In talking this over the other day, my friend said: "But if I feel cross, can I help the feeling? If I am worried, can I help being worried? If I am sad, can I compel myself to be happy?" In other words, she wished to know whether or not there is any way by which a human being can turn off the current of such feelings as will harm the power of the neurons, and turn on the current of such other feelings as will help the neurons to help the body. Certain wise men are very sure that they have discovered the way to do it. They suggest a simple device. Test it for yourself. When you get up cross some morning, notice your actions. You will see that you are very much inclined to speak sharp words, to slam doors, to tease the cat, to think evil of others, to believe that others think evil of you. Now, in the midst of this miserable state of affairs, you are to make a firm resolve to do opposite things from those you seem to wish to do. To start with, however, look at your face in the mirror. Notice its expression, if you can catch it before it vanishes, and promptly change it for one that shows good will and brave determination. Hold on to this expression throughout the day. Don't let it leave you for a moment. It will be as a tonic to your neurons; it will end in making you as cheerful as you look, and this will help others no less than yourself. For the same reason, let every act carry out what your face declares. When you feel like saying cross words, be sure to have wit enough to say pleasant ones instead. When you feel like slamming the door, or like breaking your shoe string with a jerk because it has a knot in it, shut the door gently and hum some cheerful tune while you carefully being unkind; praise the one whom you MUSCLES MAKING REVELATIONS I, astonishment; 2, reflection; 3, pain; 4, laughter; wish to blame, and continue in these directions for three consecutive hours, even longer if necessary. If you follow out this plan faithfully, when bedtime arrives you will find that you have done a surprising piece of business. You have wrung victory out of what might have been a day of dismal defeat. You have been strong enough to influence your neurons by your actions. By your own experiment you have learned how to govern the ganglia through the laws of modern science. Indeed, you have succeeded so well that heart and stomach, blood vessels and brain, each in its own way, has done a good day's work.. I must, of course, confess that no weak person ever succeeds in this endeavor. It takes a firm will and a strong character to do it. But the person who really is strong enough to turn his sympathetic ganglia into life preservers for his service, proves that he is master of a superior set of neurons. And the man who has force enough to master his own neurons is sure to become a leader of those with whom he comes in contact. It is important to know that this scheme of acting in a certain way for the sake of capturing a happy state of mind is a very different matter from that of being hypocritical for the sake of trying to seem to be what we are not. In the former case we are doing what we can to improve from inside outward; in the latter case we are simply trying to hide inside conditions which we are perfectly willing to cherish but which we are ashamed to acknowledge. The hypocrite is the most despised of men; but, on every hand, he who battles with himself is looked upon as a hero. CHAPTER XX SELF-CONTROL AND CIGARETTES The mere fact that a boy rises in great excitement at four o'clock in the morning and goes off fishing does not prove that he really likes to get up early. Indeed, it proves nothing more than that he enjoys fishing so well that he is willing to vote against sleeping for that particular morning. When fishing is out of the question, his bed and his sleep may be as tempting as ever. We might imagine a case somewhat like the following. Two hunters go off together. Each has the same amount of powder and the same kind of gun. Each needs to secure as much game as possible for his family. Both are good marksmen, and they enjoy shooting even when it is merely for the fun of hitting things at the risk of wasting powder. But one of the men refuses to do this. He claims that he will need all his powder for his big game later. The other shoots at twigs and leaves and any flying target. "It's great sport," he says. “I believe in getting some fun as you go along." "I believe in having a great deal more fun later on," replies the other. When the day is over the tables are seen to be completely turned. One man returns with even more game than he had hoped to get; the other finds that, by using up his powder on small things, he has robbed himself of big game. The man who wastes his powder, his time, his money, or his strength; the boy who wastes pennies or opportunities; the girl who shirks home duties or neglects her lessons; the woman who gossips or idles her days away; all these and a thousand others are taking what they consider pleasure as they pass through life. They are using up their powder on small things with no eye for big game in the future. Multitudes of people do, however, work according to an opposite scheme. They have learned from experience that he who can deny himself a lesser present satisfaction for the sake of FOUR O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING He leaves his bed for the greater pleasure |