LIFE.

There is in each of us a potential Something for expression--The

Something Within--The plant of life--No use trying to repress it, for

develop it must--Life has a meaning--Growth, development and

unfoldment--The lesson of life.

There is in each of us a potential Something, pressing forth for

expression and growth in the direction of ultimate Good--casting

off sheath after sheath in its progressive development and

unfoldment--impelled by the impulse imparted by the Primal

Cause--attracted upward by the Absolute.

Failing to understand this impulse of the growing Something--seeking

relief from its steady pressure--we look upon it as an intruder, and

instead of allowing it to develop and grow naturally, we endeavor to

kill it, or to train its growth after our own petty notions. We fail

to see that this Something is like unto the plant which grows on

steadily and surely, from seed to blossom, until its potentialities

are fully expressed. We do not realize that this Plant of Life should

be allowed to grow as does the lily, freely and without restraint,

unfolding leaf after leaf, until the plant stands in its complete

beauty, crowned with its divine flower.

We would train the plant into some fantastic shape--dwarf it as the

Chinese do the oak, that it may become the pretty ornament of the

parlor instead of the noble monarch of the forest. We would have it

grow _our way_, not according to the law of its being. We fancy

that we know what is best for it, losing sight of the fact that deep

down in the subconscious depths of its being reposes that which

directs its every effort toward the Good--forgetting that its

attraction toward the Absolute is drawing it steadily and irresistibly

in the right direction. We forget that the plant will fulfill these

impulses so long as there remains in it one atom of life. The seed in

the ground will express itself in its little shoot, often moving

weights a thousand times heavier than itself in its efforts to reach

the rays of the sun. The sapling may be bent and confined to the

ground, but its branches, following the laws of its being will

instinctively shoot upward. Restrict the growth of the plant, if you

can, but, nevertheless, it will move along the lines of least

resistance and grow toward the sun, in spite of your efforts.

And so it is with the Plant of Life--the Something within us. We are

afraid to allow it to grow according to the laws of its being, but

wish to model it and shape it in accordance with the theories of

ourselves or others (more frequently the latter, for most of our ideas

on the subject are borrowed). We seem to imagine that the Intelligence

that thought the plant into existence did not understand its business,

and we are afraid that without the assistance of our mighty intellect

the poor thing will grow into a misshapen and unsightly thing. We

would alter the shape designed by its Maker, and would twist it into

the form approved of by the passing fashion of the hour. We would

substitute for the beauty and symmetry of Nature, our own fantastic

ideas of form.

But, like the plant, this Something of ours will not submit to the

confining bonds--will not conform to the false standards which we

would set up for it. Submitting as long as it must, it stores up

reserve strength day by day and keeps up a continuous steady pressure

in the direction of its desire, and some day, by a supreme effort, it

throws off the interfering obstacles, and, obeying the laws of its

being, again grows toward the Sun.

Life is growth. It moves along, pressing this way and that way, along

the lines of least resistance, drawing to itself that which it needs

for its complete expression and growth, using this thing and that

thing to-day, and discarding them to-morrow, after they have served

their purpose--after their helpful qualities have been extracted. It

assumes many forms in its growth, discarding sheath after sheath as

outgrown. Any attempt to compel it to retain a sheath, which has

become outgrown, will cause its life nature to revolt, and, in the

end, with a mighty effort, it will burst forth, tearing the confining

sheath into fragments. This Something may be restrained temporarily,

but its growth is as sure as the rising of to-morrow's sun, and its

attempted restraint only results, in the end, in a violent assertion

of its right to unfold and develop according to Law.

When we finally come to realize that Life has a meaning--that we are

here for a purpose--that the process of spiritual evolution is being

expressed in us and through us--that our growth is in accordance with

Law--that the Absolute understands its business--then will we cease to

attempt to meddle with the Great Plan. We will then cease our futile

efforts to mold to our absurd and arbitrary shapes that which is

intended to grow in the beautiful form of Nature's designing. We will

realize that the power which called into being this Life of ours, knew

just what it was about--that this Power placed within that Life the

energy which is expressing itself in changing form and color, but

which has but one real object--growth toward the sun, and when we

realize this truth we will begin to have Faith, and will trust the Law

to do that which is best to be done--will realize the folly of

imagining that the weight of the Universe rests upon our shoulders.

Some of these days we will awaken to the fact that ours is the conceit

of the fly resting upon the mighty revolving wheel, imagining that the

fanning of his wings causes the wheel to revolve. Some of these times

the fly, tired with its exertions, will stop to rest for a few

moments, when it will find that the wheel continues to revolve quite

well, thank you, without its active assistance. We have been taking

our little selves quite seriously, indeed. The Something within is

moving steadily and surely toward its goal, and much of the pain of

life comes to us by reason of our efforts to restrict it--our efforts

to change its motion, direction, speed. It is a mighty aid to those

who understand and move along with it--but woe unto those who get in

its way and endeavor to obstruct its progress. If unobstructed, there

is no friction--if interfered with it manifests friction, which means

pain.

This pain is the notice given us by the Law to the effect that we are

obstructing the growth of the Life Plant, and, if we are wise, we will

heed the warning. By conforming to the growth we will find that there

is little or no friction, and life begins to take on new pleasures. By

co-operating with the Law, and moving along with it, we will find that

things will "come our way" in a most unexpected manner. The Law is a

good friend and helper, and is of the greatest assistance to us, if we

but trust it to do its work well, in its own good way. We can use its

growing force to aid us in our daily pursuits, if we will trust it and

move along with it, but we must heed the first sign of friction and

understand that we are in some way interfering with its natural

growth. By living in accordance with the Law, instead of attempting to

oppose it, we will find that we are guided in the direction of places,

people and occupations best suited to develop us and to impart to us

the experience needed to round out our lives. A realization of this

fact by those who have experienced it, has given rise to the saying

"nothing ever _happens_." We find the teachers and helpers that we

require, and they find us. If we need certain information, we will

find it in some person or book, and will thus be placed upon the track

of that which we seek.

The Law will sometimes accomplish its results in ways far different

from that which we would have supposed to be the best, but after time

has passed we can look back and will see that the way by which the

results were accomplished was the best possible under all the

circumstances. We may meet with some bitter disappointments, losses,

sorrows, but in the end these things will be seen as good--will be

seen as having been necessary to give us the experience needed--to

round out our characters--to enable us to understand.

There are none who would be willing to part with the experience gained

from even the most painful events of their lives. After, say, ten

years have elapsed no man would be willing to have the memory and

recollection of his greatest pain eradicated; if at the same time he

would have to part with the experience and knowledge which have come

to him by reason of that pain. The pain and its resulting experience

have become a part of us, and we are not willing to be robbed of our

own.

And we will realize, in looking backward, that if we had been living

in accordance with the Law in the past--if we had understood its

workings--these very sorrows, disappointments, losses, would have been

considered only in view of their ultimate good, and the very sting of

the pain would thus have been removed. When we learn to regard the

pain of to-day as we now do the pain of ten years ago, we may feel

that we are beginning to understand something of the operation of the

Law of Good. And when we reach this stage, we will find that the pain

is no longer _pain_, but only a form of Good. When we cease to cause

friction, friction no longer exists for us.

The lessons of life _must_ be learned, sooner or later. It depends

upon us whether they shall be forced upon us, in spite of our

resistance, with much pain, or accepted by us, understandingly, with

knowledge. In one case we will have the pain which comes from opposing

the Law; in the other, we will learn the lesson equally well, without

the pain of the birching. The _lesson must be well learned in either

case_. Choose your method.

Now, I do not wish to be understood as meaning that we should simply

fold our hands and wait for the Law to bring all things to us without

any labor on our part. Try this way, though, if you like, and see how

quickly the Law will rap you over the knuckles to remind you that a

task is set before you. The proper way is to take up the task that

lies nearest your hand (and some task is _always_ there) and do

it well, with the knowledge that the task has been placed there in

accordance with the Law. If the task is not to your liking, you will

know that that is the very reason that it has been placed before

you--you have a lesson to learn from it. When the time comes for a

change you will find a strong desire for a something else full-grown

within you. Now is your chance. Trust to the Law to aid you in working

out your desire. The desire is there in accordance with the Law--its

very existence is a promise of its fulfillment. With the aid of the

Law you will work out your desire. It is true that when you attain the

object of your desire, it may not be just what you had thought it--may

not be at all what you want. Well, what of that? You have learned the

necessary lesson--have lived out the desire and will now outlive it.

Something else will take its place. And you will be surprised at the

_way_ that Law has brought about the accomplishment of your desire.

You will learn another lesson in this.

When you have learned to work on, merrily--doing your best--living

out each day's life--with Faith and Trust, Confidence and

Fearlessness--accepting the development of each day as meaning

ultimate Good--seeing and _feeling_ that the Law of Good is in full

operation--being willing to accept whatever it may bring you--then,

and not until then, good friend, will you begin to know what is LIFE.