Country Life Interests

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21227, 25 September 1940, Page 4

Country Life Interests

j X A page devoted to the interests of the Country Women of the 111 Waikato, and in particular to advancing and recording the activities of (] : X those Vwo great national organisations, the Women's Institutes and the v Women's Division of the Farmers’ Union.

THREE KEYS TO HAPPINESS

r following article by Paul Harmon Chapman has for many years had a great vogue in America, and is reprinted in Public Opinion. “ Most of us are happy some of the time; some of us are happy most of the time; and all of us are interested in being happy more of the time. “ There are a number of ways of attaining happiness; but think for a few moments about three keys to happiness. I. “ The first is a small key, yet it opens the great door of the House of Fellowship. “ The key that opens this door is Friendliness. “ You find yourself in the living-room of comradeship. “ Once you are in you become happy if you know how to be friendly. “ If you can restrain the desire to be over-critical; if you can profit by the bad example of those who criticise everything; if you can develop tolerance and tact and not fall into the ways of some wellmeaning people who are intolerant and tactless; if you can make yourself pleasant, agreeable and companionable even to those who do not seem attractive to you; if you can do these things, you will develop your capacity for friendliness and make yourself and others happy. 11. “ The second is a large and heavy key, and some there be who never manage to turn it in the lock. “ It is the key to the Workshop of Life. “ Here everyone is busy, none is lazy and none is a bluffer. “ Everyone is making or doing something. “ Some create, others direct, and many follow instructions, but all are busy working. “ The key is Work. “ If you do not learn to be a worker you will not feel at home and will drift away. “ In the Workshop of Life you will find happy people. “ Everyone is too busy to mope or get into trouble. “ You may get in but you cannot stay in unless you learn to work and work hard. “ What happiness this gives ! “ There is nothing that gives the same satisfaction as a good job well done. “ No matter what profession or position you may decide to take, you will never succeed or be happy until you have learned to work hard. “ If you work hard you will find a happiness which work only can give. 111. “ The third key is also heavy, but it is not so large as the second; it is the key to the Tower of Hope. “ The name of the key is Thought. “ Even when you know how to use the key you cannot enter the Tower at once. “ You must dwell awhile in the Living Room of Comradeship. “ You must spend many hours in the Workshop of Life. “ You must pass through long corridors of Experience. “ You must sit at the feet of many Learned Seers. “ You must read much in the Books of Knowledge. “ Even after you have entered the Tower of Hope you cannot see the vision until you have climbed the long Stairway of Thought. “ Finally, the vision of life as it is bursts upon you at the very top of the Tower of Hope. “ There you may look back into the past and discover something of how things came to be as they are. “ There you may look forward into the future and see how ideals have led men on and still bid them press on. “ You will not understand all that has come to pass, but you will understand much and know the joy of having found the key. You will see how all the ideals can be realised and all the goals reached, but you will have found the happiness of one who sees the vision of things yet to be and who pressed on. “ Be friendly; work hard; hope ever; and if you become not weary in well doing you will achieve a happiness all your own; a happiness which no power in the world can give and none can take away.”