Article January 23, 1909 Issue

Love is stronger than hate in building up a business; the...

The Rev. H. B. Bard,—Grand Rapids, Mich.

The Daily News

Love is stronger than hate in building up a business; the honest man sleeps more peacefully than does the dishonest man; sunshine is more conducive to happiness than clouds, and cheerfulness is a better tonic for life than is misery. ... Cheerfulness is an asset in business. The men with a cheery face and disposition will accomplish more with those with whom he works and those who work under his direction than could a sour-faced man. One sour-faced man in an office will disturb the dispositions of all his fellow-workers, and in that much will destroy their efficiency. Likewise, the man of cheer will enliven and inspire every one with whom he comes in contact, and better and more work will result.

We must realize that it is not easy always to be cheerful. The burdens of life are often such as to bear us to the ground. We lose money, friends; our ambitions are not fulfilled; our ideals are not attained; life does not work out as we expected it would. These burdens are real and they take the zest out of life. But we should remember that just here we have a great, brave duty to perform. Here is the opportunity for heroism on our part. Let us school ourselves—if for no other reason than as a mere matter of duty to our fellow-men—let us school ourselves to put a brave face on the matter. Let us go to the world, not with our trials and burdens upon ourselves, but with a calm, cheery face, so that we may spread helpfulness to the hearts of our fellow-men and not gloom.

We are very largely responsible for the world in which we live. God has given us the power of choice. Our friends, companions, books, and thoughts are with us a matter of choice. Some people continually choose the books that deal with depressing and morbid thoughts. The result is that they become morbid and depressed. It is in their power to read the books that will inspire cheerfulness and hope, that will give to them the brightest outlook on life. We are responsible for the thoughts that day after day surge through our minds. We can think the thoughts that give life and health or those that give misery and death. As a man "thinketh in his heart, so is he." Too much thought upon one's self, the trials, sorrows, disappointments, and defeats of life, is sure to make one miserable. If there were no other reason for commending the Christian Scientists, this work of getting people to cease thinking altogether of themselves and to think of others; to get them to cease thinking of evils and to think of good; to cease counting their miseries and go to tabulating their blessings, would be worth while.

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