Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-30
A NEW POINT OF VIEW
PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENT OF
THE FIGHT FOR SUCCESS.

at is easy to talk and to read about
methods of success in life" said a local
| capitalist to a Star reporter, land to lay
! down rules for ones own guidance, or to
| tell other people how to get rich by dong
! this and that, but it is another thing to
turn things in this world to your own
account
Before 1 began to climb upward and
things financially became easier l thought
I never would turn the corner behind which
1 knew lay hidden what we are all look
ing for-fnancial freedom. which brings
with it success. I had adhered to the
stereotyped idea that success comes only
after everlasting and never-ending effort
and exertion and 1 was a hard worker in
the calling in which l was engaged, and
which was one in which there were posi-
bilites If the man who was after them
could but unearth them-they were there
all right, but somehow, when l stretched
forth my own hand to grasp them. as 1
knew and as L could see other men doing,
my fingers clutched vacancy, and In the
parlance of the day. L usually got left.
Being of the persistent, perseyering
kind l would climb to my feet after each
successive knock-down. and go at 1t again
to the last notch of my endurance and the
limit of my capital, and when both. ana
especially the latter, were wiped out !
would recharge my endurance batteries ana
get more capital and go at 1t again ana
again. 1t went on this way TOT seVerai
Zone day the realizing sense OF how much
I was doing and how little L was accom-
plishng struck me with such force that
experienced complete mental metamor-
phosis, and the effect was somewhat stun
ming. 1 then jumped all at once from the
! extremes of thought-the efficacy OF ef-
| fort to the futilty of effort, and landed
| on the last with both feet; for. as things
| go so contrarily in real life. l discovered
| that 1t was the latter hypothesis that htted
temDeramenIal
| business environment, and not the former.
.It was this way: l was of the wiling
horse variety of man. the average man
| is hesitant, reluctant to undertake Things.
and only too ready to fall In line oehlnd
| what others are doing or have Done. In
other words, he is the conservative man.
and when the prospect of losing dollar
or losing his position strikes him he falls
| fguratively and often literally into hu.
| man heap of inertness, nervousness ana
timidity He needs, therefore, to be urged
on and prodded by the circumstances OF
life to get the best out of him, whethef ne
acts independently, or is in the employ OF
another. ..,, ..h. ,
| with the individual mind, who can face
these contingencies. and when they meet
| him face to face, as they 90 every DAY,
| hrush them aside, continually overreaches
| himself by sustained and continued effort.
and the overreaching process In life is even
worse than the not-reaching, because the
| mental and physical strain Is innniteiy
/ greater and more exhausting.
.The difference is In dispositions and
temperaments rather than in business or
| Hfe's callings. 1 awoke to mine-I was
simply doing too much. 1t was hard.
| bitter and an effectual lesson to learn, and
once I began to study 1t, II was not learned
| in a day But I grasped the underlying
principles, and while the difficulty lies in
/ their application to the everyday affairs
| Of life, or to the particular business one
| NAV be engaged in. I. for one, succeeded
in time, and It was a considerable time. In
| applying them. I reversed myself COM
| pletely as to thought and action, remained
| In the same business, and the things had
| chased after so hard and for SO long came
1 up easily before me. and when 1 seized
1 them this time I got them and held on 70
/ them"