ve bea uty talent weal th and are not

, , ,

—
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

bea uty without t alent without wealth a nd work

, , ,

your wa y ba ck to di vine fa vor .

This grea t la w of ca use an d effect is ca lled

ka rma We are all ma king good or ba d karma
.

every hour .

The fair working girl who is turning awa y from

-

the tem pta tion to wear fine a pparel a t the cost of

her self res pect a nd who is seeing herself grow
-
,

fa ded a nd care wom while she toils to support an

-

old m other or a little sister is ca lled good ka rma , .

She is p reparing a bea utiful body a nd fair raim ent

a nd a ha ppy environm ent for herself in the next

inca rna tion .

The com pa ni on who la ughs a t her while she

drives by in her protector s motor car is making ’
-

ba d ka rm a She is preparing an ugly or deform ed

.

body for herself when she com es a gai n a body ,

whi ch will not be a ttra ct ive to vice and she will ,

ha ve to do the toil she has refus ed to do here .

There is no esca ping the la w of karma whi ch is the ,

la w of j ustice .

I f you ha ve been educa ted on tra ditional lines ,

y ou a re thi nkin g tha t the Cre a tor of thi s vas t

uni verse m a kes ea ch soul from new m a terial a nd
sends it to qui cken the unborn child a t a certa in .

peri od .

I f you thi nk a nything a t all a bout the ma tter

beyond tha t you m ust wonder why one of these
God ma de souls is sent into a pala ce a nother into
-
,

the slum s .

'

I f you decide that om e

s are ma de to suff r and
e
I 4 2 TH E AR T OF BEI N G ALI VE
be poor a nd unfortuna te on ea rth in order that
they sha ll shine a bove their a ffl uent brothers after
they go to hea ven then you must think the ,

Crea tor a very partial a nd unj ust being or H e ,

would not Show su ch fa voritism Any wa y you .

reason it out you will fin d the whole m a tter ln

com pa tible wi th j ustice unless you a ccept the idea

of reinca rna tion .

B riefl y told the idea is tha t the Grea t Power

, ,

whi ch m a de the uni verse has alwa ys existed a nd

will a lwa ys exi st And a ll tha t exi sts has a lwa ys
.

existed a nd every soul tha t a nim a tes the body

,

of a ny huma n bei ng t o da y has a nima ted t he -

bodi es of innum era ble bein gs over a nd over a gai n .

It is of course a very vast thought But the

, , .

idea is not one whit m ore diffi cult t o gras p than

the modern one tha t ea ch soul is ma de out of
,

new m a teri al a nd tha t the begi nning of life was

a few thousan d years a go It is eas ier to ima gine
.

a circle wi thout beginning a nd wi thout end tha n

a stra ight line whi ch begins nowhere .

The crea tive power is so vast that it is a lmost

un thinka ble B ut we ha ve to a ccept tha t as a
.

fact And it is SO m a gnifi cent and stupendous a

.

fa ct tha t it thrills the mind and hea rt and soul ,

unless a ll a re a trophied or un developed This .

earth is only one of millions of worlds m ore won

derful a nd we are but ex pressions of tha t vast
,

power Everyt hing tha t exists a nywhere is divine

. .

There is nothing whi ch is not a n expression of

wha t we ca ll God .
I 44 THE AR T OF BE IN G ALIVE
taught the selfish m ercena ry a nd self indulgent
, ,
-

woma n tha t when She dies asking God to forgi ve

,

her sins She will imm edia tely join the spiri t of
,

her lovely child who pa ssed a wa y in ea rly youth .

!
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
.

before She will be admitted to the rea lm where her

child dwells .

Those who thi nk ha te and envy and m ali ce ,

those who live wholly and only for t he enjoym ent

of the senses m ust seek their own kind in the
,

intervening rea lms Spiri tual birds of a fea ther

.

fl ock together as well as the ea rth birds

, Thi s .

cons ciousn ess should a ct as a mighty stim ulus to

persistent a nd pa tient eff orts a t self conquest a nd

-

self developm ent

- — conques t of the unworthy a nd
wea k a nd indolent im pulses developm ent of the
,

worthy a nd strong an d as piri ng side of our na tures .

For every su ch eff ort m ea ns a step forward

toward rea liza tion of our ideal a nd its a bsolute
a ttai nment either here or elsewhere
, .
 XXVI I

THE B U S INE SS O F LI FE

Forth from lit tle motes in Cha os

We ha ve come t o wha t we are ;
And no evil force ca n sta y us
We sha ll mount from sta r t o star .

I FE m ea ns a ct ion from the cra dle to the

,

funeral pile .

The situa tion into which we are born and our

m ental a nd physica l equipm ents a t birth are the
result of past a cti ons in other lives a nd a ll our
,

a ctions while here are forming condi tions for

lives t o com e There are limi tless possibilities

.

in thi s lif e to overcom e wha tever condi tions

,

ham per or a nnoy us a nd to bring into realiza tion

,

wha tever hopes or aspira tions lure us We ha ve .

not begun to sound the depths in our minds .

The m ost brilliant the m ost studious the most

, ,

reverent , the m ost persistent ha ve only sailed

a bout the shores of thi s grea t ocea n ; they ha ve

not even ima gi ned wha t deep wa ters lie beyond

a nd wha t rare pearls lie under those deep wa ters .

But we ha ve shining exam ples of indi vi dua ls who

have achieved so much under such discoura ging
I 46 T HE AR T OF BE IN G ALI VE
conditions tha t their lives becom e a n inspira tion
to a ll ho m edi ta te upon them .

Lincoln born in poverty reared in the sam e

, ,

hard school surroun ded by the comm onpla ce

,

a nd the un desira ble a nd depri ved of a ll oppor

,

fi gure in the eyes of centuri es to com e through

hi gh thi nking , clea n living , a nd the persistent
cultiva tion of the old imm ortal vi rtues of hon
esty , truth coura ge a nd unselfi shness a nd de
, ,

votion to those duties whi ch stood nearest .

All hi s thoughts, a ll hi s am bitions a ll hi s a c ,

tions , from childhood to ma turi ty were di rected ,

toward the a ttai nment of those Virtues a nd their

pra ctical a pplica tion to every issu e whi ch lif e
presented . Unconsciously to hims elf, he was
trea ding the pa th to imm ortal fam e ; he was
building a chara cter whi ch would invi te trem eu
dous responsibilities a nd crea ting the strength to
meet them grandly .

H e knew wha t life m ea nt It m ea nt action

.

a nd achi evem ent through growth .

There is no such thing as ina ction duri ng thi s life .

We are continually going forward or backward .

You are either stronger or wea ker thi s year

than you were last yea r .

You a re bra ver or m ore cowardly .

You are m ore hopeful or m ore pessimi stic .

You are more ca pa ble m enta lly or less so .

You ha ve better or poorer command of your

I 48 THE AR T OF B E IN G AL IVE
And you Shall know tha t the earth is not a vale
of tea rs, but a grea t a nd bea utiful prepara tory

school where the soul of ma n is sent to study a nd

lea rn its divinity and t o its wonderful
p ow ers .
 XXVI I I

TH E WA STE O F TH OU GH -ORCE
T F

Life is too short for a ught but high endea vor

T oo short for ha te, but long enough for love .

H I LE ger if frequently indulged is

an , ,

a destructi ve use of m ental force a nd a

was te of energy it has been claim ed tha t an

,

occa sional burst of a nger is better for the system

than a sta te of dull lethargy We are assured tha t
.

em otion a nd enthusiasm are necessary aids to a

good circula tion and to the ensuing perfect a ction
,

of the human mechanism physi ca l and m ental ;

,

a nd tha t it is better to be roused into a nger than

never to be roused a t a ll .

But a nger is a toni c which must be sparingly

em ployed or the result will prove disas trous
, .

The individual who is easily and perpetually

roused to a di spla y of a nger is wasting the preci ous

return It is as if he fl ung money to the four

.

winds of the com pass in a mood of la wless defi

,

a nce. Yet the most hopeless a nd exaspera ting

type of mental spendthrift on ea rth is the whiner .

The ma n or woman who is for ever complaining

1 50 THE AR T OF B EIN G ALI VE
of the hard lot which has been dealt out by Des
tiny an d who has developed a m a ni a for sym
,

pa thy is hour by hour and da y by da y a nd year

, , ,

by year wasting the m ost preci ous inh eri tan ce a

human being possesses a nd inviting spiri tual
poverty Two wom en in one town were brought
.

fa ce to fa ce with the consci ousness tha t upon

them depended the m aintena nce of their homes
a nd the fu ture of their children B oth wom en
.

ha d been unfortuna te in the marri a ge lottery ,

a nd both ha d dra wn bla nk — men wi thout m oral

sense or a ny rea li za tion of their reSponsibili ties

to keep their marria ge vows and to support their

B oth women from the shelter of the

t urned
hom e they ha d enjoyed for a peri od of years
a nd entered the a rena of the world s workers
’
.

One turned wi th a smiling fa ce a nd the poise of

a philosopher ; the other entered the new fi eld
with a whi ni ng voic e a nd ever teary eyes
-
The .

one bega n to rela te her first steps toward upwar d

success an d to ta lk of the hopeful fu ture ; the

other wept over the dark present a nd recounted

the useless tale of the better da ys She ha d previ
ously enjoyed The first wom an ma de fri ends and
.

continua lly enla rged her sphere of a ction ; the

ot her drove people from her with her whi ni ng
voice a nd m ela ncholy fa ce a nd wen t from failure
to failure ; a nd ea ch failure ga ve her new them es
of m elancholy conversa tion Alwa ys she won
.

dered why the ot her wom an was so lucky an d She

: 52 THE AR T OF B EING ALI VE
a ndfearless a nd —
to pla y her ha nd in the Ga me
ge t le fi t
n
of Life in t he ma nner of a master An d when in Thy .

goodn ess T h ou ha st gi ven t his wo ma n u nt o m e le t m e

—
,

ever find in her something elusi ve somet hing t ha t sha ll

ever keep me searching j oyously wi th wonder Give me .
,

God, woma n who will dema nd more of me tha n I ha ve

a
ever da red to dema nd of myself , who will help me libera t e
tha t crea tive energy necess a ry for the rea liza tion of m y
drea ms I f it be Thy will tha t t his woma n be not given
’
.

to me in the flesh , gi ve her to me a s a n idea l woma n who

will lea d me da ily to render to my neighbors the se rvi ce
most exp ressive of my grea t love for her, a nd ma y she
never permit me to find the fina l goal .

Wast e of thought is the most common was te

which exists an d there is no other extra va ga nce
,

so devas ta ting in its results .

For thought is the God given power which was -

m ea nt for man to use constructively a nd to ha ve , ,

a nd be an d do wha tever he wished

, .

I f you are a mercha nt waste no tim e or brea th

,

If you a rephysician or a bea uty Specialist

a , ,

or a dressr naker or tea cher of wisdom the sam e

, ,

a dvi ce a pplies to you All the vitality you ca n

.

dra w from spa ce keep to ma ke your own methods

su ccessful .

Ea ch time you indulge in criticism and ba ck

biting or in open denuncia tion of the m ethods
of some competitor you are losing ground your

self .

Let other artists paint let other a uthors write

, ,
 TH E WAST E OF T H OUGH T F OR CE -
1 53

other m ercha nts sell other a ctors a ct a nd other

, ,

singers sing Wish them a ll glory success ha p

.
, ,

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

critical Ask for a ll the force a ll the light all

.
, ,

the wisdom tha t is being stored up for your use .

R eceive it a nd go your wa y
, .

I ha ve kn own a physicia n to devote the grea ter

part of his tim e while ca lli ng on pa tients or while ,

they were in his ins titution to the di spa ra gement

,

of brother doctors whose ideas di d not coincide

wi th hi s own .

There are m eta physi cia ns who are similarly

incli ned ; even though such a procedure is in con
t ra dict ion of the la ws they tea ch B ut while it .
,

is a Sim ple ma tter to tea ch philosophy it is very ,

diffi cult to ma ke it a part of our daily working

h a b it s .

Every tim e we stop in our a ppea l to the forces

wi thin or wi thout for stren gth a nd a i d to cri ticize ,

a fellow m a n who follows som e other lin e of pro

-

cedure we turn off the current the D ivine E lec

,

t ri cia n has alwa ys in working order for our use .

There is room for every sincere soul on God s ’

ea rth N0 one ca n crowd another No one ca n

. .

inj ure a nother s busin ess You a lone ca n inj ure

’
.

or interfere wi th your own a ffai rs a nd the surest ,

wa y to do it is to interfere wi th the a ffai rs of a n

other .

Wi sh every m an godspeed No m a tter if he .

opens a pla ce of business next door to you in

.

ll
1 54 TH E AR T OF BEIN G AL I VE

direct com petition with you wish him gods peed

, .

Sa y to him a nd sa y to yourself There is room ,

for good workers everywhere We a re li ke two

.

sta rs in spa ce a nd one does not interfere wi th

,

the other s light We only gi ve the world m ore

’
.

light .

It ma y be hard work to bri ng yourself into thi s

sta te of mind but once you arri ve there you will
,

be conscious of new power new force , .

If your com petitor is on a lower plane and

opened hi s business merely to inj ure you rest ,

assured thi s a ttitude of your mi nd will ha ve t en

fold the power to overcom e hi s efforts tha t a re

sentful a nd defia nt one would ha ve .

Conserve your forces Nothi ng dissipa tes them

.

like fl aw picking Thi nk a bout your own splendi d

-
.

possibilities a nd let your mind rea ch out for new

ideas a nd new developm ents in wha t you are
doing not ba ck a nd down seeking fla ws in wha t
, ,

your com petitors are doing .

I 5 6 THE AR T OF B E I NG ALI VE
fuse to enterta in the fear of diseas e an d per
sist in dra wi ng mind pictures of hea lth we are well
equipped t o m eet m ost wea th er em ergen cies .

But if we do not possess the m ental poise a t all

t imes to wa rd ofl si cknes s a t leas t let us refus e
,

to sprea d thought germs of disease by continua lly

talking si ckness We ca n sta y a t hom e a nd send
.

for a doct or if we do not know how to get well

Wi thout him a nd we ca n if we will keep still
, , ,

a bou t our experi ence a fterwa rd Life is too .

short to waste it talking disease .

Your lif e depends on your brea thi ng a nd there ,

fore it is first necessa ry to lea rn to tak e deep ,

full brea ths instea d of ha lf filling the lungs a nd ,

therefore not infusing sufficient oxygen in to the

blood to keep it in good healthy condi tion Cor
, .

rect brea thi ng is a bsolutely necessa ry The ma n .

who thi nks ri ghtly who brea thes thorou ghly a nd

, ,

who does not ea t too m uch has the secret of

health pretty well in hi s possession .

If he falls ill it will be but a tem pora ry illness

, .

Ma ny people ima gi ne a hea rty a ppetite a roa d to

hea lth I t is far m ore frequently a short cut to
.

the gra ve Few huma n beings di e of starva tion

.
,

ma ny of gluttony still m ore of indi gestible food

, .

There is a young wom a n who is ta king m ost

scien tifi c ca re of her person in order to preserve

her bea uty She is young in the very m orning

.
,

of lif e a nd na ture ga ve her bea utiful fea tures

,

a nd com plexion a nd form .

She studies the fas hions a nd pla ns becom ing

 HE ALTH AND BEAUTY I 57

costum es a nd she pa troni zes the specia lists

,

who know how to bea utify a nd preserve the skin

a nd hai r a nd na ils a nd fi gure .

She ta kes physica l exercises to keep her body

supple , a nd all thi s is sensi ble a nd wise The .

body is the soul s tem ple a nd should be cared for

’
.

B ut the most im portan t fa ctor in fem ini ne

bea uty this young wom a n has utterly neglected
the min d She neither rea ds nor studi es
. .

Worse still She harbors resentful thoughts

,

toward her fri ends a nd a cquaintances for the

leas t offense or wha t she im a gines a n ofl ense
, .

Unless her associa tes a gree wi th her on all m a tters

she assum es a ha ughty a nd cold a ir a nd sets her

fa ce in a frozen m old tha t unconsciously to

!

herself is da y by da y rui ni ng her bea uty All

, .

her fri ends see a nd rea lize the fa ct The eyes.

a re becoming hard the m outh petulan t the whole

, ,

expression disa greea ble the whole woma n un

,

bea ra ble Added to thi s She is self indulgent

.
,

a nd uses no control in the ma tter of a ppeti t e ,

a nd tha t fa ult is m a ki ng m o re ra va ge u pon her

bea uty than all the specia lists ca n remedy .

Even a plain wom an who begins a t eighteen to

cultiva te the mind a nd heart a nd soul can be

And a t forty She will be still more bea utiful,

a nd will a ttra ct the a dmira tion of all eyes where ,

the sculptured fa ce , wi th cruel or cold heart a nd

uncultiva ted mind , will pass unnoticed .

I sa w a n old la dy close to her seventies once

: 53 THE AR T OF B EI NG ALI VE

wi th the m ost exquisite —

mouth it was as
so ft as a

child s wi th sweetly m olded com ers and sym pa

’
,

theti c curves to the lips a nd the whole expression

,

was suggestive of the ma gical word Lo ve— .

A dozen young wom en in the room would pass

wi th out a ttra cting the a ttention this charming
old la dy won .

Angels of goodness a nd amia bili ty in the wa y

of sweet thoughts a nd worthy ha bits ha d chi seled
tha t mouth Every thought every em otion
.
, ,

every im pulse lea ves its ma rk upon the fa ce

, ,

a nd the m ost bea utiful fea tures ca nnot m a ke a

bea utiful woma n a t twenty fi ve or thirty if the
-

mind previous to tha t tim e ha s been ruled by

a nger, revenge petulan ce , selfishness a nd indo
, ,

lence .

The woma n who is for ever trying to convince

the public how young She is expresses one extrem e
of folly a nd the wom a n who is consta ntly telli ng
,

how old She is illustra tes a nother .

There are wom en who a re so extrem ely sensitive

upon t he subject of a dva ncing yea rs tha t they
has ten to a nnoun ce ea ch birthda y from the house
t op , lest some one should a ttem pt to rem ind
them of it
“ “
I a m no longer young !
I am qui te a n old
,

woma n a re phras es one hea rs now a nd then

’
,

from the wom en whose fa ces belie their words ;

bu t , fortuna tely , this type of wom a n is becom
ing ra rer for the new philosophy is tea ching the
,

world tha t the mind ra ther than the years crea te

, ,
1 60 THE AR T OF BE ING ALIVE
mind a nd is more enterta ining to both men and
wom en tha n the a ve ra ge young girl .

I n thi s a ge nothin g is m ore a bsurd tha n for a

woma n to ima gine her power to plea se a nd a t
tra ct her husba nd a nd hold her own socia lly has
ceas ed beca use She has a ttained mi ddle life .

The woma n of bra in a nd culture who has the

self control a nd the persevera nce to com ba t obes
-

it y a nd the mental a nd scientifi c equi pm ent to

,

defy wri nkles should feel no fear of a dvancing

,

—
time Should indeed regard it as a generous
, ,

fri end with a dded gifts to bestow

, .

I n every a ge there ha ve been exam ples of ma

ture wom en who ha ve held their swa y socially
a nd sentim enta lly Cleopa tra H elen of Troy As
.
, ,

pasia were all wom en who ha d seen twoscore

yea rs when their grea test prowess was felt Jo .

sephine wa s forty years old before she beca m e

em press a nd her swa y was suprem e a nd her

,

bea uty pre eminent a t tha t a ge .

Ma dam e de Maintenon was a dva nced in years

a nd not a t all bea u tiful when she ca ptured a king

for a husba nd a nd held him ca ptive till he died

, .

At a n Am eri ca n arm y post one seas on a new

belle a ppeared so full of wit and so sym pa thetic
,

a nd so entertaini ng as well as so lovely in person,

,

tha t from stai d genera ls down to boyish recrui ts

a ll hea rts were laid a t her feet .

She charmed her own sex as rea dily as she di d

m en as do all really fas cina ting wom en ; yet it
,

was a woman I believe who di scovered throu gh

, ,
 HEALTH AND BEAUTY 1 61

som e cha nce m utual a cquai nta nce a nd who di d

,

not dela y in reporting the surprising fa ct tha t

,

the charm er was past fifty yea rs of a ge .

It is not the m ere preserva tion of bea uty which

gives such wom en their power ; it is sym pa thy ,

ta ct a da pta bili ty a nd a knowledge of hum a n

, ,

na ture a nd a desire t o please

, .

All are qualities worth cultiva ting .

 S E LF - CO NTROL

For this alone the U ni verse exist s

Tha t ma n ma y find himself is Destiny .

I t is not so im po rta nt tha t thi ngs go a s I t hi nk they

should as i t i s tha t I Should be m a ster of them th rough

se f cont rol
l - . Uni ty
.

OU ca n a pply this in a ny kind of experi ence

yo u m a y h a ve If
.
yo u ar e wo rki n g am on g
people whose m a nners a nd ha bits j ar upon you ,

a pply thi s rule a nd wa tch developm ents .

On ce you control yourself you wi ll be surpri sed

to find how m a ny things whi ch ann oy you will
change or di sa ppea r .

Just so long as you are a serva nt to your own

irrita ble nerves a nd whims you will fin d the
world is one succession of sharp corners a ga inst
whi ch you bruise yourself a t every m ove . When
y ou bec om e m as ter of yourself the c or n ers w ill
round into curves im percepti bly but surely .

The same rule a pplies in your hom e .

Wha t a ttitude a re you ta king toward your own

fa mily a nd rela tives a nd fri ends and toward hu
manity ?
1 64 THE AR T OF B E IN G ALIVE
She ha d learned thi s grea t la w of becoming
Mas ter of Circumstances through self control -
.

Although things a bout her were not to her lik

ing she m a de a ll these thi ngs seem as t ri fles be
,

fore her calm self conquest She sa id to her

-
.

self , Though m y best love a nd m y best fai th

a nd m y sweetest hopes ha ve been thrown into

the dust I will not let m yself go down

, .

I ha ve lost respect for the ma n to whom I

ga ve m y lif e s ha ppiness but I will not lose re
’

spec t for m yself ; a nd I wi ll show the world I ca n

crea te ha ppiness even if I ca nnot fi nd it where

,

I hoped it would be in m y m arital life

, .
!

Surely thi s was better tha n becoming soured ,

a ggressive com pla ini ng a nd pessim istic a nd m ak

, , ,

ing her presence drea ded by a ll her associa tes .

There was a grea t French wri ter who sai d ,

If you ha ve not wha t you like like wha t you ,

ha ve .

But even if you ca nnot like your environm ent ,

y ou ca n m a ke yo u rself a m as ter of it a n d refuse ,

a bsolutely to be domi na ted by it You ca n grow .

a nd ri se a bove it ; a nd a fter a tim e if you do thi s , ,

the environm ent will chan ge a nd circumstances

will a lter to your will .

The whole philosophy of life is contai ned in

tha t little sentence from Uni ty .

“
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

THE SP RI NGS OF H APP I NE SS

Wha t sunny roa ds of ha ppiness lea d out
Beyond the realm s of indolence a nd doub t !

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
,

incentive to hum a n endea vor be rem oved ?

Wha t is the chief a im of life ?
H a ppiness is the sta te of mi nd whi ch ena bles
us to be gra teful for the boon of life a nd to rej oice
wi th the rising of ea ch sun tha t a nother da y has
da wn ed for our use .

H a ppiness is wi thi n the rea ch of every indi

vi dua l who is willi ng to develop his hi gher qua li
ties a nd to control his lower a nd m ore selfish
na ture. Not until he rea lizes tha t thi s is the foun
da tion of ha ppiness however ca n we hope for
, ,

thi s eff ort on the part of the a vera ge hum a n being .

The grea t m a jori ty of people ima gi ne ha ppiness

m eans possession of wha tever the huma n hea rt
craves or the hum an mind desires A very little
.
1 66 THE AR T OF B E ING ALIVE
observation will prove to the most cas ual thi nker
how erroneous is tha t conception of the word .

of wha tever th ey desire but it would be unwise to

,

point to a ny one as a ha ppy man .

The child wi th its toys on Christmas m orni ng ,

the lover a nd mai d in their first bliss the young ,

bri de a nd groom the m other with her first born

,
-
,

the girl a t her first ball a ll are ha ppy in one sense

,

of the word But it is a n ephem eral a nd feveri sh

.

ha ppiness oftentim es a nd besides it walks t he

, , ,

S pecter of fea r a nd the ogre of change .

The toys are broken ; the lovers are torm ented

wi th jealousy ; the bri de a nd groom a nd the young
m other fear dea th or di sas ter ; and the young girl
is su cceeded by a ri val belle a t her second ball ,

a nd ha ppin ess dwells no longer besi de a ny of these .

The m a n who makes a fortune by the ri se of stocks

is ha ppy for a da y ; the warri or who receives a
decora tion for bra very a nd the scholar who carri es
a wa y the honors of hi s class are ha ppy .

B ut these are a ll pas sing condi tions not settled ,

sta tes of mind a nd they ca nnot be ca lled ha ppi

,

ness a bsolute .

R ea l ha ppiness m ust rest on the founda tion of

unselfi shness It m ust spri ng from the conscious
.

ness of usefulness a nd i t mu st be one with Fa ith

, .

It must forget its own goal in helping others to

find theirs . Only thi s kind of ha ppiness is desi

The happiness whi ch m eans gra tified ambition

1 68 T H E AR T OF B EING ALI VE
Not drudgery but blessed em ploym ent whi ch
, ,

bri ngs a ll the a ctivi ties into pla y a nd gives a zes t

t o recre a tion .

Wealth fa m e power success position bea uty

, , , , ,

— all of these are inca pa ble of producing ha ppi

ness unless the soul is set towar d the hei ghts of
God a nd the hea rt filled wi th the a ttri butes of the
—
Ckri st love a nd sym pa thy .

H a ppiness would be im possible were a ny one

being left a lone on ea rth ; a nd j ust to the degree
tha t a soul is separa ted from the rest of hum anity
by selfishness a nd la ck of uni versa l sym pa thy ,

so is tha t soul inca pa ble of enj o ying ha ppiness

while still pursui ng it Just in the m eas ure we

.

feel nea r to our kind a nd ea ger to be of use are

we a ugmenting our chan ces for ha ppiness on
earth .

Only he who finds such h a ppiness on earth can

expect to fin d it in hea ven For ha ppiness is a .

m ental sta te a nd ca n be fas hi oned by our thoughts .

The a pproa ch to hea ven is through the pa thwa y

of ha ppiness The a pproa ch to ha ppines s lies
.

in love trust a nd servi ce

, ,
.

Lo ve for the universe trust in God a nd service

, ,

to hum a nity .

And thi s lea ds to the ha ppiness whi ch is imm or

“
tal. The ha ppiness wi thi n the rea ch of a ll
.
!

the ha ppiness whi ch is desira ble a nd the ha ppi ,

“
ness whi ch is the chief aim of life .
!
 XXXI I

TH E ART O F B E COMING P O P U LA R

O ver a nd over a nd over,

These truths I will sa y a nd sing,
Tha t love is mightier far tha n ha te,
'
Tha t a ma n s own thought is a ma n s
’
. own fa te ,

And tha t life is a goodly thi ng .

be popular in the world of art is according

0 ,

to the ca nons of the hi gh brow cri tic to-

,

b e a dweller outsi de of the inner sa nctua ry .

Yet the Serm on on the Mount is popular .

W ha tever possesses a ll the qualities of real

grea tness m ust be popular even though thi ngs
,

which possess no qua lities of grea tness ma y be

wi dely popular a lso .

The large m a jori ty of people m a y like som ething

m ediocre a nd only few ma y like som ethi ng whi ch
,

contai ns ma ny of the elem ents of grea tness

som ethi ng too fin e for the m asses to com pre
—
hend but tha t whi ch possesses a ll the elem ents
of grea tness m us t rea ch a nd grip the whole ra ce .

For among those elem ents sim plici ty an d sym

pa thy must be counted those opening wedges to
,

a ll inds
g
.
1 70 T H E AR T or BE I NG AL I VE

The huma n being who is popular is som etim es

a ccused of being a ll things to a ll m en a nd there
,

is a ca nt phrase m uch in vogue am ong the un

“
popular a bout ca ring only for a few people and
being eared for by only a few And this serves
!
.

frequently as an eas y excuse for the unpopulari ty

of the dull or the disa greea ble .

To be a popular i ndivi dual in an y community

of self respecting a nd m ora lly disposed citizens
-
,

a nd to grow in po pulari ty wi th ac quai nta n ce

a nd tim e ca lls for nobility of cha ra cter puri ty of

, ,

purpose a nd kin dness of heart

, .

It ealls also for ta ct for discretion for good

, ,

j udgment for unselfishness for generosity for

, , ,

a mia bili ty a nd the power to bring out the best

,

in others It ca lls for a heart big enough to re

.

joice in the a chi evem ents of others It @115 for

.

the elim ina tion of a ll jealousy all tendencies t o

,

gossip all im pulses to be indolent or indifferent

,

Therefore it would seem th at a n am bition to

be popular is a t the sam e tim e a n am bition to

becom e a worth while individual

- an d a pra ct i ca l

The man who sets out to be a grea t discoverer

in science or a grea t crea tor in the world of art
ma y not ha ve the tim e t o becom e a popular m a n
in hi s own social circle .B ut if he is decidedly
unpopular he is sure t o lac k som e of the large
elements of chara cter which a re necessary t o
bri ng him t o the summit of the hei ghts he seeks .
172 THE AR T OF B E ING ALI VE ,

a ny woman to tak e a long step forward on the

roa d to popularity .

Such a wom a n possessing no marked accom

,

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
,

ing popula r tha n the self conscious Venus or

the prodi gy of brilliant a ttai nm ents who only en
joys herself when occupying the center of the socia l
sta ge a nd basking in the glare of the spot 1ight -
.

Unselfishness then is the keynote to popu

, ,

larit y as i t is the key to the highest m oral worth

, .

B ut thi s unselfishness m us t be mi ngled wi th good

sense ,wi th ta ct with delica c y a nd refinem ent
, ,

in order t o serve as a n a id to populari ty .

Without these ingredients unselfi shness a nd gen

erosit y som etim es becom e obtrusive ofli cious , ,

The most perfect t ype of popular wom a n is

she who ca n shi ne like the sun when sunshine is

needed yet who like tha t orb does not a lwa ys

, , ,

shine but retires behind the clou ds a n d ca lls a t

,

tention to the brillia ncy of the sta rs a nd the moon ;

one who ca n be entert ai ni n g or am using or in

structive as occas ion dem a nds but who ca n al

, ,

wa ys put herself in the ba ckground in order to

exhibit the gra ces a nd charms of others a nd who ,

is ever rea dy t o rejoice in a nother s suc cess with

’

out a ny belittling cla use a ffi x ed to prai se ; one

who ca n be tolerant of the ideas a nd opinions

of others while holding entirely opposite ones ,

and who knows how to hold fast to her own

 T H E AR T OF BE COMIN G POPULAR r73

idea ls while un derstandin g how others ma y fail

to do so .

The popular woman has quick perceptions ,

an d however grea t her vogu e she is n ever blinded

, ,

by concei t t o such a n extent tha t she fai ls t o per

ceive her own fa ults or neglects correcting them

once she sees them .

Tha t which she fin ds disa greea ble in others

she deci des to a void doing herself .

And those gra ces a nd qua lities which a ppeal

to her in others she cultiva tes .

T o seek po pula rity for the sa ke of being popu

lar m ea ns the undermini ng of cha ra cter .

To seek it through a desire to be a benefit a ,

pleas ure a nd a com fort to humani ty m eans the

,

bui lding of chara cter .

 XXXI I I

FE
’
LI S G RA Y DA YS

And only th e eye tha t ha s looked on snows

Ca n see a ll t he bea u ty tha t lies in a rose .

N occasional gra y m ood com es to the sunni s et

of na tures j ust as a gra y da y com es
, , even
in the tropics ; a nd if we use this gra y da y
wisely we will be a ll the better for it .

When the bright sun of tropic lands is veiled

by clouds one ca n see farther ; a nd the la ndsca pe
is m ore clea rly discerned beca use there is not the
,

blinding da zzle of the sunli ght .

So when our hearts a re clo uded with a passing

mi st of trouble or worry we som etim es see life
m ore clearly a nd look forwa rd a nd a bout a nd
,

beyond with a la rger vi sion I think it is a good .

thing now a nd then to grow utterly sick of our

selves a n d t o sit down a n d pull our mi n ds a nd
,

hea rts a nd m ot ives and a ctions a nd am bitions to

pieces a nd dust them out as a wa tch m ak er clea ns -

a wa t ch : t o put them together a gain wi th ca re

a nd resolve to begin a ll over an d do better — a nd

then to do i t .

It is ever well to rest too long in egrets of the

!

n r
1 76 THE AR T OF BE ING ALIVE
decision in his ea rly youth or B enj amin Fra nklin
, ,

or Shak espea re or Milton ?

, Wha t if Morse or
E dison ha d gi ven up the struggle to a ccomplish
a nyt hing ? And ha d C yrus Field sa id he was
wea ry of tryi ng to gai n hi s goal a nd so ha d let
the ocea n ca ble die a dream of im a gina tion ?

Wh a t losers we would a ll be by it !
It is not m erely you yourself who is t o be
, ,

benefi ted or harm ed by your success or fai lure in

life
. You a re t o lea ve a n infl uence on all who
know you no m a tter how humble your position
,

m a y be .

Throw a pebble into the sea a nd wa tch the ,

di sturba nce of the wa ters ; la rger a nd la rger grow

the circles a nd as they fa de a wa y invi sible to the
,

eye they a re felt by the wa ves beyond our sight .

It is so wi th ea ch one of us You are a ffecting

.

every life you encounter on life s journey t o som e

’

degree You will a ffect lives of beings yet unborn

.

—in wha t wa nd thr u gh wh a t s u r c es it is

y a o o

im possible t o tell ; but nevertheless a n invi sible

, ,

infl uen ce is a t work conn ecting you wi th other

d estinies as by a n unseen cord Thi nk of this
.

when you a re di scoura ged a nd di sheartened a nd

push a hea d .

The fountain of ha ppiness lies in the spiri t of

m a n : it s fl owin g out through hi s being depends
u pon the condi tion of the heart a nd mi nd a que
ducts .

If they a re clogged with the m ud of gloom y

thoughts or the debri s of petty a ims or selfish
 L I FE S GRAY D AYS
’
: 77

p in os s ca nn ot be expe ri en ce d P.le as ura ble em o

tions of a tem porar y na ture ca n rea ch the mind

from the outside , but thi s is not ha ppiness .

A new costum e , a new house , new equi pa ge ,

or a journey will produ ce a passing delight a nd
y
gla dn ess, but these feelings subside when the cos
tum e loses its freshness, when the house an d the
equi pa ge becom e old stori es , an d when the journey
is over . Indeed , with the a vera ge mi nd , which
depends upon things ha ppening for it s enj oy
!

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

di sa ppointm ent arrives also .

Men toil an d hoa rd their ea rnings, living in

im pa tience until the da y they ha ve a c cum ula ted
enough to go forth a nd purchase wha t they believe
will be ha ppiness . A fter it is purchased they sigh
a nd sa y there is no such thing as ha ppiness .

B ut they a re mi sta ken .

A woma n longs for a fine house , a nd tires of 1t

then she longs for hotel life , a nd tires of it ; a nd
a gain she seeks ha ppiness in tra vel, and does not

fi nd it , a nd sa ys there is no such thing . B ut

there is .

To obtai n it we mus t clear the mi nd a nd hea rt

of a ll obstructions a nd look into the clear Foun

tain of the Spiri t It does not m a tter wha t your

.

religion or your belief m a y w ew , Christian ,

—
Pa gan, Ca tholic , Protesta nt , B uddhi st so you
rea lize your Onen ess wi th the Grea t Ca use a nd
1 78 T H E AR T OF BE IN G A LI VE

know tha t Ca use is Love ; a nd tha t from Love

y ou ca m e a n d in Lo ve
, you live an d to Lo ve you ,

m ust return .

Once this consciousness ta kes possession of you

the founta in of ha ppiness is set in a ction a nd will
fl ood your being even in tim es of sorrow and in
,

hours of pain .

grtified desires will a dd to your m eans of enjoy

a

ment ; but if you are deprived of all these things ,

wa t ers the founta in wi thi n will fl ow on a nd lave

of

y ou w i th their gla dness .

Though you fall asleep in tea rs you will waken ,

in joy Though you m eet wi th a thousand dis

.

a ppointm ents a nd are encom passed wi th cares ,

yet will you feel hope ri sing in your hea rt a nd the

ra pture of life tingling in your veins Solitude .

will be a deli ght to yo u yet will you love to ,

mi ngle wi th your kind knowing a ll are on e kin

, .

Grea t love ca steth out fear Get your heart !

.
,

mind a nd soul full of love of the Crea tor and bat he

, ,

your whole being in tha t essence a nd you will ,

discover you ha ve found the Kingdom of H ea ven .

I n som e souls (ri ghtly genera ted! this love is

born Where a man and a woma n deeply a bso
.
,

lutelyfa nd a bsorbingly love ea ch other a nd a child ,

is the result of this love it is usually born with a

,

religious na ture which ins tinct ively turns in rev

,

erence and worshi p toward the Crea tor of Uni

1 80 T HE AR T OF BE IN G ALI VE
You will be ha ppy a nywhere a nd under a ll con
dit ions .Yet wha tever is a dded to your life you
will enjoy with a new kind of enjo ym ent Luck !
.

will seem to com e to you in m any wa ys . You

will ceas e to worry and fret over trivia l or ma
terial m a tters .

You will grow strong a nd vital a nd your ta stes

,

will be sim ple You will not know wha t loneli

.

ness is and your ambition will be to m a ke the

,

m ost of your own qua lities ra ther tha n to win

the world s a cclaim
’
Yet should tha t com e to
.
,

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
!

u t terly true to the light wi thi n you — whi ch is the

 XXX I V

THE RE VIVA L OF A
D NCI NG

When love for hi s Ma ker a woke in ma n

ANGI NG is a n expression of joy in life As .

far ba ck a s hi story rea ches we find da nc

ing associa ted with religi ous ri tes Da ncing com .

pri ses a ll the other arts A bea utiful da ncer ex

.

presses poetry, music , sculpture , pai nting , a ll in

the da nce .

B esi des being the most bea utiful of a ll a rts it ,

is the m ost healthful of all exerci ses when enjoyed

under ri ght condi tions B esides being the m ost
.

healthful it is the m ost m oral of exercises

, .

Young people who a re given trai ning in da ncing

and allowed to da nce frequently in clea n whole ,

som e enviro nm ents a nd under wi se cha perons

utilize surplus vitality whi ch when suppressed

, ,

by ri gi d rules or bigoted ideas ofttimes results ,

in mi schi ef a nd disas ter .

Ta ke the old fas hi oned religi ous communi ties

-

where da ncing is regarded as a sin and there are ,

a lwa ys to be found num erous cas es of hysteria

a mong the young girls a nd various nervous mala

1 82 THE AR T OF B E I NG ALI VE
dies among the youths . No proper outlet for their

vided , no es ac pe valve - .

Little children da nce before they ha ve ever seen

da ncing ; little kittens and little puppies an d all
sma ll a nima ls da nce wi th the joy of existence .

The wa ves of the sea the lea ves of the trees , ,

—
the grasses of the m ea dow all da nce The sun .

beam s da nce ; a nd light itself is ever in motion .

The m an a nd woma n who ha ve never lea rned

the joy to be ex perienced in da ncing ha ve mi ssed
a grea t ha ppiness And they ha ve mi ssed a m ea ns
.

of physi ca l grac e .

The present renai ssa nce of the art of dan cing

is rem arka ble For a deca de a t lea st before the
.
, ,

tida l wa ve rose young m en fl ed from ba llroorns

,

a nd left girls to fin d p a rtners am ong them selves .

The wom a n who ha d passed thi rty a pologized if

she was seen da ncing ; a nd m arri ed people were
a fraid to express a love for the di version lest they

be ridi culed A bea utiful a nd healthful and enjoy

.

a ble ar t seem ed on the decline .

Then suddenly a cha nge a n a wa kenin g of ,

dull minds a lim beri ng of stiff joints new life in

, ,

bored fa ces new interest in the oldest of a ll arts

, .

The da nce was reborn And youth was reborn in

.

the hea rts an d bodi es a nd mi nds of m en and

wom en of a ll a ges .

Grotesque a bnorm al unbea utiful an d even vi

, , ,

cious were the ea rly c ontortions of thi s reborn

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
, ,

souls da nced songs to the ri sing sun ; a nd to d a y -

in those la nds there are dancers in the tem ples

who devote their li ves to sa cred ri tes a nd who
live purely a nd sweetly tha t they m a y be worthy
in the eyes of their Crea tor to perform the religi ous

who ha ve associa ted every evil m ean ing with the

!
word tango Yet the ta ngo is gra ceful artis
.
,

t ic a nd bea utiful as the mi nuet when properly

,

da nced .

It is a s innocent of a nyt hi ng inj uri ous to the

m ora ls of the young a s ski pping the rope .

Instea d of selecting some one or two new dances

to decry our well m ea ni ng m oralists should de
,
-

cry indecent a ttitudes or suggestive m ovem ents

in a ll dan cing The sam e moralists ma ke no pro

.

tests a gai nst the wa ltz and two step Yet both - .

of those da nces ca n be ma de quite as obj ection

a ble as a ny of the m ost m odern inventions if the

participants so wish .

When the waltz was first introduced in the

ballroom it crea ted as grea t excitem ent a nd as
violent protests as the m odern dan ces are crea ting .

Lo rd B yron who was deba rred from the pleasure

,

Let us be sensible e o ble The dance

a nd r as na .

is reborn a nd it must live it s life

, It m ust do .

its work It must be m et as a fa ctor in social

.

lif e Instea d of a ttem pting to crush it or a bolish

.
 T H E R E VI VAL OF DANCI NG 1 85

it , instea d of sa ying to tour young people , You

ca n da n ce a nd t wo-
step , but you m ust not learn

a ny of the new dances ; they are indecent , let

us sa y : Lea rn a ll the new da nces but be m odest ,,

decent , gra ceful, a nd well beha ved on the dancing

-

fl oor .

D a nce only with your fri ends and in the en

And to our older people let us ofl er hearty con

gra tula tions tha t they no longer need a pologi ze
or explai n when o wning to a love of the a rt of a ll

not dance isthe exception H e or she needs to

.

explain why . Not the dan cer A hea lthi er world

.
,

a ha ppier world and a m ore normal world will

,

result from the welcoming of this a rt tha n from

it s suppression .An d the world a t large is to be

congra tula ted tha t a recrea tion has com e into
vogue which brings the sexes together .

For man y years there has been a tendency ,

espe cia lly in Am eri ca toward separa te pleasures

,

for men a nd wom en Men herded in clubs ; wom en

’

e xcellent fri ends t o the hum a n race when indulged

in occasionally . But nothing is m ore arresting
t o m ental developm ent nothing is m ore un
,
1 86 TH E AR T OF BE IN G ALIVE
as the bri dge fobia
- whi ch has given pla ce now to

Women who spent entire da ys over the bridge

ta ble ,begi nning in the forenoon a nd ending a t
midni ght now m eet their m en fri ends a t m usi ca l
,

da nces in the a fternoon or balls in the evening .

Men who were alwa ys in their clubs when not in

t heir ofi ces drop in a t m usi ca l teas and enjoy
da ncing a t their own hom es or the hom es of their
fri ends in the evening On wi th the da nce
. It .
1 88 T HE AR T OF B E I NG ALI VE
There is nothi ng the ma tter wi th the world ,

wi th life wi th destiny
, E verything we desire .

or wa nt or need wai ts for our claim ing B ut the .

ma jori ty of God s children are wai ting for some

’

body besides themselves to bri ng them these things .

Not m ore than one human being in one thousa nd

looks to hi mself and the Power ba ck of himself
for success hea lth a nd ha ppiness The other ni ne
, , .

hundred a nd ni nety nine look to luck to chance -

, ,

to influen ce to fa vors of fri ends an d a cquai nt

,

a nces to doctors to pa tent m edicines t o som e

, , ,

hoped for m ira cle an d a ll the tim e a m ine of

-
,

wea lth a nd reservoir of power within them selves

lies unexplored and unused .

I f you ha ve a garden a nd a reservoir of wa ter ,

whi ch i s fed from a n inexha usti ble m ountain

stream a nd you spen d hours in pra yer to God
,

for rain to wa ter your garden do not feel tha t God ,

has been unkind if in a season of drought your

pla nts wi ther a nd die It is your own fa ult tha t .

you did not use the wa ter i n the reservoi r .

Pra yer is a grea t force ; it p uts our hi ghest

m enta l a nd m oral powers in touch wi th the whole
ma gnifi cent universe an d wi th the clouds of wi t,

nesses a nd the hosts of mini steri ng an gels who

are wai ting to do the Fa ther s bidding on earth ;
’

and the Fa ther s biddin g is eternal usefulness to

’

hum anity .

These Invisible H elpers are ever rea dy to help

us help ourselves But they would not a nswer our
.

pra yers for rai n to sa ve our gardens if we did not

 PRACTI CAL ME NTAL PRESCRIPTION r89

use the wa ter in the reservoir whi ch ha d been

suppli ed to us A n inexha usti ble reservoir lies
.

in every soul born u pon ea rth The one thing for .

yo u to do is t o i
pp e your m en ta l faculti es to thi s

Then follow the instructions whic h are quoted

a bove E very tim e you m a ke those as sertions
.

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 ,

a dry a ri d season to turn the wa ter on your ga r

, ,

den once a week It m ust be done every da y If

. .

y o u w a te red yo ur p la n ts o n ce a n d the n a fte r, a

m onth com pla ined how ba dly they looked despi te

your ha ving wa tered them tha t would be as rea ,

sona ble as the a ttem pts of m an y people t o put

m eta physica l thought in to pra ctice Every tra de .

,

profession business a nd art is brought to perfec

, ,

ti on by persi stent a nd unremi tti ng efl orts .

The grea t philosophy of thought power can only

be proven a nd dem onstra ted by the sa m e unre
m itting untiri ng m ethods
, The little formula.

given by Dr Ca rma ny holds the whole philosophy

.

in a concise form It is a spiri tual hom eopa thic

.

ta blet Ta ke one every ni ght on retiri ng and a fter

.
,

three m onths you will be astoni shed a t results .

Pra y often ; lift your heart on hi gh ; but work

fi rst la
,s t a nd a lw
,a y s D o no t be a s
. p iri tu a l lo a fe r

a nd expect a ngels to perform your work wi th no

efl ort on your pa rt D o not talk a bout your

.

m ethods ; a nd do not ask a ny one for a dvi ce or

 XXXVI

T HE NEED O F T HE WOR L D

The earth is God s expression,

’

And love is a ll it need s ;

And this is fai th s confession
’

Of wha t it la cks in creeds .

H E R E is only one need in the world the need ,

to love our neighbor as ourselves ; to do

exa ctly as we would be done by ; to un dersta nd
tha t the huma n ra ce is one body an d tha t when
'

we do a nyt hing whi ch harms or hurts one indi

vidual we harm a ll indi vi dua ls, ourselves included
j ust as we harm the body when we in j ure any
—
m ember ha nd foot , eye , or ea r When we stop
, .

a nd think a bout t he world , the whole process

of life becomes very pi tiful Each being born.

upon the earth is striving for ha ppiness from

the cradle to the gra ve in hi s own wa y
,
.

Accordi ng t o hi s light he is doing the best he

,

can. H e does not know it but the only sa tisfying

,

things whi ch he can get out of life are pea ce

of mind , self respect , a nd the love of hi s fellow
-

men .

Nothing he ca n obtai n wi thout these things ,

192 T H E AR T OF B E IN G ALIVE
—
qua li ty or at leas t som
e a dmira ble trai t The .

m ost we ca n do in our ea rly eff orts to live u p

to the divine inj unction is to feel pity or com pas

sion a nd sym pa thy for the utterly di sa greea ble

a nd unlova b le bein gs whom we en counter alon g

lif e s pa thwa y ins tea d of a llowin g dislike a nd

’

ha tred to domi na te our minds If we pa use to .

consider the subject dispassiona tely we will rea lize

tha t no sa ne hum a n being wishes to be disa gree
a ble a nd unlova ble .It is a misfortune brought
on by perverted co nditions or wrong bringi ng up

a nd a ccented by ha bit .Once we rea li ze thi s

truth we will be sorry for the person we ha ve been
in clined to a bhor And pi ty we know is a kin to
.
, ,

love The nex t step in our own self developm ent

.
-

is to ma ke an effort to illustra te the benefi t a nd

ha ppiness of being a greea ble toward our disa gree
a ble n eighbor .

Thi s is m ore ea sily recomm ended in pri nt tha n

a chieved in conduct .Wh en your neighbor
entertains you by telling you all the unpleasa nt
gossi p or ma li cious rem arks she has hea rd a bout
y o u i t i s di ffi cult to b ri n g yourse lf into a st a te
of mi nd to hea p coa ls of fire u pon her hea d by

pa ying her com pliments Yet if you can con

.

scientiously tell her a pleasa nt thin g a bout herself

it is lia ble to work m ore of a reforma tion tha n

a ny a ngry sarcas m on your part would do Just .

so the soft a nswer tum et h a wa y wra th a nd

bri ngs sham e to the uncontrolled mind To Show .

generosity toward the miserly gentleness toward ,

 TH E N E E D OF . TH E WOR L D : 93

the violent harity toward the un charita ble

, c ,

and un selfishness toward the selfi sh is a n a ctive

“
m ethod of trying to love our neighbor as our
self.

I t is not a n eas y task It is m uch easier to.

a dopt a religion of creeds a nd forms to m ak e long ,

pra yers in church to give large sum s to chari ty

, ,

to be solemn on Sunda y a nd from Monda y to ,

Sa tur da y t o indulge every im pulse toward cri ti

ci sm ,ba ckbiting personal grudges and dis likes ;
, ,

then to repea t I believe m y sins are redeem ed

,

on the dea th bed and die a nticipa ting a li fe

,

of glory This is a popula r and pleasa nt re

.

1igi on .

But it is not the religion of the Golden R ule ,

“
nor of the comm a n d t o love God wi th a ll your
heart a nd your nei ghbor as yourse
The form er is the religion of our present forms
of ci viliza tion ; the religi on of com petiti on a nd

hustlin g business m ethods The la tter is the .

reli gion of brotherhood a nd a ltrui sm .

One requi res a few hours in the week the other ,

the continuous effort of a lif etim e and a const a nt

wa tchfulness of self No grea t height geogra ph
.
,

ical m enta l or spiri tual is a ttai ned by one sus

, , ,

ta ined a ttem pt We m ust clim b fa ll and try

.
, ,

a gai n a nd a gai n The highest possible altitude

.

is tha t rea ched by the soul who a n truly sa y ,

I love m y neighbor all m y neighbors as m y, ,

self
!
.

Though we ca nnot yet sa y it (and who can

1 94 THE AR T OF BEIN G ALIVE
we ma y a t leas t strive to trea t our neighbors as
we would be trea ted a nd to sea rch for the a dm i
ra ble qua li ty in ea ch forgetting as m uch as pos
’

sible the disa greea ble tra its , even as we would

1 96 THE AR T OF B EIN G ALIVE
We find few such beings a nd consequently the
,

world is filled with those who are in som e respects

dwarfed or deform ed There is the robust a thlete
.
,

whose prowess lies in the physi cal rea lm He .

ha s not developed his bra in or hi s spiri t There .

is the hysteri ea l spiri tua l being who thinks only

,

of t he world beyond a nd neglects hi s m ind a nd

hi s body . There is the intellectual gi a nt who

has a stunted body a nd no spiri tua lity or who ,

has two sides of the tri a ngle developed body a nd ,

mind a nd only a bla nk spa ce where the spiritua l

,

li ne should be .

No one of these indivi duals is living the lif e

God wa nts ma n to live Ea ch one m ust be sent
.

ba ck to ea rth in m a ny inca rna tions un til he lea rns

to ma ke the perfect tri a ngle of him self a nd then , ,

being com d ete he can pa ss on to other work in

,

other ma nsions in other realms .

This ma n ma y be a strong m a n physica lly and

m enta lly but he is dwa rfed a nd stun ted spiri tu
,

a lly ; a nd beca use he is so he thi nks there is no

spiri tu al truth in the uni verse as the m an born

,

blind m ight think there was no light of sun or

m oon or star .

Fortuna tely there are hundreds of bri lliant

,

minds rea dy to gi ve their testim ony to the con

tra di ction of thi s ma n s sta tem ent vi z tha t
’
.

earth a nd hum a n life are ac ci dents tha t cha nce ,

rules all things a nd tha t there is no life beyond

,

One of the grea tes t men who ever lived , a

 TH E LI F E H E REAF TE R : 97

gre t scientist a grea t hum ani tari a n a grea t

a , ,

scholar wa s Swedenbo rg
,
And this man ga ve .

up position a nd power a nd pla ce am ong the

am bitious people of ear th to devote hi s m a ture
years to telli ng the world the marvelous facts
he ha d lea rned a bout R ea lm s Wi thi n R ea lm s an d

When he was dyi ng a t the a dva nced a ge of

eighty three he was offered all the sola ces of
-

orthodox religion if he would sa y tha t he ha d not

heard these voices or seen these vi sions But .

I di d see a nd did hear he replied An d those ,

!
.

were a lm ost his las t words .

Swed enborg s Opini ons on politics or science

’

left no m arked im pression on the world ; very

few peo ple even know tha t he wa s renowned in
those wa ys B ut Swedenborg s religi ous philoso
.
’

phy is the comfort a nd the strength of thousan ds

of intellectua l an d useful hum a n bein gs .

There is a n old H indu sa yi ng which rea ds thus :

H e who knows not , a nd knows not tha t he knows not ,

he is a fool ; shun him .

H e who knows not , a nd knows tha t he knows not , he is

simple ; t ea ch him .

H e who knows, a nd knows not tha t he knows, he is

asleep ; wa ke him .

H e who knows, a nd knows tha t he knows, he is wise ;

follow hi m .

Swedenborg was the latter H e was the per .

feet triangle Grea t in a ll wa ys There are thou

. .
1 98 THE AR T OF B E IN G ALIVE
sa nds of other huma n beings livi ng a nd thousan ds ,

who ha ve li ved strong of intellect clear of mi nd

, ,

who ha ve given to the world thei r testim ony of

a bsolute knowledge of the existen ce of invisible
worlds a bout us a nd invisible helpers near us
, ,

j us t as t ra velers o n ou r ea rth report different

conditions a nd difl erent scenes in northern a nd
southern and a rct i c a nd equa torial loca tions .

80 the va ri ous seers observe va ri ous conditions

in the S piri tu a l worlds There is j ust as mu ch
.

vari ety in these realms as in our own a nd ea ch ,

seer sees a ccordin g to his own powers of sight

a nd a ccordin g to his own m enta l an d spiri tua l

The archi tect on ear th who is a bsorbed wholly

in buildings ta kes a walk wi th a n a rtist who ca res
only for na ture and one returns una ble to tell
,

a n ythi ng a bout the plants trees fl owers or, , ,

scenery bu t everything a bout the style of houses

,

he has seen ; while the artist has not even no

ticed a house but is filled with fa cts concern
,

ing the la ndsw pe the streams the trees the

, , ,

Pr cisely so with the ma n who has the open

e
eye in spiri tua l realms I know a quiet indus
.
,

t ri ous busin ess ma n respected by his fellows loved

, ,

by hi s associa tes who seeks nei ther glory nor

,

riches a nd who is ever rea dy to serve hi s friends

or hi s enemi es with good deeds Thi s m an has .

the open eye a nd he is pri vileged in being a ble

,

to see the in visible realms and the invisible help

2 00 THE AR T OF B E I NG ALI VE
t hose higher hea vens it is a ll
owed to com e at

THE E ND