THE SECRET OF SUCCESS, William Walter Atkinson [best management books of all time txt] 📗

accomplishes it. The one who does his best is
never a "quitter," or a "shirker" – he stays right on his job until he has bestowed
upon it the very best that there is in him to give at that particular time. Such a
man can never be a failure.
The man who does his best is never heard asking the pessimistic question,
"What’s the Use? "He doesn’t care a whole lot about that part of it – his mind is
fixed upon the idea that he is "on his job," and is not going to be satisfied with
anything less than his Best. And when one really is able to answer the great
question with an honest, "Yes, I did my Best," then verily, he will be able to
answer the "What’s the Use" question properly – it is "of use" to have brought out
the Best work in oneself, if for no other reason than because it is a Man Making
process – a developer of the Self.
This infernal "What’s the Use" question seems to have been invented by some
pessimistic imp of darkness to use in discouraging people making desperate
struggles or leading forlorn hopes. It has brought down many a man into the Mire
of Despondency and Failure. Chase it out of you mind whenever it appears, and
replace it with the question, "Am I doing my Best," knowing that an affirmative
answer settles the other question also. Anything is "Of Use" if it is in the right
spirit, in a worthy cause, and because one’s own manhood demands it. Yes, even
if one goes down to death in the doing of it still it is a Success. Listen to this story,
told in a recent magazine article:It is a story of a sailor on the wreck of a German
kerosene steamer, which dashed against the rocks of the Newfoundland coast in
the early part of 1901. She had taken fire, and had been run ashore on a
submerged reef about an eighth of a mile from the coast. The coastline itself was
a wall, some four hundred feet high. When morning dawned, the fisherman on
shore saw that her boats were all gone, and all the crew and officers had
apparently been lost – all except three men. Two of these three men were
standing on the bridge – the third was aloft, lashed to the rigging. Later, the
watchers saw a tremendous wave strike the vessel, sweeping away the bridge and
the two men who had been standing on it. Several hours later they saw the man in
the rigging unlash him and beat his arms against his body vigorously, evidently to
restore the circulation, which had been almost stopped by the lashing and the
extreme cold. The man then took off his coat, waved it to the fishermen on top of
the cliff and then plunged into the sea. The first thought was that he had given up
the fight and committed suicide – but he as not that kind of a man. He struck out
for shore, and reaching it made three separate attempts to secure a foothold on
the rocks at the bottom of the cliff. But, he failed – three times was he swept away
by the surf, and finally, seeing the futility of his efforts, he swam away again,
toward the ship. As the narrator well says: “At that crisis in the struggle ninetynine
men out of a hundred would have given and allowed themselves to drown;
but this man was not a quitter. "
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After a fierce battle with the waves the man gained the ship, and after a desperate
struggle managed to board her. He climbed again into the rigging and waved his
hand to the fishermen high up on the cliff, who were unable to help him. He
lashed himself fast, and until dark could be seen signaling the fishermen above,
to show them that he was still alive and game. When the following morning broke
the fishermen saw that his head had fallen to his breast - he was motionless –
frozen during the night. He was dead – his brave soul had gone forth to meet its
maker, and who can doubt that when that man confronted his Maker his eyes
were looking firmly and bravely toward the Presence, and not bowed down in
shame or fear. Such a man was indeed worthy to face his Maker, unabashed and
unashamed. As the writer, George Kennan, has said in words that make one
thrill: “That man died as a man in adverse circumstances ought to die, fighting to
the last. You may call it foolish, and say that he might better have ended his
sufferings by allowing himself to drown when he found that he could not make a
landing at the base of the cliff; but deep down in your hearts you pay secret
homage to his courage, his endurance, and his indomitable will. He was defeated
at last, but so long as he had consciousness neither fire nor cold not tempest
could break down his manhood. "
The Caucasians have a favorite proverb that says: “Heroism is endurance for one
moment more. "And that one moment more tells the difference between the
"quitter" and the man who has "done his Best. "No one is dead until his heart has
ceased beating – and no one has failed so long as there is one more bit of fight in
him. And that "one moment more" often is the moment in which the tide turns –
the moment when the enemy relaxes his hold and drops back beaten.
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The Power of Desire
What is Desire? Let us see! Webster tells us that it is: “The natural longing to
possess any seeming good; eager wish to obtain or enjoy," or in its abnormal or
degenerate sense: “excessive or morbid longing; lust; appetite." "Desire" is a
much-abused term – the public mind has largely identified it with its abnormal
or degenerate phase, just mentioned, ignoring its original and true sense. Many
use the word in the sense of an unworthy longing or craving, instead of in the true
sense of "aspiration," "worthy craving and longing," etc. To call Desire
"aspiration" renders it none the less Desire. To apply to it the term "laudable aim
and ambition" does not take away from it is character of Desire. There is no sense
in endeavoring to escape the fact that Desire is the natural and universal impulse
toward action, be the action or good or bad. Without Desire the Will does not
spring into action, and nothing is accomplished. Even the highest attainments
and aims of the race are possible only when the steam of Will is aroused by the
flame and heat of Desire.
Some of the occult teachings are filled with instructions to "kill out desire," and
the student is warned to beware of it even in its most insidious and subtle forms,
even to the extent of "avoiding even the desire to be desireless – even desire not
to desire. Now this is all nonsense, for if one"wishes," or "wants," or "is inclined,"
or "thinks best to," or "is pleased to" Kill Out Desire – in any of these cases he is
but manifesting a Desire "not to desire," in spite of his use of other names. What
is this "wishing to; wanting to; feeling like; inclination; being pleased to;" and all
the rest, but just plain, clear, unadulterated Desire masquerading under some of
these names. To proceed to "kill out desire" without "desiring" to do so is like
trying to lift oneself by pulling on his own bootstraps. Folly. What is really meant
is that the occultist should proceed to kill out the lower desires that he finds
within his nature, and also to kill out the "attachment" for things. Regarding this
last we would say that all true occultist know that even the best "things" are not
good enough to rule and master one-nothing is good enough for the soul to allow
itself to be unduly attached to it so that the thing rules the soul instead of the
should mastering the thing. That is what the teachings mean – avoidance of
"attachment. "And in this the occult teachers are clearly right. Desire is a frightful
master – like fire it sweeps away the supports of the soul, leaving nothing but
smoldering ashes. But, also like Fire Desire is a splendid servant and by its
harnessed power we are able to generate the steam of the Will and Activity, and
to accomplish much in the world. Without proper Desire the world would be
without activity. So do not make the mistake of using Desire any more than you
would refuse to use fire – but in both cases keep the mastery in your own hands,
and avoid allowing the control to pass from you to Desire.
Desire is the motivating force that runs the world; as little as we care to admit it
in many cases. Look around you and see the effects of Desire in every human act,
good or bad. As a writer has said:"Every deed that we do, good or bad, is
prompted by Desire. We are charitable because we Desire to relieve our inner
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distress at the sight of suffering; or from the Desire of sympathy; or from the
Desire to be respected in this world, or to secure a comfortable place in the next.
One man is kind because he Desires to be kind – because it gives him satisfaction
to be kind; while another man is cruel from precisely the same kind of motive.
One man does his duty because he Desires to do it – he obtains a higher
satisfaction from duty well done than he would from the neglecting of it in
accordance with some weaker desires. The religious man is religious because his
religious desires are stronger than his irreligious ones – because he finds a higher
satisfaction in religion than in the pursuits of the worldly-minded. The moral
man is moral because his moral desires are stronger than his immoral ones – he
obtains a greater satisfaction in being moral than in being the contrary.
Everything we do is prompted by Desire in some shape or form – high or low.
Man cannot be Desireless and act in any way. Desire is the motivating power
behind all actions – it is a natural law of life. Everything from the atom to the
monad; from the monad to the insect; from the insect to man; from man to
Nature, acts and does things by reason of the power and force of Desire, the
Animating Motive. "
All the above at the first glance would seem to make of man a mere machine,
subject to the power of any stray desire that might happen to come into his mind.
But this is far from being so. Man acts not upon EVERY desire, but upon the
STRONGEST Desire, or the Average of his Strongest Desires. This Average of
Desires is that which constitutes his Nature or Character. And here is where the
Mastery of the "I" comes in!Man need not be a slave or creature of his Desires if
he will assert his Mastery. He may control, regulate, govern and guide his Desires
in any directions that he pleases. Nay, more, he may even CREATE DESIRES by
an action of his Will, as we shall see presently. By a knowledge of psychological
laws he may neutralize unfavorable Desires, and grow and develop – yes,
practically Create New Desires in their place – all by the power of his Will, aided
by the light of his Reason and Judgment. Man is the Master of his Mind.
"Yes," but some close reasoning critic may object; "yes, that is true enough, but
even in that case is not Desire the ruling motive – must not one Desire