Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1908-03-20
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THE WILL AND THE WAY.
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The most important conviction that
can come to any man is this, that it is
entirely in his own power to deter
mine his destiny. The freedom of the
will is more than an abstraction of
philosophy; it is a working fact that
has, by its realization. brought man
to Standardization, to freedom and sal
walton.
The coward and the weakling may
seek refuge in heredity and in en-
vironment, but none will escape re-
sponsibility for his own life by blam-
ing his grandfather or his neighbor
If circumstances mold you it is because
you are pliable; you ere the willing
clay where you should be the sculptor.
No man who waited for winds of
circumstance ever found himself watt
ed to the skies. Character never is a
windfall. Ideals and opportunities Of
fer themselves from without, but we
must up and possess them for our
selves. We never shall enter the de-
sirablc land of what we would be by
any other way than deliberately set
ting out for it.
How many are going through all
their days, drifting, waiting for some
favorable tide or heavenly wind to
swell the sails and carry them to any
desirable haven. They would be good
if they could be good without the in
vestment Of energy; they would be
willing to be wound up and made to
run in the right way if some one else
would do the winding
Supposing goodness could be con-
ferred from without, how much good
would it do US? Nothing becomes the
possession of character except as a re-
suit of determination and endeavor on
the part Of the individual. Beauty
of life never IS the prodLct of passivity.
Character admits of no external COM
pulsions.
No power of heaven or earth can
force us to be good either against or
even without our wills. The only good
we have is that we will to have and
to be. There is no power that wills
our i'll, nor any, outside ourselves, that
can take from us the power to choose
and to achieve the highest. Any other
view of life finds it's source either in
superstition or in sloth.
The creature of circumstance IS a
pitiable object, a piece of driftwood
where a strong swimmer ought to be,
a craven crying for mercy where the
courageous rejoicing to find strength
and the prize through struggle should
be. We ought to make this world 50
that the weak can develop their wills
and find their salvation; but we never
can wisely make it so that the deliber-
ate derelicts all can find fair Ravens.
Life with all it brings of joy and
care, Of veal and woe, is just the call
to eternity to man, crying out to the
soul to set itself free, to gain the high
prizes, to will to do and be and over
come. Everything is decided by how
you face your life. whether with COM
plainings and fear or with rejoicing
and resolution for it's struggle
In world where character is de-
veloped by freedom of choice and by
exercise of will the greatest curse that
could come would be to have no need.
no trial, no sorrow, no difficulties, nor
disappointments, to be free from the
strenuous choices. These are the chal-
lenges of fate, the ways to power, the
paths to salvation.
What, then, has religion to do with
realizing the full life? Does it not Of
fer divine aid which, regardless Of our
wills, can carry US on to perfection I?
II 1t does, it offers that which is value
less because conferred and therefore
only external, robe of righteousness
where we need the righteous life with
in
This is what religion offers; ideals,
opportunities, sympathies, inspiration.
environment, and nurture for the real
ization Of the best life. Yet all these
wait for our wills The kingdom of
love and peace is thrust on no one: all
enter it who set their faces steadily
toward it.
Yes, says one, that may be good Cos
pei for the strong; but my will is
weak; that is the way of the mighty ;
1 cannot walk in it. If your will is
weak it is because it is unused. Your
will is as strong as you believe it to
be. With what strength you have seek
the best, endeavor to breathe the air
of heaven; every high thought will be
tonic; in all things will to do the
best; your will will respond to the ex-
ercise, will find harmony with higher
will, and you will find the way of
strength