Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
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flUSIC TIRADE
V O L . LI. N o . 25.
Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman BUI at 1 Madison Ave., New York, Dec. 17,1910
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System and Purposeless Drifters
W
E see to-day hosts of people who are failures—failures because they never get beneath the
surface of their undertaking and go from one thing to another as soon as they have
picked up what lies on top of the ground.
In other words, they are superficial—they do not go at the root of things—they over-
look one great essential—that it is necessary to work along intelligent and systematic lines in order to
achieve even moderate success.
Still, on the other hand, system can be carried to an extreme.
I have known some men whom I thought were so infatuated with system that they overloaded their
business with it.
In other words, too much attention was paid to system and too little in securing business.
System is a mighty good thing in an office and in a store; but, system does not mean everything tied
up so tight with red tape that no one can do anything without calling a meeting of the board of direc-
tors.
In fact, system may be overdone like other good things.
This is an active, aggressive and progressive age, and close attention should be paid to every-
thing which aids business success; but, a business may have system and yet lack purpose—a purpose-
less life, for instance; and, a life without purpose is about as worthless a thing as it is possible to imagine.
It is an existence; but it is nothing more.
Purpose, as one writer has remarked, unites the separated days of our living by the thread of con-
tinuity, as scattered beads form a necklace by the golden strands running through them.
In other words, it is purpose that turns existence into life—it is purpose that makes the years worth
living; and there are many people who are simply human derelicts, drifting aimlessly on the great ocean
of life.
When questioned, they admit that they take things as they come; but they do not for a moment
admit that they are purposeless drifters.
For such an individual there is hope if he can be shaken into a realization of the dangerous condi-
tion into which he is drifting.
Even the most helpless derelict is what he is through his own lack of imagination and initiative.
He would much prefer to sit still and watch others battle against adverse conditions.
He would rather sit in a plush-lined chair and watch the scene rather than be an actor in the play.
The actual purpose of life is to make the world better, and in this world every individual is expected
to play his part. He may not be able to create great philanthropic institutions or relieve the multitude of
much suffering.
What we are able to do may seem trivial; but it is not so.
Even the smallest word or deed, if it helps another or tends to give another courage and strength
to fight his own battles, is a harmonious note in the great chorus of universal brotherhood and love.
The modern world may be unappreciative and sordidly commercial at times; but the most success-
ful business men have not occupied much of their time in reviewing unpleasant and oft-times melan-
choly things.
It pays ,to sing, anyhow, even if you haven't a good voice, and to keep on singing.