The Monticellonian. [volume] (Monticello, Ark.) 1870-1920, 1908-10-15
The pinerence in mer.

During the depression in the life In
suranee business following the legis.
latiye exposures concerning It. when
a great many insurance agents be-
came discouraged and went out of
business. and while others were hang
ing on the ragged edge, barely exist
ing. branch manager of one of the
large insurance companies shut his
teeth. clenched mis- fists and resolved
that he was going 10 beat his biggest
record
The result was that during the most
discouraging year in the history of
modern life insurance, this young man
quadrupled the best record he had
ever made. This is what grit did.
He thought he had worked hard be
fore but his unprecedented record
when he put forth all of his efforts
shows what a man can do when DOM
mated by mighty purpose-one I'M
wavering aim,
If Mr. Wake had said to himself,
as many others did during this his
terie slump Now, the situation
looks pretty bad, but I'm going TO
buckle down to it and do my best"
he would have done fairly well, no
doubt. But his grim resolve to do
better than he had ever done before,
regardless of the hard times and the
dark outlook, quadrupled his power Of
achievement.
Nothing else stimulates US like the
spur of a great resolution to do some
definite some particular thing.
To have merely an understanding
with ourselves that we are going to
do our level best is not enough. To
do the best thing possible to us we
must have a great aim, mighty pur-
pose, an invincible faith in ourselves.
This will call out all our reserves.
If Napoleon had said to himself, be-
fore some of his great battles, Now,
l am going to do some great fighting;
We are going to do our level best to
beat the enemy" he would have been
beaten HIMSELF But he resolved that
when he went into the battle he
would beat the enemy at all hazards.
He had fought the battle over in his
mind before gun was fired. He did
not start out with loose determine
ton TO do his level best. but with
grim resolution to win the battle if it
took his last man. This is the kind
of resolution that calls out a mans
last reserves.
It is astonishing how difficulties
get out of the way of a man who
carries resolution and determination to
his task in the right way The way
We approach our problems, the atti-
tude of mind in which we face obsta-
cles, the grit in our aim has every
thing TO do with our success in life.
We must face difficulties as an ami
nal trainer faces the wild beast. He
knows that the slightest indication OF
fear is fatal His eyes must carry
power, his manner must indicate that
he is a #conqueror
The above aptly applies to us in
this Order today. If we will resolve
that we are going into the battle to
perpetuate our order with firm de-
termination to win, we will win. Many
of Us think that the difficulties of the
Order are too great to surmount. that
is because We do not face the obstacle
that eonfrents us with true grit, let
us say with Napoleon, | am going to
do my level best to upbuild the Or
der. | am going to do my level best
10 help brush aside the only stumbling
block in its road to prosperity, and
We will succeed. Let us face our last
and only difficulty as true men. ard
We will wonder why we ever doubted
the result