CHAPTER IX
RELAXATION
AS A MEANS OF INCREASING HUMAN EFFICIENCY
Be not therefore anxious for the Morrow
A STUDY of the lives of great men is both interesting and profitable. In such a study we are amazed at the records of the deeds of the men whom the world calls great. The results of the labors of Hercules seem to be approximated according to many of these truthful accounts.
In studying the lives of contemporary business men two facts stand out prominently. The first is that their labors have brought about results that to most of us would have seemed impossible. Such men appear as giants, in comparison with whom ordinary men sink to the size of pygmies.
The second fact which a study of successful <p 204> <p 205> business men (or any class of successful men) reveals is that they never seem rushed for time.
Men noted for efficiency almost never appear to be hurried. They have plenty of time to accomplish their tasks, and therefore can afford to take their work leisurely.
Such men have time to devote to objects in no way connected with their business. It cannot be regarded as accidental that this characteristic of mind is found so commonly among successful men during the years of their most fruitful labor.
According to the American Ideal, the man who is sure to succeed is one who is continuously ``keyed up to concert pitch,'' who is ever alert and is always giving attention to his business or profession. As far as the captains of industry are concerned, such is not the case. They devote relatively few hours a day to their strenuous toil, but they keep a cool head and a steady hand. They are always composed, never confused, but ever ready to attack a new problem with their maximum ability. They <p 206> follow the injunction of Christ expressed in His Sermon on the Mount: ``Be not therefore anxious for the morrow.''