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Show I j PERSONAL1 j J STOCK-TAKING , , Dawn of New Year a Good . Time to Bolster Up Weak Spots J TV J OW'S tlio tlmo for n pcrsonnt j stock taking. Tlio hnblt Is ) In tlio nlr around Christmas. Tlio klddlo lives a mtscrublo llfo from tlio first of December trying to do his best bo tlmt old Santa will bo Rood to lilm. The nverngo mnn starts In .around Christmas to think about tlio New Ycna resolutions ho Is 1 going to make. All bis friends, wise fl and 'otlicrwlso proffer advlco gratis until tlio poor cbnp Isn't suro whether J tlio Now Year Is coming or going nnd ho himself Is hopelessly lost. If he's J wlso ho will go off by himself to a Ba quiet corner and turn over tlio events of the past year and strlko a bnlnnco J on tlio results. The chances aro that H ho will feel as chipper as a squirrel In ilny when tlio Job'ls finished. There H will bo many Instances where tlio H "might hnvo bceti" will condemn what H was. H Life has many lessons that are hard to learn. Ono Is that you can't put your abll- tty In cold storago until needed for H soma great scoop. Your present Job mny.bo no component to your ability,. but you darn not slight It for that H reason. To keep yourself (It you must constantly employ your talents to tlio limit. As soon ns you begin to go easy on them you Btnrt to decline. Unused H potentialities dotcrloratc. I.nbor sav Ing devices nnd ninn-mado expedients won't work nut with tlio Divine mns- tcrplece. Ood never Intended ability I to bo held In reserve for speetncuhir B purposes. Tlio wlso "man tnkes stock dally to see whether, or not ho Is mens- nrtng up to his privileges. This la tbo I season to begin tbo practlco of It. I Man's measure is best taken when he tells far the good of others. Much tlmt. ho docs In this lino Is not appreciated. Tlio knowledgo of . this kills spmo folks nt the start. Most men do their best when tbo thing they advocate Is popular. A few Indomitable Indom-itable souls aro 11 red to tlio heroic k point by opposition. It takes tlio big soulcd man to struggle on when ho sees few results and gets little thanks. Ho works for tlio snko of tlio thing to bo. done, and that Is tlio cvldcuco of the mnstcr-workipaij. It takes tho stalwart to keep on tho job In cloud and sunshine with his best always as the goal. If you aro willing to tnko stock nnd profit by tho results shown, you may bo In that class soon. The fellow tlust is honest in his slock taking will find many loose connections In his fast efforts. Ho lias failed to keep tbo pace because be-cause his Ideals and nhlllty did not mix properly; or ho has been short on ono or both of theso essentials. Thcro aro many slnccro souls that aro fall tires becnuso they liavo gono at high speed with n bolt loose somewhere. No wouder they wrack themselves to death. Tho stock taking will help them to-sec whero their personal mechanism mech-anism needs repairs. Weakness In any ono. part hinders tho best work of iho whole. For tho sako of n temporary tempo-rary gain you dnro not endanger your futuro usefulness. Tho past has been 'of your m n king. If It docs not plcaso 'you find what hns been tbo matter nnd make surd of n better record for 1010. It's unfair to blnmo your competitors com-petitors for lack of success. It you lind been nblo to deliver tbo goods you notild doubtless havo had your share . of the trade. They hnvo won becauso you havo failed somewhere. Most failures fail-ures begin with tho mental apparatus. ,1,00k well to yours for tho New Year. 'There Is no tlmo for adjustments after 'tho rnco starts. Jl'Jien -the head it supplied with right thinking the body is apt to be best fitted for its tasks. To bo sure thq caro of tho body In-.fiuenccs In-.fiuenccs Iho thinking, but oven that .needs right thinking to help It. If yom head Is off you enn't give your body n square deal. You can't boozo all night and havo n clear head tho next day. You can't dnnco until day break and havo elasticity and sprlglit-linss sprlglit-linss of body when tho rush is on tho next aftprnoon. You enn't fill your stomach with cheap candles, 'creams nnd chemically preserved fruits nnd bo happy and obliging to u trying customer In busy times. You . must hnvo tho wbolo human median-Ixra median-Ixra working In harmony If you ire-; ire-; coin;; to get tbo most out of tho com-Irg com-Irg year. That's why your old undo Is 'asking for u nientnl and physical examination. He's concerned for your welfare and wants -you to make good. Thtlik right, una youwlfi VWruilV bo right. you haven't measured up to expec-tations expec-tations during tpiS you must find the reason. Tilt truth will doubtless Jar your sclf-oplnlon a little, nnd you woul'd hilto to sco tho analysis In the newspaper. news-paper. Hut tho results will bo Just as tfubllc If you full and men who read between tho lines know the facts. So If you'ro concerned nbout tbo futuro you will respect the verdict nnd honestly hon-estly set out to avoid tho foolish things dnnc In 1018. You will make your cirrectlons at once. If you continue in error you will dnmago your working work-ing ability, not to Spcnk of your reputation repu-tation nnd clmrnctcr. It Isn't business busi-ness to toy with things costly. You can better afford to down a foolish sclf-prlde than bo downed by tasks too big for you. If you mnko tbo corrections cor-rections to your llfo at onco even the bnlanco of this year will profit by tho stock taking and you will start tho year with n llttlo practice. , The best assurante of success Is found m taking stock of the means of attain-inn attain-inn it. Many worthy projects nrb blasted by. ovor-zcal. Faith docs wondcrp, but It's n healthy process to mix consldcrnblo good Judgment with It, Promises to pay arc of no vnlno without tbo nbll-Ity nbll-Ity to redeem them. You must count tho cost before beginning tho now enterprise. en-terprise. Scan your personal fitness-before fitness-before undertaking new ventures. If you stand tbo test you nro bound to win. You hnvo no reason to expect that simply becauso you attempt some- tmng iieyond you somo mystorlou power Is going to pull you through Tho New Ycnr will bo full of challenges chal-lenges und for tbnt reason I wnnt you to take stock and ho reidy for the test-li'g test-li'g when It comes. There's nothing like knowing what you dare expect of yourself. Its Just ns foolish to attempt Jobs, too big for you as It Is to be afraid of what you can do easily. Thcro are. sonio organizations that put on cam palgnS these days to help pcoplo find themselves. If you wnnt tlio same results without the publicity go lifter your own enso und don't be too ensj with tho subject. The coming year will be full of great opportunities nnd joti won't know what to do when they ciido unless you take stock In ndvnnce. To bo suro somo lucky turn of fortune's for-tune's wheel may put you In n high place, but you nro far moro likely Jo stay at tbo top If you rlso by merit. You owe yourself and your friends your best record for the coming year. It should bo a matter of satisfaction to know that you havo tho ability to do blc things. If oqunlly Important to know your weakness If you should ho confronted with big things. In any caso failure does not add to your credit. Many of life's failures could bo avoided If men would only tnko stock. This Is business, nnd you should not shirk It If you want to succeed. suc-ceed. Illso to power nnd criticism go together. You will cscnpo most of tho latter If you tnko tlmo to find yourself nnd fit yourself for being your best. Tnko stock beforo others tnko It for you and corrections nra too late. |