Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-03-06
RESIST THE TURMOIL
By H. Addington Bruce

V/OU complain madam, Of the turmoil
7 and turbulence Of modern life. You
resent the hubbub which assails you
from the crowded city streets, the incessant
demands Of all sorts made on your attention,
the engagements which in your daily routine
follow one another in dizzy succession.
With dismay you contemplate your In
creasing tendency to irritability and depres-
sion. You recognize in these the signs of a
growing loss OF nerve control, and you
gloomily foresee that some day you may
suffer nervous collapse.
Yet you feel impotent to avert this You
picture yourself = to yourself as being
caught in a whirling prison of circumstance
from which there is no escape. But you are
mistaken.
Put the. question squarely to yourself and
you will concede that as matter of fact you
have not really tried to escape, have not
really tried to resist the turmoil and the tur-
bulence.
If your days are crowded with engage
ments, it is because you have consented to
make those engagements II you are per-
petually in hurry, il perpetually you feel
tired, 1t is because you have not properly
budgetted your twenty-four hours.
You know as well as do that, II you
chose, you could give yourself a resting Pc
rod at some time during the day. You
know as we'll as / that you could cut down
your attendance at afternoon bridge parties,
teas and the dinner, theater and dancing
parties which surfeit your existence.
No wonder that you feel irritable and sur
fer from the depression OF nervous fatigue.
No wonder you find your household duties
burdensome. The pace at which you live
would deplete the vitality Of Hercules.
Besides which, as your feverish pleasure
seeking shows, you have life-attitude which
is itself disturbing and disabling.
You do not seem to recognize that life
holds other purposes besides elf-gratifca-
ton. Nor do you seem to recognize that
even self-gratifcation not be satisfac-
torily gained simply by the pursuit OF SEN
sations
u, How, much time do you give daily to such
matters as the reading of good literature,
study OF beautiful works of art and the more
beautiful works OF nature, and mediation on
problems of the world in which you live?
Merely to ask this question is, imagine, to
remind you OF some important things you
have left pretty completely out of account
Wisdom" the philosopher Payot Justly
remarks. consists in taking care of oneself,
in estimating rightly the value Of pleasure,
and in keeping up the state of grace which
enables one to live on the verge of JOY"
Rechart your life bit.
You need not forego entirely the amuse-
m ents which are harmless CROUCH when not
carried to excess. But make sure you no
longer overindulge in them. In some degree
substitute cultural. and above all, altruistic
activities.
Give yourself more hours OF sleep and
daily allowance of the rest to be had through
passive relaxation, il it be but for half an
hour Read, think, and at least occasionally
mediate.
Then ii should not be long before you
find yourself more resistive to the turmoil
which, would add as final word is under
present conditions as much turmoil OF your
inner life as Of the life ABOUT you.
Copyright, 1920