The citizen., 1920-12-23
How to
Live
Common Sense Comments on
Health, Happiness and
Longevity
By GEORGE r. BUTLER.
A. NJ. NJ D.
SIMPLE LIVING.

Gain and Greed seem to he mans
chief motives Of action. These to.
gether with the prevailing discomfort.
selfishness. hurry aud worry are max
Ing most Of the trouble existing In the
world today. II Is true. OF course, that
we must have money In order to house
feed and clothe ourselves and members
OF our family. but could we not sim.
plify matters considerably to our great
advantage1 Would we not be health.
Ter and happier II we lived simpler
llvesf Self-sacrifice Is absolutely nee
essary to full. rich living; It enters into
all the essential actions Of humanity
Our needs apparently have grown with
the years. but do we really reed as
much as we think we dor How few
Of us have the courage and independ-
ence to do without some Of the neces-
stiles and many OF the iuxuries Of
life. In trying to keep up with the
procession" we become more and more
dissatisfied and dscontented our
nerves are irritated and strained and
our health impaired. Simplicity is de-
stroyed and health and happiness en-
dangered by any attempt TO live In
harmony with public opinion. Ask
yourself this question. those Of you
who are straining every nerve to keep
In the game."-"Am I really more
peaceful. more fraternal. and In better
mental and physical health. than II I
were Independent enough to live more
simply7" Now. honest" what is your
answerf Are you not more discomfort
ed for striving for the nonessentials
and In endeavoring to keep up with.
or outshine your neighborsf And dis
content impairs health.
Charles Wagner says. simplicity is
a state OF mind. At bottom, II consists
In putting our acts and aspirations In
accordance with the law of our being
and consequently with the eternal in
tention which willed that we should
he at all. Plain living and high think
ing is simplification. Nothing endures
hut the commonplace happy Is he who
finds the way back to simplicity"
pete with or outshine others We are
killing simplicity and destroying our
happiness. Our thoughts should be
simplified; and TO simplify them is to
have faith and confidence in the stGbil
ity OF the universe; to be optimists
rather than pessimists; to hope. to be
calm. 10 be thoughtful of others. kind.
truthful. just and frank. II we culti-
vate such thoughts and simplify our
speech. lowering our voice, talking less
and doing more good In the world, our
over-excited nerves will be soothed and
our general health improved. Our
needs. too, should be simplified. Tenn
perance In everything--in eating, In
work, in pleasure-is the best guard
ian Of our health and happiness.
The truth is we are all OF us depend
ing too much on the without and not
enough on the within. BY simplifying
our thought. speech. manners. needs.
pleasures-in a word, by living the sim
pie life. and by Strengthening the in
ner lfe--we secure increased immu-
nifty from the inroads Of disease and
exercise the keen Joy Of living. To
have health and happiness is but to
live In harmony with a. few simple.
arly-defined laws. Simplicity is the
lsw OF nature; in all her revelations
nature Is seeking TO teach man the
greatness Of simplicity.
As Carlyle cried produce, produce
SO Thoreau cried simplify, simplify
lifel Now put the two doctrines Of
practical living together-simplify life
as Thoreau would have II. then do the
duty that lies nearest as Carlyle en-
Joins, and We have the ground work. II
seems to me, OF the life best worth
living. LEARN HOW TO LIVE.
Bodily vigor means activity. enthusi-
asm. determination. and energy-it
means that the mind has at command
its best powers. and that all the parts
of your nature are In condition to
work togther joyously and hsrmoni-
ously.
We want 10 diminish the amount of
submerged busy" work and to ex-
punge all desperate and hopeless work;
we want TO see fun and games playing
through II. as heat lightning plays
through heavy clouds.
The more useful work you do. and
the more you think and feel. the more
you really live. The idle man is a
useless man. and no matter TO what
extent his life may be prolonged, mere
~ vegetables.
Service is one OF the ways by which
We can get a purchase on the whole
universe. n we fnd the job where
we can he Of use. we are hitched TO
the star OF the world. and move with
II.