Laugh and Live | Page 2

to do, for laughter is
synonymous with action, and action dispels gloom, care, trouble, worry
and all else of the same ilk.
Real laughter is spontaneous. Like water from the spring it bubbles
forth a creation of mingled action and spontaneity--two magic potions
in themselves--the very essence of laughter--the unrestrained emotion
within us!
So, for me, it is to laugh! Why not stick along? The experiment won't
hurt you. All we need is will power, and that is a personal matter for
each individual to seek and acquire for himself. Many of us already
possess it, but many of us do not.
Take the average man on the street for example. Watch him go
plodding along--no spring, no elasticity, no vim. He is in
_check-rein_--how can he laugh when his pep is all gone and the sand
in his craw isn't there any more? What he needs is spirit! Energy--the
power to force himself into action! For him there is no hope unless he
will take up physical training in some form that will put him in normal
physical condition--after that everything simplifies itself. The brain
responds to the new blood in circulation and thus the mental processes
are ready to make a fight against the inertia of stagnation which has
held them in bondage.
[Illustration: _Do You Ever Laugh?_ (_White Studio_)]

And, mind you, physical training doesn't necessarily mean going to an
expert for advice. One doesn't have to make a mountain out of a
molehill. Get out in the fresh air and walk briskly--and don't forget to
wear a smile while you're at it. Don't over-do. Take it easy at first and
build on your effort day by day. A little this morning--a little more
tonight. The first chance you have, when you're sure of your wind and
heart, get out upon the country road, or cross-country hill and dale.
Then run, run, run, until you drop exhausted upon some grassy bank.
Then laugh, loud and long, for you're on the road to happiness.
Try it now--don't wait. _Today is the day to begin._ Or, if it is night
when you run across these lines, drop this book and trot yourself
around the block a few times. Then come back and you'll enjoy it more
than you would otherwise. Activity makes for happiness as nothing else
will and once you stir your blood into little bubbles of energy you will
begin to think of other means of keeping your bodily house in order.
Unless you make a first effort the chances are you will do very little
real thinking of any kind--we need pep to think.
Think what an opportunity we miss when stripped at night if we fail to
give our bodies a round of exercise. It is so simple, so easy, and has so
much to do with our sleep each night and our work next day that to
neglect to do so is a crime against nature. And laugh! Man alive, if you
are not in the habit of laughing, get the habit. Never miss a chance to
laugh aloud. Smiling is better than nothing, and a chuckle is better
still--but out and out laughter is the real thing. Try it now if you dare!
And when you've done it, analyze your feelings.
I make this prediction--if you once start the habit of exercise, and
couple with it the habit of laughter, even if only for one short
week--you'll keep it up ever afterwards.
And, by the way, Friend Reader,--don't be alarmed. The personal
pronouns "_I_" and "_you_" give place in succeeding chapters to the
more congenial editorial "we." I couldn't resist the temptation to enjoy
one brief spell of intimacy just for the sake of good acquaintance.
_Have a laugh on me._

CHAPTER II
TAKING STOCK OF OURSELVES
Experience is the real teacher, but the matter of how we are going to
succeed in life should not be left to ordinary chance while we are
waiting for things to happen. Our first duty is to prepare ourselves
against untoward experiences, and that is best done by taking stock of
our mental and physical assets at the very outset of our journey. What
weaknesses we possess are excess baggage to be thrown away and that
is our reason for taking stock so early. It is likely to save us from riding
to a fall.
There is one thing we don't want along--fear. We will never get
anywhere with that, nor with any of its uncles, aunts or cousins--_Envy,
Malice and Greed_. In justice to our own best interests we should
search every crook and cranny of our hearts and minds lest we venture
forth with any such impedimenta. There is no excuse, and we have no
one to blame if we allow any of them to journey