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

it paralyzes all useful efforts and action, until the
heart and brain are affected and find it difficult to throw it off. Fear-Thought is at
the bottom of the majority of failures and "going down" in life. As long as a man
keeps his nerve and confidence in himself, he is able to rise to his feet after each
stumble, and face the enemy resolutely – but let him feel the effects of Fear-
Thought to such an extent that he cannot throw it off and he will fail to rise and
will perish miserable. "There is nothing to fear except Fear," has well been said.
We have spoken elsewhere about the Law of Attraction, which operates in the
direction of attracting to us, that which we Desire. But there is a reverse side to
this – it is a poor rule that will not work both ways. Fear will set into motion the
Law of Attraction just as well as Desire. Just as Desire draws to one the things he
pictures in his mind as the Desired Thing, so will Fear draw to him the thing
pictured in his mind as the Thing Feared. "The thing that I feared hath befallen
me. "And the reason is very simple, and the apparent contradiction vanishes
when we examine the matter. What is the pattern upon which the Law of
Attraction builds under the force of Desire? The Mental Image, of course. And so
it is in the case of Fear – the person carries about the Mental Image or haunting
picture of the Feared Thing, and the Law of Attraction brings it to him just as it
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brings the Desired Thing. Did you ever stop to thing that Fear was the negative
pole of Desire? The same laws work in both cases.
So avoid Fear-Thought as you would the poisonous draught that you know would
cause your blood to become black and thick, and your breathing labored and
difficult. It is a vile thing, and you should not rest content until you have expelled
it from your mental system. You can get rid of it by Desire and Will, coupled with
the holding of the Mental Image of Fearlessness. Drive it up by cultivating its
opposite. Change your polarity. Raise your mental vibrations. Someone has said,
"There is no Devil but Fear" – then send that Devil back to the place where he
properly belongs, for if you entertain him hospitably he will make your heaven a
hell in order that he may feel at home. Use the mental Big Stick on him.
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Personal Magnetism
We hear much about Personal Magnetism these days. It is a peculiar quality of
the mental being of the individual that serves to bring other persons into a mood
or state of mind sympathetic with that of the magnetic person. Some men have
this quality developed to a wonderful extent, and are able to bring about a
harmonious agreement on the part of other persons in a short time, while others
are almost entirely deficient in this respect and their very presence tends to
arouse antagonism in the minds of others. The majority of people accept the idea
of Personal Magnetism without question, but few will agree upon any theory
attempting to account for it. Those who have studied the matter carefully know
that the whole thing depends upon the mental states of the individual, and upon
his ability to cause others to "catch" his mental vibrations. This "catching" is
caused by what is known as Mental Induction. Induction, you know, is "that
property or quality, or process by which one body having electrical or magnetic
polarity produces it in another without direct contact. "And Mental Induction is a
manifestation of similar phenomena on the mental plane. People’s mental states
are "catching" or "contagious," and if one infuses enough life and enthusiasm into
his mental states they will affect the minds of persons with whom they come in
contact. We have explained this matter in detail in the little book of this series
entitled, "Mental Influence. "
It seems to us that the prime factor in successful Mental Induction, or
manifestations of Personal Magnetism, is Enthusiasm. In another lesson in this
book we have told you about Enthusiasm, and when you think of Personal
Magnetism, it will be well for you to read what we have said about Enthusiasm
also. Enthusiasm gives Earnestness to the person, and there is no mental state so
effective as Earnestness. Earnestness makes itself felt strongly, and will often
make a person give you attention in spite of him self. Walter D. Moody, a wellknown
writer on the subject of Salesmanship, says, truthfully, "It will be found
that all men possessed of personal magnetism are very much in earnest. Their
intense earnestness is magnetic. "And nearly every student of the subject has
noted this fact. But the earnestness must be more that a firm, confident, honest
belief in the thing being presented tot eh attention of the other person. It must be
a live, contagious earnestness, which can best be described as Enthusiasm –
Enthusiastic Earnestness, that’s the term.
This Enthusiastic Earnestness has much emotion in it – it appeals to the
Emotional side of human nature, rather that to the Thinking - Reasoning side.
And yet an argument based upon reason and conducted upon logical principles,
may be presented with Enthusiastic Earnestness with much greater effect than if
the appeal to the reason is conducted in a cold, unemotional way. The average
person is so constituted mentally that he thaws out under a manifestation of live,
enthusiastic "feeling," under the term of Personal Magnetism. The "feeling" side
of mentality is as important as the "thinking" side – and it is far more common
and universal, for the majority of people really think very little, while everyone
"feels. "
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A writer in the "early seventies" of the last century said: “All of us emit a sphere,
aura, or halo, impregnated with the very essence of ourselves; sensitive knows it;
so do our dogs and other pets; so does a hungry lion or tiger; aye, even flies,
snakes and the insects, as we know to our cost. Some of us are magnetic – others
not. Some of us are warm, attractive, love inspiring and friendship making, while
others are cold, intellectual, thoughtful, reasoning, but not magnetic. Let a
learned man of the latter type address an audience and it will soon tire of his
intellectual discourse, and will manifest symptoms of drowsiness. He talks at
them, but not into them – he makes them think, not feel, which is most tiresome
to the majority of persons, and few speakers succeed who attempt to merely make
people think – they want to be made to feel. People will pay liberally to be made
to feel or laugh, while they will begrudge a dime for instruction or talk that will
make them think. Pitted against a learned man of the type mentioned above, let
there be a half-educated, but very loving, ripe and mellow man, with but ninetenths
of the logic and erudition of the first man, yet such a man carries along his
crowd with perfect ease, and everybody is wide-awake, treasuring up every good
thing that falls from his lips. The reasons are palpable and plain. It is heart
against head; soul against logic; and is bound to win every time.
If you will notice the man and woman who are considered the most "magnetic,"
you will find that almost invariably they are people who have what is called "soul"
about them – that is, they manifest and induce "feeling," or emotion. They
manifest traits of character and nature similar to that manifested by actors and
actresses. They throw out a part of themselves, which seems to affect those
coming in contact with them. Notice a non-magnetic actor, and you will see that
although he may be letter perfect in his part, and may have acquired the proper
mannerisms, gestures and other technical parts of his art, still he lacks a "certain
something," and that something may be seen to be the ability to communicate
"feeling. "Now, those who are in the secret know full well that many of the
successful actors, who seem to burn with passion, feeling and emotion on the
stage, really feel but little of these qualities while acting – they are like
phonographs, giving off sounds that have been registered in them. But if you will
investigate still further, you will see that in studying their parts and practicing the
same privately, these people induced a stimulated emotion, such as the part
called for, and held it firmly in their minds, accompanying it with the appropriate
gestures, etc. , until it became firmly "set" there – impressed upon the tablets of
the mentality as the record of a phonograph is likewise impressed upon the wax.
Then, when afterward they played the part, the outward semblance of the
feelings, with the motions, gestures, emphasis, etc. , reproduced itself and
impressed the audience. It is said that if an actor allows himself to be actually
carried away with his part so that he feels the same keenly, the result will not be
advantageous, for he is overcome with the feeling and its effect is upon himself
rather than upon his audience. The best result is said to be obtained when one
has first experienced and felt the emotion, and then afterward reproduces it in
the manner above stated, without allowing it to control him.
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We mention the above facts for the use of those who do not naturally possess the
faculty or quality of Personal magnetism to the required degree. Such people will
find it to their advantage to endeavor to work up the desired feeling of
Enthusiastic Earnestness, in private, fixing the mental impression by frequent
private rehearsals and practice, until it becomes registered in their "habit mind,"
to be reproduced upon occasions when needed. Be a good actor – that is the
advice in such cases; and remember this, that frequent practice and private
rehearsal makes the good actor. It is a far better thing to be able to induce feeling
and enthusiasm in this way, rather than be lacking of it, on the one hand; or to be
an "emotional inebriate" on the other hand. One may be rationally
Enthusiastically Earnest, without being filled full of "slushy gush" or maudlin
emotionalism. We think that the careful student will see just what is meant here,
and will not misunderstand us. And remember, that through this repeated
"acting" the desired quality will often become real and "natural.”
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Attractive Personality
We have explained in our lesson on "Individuality" that what is known, as the
"Personality" was not the real "I" of the Individual, but that instead it formed the
"Me" part of oneself – the outward appearance of the Individual. As we have told
you, the word Personality really means the "mask" aspect of the Individual, the
outward appearance of the part in the great drama of life that he is playing. And
just as the actor may change his mask and costume, so may the Individual
change, alter and replace his Personality by other features found desirable.
But nevertheless, while the Personality is not the real "I," it plays an important
part in the drama of life, particularly as the audience pays more attention to the
Personality, as a rule, than it does to the real Individual behind the mask. And so
it is proper that every Individual should cultivate and acquire a Personality that
will prove attractive to his audience, and render him acceptable to them. No, we
are not preaching deception – we regard Individuality as the Real Self, and
believe that one should build himself up to his highest and best according to the
laws of Individual Unfoldment – but, nevertheless, so long as one must wear a
Personality about