s.

It is the law of concentration and relaxation. If we concentrate on
being willing, on relaxing until we have dropped every bit of
resistance to the circumstances about us, that brings us to a quiet and
well-balanced point of view, whence we can see clearly how to take firm
and decided action. From such action the re-action is only renewed
strength,--never painful and contracting weakness. If we could give up
all our selfish desires and resistances, circumstances, however
difficult, would have no power whatever to trouble us. To reach such
absolute willingness is a long journey, but there is a straight path
leading nearer and nearer to the happy freedom which is our goal.

Self-pity is one of the states that interferes most effectually with
making the right use of circumstances. To pity one's self is
destruction to all possible freedom. If the reader finds himself in the
throes of this weakness and is helped through these words to recognize
the fact, let him hasten to shun it as he would shun poison, for it is
progressively weakening to soul and body. It will take only slight
difficulties of any kind to overthrow us, if we are overcome by this
temptation.

Imagine a man in the planet Mars wanting to try his fortunes on another
planet, and an angel appearing to him with permission to transfer him
to the earth.

"But," the angel says, "of course you can have no idea of what the life
is upon the new planet unless you are placed in the midst of various
circumstances which are more or less common to its inhabitants."

"Certainly," the Martian answers, "I recognize that, and I want to have
my experience on this new planet as complete as possible; therefore the
more characteristic and difficult my circumstances are the better."
Then imagine the interest that man would have, from the moment he was
placed on the earth, in working, his way through, and observing his
experience as he worked.

His interest would be alive vivid, and strong, from the beginning until
he found himself, with earthly experience completed, ready to return to
his friends in Mars. He would never lose courage or be in any way
disheartened. The more difficult his earthly problem was, the more it
would arouse his interest and vigor to solve it. So many people prefer
a difficult problem in geometry to an easy one, then why not in life?
The difference is that in mathematics the head alone is exercised, and
in life the head and the heart are both brough