strong and rich character. He becomes mellowed through experience,
strong, stable, a helpful influence to all who meet him.

When things go smoothly and life is a merry round, no philosophy or
religion seems necessary, and "as for an inward power, what of it,
we can do very well without it." So say the thoughtless and
inexperienced, but there come times in every life, when, not only
is a philosophy, and that a very sound one, necessary, but also a
power, of which the finite self knows nothing, is needed in order
to raise the soul out of the dust and ashes of its despair. It is
one thing to try and meet trouble and adversity in the right spirit
and quite another thing to have the power to do so. One who thinks
that he has no power within him but that all the power is in
circumstances, can never rise victorious over his troubles and become
a conqueror over life's difficulties; but one who realizes that he
possesses a wonderful power that can raise him up, no matter how
crushed he may be, can never be a failure in life. No matter what
may happen to him he will play the man and act a noble part. He will
rise from the ruins of his life and build it anew in greater beauty
and splendour.

At this stage it is necessary to point out that there is a difference
between "big fate" and the circumstances of life. "Big fate" as it
sometimes is called antedates this present life and its cause does
not come within the scope of this little book. [3] Sufficient if we
say here that, through the ages, we reap as we sow, therefore our
future depends upon how we meet life and its difficulties _now_. Big
fate, then, cannot be successfully fought, simply because it is the
working of Omnipotent Law, but our life generally and its
circumstances depend upon how we meet "big fate," and how we recover
from it. No matter how seemingly unkind "fate" may be, it is possible
for us to make our life a beautiful thing. Inspired and energized
by the Power within, we can rise from the ashes of our dead hopes
to build anew our life in greater beauty and more in harmony with