Article November 16, 1946 Issue

The Midday Hour

RALPH B. SCHOLFIELD

A Calm, unruffled temperament and a sound or balanced judgment are tremendous assets. An individual may commence his day's work with a feeling of poise and peace of mind, but as the day goes by the pressure of his business and of other people's opinions may bring to him a sense of friction, until his control seems to be lost and his judgment impaired by strain and worry. The maintenance of levelheadedness, control, equity, and kindness should be, and is, possible to everyone throughout the whole day, and the condition of strain or worry indicates some weakness either in the individual or in the organization is which he works. Many will say that one's make-up or that of the organization is beyond the control of the individual, but the Biblical statement that "the kingdom of God is within you" contradicts this.

The question then arises, What can an individual do to remain calm and collected throughout the day and bring to his work a sound or balanced judgment, together with patience and graciousness? It may be argued that the pressure of modern life entails such undivided attention to detail that one can think of nothing else during working hours. However, the moment that this attention begins to obscure our calm, or to induce strain or fatigue, then the kingdom of heaven is also being obscured.

At midday everyone has, or should have, some time for rest or recreation. Whether this be for a meal, or simply for rest, this period provides an opportunity not only for physical restoration, but for spiritual refreshment. Much depends on the extent to which this period is devoted to spiritual purposes, for it can be used to build up our latent abilities and to enhance our talents and endurance. This improvement of our time not only immensely increases our value and our contribution to our profession or to our home life, but does much towards maintaining our health and serenity.

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