ADVANTAGES OF AN EARLY START
It is the young man who has the best chance of winning. Then why
shouldn't youthfulness be made a permanent asset? We have recovered from
the idea of putting a man into a sanatorium just because a few grey
hairs show themselves in his head. We should not ask him how old he is
... we should ask: "_What can he do_?" The young man may have the
advantage of years but the older one has the advantage of experience and
knowledge. Now if this older man could carry along with him that spirit
of youth which actuated his earlier activities he would be prepared
against incapacity. Our fate hangs on how we conduct ourselves in youth.
The world has great need of the sober, thoughtful men _above the fifty
line_. By right of experience and knowledge they should become our
leaders in the shaping of our policies. It is all a matter of how a man
comes through, mentally, physically and spiritually. Age should not
count against him.
The first thought is to keep healthy. In fact, we cannot harp on this
too much. The second requirement is confidence in ourselves, without
which our career is short lived.
Already we perceive that one must keep track of his _inner self_. This
breeds confidence. The very fact that one stops to probe into that
hidden land of thought shows that he is keeping tab on himself with a
sharp eye. That's the stuff! _We mustn't fool ourselves._ The majority
of failures come as a result of not being able to trust one's self. The
moment we doubt, or acknowledge that we cannot conquer a weakness, then
we begin to go down hill. It is a subtle process. We hardly realize it
at the time but as the days go by, the years roll on, the final day of
reckoning draws near and relentlessly we are swept along as driftwood
toward the lonely beaches of obscurity. And all because _we lacked
self-confidence_! We did not realize it until it was too late. We were
too busy with self-indulgence to struggle for success.
Most of our troubles in later life started with _failure to take hold of
ourselves_ when we were young. It may be that we put off making our
choice of something to do. If we had been companionable to ourselves we
might have thought out the proper course while taking long walks in
pursuit of physical development. That would have been a _fine_ time in
which to fight out the whole problem--the time when optimism and _the
will to do_ are as natural as the laughter of a child, or the song of a
bird. That was the time when the world appeared roseate and beautiful,
when success lay just beyond the turn of the road, when failure seemed
something illusory and improbable. Then was the time to jump in with
both feet and _a big hearty laugh_ to solve the problem of what to do
and how to go about it. It is surprising how readily the world follows
the individual with confidence. It is willing to believe in him, to
furnish funds, to assist in any way within its power. And that is where
the man _with a smile_ is sure to win--for the man who smiles has
confidence in himself.
So long as we carry along with us our atmosphere of hearty good will and
enthusiasm we know no defeat. The man who is gloomy, taciturn and lives
in a world of doubt seldom achieves more than a bare living. There have
been a few who have groaned their way through to a competence but in
proportion to that overwhelming number of souls who carry cheer through
life they are as nothing--mere drops in the bucket. If the truth were
told their success came probably through mere chance and nothing else.
Such people are not the ones for us to endeavor to follow. _We cannot
afford to allow our visions to sour._
Beginning early takes away timidity and builds for success while we are
young enough to enjoy the benefits. Although it is never too late to
start a cheerful life we don't have to kill ourselves in the attempt.
There is no necessity for throwing all caution to the winds, but we
should press our advantages. With _self-analysis_ comes a certain
poise, a certain dignity and kindliness that tempers every move with
precision.
Once we get the proper start we have only to take stock now and then in
order to keep our machinery in a fine state of repair. If we have chosen
wisely we love our work and stick to it closely--not forgetting the home
duties and our share in its success. Right here we run up against the
danger signal if our business success wins us away from the hearthstone.
_Love of home_ is a quality of the workers of the earth. "What doth it
profit a man to win the whole world if he _loseth_ his own soul?"
To sum up the case--once we have made up our minds to win and how we are
going to do it, the next step is to act. _Health is synonymous with
action._ The healthy man does things, the unhealthy man hesitates. And
when we get ready to act we will act with the air of a conqueror. We
must supply from our own store our atmosphere of confidence in order to
win confidence. The successful man is the one who _knows he is right_
and makes us realize it.
It is always worth while to study the successes among our
acquaintances. Are they gloomy, morose and irritable? If they were to
that extent they would not be successful. On the contrary, they are
robust, confident individuals who have taken advantage of every rightful
opportunity and possessed _the power to smile_ when all about them were
in the dumps. When everyone else thought that there wasn't a chance to
win these fellows stepped in and took charge.
When we interview the failures we find that all of them give one excuse:
"_I didn't have the confidence._" They may not say it in exactly these
words but the meaning is plain. They ran through the whole gamut of
_self-distrust_ which is the natural result of not having started early
in the study of self--the serious realization of their own capabilities.
[Illustration: _Preparing to Pair With the Prickly Pear_]
This makes it easy to understand their plight. If we know ourselves we
are strengthened that much, because we can bolster up our weaknesses. We
will know enough to combat timidity. We can then know what we are
capable of, and thus become conscious of our innate powers that only
need to be called into action in order to become useful. We cannot
imagine for an instant a great violinist going out on the concert
platform in ignorance of the condition of his instrument. And yet
failures go out on the stage of life knowing nothing of their strengths
and weaknesses--_and still expect to win_!
If we are to become successes we must _keep success in mind_--banish all
thought of losing. Success is just as natural as anything else. It is
only a matter of the mind anyhow. We are all successes _as long as we
continue to think so_. Self-depreciation is a disease. Once it gets a
hold on us--good-bye!
And that is why it is wise to begin early--to take hold of affairs while
we are young. Superiority over our fellow man comes from a superiority
of mind and body. A healthy mind breeds a healthy body. The most
superficial study will convince us of this fact.
Appearance counts for much in this world. We judge largely by
appearances. We haven't time to know everyone we meet intimately and as
a result must base our opinions upon _first impressions_. The fellow who
comes in an office with his head hanging down between his shoulders and
a frown upon his face doesn't get far with us. We find ourselves looking
over his sagging shoulders toward the individual behind him who comes in
with a swinging step and the confidence born of health and good spirits.
Self-confidence in youth makes for self-confidence in after years. This
is far from meaning that one can be brazen and inclined towards
freshness and get away with it. It merely means the marshalling of one's
forces, _the command of one's self_ and the ability to make others
recognize that we are on the map because we belong there. And one of the
quickest ways to accomplish this is to have a smile tucked away for
instant use. Again, this does not mean that we are to carry round a
ready-to-wear grin which we wear only as we are ushered into the
presence of another. _A real smile, or a hearty laugh, is not to be
counterfeited._ We easily know the genuine from the spurious. A real
laugh springs naturally out of a pure, unadulterated confidence and a
good physical condition. What triumphs, what splendid battles, have been
won through the ability to laugh at the right moment.
Whenever we find that we are losing our ability to smile let's have no
false notions. We are neglecting our physical well being. Let us then
and there drop the sombre thoughts and get out into the open air. Run
down the street and if possible out into the country. If we see a tree
and have the inclination to climb it--well, then, climb it. If we are
sensitive about what our neighbors might say--too bad! But we can romp
with easy grace. If we but knew how gladly our neighbors would emulate
our gymnastics if they knew the value of them the laugh would be on us
for dreading their opinion. One thing we do know--_they will envy us our
good health and spirits_.