The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-02-27
DIR. Marden's
Uplift Talks
BY oRlsoN SWEET MARpEN.
CULTIVATE THE HABIT OIL
CHEERFULNESS.
OOpyrIEht By Mcclure Nswspaper sypdIes..


A woman in California, who, be-
cause Of crushing sorrow, had
fallen a victim to dependency,
Insomnia and kindred ills, determined
to throw of the gloom which was
making life so heavy a burden to
her, and established a rule that she
would laugh at least three times a
day, whether occasion presented or
not. Accordingly, she trained herself
to laugh heartily at the least provo
cation, and would retire to her room
and make merry by herself. She was
soon in excellent health and buoyant
spirits, and her home became a
sunny, cheerful abode.
To people who have lost the laugh
ing habit l would say: Lock yourself
in your room and practice smiling.
Smile at your pictures, furniture, look
ing-glass, anything, just so the stiff
muscles are brought into play again.
In order to become normal, the
natural f%un-loving forces within us
must be released. Laughter is n
form of exercise which sets them
free, rescues men from the blues"
Somewhere l have read of a man
whose Laughing muscles were so
p~aralyzed that his laughter sounded
like a voice from the tombs. Ameri-
a life is so serious that many men
lose their power to laugh. They can
force a little sepulchral chuckle, but
the genuine ~side-shaking laughter is
almost a stranger to their experience.
They are in such a serious chase
after the dollar, their life is so
strenuous, so given to scheming and
planning, that they do not have much
time to laugh. They do not know the
medicinal value there is in the habit
of laughter, how it clears the cob
webs out of the brain, ~disposes Of
the pangs of worry and anxiety and
business pressure, takes the mind on
the grind of things, NOV friction,
and helps to make life worth while.
You may not be able to cultivate
the optimistic temperament to any
great extent, If you lack it, but cheer
fulness can be cultivated. We all
know that If we brood over our sor.
rows, and dwell upon our misfortunes,
our physical being very quickly sym
pathizes with our moods.
Talk happiness. The world is sad
enough without your woe"
A woman who has had great Attic
ton says: Il have had nothing !
could give but myself, and so I made
the resolution that l would eve sad
den anyone with my troubles. ! have
laughed and told jokes when I could
have wept. l have smiled in the face
of every misfortune. l have tried t.
let everyone go away from my pres.
ence with a happy word and bright
thought to carry with them. Happi
ness makes happiness, and l myself
am happier than l would have been
had l sat down and bemoaned my
fate"
Encourage your child to be merry
and laugh aloud" says a great
French urgeon. "a good hearty
laugh expands the chest and makes
the blood bound merrily along"
We realize that 1t is very necessary
to train. the mind in business. prin,
ciples; to train certain faculties to
do special things. but do not seem
to think it necessary to cultivate the
habit of cheerfulness. Yet not ever
an education is as necessary to the
child as the formation of the cheer
full habit. This ought to be regarded
as the first essential of the prepare
tion for life-the training of the MIND
toward sunshine; the developing Of
every possibility of the cheerful facul
ties.
Cheerfulness is one Of the great
miracle-workers OF the world. It re
enforces the whole man, doubles ant
trebles his power, and gives new
meaning to his life.