Laugh and Live — Chapters 6 through 10

CHAPTER VI BUILDING UP A PERSONALITY

More and more personality is coming into its own as man's greatest asset.

There was never a day when it was not, but in former years this essential quality was not listed under the name ...

_personality_.

Had we lived in the days of our fathers' youth we would have heard about "remarkable men," "men of big caliber," "large character," "splendid presence," and the like.

But it remained for our day and generation to discover the real word--_personality_--meaning the _most perfect combination possible of man's highest attributes_.

At least that would be the definition in its fullest sense.

Of course everyone has a certain personality and, no matter in what degree, its possession is valuable.

Personality is an acorn, so to speak, which may be cultivated into a sturdy oak.

Personality is one's _inner self outwardly expressed_.

It represents the conquest of our weaknesses and naturally impresses our strength of character upon others.

With personality our foundation is firm.

On this pedestal we may stand squarely and face life with equanimity.

For such there is no end to achievement while good health and youthful spirit remain.

It is impossible to come into the presence of a personality without becoming immediately aware of it.

It is reflected by people of _small stature ...

poor physiques ...

homely visages_, as well as men of the highest physical development.

The great Napoleon was just above five feet while Lincoln towered over the six-foot line.

Men of personality are the last to say die.

Their store of _combativeness_ carries them beyond their real span of existence either in years or achievement.

Thus, the mind shows its mastery over matter.

Alexander Pope was still writing while propped upon the pillows of his death bed.

Mark Twain joked with friends when he knew his hour was at hand.

_Personality is magnetic.

_ It can charm the friend or put fear into the heart of the enemy.

Joan of Arc, a frail woman, won battles at the head of her troops.

History is filled with incidents where men of personality have turned defeat into victory by leading their soldiers back into the fray.

Wholesome personality is the fulfillment of self-development--physically, mentally and spiritually.

But all personality is not wholesome for it often shows in the face of the man _who is a rogue at heart_.

Therefore, all personality is not for the good of the world.

It is only of the wholesome kind that we speak.

To such as possess it the goal is divine.

Personality could never be perfected without living a _life of preparedness_ backed up by our most earnest and honest convictions.

Personality is made up of many qualities and differs in man only as man is different from his brother man.

Perfect personality requires constant care in its development and constant guard for its safety.

It cannot be purchased in the open market.

It must be built upon piece by piece and everything we are becomes a part of it.

Personality would be indeed imperfect if it did not give us _full poise_.

If we neglect our physical poise we pull down our mental poise, likewise our spiritual poise.

That is why personality must be kept constantly protected against encroachment; but this can be so fixed by purpose, plan, and power of will that it becomes automatically safeguarded.

Once in possession we have only to make it part of our natural selves and _wear it unconsciously_ to the last breath of life.

Then the question is, why should we allow ourselves to be satisfied with an imperfect personality?

It only reflects back upon ourselves.

Haven't we often heard a man say: "_He is all right but_...!"

Perhaps the personality in question was untidy, or that his walk was that of a laggard, or that he affected an egotistical air of superiority--whatever the impairment it should have been done away with.

A man of personality should never be haunted with worry from the sneers of his inferiors because of their own laxity.

Some men perfect their manner of speech to a degree which takes it above that of their weaker fellows, others develop fine qualities which are viewed by ordinary individuals as affectations but which are in reality the result of _innate refinement_.

The man of no refinement has indeed an uphill fight but with persistence and ambition to succeed he can win.

Lincoln, the rail splitter, is the most shining example of _the power to will victory_.

For him to have fallen by the wayside would have caused no comment for it would have been expected in those early days of struggle, but to those who have the benefit of inherited tendencies toward personality, to fail in its development is in the nature of a crime.

Personality does not mean over-refinement.

_Sturdy qualities_ are the necessary ones.

Over-refinement leads to the softer life and ofttimes to degeneracy.

Exalted ego is an indication of degeneracy and may have been inherited.

Of those things we inherit that are good we must hold, and everlastingly must we watch those which are bad.

It is never wise to wander far away from basic principles into preachment.

What we need is guidance along the road to the goal of personality.

First of all we need _health_ and second, _the will to do_.

Next, we must use these weapons in the right direction, for personality is at its zenith when backed up by _strong physique and brain power_.

From previous chapters we have learned that success of any kind is predicated upon keeping ourselves in trim, and in good humor.

Keeping in trim is no trick at all.

We can make it a part of every physical action and as keeping in trim means perfection of body and soundness of mind we should never neglect to utilize any effort that will help us toward bodily efficiency.

_There is exercise in stooping over to pick up a pin if we will go about it the right way.

We can correct an ill-formed body by adopting and maintaining a certain carriage.

We may hold our chin in such a way as to provide against stooped shoulders.

_ We have opportunities both morning and evening to indulge in various forms of light, systematic exercises which will push forward the day's work with zest and vim.

Poise has everything to do with personality, therefore the physical structure must come in for its share of proper attention.

No man of refined personality would walk the streets with a soiled face or uncombed hair.

Such things do not give poise.

They are the evidences of a laggard spirit.

The more we exercise the more energetic we become, the surer we are of ourselves, the farther we get in the development of our personality.

[Illustration: _Over the Hills and Far Away--Father and Son_] CHAPTER VII HONESTY, THE CHARACTER BUILDER

Just as the straight line is the shortest distance between two points so is honesty the only proper attitude of one person toward another.

Without it there is no understanding possible.

It must always remain supreme as a quality without which character becomes a sham, a superficial thing that has no basis in fact.

_The ability to look the other fellow in the eye_ is as necessary to character as the foundation is to a house.

It comes out of that "_great within_" which we are now exploring.

It arises from the courageous facing of our weaknesses and becomes a part of the man _who knows himself and laughs with life_, at the mere joy of living, doing, accomplishing ...

winning against all odds.

Honesty accompanies a proper self-esteem and its cultivation should become a part of our earliest education.

It doesn't grow anywhere except within ourselves and will never be handed to us on a silver platter.

If we fail to find it when we are young it will have small chance of obtaining a grip on us later.

_It is the one quality with which to crown our highest attributes.

_ It is final proof that we are capable of just thought and square dealing, and is proof positive that we are part and parcel of the wholesome spirit which rules the universe.

Its possession is greater than riches for its dividend is happiness and contentment and we cannot go wrong if we so live that we can look any man in the eye and _tell him the truth_.

To live in the full sense means to be alert.

Whatever high moral plane we shall achieve must be held against all temptation.

There is no compromise.

_Self-deceit_ is nothing less than _self-stultification_.

We only fool ourselves and soon find ourselves slipping down hill.

It will be hard climbing getting back.

And what of the wear and tear on our ambitions meanwhile!

Honesty does not grow naturally out of a dull, uninspired life.

It goes with the energetic, the forceful.

The dull soul who is content to plod along year after year in the same rut may be honest, and this one redeeming feature may be of such inestimable value to him that it sweetens and softens his entire days.

It will bring him friends ...

true-blue friends, who will excuse all other shortcomings _because of his honesty_.

It gives him the unadulterated trust of his employer and it arouses a certain admiration among his narrow circle of acquaintances.

If this is true with the dullard, the weakling, then what must it mean _when possessed by the great_?

We know, for instance, how the nation instinctively turned to General Washington when it came to choosing their President after the Revolutionary War.

He may have been gifted, he may have been one of the world's greatest captains, but the one quality which endeared him to his countrymen was a tremendous moral superiority.

"_He never told a lie_" rang around the world.

Summed up, his virtues amounted to those five words.

Some statesmen may have been more astute but Washington was honest--"_he never told a lie_."

The people knew they could trust this man so they elected him to fill the highest place within their gift.

Honesty with ourselves is the first thing to remember.

Unless we are, it will be impossible for us to enter into that spiritual contentment enjoyed by those who _are_ honest with themselves.

If we are untrue to ourselves how can we be true to others?

The framework of a man's moral being must be that of honesty.

It must become his very nature and become automatic in its processes.

It belongs to the healthy, those who keep themselves well through _vigorous exercise and temperate living_.

It is not a quality set aside for the lucky few.

Every man, woman and child possesses it in some degree and only its constant neglect trims it to a minimum.

It is one of those fundamentals of life, one of those powerful and moving forces that rule society.

_We are either honest or we are not.

_ We cannot be _nearly honest_ and get away with it.

When one stops to consider honesty, even for a moment, its full importance is realized.

For example, imagine having a dishonest friend.

Could we go to him with the secrets of our heart?

Could we trust him?

Would we trust anyone who might turn traitor?

Again: suppose we were untrue to ourselves, and the fact became known.

Could we blame others if they passed us up as a companion?

Never in a thousand years.

_We must sleep in the beds we prepare for ourselves.

_ Men have grown accustomed through the years to certain standards.

These are now the moral laws which control and guide the destinies of entire races, whole generations.

There must have been a good reason for these laws or they could never have come into being.

Society does not adopt many unnecessary rules, but among the vital laws _honesty stands out in bold relief_.

It has become deeply imbedded in the minds of mankind that everyone must be true to himself.

It is taken for granted that those who are not would naturally be _false to everybody_.

The reason for this lies in the fact that society will not proceed with any course of action without being able to trust its members.

The general in charge of an army would have a hard time of it if he were unable to place faith in the subordinate to whom he gave instructions that might lead to a crisis in the battle.

Society would dash itself upon the rocks were it not conscious that certain people are courageously honest, _and in these it finds its leaders_.

To rise in life means that our fellow man believes in us and wishes us to do so.

Without his co-operation it would be futile to arouse our own ambitions.

We could not hope to win a victory all alone and against the great majority who believe in certain standards and conditions.

We might fool ourselves into thinking that because of some stroke of fortune we had established an immunity for ourselves.

But some day _our consciences_ would tell us how feebly we had succeeded.

There is only one method, only one way ...

rise through honesty and an optimistic belief in self.

And let us not plume ourselves because of our virtue.

_Personal honesty is our due to ourselves and our fellow man.

_ One of the distinctive elements in the honest man's make-up is that of laughter.

The ones who live up to their ideals, do not feel that life is such a dark place, after all.

It may mean hard work, little play and often delayed rewards but the fact that there is a world, and that it is filled with other honest souls is reward enough to give us courage to laugh as we go along.

_We can always afford to laugh--when we're honest_.

The man who is innately honest has no reason to fear the snares of fortune.

He knows that he can win the trust of men; he knows that he already has it.

He has no dread of looking into the other fellow's eye.

He knows where he stands in life.

He has won that which he has through struggle, and he does not intend to lose it.

He does not intend to fail.

_He cannot fail--he cannot lose.

_ No matter how things might go at this moment or that the next will find him on the rising tide of new opportunities---new chances.

His reputation travels before him like the advance agent.

His coming is heralded and he is welcomed into any community.

It isn't as though there were only a few honest men.

This welcome, this "glad hand," is always extended by society to the honest man as a token of approval.

The world's work is a tremendous matter.

There is always room for another worker to handle some part of it.

And only the true, the sincere, are capable of doing this in the proper way.

The leaders of society in the broader sense are those _who win the faith of the average man_.

We look up to Lincoln because we know that he was the one man in a million to accomplish the greatest task ever set before a human being.

We realize that he was honest--_honest in the huge sense_ so necessary to the accomplishment of big ideals.

And we know that in order to win some part of that great trust we must obey the standards of honesty and decency that lie below the surface and only need to be called to life and action in order to be used.

And laughter will arouse that sense as quickly as anything else.

The man who is capable of laughing heartily is not apt to be the one who carries some _conscience-stricken thought around with him_.

It is the easiest thing in the world to detect an untrue laugh.

The real laugh springs out of the depths of being and comes with a ringing sense of security and _faith in one's self_.

It goes with the workman in the early morning when he swings along the road to the factory.

It accompanies the soldier into battle.

It arouses the clerk from lethargy.

It brightens the sick room.

It raises us all to unexplored heights, and as evidence of our state of mind it can only mean one thing--honesty and sincerity.

No character can exist without this outward exhibition of an inward honesty.

_The mere cultivation of laughter would eventually lead to honesty.

_ The fact that you are laughing, enjoying life, awakens you to a spirit of security and a feeling of the joy of living.

Gloomy men are the ones whose tendency is toward crime and trouble.

Laughing men are the ones who stir the world with new desires and make life worth living.

Therefore we say--_laugh and live_!

[Illustration: _A Scene from "His Picture in the Papers"_] CHAPTER VIII CLEANLINESS OF BODY AND MIND

If we interview many of life's failures we will find that the overwhelming majority went down because of their neglect to get out of an environment that was not stimulating and because their ambitions had grown rusty and inefficient to cope with depressing circumstances.

The prisons and other institutions are filled with people who did not make any attempt to get away from the vicious surroundings in which they lived.

They were like tadpoles that had never grown to frogs ...

they just kept swimming around in their muddy puddles and, not having grown legs with which they could leap out onto the banks and away to other climes, they continued to swim in monotonous circles until they died.

In other words, the failure is a man who dwells in muddy atmosphere all his days, who is content to remain a tadpole and who never attempts to take advantage of any opportunity.

He becomes unclean, so to speak.

And that is what we mean by this chapter heading "_Cleanliness of Body and Mind_."

It was not intended to point out the proper way to keep our faces and hands clean, or as a sermon, but rather to show ourselves that _the clean body begets the clean mind_, the two together constituting compelling tendencies toward _the clean spirit_.

A move in the direction of these takes us out of the rut of life.

No matter what cause we dig up with which to explain our success in life we cannot neglect this most important one--_the careful selection of our acquaintances_.

And this doesn't mean that one must be a snob.

Far from it.

It only means that the successful man, the man who wishes to rise in life, should not spend his days in the company of _illiterate companions_ who do not possess _ambition of heart or the will to do the work of the world_.

It means that life is too short to hang around the loafing places with the driftwood of humanity listening to their stories of failure and drinking in with liquor some of their bitterness against those who have toiled and won the fruits of their toil.

It means that we will not go out of our way to seek the friendship of men and women who are simply endeavoring to gain happiness in life without paying for it.

It means that we will do all in our power to win friends who _aspire nobly_ and by so doing inspire those with whom they come in contact.

Such men are naturally clean of mind and body.

We must remember always to live in a world of clear thought that will _stimulate our ambitions_.

Dwelling in the dark corners of life and traveling with the débris of humanity will not arouse us to action and give us that swinging vigor of heart and mind so necessary to the accomplishment of great things.

While we will ever lend the helping hand to those who need it we will naturally associate with those who have vim and courage.

We will not be _dragged down by our associates_.

Until we meet the right kind we will hold aloof, and we will not be morose and gloomy because it happens that at this moment our acquaintanceship does not include these successes.

When we have succeeded in doing something big they will come to us and _if we think big things we are likely to do them_.

It is all a matter of the will to do.

"Nothing succeeds like success," said some very wise man and if there ever was a phrase that rang with truth this does.

It means that the _thought of success_, the courage that _comes with success_, leads to _more and more success_.

It means that the thinker of these thoughts is living in a clean, wholesome atmosphere along with those who are determined and in earnest.

It means that they have caught the fervor of true life ...

a healthy, contagious fervor which permeates the blood swiftly once it gets a hold, and like electricity it vivifies and stirs the spirit with renewed energy _day after day, year after year_.

Once it wins us it will stick with us.

The success of those about us will shake our lethargic limbs and stimulate us to a desire to do as they do.

We will be in a world of clean thought and action and our lives will mirror their lives, our thoughts will be filled with wholesome things and with good health.

We will win in spite of all obstacles.

Cleanliness is _the morale of the body and the mind_.

The man who is careful of his linen and who does not neglect his morning plunge is not apt to be gloomy and morose.

We notice him in the car or on the street in the morning.

He comes striding along, fresh and full of _the zest of living_.

His mind is clear and unclouded.

His eyes are full of that vigorous light of conscientious desire to win and do so honestly.

He has none of the hypocritical elements in his nature strong enough to rule him.

There may be and probably are many weaknesses in his character.

His very strength consists in his ability to _crush them and make them his slaves_.

The man who has taken his morning plunge and dressed himself agreeable to comfort and grace, has his battles of the day won in advance.

He knows the value of keeping himself in trim.

He does it for the sake of _his own_ feelings.

Our approval of his appearance goes without saying.

If a man thinks well of himself in matters of appearance his general deportment is likely to coincide.

Such men never overdo.

They are at ease with themselves and thus impart ease to others who come in contact with them.

They have, in other words, a distinction of their own and _their distinction is their power_.

They know that the highest moral law of nature is that of cleanliness, that filthiness should not be allowed to dominate any man's ethics or physical condition.

They rule such things out of their lives.

A vast magnetic force comes out of those friends of ours who are _doing things_ and making the world _sit up and take notice_.

The mere fact that we live near to them, know them and associate with them is proof-positive that we, too, shall go through life with clean minds and bodies.

They would not tolerate us if we were to slip into shoddy ways.

Nothing is revealed quicker to our intimates than _the losing of ambition_ ...

the slipping into careless habits.

We cannot conceal it from them.

We fool only those who brush by.

The loss of this self-respect has a terrible effect upon the system and every tendency toward success is thereby stunted and weakened.

_We have fallen into unclean ways!

_ It will not be long before we sink to the bottom or else remain among the vast crowd who have neither the courage to fall nor the courage to rise.

Nothing produces failure quicker than filthiness of mind and body.

Those who are successful keep away from the very thought of such a condition.

They live as much as possible _in the open_.

They take morning and evening exercises.

They read good books, attend good plays and are continually in touch with the finer developments of thought and art in the world.

Their faces are open and full of sunlight.

They are determined that life will not beat them in a game that only requires sureness of aim and the ability to take advantage of the thousand and one opportunities that surround them on every side.

Cleanliness stands _paramount_ in its importance to _success_.

Perhaps no other one thing has so vital a hold upon the individual who succeeds.

The general of an army first looks to the _morale_ of his troops.

He knows that with clean minds and bodies his soldiers are capable of doing big things.

The battleship, that efficient and highly-developed instrument of war, is so immaculate that one could eat his meals on its very decks.

Its officers are wholesome, athletic fellows; its crew consists of hardy men who live sanely and vigorously and who have plenty to occupy their minds.

And if cleanliness is fundamental in their case why not in our own?

When we come to analyze ourselves we find that we are like a great institution of some kind.

Here is the brain, the heart, the lungs, the stomach, the nerves and the muscles.

Each department acts separately and yet is connected absolutely with all the others.

The entire system is under one supreme department ...

_the mind_.

Now if this ruling department is kept clean and full, of kindly, beautiful thoughts does it not seem natural that the rest will follow its lead being so completely in its power?

We realize this and the mere realization is something done towards the accomplishment of an ideal life in a world of cleanliness and beauty.

System is one of the finest tools in existence with which to build one's life into something worth while.

The _body_ must be run on a system as well as the _mind_.

The stomach must not be overloaded with unnecessary food.

The lungs must not be filled with impure air.

The nerves must not be worn threadbare in riotous and ridiculous living.

The muscles must be kept in trim with consistent exercise of the proper sort.

We must recognize the wants, the needs of the physical system and see that they are supplied.

Roosevelt, perhaps more than any other living man today, has given vitality to the supreme necessity of _cleanliness of mind and body_.

He has, by reason of his great prominence, been able to emphasize these two vital essentials.

He called a spade a spade and his message went far.

From those who knew the value of his words came nods of approval--_others took heed_.

From boyhood he has systematized his life, taking the exercise needed, filling his mind with the learning of the world, winning when others would have failed, profiting by experience allotted to him through fate's kindly offices and association with the _healthy, true men_.

What has been the result?

He has risen to the very pinnacle of human endeavor ...

_no honors await him_.

He has lived consistently and cleanly and he can look any man in the eye and say honestly: "_I have lived as I have believed.

_" It is not necessary to become President in order to live sanely, to gain from circumstances the fruits that are ours for the asking and which have fallen into Roosevelt's hands with such profusion.

We cannot all become Presidents but we can all _emulate a shining example of mental and bodily morale_.

Just as we plunge into the cold water in the early morning so should we regularly during the day plunge into the society of those whose splendid enthusiasm is helping to make the world a better place to live in.

They are the kind who go into the struggle with heads high and with clean hearts.

Their eyes see beyond the daily toil of life.

They are in touch with the big things and it is up to us to keep step with them.

They want us and they will give us the "glad hand."

All they want to know is whether our courage is equal to our ambitions and whether our _house of life is kept in good order_.

And so we journey along together in all good nature, not forgetting to laugh as we live.

CHAPTER IX CONSIDERATION FOR OTHERS

Consideration for others is man's noblest attitude toward his fellow man.

For every seed of human kindness he plants, _a flower blooms in the garden of his own heart_.

In him who gives in such a way there is no hypocritical feeling of charity bestowed.

His very act disarms the thought.

It is as natural for an honorable man to show consideration to others as it is for him to eat and sleep.

Acts of kindness are the _outward manifestations of gentle breeding_--a refinement of character in the highest sense of the word.

What would we do in this world without the helping hand, the friendly word of cheer, the thought that others shared our losses and cheered our victories?

If consideration for our feelings and thoughts did not exist on this earth we would never know the depths of the love of our friends.