The Washington times., 1907-09-10
To Make Happiness

II you want to be happy, decide TO be
so, and see everything in a happy light
It is astonishing how many things
become rose coIored when thus viewed
and how many others reveal happiness
that might have been missed were not
one looking for it.
You see almost everything IN life has
two sides, one pleasant and the other
unpleasant. It is quite bad enough that
the unpIeasantness should exist without
increasing by dwelling upon II. and the
thing to do is promptly 10 forget the
bad side and try to discover the good.
1t isn't easy. of course. but this is pre-
Cisely where character comes in, and
girl who takes hold of the world al
ways by Its good handle, finding COM
pensation IN all things. is the one who
gets the most and is the happiest
II is an encouraging fact that there
IS no experience Of life however sadden-
ing or hard that does not have its COM
pensatiOn II one Will take the trouble
u look, or is willing 70 learn from it
All Of US know people who have grown
bitter by sorrow or misfortune. They
are those who have refused TO get the
good that may come from difficult con-
ditions. anG their own lives are there
-
unhappy and unpopular
On the other hand, we know. too,
a few who have grown sWeeter in mis-
fortune
Instead Of thinking, as do the unhap-
by. Of what they have lost, they think
gratefully Of what remains and cheer
fully learn the hard lessons that have
come. There always is something TO
be grateful for. If one wishes to think
so and % do IL means a great help
toward gaining happiness. A girl who
Is poor has much in her friends or in
being well and able 20 go about. II
is hard 10 work sometimes, and one
who must do so may make herself mis-
cradle If she likes in contrasting her
own life with that Of a girl Of leisure
and wealth. But she won't be miser-
able II she stops TO think how fortunate
she is 10 have work when hundreds Of
others who are in dire need cannot
get II. This is just an instance
OF the two sides Of a thing you see.
and the handle that one may take hold
Of each day.
One Of them will make you happy and
the other will make you complaining
and envious, putting poison into every
moment 1t is so much better to be
happy than miserable, and il is quite
within the reach OF every girl. It really
depends upon herself whether she will
look on the good side or the bad.
Ilere is never day that does not
have IN II something nice or amusing,
or disappOlnJments. To dwell on the
latter Is TO make oneself all-around
wretChed, while to think Of the former
Is to be cheerful, happy, and amusing
10 others.
Unselhshness is another road to happi-
ness; not the kind of unselhshness that
gives away something one no longer
cares fer or has plenty Of, and requires
no effort to part from but the unselfiSh-
ness that thinks Of others rather than
OF oneself. There is an immense amount
Of pleasure in having pleased some one
else, having done something that they
wished, and IT comes from the feeling
of having helped, however little
One gets a great deal more in watch
ing the satisfaction of another when Il
is due TO ones own efforts than in hav-
ing or doing something that would have
pleased only oneself
Happiness, as a matter OF fact, Is
thing that lies within US all. only all do
not cultivate ard develop IT. It is not
brought necessarily by great things nor
man. OF them. but il comes always with
a cheerful and cOntented spirit that
looks for the brightness Of life and the
good IN II, being thankful for what one
has and adapting oneself to doing with
out the impossible. Best of all. It
grows bigger and deeper as ones life
goes on ard We learn the good that lies
IT. all its lessons.