The Washington herald., 1916-07-12
When Tempted to Swim Back.
BY oRIsoN swETT MARDEN.

by ORISON SWETT MARDEN,
What | learned at the sweeps is what made
me-" is the testimony Of Yale graduate to the
benefit his athletic training had been to him in
the life struggle that began after college days
writer in the June number Of Scrbners thus
quotes him:
"As I look back on my career at Yale, the
four years of intercollegiate rowing stand out
as the greatest thing that Yale did for Moth
ing in the curriculum, l feel, so fitted me for
the hard give-andtake game Of life that followed
graduation, qualified me for the struggle out in
the world When things have messed themselves
up into the tangle that makes for dscouragem
when affairs have pressed and burdens have seem
ed too heavy to be borne-at such times the
thought has come You've got to keep at that
stroke OF yours until you get it right; for there
is right way which you haven't hit Now
abreast OF the navy yard two more hard
miles to 60 Stick it out; keep fighting never
quit What l learned at the sweeps is what
made me.
Stick it out keep fighting; never quit" That
| is the slogan OF every brave soul who ever won
{ victory over himself or circumstances When
the children OF Israel became discouraged, as
they were SO prone to, the Lord instructed Moses
to speak to the Children OF Israel and tell them
to go forward Whether at the Red Sea in the
Wilderness no matter what the obstacle ahead
the order always to go forward, to move on.
There never any suggestion Of retreat.
And their great leader, following the command
Of his Lord, in spite OF their trembling and dis
affection their cowardly cry to go back to Egypt,
led his people to the Promised Land.
Many people go under when they come to
their Red Sea difficulty The first obstacle COWS
them because they are weak. To go forward is
so hard; to go back is so easy. and it is so
natural to choose the easiest way. 1t saves so
much exertion, so much effort all the trouble
OF planning struggling and striving to overcome
the difficulties in front
They tempted like the Israeltes TO 60
back to the fleshpots OF Egypt to the place in
life they ought to leave; its advantages are
exaggerated because they are temporarily de-
prived Of them and they have not vision enough
to see the Promised Land they have not coura ge
enough to go forward into the unknown.
How often see people who have found
that their churches have not been feeding them,
whose souls have been starving on the husks Of
the old theology, who have gotten glimpse Of
better way, but who hesitate to go forward,
through fear of criticism. or uncertainty to
whether they have found the truth
Now, when you convinced that YOU have
ougrown the old when you can no longer tole-
rate the conditions under which you have been
living, there is only one thing to do, and that
is TO go forward. 1t is the Christ and not the
creed you need. You have half starved on that.
We all have Red Sea experiences OF one sort
OF another. Many times in our lives we are
discouraged and want to turn back But the
victory is never to those who go backward, only
to those who go forward, who form the habit OF
going on.
II you get into the habit of turning back
when you come to your Red Sea problems, you
will always be in jeopardy, always in danger of
being smothered by the waters.
When the 1sraeltes decided to go forward
they found their difficulties were nothing like
what they had anticipated. The Red Sea divided
and they passed over to the opposite shore on
dry land. Now, if they had dsobeyed their lead
! or and turned back, they would have been over
whelmed by the angry waters II you turn back
to the conditions which you have outgrown the
conditions which have dwarfed and starved you
| you will be overwhelmed. Your only chance
Tor growth is to move forward
Although most of us prefer the ills we have
to the uncertainties Of the future there is moth
ing but disappointment in turning backwards to
outgrown, outworn, discordant conditions
AS God bade Moses speak to the Children Of
Israel and tell them to 60 forward whenever
you are tempted to go back speak to yourself,
be your own Moses, your own leader, and bid
yourself go forward