KEEPING AN OPEN MIND

Putaruru Press, Volume XV, Issue 767, 10 March 1938, Page 7

KEEPING AN OPEN MIND

Keep an open mi»d, writes the Easj End parson, the late Rev. W. H. I.aXj of Poplar, in his autobiography, in ad* vising on how cheat old age. Youf cannot keep the mind young if you per* sist in looking at the gloomy side, o> in closing in to new ideas, muffling if up in prejudices and stifling its en* thusiasms. It is losing the thrill and zest of life that makes a man old. He does not lose the thrill because he is old; he becomes old because he has lost it. The moment a man loses his sense of wonder at the beauty of a sunset; or the glory of heroism and self-sac* rifice, or the intricate markings on a butterfly’s wing, or the marvels of science—he becomes al* ways of oneself, doing mean actions, being untruthful, cultivating unkind thoughts, cherishing hatred, thinking too much of material things—these are the real snares of life. They warp ouc nature, and in doing so shorten ouß days. Being human, I am afraid that most of us do some of these thinga, at times. But we should beware, lesa they become habits. That, is fatal. I*, is, in fact, death.'#-