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many of the most restless, discontented, unhappy people in the world
are rich. They have the means of purchasing what they _thought_ would
produce happiness, but the real thing eludes them. On the other hand,
some of the poorest people in the world are happy. The fact is that
there is no possible way of cornering or purchasing happiness for it is
absolutely beyond the reach of money. It is true, we can purchase a
few comforts and immunities from some annoyances and worries with money
which we can not get without it. On the other hand, the great majority
of people who have inherited money are positively injured by it,
because it often stops their own development by taking away the motive
for self-effort and self-reliance.
When people get money they often stop growing because they depend upon
the money instead of relying upon their own inherent resources.
Rich people suffer from their indulgences more than poor ones suffer
from their hardships.
A great many rich people die with liver and kidney troubles which are
effected both by eating and drinking. The kidneys are very susceptible
to the presence of alcohol. If rich people try to get greater
enjoyment out of life than poor people by eating and drinking, they are
likely very quickly to come to grief. If they try to seek it through
the avenue of leisure they soon find that an idle brain is one of the
most dangerous things in the world--nothing deteriorates faster. The
mind was made for continual strong action, systematic, vigorous
exercise, and this is possible only when some dominating aim and a
great life purpose leads the way.
No person can be really healthful whose mind is not usefully and
continually employed. So there is no possibility of finding real
happiness in idleness if we are able to work. Nature brings a
wonderful compensatory power to those who are crippled or sick or
otherwise disabled from working, but there is no compensation for
idleness in those who are able to work. Nature only gives us the use
of faculties we employ. "Use or lose" is her motto, and when we cease
to use a faculty or function it is gradually taken away from us,
gradually shrivels and atrophies.
There is no satisfaction like that which comes from the steady,
persistent, honest, conscientious pursuit of a noble aim. There are a
multitude of evidences in man's very structure that his marvelous
mechanism was intended for action, for constant exercise, and that
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