Cheerfulness as a Life Power

By Orison Swett Marden

Dr. Orison Swett Marden (1848–1924) was an American author of inspirational books. He wrote primarily on the subject of being successful and founded “SUCCESS” magazine in 1897. Marden's books deal with attaining a fruitful and well-rounded life, with many of his ideas being based on the New Thought movement. This particular volume looks at the subject of cheerfulness and its power to enhance one's life and happiness on a day-to-day basis. Contents include: “What Vanderbilt Paid for Twelve Laughs”, “The Laugh Cure”, “A Cheap Medicine”, “The Cure for Americanitis”, “A Worrying Woman”, “Our Hawaiian Paradise”, “A Weather breeder”, “What is an Optimist?”, “Living up Thanksgiving Avenue”, “Oiling your Business Machinery”, etc. Other notable works by this author include: “Pushing to the Front” (1894), “Architects of Fate” (1895), and “How to Succeed” (1896). Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with the original text and artwork.

• Language: English
• Publisher: White Press
• Release date: Oct 11, 2019
• ISBN: 9781528788335

Orison Swett Marden

El Dr. Orison Swett Marden (1848-1924) fue un autor inspirador estadounidense que escribió sobre cómo lograr el éxito en la vida. A menudo se le considera como el padre de los discursos y escritos inspiradores de la actualidad, y sus palabras tienen sentido incluso hasta el día de hoy. En sus libros, habló de los principios y virtudes del sentido común que contribuyen a una vida completa y exitosa. A la edad de siete años ya era huérfano. Durante su adolescencia, Marden descubrió un libro titulado Ayúdate del autor escocés Samuel Smiles. El libro marcó un punto de inflexión en su vida, inspirándolo a superarse a sí mismo y a sus circunstancias. A los treinta años, había obtenido sus títulos académicos en ciencias, artes, medicina y derecho. Durante sus años universitarios se mantuvo trabajando en un hotel y luego convirtiéndose en propietario de varios hoteles. Luego, a los 44 años, Marden cambió su carrera a la autoría profesional. Su primer libro, Siempre Adelante (1894), se convirtió instantáneamente en un éxito de ventas en muchos idiomas. Más tarde publicó cincuenta o más libros y folletos, con un promedio de dos títulos por año. Marden creía que nuestros pensamientos influyen en nuestras vidas y nuestras circunstancias de vida. Dijo: "La oportunidad de oro que estás buscando está en ti mismo. No está en tu entorno; no es la suerte o el azar, o la ayuda de otros; está solo en ti mismo".

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CHEERFULNESS

As a Life Power

By

ORISON SWETT MARDEN

AUTHOR OF

Pushing to the Front,

The Secret of Achievement.

First published in 1899

This edition published by Read Books Ltd.

Copyright © 2019 Read Books Ltd.

This book is copyright and may not be

reproduced or copied in any way without

the express permission of the publisher in writing

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available

from the British Library

Contents

A FOREWORD.

I.

WHAT VANDERBILT PAID FOR TWELVE LAUGHS.

THE LAUGH CURE

A CHEAP MEDICINE.

II.

THE CURE FOR AMERICANITIS.

A WORRYING WOMAN.

OUR HAWAIIAN PARADISE.

A WEATHER BREEDER.

WHAT IS AN OPTIMIST?

LIVING UP THANKSGIVING AVENUE.

III.

OILING YOUR BUSINESS MACHINERY.

SINGING AT YOUR WORK.

GOOD HUMOR.

LE DIABLE EST MORT.

IV.

TAKING YOUR FUN EVERY DAY AS YOU DO YOUR WORK.

UNWORKED JOY MINES.

THE QUEEN OF THE WORLD.

V.

FINDING WHAT YOU DO NOT SEEK.

DOING GOOD BY STEALTH, AND HAVING IT FOUND OUT BY ACCIDENT.

HIS HEAD IN A HOLE.

PHILLIPS BROOKS.

VI.

LOOKING PLEASANT—SOMETHING TO BE WORKED FROM THE INSIDE.

WORTH FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS.

THE DON'T WORRY SOCIETY

A PLEASURE BOOK.

VII.

THE SUNSHINE-MAN.

It is not easy to be cheerful when everything one undertakes seems to go wrong, especially after one has done his very best. When business enterprise that looked so promising ends in disaster; when your plans for going to college- plans which is has taken years of toil and sacrifice to carry to the point of success - are suddenly overturned by some unforeseen occurence - these, or any of the thousand and one disappointments. great and small, which come to the most sheltered lives, to the greatest of fortune's favorites, are trials to one's soul. But what of that? Are we to sit down and weep and wail and bemoan our hard luck because things go wrong? That is the easiest thing to do, to be sure. The ignoble thing usually seems easier to do than the noble thing. But what of the results? If you rise superior to your disappointment, whatever it may be, you are adding a hundred per cent to your power to conquer future difficulties

ORISON SWETT MARDEN.

A FOREWORD.

The soul-consuming and friction-wearing tendency of this hurrying, grasping, competing age is the excuse for this booklet. Is it not an absolute necessity to get rid of all irritants, of everything which worries and frets, and which brings discord into so many lives? Cheerfulness has a wonderful lubricating power. It lengthens the life of human machinery, as lubricants lengthen the life of inert machinery. Life's delicate bearings should not be carelessly ground away for mere lack of oil. What is needed is a habit of cheerfulness, to enjoy every day as we go along; not to fret and stew all the week, and then expect to make up for it Sunday or on some holiday. It is not a question of mirth so much as of cheerfulness; not alone that which accompanies laughter, but serenity,—a calm, sweet soul-contentment and inward peace. Are there not multitudes of people who have the blues, who yet wish well to their neighbors? They would say kind words and make the world happier—but they haven't the time. To lead them to look on the sunny side of things, and to take a little time every day to speak pleasant words, is the message of the hour.

THE AUTHOR.

In the preparation of these pages, amid the daily demands of journalistic work, the author has been assisted by Mr. E. P. Tenney, of Cambridge.

I.

WHAT VANDERBILT

PAID FOR TWELVE LAUGHS.

William K. Vanderbilt, when he last visited Constantinople, one day invited Coquelin the elder, so celebrated for his powers as a mimic, who happened to be in the city at the time, to give a private recital on board his yacht, lying in the Bosphorus. Coquelin spoke three of his monologues. A few days afterwards Coquelin received the following memorandum from the millionaire:—

"You have brought tears to our eyes and laughter to our hearts. Since all philosophers are agreed that laughing is preferable to weeping, your account with me stands thus:—

Kindly acknowledge receipt of enclosed check.

I find nonsense singularly refreshing, said Talleyrand. There is good philosophy in the saying, Laugh and grow fat. If everybody knew the power of laughter as a health tonic and life prolonger the tinge of sadness which now clouds the American face would largely disappear, and many physicians would find their occupation gone.

The power of laughter was given us to serve a wise purpose in our economy. It is Nature's device for exercising the internal organs and giving us pleasure at the same time.

Laughter begins in the lungs and diaphragm, setting the liver, stomach, and other internal organs into a quick, jelly-like vibration, which gives a pleasant sensation and exercise, almost equal to that of horseback riding. During digestion, the movements of the stomach are similar to churning. Every time you take a full breath, or when you cachinnate well, the diaphragm descends and gives the stomach an extra squeeze and shakes it. Frequent laughing sets the stomach to dancing, hurrying up the digestive process. The heart beats faster, and sends the blood bounding through the body. There is not, says Dr. Green, one remotest corner or little inlet of the minute blood-vessels of the human body that does not feel some wavelet from the convulsions occasioned by a good hearty laugh. In medical terms, it stimulates the vasomotor centers, and the spasmodic contraction of the blood-vessels causes the blood to flow quickly. Laughter accelerates the respiration, and gives warmth and glow to the whole system. It brightens the eye, increases the perspiration, expands the chest, forces the poisoned air from the least-used lung cells, and tends to restore that exquisite poise or balance which we call health, which results from the harmonious action of all the functions of the body. This delicate poise,