Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1918-12-26
PERSONAL
STOCK>TAKING
Dawn ofNewYear a Good
Time to Bolster Up
Weak Spots

lime to Bolster Up
Weak Spots )
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
n OW'S the time for personal
I'M stock taking. The habit 10
in the air around Christmas.
The kiddie lives miserable
life from the first Of December trying
to do his best so that old Santa will
be good to him. The average man
starts in around Christmas to think
about the New Year resolutions he Is
going to make. All his friends. wise
and otherwise proffer advice gratis
until the poor chap isn't sure whether
the New Y .ar is coming or. going and
he himself is hopelessly lost. If he's
wise he will go OFF by himself to
quiet corner and turn over the events
Of the past year and strike balance
on the results. The chances IRE that
he will feel as clipper as a squirrel
in May when the job is finished. There
will be many instances where the
"might have been" will condemn what
was.
Life has many lessons that are hard to
learn
One Is that you can't put your abil-
ity in cold storage until needed for
some great scoop. Your present job
may be no compliment to your ability,
but you dare not slight 1t for that
reason. To keep yourself fit you must
constantly employ your talents to the
limit. AS soon as you begin to go easy
on them you start to decline. Unused
potentialities deteriorate. Labor saw
ing devices and man-made expedients
won't work out with the Divine mas
terpiece. God never intended ability
to be held in reserve for spectacular
purposes. The wise man takes stock
daily to see whether or not he is meas
uring up to his privileges. This Is the
season to begin the practice of 1t.
Mans measure is best taken aUten he
tolls for the good of others.
Much that he does in this line IL
not appreciated. The knowledge Of
this kills some folks ut the start. Most
men do their best when the thing they
advocate is popular. A few indom-
liable souls are fired to the heroic
point by opposition. H takes the big
souled man to struggle on when he
sees few results and gets little thanks.
He works for the sake of the thing to
be done, and that Is the evidence of
stalwart to keep on the job in cloud
and sunshine with his best always as
the goal. If you are willing to take
stock and profit by the results shown,
you may be in that class soon.
The felloaO that is honest in his stock
taking apiH find many loose connections
IN his past efforts.
He has failed to keep the pace be-
cause his ideals and ability did not
mix properly; or he has been short on
one or both of these essentials. There
ares many sincere souls that are fnil.
ures because they have gone Mt high
speed with bolt loose somewhere.
No wonder they wrack themselves to
death. The stock taking will help
them to see where their personal mech
anism needs repairs. Weakness in
any one part hinders the best work Of
the whole. For the sake of tempo
rary gain you dare not endanger your
future usefulness. The past has been
| of your making. If 1t does not please
you find what has been the matter
and make sure of a better record for
1919. It's unfair to blame your COM
petitors for lack of success. If you
had been able to deliver the goods you
would doubtless have had your share
Of the trnde. They have won because
you have failed somewhere. Most fall
nres begin with the mental apparatus.
Look well to yours for the New Year.
There is no time for adjustments
after the race starts.
When the head is supplied z.ith RICH,
thinking the body is opt to be best fitted
for Its tasks.
To be sure the care Of the body in
ftuences the thinking, but even that
needs right thinking to help It, If
y6ul head is off you can't give your
body q square deal. You can't booze
all night and have a clear head the
next day. You can't dance until day
break and have elasticity and spright-
illness Of body when the rush is on
the next afternoon. You can't fiji
your stomach with cheap candles,
creams and chemically preserved
fruits and be happy and obliging to
{: trying customer in busy times. You
must have the whole human mechan-
ism working in harmony If you are
going to get the most out of the COM
irg year. That's why your old uncle
is asking for mental and physical
examination. He's concerned for your
welfare and wants you to make good.
Ii - A.N