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

PROF. GILFILLAN SCOTT.
calm elaboration. deals with one at a
time.
| When meal time arrives he dismisses
| thought and eats, and wh7n bed time
arrives he dismisses thought and
sleeps.
So he conserves his energy and
maintains his sanity, yet accomplishes
his ends.
| AS this method succeeds in dealing
with ordinary business so It will sue
coed in dealing with troubles.
| With your list of troubles before
/ you and your determination made to
deal with them in a businesslike way
your troubles are. already half over
come, for q job well begun is half
done.
| Why am I discussing troubles?
| Because pessimism is the cause as
well as the result of allowing troubles
to tester; a double barrelled gun di-
rected against yourself; whilst opti-
mism is a handspring inducing and
suggesting lines of action to overcome
troubles; and action is the finest anti
dote for worry because definite work
is a relief from indefinite doubt.
Fear and laziness and false Pride
produce pessimlsts.
Fear Of having 10 do what we don't
like doing, something laziness and
pride object to. can cause more trouble
We viii go miles. further round
rather thar go back and admit that
we started wrong.
The pessimist is pig headed; and
having otarted wrong, will crouch and
grunt and persist in plugging along in
the wrong direction, cursing the world
and finding fault with the roughness
of the rough road whilst he tramps
further and further from the smooth
road.
The optlrnist has learned the lesson
'of eternal vigilance; laughs at fear;
kicks Iaziness admits he's wrong with
Ia smile; takes a good look around
him; spots the right road and shouts
the news to the pessimist, who only
growls and doggedly refuses to listen
to reason.
The pessimist lives in his own little
hell.
The optimist dreams of heaven.
How is a pessimist to become an OPP
timfst?
By the same means 8 drunkard be-
comes temperate; or 8 man of VIC
lent temper becomes reasonable: or a
spendthrift becomes a saver. with COM
Portable possessions, and an easy mind.
Here we are drawn back to our
friend HABIT: commencing with DE-
TERMIN ALTON, APPLICATION AND
PATIENCE.
And, # habit is to help us to be op-
timists. the question arises how long
does it AXE to form a habit?
It depends upon the habit.
Also 1t depends upon the Individual.
Again, 1t depends upon the handi-
cap.
Sweeping ifs and butts aside. how
ever, let's recognize that all possible
action can become habit, the length
Of time required to form the habit
varying with the conditions.
This is a safe and sound PROPOSE
ton.
I am in sympathy with all wrong
doors when I say that IT does appear
IL man starts self reform everything
is against him
1 believe the law Of the survival Of
the fttest works against him.
If he can stand to his guns and grin
and bear for a little while, however,
he will soon feel a sense Of WINNING.
That win give him courage
If he backsIides it will mean be-
ginning all over again; but, If he grIts
his teeth and hangs on tight, the law
which hindered him will relax and the
law of good habit will begin 10 help.
Each day OF continued grip will find
him one day further from his old self,
one day stronger. one day nearer to
the formed habit.
Those Iy daEz Yr=-@i0TTS
and they are hard days.
A pessimist Is being converted into
an optimist. mistaken man IS being
transformed into a sensible fellow.
Yes. it takes time.
Sudden conversions mean sudden
commissions, and your get ood-quick
schemes sre like your get-rich-quick
schemes.
They are the exceptions that prove
the rule.
It is admitted then that optimism
is good and pessimisTn is bad; that
the world needs optimists to brighten