The Washington herald., 1917-01-15
The Joy Of Self Discovery
By oRIsoN SWEET MARDnx.

TheR is a legend that when God
was equipping man for his long life
| journey of exploration, the attendant
good angel was about to add the gift
of contentment and complete salts
faction. The Creator stayed his
hand: NO." He said, IF you 'bestow
that upon him you will rob him for
ever OF all joy of self-discoyery."
The greatest moment in any life is
] the moment of self-discovery, the
moment that gives human being the
first illuminating glimpse of his di-
vine powers. that moment which
opens the door into the great within
Pof himself and shows him his godlike
possibilities.
There is probably not living be-
ing who would not be amazed if he
could see unfolded in panorama all of
the potentialities within him. He
would say, These remarkable quail
ties belong to some one who has
achieved distinction, not to an
unknown person like me-"
One of the most difficult things in
the world is to get people to realize
the extent of their latent power, to
believe in their otn possibilities. The
reason is that they see only part of
themselves, because they have only
partially discovered themselves.
Each of u.s." said Prof. William
James, "has resources of which he
does not dream" If we could only
turn mental X-ray on ourselves that
would reveal all our possibilities, most
of us would be amazed to find powers
and potencies in the great within of
us which may not even have reached
their terminating period.
| When we know that even the great
majority of men whom we call sue
cessful use only comparatively small
part of their ability, because they new
er find all of themselves, why should
any of us put narrow limit to our
own possibilities, remain paupers in
achievement when we might be
princes?
We set our own limitations. Emer-
son hammers this truth home to all of
us in his essay on "Self Reliance"
when he says: THAT popular fable of
the sot who was picked up dead
drunk in the street, carried to the
dukes house, washed dressed, and
laid in the dukes bed, and, on his
waking, treated with all obsequious
ceremony like the duke, assured that
he had been insane-owes its popu-
larity to the fact that it symbolizes so
we'll the state of man, who is in the
world, sort Of sot, but now and then
wakes up. exercises his reason and
finds himself true prince"
There are enough powers, enough
resources in the minds of the people
in the great failure army today to
revolutionize this earth if their sleep
ing potencies could be aroused. If
they would only try to get hold of
themselves; entering into the secret
depths of their nature, shutting out
the external world, they could arouse
latent qualities, hidden potencies
which would enable them to do mar
velous things.
Every person on this earth has a
mine of immense power and posi-
bilities in the great within of himself
vastly richer than any diamond mine
on the globe.
1t is not what one has done, but
what he can do that is the most val
liable part of him. 1t is what you
are capable of doing that is your
greatest life asset. What are you ac-
tually doing now may be a dwarfed
thing compared with the giant
achievement you are capable of. 1t
is not what you have done, but what
you long to do, what you feel capa-
bic of doing that will count most, if
you struggle to express your ideal.
President Tucker, of Dartmouth
College, one time In an address to
students, emphasized two points:
First, early in life make 1t point
to find yourself. Second, make sure
that you are right"
The important thing for every
youth to know is that as yet he has
found only small part of himself,
that the most valuable part of him is
the undiscovered, the unused part, the
larger possible man that Is locked up
within him.
tCopyrtsht, fNY)