The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1915-10-21
INFLUENCE

Did you ever consider to what ex
tent every thought, word and dec
of our lives are controlled by in
fluence? 1t is part OF our genera
make up and has a magnetic effect
1t goes long ways in forming ou1
destinies: it cont OILS cur actions anC
decides for us doubtful problems.
Influence is the electrical forces
ofour nature asserting itself, when
brought into activity by its appli'
cation to our requirements and is
the power behind the throne. Men
of strong will power are not controll-
ed by influence. Their we'll develop
ed minds are capable of coping with
any contingency that may arise, and
while they may confer for opinion.
is seldom influenced by another to
such an extent that it will materially
interfere with any we'll thought out
plan that may be under cOnsidera-
ton but only use it for comparison
and not as conclusion, as environ
ments make the man. So it is by
the company he keeps and the as
sociates he seeks which 60 largely
to make up what character Of a man
he is. All men have influence,
either for GOOD or BAD and we are
at all times in the atmosphere of
either one or the other, aud to the
extent we are willing to yield to that
extent we ale affected While good
influence is always desirable. we
should keep within the bounds and
not allow our anxiety to get the
better of our good judgment. We
may have a hobby and feel that,
perhaps, we may be wrong, and un-
der the influence of some congenial
nature, whose only interest in us is
to accquiesce to any opinion we may
express. Under this influence we
may do or say something that our
individual conscience repels. We
should be guarded against it for. it
is a nice point of discrimination to
grade influence. They are many
and varied, each carrying its own
responsibility. The parental influ-
ence is a power ia moulding the
character of the child, for good or
bad. John D. Rockefeller owes his
success in life to his mothers in
fluence and refers to her as tie
master mind" that led him to sue
cess. When Abraham Lincoln was
"a poor boy struggling for an educa
ton, he received the best encourage |
H>ent and got the best results after
spending an hour with his mother,
and it was her influence for good that
resulted in his ultimate success,
both as lawyer and statesman.
Influence plays an important part
in all the affairs of our lives. con
influence we depend for success, no
man can live by himself. He must
have the companionship Of some
one. Now comes in the nice point
to decide, as ON this cooperation
depends the influence. If all seek !
the companionship of good, intelli-
6 nj people the influence will be
good and we will be better men and
women, by such associations. All
organizations have headquarters
and this is where we 60 to supply !
our demands. The best influence
you can come under, will. be found
in our churches and our Sunday
schools. Go any Sunday morning
to any of the Sunday schools of our
city and you will come shoulder to
shoulder with the health, wealth,
prosperity and high moral End social
standing of High Point. The doctor,
the lawyer, merchant, manufacture /,
teacher, scholar and city officers are
all there. Why? Because it is
headquarters for this g,ade of in
fiuence. And you cannot come
within the portals without feeling
the influence of an uplifting charac-
ter. that is sure to do you good, and
if properly digested will be food for