The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1908-05-07
The Good Will Habit.

hS 4OOA IIoOlSs
..ss.s.s...s.s
The habit of hoIGlng the good will,
kindly attitude of mind toward every
body has powerful influence upon the
character. 1t lifts the mind above
petty jealousies and meannesses; it en-
riches and enlarges the whole life.
Wherever we meet people, no matter
if they are strangers, we feel certain
kinship with and friendliness for them,
greater interest in them, if we have
formed the good will habit. We feel
that if we only had the opportunity of
knowing them, we should like them.
In other words, the kindly habit, the
good will habit makes us feel more
sympathy for everybody. And if we
radiate this helpful. friendly feeling,
others will reflect it back to us.
On the other hand, If we 60 thru
life with cold, selfish mental attitude,
caring only for our own, always look
ing for the main chance, only think
ing of what will further our own in
terests, our own comforts. totally in
different to others, this attitude will,
after awhile, harden the feelings and
marbleiZe the affections, and we shall
become dry, pessimistic, and uninter-
esting.
| Try this year to hold the kindly,
good will attitude toward everybody.
If your nature is hard you will be sur
prised to sue how it will soften under
! the new influence. You will become
more sympathetic, more charitable to-
ward others weaknesses and failings,
and you will grow more magnaniln0us
and whole-souled. The good will at
titude will make US more lovable, in-
terestlng, and helpful. Others will
10, upon us in the same way in which
we regard them. The cold, Grabbed,
unsocial, selfish perso-. finds the same
qualities reflected from others.
How much better it is to 60 thru
life with warm heart, with kindly
feelings toward everybody, radiating
good will and good cheer wherever we
GO! Life is short at most, and what
satisfaction it is to feel that we have
scattered flowers instead of thorns,
that we have tried 10 be helpful and
kind instead of selfish and churlish.
i. The world builds its monuments to
the unseltish, the helpful. aud if these
monuments are not in marble or
bronze, they are in the hearts of those
whom their inspirers have cheered, en-
, couraged and helped.
All of us, 10 matter how poor we
may be, whether we lave succeeded or
failed in our vocations, can be great
successes in helpfulness, in radiating
good will, good cheer, aud encourage
, ment. @
Everybody can be q success in the
good will business, aud it is infinitely
y better to fail in our vocation and to
succeed in this, than to accumulate
great wealth and be failure in help
, fulness, in kindly, sympathetic atti-
tude toward others.
The habit of wishing everybody we'll,
, of feeling like giving everybody God
, , speed, ennobles and beauties the
character wonderfully, magnifies our
: ability, and multiplies our mental
power.
We were planned on lines of nobility;
Q we were intended to be something
9 grand; not mean and stingy, but large
/ and generous; we were made in Gods
r imsge that we might be God-like.
i Selfshness and greed dwarf our ma
: lures and make us mere apologies of
the men and women God intended us
to be- The way to get back to our
: own, to regain our lost birthright, is to
form q habit Of holding the kindly,
J, helpful, sympathetic, good will atti-
tude toward everybody. Success
: Magazine.