The Logan Republican

MINDING YOUR OWN BUSINESS

If everyone would but mind his own business and try to straighten out his own affairs instead of spending time in solving others problems the world would be better for the change.

Many people's energy is spent living others lives for them deciding questions which do not concern themselves and criticising the way others do things.

This generosity is certainly uncalled for, and this same expenditure of energy could be turned to better account solving problems of their own or arranging their own lives more successfully.

When this living other people's lives for them comes to the point of giving advice without it being asked for, it becomes unwarranted interference.

What right has an individual to intrude ideas and give advice to another person when that person does not wish for it? More harm has been done in this world by people "butting in" in other's affairs even when it is done with the best intentions than in any other one way.

Good or Bad intentions

But, very often, it is not with the best intentions that we do interfere with another, although we may fool ourselves with the thought that it is.

We are apt to think that our desire is a pure one, one that seeks only to be of help. We see another in difficulty and tell ourselves that we would like to help them out and so go ahead, either giving advice or worse still, talking about the matter to other people, or attempting to straighten out the trouble with a third person without even asking the one who is chiefly concerned for permission to do so. All the time if we were only honest enough with ourselves to sift to the bottom the so-called desire to help of which we are so proud, we would find that it was nothing but the old human frailty of tending to other people's business when we ought to be strictly tending to our own.

This doesn't mean that we shouldn't help others when they want us to do so. There is the whole thing in a nutshell—when they want us to do so; but we must remember that we have no earthly right to interfere unless they do want us. And it is better to err upon the side of no interference than on the other side.

It is hard not to put our finger in the pie, for it has always been easier to arrange other people's affairs than our own. Yet, it is just those few individuals who are strong enough to conquer that feeling and who go about minding their own business and letting others mind theirs that stand above the rank and file of the average person.

The Meddler

Certainly any woman who gets the reputation for interfering and meddling in others affairs is not one who will be wanted around a business office. One of the first lessons to be learned if you are to be a success in life and in business is not to give advice until it is asked for and not to meddle in anyone's affairs.

If one has a sincere desire to be of help to others the opportunity will come without having to look for it.

Advice will be sought after, aid will be asked. Then and then alone, has one the right to step forward and try to do their best to be of real service. Anything else is simply unwarranted intrusion in another's life and the desire to do this should be destroyed the second it makes itself apparent and not be given a chance to live and grow. Only in this way can one pass from the ranks of busy bodies into the company of the capable and able workers and helpers of the world.