Article September 18, 1971 Issue

Life Without Limits

LACY BELL RICHTER

One may live ineffectively in a large city offering every cultural advantage or live effectively in a seemingly humdrum environment.

I came to grips with my narrow, uninspired view of life when we lived in a small community for many years. Though I respected my husband's profession, which linked us to this location, I resented what I thought were irrevocable confinements. I felt remote from good theater and concerts. I craved a university atmosphere with lively inquisitiveness and plenty of give–and–take. In short, I floundered in the sludge of self–pity, smoldering resentment, and despondency until I began to realize that misery is self–imposed and environment subjective—not a material, ungovernable condition.

I saw that the problem wasn't where I was but what I was thinking. As Mrs. Eddy says, "Darkness and doubt encompass thought, so long as it bases creation on materiality."^{Science and Health, p. 551;}