The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-10-02
THE SINGLE AIM WINS.

ManV q man VINO mas Iall0u WOulQ
have succeeded had he concentrated
fragmentary and ftful efforts upon
a single thing. One of the principal
causes of his shipwreck of endeavor
is scatteration"-a habit of dissul-
tory disconnected, ftful, spasmodic
effort. In this age of sharp compe-
tition, the only way in which it is
possible for a young man to succeed
is to focus all his powers at one point.
He must resolve with an energy
that knows no restraint, upon the
accomplishment of some definite
thing in life, and then never turn a
hairs breadth from his purpose,
under any consideration. The mo-
ment you divide a mans attention,
you break his force. 1t is in the
union of all his faculties that he be-
comes invincible. This was the Sc
cret of Napoleon's power. He had
a mastery habit of massing all his
forces on the weak point Of the enc
my. He used to say that when his
resolution was fixed everything else
was forgotten, and nothing could
turn him from his aim.
The same is true of all the great
leaders of men. Having arrived at
a decision, Grant could not be turned
from his purpose, and in his mill
tary operations he was determined
to fight it out on the. line selected,
if it took all summer. 1t did not
matter to him that he was severely
criticised in Washington, and by the
other generals of the army. His
purpose was fixed he had a definite
plan, and no power could defect him
from it. Had even Lincoln at
tempted this seriously, Grant would
have resigned. 1t is said that when
Hazlitt began his days work he
would stick a little red wafer on his
forehead and no n who knew him
would interrupt him when this sign
was in place. 1t was a signal of
danger to all intruders, His house
keeper did not venture to speak to
him, even if the prince called to see
him.
All who have accomplished great
things have had a purpose running
through their lives. Each has had
the single eye which sees but one
thing the undaunted will which
cannot be bent from its course.
Whatever else they have lacked,
men of achievement have ever had
this characteristic of being able to
throw themselves with undivided
e~arnestness upon the work in hand.
No young man can hope to accom-
plish much until he acquires such
power, and he must be content to be
ignorant of many things. When
Agassiz was asked for his opinion
touching a matter which bore upon
the chemical analysis of a plant, he
ICpIICu' L hhO" LOULlI1S oDOuU
chemistry" He was Il naturalist,
not a chemist, and he was great
enough not to be afraid to be found
ignorant on many things out of his
line. The mind can retain only 50
much. If the eye is single, the
whole body is full of light; if not,
there is nothing but darkness. This
explains why many mediocre men,
commonplace plodders, men of one
talent, have succeeded while the
so called geniuses, m~any-sided men,
have failed.
Don't be afraid of being known as
a man of one idea. The men who
have moved the world have been of
this kind. 1t is ever the single aim
that wins. 1t is the man who has
his purpose burned into every fibre
of his being, who never loses sight
of his goal, and who has the faculty
of focusing, like a burning glass,
all his scattered rays. that succeeds.
Success.