Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-03-09
THAT DLSCOL7RAGElMENT
WHICH IS BOUND TO COME
To Al Of Us a, Some Time
or Other, but Somebody A.
ways Helps Us Through

MARY was having a bad Slump. I"
1Vl She didn't seem to be able to do
her work as she wanted to. Somebody
or something had taken all the .'pep"
out Of life, and had let her down fiat
with no rebound. She was not unhappy
and she was perfectly we'll. but she was
just dissatisfied and worried. She
seemed to be losing her grip. And then
somebody came along and spoke to her.
You like your work. don't you, Miss
Jones?" this kindly person remarked.
.You have been doing very well lately.
Keep It up!"
The sun came out again and brought
Mary's strength back with it. Doing
welll When she thought she had been
almost worthy of dismissal. She went
back to work, cheered, encouraged and
filled with enthusiasm.
It always happens It il Just as in
evitable as the bump somebody always
gives you IL YOU let yourself get con
ceited. There are bound to be times.
especially in March and April, with the
listlessness Of spring entering silently
and without warning, when you will
be thoroughly discouraged with yourself,
the way you do your work, the way
you look, the condition Of your clothes
and the love of your friends. You'll
drag about, push yourself at your tasks
to get through with them somehow and
forget about the mistakes that you're
sure you must have made, Just as
quickly as possible. But just as you
are about to resign, or rebel, or give up
all hope, one Of these benevolent souls
comes along with little praise.
You're looking very well today"
perhaps the remarks will be. "Do you
mean to tell me that you made that hat
yourself? It's as good looking as any
I've seen in the stores"
Oh, couldn't you give that person
your pet bracelet for that simple speech
Don't you feel as II you want to keep
watching her and then catch her in n
terrible gloom some day. and give her
a $40 bill, or something to cheer her up ?
And don't you go walking back to that
loathed and detested duty or personality
or wardrobe, feeling as if you were an
entirely different person?
"Well. / guess I'm not SO nwfully
bad, after ALL" you say to yourself,
as the energy of success begins to over :
flow in new interest. IF l can get
compliments when I'm not at my best
oh, isn't it nice world to live in ~
WE SCORN people who are always
w looking for compliments, and we
pride ourselves on being able to get along
without soft soap" But we. can't.
We all need a certain amount of praise
as fuel for our efforts. We have to be
''primed" occasionally just like any
other kind Of engine. And fortunately
we always are. No matter how far
down we get, how depressed. how dis
couraged, IL we keep on going, our
plodding will win It's reward before we
are played out entirely. And we come
back to life astonishingly fast, too.
So, IL you feel as IL you were just
about as much worth while as the piece
of paper that you just threw into the
waste basket, just keep plugging away
at that tiresome thing that worries you.
The results of your labor may be pitt
able in your eyes, but IL you are sincere
in trying to make them right somebody
somewhere will see the good in them and
tell you about it. And after that you'll
be so full of vigor and happiness that
you'll be positively tiresome.