The Washington herald., 1909-05-23
Strife for Higher and Bet
ter Things a Powerful
Factor in Our Lives.
"Justice" Will Be the
Subject for Consideration
Next Week.
d THE oPTTMIsT.

Dear Fellow-C CptimiSts. ] hope the con
trlbutions last week on Sincerity proved
as helpful and inspiring to you aI as
they did 70 me- At some future tine !
hope to have another contest on Truth
OF q kindred topic. because 7 believe the
sentiment 70 be most fruitful one for
opsinisss.
This weeks topic was Got chosen at
random Following my request OF some
months past, the optEmists have been
furnishing me with suggestions for new
topics. Almost every mail brought votes
for Ambition" and I have been saving
Il for a SPECIAL occasion The way in
which you have responded 70 the call
shows me that il is a subject very near
to TIE heart Of every one OF you.
Ambition. my friends. IS a powerful
factor in our lives Individual ambition
IS what makes It possible for the world
70 grow need not point cat TO yea the
conditions that might exist to-day all
about Us were every one content &c stand
stfl, satisfied with what he has. In the
material aspect Of life ambition 10 sue
ceed. whether for the financial reward
that comes with success. OF for the fame
that comes with some notable achieve
n1ent. OF even for the personal satisfas-
ton that grows out Of a work well per
formed. We see everywhere the result Of
human ambition
Il constantly spurs forward the man OF
the woman who has the proper outlook
OF life and who has the correct sense OF
his or her responsibilities. We were not
sent here on earth % idle OF 20 live CT
the ideas and the ambitions Of our fel-
low-creatures- Unless we contribute our
share We VIII quickly discover that We
must drop out Of things. And TO keep
our heads up. 10 assume our quota OF the
burdens OF existence. requires not only
that We have sense cf responsibilities,
but defniteness Of purpose as well
Ambition IS deanitezess OF purpose. The
power is not given to al Of Us TO be
great. Capabilities Of mind and body and
Of resource are not equal BIT there Is
no human being but in wjEose breast there
h1Tns the IRE OF some ambition
Look about you among your friends. IN
your college and school days you often
used 10 talk OF the future. Jack was go
ing 70 be a painter. Dick was 70 be q
musician Ministers. doctors. lawyers,
actors. poets ard novelists al bu5Sed
among you. In some OF these cases am
SitiGu went OF al a tangent Maybe the
( painter of school days IS the lawyer Of
to-day. Perhaps the successful merchant
OF broker you know wanted n his youth
( = preach eloquent serucns. and 50 on.
They are no ssSs useful members Of So
cisty on account OF this They simply
( found their proper spheres, for doEged
) determination and answering purpose
are only valuable when properly directed
Z Ambition cannot help the square peg
which s1ubborniy sticks n the round
/ hole
AmbitIon Is the steady hand at the
wheel when the course IS 5Sxsa SAYS
Emerson: Hitch your wagon &c a star F"
/ Which means that we should aim high.
No man actually knows OF what great
things he IS capable unless he has tried
Even though he fail. he has st least made
the attempt. and though she world may
net give him credit for doing his best. his
work viii show n the end there vas
something In him
Ambition is not only desire. Il is hope.
/ Il is the strength Of optimism. On this
/ page to-day are quotations and essays.
ali bearing evidence that ambition IS one
F; OF Optimist's greatest allies The Wash
I ington Herald Optinist Club IN its effort
. spread the lesson OF self-help and help
OF others has a definite purpose Every
member who joins the club and wears the
button subscribes to that ambition
/ Don't be discouraged Il WsIst you desire
comes slowly. There is no word IN the
optimists lexicon which is syBonEmous
vita hopelessness. Ambition. Ike hope.
springs eternal The healthiest form OF
I
and ambition unless supported b. convic-
ton cannot so bravely weather the storms
OF adversitv.
Be ambitious. opti.nists. Knew the am
bition of your friend, your neighbor, and
help him along his road
Many OF the greatest literary lights OF
the past have rot held mere worldly am
bition in very high regard IN very many
instances they have almost treated il with
contempt. or at least have Ieveled shafts
OF sarcasm al the vanity OF mans efforts
to climb above his fellows. But do not
believe that the true ambitions OF llfe are
based on selfshness or a greed for gain.
Ambition, on the other hand. IS the I'M
peiling force that carries as through our
daily tasks. IN an optimistic mood one
places ambition among the virtues-the
qualities Of character which are not only
useful to the individual, but helpful 70
those about him.
Don't fear 10 cultivate al the worthy
ambitions you can hsrbOr, for there is a
reason why We should constantly en-
deavor 10 improve not only ourselves. but
whatsoever We may come in contact with
A member Of the club who is at pres
ent travelling abroad and unable TO keep
In touch with the current topics Of our
contests sends IN a verse which some OF
you may have seen already. but which
an using to-day as Illustrative Of the
strenuous way some Of Us so about our
optimism and TO show you that even op-
timism may be overdone;
I've Joined the new Don't Worry Club,
And now I hold my breath;
am so scared for fear I'll worry
That I'm worried most to death.