The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-02-15

But t0e man WOTLL WnlIe Is the man
with a smile
When everything goes dead wrong"
Optimism is the habit of looking on
the bright side.
/ Pessimism is the habit Of looking
on the dark side.
The pessimist sees only the cloud.
The optimist sees the silver lining.
He knows the cloud is there all right
but he looks at 1t from the proper
angle and with a smiling face and he
catches the reflection of his own smile
In a previous article commented
upon various kinds Of contagion. in
Guiding laughter, bravery, fear and
anger, all Of which are contagious by
the force of EXAMPLE.
Reflection along this line reveals an
overwhelming responsibility upon each
of US towards our fellow humans.
AS example is q mighty force. we
need to be perpetually careful how
we exercise IL
Walk down the street and meet
smiling faces; and, unless your liver
is at war with you. you'll smile with
out considering why; but, il you meet
sour grouchy faces. It wort be so
easy ~ SAAiiACb Gnu YOU Il POSS4OAS &CSA
sour without knowing why.
Example therefore must be remem-
bered all the time.
We need to bottle up troubles which
can't be remedied and cork them tight.
or they'll spill around like ink and
discolor everything within reach.
Optimism promotes remedies for
troubles.
Pessim.sm does but aggravate
troubles.
We can cultivate which we choose.
If you prefer melons why cultivate
lemons?
If the world has handed you a lemon
what's rhe use OF cultivlting it and
water ring it with the tears Of self-pity?
Optimism can be cultivated until it
becomes a HABIT, and habit is only
a matter of time.
A baseball pitcher practices a GER
tain twist Of the ball many hundreds
of times until it becomes a habit.
We practice all kinds of actions, such
as the motions in swimming, the steer
ing Of an automobile, the balancing of
the body on one leg at time in walk
ing, until we do these things with ease
and certainty.
a man may shave every morning
without fear of Topping one OF his
ears or cutting g slice off his nose.
Why?
Because rs has made shaving a
habit and practice makes perfect.
If habit is SO strong a force that it
can make difficulties easy, isn't it the
height of good Judgment to lay hold
OF habit with both fists and use it?
q If habit will help you in baseball
rl swimming, in steering an automo-
bile, In walking, in shaving and in
finding your mouth with a fork (no.
you mustn't eat with a knife and very
seldom with a spoon), why not make
habit help you to be an optimist?
The world needs optimists to
brighten It and help it in times Of
trouble.
Did it ever occur to you to write
a list of your troubles?
I'll bet you never did.
Just take a pencil and paper and
sit down in front OF yourself and say,
NOW, MY FRIEND, WHAT ARE
YOUR TROUBLES
Be businessIike about It and unload
the whole lot on paper without reser-
walton.
Now you have the situation before
you in concrete form in place Of car
rying around in your brain con-
fused mass Of troubles each trying
to be considered first.
An experienced lawyer or doctor or
merchant or statesman (Woodrow
Wilson for instance) makes a list of
matters demanding attention; and,
without fussing or worrying, but with