--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Hogenson, J. C. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 12 number: 9 published: 1909-07 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'J. C. Hogenson, "Opportunity and Happiness," *Improvement Era* 12, no. 9 (July 1909): 710–711.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1209unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera1209unse start_page: 710 end_page: 711 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1909-07) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1209unse publication_year: 1909 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1909, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Opportunity and Happiness OPPORTUNITY AND HAPPINESS. BY J. C. HOGENSON, OF THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. According to an old East Indian legend, "There was once a beautiful lady upon whom one of the good genii wished to bestow a blessing. He led her to the edge of a large field of corn, where he said to her: 'Daughter, in the field before us the ears of corn in the hands of those who pluck them in faith shall have wonderful virtues, and the virtues shall be in proportion to the size and beauty of the ear gathered. Thou shalt pass through the field once and pluck one ear. It must be taken as thou goest forward, and thou shalt not stop in thy path, nor shalt thou retrace a single step in quest of thine object. Select an ear of corn full and fair, and according to its size and beauty shall be its value to thee as a talisman.' "The maiden thanked the good spirit, and set out upon her quest. — As she advanced she saw many ears of corn large, ripe and beautiful, such as calm judgment might have told her would possess virtue enough; but in her eagerness to grasp the very best, she left these fair ears behind, hoping that she might find one still larger and fairer. At length, as the day was closing, she reached a part of the field where the stalks were thinner and shorter, and the ears were small an-} shriveled. She now regretted the grand ears she had left behind, and disdained to pick from the poor ears around her, for here she found not an ear that bore per- fect grain. She went on, but, Alas! only to find the stalks more and more feeble and blighted, until in the end, as night was com- ing on, she found herself at the end of the field without having plucked an ear of any kind." This legend has a grand lesson for every one. It points out OPPORTUNITY AND HAPPINESS. 711 clearly the necessity of grasping every opportunity as it comes to us. We cannot turn back in life's pathway, therefore an oppor- tunity once reglected will nevercome to us again. Are we as young people grasping our opportunities? Now is the time in life when they are of the most value to us, because it is now that we build the foundation upon which we are to build our future suc- cesses or failures. Let us not then neglect our duties and oppor- tunities of today, because if we do we may find tomorrow's poor and blighted. If we develop today as we should do then joy and happiness will be ours. A clear conscience, a contented mind, a cheerful disposition, these follow in the wake of fulfiled oppor- tunities. Happiness never comes through greed and selfishly ac- quiring possession, but it comes always in transmitting what we possess to others; that they also may know and share with us our happiness. Happiness never comes through idleness, but through hard work' and by doing our duties day by day as they come to us to the very best of our ability. Be contented with your own, do not envy others what they possess, or of their happiness, and so spend your time in vain regret; but take off your coat and get to work and do things and you will be surprised how soon the hap- piness and opportunities which formerly only others had will now also come to you. From the little poem which follows you will note that happi- ness lies in taking advantage of opportunities, doing your full duty and work "the two seekers." Two men went seeking happiness One walked the roadside way And looked with all his longing eyes Within each garden gay Where'er he saw it growing He tried to grasp its flower; But always in his clutching hand, It died before an hour; Till, angry and dispairingly, In bitterness he cried: "Others are given happiness, To me it is denied."