Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-01-20
DOROTHY DIX TALKS
BY DOROTHY DIX
Appertaining to and Con-
corning Cheerfu1ness w.
Copyright, 1920, by the Wheeler Syndi-
cate, Inc.
4 CORRESPONDENT asks me if I win
y tell her how to acquire the habit Of
a cheerfulness, and the art of bein-w


ing a beautiful complexion. on have to be
born with it. All others are mere camouflage
and makesh1fts, but, just as by care and at
tention, and a copious use of cold cream you
can improve bad complexion, so, by the ex-
ercise of thought, and philosophy and liberal
application of the salve of diplomacy, you
can brighten up pessimistic disposition.
TO one VINO would fatn take an opt1m1srrx
outlook on the world, woulS -ooommend
good course Of liver medicine as a starter
along the CHEEKY road Nothing puts such
hope in your soul and strength in your char
acter, as judicious dose of caramel. When.
ever you have that dark brown taste in your
mouth, and life becomes ashes, cinders and
dust in your teeth, beat it for the nearest
drugstore. The subsequent results will leave
you loving your fellowman, and convinced
that God is in His Heaven, and all is right
with the world.
So many things that we think are spiritual
are merely physical. Most grouchiness is the
result of dyspepsia. Morbidness is the OUT
ward and visible sign of flap-jacks and sau-
sage within, and nearly all irritability is over.
wrought nerves. Good health would. cure
most of the wrongs of society, for wien we
are feeling good we act good.
So If you want to be cheefuI, look first to
your liver, for not without reason do the
Turks speak of one they love as "The ioys OF
tnelr liver Nobody can smile the SMILE
that-Won t-come-off unless that organ is do.
And If you get I'D in the morning with
emp on your shoulder, and yearning ia
hight anybody in sight, and if everything that
everybody says to you irritates you beyond
endurance! don't go on a debauch of tears.
ana melancholy, in which you have a perfect.
~ srana tlme viewing yourself as a martyr
VINO is misunderstood and not appreciated.
LOCK your door land go to bed and stay there
uhIH you are rested, and fit for family COM
sumption once more.
Having got your body in the proper state.
the next aid to cheerfulness, is to adopt a
sane attitude toward life. Try to see things
in their right proportions, and not make
mountains out of molehills. Suppose life isn't
all you want. Suppose you have disappoint.
ments and disillusions. Suppose you even
nave great griefs. Does any good come Of
whining over your misfortunes. and hugginp
your sorrows to your breast? 1"
We are sad and gloomy because we ara al.
ways demanding of Fate: "Why should 7 he
sick? Why should be poor? Whv shonId
L lose those I love?" We should he mora
cheerful IL we could see ourselves as the moor
insignificant atom that we are. and ash -
destiny: ''Why, of all created human hsing 20
should be the favored of the gods and snareS
the common lot?" Nr-Ou
The next aid to cheerfulness is to forbear
from borrowing trouble. Most of our sorrows
are sorrows that we never have. We worrv
ourselves i'll over the misfortunes that never
happen to us.
This is particularly true of women who
have shed oceans of tears over sorrows thar
never come to pass, and who never eniov to-
DAY Tor rear something untoward might ham
pen tomorrow I once knew an old ladv.
more than comfortably well off, who lived a
uull' dfap life because she feared she might
lose her money and be sent to the poor
mouse: she might have had pretty clothes a
beautiful home, travel, everything to make
ire bright and cheerful, and she denied her.
ser all or them because she was dreading that
thing that was not within the bounds NJ
possibility might happen to her.
She has many sisters in melancholy. You
see many mothers who do not enjoy their
children because they are afraid they might
get sick, or die, or go wrong when they grow
up. You see many wives who worry them
selves to death lest their husbands should
cease to love them when they get old and
rat You see many women who never use
thelr pretty things, or wear their good clothes.
because they might possibly need them twenty
years hence.
The next aid to cheerfulness is making the
best Of now and here, of getting every pos
sible drop Of happiness out of the present
situation. suppose 1t Is raining today, and
you had planned to go on picnic. Quit
fretting over the picnic, and do some one OF
the thousand entertaining things that rainy
day is just designed for doing.
Suppose you have to work. Have enough
Intelligence to realize that there Is million
times more fun in working than there is In
any play. It's the great game with the big
stakes. Suppose you have had heart-break-
ing sorrows. You can bear them with cour-
age that lifts you above all petty trials OF
life, and lights the fires of victory in your
soul.
And the final aid to cheerfulness is to es-
tablish the habit of looking on the bright side
of things, and of smiling instead Of whining,
You can cultivate hope just as easily as you
can despair, and with just as much reason.
for the law of average always holds good,
There is just as much sunshine as there 10
rain, just as much happiness as there is sor-
row. Things are just as liable to turn out
well as to turn out disastrously. We can say
with just as much truth Of misfortune, as we
can of god luck, that this too shall pass
away.
Cheerfulness is worth cultivating, because,
like virtue, it is it's own reward. It brings
us health and happiness like virtue, it is it's
own reward. 1t brings us health and happt-
ness, because it is like sun shining in our
own souls. 1t brings JOY and contentment
into household, where cheerful woman is
like warm fire upon the hearthstone. And
1t brings prosperity TO us because people like
to do business with an optimistic person.
The habit of cheerfulness is the concrete
expression of the brave attitude towards life.
1t is only the haToes who smile and carry on.
The towards crouch, and gloom, and whine