Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-02-29
Your Reserve Energy
BY II. ADDINGToN BRUCE.

MO MORE important scientific doctrine has
M been formulated than that which is COM
y prised in what is known as the principle OF
reserve energy.
1t was first set forth few years ago by two
American Notwithstanding; James and Boris
Sidis. At that time it was widely discussed-and
widely misunderstood. ."a.
The misunderstanding persists Because of this
the James-Sdis doctrine is today in disrepute.
But its general acceptance cannot be much
longer delayed. Observation and experiment are
steadily accommodating evidence in support Of 1t.
Stated badly, the doctrine in question affrms
that every normal human being possesses FUND OF
surplus energy which should be- but is not
habitually used. Or, as Prof. James more COM
prehensively expressed it:
Our organism has stored up reserves of energy
that ordinarily not called upon, but that may De
called upon; deeper and deeper strata OF comOus-
tible or explosible material, dscontinuously ar
ranged but ready for use by any one who PROBES SO
Deep and repairing themselves by rest as well as do
the superficial strata. Most of us continue living
unnecessarily our surface.
''Of course there are limits; the trees don grow
into the sky. The plain fact remains that men the
world over possess amounts of resource whlcn only
very exceptional individuals push to their extreme
of use.
ergies to their extreme, may in a vast number OF
cases keep the pace up day after day, and ma no
reaction of bad sort so long as decent hyslehlc
conditions are preserved.
The criticism which has done more than any
thing else to discredit this dostrne is summed up
in the charge that, lit breaches gospel OF over
strain Actually it does nothing of the sort.
1t suggests, rather, that there are ways by
which. without overstraning themselves, all men
and women ought to be able to do more work ana
better work than most people do today.
Moreover from study of the lives OF "eXcep-
tional individuals of the sort mentioned by
Prof James, it is now possible to indicate,
some of the ways by which the fund of energy may
be tapped and safely utilized.
One way by sedulously cultivating interest In
ones daily work. 49,
Another is by reducing the mental and oodly
friction involved in such states worry, anxiety
fear. hatred, anger, envy, and jealousy.
A third is by developing an altruistic philosophy
of life-by working, that is to say, not primarily
for the purpose of personal profit but rather WIN
the idea of being of service to others.
And fourth way to tap the fund of surplus en-
ergy is by gaining sincere religious conviction falth
in God as well as faith in ones self and ones FELLOW
Take the life of any woman notable Tor
quantity and quality of work accomplished, and you
will find that one or more of the factors OF interest
confidence unselishness, and religious faith bulked
large in it. - =, :,
BETTER STILL make trial of these factors by al
lowing them to become operative in your own lie
70 greater degree than at present.
You will find l venture to predict, that they
will enable you to achieve far more than you have
been achieving and this without undue effort with
out injury to your heath---nay, with positive
gain TO your general well-being.
Copyright, 1916, by H. A. Bruce