THE SCIENCE OF HAPPINESS 



it is nothing." That is to say, there is no such thing 

 as unconscious happiness. If you do not think 

 yourself happy, you are not happy. The state of hap- 

 piness is essentially subjective. All the external con- 

 ditions may seem favorable, yet the individual may be 

 miserable in mind. Some persons are so constituted 

 that they repel happiness; their attitude of mind seems 

 antagonistic to it. They envy it in others, but for them- 

 selves they cannot grasp it. 



Cultivate yourself away from this unfortunate atti- 

 tude of mind. Train your children away from it. 

 Strive to remember the blessings and to forget the 

 woes of the past. Look on the bright side. Cultivate 

 the belief that on the whole this is a pretty good world. 

 Some days must indeed be "dark and dreary" for all 

 of us; but most evils have their compensations. Search 

 for these rather than brood over your ills. Strain your 

 eyes to see that proverbial silver lining. It is amazing 

 how much you can brighten your lot by merely " mak- 

 ing the best of it." 



I know a mother who has an invariable formula for 

 the correction of her children when they are cross. She 

 tells them to "say cabbage." The very absurdity of this 

 meaningless phrase causes the child to smile through 

 its tears or frowns, in spite of itself. Many an adult 

 might learn to use the phrase to his great advantage. 

 When you feel "in the dumps," out of sorts, disgruntled 

 with life, angry with the world say "cabbage!" Take 

 on an aspect of cheerfulness. Hold your head erect. 

 Quicken your pace. Manufacture a smile, as a good 

 fighter does when he is hit and hurt. 



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