Dare to WIn - Brown Landone

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The Ultimate Success Blueprint

There is a divine plan for each one.

To miss what that is for us, is tragedy; to attain it, is what we call success.

In a very practical, understandable and attainable way, this book tells its own story so well—checks you up at times so abruptly, removes so much of your habitual conceit, and so enriches your life— that an introduction seems like a fifth wheel.

The author shows us how we have deepened the narrow channels, which limit our thinking, repress our activities, and make us unsuccessful, and then—launches us out on the deep for the attainment of our ambitions.

He has lived and proven what he writes. —WILLIAM H. MANSS


Table of Contents

CHAPTER I ........................................................................................................... 5

THE ONLY FIVE FACTORS WHICH GUARANTEE SUCCESS ................... 5

CHAPTER II .......................................................................................................... 8

THE PROCESS OF “VIVID THINKING” WHICH MAKES SUCCESS CERTAIN .............................................................................................................. 8

CHAPTER III ....................................................................................................... 15

THE “DOING-PROCESS” WHICH ALWAYS SUCCEEDS ................................. 15

CHAPTER IV ...................................................................................................... 21

THE ONLY THREE MEANS WHICH YOU CAN USE ........................................ 21

CHAPTER V ....................................................................................................... 23

THE TONES YOU CAN USE TO PERSUADE AND COMMAND ............... 23

CHAPTER VI ...................................................................................................... 24

HOW TO USE ACTION INSTEAD OF WORDS TO IMPRESS OTHERS 24

CHAPTER VII ..................................................................................................... 29

PHENOMENAL SELLING BY MEANS OF THE SENSES ................... 29

CHAPTER VIII .................................................................................................... 34

HOW TO OVERCOME CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH HINDER YOU ........... 34

CHAPTER IX ...................................................................................................... 41

OVERCOMING BODILY CONDITIONS WHICH SEEM IMPOSSIBLE OF CHANGE ............................................................................................................ 41

CHAPTER X ....................................................................................................... 43

HOW TO DEVELOP CAPACITIES WHICH SEEM TO BE LACKING ................ 43

CHAPTER XI ...................................................................................................... 47

HOW TO SECURE JUSTICE FROM OTHERS .................................................. 47

CHAPTER XII ..................................................................................................... 53

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR COMPENSATION ............................................. 53

CHAPTER XIII .................................................................................................... 59

AUGMENT YOUR SUCCESS BY LEADERSHIP ............................................... 59

CHAPTER XIV .................................................................................................... 64

DARE TO DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO ......................................................... 64


CHAPTER I

THE ONLY FIVE FACTORS WHICH GUARANTEE SUCCESS

“OH, don’t talk to me about how to succeed! I’ve read success advice and books and articles. They’re all “No good? “

“Good? They’re too good! Why, when I’ve read just what to do to succeed, I go down to the office ready to tell the president to get out, so that I may show the world what real success is.”

“Those books inspire me! They wind me up like an alarm clock all set for success. They make me dream Rocke-Morgan-Van-der-Gould dreams—and then each Friday, I wake up at the pay window for my five little five spots! “

“But,” I interrupted, “you know that dreaming of success is not enough. Men succeed because they do something—do it in a big way.”

“Oh, I’ve read that ‘do something’ advice,” he replied a little irritably, “but— let me tell you—there’s something left out! And, I don’t believe that very successful men know just how they succeed.”

“They’re geniuses, and geniuses can do things without knowing how they do them.”

“For instance, I can’t play the piano, but my ten year old sister is a musical genius. She can play any tune she hears. She can play anything I whistle! But she don’t know HOW she does it, and she can’t tell me how she does it! “

“I am certain that these very successful men are success geniuses, and so, isn’t it true that they can succeed without knowing just how they do it? “

What George said made me think: “there’s something left out . . . sister is a musical genius . . . she can play anything I whistle—but she don’t know how she does it, and she can’t tell me how she does it.”

Gazing into my grate fire, I forgot that George was there. My thoughts ran on. I

remembered several people I had known— each an especially gifted genius, who was able to do some one thing astoundingly well without knowing how he did it.

Geniuses are rare.

In degree of capacity, they differ from the rest of us, and so, perhaps, eminently successful men — success geniuses — are able to succeed without being conscious of how they do it.

I visioned the phenomenally successful men of today. There are not more than thirty of them. Most of the advice on success, which we read, comes from them. But since they are geniuses, perhaps they don’t know just what makes them successful any more than the natural born musician knows what makes it possible for him to play any air he hears without having been taught it.

I remembered my friend’s daughter, Margaret. She is seventeen. As an automobile driver, I have not seen her equal. She’s a driving genius—devilishly calm and cautiously reckless. A car does exactly what she wants it to do. She’s a genius in driving a car; but as a mechanic—well, it would be wiser to trust my washerwoman to overhaul a car than


to leave it to my friend’s daughter. Although Margaret operates a car successfully, she knows nothing of the inside parts which determine its action.

“Well,” said George, “wake up; I can see by your eyes, you’ve got an idea. What is it?”

“George,” I replied, “You’ve made me think. You’re right! There’s something left out! You need to know the process of succeeding, and the means to be used. But, first you need to know which factors determine success.”

“I’ve been thinking of the advice which the most successful men have given us. They think that the factors which determine success are hard work, enthusiasm, honesty, persistency, and so forth. These are valuable assets, but they are not the determining factors.

“Knowledge, for instance, is a valuable asset, but it does not determine success— for there are thousands of men of knowledge who fail. Being industrious is a valuable asset, but not a determining factor for thousands of industrious workers fail to become successful men. We must discover the determining factors first. Then, we’ll know the factors which will always insure success—which will always make success certain.”

The above conversation took place in August. The young man was well known to me. He was earnest, faithful, a good worker, intelligent, ambitious—but he was not succeeding. He was then twenty-one years old, and was earning twenty-five dollars a week.

Four years later he was earning $10,000, a YEAR!

How did he do it? The content of this book was first worked out for him. It tells you the factors he employed, the process he followed, and the means he used.

First, I collected and classified those factors which eminently successful men considered essential. These I gathered from talks with big men, from personal letters, from printed interviews, and from books. Thus, I had before me the ideas of thirty-one of the big men of our country.

Although their ideas differ, yet certain factors are listed by each of these men; and seventeen qualities are mentioned more than twenty times. They are: health, good appearance, hard work, enthusiasm, industry, persistence, sincerity, earnestness, self-confidence, concentration, determination, honesty, good memory, self-control, tact, patience, and imagination.

These qualities are not determinants of success. They do not guarantee success. Of course, they are important. They are valuable assets, but not determining factors. For instance, a man must “work hard” to succeed, but “hard work” does not always bring success.

Health: I know a man in perfect physical health; he has strong muscles and the strength of two ordinary men; his complexion is clean; his skin is ruddy; his eyes are clear. Yet, he is a failure—his wife supports him. I know another man, who has been in poor health for twenty years. He is an eminently successful man. Health is a valuable asset, but it is not a determining factor of success.

Good Appearance: I know a man with the bearing of a Royal Prince—splendid shoulders, pleasing manners, and attractive smile. He looks you directly in the eye. He resides at Sing Sing.


Enthusiasm, Industry, Persistence, Sincerity, Self-Confidence: I know a man who spent a year trying to collect money to publish certain literature to be distributed among the boys in the trenches. He wished to convince the soldiers that they should worship the Lord on Saturday instead of Sunday. He was enthusiastic, persistent, sincere, earnest, and self-confident. He was not a success.

Concentration, Determination, Honesty: There is a certain man who concentrates so intently on his work that he often forgets to eat and sleep; he’s determined to win, and he is absolutely honest. He has been working seven years to invent a shirt which will not wear out, and which need not be washed. His honesty, concentration, and determination have not made him successful. He is in an asylum in Pennsylvania.

Memory, Self-Control, Tact, and Patience: I know a man who remembers the names of hundreds of people; he never confuses one with another. He has self-control, tact, and infinite patience. He has not succeeded greatly. He is the footman who opens the doors of the limousines of the women who shop at a certain department store.

Imagination: I know of a girl, who for ten years ran a machine in a shoe factory. When I once questioned her of what she thought each day during her work, she replied, “Oh, I just start the machine a-goin’ and then I imagine I’m one of them duchesses I read about in the novels.”

Since many character factors are helpful assets, but not the determining factors, what are the personal factors which make success certain?

To succeed greatly, you must () climb up from under the limitations of circumstances and conditions; and () do something in such a way that you overcome a leader in rendering service and securing just compensation for your service. Read that again! It suggests the personal factors which will make your effort successful. It also suggests the process of succeeding, and the means of carrying out the process.

The determining factors are: () freeing yourself of hindering circumstances and conditions; () doing something; () being a leader in what you do; () rendering service to others; and () securing just compensation for the service.

My discovery of these determining factors was very important to the young man. It revolutionized his efforts and changed him from failure to success. It was also a great revelation to me. Previously, I had believed that success depended on determination, enthusiasm, hard work, et cetera. These are essential in succeeding, but they are not determinants of success.

Assume that I wish to be successful in producing a light green colored oil paint. White lead as the basis and linseed oil as the medium are valuable assets. A basis and a medium are essentials. But, I can mix a new batch of white lead and linseed oil every day for a year and fail to produce a light green paint. White lead and linseed oil are essential in making a light green paint, but they do not determine greenness. Green pigment is the only factor which is a determinant in producing a green paint. To be successful in producing a green paint, I must use a green pigment.

So it is in determining success. Hard work, honesty, enthusiasm, et cetera, are valuable assets—you cannot succeed without them. But, they do not determine your success. Hence, my discovery of the five determining factors was a great revelation to me, and it is most important in the attainment of success.

So, also, I was astounded, when I worked out the process of succeeding, and the means to be used. I found that the process usually employed may succeed now and then, but


that it does not make success certain. And, I found that the means, which is the least used, is the most efficient. These I present to you in succeeding chapters.

To begin the change which will lead you to success, consecrate yourself to the use of the five determinants of success.

If you dare to free yourself from hindering circumstances, if you do something in

such a way that you make yourself a leader in your work, if your work is of service to others, if you dare to secure just compensation for your work—then you ARE a success!

Let us commit:

FREEDOM—the daring to overcome the limitations of circumstances and conditions, and express yourself—is the first determining factor.

ACTION—doing something, not merely thinking about it, or dreaming of it, or wishing for it—is the second.

LEADERSHIP—doing your work better, or more rapidly, or more efficiently, or , more effectively than others would do it— is the third.

SERVICE—doing your work in such a way that it renders service to others, and then in addition, giving service—is the fourth.

JUSTICE—the art of securing just compensation for the services you render, by the way you deal with people, and by the means you use in doing so—is the final determining factor which guarantees success!

God created earth, and it was an empty void.

But, when He thought “dry land, seas, grass, herbs, fruit trees, fish of the sea, fowls of the air, and all living creatures “— then, His earth became an actuality!

When you vaguely think, “I desire those things which will fulfill the aim of life,” your earth remains empty and void.

But, when you vividly think, “I want that little cottage, with a pine tree and grass in front, daffodils near the hedge, a little wife to love, a curly haired youngster to romp with me when I come home—then, the divine urge within you compels you to create actuality!

BROWN LANDONE

CHAPTER II

THE PROCESS OF “VIVID THINKING” WHICH MAKES SUCCESS CERTAIN

SOME principles are so simple that we often overlook their significance. For instance, success is lack of failure; each failure is due to some mistake; each mistake in action originates in some mistake in thinking. To change from failure to success, it is necessary to develop those processes of thought which prevent mistakes, and which lead to success.

There is a process of success. It is a dual process. The first step is vivid imaging in thinking. It is the subject of this chapter. The second step is idealized doing. It is the subject of the next chapter. This dual process—vivid imaging and idealized doing —guarantees success.


You have often been told that success comes to the man who “uses his brain”— that is, to the man who thinks. But mere thinking will not prevent him from making mistakes; neither will purposeful thinking, nor well thought out plans.

Thinking in vivid images is the only process which always prevents mistakes.

Even great experts make mistakes when they fail to think in vivid images.

The great Quebec bridge fell down in the process of construction. All the factors determining its construction had been given careful thought by great engineers. There had been months of exact figuring and calculation of stresses and strains. Certainly, the engineers and constructors did not intend it to collapse, delay their work, injure their reputation as bridge builders, and cause loss of life.

Yet, it did collapse, and hence someone— evidently many engineers — made some serious mistake in thinking, overlooking some important factor. Can such mistakes in examining a plan—no matter what it is —be prevented? Can they always be prevented ?

As you study the failure of the noted engineers who planned the Quebec bridge, and the colossal blunder of the great engineers who planned two of the subways of New York City, you will be convinced that the most expert and careful thinking about a plan, and the most exact examination of it, do not guarantee success nor prevent failure. You will also be convinced that nothing but vivid images can prevent such failures.

This study will not mean much to you unless you realize that an idea differs from a mental image, and unless you discriminate between the process of “thinking-in-ideas” and that of “thinking-in-vivid-images.”

Your mind is a living consciousness, but you often permit the greater part of its content to die. The content is usually a colony of corpses of images which were once alive. That is the difference between ideas and vivid images. Ideas are the dead corpses of images which were once living and vivid.

In his mind, the successful inventive genius forms vivid images of every part of the machine which he is constructing. Before it is made, he mentally sees each part separately, and all parts assembled and working together. After examining a new

machine he is able at any time to re-image a picture of the machine. He re-sees the image when the physical object is no longer present. That is thinking in vivid images.

You look at the same machine; but, after leaving it, you are able “only to think about it.” That is thinking in ideas. Vividness is a quality of mind which makes geniuses, and it can be developed. When you read “the iron is hot,” you think of the idea of heat. When you accidentally put your finger tip on the red hot iron, your mind thinks in vivid images of special heat, because an image is the immediate result of sense impressions. A vivid image is formed by sense impressions. So, you can develop vividness in thinking by use of your special senses—by use of all of them. There are more than five special senses. There are twelve. They are color, sound, smell, taste, balance, motion, direction, heat, cold, weight, tactility, and pressure. Images formed by using only a few senses may lead to mistakes. Vivid images formed by using all the senses are infallible.


Success begins by testing every factor of your plan by vivid sense images. That means testing what you plan to do by mental pictures formed by use of all of the senses. If you are testing a thing, use the special senses themselves. If you are testing plans or propositions, use the sense images. But why do vivid images test with more certainty than do ideas’? Why is the test more certain than the most careful thinking of engineering experts? Because thought—without vivid imaging —is never complete. If you merely think about a yard, a foot, or an inch, you do not image it exactly. Test yourself. Can you, without a measure, draw a line which is exactly a yard long? Can you do it every time you try to do it? If not, you do not image a yard. The image of a yard is more definite, more concrete, and more exact, than is the idea or thought about a yard. This explains the catastrophe of the Quebec bridge. The engineers were trained to think about yards and pounds, stresses and strains; but, they failed to image them. The thought about a pound is no more like the ima ge of a pound, than the three letters “c-a-t” are like your cat! Success begins by preventing mistakes in thinking. You can prevent such mistakes by idealizing common sense. Common sense alone is not enough. Common sense is the unified use of certain senses—unified so many times by so many people that such use has become common. Idealized common sense is different. It includes all the sense images which should be included in the vivid images. Mistakes can be prevented only by testing every factor of your plan by vivid images! For example, note how I was “taken in,” when I failed to use all the senses which should have been used. Some time ago, I was nosing around in one of the antique shops I know. I ran across a massive silver tray. I know from past experience that all such antique silver trays are solid silver, for in the old days they made no plated ware; Common sense told me: “That silver tray is a genuine antique because the pattern is old, the form is old, the workmanship appears to be old, and it has the stamp of a time long passed.” The shopman turned the tray this way and that, so that I might see all these things for myself. After examining it carefully, I decided to buy it. I paid for it and had it sent home. I was at home when it arrived. I opened the package myself, and lifted the tray out of its box. Then I lifted it again and carried it into the dining room. I was pleased at having discovered this old tray, but already some newly awakened image was beginning to puzzle my mind.

Some vague something said that another vague something was not just right! At first the idea was very vague. Then it became clearer. Finally I thought, “this tray doesn’t seem to be as heavy as a solid silver tray of its size should be.” I picked it up again; I tested it by my sense of weight. It was not as heavy as a silver tray of that size would have been.

In the shop I had not lifted it; I had allowed the shopman to do that. Hence, I had not used all of the senses I should have used in forming a vivid image of that tray. That I had been “taken in” was proved to me when I took it to a reliable silversmith who showed me that the tray, although a marvelous imitation, was after all made of light weight metal thickly plated with silver.


In the shop in which I purchased the tray, I had used sight in looking at it. I had used my senses of motion and direction in perceiving its form and size; I had used my sense of sound both in listening to what the shopkeeper said and in listening to the sound produced when the tray was tapped; but I had not used my sense of weight.

In purchasing that tray I was a failure.

I failed when examining it, because I did not make my image vivid and complete. In subsequent chapters you will discover the use of the special senses is the only certain means of success in buying and selling. This is important because the process of buying and selling is a part of every effort in attaining success.

The first step in the process of success is vivid imaging—with special emphasis on the vividness of the images. This is very important because every idea or thought or judgment is based upon mental images. If the images of your thoughts are not vivid, make them so by adding more special sense qualities. In other words, train and develop your special senses.

It is important that you do so, for the success of every step of your thought and action depends upon vivid imaging. I am not basing this assertion upon a pet theory, but upon the phenomenal successes of those who have used vivid imaging, and the sad failures which have come to some of the biggest men in the world when they failed to think in vivid images.

Note this colossal failure made by scores of expert engineers.

For six years several great engineering experts were engaged in planning and constructing the dual subway system from the center of New York City to Queens. One of the lines runs under the East River at Forty-second Street. The other runs under the river at Sixtieth Street. The two join at the Bridge Plaza in Queens. The engineers of the two great companies worked together for several years so that the track extending from this junction out on Long Island might be used for cars of both companies.

Yet, all the engineering plans and careful inspection and checking up of blue prints, all the figuring of details by experts, and all the reviews of figures made so that the engineers might be certain that every factor was correct, did not prevent one of the most ridiculous and stupendous failures which has ever been made in engineering construction. Remember that this mistake was not made by amateurs. It was made by scores of engineering experts and by hundreds of assistants and mathematicians who had had years of engineering experience.

This is the stupid mistake which was made.

Concrete beds were laid for the rails; concrete stations were built; and, since the gauges of the cars of both companies—that is, the distance between the wheels—were exactly the same, every one of those experts thought that it would be possible to run the ears of both companies on the same tracks. They continued to think this for six years.

But, after all the concrete work of miles of subway had been finished, after the platforms had been laid, after one company had been using the lines for a year and the tunnel of the other company was nearly completed—then, and then only, it was discovered by someone, that, although the wheels of all cars were equidistant, the floors of the cars of the two companies were not the same in width.

If the station platforms had been made wide enough to permit the wide cars of one company to pull into the station; then when the narrower cars of the other company pulled in, there would have been an eight or ten inch space between the platform and


the cars. This, with tens of thousands of people stepping on and off cars daily, would mean that the number of accidents would be greatly increased.

Hence, it became evident that it would be necessary either () to lay two sets of rails, or () tear down the concrete construction work of the platforms, making them wide enough to permit the wider cars to enter the stations, and adapting them to the narrower cars by adding sliding floor edges to each platform so that the edges could be slid out each time a train of narrower cars pulled in.

This gigantic failure, ridiculous if it were not so serious, was the result of well thought-out plans, carefully estimated, every detail of which had been figured out by some of the greatest civil engineers in the world and checked up by expert mathematicians.

Vivid imaging would have prevented the mistake.

If only one man, of all the hundreds of engineers, employed during the six years, had vividly imaged nothing else but the two kinds of cars; if, instead of thinking about cars, he had vividly imaged them—imaging the front, or the back, ends of the two kinds of cars—he would have seen that the bodies of the cars of one company were a foot wider than the bodies of the cars of the other company, even though the wheels of each kind of car were the same distance apart.

And more, if he had vividly imaged these cars running along the tracks and pulling into the stations, he would have seen that two cars of different widths could not enter the same stations, with platforms a fixed distance from the rails.

The most expert thinking and planning, without definite vivid imaging, often leads to failure. Failure to image any one part— if it is only the end of a car, in the building of an entire subway system—may result in stupendous failure, and cost millions of dollars to remedy the defects.

I write almost nothing about reasoning and judging, and I omit these subjects purposely. If your imaging is vivid, you cannot make a mistake in reasoning or in judging. Yet, what thousands of failures have resulted from mistakes in selection—of plans, processes, propositions, and people— due to lack of vivid imaging. The saneness and safety of all thought processes depends on the completeness of the vivid images which form your thought. Vivid imaging is the thought process which always wins success.

Since vivid imaging builds new structure in the brain, extraordinary results are attained when one is trained, by vividly imaging the process of doing that which one wishes to learn to do.

For years I had trouble each time I engaged a new stenographer. If I hired one who had just finished a stenographic school course, I found that she had to learn “all over again,” although she had been given the best training stenographic schools give.

I studied the problem to discover the cause.

In stenographic schools, the first work done by the student when learning stenographic characters is done by means of the EYE. A book is used, and the student studies the characters, learning the form of each by seeing it. This embodies the form image of each stenographic line or symbol in the brain center of sight!

Next, the student learns to transcribe these characters by muscle movements of the hands and fingers.


But, each time the stenographer takes dictation from an employer, she is compelled to perceive that which he dictates by hearing it. She then perceives the sounds of the words dictated, by use of her ears— not her eyes. Thus, the impressions of the sounds of the words are registered in the brain center of HEARING—not in the brain center of sight. To secure efficiency, the brain center of hearing should be related to motor brain centers which move the muscles of the hands and fingers. Of course, in the schools dictation is given during training. But, the harm has already been done by teaching the sight form of the symbols first, instead of the sounds.

Now, when I need another stenographer, I pick out a young person who has ability to learn, but who has little or no knowledge of stenography.

I blindfold the person and teach him to learn the stenographic characters, first by movement of the hands and fingers—that is, by making the movements necessary to make the symbols. This is made possible by charts of raised symbols which are raised in the same way as are letters in books for the blind.

This first step in learning stenography embodies a vivid image of the form of each symbol in the brain center, which must be used when the stenographer begins to transcribe his dictation.

At the time I teach each movement, I repeat the sound of which the character is the symbol.

By this method, the brain center of hearing and the brain center of movement are at once related. As a result, stenography is learned in a few hours—an hour a day for a couple of weeks—instead of taking months to learn it. Moreover, the student is an efficient stenographer as soon as the characters are learned in this way.

And vivid imaging prevents mistakes in thinking.

You made a mistake in buying that suit last month, because you thought that the suit possessed certain qualities which it does not possess. You were a failure in making that purchase. You failed () because you thought that suit possessed qualities like the

qualities you wished it to possess, and () you thought it possessed those qualities because you failed to think in images vivid enough to note how it differed from what you wished to buy.

Men, who become great successes, make decisions because of differences, not because of likenesses. Do likewise, and be successful.

It is so easy to perceive likenesses. It is the lowest kind of mind action. It is not complete. It leads to mistakes. It leads to failure, because it is due to thinking in ideas instead of vivid images.

Qualities of likeness may attract you, but only vivid imaging of differences leads you to decide wisely and prevent mistakes.

You are a young man. You like a certain friend of your sister. She may, perhaps, be your sweetheart. She is a charming girl, beautiful, blue eyes, dark hair, trim of form, and graceful in movement.

One day as you come from your office, and turn up the street, you see a young lady walking a little ahead of you. She is trim, neatly dressed, her hair is dark. In clothes

and form she looks like the friend of your sister. You hasten your step to overtake her. It is the likeness which attracts your attention and the likeness which attracts you. As you


hurry to catch up with her you note how gracefully she walks—her carriage and movement are like those of your friend. Your heart beats faster; you catch up with her; you lift your hat; flash a smile; and speak. She turns and says: “Laud o’massy, white mans, you shuah is de mos’ darin’ mash ...”

You made the mistake, because you thought of likeness!

And, certainly, your first glimpse of a single difference convinces you that you did make a mistake.

In all selling efforts, present qualities of likeness to attract and interest and create desire in the minds of others; and then, present qualities of difference to convince and close the deal.

The vivid imaging process of thought prevents failures by preventing them at the beginning—by preventing mistakes in your thinking. Selection by likeness alone leads

to mistakes and brings failure. Vivid images compel your mind to see differences.

A few years ago, oil was discovered in California west of the coast mountain range. There the wells were gushing thousands of dollars of oil each day. At that time, a friend of mine visited the desert lands east of the mountain range and in the crevices of a gulley, accidentally found chunks of earth soaked with oil. It felt and looked like the oil-soaked earth found in the oil region on the other side of the mountains.

In his mind, he saw oil gushers in this region like those west of the mountains. In his imagination, he saw himself many times a millionaire like the men who discovered oil west of the mountains. As several people knew that he was on that trip, he kept his discovery to himself, and invested all his savings in that desert land. To secure additional options, he borrowed all he could borrow. All his thought and action was based on recognition of likenesses.

Then the experts found a difference. It looked like oil, but it was not oil. It felt

greasy just as petroleum feels greasy, but it was not petroleum. It was of no commercial value whatever, and he was financially ruined.

The use vivid imaging to perceive differences quickly secures the same results which are secured by long drawn out efforts of “efficiency experts.” A few years ago, I was interested in a hotel property in Paris. It did not pay a good profit. So, I spent a few hours in the dining room and kitchen to watch the service of those working there.

I had the measurements of kitchen, serving room, and dining room sent to my studio, and, there, worked out a plan for remodeling those rooms. The changes were made. As a result, the number of those required to do the work was reduced forty per cent. Instead of a hundred people being necessary, sixty people did the work more easily, after the remodeling was done.

Under the old arrangement, it was necessary for the chefs, who did the broiling, to take four steps in handling each chicken to be broiled. Because of the number of patrons, it was necessary to employ three chefs to do the broiling. After the remodeling, things were so arranged that such a chef could easily reach from the iced drawers in which the chickens were kept to the fire, without taking a step. As a result, this work was done by one man instead of three.

Many an efficiency expert has done work or accomplished results much more remarkable than this little change, but to do this work and be certain of the results, the


efficiency expert spends days in watching workers and collecting data. Then, he often spends weeks in working out details, estimating distances, and time, and calculating kinds of movement.

Such men are just as able as I am, probably much more able to do their work. But, I have learned to use vivid imaging. And so, spending only a few hours in watching people move, I could carry back to my study a vivid image in my mind—an exact mental picture—of just what each employee was required to do, and of how he did it.

I also had a vivid image in my mind of all the useless movements such individuals made. As I sat in my study, I pictured vividly the images of the kitchen, serving room, and dining room. I vividly imaged myself doing the work each one of the employees did.

This vivid imaging took but a few moments—for when one thinks vividly, mind pictures move with lightning-like rapidity. Dreams are usually vivid, and when dreaming, the mind can picture the experiences of years in a few seconds. It is this vivid imagery which brings success quickly.

Every great industry which has ever been made successful, every railroad ever built, every invention ever conceived—resulted from vivid imaging. On the one hand, worlds of ideas—affirmed and envisioned— lead only to failure. On the other, every man, who has succeeded greatly, first vividly imaged and idealized that which he intended to do.

Vivid imaging compels you to recognize differences.

Men who become great successes, make decisions because of differences, not because of likenesses!

Think vividly, perceive differences, and succeed!

Although you train yourself to do your work well,

And plan your work with a purpose, And think of the future, and the profit— Still you are nothing but an economic machine!

And when you wear out, you’ll be discarded!

But, idealize yourself and your work, and you become a creative personality, and your value to others will increase—throughout eternity!

BROWN LANDONE

CHAPTER III

THE “DOING-PROCESS” WHICH ALWAYS SUCCEEDS

HERE is a process of success. It is a dual process. In the preceding chapter, I presented the mental process which prevents mistakes. In this chapter, I present the doing process which always leads to success.

A process is the way in which a thing is done. There are four different ways: () mere doing; () doing with a purpose; () doing which follows a thought-out plan; and () idealized doing which results from vivid imaging.

Any one of the first three ways may result in success, but not one of them is a guarantee of success. In contrast, thinking in vivid images followed by idealized doing always brings success.


In mines and stores, factories, and offices, there are millions of earnest workers, who have learned to do their work well; and then, having learned, they drudge and toil

but do not succeed. Mere doing never leads to success.

Returning from one of my trips to Europe, I found much work to be done. Within three hours, I had telephoned an agency to send me two stenographers.

One brought four letters from former employers. She had had seventeen years’ experience, and her recommendations stated that her work was rapid, exact, neat, and that she was dependable. Each letter emphasized that she was a faithful worker. As her name was Anna, I at once thought of her as “Faithful Anna.”

“How much do you wish?” I asked. “Well—with my experience, I couldn’t work for less than $ a week!”

Of course, I hesitated to employ her, for she had put such a low valuation on her services that it made me doubt her ability. But, I needed someone at once, so I took her on trial.

She took dictation well and transcribed it correctly. But when I asked her to answer some letters which required only routine replies, she replied, “Oh, I wouldn’t know what to write.”

Later, when I outlined a simple subject and asked her to elaborate it, she replied: “Oh, I don’t know anything at all about that!” Yet, she had already been taking dictation on that subject for three days.

And then, one day when her typewriter needed a little adjustment, and I asked her to fix it instead of waiting for a repair man to come, she replied: “ Oh, I wouldn’t know what to do; I don’t know a thing about a typewriter!”

And she was sincere; she didn’t. No knowledge of how a typewriter worked, although she had run one for seventeen years!

Anna, the Faithful, was almost forty. She was a faithful machine. She was satisfied merely to continue to do her work well. A machine does that. A machine wears out. So do people who limit their efforts to mere doing. Success is the reward of growth, not of wearing out.

Purposeful doing is one step in advance of mere doing. It is stimulated by a desire to improve, and yet it does not guarantee success.

One young man who had been in the same shipping office from to , had been advanced to the head of a department. He had had an idea of what to do and of how to make good with the boss. He worked with a purpose. His idea was this: “If I please the boss, he’ll advance me.” So, with a definite purpose, he schemed and was advanced.

But, after the beginning of the great war, there came to his firm the opportunity of greatly increased trade with Europe. He was chosen for important work, but failed to make good and was discharged within three months.

Having a purpose is not enough for the kind of success you want.

The bank robber has a purpose, and lie always succeeds—sooner or later—in being caught. The tramp has a purpose in asking for a “hand out,” and he always succeeds in making himself a useless member of society. Even well-intentioned and purposeful doing often fails. You know the “I’ve got-an-idea” man. He is enthusiastic and will work with a purpose first on one idea and then on another; but, it is always someone else who


makes a success of his ideas. Purposeful doing is based upon an idea or a desire, but, it usually fails because it lacks an ideal.

As the man with a purpose often fails, so also many a young man—intelligent, enthusiastic, hard-working and earnest starts in business for himself and fails, even after he has planned and thought out his entire problem. When he begins, he sees success within two or three years at the most. But, in six months, the sheriff may close him up as a failure. Even planned doing—based upon ideas, desires, and thought-out processes—fails unless the process is idealized.

Idealizing the process is more than merely thinking about the process.

Thinking of how to do things has gone on since the world began. Every one—who has earnestly tried to succeed and who has failed—has thought out what he wanted to do and how to do it. Such failures have been caused by lack of idealizing the process.

The process itself must be idealized as well as the result one wishes to attain. It is such an idealized process which makes success certain.

The meaning of the word “ideal” is not limited to moral or spiritual concepts of life. You can form an ideal of a table, of a home, of a bank account, or of the “way of doing” a thing.

An ideal is a mental image of an object, condition, or process, which is conceived to be COMPLETE.

An idea differs from an ideal!

When you have an idea of something it is an idea because it is not complete. It does not include all the factors which should be included. An ideal, however, is complete. It includes all the essential factors. And, since all mental factors are realized only by use of the vivid images of all the senses, an ideal is the result of vivid imaging.

An “ideal” is a complete mental standard of that which you wish to become real.

To “idealize” is to make an idea so complete that you will desire to exert effort to make it a reality.

“Idealization” is the act of completing an idea in this way.

“Idealized doing” embraces: () idealizing the end you desire to attain; and () idealizing the process of obtaining it.

Idealizing the process always succeeds.

It is a guarantee of success.

Yet, many a person who has formed a definite ideal of what he wants to do or be fails! Why? Why do such people fail to attain to their ideals? The answer is clear: such people idealize the end they wish to attain, but they fail to idealize the process of doing what is necessary to attain to the end desired.

I remember two educators. They did not know each other, but I knew both of them from the time they were boys. One was Jim; the other, Charles. Both were determined to become college presidents. The ideal which each wished to attain was definite.

Jim’s aim was ideal. The standard he set for himself was a college presidency.

Charles’s aim was definite, but he limited it by a material restriction as to the position he desired, and failed to idealize the process of attaining it. Charles was determined to


become the president of the college in his home town. His ideal was limited materially — to becoming the one particular president of one particular college in one particular town.

Both Jim and Charles became noted in their college work. Both became college professors.

Jim took one good position after another, always idealizing each position as a leading to the presidency of some renowned college. He succeeded in attaining to his ideal.

Charles, however, kept his eye on that one particular college in his home town. He failed to idealize the different positions which were offered to him, and did not take advantage of such positions, fearing that they would take him too far away from the goal of his particular ideal. There was no reason why Charles should not have become a college president except that he failed to idealize the steps of the process of attaining to what he desired. So, depreciating the positions offered, he again and again refused positions which would have led to college presidencies.

Thousands fail to attain to their desires, because in attempting to make their aims definite, they restrict them as to time, or condition.

The ideal of the end you wish to attain should be definite, possible, and worthy. But, if you restrict it, you will probably fail to attain it.

If you are an architect, did you not as a boy, long for the time when you could be a policeman? If you are a banker, did you not as a boy, dream of the time when you would be the locomotive engineer running the train through your village? If you are a minister, did you not as a boy, idealize the circus clown and train to become one?

You did not attain the restricted ideal which you set up for yourself; yet, you have attained your unlimited ideal—the ideal of doing something important and being somebody worthwhile. Life teaches one great lesson. When you idealize the process, the ideal you attain seldom comes dressed as you expect it to be dressed. It is always better and greater!

Do not limit your ideal. The impossible of yesterday is the commonplace of today. The impossible of today will be the usual of tomorrow. There is but one limit to that which is possible. It is the limit of the means to be used. Possibilities are never limited by the nature of the problem. If you go to the top of the highest apartment building in Chicago, and shout with all the power of your lungs, you will, by such means fail to communicate with me in New York. But, you fail only because of the means you use, not because of the nature of the problem. The problem is one of communication. Its possibilities are unlimited; so it is with every problem. Nothing limits you unless you limit the means you use.

Thinking out the process may fail, but idealizing the process will always succeed.

A few years ago, an additional main line subway was opened for use in New York City, and also a cross town shuttle connecting the old subway with the new one. A new routing of passengers was necessary. More than a million people were compelled to learn to travel over new routes.

For days before the new system was put in operation, the newspapers carried columns of descriptions of the new system and how to get from one point to another. Most of the people of New York read the directions before the opening. Hence, they had ideas about the new routes and they thought about them. But, probably not one in a hundred thousand, when he read the directions again and again, idealized the process of using them.


On the day of the opening, intelligent men and women crowded and jammed each other. They went where they did not wish to go. Many who had known New York City all their lives, got lost. The jamming was so great at two transfer stations that women fainted, and so many were seriously hurt that it was necessary to close the cross town subway for a month to prevent accidents, to prevent intelligent people from hurting each other because of their confused mob action.

More than a million people lost their heads.

And, all of this confusion, trouble, injury, and delay could have been prevented if they had spent but five minutes in idealizing the process of traveling on the new subways.

I took a description of the routes from a newspaper, and read it carefully. Then I closed my eyes to idealize both the old and the new routes. I idealized myself using the new route from my home to my office. I idealized myself riding on the cars, changing where descriptions explained that changes should be made; I idealized every bit of the journey to my office door. Then, I idealized one trip after another to other parts of the city, until I had seen myself using every new and every old route of the subways. After this, it was impossible for me to be confused; impossible for me to make a mistake.

Millions of others thought of the new routes, but certainly very few consciously idealized themselves traveling over them. Yet, every individual in New York could have done so in five minutes, if each had been in the habit of idealizing the process of doing things.

The foregoing illustrates what I mean by idealizing the process. It makes the ideal of doing the thing complete in your mind before you actually do it. The success of idealizing the process in creating new things is shown in the first story which follows; and the efficiency of work due to idealizing the process is shown in the second.

Idealizing the process creates inventions.

A hundred years ago the only efficient instrument for cutting hay and grain was the scythe. The actual scythe was a long curved blade attached to a double curved handle. Many had tried to improve this instrument by sticking to their ideas and thoughts of its reality. They devised many different machines with curved blades, two or three times as long as that of the scythe, to be swung by machine power instead of arm power. All these efforts failed, although each of the men had ideas, desires, and thoughts about what he was doing and wanted to do.

Then, one man with an idealizing attitude took up the problem. He no longer thought of the actual instrument used to cut grain. In his mind, he idealized all the different processes of cutting, and all the different instruments which had been used for cutting.

He took the problem out of the realm of reality into the realm of ideality. In his mind, he took all kinds of cutting machines apart, and mentally destroyed their identity as actual machines. Instead of thinking machines, he idealized the process of cutting. When idealizing the process, he found that the scythe would not do at all as the basis of a mowing machine, but that a sliding series of shear blades would work. His invention was successful.

This is more than imagination, visualization, and realization. Others had imagined and visualized the machines they wished to invent. The man who succeeded in inventing the mowing machine succeeded because he idealized the process of cutting. Although there are scores of ways by which your mind relates images of what to do and how to do it,


there is only one way which guarantees success and efficiency. Vivid imaging is the basis of efficient action.

Immediately following a cyclone in one of the cities of South America, physicians were called here and there, to attend to the injured. So far as I know, all but one responded immediately to the first call. This one—even though people were running to his office, begging him to go at once to this injured person or that one, even though other people over his telephone were beseeching him to come to this or that section of the city—did not leave his office until he had idealized the functional relation of all things, conditions, effects, and places which should or might be connected with what was to be done.

First, he vividly imaged all the different kinds of injuries reported to him, and, in addition, all the possible injuries he might be called upon to treat;

Second, he vividly imaged all the medicines, antiseptics, instruments, accessories, et cetera, which would be required or which might be required; he also imaged his own supply and the surplus to be obtained at the drug store;

Third, he vividly imaged what should be done to aid the rapid recovery of those injured—the wisdom of wrapping each in a warm blanket immediately after first aid— as protection from the after-chill of the storm;

Fourth, he vividly imaged the places at which the most seriously injured were reported to be; imaged himself going from one place to the next by the shortest routes; and then he repeated the process, imaging in order the places at which the less seriously injured were reported to be.

Then, he began action: () he scribbled a list of certain materials he would need; () he ordered his assistant to get such materials at the drug store at the next corner and to stand at the curb so that he might grab them from her hands when he should start out; () he telephoned a department store a block beyond the drug store, ordering a clerk to stand in front of the store with fifty blankets; () he selected from his operating room every instrument which might be necessary; () he ran to his ear, drove to the drug store, to the department store, and then on his way to the injured.

As a physician he was no better than many other physicians in the city, but the records show that during the four hours following the cyclone, he attended more than twice as many cases as any other physician in the city, and that not one of those whom he attended suffered subsequently because of chills.

This one hundred per cent increase of cases attended and his one hundred per cent efficiency in preventing subsequent collapse was the result of the five minutes he spent in idealizing the process of functional relationship of every factor of his plan before beginning to carry it out. He did this in less than five minutes because it had been his practice for years to idealize the process of doing things.

Your ideal of the end you desire to attain is the “star” to which you should hitch your wagon of attainment. But, very much depends upon the way in which you do the hitching.

Idealized doing always succeeds.

Do you use a grammar text to teach a child arithmetic?

Or deliver an oration, to propel a steamship?

Why then, do you ridiculously misuse the means which God has given you?


BROWN LANDONE

CHAPTER IV

THE ONLY THREE MEANS WHICH YOU CAN USE

SINCE efforts to succeed are related to others, your success depends largely on the means which you use in dealing with others. To succeed, you must persuade and convince others to buy the things you make or create, to desire your work, to respond to your leadership, or to accept your presentation of principles, plans, propositions, policies, and ideals.

What you communicate to others—of your motives, ideas, desires, and ideals—determines the concept of your personality in the minds of others. That something of your personality which others perceive is the composite of that which you communicate. There is a difference between what you express and what you communicate. A Chinese may express his ideas by the hour, but if he talks in Chinese, his words will fail to communicate his ideas to me.

In creating a concept of yourself in the minds of others, there are only three means which you can use.

These three means are words, tones, and action.

These are the only means you can use to communicate your motives, feelings, ideas, desires, thoughts, or ideals to others. No matter how great a brain you have, how keen and comprehensive your mind, how sympathetic your heart, if you are completely paralyzed so that you can neither speak nor move, you have no more personality than a wax image.

Perhaps you think that there are other means of communication. Perhaps you think, “I can perceive something of the nature of the soul of a man by his eye, even though he does not utter a word, or make a sound, or move a single muscle.” To such a thought, I answer: “You are mistaken! You cannot see such soul attributes in a glass eye. What we call expression in the eye is the action of the tiny muscle fibers which round or flatten the lenses of the eye. Without the movement of these tiny eye muscles, the human eye cannot gleam or twinkle or harden or soften, and has no more life than the eye of a dead fish.

All communication is by word, tone, or action.

Not even thought transference can take place without brain and mind action. Of course, communication by action is not limited solely to movement. There is the action of the senses; and posture which is the result of action. No matter what phase of communication you consider, you find that there are only three means: () words, () tones, and () action.

Failure to use any one or more of these means with discrimination often arouses a mistaken idea in the other person’s mind. When one of these means conveys one idea and another means conveys a different impression, you contradict yourself and fail because you unintentionally destroy the other person’s faith in you.

More and more we are coming to understand the unity of all things. We are coming to understand that, after making a thing well, lack of success is often due to failure to


market it. No matter how well you make a thing, you cannot make a success of your work unless it is sold. If, as a tailor, your suits are not sold; if, as an author, your writings are not published— then you fail. Many a person is a failure because he does not know how to use the three means of communication effectively in persuading and convincing others to accept his word and render him just compensation.

Tones are more important than words.

No young man can succeed in convincing a girl that he loves her by sitting across the room, twenty feet from her, and shouting “I love you!” in the high pitched tones of a campaign orator.

Many a person fails to secure a raise in salary, because—at the time he is requesting a raise by use of words—his tones and actions tell his employer that the applicant is afraid he will not receive the raise requested.

You have heard one woman—you know the kind—compliment another. Her words are complimentary. But, one little spiteful inflection of her tone tells you that the compliment is insincere. The woman may talk for ten minutes (seconds) and the spiteful inflection of her tone may last but one second. Yet, you believe the one unit of tone, and discredit the units of words!

Action is more effective than words and tones.

Also, a man may compliment you for ten minutes in pleasing words, spoken in most agreeable tones. But, one tiny sneer of the upper lip will belie all the complimentary ideas expressed by his words and all the agreeable feelings aroused by his pleasing tones. The little sneer is action. It may last but one second. Yet, action is so much more effective than words and tones, that you discredit the units of words and the units of tone, and depend upon the one unit of action.

Is it any wonder that so many people fail when they try mainly by means of words to communicate that which they wish to communicate to others?

Remember that leadership is one of the factors which determine success. It is one of the factors which guarantee it. Remember also that your success depends upon dealing effectively with other people. In doing so, you can use but three means— words, tones, and actions. If you have been attempting to succeed by a major use of words, you have failed again and again— for words are less effective than tones, and tones are less effective than action.

Use words to express your ideas. Use tones to express your feeling. Use only action to express motives. Then you will not be misunderstood. And you will be understood. He sat in a high backed chair, erect and rigid, the palm of a hand on each knee, like an Egyptian statue.

While she, with graceful ease, reclined in a luxurious chair, twenty feet away across the room.

“I love you! I love you! I love you!” he shouted in a high-pitched auctioneer’s voice!


He shouted it one hundred and thirty-eight times!

Yet, she did not lovingly respond.

He failed to win her!

It is not the words you use, but the tones of your voice, which win others!

BROWN LANDONE

CHAPTER V

THE TONES YOU CAN USE TO PERSUADE AND COMMAND

“ONE thing I like about Charles,” said his sweetheart, “is that he’s always the same—he never loses his temper.” To which Charles’s sister replied: “Lose his temper? O-o-oh, No-o-o! Charles never does th-a-a-t!”

And, the sweetheart began to wonder if she knew as much about Charles as she thought she did.

In words the sister said: “Oh, no! Charles never loses his temper.” But her tones said: “You sweet, simple, little deary, Charles does lose his temper, and when he does! Well—it’s a cyclone! Just wait until you’re married to him!”

Since words and meaning conflict, and since one unit of tone is more convincing than, six hundred units of words, it is wise to make use of tones.

The mental-tone actually fights to gain attention. “Hear Ye! Hear Ye!” is used in the courtroom to gain the immediate attention of everyone in the room. This mental tone is a fighting tone. It does not suggest a physical fight, but a conflict of ideas. Unless you wish to stir up opposing ideas, avoid using it except when necessary to gain immediate attention.

The feeling-tone is the brotherhood tone, the comradeship-tone, the I-want-to-do-you-a-good-turn-tone. To be effective, it must be without any hint of fawning or pleading. In the mind of the listener, it awakens willingness to be persuaded.

To determine its pitch and quality, image yourself talking to your young son, expressing your love and kindness. Then, fit your tone to your feelings, and you can discover the correct pitch and depth of the emotive tone. Keep it manly and strong. It is the attracting, harmonizing and winning tone.

The power-tone is used to command and direct successfully. It is lower in pitch than the mental-tone and lacks the winning quality of the feeling tone. Direct commands in words often arouse opposition; but soft words and strong power-tones awaken no such opposition. The power-tone communicates the command which will be obeyed.

Persuading and convincing are factors of the art of selling. Selling, in its larger sense, is the basis of human relationship; for, whenever two human beings converse, one sells the other something. It may be a thing, or it may be an idea, or it may be an ideal, or a personal impression. If successful in selling, you lead the other person’s mind to see and feel and desire as you do. To do this, you first win by attraction, and then impel by conviction. Choose your tones wisely.


Woe to you if you attempt by a mental tone to persuade a woman.

Why, then, try to use such a tone to persuade a man to buy? Yet, you are in the habit of doing so; for, when you go to another person with a proposition about which you have been thinking, it is natural to use a mental tone, because your mind is centered upon the ideas of your proposition. To win, first think less of your ideas and more of the man-to-man relationship you wish to establish between the other man and yourself. Use the feeling-tone for this. Then, use the power tone to impel a decision.

The experienced salesman has learned by many failures not to depend upon the mental tone. Instead, he uses a brotherly tone in talking to his prospects. He talks as a brother who wishes to act as a benefactor, and who wishes to render a service.

The mental-tone should be used only in gaining the attention of the mind of the other person when you present information or explain.

The emotive or feeling-tone should be used to convey to the buyer’s mind a true consciousness of your honor, of your kindnesses, of your courtesy, of your desire to serve. It should always be used to win and to persuade.

The power-tone should be used in commanding. It always suggests your solidity, your capacity, and your right to direct others.

He was a tall man, and well built! His knees sagged. His shoulders drooped. His arms hung loosely. His hands flopped as he shuffled along. His lower jaw sagged. His mouth was weak, and habitually hung half opened. And he said, “I’m the kind of man who knows what he wants, and always gets it!” I did not believe him!

Words are nothing, when actions belie them!

BROWN LANDONE

CHAPTER VI

HOW TO USE ACTION INSTEAD OF WORDS TO IMPRESS OTHERS

IF, in response to your call, a messenger boy comes to your office thirty minutes after the time he ought to have arrived; if he lazily shuffles into the office, leans against the wall with body out of poise, and knees loose-jointed—you know that he is not the kind of a boy who will hurry to deliver your message, even if in words, he faithfully promises to do so.

It is the old principle; actions speak louder than words—yes, a thousand times louder.

Just as a boy’s movements convince you much more than his words do, so also your movements convey to others much more than do your words.


Some years ago a very successful salesman was presenting a proposition to a board of directors in the city of New York for the purpose of securing a large contract. I happened to be present, as a guest of one of the directors, because my advice was sought on another matter which was to be taken up the same afternoon.

The salesman was a good talker, his proposition was good and his presentation, so far as words were concerned, was clear and definite.

But, it was evident from his eye action that he was much concerned about how the members of the board were receiving each point which he made. He kept an “eagle eye” on every one of them, and he did it in too evident a manner. Although his proposition was good, and his presentation excellent, the board postponed making a decision until the two other men with similar propositions could be heard.

The first salesman lost out and a quiet, unassuming man won the contract, although I felt certain that the conditions presented by the first man were the better.

Later, in talking to my friend, I inquired why he had voted to give the contract to the second salesman. He shrugged his shoulders, and replied: “Why, really, I don’t know; but, damn it, I didn’t like the way that man looked at me. I felt as though he was trying to pull a game on us, although I must admit his proposition did seem all right.”

The suggestion of the posture of your body is more powerful than the words which you utter. If your posture contradicts your words, others will not believe your words. No matter how much a man talks about his vitality, you disbelieve him, if he drags himself around, back bent, shoulders stooped, and head drooping. As the postures of others make an impression upon you, so your posture communicates something to others and influences them.

Since success depends upon dealing with other people, even the way you stand is important.

Posture suggests mental balance, or lack of it!

A man of normal mentality controls his body, and knows that he can control it. Such a man is able to stand with his weight upon one leg at a time. Leaving the other leg free so that he can easily take a step forward, backward, or to the side. When there is mental and moral balance, there is physical balance. If, when you walk, you shift your weight easily from one foot to another, others subconsciously feel that your mind controls your body, and they consider you a man of balanced mind.

In contrast, the “bum” who frequents the street corner shoves his hands in his pockets, stands with spread legs with his weight on both of them. He uses his legs as physical props, always indicating that he has not the mental or moral power to control and balance his body.

Recently, in a bookstore, I saw a retail salesman fail because of his posture. He was trying to sell a book on International Law. He was trying to impress the customer with his (the salesman’s) own knowledge of the subject. He asserted that he, himself, had read the book and that he considered it the best book on the subject.

But, he stood with his legs at least a foot and a half apart; the weight was on both legs. And, I saw the customer’s eyes go back again and again to the body of the salesman.

Even though the customer was unconscious of what affected him, the lack of poise killed the sale.


The customer actually wanted to buy a book on the subject. He was not a student of law; he had no definite opinion as to the authority of the author; but authority as represented by the salesman’s poise was unbalanced authority.

To make certain of my conclusions, I casually entered into conversation with the customer while we looked at other books. I led the talk back to the subject of International Law, and the salesman. Referring to him, the customer said to me: “I don’t know anything about the subject, but he knows less than I do; I don’t believe he has ever read that book.”

And, the truth is this: the book salesman had read that book, and he does know a great deal about books on International Law. He told the truth with his words; he lied about himself by means of his posture; and the customer believed the posture instead of the words.

If your posture contradicts your words, the other man will believe what your posture tells him, and discredit whatever your words say.

Stability is suggested by use of large muscles.

Too frequent use of the little muscles— wrist, finger, and ankle muscles—indicates quickness but also changeability and instability. The predominant use of the large muscles—hip, thigh, arm, and leg muscles— indicates strength, stability and a consciousness of power. Walk like a king among men, strongly tensing the back thigh muscles so that you seem to be pushing the earth away from you at every step.

Action is so powerful as a means of communication, that, when you see a man walk with a long, free stride, swinging his legs from his hip, your mind compels you to think of him as a man of power.

If, when talking of a big proposition, you emphasize it by light, easy and effeminate gestures, the other man will think that you are not a substantial individual upon whom he can depend, and he will think of your proposition as he thinks of you.

If your words say one thing about you, and your tones or action say another, others lose confidence in you.

A splendid young man, who had been a telegrapher for six years, went to a millionaire with a very good proposition. He called five times; but the wealthy man refused to cooperate with him. To me, the man of wealth said: “The proposition seems all right; but the young man’s too changeable, he’s not dependable.”

The young man was stable and dependable, but something which he did while presenting his proposition told the millionaire a falsehood about the young man. Operating a telegraph key for years had become a habit, and the young man’s fingers were always moving—tapping, tapping, something—whenever he talked. That habit told lies about him.

For three days, I trained the young man to keep his hands and fingers quiet so that he would appear as he really was—a calm, reliable, dependable young man. Then, he again called on the millionaire and the deal was closed within an hour, because his words, his tones, and his actions had been harmonized. All told the same truth about him, and the wealthy man became confident of his capacity and dependability.

Your success depends on handling other people.


The degree of your success depends on the impression of yourself which you convey to the minds of others.

Action is the most powerful means of communication.

Pose is the result of action. It is the means which creates the most stable and lasting impression.

If you stand with your legs spread from side to side, you give others the impression that you are not sure of your position, or that you are afraid you cannot maintain it. No man stands thus, unless he subconsciously desires to prop his own mind, by “physical props.” In other words, such a pose indicates that the man self-consciously fears his ideas or decisions are not strong enough to stand on their own merit. Or he fears he is wrong and that you will find it out; or he fears that he cannot win you to accept his plan or proposition.

A slouching attitude gives others the impression that you lack energy. Such an attitude tells the other man that you have not sufficient energy to carry out what you determine to carry out, or it tells him that you are too lazy to use the energy you have —too lazy to use enough to turn your “ideas” to actual success.

If you stand in a slouching attitude, or with legs spread from side to side, when giving directions to others, or when talking of your proposition to other people —then they get the impression that you are afraid your directions or commands will not be obeyed, or that you are afraid you cannot fulfill your promises, or that you are afraid they will find out the weakness of your proposition.

There is, however, one pose which conveys to others a true impression of your faith in yourself, of your courage, of your certainty of success, and of your consciousness of power.

It is this: stand with one foot in front of the other, and a little to one side, and bear the weight of your body on one limb at a time, so that you have a good base for balancing your body. This makes the other person feel that you are so strong, mentally, that you can easily balance your body on one foot, and keep the other ready for action. It gives the impression that you are both stable and energetic—that you possess both these qualities at the same time.

If your pose lacks the suggestion of perfect balance, it limits you, and gives others false impressions of you.

Change to the perfect balance, by consciously practicing the balanced pose, and consciously thinking of what you are doing every moment of your practice. This means more than thinking of it when you begin the exercise, and then forgetting it, and continuing without conscious attention.

Consciously think of every movement of the exercise every moment of the practice. This is what brings quick change, complete change, and permanent change.

The pose of the head is powerful. Not many years ago, I asked an American woman this question: “What is it that gives the greatest impression of personal worth?”

She was known throughout the world as a woman of influence, in national and international affairs. She was a woman of great wealth, of social prestige, of culture, and a renowned beauty.

Imagine my surprise when she answered, “It is not wealth nor beauty, nor position; it is the pose of the head.”


Mere lifting of the head upward, holding it up, and easily balancing it, gives the impression of adding another inch or two to the height of the individual. This increases the impression of life and vitality. This impression of life and vitality, created in the other person’s mind, is not limited to impressions of physical power. The mentality of the individual and his character are judged by this indication of virility.

What is your impression of the man, whose shoulders droop, whose head hangs forward or to one side? How different it is from your impression of another individual who stands erect, with head up, accentuating the life-line of the body, and the strength of mind and virility of character.

If the pose of your head limits your efforts by giving others a poor impression of you, change it. Practice before a mirror. Make your practice conscious and discriminative. Continue the practice until—with a book on your head—you are able to walk about your room without the book slipping off. Continue this practice until you can carry a book thus, without feeling stiff and tensed when doing it. Then, the pose of your head will be erect, and your carriage easy.

If you have limitations of form, features, or bearing, overcome them, not only by thinking of what you want to be, but by action.

To more truly impress others, make your facial features express and communicate your cheer and joy, and your fellow feeling for others.

To develop yourself, carry your body, and your head, in such a way that their activities react on the brain centers, and produce actual changes in your brain.

By such practice, your desire and your effort become permanent and habitual, so that you appear at ease even when you are making a conscious effort to convey a true impression of yourself.

Superiority is suggested by action.

To give others the best impression of yourself, your activity, your energy, your endurance, train your body to the erect, upright posture so that it will always tell the truth not only about your character, but of your proposition as well.

You never can succeed in leading others unless you make them feel that you are superior. If you say it in words, others will call you a bluff or a conceited fool. There is a better way. Every man of power easily balances his head on his shoulders and holds his head well. The habitually uplifted head gives an impression of superiority which no man in the world can withstand.

He was a good sales talker, a clerk behind the counter, trying to sell me some candies. He said they were “excellent sweets.” My taste told me they were rancid. He said they were delicious. They smelled “oniony.” He said they were soft and fresh. My sense of pressure told me they were like marbles. I did not buy them, and you would not have bought them, for every soul buys because of the evidence of its senses.

Why then, bother much about sales talks?

BROWN LANDONE


CHAPTER VII

PHENOMENAL SELLING BY MEANS OF THE SENSES

YU would not buy a watermelon, if it were shaped like a tin dipper, or if it were as small as a lien’s egg, because your senses of motion and direction tell you that its shape and form and size are not right. And, you refuse to buy the watermelon which sounds like lead when you tap it, because your sense of sound tells you that it is not ripe.

I buy by use of my senses. So do you!

The other day, a coffee salesman tried to sell me a certain brand of coffee. He talked at length, asserting that it would make a coffee beverage possessing body, taste, and aroma. He was a good talker, and I believe he was sincere. But, when in coffee countries, I had been taught how to judge the age of coffee by the sense of smell, and I refused to buy it. A half hour of words could not convince me that the coffee was fresh.

When you are buying a shirt, you feel its material between your thumb and finger; and, if your tactile sense tells you that the shirt is made of cloth as rough as cotton, and if your pressure sense tells you that its fiber is hard as pig’s bristles, you refuse to believe that it is a silk shirt, even though the shop keeper positively assures you by means of words that the shirt is pure silk and all silk.

Words are valueless when contradicted by the action of your senses. You buy because of the action of your senses. So does every other person in the world. Since you buy because of the action of your senses, and since the other person buys because of the action of his senses, why depend on sales talks? If you desire phenomenal success as a salesman, lead the other person to use his senses. As a human being, he buys for the same reason you do—by conviction determined by sense action.

Your words will count for nothing with any intelligent man, unless your words are backed up by use of the right senses. But, you can—if you know how to use this means —lead the other person to persuade and convince himself by his use of his own senses.

Use of the senses always succeeds!

Only a short time ago, a very wealthy New Yorker who already owned seven automobiles, purchased three more cars merely because an appeal was made through his tactile sense. Two or three salesmen had been trying to sell him new cars, but he saw no special reason why he should buy, although his income was such that he could have purchased twenty new cars without being inconvenienced.

One salesman, who had gone to him again and again, was on the point of giving up because he had found no appeal sufficiently strong to make the man desire to purchase even one new car. And so, the young salesman came to consult me. During our conversation, I became convinced that his appearance, his manner, his sales talk, his tones, his posture, and his movements were all fairly good. I knew that the car which he was trying to sell was a good car. And,

I knew that the other man could afford to buy it. “How have you tried to sell it to him?” I asked. “Why, I’ve emphasized every good point about the car, I’ve tried to do it as clearly and concisely as possible; but he seems to have no desire to buy any more cars.”


“Then,” I answered, “You need to create desire, and desire is aroused not by WORDS, but by SENSE IMAGES. Sense images are most vivid when aroused by direct sense action. Have you tried that?”

“Don’t even know what it is,” he replied.

Then, I explained, “Find out, if possible, to which one of the man’s senses you should appeal. Can’t you remember anything about the man which will give us a clue?”

The young man did remember something, although he had considered it mere nervousness; the man’s hands and fingers were continually active—feeling his stationery as though testing the quality and the finish of the paper; running the tips of his forefingers over the leather bindings of his books, the carving of his Florentine desk, et cetera. The old man’s hobby was the collection of rare books, especially leather bound books, because of the feel of them.

Now let me tell you how the three cars were sold in thirteen minutes—for, two days later, the young salesman called upon the man and sold him not one, but three cars.

Lie made use of the tactile sense.

During these two intervening days the young man had been busy; first, he cleaned and polished a rear axle of the kind used in the car which he was trying to sell; then, obtaining another audience, he astonished both the gentleman and the gentleman’s secretary by bringing in the rear axle of an automobile.

It was of the finest steel, perfectly finished, and highly polished. He asked the man to run his finger tips over it, to feel its perfect smoothness. The prospect hesitated and then did so. A light came into his eyes! He had never before felt anything so smooth! Lovingly his finger tips, again and again, ran up and down the axle. Then the salesman placed the axle to one side—within sight, but out of reach; and explained to the man that a car with an axle so finely made must necessarily run more perfectly than cars with parts not so well finished.

In thirteen minutes the deal was closed —closed for three new machines.

Think it over; action is more effective than tones; tones are more powerful than words; words are the least important and the least effective. Why depend on sales talks which are usually tiresome to the prospect, when it is easy to sell by interesting action of the senses?

Of course, use all means: words, plus tones, plus action of the senses, plus posture, plus movement.

A sales talk often fails.

A short time ago, in a Chicago store, I witnessed a salesman attempting to sell a gas range to a housewife. I stood and watched and listened. The salesman emphasized two facts about the heating of the range: first, the oven could be made very hot by burning only a little gas; and second, the range was so constructed that very little heat was radiated into the room.

A range was on demonstration; the gas was lighted, and the oven was hot.

The woman was interested, there was no doubt about that, but the salesman could not lead her to make a decision to buy any particular range. It seemed that she wanted the one on demonstration; it seemed evident that she had the means of paying for it; but she could not be brought to make a decision.


After some time, the first salesman held a whispered conference with the floor manager for a moment. The manager sent another salesman to the woman. He went over the whole matter again; talking and telling her of all the good points of the range just as the first salesman had done. Yet, she made no decision to buy.

I listened, also, to what other salesmen on the floor were saying. They considered her a hopeless prospect. She had been in the store nearly two hours and a half; and she had been there several times during the preceding week.

I knew that words about heat are not hot; and, since I was engaged by the company then in conference, I took the liberty of speaking to the floor manager. Putting aside my coat and hat, I went up to the woman as though I were one of the retail salesmen on the floor.

I used heat instead of words to convince her.

I had noted her hands and appearance and consequently I knew she did her own work. I also knew that the range on demonstration was the best range on the market at the price* I knew that it would give her good service. And I felt certain, that she could afford to buy it.

Certainly, the salesmen who had tried to sell to her, and who had failed in the attempt, were, in many respects, better salesmen than I. But, the fact that I knew that action—including action of the senses and movement—was much more effective than words, gave me an advantage.

I knew that the words “hot” and “cold,” as words, mean very little to a woman who has handled hot dishes, and had her hands in hot water fifty thousand times or more.

She knew of heat by feeling it; not by sound of words. Moreover, she had felt the heat of boiling water so many times with her hands, that any heat less than that of boiling water did not seem hot to her hands. I wished the woman to appreciate the heat of the oven, so I bent down, and of course she did the same. I put my face close to the open oven door; she did the same. The rush of hot air was hot on our faces—much hotter than words.

Then I spoke of how little heat was radiated from the range into the room when the oven door was closed. I put my hand near the outside oven wall; she put her hand there.

Any degree of heat felt by the face seems very much hotter than the same degree of heat felt by the hand. The woman had felt the heat from within the oven on her face; but she had felt almost no heat at all radiated from the oven walls because I had led her to use her hands for that purpose.

What I led her to do told her the truth about the range, and, hence she bought it then and there, and paid cash for it, too.

This brings to mind an incident related to me some time ago by the sales manager of the Burroughs Adding Machine Company. This company has an ethical standard which its salesmen are required to follow. If a salesman takes an order” for a machine which is too large for the customer’s use; that is, if a smaller, less expensive machine will give the customer the service he needs—then, the company cancels the order, and advises the customer to buy a smaller, less expensive machine.

Several salesmen of this company had been trying to sell a small adding machine to a certain small storekeeper in Detroit. Each had failed. The sales manager sized up the


situation and sent out a salesman who had been an actor. This actor-salesman, on his first call, sold a machine to the small storekeeper!

He called at the close of the business day. It was midsummer and it was hot. The storekeeper was working over his accounts, and perspiring. The actor-salesman began mopping his brow, talking about the heat.

Incidentally, he spoke of meeting Mr. A—, who by the way, owned a Burroughs Adding Machine—boating, the day before, between five and six in the afternoon. A little later in the conversation, he mentioned seeing Mr. B—, who, by the way, owned a Burroughs Adding Machine, taking a stroll on Belle Isle, between five and six. In fact, he had seen him there several times during the hot weather of the previous three weeks. He also mentioned (incidental^, of course), that, on several occasions, he and Mr. C—, who owned a Burroughs Adding Machine, had had a good hour’s swim between five and six.

The salesman did not appear to be talking about the adding machine at all. He seemed to be rehearsing the pleasures he was having in Detroit those sweltering hot days with men who owned Burroughs Adding Machines, and who—this, however, was never mentioned in words—had spare time late each afternoon to take an hour or two off. And, evidently, it would have been impossible for them to get away from their shops if they had been compelled, as was the poor, sweating shopkeeper to whom the salesman was talking, to work over their books an hour or two after closing time.

He created in the mind of the little storekeeper, the image of satisfaction—the pleasure of taking a walk on Belle Isle, or taking a row on the river, or a cool swim each afternoon. He created in the mind of the little storekeeper, a longing for such leisure, and recognition of the fact that the possession of a Burroughs Adding Machine would give him that leisure—would make it possible for him to satisfy his longings; and, of course, the salesman then and there took an order for a small machine.

In the sale of the gas range the appeal was made to the temperature senses—heat and cold. Moreover, movement was employed. I acted, and I led the woman to do something. Then, also, I used discrimination in my use of tone. I did not talk to her as though I were instructing her. She was a housewife; she worked in a kitchen; I knew that in her work she could instruct me.

But, I knew that few men realize the unending work of a small household. Hence, I was not insincere when I used only sympathetic tones, because I did sympathize with her. That gave her confidence that I would recommend only that which she most needed, the kind of range which would be of greatest service to her.

In selling the Burroughs Adding Machine, an appeal was made to the sense images of the cool shade of Belle Isle and the cool swim in the river; and, to the sense images of quiet activity—rowing, strolling, and resting. And then the salesman, by his own movement—wiping the perspiration from his forehead, by his breathing, and by his sighing—emphasized the heat and fatigue in the office in late afternoon.

And, the tones were idealized in vividly picturing the pleasure which might be had by a small storekeeper who was able to settle up his own accounts quickly by using a small adding machine.

The ethics of the use of any means depends on the ethics of the man using them. In the case of the actor-salesman, he succeeded because he harmonized all the means of telling the storekeeper the truth about the service which the machine would render.


When the senses are used in selling, success is always certain—not only in the sales-work of large corporations, but also in the sales of individuals who are out “on their own.”

A young man, back from the war, found himself without a suitable position. He had been reared in a county of northwest New Jersey. There are a few villages of from to, population in the county, and by some of these were supplied with electricity by a large power company. Outside the villages, the county was well populated, and the farmers were prosperous. Yet, they were without electric lights.

The young man recognized the need of better lighting—electric lights instead of old oil lamps—in the homes of the farmers. Here was a virgin field for individual sales-work.

He went into the business. He became agent for one of the company’s manufacturing unit electric light plants for private homes. Then he went to the company’s factory to study the apparatus, and to its sales organization to be trained in selling. He was taught sales talk. He was well trained, both in knowledge of his product and in methods of presenting it. Moreover, he knew the field well, for he had been reared in the county.

Personally, he was all a salesman should be—genial, good appearing, likeable, full of energy—one of the finest and most faith-inspiring young men whom I have met. If any man could have succeeded by good sales talks, he could have succeeded. Yet, his sales did not build up as he wished they would.

The farmers needed electric lights, but it was not easy to convince them that they needed better lighting. They were not inclined to buy individual electric light plants.

There was one objection which it seemed impossible to overcome. In each case, before the young man could finish his sales talk, every farmer would say, “I guess we’ll not waste any money in an electric light plant. We’ve got along with lamp-light a good many years, and it’s good enough now.”

For months he tried to overcome this objection by presenting every statement of fact, and every illustration of which he could think, to prove how much brighter the farm house would be if electric lights were installed. Still, the sales lagged, and, although he did well—better than salesmen of other companies—yet, he knew that he was not closing per cent of the possible purchasers.

Without having heard of selling by the senses, he began “to figure out” how, without arousing antagonism by too much talk, he could convince a farmer that the light in his own home—the oil lamp light—was not good enough. One day he ”got an idea”, and carried it out. For three days he shut himself up in his shop, and worked at installing one of his unit electric light plants in the back compartment of his automobile. He attached a long, flexible cord to the plant and a powerful light bulb to the cord. Then, he planned to visit farmers only in the evening, and to waste no time in sales talks during the day.

This is how his new sales method works: when he calls on a farmer, he drives as near the house as possible, and when the farmer makes the objection that the “oil lamp is good enough for him,” the young man says, “Certainly, you’re the one to decide on that, but, wait a minute.” Out he goes to his auto, starts the plant in the back of his car, carries the long cord into the house, and then—without turning on the electric light, he insists that the farmer sit down with his newspaper, near his old oil lamp.

And, as the farmer strains his eyes to read, tipping his head to get a better light on his paper—suddenly, the young salesman switches on the electric light, and the room is brilliantly flooded with light which reaches to every corner.


When the farmer, in one instant, finds the light in his living room changed from the dull red shadowy light of the oil lamp, to the glowing white brilliancy of the electric lamp, his ideas change his own ideas of his needs. It is an appeal to his senses. The contrast to the sense of sight is so great— that no further sales talk is needed!

Within a short time after adopting this method, the young man had that county completely “sold” on unit electric light plants. Moreover, since he never antagonized by talking too much, he won such good will that the county became his field, and all other companies practically withdrew. During the past year all the unit electric light plants sold in that county— with the exception of two—were sold by that young man. The two others were purchased by people who had just moved into the county, and who did not yet know of the young salesman. I know of few records which equal this—in quick sales, good will, and complete control of territory.

To quadruple your sales, cut down your sales talk per cent, and devise means which make it necessary for the prospect to use his special senses.

Yes, it is true that opportunity comes only once to your door.

But, since it comes at birth and stays throughout life,

You can grasp its hand at any moment, and bid it enter!

BROWN LANDONE

CHAPTER VIII

HOW TO OVERCOME CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH HINDER YOU

WHEN there is a train wreck, the engineers of trains which are scheduled to follow the train which has been wrecked, act wisely. They do not close their eyes and assert that there is no wreck. Neither do they attempt to “plow through” the pile of wreckage. Instead, they switch their trains to other tracks, and even use other railway lines, while wrecking crews are at work clearing away the wreckage.

Be wise!

First, do not deny the existence of things that seem to hinder and oppose you—for, of course, there are circumstances which hinder your success and conditions which oppose your advancement. Second, do not attempt to plow through circumstances and conditions. Instead, overcome them—that is, “come over them” into success.

The word “circumstance” means “that which encircles,” or “that which stands around.” Circumstances are always secondary factors. In themselves, they are never an essential part of yourself, or your work, or your surroundings. They are conditions which stand around, somewhere, near you. Hence, you can always find a way of switching around them.

Moreover, you can build your own switch tracks whenever and wherever you please. You can do so instantly. The switching of a plan or act depends upon a change of thought. Man can think a thousand ideas an hour, and establish a hundred switching tracks in a minute. So do not deny that hindrances exist, but recognize that they can NOT prevent you from securing that which you want.


Why should you let circumstances hinder you? Who created them? God or man? Who maintains and continues them? God or man? Circumstances are of two kinds: those which are helpful, and those which hinder. All helpful circumstances are created by God; and every circumstance, which seems to hinder you in any effort, is created by man, himself.

Since all hindering circumstances are man-created, they can be overcome by man.

Hence, there is a sane and sensible basis for hope. It is the first step in overcoming. It inspires you to go forward. It saves you from depression and discouragement. It makes you persist in finding a way of switching around hindering circumstances, and lifts you up to overcome them. Cheerfulness will not kill worry, optimism will not kill pessimism, and enthusiasm will not kill indifference— unless sired by hope. Hope comes from within, and is yours on demand. It kills your fear-thought, inspires your forethought, and impels you to action!

Since all circumstances which oppose your success are man-created, they can be overcome by man, and those which hinder you, can be overcome by you!

If you think financial circumstances hinder your success, go after what you lack and get it! If you think that you are hindered by “No Credit” and “No Financial Backing,” find out what they are, and get them!

The word “credit” means faith.

Credit is the faith of man in men. Faith is the basis of all business and of all success. No transaction today is carried on without it. You do not buy a twenty-cent railroad ticket without having faith that the train will take you to your destination called for by the ticket. You do not leave an order at the grocer’s without having faith that the grocer will deliver the goods.

Credit is faith. Credit in the business world is man’s faith in his fellowmen. Your credit depends upon the faith of men in you; and this in turn depends on your faith in yourself.

The late Mr. Morgan testified on the witness stand that he had loaned millions of dollars on faith alone, to men of character and faith, who believed in themselves and in their propositions, even though they did not have one penny of security. One day he loaned a million to a man whom he had never seen before, and of whom he had previously known nothing. He loaned that million on faith—on the man’s faith in himself.

As lack of credit is due to the lack of true faith, so lack of financial backing is due to lack of a concrete plan. There is a difference. Credit is a spiritual attitude. Financial backing is a material condition. That is the reason a concrete plan is necessary in securing financial backing.

An “idea” is not sufficient.

Insane men have plenty of ideas. If you have a “good idea,” work out a concrete plan of how to carry it out. If you do not do so, it shows that you lack the ability to do so, or lack the desire to make the effort to do so. In either case, you should not be given financial backing. But, if you do work out a sane plan of using your idea, have faith in yourself, and dare. Then, there is money to back you!

A story recently published in one of our national magazines is worth a summary here.

A soap salesman, leaving his position in the east because of ill-health, traveled across the continent with his family in a small van drawn by mules. They traveled in this unusual way because he did not have the money to move his family in the usual way, and


because he wished several months of outdoor life to regain his health. When he reached the Pacific coast, his cash was reduced to eleven dollars.

While connected with the company in the east, he had taken trade away from a certain western company. So, on arrival, he called on the western manufacturer. To this manufacturer he outlined a detailed plan of how he, the former salesman of the east, could win the soap trade of the west for the western soap company. But, the manufacturer failed to take up the salesman’s proposition because the manufacturer lacked vision. He judged the salesman’s proposition by the condition of his clothes, which were shabby because of his long mule trip across the continent.

Turned down by this one manufacturer, the soap salesman did not despair. He decided that he needed credit to buy clothes to improve his appearance, before presenting his proposition to another manufacturer. He went to a bank. Its cashier had previously known nothing of the man, but the salesman told his story and told why his proposition had just been turned down. The man’s faith in himself and his well worked out plan, won confidence. The bank accepted his note and he left the bank with three hundred dollars in his pocket.

Later, when he wished to finance his own soap company, “He gathered up his literature and credentials and called on the president of another trust company of the town. He saw the president, did not like his looks, and went away without making known his errand. The third banker he felt he could trust. To this man he told his complete plan. ‘With soy-bean oil, I can undersell any soap that is made.’ The president believed him, and the bank gave him the line of credit that he needed.”

Hundreds of thousands of men ask for financial backing every day of the year, and fail to get it. This soap salesman succeeded because () he presented concrete plans, instead of “good ideas;” () he won the confidence of others by his daring in presenting his plans; and () he had the courage to present them, because of his faith in himself.

Every circumstance is man-made, and it can hinder you only so long as there are lacks within yourself. Failure to “come back” after being “down-and-out” is due to lack of a definite plan, lack of daring, and lack of faith in yourself. These three—a concrete plan of what you want to do, courageous daring to carry it out, and faith in yourself—will overcome any hindering circumstance, whether lack of credit, or position, or friends.

You can overcome lack of influential friends.

Perhaps you have thought that you have failed at times because circumstances were such that you had no opportunity of forming influential friendships. If you have no friends of influence, seek to find the causes. If you lack such friendship, it is proof that you lack character-personality, or that you lack manners, or that your language and voice are at fault.

Your immediate acceptance by people of influence and standing largely depends on your manners, your use of language, and your voice. Remember that tone and action are the only two means by which you convey to others, ideas of your character and of your personality. It is not so much what you know, or what you can do, which wins friends. It is your manner, the language you use, and your voice!

In our democracy, men and women of influence and position mingle—on the street, in stores and offices, on trains, and on steamships—with people of all classes. If you have not had the social advantage of meeting people of influence, you have had thousands of opportunities of coming in contact with them.


Hundreds of shop girls and messenger boys and clerks—people from, all walks of life—have attracted the attention of people of influence, have been befriended by them, and have been accepted as true friends. In every such case—and I have known of thousands—the person of influence was first attracted by the deportment or voice of the other person.

You must have had many such experiences as I have had.

I see two young women, or two young men, in a street car or in a subway train. They are well dressed; their appearance is good; they seem intelligent. In my mind I accept them—that is, I feel that I should be glad to become acquainted with them that I would like to have someone introduce us.

Then, one of the girls, or one of the young men, does something which shows such crudeness that my favorable interest vanishes. Or, one of them says something which reveals such commonness of thought that I find there is no common bond of interest. After such a revelation of lack of personality and character, it is very difficult for them to create in me a desire to accept them as friends.

You know how it is with people whom you have seen now and then, even with people whom you have known for some time. You think well of them until they do something or say something which shows vulgarity, crudeness, unkindness, or selfishness, and then, at once, your opinion changes, and you say, “I never thought he’d do such a thing as that.”

And more important than all other factors in making a good impression when meeting people for the first time and in continuing the acquaintance of people of influence, are the tones of your voice!

Perhaps nowhere else can you become so convinced of this as on shipboard. On a trans-Atlantic liner, for instance, a thousand people are thrown together. At first, most of them are strangers to each other. They are together for only a few days. Yet, lasting friendships are formed, and what is most significant is that those, whose voices are full and pleasant, without harsh tones or hard high tones, are at once accepted as people of quality.

Whether known or unknown, I have never found difficulty in meeting anyone, and I know men and women who have found no difficulty in meeting kings or presidents, barons or bankers, dukes or ditch diggers.

If your voice is suave, showing that you consider it a great honor to meet a person of importance, or suggesting that you fear that you may not be accepted as the equal of those whom you think are above you, then you will NOT be accepted as an equal! Your voice will tell others your true opinion of yourself. When your voice says, “I’ll do anything to please you, if you will just take notice of me,” others will judge you by your opinion of yourself.

On the other hand, if your voice is too bold with assurance, others will recognize the weakness underneath, which you try to cover by use of bold tones, and they will know that you subconsciously feel that you must assume such tones in order to boost up your consciousness of yourself.

So also, if your tone is too highly pitched, others will recognize the mental effort you are making, to make others feel that you are what you want them to think you are. Such a tone always indicates that the person using it realizes he is not what he wishes others to think he is.


But, if your tone is firm yet kindly, strong with the assurance of your own quality, yet not boastful; then, others will know that you are conscious of your divine self, and they will feel that you are used to being accepted as an equal, and they will accept you.

The voice reveals character and personality more than does any other one of the three means of communication. It is the surest way of meeting people of influence and position, and of winning and holding friends—no matter in what walk of life— providing, of course, that there is character, and personality, behind the voice.

Winning friends of influence depends on manners, language, and voice—but, back of all these, there must be character and personality.

If you have no friends of influence, look to yourself. As soon as you make your manners, language and voice similar to those of people of influence, they will accept you. But, if these factors are lacking, you will often fail to win their friendship, even though you are a genius.

And you can overcome lack of education.

There is one store in the United States which stands out as the great success among department stores. It is the Marshall Field store in Chicago. One of its chief buyers is a man who has had very little education, but, he has trained his eyes and his finger tips. The manager—a few years ago—said to me, “It is true that this buyer cannot spell correctly, and he has probably never read a book through, but when anything comes within the range of his eyes, he sees all that there is to be seen.”

“Whenever he feels a piece of goods, there is no need of a salesman talking to him. He knows the quality, the make, and the weave of anything his fingers touch. He buys millions of dollars worth of goods a year, and I cannot recall an instance in which he failed to detect a defect in any line of goods, or failed to detect a feature which would be likely to render them unsalable.”

There is always a way around hindering circumstances!

Many a man fails because he mistakenly thinks circumstances are such that he lacks the ideas needed to make him a success. Such a circumstance can be overcome by using what you have, to get what you want.

I am reminded of a friend who was born of very poor parents, forty years ago, on a Wisconsin farm. Success to this man meant independence. He wished, above all other things, to be independent personally and financially.

His mother was anxious to have him enter the service of the church, and he began his preparation for the priesthood. But here he found he could not obtain one of the factors he most desired—personal independence.

It would be possible to write an interesting book about his efforts; how he became a bartender, a salesman, a printer’s assistant, a writer of advertisements, an editor, an author, etc.

This is what troubled him. When he first planned to become a writer, he felt that the “circumstances” of his life had been so limited that he had experienced nothing important enough to be used as a basis of writing. He had lived in little towns, in little communities in which nothing of importance had happened. He had known nothing big which would form the basis of a story—yet he succeeded because he used what he had to get what he wanted.


He wanted personal and financial independence. All that he had was his own life. So, he dared to write about that which he did know about himself. Since then, he has edited magazines, written books, and become a success financially. He is also personally independent, for he refuses to work for anybody but himself.

I have yet to find—and I have read much of what he has written—anything that he has ever produced which has not been written in a way which relates to himself. Even the advertisements he has written, picture himself as the buyer. He tells why he buys the articles for which he writes the advertisements, and this method succeeds.

So also, there is no circumstance of seeming lack of materials, which cannot be overcome. Whenever there is lack of a material means, thought which works out a substitute, overcomes the hindrance.

Previously in this lesson, I referred you to a soap salesman who went from the east coast to the west coast. Later, he established himself as a soap maker and won the entire trade of the western section of the United States. He did so by substituting soy-bean oil for the animal fats which had heretofore always been used in making soap. Animal fats were expensive. Soy-bean oil met all the needs and was very cheap.

Even one form or condition of matter can be substituted for another in overcoming circumstances. For example, a man who is now a multi-millionaire, now a very old man, another soap-maker, began life as a worker on the Erie Canal. His first work as a boy was to make soft soap for the laborers to use in washing their hands. He was paid three dollars a week for his work. But, in carting soft soap from one place to another, there was always trouble. Often a barrel slipped and the contents were lost on the ground. So, he set about making a substitute for soft soap. He made the first successful hard soap, and he is a multi-millionaire.

When you think of it, the material progress of the world is the result of substitution as the result of wise visioning. Every new manufactured product is a substitute for something which preceded it. The typewriter is a substitute for the pen. The railway train is a substitute for the ox cart. All progress is a matter of substitution.

Wherever there is a lack of material—a condition which seems to obstruct your efforts to succeed—vision some substitute. All opposing material conditions can be overcome by visioning the factor which can be substituted successfully.

Often, however, a business fails because there is a surplus of material. A certain substance must be extracted from other substances, and there is such waste that the whole process becomes financially unsuccessful unless the waste is used. When these waste products are used they are called byproducts. Sometimes they become so important that they take the place of the main product.

One of the wise things Mr. Rockefeller did was to vision the possibility of using the waste products of crude petroleum. Kerosene was once the main product of the Standard Oil Company, but now, hundreds of other things are made out of the byproducts. In fact, I am reliably informed by men who know, that the Standard Oil Company could now give away all its oil, and yet declare a fair dividend merely from the profits on the sales of its by-products.

Lack of opportunity is lack of vision and nothing else!

If you lock yourself in a room of doubt, double bolt the doors, pull down the window shades, bandage your eyes, stuff cotton in your ears, why complain because you do not hear opportunity knocking, knocking, at your door, or see it beckoning to you?


What do you expect, anyway?

Do you expect that opportunity will break the lock or kick in the panels? Do you expect opportunity to tear the bandages from your eyes, and pull the cotton from your ears?

Opportunities do await you; and—because of the speed with which things move today—greater changes are taking place each year than formerly took place in a century. Great opportunities come, and come more often, than ever before.

Lack of opportunity is nothing but lack of vision.

Lack of opportunity does not mean that there are no opportunities in the world; it means that you lack the vision to see, and the daring to grasp, the opportunities which do exist. Lack of luck does not mean that something opposes your efforts; it means that your effort lacks daring in action and efficiency in leadership.

Ten thousand times I have heard: “I have never had the opportunity; luck has always been against me!”

If you feel that luck is against you, I shall not argue with you—but I will help you! If you think opportunities do not come to you, there are but two things for you to do. First, find out where they are; and second, go to them!

Years ago I learned to read by candle light, and, people in the world still use candles!

When in college, I studied by the light of a kerosene lamp, and, people in the United States still use such lamps!

We’ve had telephones for fifty years, yet, people in our own country, and, others in the world still have no telephones!

We have had airplanes for twenty years, and not one person in a hundred thousand owns one!

We pay one and a half billion dollars for coal each year, and still let $, in value escape up our chimneys!

Man has tilled the ground for centuries; yet we still do not know how to make farming profitable!

We have heated our homes for a thousand winters, and yet we still swelter in hot weather because no one has yet had vision enough to make a billion or two by cooling our homes and workshops!

Do you vainly imagine that you are waiting for opportunity?

Oh, no! Opportunity is waiting for you!

As I stood near the Gate of Saint Peter, I saw a perplexed and hesitant soul, a short way down the path.

On earth, he’d been the prince of the party, joyous, jolly, mirthful, loving, considerate— a brother in time of need.

“Why don’t you come up,” I said, “and ask Saint Peter to let you in?”

“I’m afraid it’s no use,” he replied, as he turned to go back to earth, “for I’ve a wart on my nose, and a corn on one little toe!”

But heaven itself had heard, and sent back a welcoming shout:


“What the deuce do we care about your warts and your corns! We want you, and your love, and laughter, and joy, and brotherly compassion!”

BROWN LANDONE

CHAPTER IX

OVERCOMING BODILY CONDITIONS WHICH SEEM IMPOSSIBLE OF CHANGE

CONDITIONS differ from circumstances. Circumstances are changeable conditions which merely “stand around about you,” and, of them, have no stability. They are created by man, and can be overcome by man.

But, differing from circumstances, there are certain conditions which seem to be so “fixed” that they obstruct your progress toward success. They are of two kinds: undesirable facial features, and malformations of the body. They are often so fixed that it seems impossible to change them.

Yet, the limitations of all such conditions can be overcome! It has been done hundreds of times, and that which has been done, can be done!

Of course, you cannot change your height from four feet eight inches to six feet two inches, but in all dealings with others, you can overcome the limitations which you think are due to a stature of four feet eight inches! You can carry yourself in such a way that others will think of you as a king. Napoleon, though short of stature, made himself the commanding figure among all classes and manner of men, merely by the way he carried himself. He did not increase his stature, but he overcame its limitations.

Whether or not you succeed in overcoming conditions, which it seems impossible for you to change, depends on your vision of the powers of your soul, on your faith in its possibilities, and on your use of expression as the means of overcoming the limitations. If your ideal of the possibilities and powers of your real self is limited, then you hinder yourself in climbing out from under the conditions. But, if you realize that your soul is infinite, and that its possibilities of expression are limitless; then, no matter what the partial manifestation, no matter what the restricting condition, no matter what the limitation—you can climb out from under it, by changing your expression!

In essence, your soul is perfect—embracing all possibilities and all powers. In manifestation, you limit yourself by limiting your expression. You can change your expression!

You can change your body!

But, to change the bodily form, you must change its expression first!

If you are locked in a room, with the key on the inside of the door, on your side, you will fail to get out—no matter how much you butt your head against the door—unless you first turn the key to unlock the door.

But, it is easy to succeed in getting out of the room, if you turn the key in the lock first, and then open the door.

If you have failed to climb out from under the limitations of bodily conditions, it is because you have been attempting to batter down the form of the limitations without first


changing its expression. To succeed means “to climb out from under.” It does not mean to batter down, to smash, or to “reduce to nothingness.”

You can always change the expression of any form of life.

And, changing its expression will change its form. Soul expression is soul-in-action. Activity comes first! Every soul loves the beauty of activity more than it loves beauty of form; for, in active expression, there is a beauty which has a greater and stronger appeal than the beauty of form.

Do you not prefer the living, romping, active, companionable dog—even though he may not be perfect in form—to the most perfect clay model of a dog any artist ever designed?

As a mother, do you not prefer the active, living child—even if its nose is not perfect— to the most beautifully formed and perfectly featured doll in the world?

And, young man, do you not prefer the living, loving, joyously expressive maid, to the perfect wax figure in the department store window?

It is beauty of expression which we most love! It is beauty of expression which attracts others most!

No matter from what viewpoint you estimate the possibilities and powers of climbing out from under bodily conditions, you are forced to the conclusion that you can free yourself from any and all bodily limitations which seem to prevent you from succeeding.

You may not be able at once to make a hunched back straight and tall; or immediately reform facial features so that they are beautifully symmetrical; but anyone can free himself from any limitation due to imperfections of form!

The face can always be made attractive in expression!

That which attracts is cheer and joy and love. If you train your face to express continually these qualities, it cannot remain unattractive and, even strangers, meeting you for the first time, will think of the cheer and joy you radiate instead of the form of your face.

Mirabeau was not only ill-featured, but his face was marred by smallpox pits. To overcome this drawback, he spent hours a day training his face to be expressive. As a result, he became the most charming man of his time at the court of France. Great men admired him, and princesses and duchesses were charmed by the beauty of his facial expression.

One of the world’s greatest humorists was unattractive of face and deformed of body. Yet, he made himself so happy in living his life, so cheerful, and so joyous, so humorous and so witty, that we loved him. Many went to hear him year after year. Thousands were made happy by his presence, his wit, his humor, his joy, his happiness. He did not change his physical structure greatly, but he overcame its limitations; he climbed out from under the limitations of the condition of his face and body.

Not one of us who knew him thought of his ill-featured face! Not one of us remembers his deformed body! But, his gloriously illumined face—his expression of cheer, joy and love—will stay with us always.


All limitations of form—whether of features of face or of other parts of the body—can be overcome by expression.

When I first knew Paul, he was eighteen. His hands were then badly stiffened and crippled. They had been injured in a factory machine. Afterwards, he became a rapid typist; then he learned to play the piano so that we listened with amazement and joy. Next, he trained his hands to do skillful coin and card tricks. And, later, he held audiences spellbound—by using his hands marvelously, to express the emotions of the soul.

And, as in many other cases, his active use of his hands, trained to express what no other hands had ever so dramatically expressed, actually changed them, so that the hands, themselves, once more became beautiful in form!

Lady Margaret was born a hunchback. At twenty-one she was but four feet tall; yet, she carried herself with such consciousness of soul dignity that others never thought of her short stature. Every one of us—whether in a private home, or at a public affair—would look up, whenever she entered, because her character was so inspiring, and she carried her body so well, that we were in the presence of a queen!

Lincoln’s face in line and form was homely in repose. Yet, even those who had been his worst enemies, ceased to ridicule and hate, and bowed in admiration and love, when they saw the man’s soul manifesting in his face—radiating its love, kindness, strength and wisdom.

You can overcome any limitation due to a bodily condition, no matter what it is! The power to do so resides in you! Will you take the time and make the effort? If so, you can be what you will to be! An acorn and a good sized pebble nestled close underground.

“You’re silly to try to be a tree,” said the pebble, “why, you’re no bigger than I am, and a tree is a million times larger. You’re only a little nut! You’re not even shaped like a tree! Why do you think you can be one?”

“I desire to,” said the acorn. “What’s desire?” scoffed the pebble. “A desire is the prophecy of what you can be,” said the acorn. “A sunbeam told me that last summer.”

“You’re just a silly dreamer,” sneered the pebble.

And the pebble remained a pebble, and the acorn became a tree!

BROWN LANDONE

CHAPTER X

HOW TO DEVELOP CAPACITIES WHICH SEEM TO BE LACKING


ALTHOUGH much philosophical truth is presented only as theory, there are, however, three practical steps of development. First, learning what limits the expression of the soul. Second, discovering, with scientific certainty, hidden capacities, which can be brought into actual manifestation. Third, learning the process by which the soul becomes conscious of its limitless possibilities, and brings its hidden capacities into expression.

Of course, your success will be limited if you believe that others possess many capacities which you have never possessed, and never will possess. If this is true, you want to be certain that it is true. If it is not true, you want to know that it is not. You have often heard that in essence, your soul is perfect, complete, and infinite, although it is not complete in its manifestation. Also, you have heard that everything which exists can be brought into manifestation! The repetition of these truths, you have heard again and again. You now want proof.

Have you unlimited capacity?

There is but one basis of proof. It is the law of unity of action. All acceptances of scientific fact and spiritual truth are determined by agreement with this law. You know that the sun is first seen in the east, each morning. There is proof of it. The proof is determined by the law of the unity of action. Each morning, the sun is always seen first in the east. That is the proof. But, if the sun were first seen in the north some morning and then again in the west or south, there would be no unity of action, and no proof that the sun is first seen each morning in the east.

All proof of scientific and spiritual Truth depends on agreement with the law of unity &f action. Unity of action depends on one basic law. If there were no such basic law, there could be no universe. Any statement of truth which agrees with the basic law of unity of action, is proved as an eternal certainty—whether it is the action of a star or an electron, the radiation of heat or of sound, the manifestation of the white light of the sun or the expression of the soul! All must manifest by unity of action; otherwise, the universe would be torn asunder in a second of time.

What is the proof of the infinite capacities of your soul?

Pure white light is complete light. It includes all colors—green, blue, red, violet, yellow, orange, et cetera. Although scientists once “thought” that there were but seven colors in each beam of white light, they now know that the number of colors of each beam of white light is limitless and that its color possibilities are infinite!

In like manner, man once “thought” that the capacities of each soul were limited.

Although pure white light possesses infinite color capacities, yet, when I cover the pure white light in my study with a green glass globe, the globe limits the expression of light in my study, so that only green light— one little part of white light—is manifested. Pure white light possesses infinite color possibilities, yet when I limit its expression by covering it with a green globe, I shut off the manifestation of most of its color capacities, and it then seems to lack those color capacities.

So, also, when you have shut off the full expression of your soul, it seems that you do not possess the capacities which are shut off from expression.

If I desire white light when my study is flooded with green light, nothing but my own mistaken thinking prevents me from having white light.


If I mistakenly think that the white light (inside of the green globe) is actually green light, I limit my conception of Truth, and fail to make the effort necessary to remove the green globe.

Or, if I mistakenly think that the green globe is so “fixed” that it cannot be removed, I will not make sufficient effort to remove it, so that the white light can manifest in its infinite completeness.

So, also, nothing but mistaken thinking prevents you from removing the restrictions which limit the manifestation of your infinite capacities.

Your soul, in itself, is complete. Like a pure white light, it possesses infinite capacities. But, if you mistakenly think that your life is solely a green manifestation—or a red, or a yellow, or a blue manifestation— you will limit yourself to a partial expression of your real self and you will fail to do what is necessary to bring your infinite powers and possibilities into expression.

Your real self—mind, soul, or spirit— whatever you call it—is perfect and complete. It possesses all the possibilities and powers possessed by any other soul in the universe. Why, then, do you seem to lack so many capacities, which you desire? What shuts them off from manifestation? What limits your soul expression?

Change yourself by changing the means.

With a colored globe I can limit the manifestation of the infinite color capacities of pure white light. When my study is flooded with green light, I can change it to a red light by removing the green globe, and covering the white light with a red globe. And more—I can overcome any limitation of any particular color of light, by changing the globe which limits or restricts the manifestation or expression of the pure white light!

And, if I desire white light with its infinite color capacities, I can discard all colored globes.

Your brain structure is not your soul— not evens your mind. It is merely the means by which your mind expresses itself. Your mind does not depend on your brain for its existence, although it does depend on brain center activity for its expression.

Each brain center has been evolved during countless ages. There are millions of brain centers. Each was developed to make it possible for some soul capacity to manifest. When brain centers are unused for years—perhaps unused for centuries—they become inactive, and certain capacities are shut off from expression. Then, the capacities, which should manifest by means of such dormant brain centers, seem to be lacking. But, as soon as a dormant brain center is awakened, the mind capacity at once manifests itself.

The soul is perfect.

The soul possesses infinite capacities. Your expression of such capacities is limited only by the number of unawakened brain cells in your brain. There are billions of them. In the brain of the most developed person, who has ever lived, there were probably hundreds of millions of brain cells which were more or less idle, or completely dormant.

“There are in every one potential forms of activity that actually are shunted from use,” wrote the late William James. “Part of the imperfect vitality under which we labor can thus be easily explained. One part of our mind dams up—even damns up —the other parts.


“Compared with what we ought to be, we are only half awake. Our fires are damped, our drafts are checked. We are making use of only a small part of our physical and mental resources.”

Is it possible to re-make yourself?

Can you change the dormant physical structure of your brain so that capacities which you have believed you do not possess can be brought into expression?

Is such development possible?

It is not possible if you depend solely on mind training and soul growth; but, it is possible and certain if you learn what development is, and use the processes of growth which always produce changes in the physical structure.

Mind is perfect. You cannot perfect it by training. Soul is complete. You cannot “grow soul”—for it already possesses the capacities of the infinite, in the image and likeness of which it is made! By mind development, we mean the development of the brain structure, so that mind will more fully express itself. By soul growth, we mean increased expression of soul.

Of course, you cannot change one form of life into another form of life. You cannot develop a carrot into a calla lily! You cannot train a stupid pig to become an intelligent dog. But you can change the activity and increase the expression of any form of life.

Such changed activity changes the structure!

Astounding changes have been wrought in mere vegetable forms of life. Recall the miracles of Burbank. They were wrought in seemingly non-conscious and non-intelligent forms of life.

Certainly, greater changes can be wrought in you—for, of all the living things on the earth, man is the most adaptable. He is the most capable of development, the most responsive to desires within and to influences from without, the most capable of growth and of change of structure.

It is stupid to believe that the structure of a prune or a walnut can be radically changed, but that man cannot be changed. It is stubborn ignorance to hold to the idea that man cannot rid himself of “natural” qualities, or that he cannot acquire others which are more desirable. It is lack of knowledge of how to awaken dormant brain structure, which makes men believe that they cannot bring into use capacities which they have thought they do not possess.

How can you awaken dormant brain centers?

What is the process of changing the structure so that capacities within yourself— capacities which you have assumed do not exist—can be brought into expression?

Thinking thoughts which are like those which you have been thinking, and performing activities which are like those you have performed in the past, will merely continue the action of brain centers already active!

But, whenever you perceive some quality of a thing—a quality which you have not previously perceived—you recognize something new to you, and something different from what you have previously recognized. Whenever you think differently than you have thought in the past, whenever you perform an action differently than you have previously done it—then, the newness of the thought or act, because it is different, awakens structure which has been dormant.


Mere assertion or affirmation of the possession of qualities never does this. But, when, by discrimination, you change brain structure or build in new structure, you provide increased means for mind expression.

Thinking likenesses keeps you in a standstill condition.

Thinking differences is the only basis of progress.

And vivid imaging is the only means of awakening consciousness so that it will perceive differences with enough mental vitality to change the structure, and bring hidden capacities into manifestation.

Oh, yes, I realize that you “think” you think new thoughts every day and daily do things differently.

Test yourself. Are not your thoughts, day by day, mere repetitions of old thoughts, varied only in form, or degree?

Test yourself. Are not millions of your activities the same day by day? When you sit down and cross your legs at the ankles, do you not always put the left foot over the right, or always put your right foot over the left?

Thousands of thoughts like your thoughts of yesterday! Millions of little activities like the activities of the past! Of course, you run like a machine, never awakening a new capacity, and ultimately, like a machine, you run down!

What a life for a soul divine!

Oh, read Chapter II again. Think differences! Think vividly for five minutes each hour, every day for a month and the angels of heaven will chant a paean of praise, glorifying a man reborn—a man of genius, with infinite capacity to do whatever he desires and dares to do!

Your sweetheart is giving a party. You’re invited, of course, for she wants her friends to meet you, and justly give you the social standing to which your character and merit entitles you.

You dress in your best, bow tie, modestly cut vest, evening coat. You wear gloves and top hat, and carry a stick!

But, when you arrive, your sweetheart sees that you are barefooted!

Ifs a little thing, but it’s enough!

Failure to receive just recognition of character or merit is always due to some little lack like that!

BROWN LANDONE

CHAPTER XI

HOW TO SECURE JUSTICE FROM OTHERS

‘”THE complaint that one has not been justly compensated is heard more often than any of the other excuses which are usually made in attempting to explain failure. It is an excuse, although not often intended as an excuse. I sympathize with most of the people


who make such an excuse—for they are earnest and sincere, and good workers. But, they are mistaken in thinking that they should be given just compensation providing they work well, lead in their work, and give service.

If I buy a railway ticket for a trip from Chicago to New York, if I take the train at Chicago, and if I intentionally get off at Buffalo, have I any right to complain that the train is unjust because it does not land me in New York?

Traveling only a part of the way to your goal does not land you at the goal. You may do your work well, you may be a leader in doing it, and the work you do may be of great service—yet-, if you fail to take the next step, you may fail to secure just compensation.

On my way from Chicago, I may pass through Toledo, pass through Cleveland, and reach Buffalo. But, if I fail to make the last lap of the journey, and stay in Buffalo, I should not expect to find myself in New York.

Justice is a factor of human relationship.

Hence, securing justice is not the result of dealing solely with things or words. It depends upon your dealings with people, and how you manage such dealings. If you handle or create things well, you succeed in handling or creating things, but you may fail to secure just compensation if you do not know how to handle those with whom you deal—the people who work with you, the people who buy from you, or the general public to whom you render service. Handling people is the last lap of the journey to justice.

Sins of omission bring failure just as certainly as sins of commission.

If, in your effort to succeed, you fail to develop the ability and capacity of handling people efficiently, then you omit the last step which determines justice. If you fail for this reason, do not blame others. Instead, begin preparing yourself to become a leader in dealing with people, as well as a leader in handling things and using words. Then, just compensation will reward you.

There is justice in the world—for God rules it!

If it were not so, all things would disintegrate over night. Evil separates, disrupts, and destroys. Good unifies, and binds, and holds things together. Do not misjudge, as did the blind Hindu who felt only the elephant‘s trunk and decided that the elephant was like a tree. Judge not the whole by a part or a part by the whole. Every effort in life brings its own just and full reward, but no more.

Each kind of service is paid in its own kind.

Mr. Rockefeller, Senior, was the first oil man who vividly imaged oil flowing as a fluid. Many oil men, who at that time were wealthier than Mr. Rockefeller was, thought and planned as well as did Mr. Rockefeller. They thought of the oil business—the uses of oil, the cost of oil, the cost of its transportation, the selling price, and the profit.

But Mr. Rockefeller vividly imaged oil running from the wells, and this image of oil flowing of itself made him think of pipelines as a means of transportation. It was this means of transportation which made Mr. Rockefeller the great oil king. In so far as his fortune resulted from this process of vivid imaging, the return to him in money is a just return.

On the other hand, Mr. Rockefeller failed for years to idealize his relation to the rest of society. He thought of himself as a man standing alone. For forty years he was silent—unwilling that any member or official of his company should give out any statement to the public, regarding the company’s policies or methods. He failed to idealize the truth that


all men are bound together in social structure; and consequently, separating himself from others, he failed to win the trust and good will of mankind.

Because he vividly imaged a material factor, a great material fortune was returned to him, and he became the greatest industrial success of his time. This is just.

Because he failed to idealize himself as a man bound together with all other men, the trust and confidence of mankind was not given him. In this, he was once the greatest individual failure in history. And this also was just!

God is a just God!

The nature of the compensation you receive depends upon the kind of service you render. If you demand money for a service of friendship, you will be denied the money or lose the friendship. That is just. This law is as old as the world: “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s, and unto God that which is God’s.” To obtain material compensation, render service which materially aids in meeting human needs.

To secure justice, be just. If you are doing only a part of the work, either in producing service, or in rendering service, determine what part of the service you render, and then image yourself in the shoes of the other man, to determine justly for him, the proportion of the service which he renders.

A short time ago, when talking with some mechanics in a typewriter factory, I heard this complaint, “We’re not getting what’s due us. These here typewriters cost only $ apiece—and that there $ includes the cost of every particle of material what goes into a machine, and it pays for all the labor what makes it. The company sells it for $. They make $ clear. I tell you, we’re not getting our share of the profits.”

Such men value the material which goes into an article, they value the labor expended on it in the factory—but, they fail to value any service except that which they perform.

They fail to realize that it would not be profitable to keep them at work making typewriters unless there was a large organization to advertise and sell and distribute the typewriters after they are made. Every large manufacturer knows that advertising a product—one of the means of rendering service—often costs more for each article than the actual production of it.

Then also, there is the cost of all the office force, of all the selling force, of insurance, of taxes, of the interest on the investment, and a thousand and one overhead charges about which workmen seldom think.

On the other hand, employers often think only of the service they are rendering, and this ultimately means failure because it is unjust.

It is remarkable—almost a mystical truth —that your compensation increases rather than diminishes in proportion as you justly value the services of others as well as the services you render, and in proportion as you lead others to do the same. Seemingly more mysterious is the truth that the compensation of each person increases in proportion to its division on this basis. It is again the law of the loaves and fishes; when two people, who are working together, justly value each other’s services, there is harmony, greater cooperation, better and more work done, and a greater service rendered. Then, the reward to be divided is so much increased that each receives a much greater amount than he would otherwise receive.

The degree of compensation you should receive corresponds to the degree of service you render. The greater the good to the largest number, the larger your just reward.


God is a just God!

The importance and difficulty of managing people determine the reward of the leader. As a leader in dealing with things, you receive from three to ten dollars a day. As a leader in using words, you receive from five to fifty dollars a day. As an efficient leader in managing and directing people, you may receive from five thousand to one hundred thousand dollars a year.

And, in leading people, adaptation of your work so that it helps leaders to train their subordinates successfully to handle the men under them, greatly increases your just compensation. So far as I know, there are but two men in America who have given years to studying the subject of executive leader ship. One is a university professor, and the other is myself.

My friend has made a much extended study of the leaders of history—Alexander, Caesar, Napoleon, et cetera. He has classified the qualities which make a man a leader. I have no such extended knowledge as my friend has. My study of leadership has been confined to men doing the work of the world in industry and government.

He lectures about leadership to young men in university classes. My work has been confined to consultation—pointing out to business executives, how they can select leaders from among their men, train them, and develop them.

My friend, for his talks at the university receives about one-tenth as much each day as I receive in consulting fees; yet his brain is as good as mine, his study is more comprehensive than mine and Ms knowledge is just as certain as mine.

Compensation depends on the result, and the degree of effort. More is paid for service in managing people than for service in using words; and more is paid for efficient use of words than for making things. There is justice in this.

It is more difficult to manage people than it is to deal with things, or to use words. You can do whatever you wish with a thing, but it, of itself, has no power of changing itself. You can do whatever you wish with a word—spell it correctly or incorrectly, or place it where you please in a sentence— but it, of itself, has no power of changing itself or its position.

With people it is different. You may direct ten people to do a thing a certain way. Yet, each of those ten has the power within himself of doing what you ask him to do in twenty different ways. And, each one of the twenty ways in which each person can do it may differ from the way in which you have directed that it should be done. This is why managing people is so difficult a task. This is why leadership of people is so important. This is why efficient leadership of people is so well paid for.

Since both my university friend and I instruct others on the same subject, is it just that I should receive more each day for my work than he receives for his? Of course, I have urged my friend to drop his university work and adapt his knowledge to meet actual human needs of the men of action in industry and government, rather than talk about his knowledge to young men, of whom not one out of ten will ever manage other people. The justice of his compensation is determined by the number of lectures he gives. The justice of my compensation is determined by my adaptation of my knowledge to meet the human needs of executives, who are in action.

We often hear the story of an inventor being cheated out of the profits of his invention, while a manufacturer makes millions out of it. I hold no brief for the dishonest man—


manufacturer or inventor. And, I regret that some inventors have been robbed by unscrupulous lawyers, promoters, and manufacturers.

But there is also a large class of inventors who have not received the compensation they think they should have received because the service which they started would never have been rendered to the people except for the effort of the producer and the distributor. It is the promoter, the manufacturer, and the distributor who renders the service and it is just that those who render the service should be paid for doing it.

I appreciate the service of the weaver who weaves the canvass which is used for the artist’s painting. I know that it is just that the weaver should be well paid for his weaving. But if such a weaver is unable to produce an artistic painting it is unjust for him to demand extra pay for his weaving, solely because he cannot produce an artistic painting.

We are sorry for the inventor who has not the character, push and ability to market his own article. “We are also sorry for the man who lacks the ability to know whether or not the man with whom he is dealing is honest. Being sorry for a man, who lacks certain character qualities, is one thing; but to assert that he should receive compensation because of his lack of certain character qualities is quite another thing.

Your position in life and the justice which will be rendered to you depends on the means you use to secure justice. Justice is the balance of certain activities between man and man. Hence, action is the one means of communicating to others the value of the service you render, and the best means of leading them to pay you a just compensation for that service. Talk will not secure justice, for justice is a balance of action. Just as millions of dollars spent in advertising falls flat and fails, if not handled in the right way, so your talk of the value of your services and your demands for greater compensation will fall flat if you do not use the right means to secure justice.

God is a just God! Each means produces after its own kind! Words produce words! Action produces action! Since justice is a balance of action between man and man, action, is the means to be used to secure justice!

The success of your demand for just compensation depends on your capacity to persuade and convince others of your value. If you have failed to secure just compensation, you have failed because you have not used the right means of securing that which is justly due you. The remedy is not fault finding—not even finding fault with yourself! The remedy is the right use of the right means—using action instead of talk—to secure justice.

A young man who had worked three years in a publisher’s office lately came to me for help. When he began work, it was his ideal to do everything possible in the interest of his employer. He was loyal and willing. Soon he began working overtime to show how willing he was to work. Month after month, he asked no extra pay for this overtime work, although other employees, who now and then worked overtime, left their credit slips with the bookkeeper, and received extra pay at each week end.

When the young man came to me, he was discouraged and a little bitter. He complained of the injustice of his employer. For three years he had done more work than any other employee. He had been willing to do more than others, and work overtime also, although he had not been paid for it. However, his employer had given him only a three-dollar


increase when he had asked for a five-dollar raise, while others, who had not worked so well nor so many hours, had been given greater increases in salary.

It did seem unjust.

What mistake had he made I

First, he was not loyal, nor faithful, nor honest. He was not loyal to himself, nor faithful to himself, nor honest with himself.

Second, to his employer, the young man told falsehoods about himself and his work. When he again and again failed to hand in his credit slip to the bookkeeper, for extra pay for extra work, as others did, he told his employer—much more effectively than though he had told it in words—that he did not place a high valuation upon himself, his time, or his work. His action, in not accepting pay for overtime, told his employer that the young man did not consider his own work as equal to that of the others. Consequently, by his action, he told untruths about himself and his work. He was not even truthful and honest with his employer.

Third, he not only failed to use the right means, but he misused the means he did employ. Action is very much more effective than words. To request a raise, he used only words. Then, he used action (unintentionally) to tell his employer that he did not value his own services, as much as other employees valued their services.

Moreover, although this fine young man did not realize it, the ideal which led him to work so many extra hours in that office was not a worthy ideal. He wished to feel that he was doing much more work than that for which he was paid, and (subconsciously) he wished his employer to feel under special obligation to him because of the extra work done without extra pay. Such an attempt to place his employer under special obligations to him—for the purpose of winning a future reward—is ethical blackmail. It re-acted upon the young man who attempted to use it—even though his intention was ideal.

The above account of this young man’s experience, does not mean that you should work only by the clock, or that you should not work extra hours unless you are paid for such work; but, it does mean that you do not secure just compensation for your services unless you justly value yourself and your work, and use the right means.

In revising this book for a new edition, I have the opportunity of telling you what happened, later, in the case of this young man. Shortly after the conversation, of which I have just written, he left the firm with which he was then working, and secured a position with another publishing company.

In his new work he was just as willing to work long hours, just as devoted to his work, just as loyal to his employer, as he had tried to be in his first position.

But, he took a different attitude, and manifested it in action. He recognized himself as a man. He recognized that a man does not win success or secure justice by playing the part of a slave, willing to work without pay for the privilege of justice in the future.

He changed his bearing; he learned to walk as a man of power walks. His shoulders said “I can do all the work and easily bear all the burdens you heap upon me.” He held his head high, and it said, “But, don’t try to heap on me the work which you should do.” He worked conscientiously. His work was well done, he knew it, and let everyone else know it—by his actions. Whenever he met the president, or any other official of the company, he spoke in tones which were soft, agreeable, and pleasing— but which also said, “We are men; I am your equal, and you are mine.”


The result was as astounding as it was just. Within thirty days he was promoted. During that first year, he was advanced six times; and today, he is a member of the firm. More, he is vice-president and general manager!

It is easy to obtain justice if you live justice. Living justice is living it in action— daring to value yourself and your work as they should be valued, and expressing your conviction by the postures and action of your body.

Talk little about obtaining justice; use words to convey information, but demand and secure justice by action—by the activity of your work, by your manner in dealing with others, and by the postures of your body.

Justice is a balance of ACTION between man and man.

Hence, justice is secured by action, for the first law of God is this—each means reproduces after its own kind!

I am inspired, and dream of writing a great book! A book to heal the sadness of others! I work on it, day by day; and year by year. I consecrate myself to the service of -writing it! But, the book is never finished; it is never published; it is not read by others; and renders no service to them.

I receive no compensation here, and that is just—for we are not paid for service, but for service rendered.

BROWN LANDONE

CHAPTER XII

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR COMPENSATION

IN a little village in Maryland, there lives an old man. Once he was well known, but you, of the younger generation, probably know nothing of him. For thirty years he worked from fifteen to sixteen hours a day developing a product which will someday render immense service to mankind and be of great value to the world. Yet, in his own heart, he is a failure; and a failure in the opinion of the few who know of him.

He is in poverty and is embittered. He thinks that the world has not treated him justly and that it has not justly compensated him for his years of labor in developing that which will be of great service to others.

I pity him and sympathize with him; in fact, as a friend, I hold him dear; but, I know that his failure is just!

He has produced a remarkable product, but he has been so suspicious and distrustful of others, that no one has been able to work with him long enough to market it successfully. Since it is not on the market, it renders no service to others. Since it renders no service to others, and since he, himself, because of his character, prevents others from marketing his invention, it is just that he should receive no compensation.


Rendering service is the adaptation of your work to meet human needs in such a way that it will better humanity. Service is the relation of your work to other people, whether your work consists of making, handling, or creating things; or of using words; or of managing or directing people. The world does not pay for service. Slaves serve. The world pays for service rendered. You do not pay a grocer for the goods he has. You pay him for the goods which he delivers. So, no matter how much, or how many years, you work, if you fail to render your service to others, it is just that the world should withhold its compensation.

You can always increase the compensation you receive. It is very easy to do so. But, it must be done by an increase in rendering service.

If you are making a thing, you can make it render greater service by making it () better, or () more enduring, or () cheaper, or () different in size, or () different in action, or () of greater beauty. Of course, there are other factors. You can render greater service by creating or improving a thing, so that it is possible for man to do things more quickly and more frequently.

The telephone is of service to humanity because it makes it possible for you in New York to talk to your friend in San Francisco, and to get his answer while talking to him. Before the invention of the telephone, it took months to get your message to him and to receive his answer. Now it takes but an hour.

Then also, you can render greater service by extension of the use of the thing you make. Once it was considered marvelous to talk miles by telephone, from New York to Boston. Now, with the wireless telephone, New York and Paris converse, although, miles apart.

Dr. Frank Crane was once a minister, a preacher of the Gospel. As such, he reached a few thousand people a year.

When writing his sermons, he thought that certain themes were so good they should be condensed into single paragraphs. So, he rewrote these particular themes and began saving them. They were the byproducts of the work done while he was preparing sermons.

Later, someone proposed that they be published. An arrangement was made with a syndicate and, for two or three years, Dr. Crane—though still preaching—sold these short re-written paragraphs to the syndicate. One was published each day in a few hundred papers.

He extended the service which he had been rendering to others.

The by-products of his sermons brought him such great success that they became his main product. Today his success as a newspaper essayist is exceptional, and his financial reward for that work far exceeds that which he earned as a preacher.

This is just! He has given up preaching to a few people, and now renders a greater service—an extended service, reaching a million people every day!

Every increase of service rendered brings increased compensation, and the highest degree of service rendered—the greatest good to the greatest number—brings the greatest compensation.

During the last dozen years, Henry Ford has become one of the wealthiest men of the world. The total yearly income of the Ford industries is more than half the whole Astor fortune. After carefully studying this remarkable success of Ford, I am certain that it is due mainly to the making of a small and cheap car when there were no other such cars


on the market which were satisfactory in operation—in other words, Ford produced the first automobile which gave the greatest service to the greatest number.

There is a basic principle which determines whether or not your work will render great service. It is the principle of adaptation to definite human needs. Unless you change a thing, or your work, in such a way that you secure greater adaptation to human needs, you do not render greater service. The greater the service, the greater the increased compensation.

But, no matter how perfectly you adapt things and words, and your work with people, to human needs, you do not deserve increased compensation unless such service is marketed. If I were a novelist, I might write a novel capable of uplifting humanity. But, all the inspiration of the novel would be of no value to humanity unless the book had been published and distributed in such a way as to reach a large number of people.

There is still another factor which determines increased compensation. Since service is activity of human beings in relation to each other, the degree of service rendered to others by adaptation of the thing or work, depends on the degree to which it is humanized—if I may use that term.

A trunk grew out of a chest, and a chest grew out of a box. A trunk is more closely associated with human needs than is an ordinary box. And, trunks have been improved from time to time to more satisfactorily meet human needs.

Lately, a young man vividly imaged the needs of those human beings who travel to and fro upon the earth. He imaged the old-fashioned trunk into a wardrobe trunk. The wardrobe trunk is more adapted to human needs than the old fashioned trunk because it actually saves human labor. A man’s suit is kept in shape by pressing it frequently. Folding it and wadding it into an old-fashioned trunk injures its condition for human use. But, when the coat and vest are hung on a hanger in a wardrobe trunk, they remain in a condition adapted to the human form. Thus, the wardrobe trunk renders part of the service which a maid or valet renders. The wardrobe trunk is humanized to a certain degree.

Because of this adaptation to human needs, because of the increased service rendered, because of the humanizing—if the word be permitted—the inventors and manufacturers and distributors of wardrobe trunks have made fortunes.

The humanizing factor in increasing service and compensation is not limited to things. It applies also to the use of words, and to the leadership / people.

The success of the physician depends as much on the words he uses and the way he uses them, as it does on the medicines which he prescribes. Perhaps his success in bringing his patients back to health depends more on his use of words than on his medicines. The physician who habitually talks to Ms patients of the seriousness of the patient’s illness, arousing fear, worry, anxiety, and often despair, does not adapt his words to meet human needs. Such a physician fails to become successful, either in helping his patients, or in building up his business.

A philosopher elaborates a great truth which is of value to humanity. After ten years of work, he presents this in seven great volumes of philosophic dissertation. But, few people read his works. The philosopher renders a certain service by presenting this dissertation in words, but since it is not adapted to meet the human needs of the mass of humanity, it does not render great service, and he receives little compensation.


Then, some college professor who has read these lengthy volumes of the philosopher, grasps the philosopher’s ideal, and writes a book of his own on the subject. It does not reach the great mass of people, although it renders service to a greater number of people than the number reached by the work of the great philosopher.

Next comes the novelist. He reads the book of the college professor. He recognizes the truth the professor presents, but realizes that the presentation by the college professor is dry and dead to the average human mind. Hence, he uses the essence of the truth and embodies it in human action. He dramatizes and humanizes it. He makes it live in the lives of his characters. He vividly images the truth working in his characters. For every ten who read the work of the great philosopher, who elaborated the truth, ten thousand read the novel. The novelist having humanized the truth renders service to the greater number, and his success justly wins great compensation.

First, to increase compensation, render service—market it so that it is of value to others.

Second, extend the service you render so that it shall benefit the largest number possible.

Third, increase the value of your service by adapting it to meet more human needs.

Fourth, secure greater adaptation, by making your service more humanized.

And now, consider the means which humanizes service—vivid imagery, and unselfishness.

There are many who lament the mistreatment of the poor inventor. Usually the cause is this: such inventors provide service, but do not render it; and then they expect to be compensated not only for that which they have done, but also for that which they have not done, due to their lack of valuable human qualities—the qualities which render service to others. Certainly, in a just universe, we should not expect compensation because we lack certain qualities.

So also, many an author complains that the world does not justly compensate him for his writings, and thinks society does not justly appreciate his work. In every such case of which I have known—and I’ve known of a few thousand—the cause of meager compensation is due to a lack in the author’s work! Here is a case:

A young lawyer, an ex-service man, had conceived many good plots, and used them in short stories. He sent the stories to editors, and the editors returned them. He improved them and sent them to other editors, and other editors returned them. I liked this young author, because, when he came to me for help, his attitude was just. He believed that the editors were justified in returning his stories, and that his writing lacked “something.” In this he differed from most beginners—for most writers, having had such an experience, would conclude that their stories should have been accepted, and that they would have been accepted, if editors were not prejudiced against new writers—not knowing that an editor spends nine-tenths of his time eagerly searching for new writers whose writings are good.

But this young man had decided that something must be the matter with his writing, although he did not know what it was. After I had read three of them, I said: “Your construction is good; your plots are good, but you tell your stories. Writing fiction is more than conveying ideas. You must paint your ideas in vivid sense images/’

For instance, words which lack sense imagery can tell us that a certain street woman’s face is white and pale and that she has used rouge to color her lips; but “her lips . . . like


poppies, thrown out on the snow,” gives us a vivid image of the color of the lips in contrast to the dead whiteness of the pallid face.

The service rendered in writing, and the compensation, increases in proportion to the vivid imagery of the writing.

The speaker, who succeeds, presents his ideas by vivid images which interest the crowd.

The salesman who succeeds, pictures the value of his goods in vivid images, which appeal to the interest of the prospect.

Rendition of service brings success. Rendition depends on marketing. Marketing your service depends () on your non-selfish attitude; and () your capacity to work harmoniously with others.

In the United States there are more than half a million serious accidents each year, and—surprising as it may seem to you— more than half of all serious accidents are due to slipping and consequent falls.

If I should invent some non-slip material, what are the basic personal factors which would guarantee me a fortune?

Assume that I do invent a composition which can be made thin and light in weight. Assume that this material will not slip in mud, or slush, or snow; that it will not slip on ice, or polished floors, or glass, or marble. Assume also that this non-slip material which I invent will not wear out readily, and that it can be made so cheaply that people can afford to use it. Assuming these conditions, I must be credited with having discovered a composition adapted to meet a very great human need. I have performed a great service in discovering this material.

But, I do not render service, unless it is marketed.

If I fail to market it because of selfishness—and distrust of others is selfishness— fearing I shall not get my rightful share of the profits, or if I fail to market it because I am so scientifically inclined that I am interested only in the discovery and lack interest in humanity; or if I fail to market it because I lack the leadership ability necessary to interest others financially—then, although I have performed a service in discovering the material, I have not rendered service, and should not expect compensation. To secure just compensation, I must add rendition of service to adaptation of service.

In the case assumed above, the basic personal factors which prevent rendition of service are lacks in myself—lack of trust or lack of interest in others, lack of leadership ability, or “plain selfishness.”

If I am a scientist and fail to adapt my discoveries to the needs of men, or fail to cooperate in marketing my products because I do not wish to be bothered with “business,” or wish only to continue my researches—I am selfish. I place the enjoyment of my research work above the joy of loving and helping others. That is selfish. No matter how much such an attitude is praised in scientific circles, and in artistic and literary circles also, such selfishness does not deserve success!

So also, in handling people, greater adaptation to meet human needs adds to the value of the service you render and increases the compensation you receive.

Andrew Carnegie was a great industrialist. He was also a master in training young men to lead other men. In fact, his success as an industrialist was the result of his ability to select young men of promise and to help them to develop their capacity to lead others.


Of the men selected by Mr. Carnegie, and trained by him, Charles Schwab stands out as the most successful. If Carnegie had done nothing else in his life except to help Charles Schwab to become a great master of men, Carnegie would have earned his fortune: first, by recognizing Charles Schwab’s ability when Schwab was a boy carrying water to workmen; and second, by training and advancing him so that we knew of Schwab, and used him during the world war to awaken the spirit of the men in the ship yards to produce the greatest number of ships in the shortest time.

Then also, we have the example of the late President Roosevelt. Perhaps no other man of the last hundred years selected so many young men of promise, helped to develop them, and inspired them to become leaders of others. This is the greatest service a man can render humanity.

Par above other examples of service rendered during the ages, Christ is the Master Leader, not only because of the Truth He presented, but because of His method in choosing twelve apostles as a working team. If it had not been for His choice of the twelve apostles, how limited the spread of Christianity might have been.

All things work together for good, and all service increases your abundance. The wealth of the world is the expression of the riches of heaven. And, when rendering service from the heart—that is, giving service—the actual compensation for the service rendered, is augmented.

But, the man who attempts to give all his service to the limit of his capacity often fails, because he is unjust to himself and unjust to society. It is only when a man gives service in addition to the service he renders, that he succeeds.

“Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven, and all other things shall be added unto you,” is true in business! Compensation for services given—material compensation— conies indirectly, but it always comes!

A new drainage canal is being constructed. There are ditch diggers and engineers. The ditch digger renders a service and is paid for his service. The engineer renders a service and is paid for the service he renders.

But, the great engineer who conceived the idea gives service in addition to the service he renders.

The service he renders consists of his actual work—in conceiving, designing, planning, and constructing.

The service which he gives is the help of his work to humanity. If the canal reclaims hundreds of thousands of acres of land, it makes the land profitable for farming. Or, if the canal drains sewerage from a great city, it prevents the illness of millions of people, for a generation or more.

We do not pay directly for services given, but the greater the service which is given, the greater the financial success of the man who gives it. Giving service builds up reputation, and his time and services are in demand. Other construction jobs wait for him, and his material compensation is increased by services given.

The law holds in all things!

Benedict Arnold rendered a service to the British, and was paid for it. But, he gave no service at all. He made no sacrifice of himself for the good of others, and the British, themselves, ostracized him because of the service he rendered.


Washington rendered a service to the Colonists, and the Colonial Congress paid him for it. But, Washington gave service in addition to that which he rendered. And, he was rewarded. First, by the Presidency, and later, by the admiration and love of people of all times—even of the British who despised Arnold and honored Washington.

Caesar rendered service to Rome.

Christ rendered service to the Jews, and gave of His service to all peoples of the ages.

How many followers does Caesar have today?

The service given by Christ lives on and on—the greatest success in the history of the world.

Giving service is rewarded!

Consciousness of the good you have done, the honor and trust and confidence of the world, the love and comradeship of men and women—these are the just rewards given you for the service which you give to others.

The service of the Christ is the ideal. It has rendered the greatest service; it has been of the greatest value to the greatest number; it is the perfect adaptation of divine love to meet human needs; it is humanized to touch the heart of every man; its Message is so filled with vivid images that it reaches to the four corners of the earth; and it is given to man with divine unselfishness.

All things are one: the sunshine of heaven is the gold of earth, and the diamonds of earth are the pure thoughts of God. All things are one—render service, adapt it to

human needs, humanize it to touch the heart, portray it in vivid imagery to reach the mind of man, render it unselfishly—and then, abundance will flood you, the riches of heaven and the wealth of the earth will be yours!

If you want to lose out, let others do your kind of work better than you do it. If you want to hold your own, do your work as well as others do the same kind of work. If you want to advance, do your work better than others. If you want to mount to the temple, idealize the way in which you do your work so that you become the outstanding leader in doing it.

BROWN LANDONE

CHAPTER XIII

AUGMENT YOUR SUCCESS BY LEADERSHIP

NOT long ago I received the last intimate details of the life story of a man— well known on two continents, who failed because circumstances and conditions were always against him—at least, he thought so. If you knew his name, and should turn to “Who’s Who in America,” you would learn that he has held many positions of prominence, and you would read of many great things which he has done in North, Central, and South America.

He was a very successful man so long as he was employed by someone else and directed by someone else. He was not born to wealth or power, but worked his way up


from the bottom; and then he worked himself down from the success which he had attained under the direction of others— down to a very miserable failure.

At the height of his success as a constructive engineer, he had been employed by our greatest inventor. But, at that time, this man, of whom I am writing, decided that he could do better for himself. So, he purchased the rights of a very important invention, a very practical invention, one that has since become, under the direction and ownership of others, a very successful venture. But, when it was in his hands, he was never able to meet the problem of handling other men successfully, and troubles with his men, and with men who came to deal with him, prevented him, month by month, from closing one advantageous contract after another. His failure was so great that, during the last years of his life, he was often compelled to borrow a dollar here, or fifty cents there, merely to buy something to eat.

I heard the story from one of his attorneys, so that I know the details. Year after year the only reason for his failure— that is, the only reason he could give—was that circumstances were against him. He was always on the point of just putting a deal over, but some circumstance or condition prevented it each time—that is the way he explained it to his friends and attorneys.

But, in truth, his failure was due to lack of leadership capacity. He could not handle men without quarreling with them. When he tried to lead others, he failed; although, when he had been directed by others, he had succeeded.

Unless you are a leader in your work, you cannot succeed greatly. If your work is making, handling or creating things, or if it is using words, or if it is managing and directing people, you do not succeed unless you lead in your particular line of work.

There are thousands—yes, millions—of people who work well and faithfully from youth to old age. Yet, they never attain to that which we call success. By efficient work, they just hold their own. They do not succeed greatly, because they do not lead in the work they do.

But; if you make better things than others make, or make them a little more rapidly, or more efficiently, you lead in making things and your reward is success in that line. If you handle things more effectively than others handle them, you become a leader in handling things, and your leadership brings you success.

If you create things—that is, discover or invent them—you become a leader by creating things, and attain to success, providing that you render service by marketing the things you create.

If you work with words, you may use them as does a copyist, or a stenographer, and not succeed greatly in life. In using words, the stenographer is usually a follower—following the use of words which are dictated by another.

So long as the stenographer remains a follower in the use of words, he can improve his position only by increase of speed, or accuracy, or neatness. But, if in part, he becomes a leader in the use of words—able to use them so that he can take charge of a part of the correspondence of his employer —he becomes a leader in his field, and his compensation is doubled.

There is always a possibility of securing increased compensation and abundance, by one phase of leadership—no matter in what field of work you find yourself!

Of course, there are other fields of leadership in the use of words. The person who thinks vividly and expresses himself in vivid imagery, leads all others. He becomes the


great author, the great dramatist, the great orator, the great preacher, the great attorney, or the great public leader who inspires us and leads us to a higher and more efficient life.

In justice, the compensation which the world gives, not only for different kinds of work, but for leadership in each kind of work, varies. If you lead in doing things, you receive certain compensation. If you lead in using words, you receive a greater compensation. If you lead in handling people, you attain to the great reward—for, such leadership is the most difficult and the most needed.

There are only three fields of work: () making, handling, or creating things, () using words; and () leading and directing people.

Choose your field of leadership.

Choose the field, in which you wish to lead, on the dual basis of ability and service—the field in which you can render the greatest service to others for the longest time. Your native ability is the first factor which determines your choice, and the needs of others is the second. Of this second factor, it seems unnecessary to write a word— for you know that you will fail if you choose a work which others do not need, just as you would fail if you should invest in a factory to make one-horse shays! Today, the mass of people do not need one-horse shays.

Leadership is one of the determining factors of success, and—no matter in what field of work you are engaged—if your progress seems to be stopped, if there seems to be no chance for advancement, if your compensation seems to have reached the deadline— then, look to leadership to change all things for you!

If you think there is no demand for your work, you lack leadership. If there is no demand for the special work you are doing, it is because you do not lead others in doing that kind of work, for there is always a demand for the man or woman who can do things better, or more quickly, or more beautifully, than others do them. There is always a demand for the people who can make things or handle things more efficiently than others. There is always a demand for those who lead others in the use of words, and always a demand for those who can lead other people. Even during “hard times” or financial panics> the leaders continue to hold their positions. The inefficient followers are allowed to go. In fact, because of financial depression, employers may be compelled to let them go. But, the employers keep the leaders. The world demands leadership—efficient leadership of any kind in every one of the three fields of work.

Naturally, you desire to attain to the heights. You desire to lead people. For this, two personal factors are basic. You must be able to think vividly in order to persuade and convince others, and you must idealize all things and conditions—even your own attitude—in order to be a little ahead of those you wish to lead.

To lead others, you must be able to persuade and convince them of the value of whatever you are doing, or of the value of what you are planning to do. All successful effort, in convincing and persuading others, depends on the vivid images in your mind, and the vivid images you awaken in their minds. You may talk and talk, but without vivid imagery, you neither convince nor persuade.

To persuade or convince another, you must create a desire in his mind. His desire depends on the vividness of the images of the things or ideas, which you wish him to accept.

And, the use of vivid imagery in attaining to leadership depends on idealization!


Idealizing is more than visioning or visualizing. Visioning intensifies your desire. Idealizing increases your desire to such an extent that you act. Many thousands of plans have been visualized—their factors selected and related—and yet many such plans have been allowed to die because desire was not idealized to the point of initiating action.

To psychologists it is well known that there is no impulse to action until brain centers have become stimulated so that a surplus of energy exists. It is also known that action is not initiated until the surplus energy in the brain centers becomes so great that it demands expression. The power to initiate is very rare. The impulse to initiate, to carry your plan into action, comes only from idealization. It awakens brain centers so that you are compelled to act. Moreover, when one brain center is supercharged with the energy of your mind, it radiates energy to other brain centers. This means new ideas, new relationships, and such a wealth of them, that you wonder where they come from.

Idealization is the mental process of seeing your ideal vividly working in your mind, before you put it into action. It is this, which makes a man a leader.

I remember seeing the late Mr. Morgan sitting on the balcony of a hotel in Egypt. He sat there by the hour, not moving a muscle, and with his eyes closed. If one did not know, one would assume that he was dozing. But, those who knew him intimately, told me that, after sitting thus for an hour or two, he would dictate a few cablegrams which would successfully direct financial operations in his banking houses in all parts of the world.

While he seemed to be dozing, he was idealizing action—the activities which should be carried out in the financial world, and he idealized them so perfectly, that, when put in action, they always worked out successfully.

Idealizing the action you wish to carry out, builds in brain paths. Then, when you come to the actual doing, you have a habit of doing already successfully established in the brain. Moreover, the more times you idealize the action, the deeper and more permanent these brain paths become, so that when you do go into action, it seems that you are merely repeating what you have already done, and what you have already succeeded in doing—so that there is no hesitancy, no doubt, no lack of confidence, no lack of ease, and no mistakes in your action.

The idealized attitude relates to people, to conditions, and to the universe.

Of course, you begin with yourself for you must hold some kind of attitude about yourself. You may take one extreme or the other, or any point in between. You may think yourself a worm or a god. You are free to take any attitude you desire toward yourself, but there is only one attitude which will make you a leader, and that is the vividly idealized attitude! An idealized attitude about yourself is more than thinking well’ about yourself. Idealization balances your concept of yourself, although thinking often throws your concept out of balance.

For example, you have a habit which you wish to overcome. Such habits we call ”bad habits.” In the past you have made efforts to change some of them. You are making effort today to change others.

Every effort which you make, makes you think. The more effort, the more thought. You do not make any effort to change your good habits, therefore, you do not think much about them. You do make an effort to change the bad habits, therefore, you usually think


of the bad habits, and only of the bad ones. This thinking unbalances the true concept of yourself.

Instead of thinking of your bad habits, image yourself—that is, vividly idealize yourself as you are! Do you not discover that you have a thousand good habits, to each bad habit? The idealized attitude toward yourself makes you see yourself as you are. It gives you more confidence, more courage, more hope, more joy—and makes it possible for you to inspire and lead others.

Idealize also your attitude toward others, “That which ye seek, ye shall find.” If you look for pettiness and meanness and dishonesty in others, you will find them. If you think that all men are trying to crush you, you will be crushed, for your attitude is such that it closes your eyes to all the opportunities they offer you, and all the help they would give you. If you idealize others as willing to help you, as men and women who intend to do the square thing by you, you will find help and a just reward.

Of the millions of people in New York City, probably not one person in a hundred thousand is a pickpocket—yet how joyless life is if you fear that every other passenger on the subway car is a pickpocket!

The idealized attitude changes all the conditions of life. It changes your attitude toward your business, and your activities in relation to it. It does not make you blind to obstacles, nor lead you to neglect them, but it makes you idealize one or more of the methods of overcoming them. It leads you to expect good results. When you expect good results, you plan more wisely. When you plan wisely, you get better results. It makes it possible for you to lead those, who do not idealize conditions.

In the last thirty years, the idealized attitude has changed all the methods of finance and trade and commerce. Thirty years ago, it was—“Let the buyer beware.” Today, it is—“Service and more service.”

The idealized attitude changes the concept of life. The universe must be good. If it were not good it would go to pieces over night

By idealizing yourself, you lift your relationships with others.

By idealizing conditions and processes, you lift your work—no matter what it may be—from struggle to attainment, and from failure to success.

By idealizing life, you step a little ahead of others, and are able to inspire and lead them.

To succeed greatly, you must lead!

Man fears, and God dares!

Man -visions and idealizes what he wants to do, and then—he fears that something will hinder him, he becomes faint hearted, and gives up!

God visions and idealizes what He wants to do, and dares to do it, and it is done! You’re made in His likeness! Assert your dominion over all things! And then, all those other things shall be added unto you!

BROWN LANDONE


CHAPTER XIV

DARE TO DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO

TO OFTEN hear it said that there are two classes of men—those who talk, and those who do. I also hear it said that the talkers fail; and that the doers succeed. For many years, I thought this was a wise old saying well worth repeating, until I realized that the men who repeat it most often are the talkers who spend much of their time telling others not to talk.

Both talkers and doers have failed in life! And talkers, as well as doers, have succeeded greatly!

It is not talking or doing, but an “impelling consciousness,” which determines success. By that term I mean consciousness so moved by desire to do what it most wants to do, that it dares to do it, and is spiritually honest about it.

Such a state of consciousness is mothered by courage and sired by daring. Courage is its mother—for it stabilizes and holds itself ready to defend its own. Daring is its father—for it is the spiritual masculinity which dares to do what it wants to do.

Thus, we return to the first personal determinant of success, individual freedom. The courage to proclaim and defend what one believes and the daring to do what one most wants to do are the bases of greatness.

Others are recognizing this truth. A noted authority, Dr. Robinson, who has lately made an extended study of the lives of several great men, classified the qualities possessed by each. He finds that there is one, and only one, character quality which is common to all the great men whose lives he studied. It is courage, the “daring to be free.”

The old saying that the doers succeed, and that the talkers fail, is not wholly true.

Whether they are talkers or doers, those who fear to defend their convictions and fear to do what they most wish to do, are always failures.

Those who have the courage to proclaim and defend their ideals, and the daring to do that which they most want to do, are the great successes.

Several great thinkers and talkers have rendered great service to the world and have become exceptional successes. For instance, William Jennings Bryan stands out as the most persistent, year-in-and-year-out talker the world has known. For thirty years he did little else but talk. Yet he succeeded greatly; as a leader he dominated the political party of which he was a member for more than a generation.

He rendered two great services: on the one hand, being the greatest talker, he led the nation to become rather tired of talking politicians, and this is a great service to us— a democratic people—for we are too prone to depend on talk. On the other hand, because of his sublime courage, his personal sincerity, and his persistent and continuous advocacy of progressive policies, he did more to advance economic legislation and political and governmental procedure, than any other one statesman has done from the time of Lincoln to the present day. Bryan was a talking leader, but it was his courage to stand by his beliefs and his daring to present his convictions—whether about the crime of gold in, or the crime of the monkey in —which made him a success.

In contrast to Bryan, another great national leader of the same generation, has done much, and talked little. He has talked so little that the public does not yet realize the


great service he has rendered to us and the world. If I should attempt to list the accomplishments of his thirty-five years of service, I would need a book to do it. If I here list but a few of the great things he did in one short period of two years only, you will be astounded, first because one man did so much so remarkably well, and second, because he talked so little about the work he did that we do not realize that he did it.

He was appointed to save a nation.

In thirty months, he created a self-governing democracy out of a people who had been enslaved under a brutal autocracy for years. In two years, he formulated a national school system out of nothing to begin with; he built two public school houses in every community of people, although previously there had not been even one public school house in the entire country! He secured school attendance of one-sixth of the entire population; he used one-fourth of the nation’s revenues for educational work, and established the system so efficiently that the proportion of illiteracy decreased per cent in six years.

In twenty-four months he changed the country—four times as large as Belgium— from the “pesthole of the world,” as it had been called, to a health resort, and established his work of sanitation so permanently that the death rate a generation later continued to be less than that of the state of New York.

He supervised: the drafting of a national democratic constitution for a nation just emerging from centuries of oppression; the re-codification of a nation’s laws and the re-organization of an entire national system of judicial procedure; the drafting of the first railway law enacted by a democratic nation providing for efficient regulation of private railways by the people; the drafting of the first national charities law; and the first constitutional provision compelling a nation to maintain sanitary conditions favorable to national health.

Between one Christmas and the next, he re-established and extended a nation’s telegraph system, he carried the telephone to rural communities where telephones were previously unknown; he re-organized a national postal system, increasing the number of post offices per cent and managing them so well that the postal system made a profit equal to per cent of the nation’s internal taxation.

In one year he established homes for the aged; founded modern reformatory trade schools; established model asylums for the insane; founded model orphans’ homes; and—with all his other duties—took time to supervise, personally, the adoption of orphans by private families!

He reduced the national police force from, men costing $, each year, to, men costing but a few thousand dollars. He completely overhauled the prisons of the nation, built model sanitary buildings in four months, and introduced as humane methods as any existing in the world.

He improved every harbor of the country; built wharves, docks, piers, and lighthouses; he constructed sewerage systems and waterworks in each large city of the nation; built aqueducts; improved the national highways; and initiated the construction of a system of national railways.

NO, we were not taxed millions of dollars so that he could work these miracles!

Instead, he created the necessary means!

When he took charge, the country was a devastated agricultural nation, which had been impoverished by a generation of warfare and brigandage. It had neither passable roads,


nor means of communication, nor money, nor credit. For decades its expenditures had exceeded its revenues. Its treasury was bankrupt. Yet, in twelve months, he led its people to such prosperity, and so efficiently managed its national finances, that the country’s revenues exceeded its expenditures. And, in two years, he had so developed the country’s ruined industries and commerce that its custom duties provided per cent of the nation’s revenues, furnishing ample means for his gigantic improvements, which were paid for out of the revenues, in addition to reducing the internal taxation from $ to cents for each person!

Who is the doer who has done these wonders, and where did he do them?

The man is Leonard Wood. The place is Cuba. He is the doer who has done so much and talked so little of what he has done that it is probable we shall never realize the immensity of the service he has rendered.

Wood stands preeminent as the great non-talking-doer of the last fifty years, just as Bryan stands preeminent as the non-doing-talker! Each, a great man; each, a great leader. Each attained phenomenal success in his own line.

And, just as it was not Bryan’s talking which made him a success—for thousands of men talk and fail—but his courage and his daring, so, it was not solely his doing which made Leonard Wood the great success, but his courage and daring to do the things which others said could not be done!

The man, who has the courage to believe that he can accomplish miracles when others say it is impossible, the man who has the daring to do that which is necessary to turn his dreams into realities—such a man always succeeds, and succeeds greatly!

During the last fifty years, we have had another great leader, who differed from Bryan and differed from Wood. He was a composite leader. He swayed the country by words as few men have moved it; he lifted business to ethical heights it had never before attained; he inspired the people to dare to place human rights above property right.

Differing from Bryan, he was a great doer. He was the police commissioner of the largest city of America, an idolized leader in war; a great national executive; perhaps, our most strenuous doer! Differing from Wood, he was a great talking leader, an effective orator, a prolific writer, and, a prolific user of the press. He was our great talking-doer, and doing-talker. Perhaps in no other great leader have we such a remarkable combination. What Roosevelt did is so well known, that I need not attempt to mention here his great services. But, what made him great? What is common to Bryan, to Wood, to Roosevelt? The sublime courage of each in upholding his ideals and the divine daring to do that which each most desired to do.

Perhaps no man in our public life has been quite so frankly daring as Roosevelt. No matter what the consequences to himself, if he felt there was something to be done, he did it.

A clever politician, he hungered for applause, yet, if something needed to be done, he did it, even though at the time he knew that the action would arouse criticism of himself, and cost him popular support.

For instance, when he saw the rush for wealth and the lack of daily faith in God, he felt that it was sacrilegious for us to use “In God We Trust” on our coinage; and he had the courage to dare to do what he felt should be done to awaken our people to greater


spiritual consciousness of trust in God. As President, he then had the right to order that that inscription be removed from our coinage.

Two days before publicly announcing his order, he said in substance to an intimate friend,” It will create a furor. People will criticize me bitterly and denounce me, but the order will bring a great spiritual awakening. Next Sunday every minister in the land will be preaching ‘In God We Trust’ from his pulpit. Congress will pass a law forbidding its removal. As a people we shall have a truer concept of our trust and dependence on God.”

Marvelous daring! The courage to do what he knew needed to be done!

More daring still was his frank assertion that he wanted to be President! I know of no other candidate for that office who has dared, publicly, to admit such a desire. Usually, a candidate is “willing to accept the Presidency, if it is thrust on him by the people!”

And, soon after election, every other Chief Executive of the White House has “let it be known” that the Presidency was a burden, that he cared not overmuch for the position, and that he preferred private life. But, Roosevelt had the courage of frankness and the daring of true honesty. Of his Presidency, he said, “I have had a bully time! I have enjoyed every minute of it!”

Roosevelt was not a profound thinker. He, himself, was certain that he possessed only such qualities as are possessed by ordinary men. Yet, he was a great leader—a very great leader. Our recognition of his greatness is due to his continuous activity, his definite ideas of right, and his courageous daring to do what he knew to be right.

When he believed in an idea he had the courage to declare it, the heroism to stand by it, and the daring to do whatever was necessary to make that ideal become an actuality. Whether or not men agreed with him, they loved him for his moral courage, and it is this which inspires and helps us.

The stories of the lives of great men have always been helpful to me, and I used to wonder why. I knew that I could not imitate the lives of others, and yet, I always found “something” in the life story of every great man—something, which was inspiring and helpful.

Now, I recognize that the story of a great leader is helpful, because it reveals, this truth—courageous daring is the primal determinant of success. The life story of each great leader awakens in us the impelling consciousness — that consciousness which dares to be free enough to do what it most wants to do. It dares you to succeed.

And, the lives of young men who dare— young men who are living today—inspire us as much as the stories of men who succeeded yesterday. I know many of them—young men—who are daring to succeed, and who are succeeding because they dare to do what they want to do. Each such success, whether that of a poor emigrant boy, or that of a rich man’s son, is due primarily to daring! And, sometimes, it requires more enduring courage for a rich man’s son to do what he wants to do, than it does for a poor boy to hew his own path to success.

A few years ago at the close of an address I was delivering one evening; a youthful reporter from The New York Times came to the platform to interview me. As I turned from others and glanced at his face, I was astounded—for I recognized that he was the son of one of the Vanderbilts. He did not know that I knew who he was, and I gave no sign that I knew.


When the interview was finished—as one usually asks the name of the newspaper reporter who interviews one—I casually said, “And your name?”

Oh, it would have been so easy for that young man to have replied Smith, or Jones, or Brown! But, he did not! His boyish smile did not change, but the sensitive eye became steel, and with seeming indifference, he answered, “Vanderbilt.” I knew that it took courage for him to do so, because on the one hand, hundreds of people were trying to “make use” of him, and because on the other hand, the press of the country was then ridiculing him as a toy man, a mere pretender, who was “playing” that he wanted to do a man’s work in the world.

So, when he answered “Vanderbilt,” I merely nodded my head as though it meant nothing to me, (showing no more interest than I would have shown if he had said Robinson, or Johnson, or McGuire. But I was interested. I wondered if he would make good. I knew he possessed the daring of the moment, necessary to get into the game of life, but I wondered whether or not he possessed the enduring courage necessary to hold on for years.

I knew the obstacles which would be placed in his way—the bitter criticism, the scoffing, and even the sneering. I knew the difficulty he would have in holding a position, and in having his work accepted. I knew that he would be accused of wishing to exploit his name. I knew that few people would take him seriously, and I knew the divine courage necessary to meet such an attitude—for, to hear up and keep on, when people laugh at you because they think you’re only a toy-man, requires greater courage than it does to bear up under a great sorrow!

I was interested in watching young Vanderbilt’s effort. I was interested, because I knew that he would not succeed unless he possessed soul-enduring courage, and the persistent daring which continues from day to day and year to year.

In spite of the opposition of his family, the ridicule of the press, the distrust of his ability by editors, the sneers of co-workers, he has kept on, working as few other men have worked—plugging, plugging, many hours a day—for seven years, at the time of this writing. Even when efforts were made to sweep away the business he built up, and when those efforts were in part successful, it did not down him.

He continued to dare to go on, and he is succeeding, succeeding in doing that which he most wishes to do—to stand on his own feet, to be a man independent of inherited income, a creator of new value to be added to the name, Vanderbilt.

Day by day it is becoming more certain that, when all other things are swept away, daring is the one quality necessary to again attain to success. The man who dares, succeeds.

You have probably read many of the books written by Orison Swett Marden. His books are inspiring, but one experience of one of his relatives means more to me than all the inspirational books ever written. It is the story of a man who lost all he possessed materially—not only money but position—in the panic of.

Before that panic, he was president of a large insurance company of the Middle West. He was one of the “moneyed men.” His position was important. But, peculiar conditions during the panic tied up the affairs of his company to such an extent that he sacrificed all he had, rather than let the stockholders suffer. So, in, he lost everything, except courage, and pride, and the desire to provide for his family.


He came back to New York with no means —not even enough to keep his family for a month.

In prosperous times, a dozen positions would have been offered him, but—because of the panic—no executive positions were available. Every company had cut down expenditures to the lowest limit, so that they would not be forced into bankruptcy. Even old employees were kept on half pay. So, what chance had a new man, seeking a position—and an executive position at that?

There seemed to be no chance, but the former president screwed up his courage, banished all false pride, and began at the bottom, as an agent for one of the large insurance companies. He started up Broadway, visiting every office on the way—actually canvassing from door to door.

That took courage!

It was the courage of divine daring—the daring to do what he most wanted to do— to provide for the immediate needs of his family!

Speaking to me of that first day, he said, “It was hard, of course, to think that I, the former president of a company, to whom men came for advice and direction—and that I, who had handled millions of dollars —was compelled to canvass from door to door. But, I knew that I must live. I had my family, and, thank God, I had the courage to do it.”

Today, he is eminently successful, and is making at least two hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year!

Many men have come to me. Some have been despairing failures; others have been great successes—in business, in governmental affairs, and in the management of great organizations.

In the case of every failure, I have found that FEAR is the cause of the failure!

In every case of success, I have found that sublime courage—the daring to do what one most wants to do—is the cause of success!

If each soul dared to do what it most wants to do, dared to do the work it most desires to do, there would be no poverty and no failure. If you are failing in anything, dare to be yourself—dare to prepare for the work you most want to do!

Dare to succeed! And you will succeed! THE END

Dare to WIn - Brown Landone

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