The first practical step in prolonging life is to have an ideal before the mind as a guiding star. This is found in the normal life, which means the fullness of health, strength, beauty, morality and intelligence, according to the present capacity of the individual with endless progression in possibility.

The normal man is now so confused with morbidness and extremes that he is quite an unknown and mysterious being. The average adult has but little better conception of what he should do or be to gain the most from life than has a child.

It is not uncommon for one to believe that because he can lift a certain weight, study or dissipate all night, or eat or drink a large amount of injurious food a few times, without apparent injury, that he can do the same continuously. The reason is not poised to judge the real capacity, and education is lacking in that it does not distinguish more perfectly between things constructive, or favorable to life, and those that are of a destructive nature.

Normal conditions are those best suited to the highest intellectual, moral and physical attainments, thus affording the most perfect cell development for continuous objective life.

It is possible for man, as well as plants and animals, to exist under the most adverse circumstances, but the subjective self, or life principle, is not fully expressed in the objective life unless the general requisites of growth and repair are fulfilled. One often imagines that to be alive is all that is necessary, little realizing how far this is from enjoying the fullness of life. Very few realize how deficient they are in healthy vital cells or how many abnormal, half dead, or diseased cells they carry about. As a plant or an animal has a commercial value, an effort is made to bring it to as high a standard as possible. Improper nourishment, or too little air, water or sunshine soon reduce a thrifty plant or animal to a "scrub".

The influence upon human life of neglecting the common requisites is the same. Even though many less vital deficiencies may be overcome for a time by one organ doing the work of another, it is not possible to be continuous.

Normal means that which is essential to express and maintain life in visible form. It indicates what can be indulged, or the pace that can be lived day after day, and year after year, without injurious results.

The normal strength and ability may be increased by gradually steady effort, but they are always decreased by extremes.

The physical body is not a "mental concept." It is the expression of infinite mind through the action of the life principle as seen in natural growth.

Natural growth, whether animal or vegetable, is a continuous process of cell growth. The vegetable cells prepare the inorganic chemical substances into organic compounds suited for use by the animal cells.

All the chemical and physical changes of the system are produced by cell activity. Under normal conditions the cell growth and exchange would be constant, thus affording an ideal for the preservation of youth.

Pain is a voice of warning that the physical organism is clogged, or that some of the requisites for cell growth are being neglected.

This exhaustion, or neglect, soon reduces the number of cells in some organ, causing weakness.

The poise of the cell producing and labor performing machine is lost to some degree. First one organ then another is overworked in an effort to restore harmony. The failure to fully eliminate waste soon generates an excess of poison, resulting in inflammation, and other diseases, according with the effort of nature to free the system, as kidney trouble if the excess is eliminated through the kidneys, or lung trouble if it is cast off by the lungs. If all the eliminating organs become weak, the retained waste gradually accumulates until abnormal cells, like those of tumors and cancer arise in the poison. They attract the poison from all parts of the system, feeding and growing upon it.

The life principle grows the normal man, but it has nothing to do with the growth of disease tissue, like that of a tumor. False conditions, both mental and physical, hinder the true growth and foster or support the abnoral growth, thus various organs cry out against such expression.

Many remedies - most of which are more or less superstitions - are applied for relief. The body is poulticed, plastered, massaged, manipulated and drugged. Even the "false concept" that names, individualizes, fears, watches and grows the abnormal cells may be "crossed out," leaving the life principle free to eliminate the growth in natural channels.

Under enforced rest from food and labor, almost any earnest effort - the best one knows - unless it is of a nature adding more poison to the system - will aid in freeing the organs for the time being, but the only scientific, reasonable and lasting relief must be found by seeking the normal life.

It is not nature that needs a "tonic" or needs to be "rallied." She is always ready with an unlimited supply of vitality to make repairs when given half a chance.

It is almost a universal belief that there is some sacrifice in giving up or avoiding things that induce early death. This is a mistake.

Habit and momentary gratification are responsible for this feeling, as the highest possible pleasure that can be known is found in the channel that sustains life most perfectly.

The demands of life are not numerous or hard to fulfill, they are simple and natural, yet afford ample range for action and pleasure free from depressing reaction.

It is the complications of civilization, with the spontaneous inclination to do anything, think anything, eat anything, grasp anything the unregulated fancy desires, without thought of the results, that makes life hard and full of sorrow.

Those who are abnormally developed must soon give up food, pleasure and ambition, while those who reserve strength may enjoy the best there is indefinitely. This is no sacrifice for those who do right.

Nature never allows any person to become entirely perverted. Neither are any born perfect. Each one has some strong points, with a large sense of justice in some way. At the same time each has many weak points.

To be well balanced one must keep the requisites of normal life in mind and aim especially to strengthen the weak places.

The time to begin to live for longevity is hundreds of years before one is born, but as nature is lenient, it is never too late to derive great benefit from every true effort.

Dr. Latson, the editor of Health-Culture, has discovered that certain physical and mental characteristics which are well to remember are usually associated with longevity. Among those most important may be mentioned:

1. That of carriage. One who inherits or cultivates a straight spine maintains the normal position of all the vital organs. As they are free from pressure their work is performed for a much longer time than with those who yield to the inclination to stoop.

2. That of the habit of natural steady deep breathing. Strong nerves and mental quietude are essential to proper breathing. He says, "The excited men - the emotional individual - who suffocates with joy, palpitates with enthusiasm, sighs with the intensity of his attachments - the emotional individual by every inequality in his respiration abbreviates his life".

3. That of ease and repose of movement, "the hale, vigorous, healthy old man moves easily, lightly, silently. He has always moved that way".

4. That those who live long are naturally small eaters.

5. That the proper mental attitude influences all of these characteristics. For instance, "Refinement of taste results in frugal habits of eating. Mental power and calmness lead to ease and repose of movement, and to slow, deep breathing. Full breathing produces the erect carriage and the large chest".

In addition to this it may be added that these good qualities afford the natural relaxation necessary for the free action of the excretory organs. This is most vital, as a clean alimentary canal, free from decay or putrefying waste is essential to health. Artificial means to remove excretia may be resorted to in cases of necessity, but nothing short of right living, and free normal action, will maintain the balance needed to accumulate cell vitality able to resist old age.

At present weakness in this way is cultivated from infancy, and the prevalence of constipation, and offensive breath, which may so easily be prevented, indicates how far the human family is from being normal.

It requires the highest possible development of the reason to live the simple, natural normal life.

This is why the "simple life" is becoming so popular. No ability or culture is needed to indulge in thoughtless extravagance.

There is a great difference between the "simple life" of the primitive races who lived close to nature, because there was no temptation to do otherwise, and the present movement of doing so from the high position of choice.

The human race is entering a higher stage of development. Extremes of all kinds have been sought and found inadequate; they do not give peace of mind or happiness.

The strain and duplicity to which so many resort in acquiring vast fortunes deprives them of all the true pleasure of living. At the same time the poorer classes fail to enjoy the simplicity in which they must live, as they imagine that the life of indulgence is all that could be desired, hence the great need of more direct teaching of a true standard of living - the best from every standpoint being that which maintains normal life and is within the reach of all.

The general requisites of normal life are about the same, as far as physical existence is concerned, for plants and animals, as for man.

They are not complicated. Any thoughtful person can fulfill all the demands and enjoy the fullness of life. They may be summed up as follows:

Normal Requisites

1. Nutritious food - just enough - not too much.

2. Natural relaxation - or action of the excretary organs - bowels, kidneys, lungs and skin.

3. Pure water - freely used.

4. Pure air, day and night - and large lungs to appropriate it.

5. Sunshine - avoiding excessive heat.

6. Exercise - work (aim in life), spontaneous play, directed exercises daily.

7. Cleanliness - daily or frequent bathing and change of clothing.

8. Sleep - rest and relaxation.

9. Protection from elements - enough clothing, but not too much.

10. Companionship - Social success - Financial success. Average success may be obtained without great struggle and worry under normal conditions and will have much to do with prolonging life.

11. Proper attitude of mind - Constructive, hopeful, confident, successful, and progressive thoughts should be entertained and those of a negative and destructive nature carefully avoided.

12. Conservation of Vitality - Thoughtful self-control in all things prevents waste of vitality, the same as it prevents loss in a financial way.

13. Recognition of the Life Principle - The Life principle and its oneness with the unlimited supply of Infinite life, must be recognized to establish confidence that the fountain of life is "all sufficient." Any lack of strength or force being only in man's failure to keep in condition to use it.