LIFE'S ADVENTURE

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 62, 15 March 1933, Page 3

LIFE'S ADVENTURE

WAT TO HAPPINESS

A WORLD TO ENJOY

BADEN-POWELL/S ATTITUDE

(From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, January 26. Lord Baden-Powell delivered the second Alfred Fripp lecture on "Happiness and Success" at University College, Gower Street, this week, when Dr. M. J. Kendall occupied the chair. His lecture touched upon a variety of matters of everyday importance and interest, and he spoke with his accustomed trankness.

Lord Baden-Powell paid a tribute to the memory of Sir Alfred Fripp, and offered a few suggestions on the subject of happiness and success in the hope that they might be accepted as endorsing the ideas of the eminent surgeon.

Success was open to all, lie said, provided one had a true conception of what was meant by success. The pursuit of riches, power, fame, and position too often meant over-reaching the other fellows and getting the better of them for their own ends. That was not Ins idea of success. We were put into this world of beauties, wonders, ana friendships to enjoy life, and happiness was success. "The things that were most worth having," it had been said, "were the things that money could not buy." He vigorously attacked notorietyhunting, declaring that in these days yras seen "the feverish endeavour going on among men and women to beat records, and so gain fame and notoriety.'' "Before attaining it they seem to think that this means success," he said. | 'When they have won it they find that it doea not bring happiness but only leads to further restless, unsatisfied hunting for more. There is a craze in the nation from top to bottom to get rich and to get rich quickly, if possible, through a lucky chance in the sweepstakes or 'tote' club or Stock Exchange. Why work when by a lucky win you may make thousands is the notion." INCENTIVE TO ENDEAVOUR. Life, the.speaker described as a jolly adventure, in. a world where there is so much to enjoy if people would only keep their eyes open. Contentment was a great step to happiness. A smile and a stick would carry one through any difficulty, but ninety-nine times out of a hundred a smile would do the trick. He took xip the cudgels on behalf of youth of today against the charge that they are unwilling to learn from their elders. "Quite the contrary," he said. "They appeal to one, of their own initiative, and are grateful for such advice as one is able to give them." Maintaining that health is not essential to happiness, he said: "I have seen crippled Scouts content with their lot and positively happy because they were able to make toys to 'happify' children less well off than themselves." "For my part," the lecturer said, "I have habitually given myself three more years to go, and that makes me hurry up and get things done and get all the enjoyment I 'can out of life, because in three years' time it might be too late. That is a very good incentive, because some clay it will come true. In the meantime it makes you burst along and get all you can out of life." Lord Baden-Powell told his hearers how he came to travel. He once had a dream in which he arrived at the gate of Heaven, and was asked by St. Peter how he liked Japan. Replying that he had ■never been there, St. Peter said to him: "My dear fellow, what were you doing with your opportunities? You were put in that earth full of beauties and wonders for your enjoyment, and you seem to have wasted your time sitting still and neglecting them. Go back quickly, and have another try." So he awoke, took a ticket to Japan, and got j to realise what a wonderful world it was when one mixed with one's f cllowmen.