How good are you at controlling your emotions?
If you are really angry, what do you do to cool yourself down?
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In our high living and low thinking age, most of the peace of
mind today comes in the form of bottle containing tranquilizer
pills. Until there is a greater trend toward plain living ad high
thinking the tranquilizer business will continue to boom.
It was intended that man should be a tranquil soul. To be free from
disturbing emotions, commotion or tumult is to be a man. To be
peaceful, quite and clam, when others all about us are losing their
minds and heads, is to exercise our greatest birthright the
complete control of our mental faculties.
We cannot enjoy the happy state of tranquility unless we are
prepared for it, unless we are trained to recognize, use and enjoy
it. Epictetus, a Stoic philosopher, born about 40 A.D., told of
Socrates wonderful state of tranquility as he was about to go on
trial for his life: Thus said Socrates to one who put him in mind
to prepare himself for his trial: Do you think I have been
preparing myself for this very thing my whole life long?
By what kind of preparation?
I have attended to my own work.
What mean you?
I have done nothing unjust, either in public or in private
life.
Speaking of Epictetus, his system was of an extremely practical
nature.
Everything earthly, he said, which may be divided into two
classes, things which are within our own control, and things over
which we have no control, and it is the point of wisdom to live for
the one and not to let the mind be disturbed by the
other.
Nothing can bring you peace but yourself, said Emerson.
Tranquilizers, in the form of pills, may have their place in
medicine, but they are a poor substitute for the real thing that
comes from within.
By Sidney Newton Bremer, Ph. D.
