The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-01-29
PEOPLE'SFORUM
The Goal.

ne BOdl SOuSuN lpi ". az
kind Is freedom. Freedom from thral-
dom, whether contained within the
shackles OF ancient or modern reli-
| gious creeds, or within prejudices
which are the outgrowth of envi-
ronment and false teachings, Truth
| leads to Freedom for truth Is free
dom, while error is slavery. Truth
is progress, light and heaven. Error
is defeat. darkness and hell.
Until one has unfoided so that
he is willing to accept ruth, no
matter what belief or idol is de.
stroyed thereby he is not ready to
stand with the progressive ones ush-
ering in the dawn of the new era
with its glad song of joy. Some give
up error little by little, because they
love it as they do their bad habits;
and yet error and bad habits alike
are evils that drop away from one
when he ceases to love them. If one
questions this statement, | ask he
reflect a little and it will be clear
to him. Desire for anything quick
ened into love may be made an ir
resistible attracting force. Self-crit-
icism INDUCED in till it becomes self
condemnation is a weakness, a rem
nant of a morbid inward affection
for what one in his full intellectual
manhood detests.
The path to freedom is only enter
ed through the gateway of self-con-
troll. At that gateway one should
take a mental inventory and drop
false beliefs, womout dogmas and
narrow prejudices. If he in his self
examination at that time passes over
all questions as to where, how and
when he loaded his mentality up
with all these burdens. and simply
takes cognizance of the fact that
he finds himself weighed down with
an unworthy load which he desires
to drop: then without a sigh turns
his back upon them, it will be
proof that his love has now mount.
ed higher and that he has grasped
the true and rejected the false
Few have so critically studied their
combined emotions, feelings, reason
ings, as to discover that their own
faults, whims and vices could only
secure firm hold upon them, be-
cause of the fact of this perverse
love, which had a natural growth
free from seeds sown in the sub
conscious through wanton and excep-
tional desires harbored in the past
Habits to be discarded must be up
rooted like weeds in the gardens
! that choke the growth of the plants
when it is ones desire to cultivate
and improve. Ones habit of think
ing brings forth the seeds called
thoughts, and these seeds are passed
to subconsciousness by natural
law. Thoughts are serious things,
and they find their origin in love
or fear. If found in fear the i'm
ages created are repellant rather
than attractive; and yet the mental
eye is turned to them again and
again, bearing the suggestions they
emanate to subconsciousness precise
ly as elf they were sent there by
true desire and love. The continued
mental drawing of them could not
be because OF hate for them-it
must be because of sort of infat-
uation which can exist only through
perverse love. This is why a multi.
tude in this world are going for
ward feeling life a tread-mill. and
the world at large mental realm
filled with unsatisfied longings,
blasted hopes, and dismal failures.
The key of happiness is right think
ing, and ii can never be held secure
until one has buried forever the
phantom will-o-the-wisp named fear
One thing the student should a.
ways remember and that is that he
must work out his own way to free
dom. Others may suggest, but he
must do the work. If the path to
freedom start from the mental plane
called self-control. no little calm re.
Election is necessary that he may
know he has passed that point,
for then only can he enter the right
path. The goal is somewhat shift.
ing because one seldom wraps his
whole being about a single IDEAL |
and also he quickly reaches out to
other ideals as one after another
of those sought is won. As new
ones are seen or are created by
thought, through mans mental sense
of hearing is being waited to him
the refrain of the joyous song of pro-