ere's
a sure-fire recipe for a miserable, unhappy life. It's
based on an idea I found in one of Emmet Fox's books, which I reflected
upon for a while before producing the following.
Think only about the past. Dwell
on all the mistakes you've ever made, starting with when you were a child.
Carefully review again and again all the opportunities you've missed in
life. And especially relive all the times you think you were treated badly.
Use your wit destructively.
Be smart at the expense of other people. Especially when they're not there
to explain or defend themselves.
Always stand on dignity. Never
forget that you have a position to maintain.
Be a chiseler. Try to get everything
cheap. Convince yourself that life is a zero-sum game. That the harder
you bargain, the more you'll have left. By doing so you'll strengthen your
poverty-consciousness, thereby guaranteeing that you'll always be financially
insecure.
Get emotional and excited over
every trifling occurrence. Especially if it's no concern of yours.
Let other people decide what
you can and cannot accomplish.
When your judgment clashes with
the judgment of others, cave in right away. Do or think what they want
you to do or think. That way, if it doesn't work out, you'll have others
to blame for your failures.
Be ignorant of the truism that
words are symbols. That way, you'll never have to identify what it is that
lies behind what you're being told. Which is a good thing, because that's
hard work. Better to believe that words are things instead. That way, all
you'll have to do is feel your way through life. Which is also a good thing.
Because it's easy.
Never forget to blame all your
failures on other people. Or on the color of your skin. Or on your religion.
Or on your ethnic background. Or on your genes. Or on your limited schooling.
Or on your gender. Or on any one of a multitude of convenient scapegoats.
This will ensure that you will never have to take responsibility for your
miserable, unhappy life.
Think about it. |