Greenwood daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1919-1926, 1920-03-22
How to
Live
s.
Common Sense Comments On
Health. Happiness and
Longevity
BY GEORGE F. BUTLER
A. M. M. D.
WORK.

" oAS SOikS WIN IN O1S A1S P~P
that comes to him from doing some
thing and being of some use. of re-
spending to demands and maintaining
a routine. and his muscles get soft. his
internal organs go on strike, his appe-
tite fails and he loses sleep. Work Is
necessary to growth, because through
1t one acquires strength of mind and
body. Both brain and muscle grow
strong by exercise. by assuming re-
sponsibilities. by bearing burdens and
doing things. Work Of some sort is as
necessary to health as eating and
drinking.
Idleness and fnactfon breed ervou
'prostration. fear. worry. gossip. crime.
constipation. and a host of evils. We
make friends through work. we find in
1T beauty. humor. pathos-all that goes
to make up a full, normal life. Con-
genial work is as necessary to peace
of mind as 1t Is for the health of the
body; it Is the symbol and avenue for
almost all that is worth while In hu-
man life. The happiest hours of your
life should be when you are working.
n you can learn to like any work
you may be doing. But whatever your
job is you should dignity and vitalize
1t by putting your ideal n 1t. giving
your life. your energy. your enthusi-
asm. all to the highest work Of which
you are capable. Your heart must In
spere what your hands execute. Your
work sometimes may be hard and
thankless. but like tough metal it
serves to suit the needs of a strong
man and is better suited to that pur-
pose han slipping soft drinks at a sum-
mer resort.
Cut out your CROUCH If you have
one. Quit feeling sorry for yourself
and feel SORRY for others. When you
pity yourself because you think you
have a hard job your soul shrivels up,
but when you pity others your soul ex-
pands and grows. When you are trou-
bled with grouchiness and self-pity just
remember that you are in a universal
guild Of toll, and the universal forces
are infinitely adaptable to the poor
jobs as well as to the good ones. and
that someone must do the wOrk-why
not you? Any labor will be irksome
If lone in a disconnected. unhappy
spirit.
"Who sweeps a room Is in His sight
Makes that and the action fine"
To work, and to honor ones task by
associating it with the whole; to cut
out envy, jealousy and complaint, and
replace them with nobler traits would
prevent much sickness and go a long
a toward solving the labor problem.
Anyone can be healthy. happy and
successful who holds the right mental
attitude and who works with enthusi-
asm, determination and a light heart.
When you work. cultivate calmness.
poise, sweetness, doing your best, bear
ing all things bravely. living our life
undisturbed by the prosperity of your
boss, or the malice and envy Of the
nan out of a job.
Health and happiness are free If you
but reach for them-occupation and
the right state of mind are pretty sure
to fetch them. The more useful work
you do. and the more you thin and
feel. the more you really live. Then
after your work is Over for the day.
give yourself an hour or Sc for self
examination, for thought. for body and
brain rest, for amusement. and you will
have a good conscience, a good appe-
tite, and peaceful slumber. LEARN
HOW TO LIVE.
Though no man can add a cubit to
his stature, we can all make our
selves i'll, and most of US can keep
ourselves we'll. Most people will keep
fairly we'll If they eat little; avoid
alcohol and tobacco; take plenty of
fresh air and exercise; keep the mind
at work and the conscience at rest.
Let us abate something, at least, Of
our devotion to the almighty dollar,
and regard the world as something
better than a huge workshop in which
we are to toll and moil increasingly, till
death stops the human machine. Let
US learn how to play.
Nervous strength. power of concen-
tration, of application to a task. Of
control of emotion. Of decision. of in
hibition and perseverance, in spite Of
distraction and fatigue. come only by
exercise and practice-in short, by
work.
If anyone wants q happy old age,
he must first of all never hetray his
optimism; second. never brood over
the past and the dead: third, work
away to the last breath. to keep as
much of his cerebral elasticity as DOS
sible.
The courage given US by our work
is like the self-reliance which Emerson
has made forever glorious. Like SELF
reliance. courage is ultimately q reli.
ance on widening c%oncentric circles Of
property which reach to God.
All defects in the air passages. as
veil as the unphvsinlngic conditions
arising from them. must be corrected;
before one can breathe properly AM,
be well.
The fiZon of Groonrroo1