The secret.--He who would develop his personality into the full measure of its strength and power must, then, set his goal at _living constantly in the presence of the_ BEST. This will include the best in thought and memory and anticipation. It will permit none but cheerful moods, nor allow us to dwell with bitterness upon petty wrongs and grievances. It will control the tongue, and check the unkind word or needless criticism. It will cause us to seek for the strong and beautiful qualities in our friends and associates, and not allow us to point out their faults nor magnify their failings. It will cure us of small jealousies and suppress all spirit of revenge. It will save us from idle worry and fruitless rebellion against such ills as cannot be cured. In short, it will free our lives from the crippling influence of negative moods and critical attitudes. It will teach us to _be ruled by our admirations rather than by our aversions_. Above all, he who would build a personality fitted to serve as the teacher of the child in his religion must constantly live in the presence of _the best he can attain in God_. There is no substitute for this. No fullness of intellectual power and grasp, no richness of knowledge gleaned, and no degree of skill in instruction can take the place of a vibrant, immediate, Spirit-filled consciousness of God in the heart. For religion is _life_, and the best definition of religion we can present to the child is the example and warmth of a life inspired and vivified by contact with the Source of all spiritual being. The authority of the teacher should rest on his own religious experience, rather than on the spiritual experience of others. A character chart.--There is no possibility, of course, of making a list of all the qualities that enter into our personalities. Nor would it be possible to trace all the multiform ways in which these qualities may combine in our characters. It is worth while, however, to consider a few of the outstanding traits which take first place in determining our strength or weakness, and especially such as will respond most readily to conscious training and cultivation. Such a list follows. Each quality may serve as a goal both for our own development and for the training of our pupils. POSITIVE QUALITIES NEGATIVE QUALITIES 1 Open-minded, inquiring, broad Narrow, dogmatic, not hungry for truth 2 Accurate, thorough, discerning Indefinite, superficial, lazy 3 Judicious, balanced, fair Prejudiced, led by likes and dislikes 4 Original, independent, resourceful Dependent, imitative, subservient 5 Decisive, possessing convictions Uncertain, wavering, undecided 6 Cheerful, joyous, optimistic Gloomy, morose, pessimistic, bitter 7 Amiable, friendly, agreeable Repellent, unsociable, disagreeable 8 Democratic, broadly sympathetic Snobbish, self-centered, exclusive