HOW TO INVITE HAPPINESS 



Such attitudinizing posing if you will reacts upon 

 the mind and tends to make for betterment of tempera- 

 ment. If you can smile when you are hurt, the pain is 

 lessened. The outward show of fortitude will develop 

 inward courage. And courage in itself is often the 

 open sesame to the domain of happiness. It used to be 

 said that John L. Sullivan, the famous pugilist, won 

 half his battles before he had struck a blow, by the as- 

 pect of confidence that he presented as he advanced 

 against his antagonist. Similarly George Bothner, the 

 invincible light-weight wrestler, when he meets a heavier 

 competitor, evinces his own confidence and tends to 

 dishearten his adversary by repeating smilingly: "Oh 

 yes, you are big; but I've thrown many a bigger man 

 than you. You big ones lack heart; just wait and see 

 how easily I shall beat you." Of course muscle and 

 skill back up the confidence in these cases; but the 

 courage in itself is an invaluable asset. If you can 

 learn to meet a frowning world with a mien of like con- 

 fidence, you will find your strength amplified and the 

 obstacles weakened. 



In all this, it will be observed, I am speaking of at- 

 titudes of body no less than of attitudes of mind, 

 the two being correlatives. The magic word here is 

 Action. The distraught man cannot banish worriment 

 by saying, "I will be cheerful." That would be lifting 

 oneself by one's boot-tops. To think about being 

 cheerful, even to talk about it, is often no less futile. 

 The real remedy is to get up and go somewhere. Put 

 yourself among people who know nothing of, care 

 nothing for, your ills. Let contact with them divert 



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