The Courier. (Genoa, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1903-04-10
Happiness is the Way of Looking at
Ones Case.

Although all the definitions declare
that happiness is a state of being or
more particularly, state of mind,
most of us who are seeking happiness
act as though we supposed happiness
to be some state of extrinsie circum-
stances into which we must project
ourselves. Instead of disposing our
mind interiorly to happiness, we en-
deayor, by changing our position with
reference to objects outside ourselves,
to put ourselves into state of happi-
ness; that is, we view our present con-
dition in society, in business, in any
aspect, with dissatisfaction and do our
utmost to change it, thinking that
some other condition with reference to
things outside us will produce happi-
ness; whereas the true method of OBJ
tanning happiness is to teach the mind
to contemplate with contentment and
delight our present condition, what
ever it may be. Happiness comes
from within; it is a way of looking at
things; it is point of view; and it is
possible to, any person, no matter what
his circumstances. Many a squalid
beggar is happy; many great king is
unhappy.
1t was no sign of Aristotle's acute
ness that he perceived happiness to be
the object of all human endeavor. Any
body can see that happiness is, as Pope
wrote, our beings end and aim,
''Fhat something still which prompts
the eternal sigh
For which we bear to live or dare to
diep'
It is this "eternal sigh which pre-
cludes happiness from most of our
minds. We are like a man looking
everywhere for a hat which is on top
of his head. We seek happiness in
riches, in. gratified ambition, in love,
in fame, in purple and fine linen, in
books, in hard work, in worldly sue
cess of every kind, and we miss it.
All the men that have succeeded emf
nently in any line of human striving
have cried down to us from their
heights that they were fools for their
trouble and we for initiating them.
There are people who have made
good use of this open secret of happi-
ness. No matter what troubles beset
them, they are always cheerful and
placid. They see good in everything,
and for them every cloud wears its
silver lining on the visible side. They
are truly doctors of philosophy, able
toiput to shame many learned aca-
demician, for they have learned not
how to preach but how to live philo-
sophicaliy.
A strong religious faith has much to
do with making people happy in this
life, however futile it may be in the
opinion of creedless philosophers to
secure happiness after death. The old
monkish recluses who subjected them
selves to authority, eschewed COM
MERGE with the world and spent their
days in labor and contemplation must
have been about as happy as anybody
ever has been. All the trouble and
pains of life they accepted submissively
as trials for their souls, and rather
welcomed them as tending to increase
their merit in the eyes of God. If a
man were to soak himself in the teach
ings of Thomas A. Kempis and live &C
cordingly he would probably be Sc
renely happy.
Happiness is to be attained, not by
gaining more in a worldly way, but by
getting rid of much we already pos
sess; not by satisfying our necessities,
but by doing away with our necessi-
ties. Desire grows as it il gratified,
and the man that gets all he desires
to-day will have new and greater de-
sires tomorrow. Unqualified desire is !
the rootaof unhappiness.-S. F. Bull