The Tupelo journal., 1908-01-10
FINDING THE PIVOT
GOOD ADVICE FOR YOUNG MEN
WHO WOULD SUCCEED.
LOOK SQUARELY AT THINGS
In Considering a Business PROPOSE
ton, Search for the Foundation
Upon Which Il Rests--Get
That and Win.

Are you a dreamer? Do you look
squarely at things, and make it your
aim to find the meat Of the nut? Have
you the tact to get at the point of
things, at the main object, and do you
make it a practice to aim squarely
at the bullseye?
Decisiveness is one of the essentials
to success. The man who goes along
in a half-hearted, semi-conscious way,
his mind wandering from one phase Of
a subject to another without the abil.
ity to sift out the chaff, is not likely
to get far to the front. Keep your
mind on the main point. Get right
down to hard work, and probe every
proposition deep until you get at the
germ, the kernel that is the life OF
the thing. There is a pivotal point to
everything. Find the point and stick
to it. When there is a business
proposition for consideration, don't
go around the outside looking at every
thing in connection with it, but search
for the foundation upon which it rests.
Find the pivot upon which it swings.
In every task you have to perform
you will discover that there is a GER
tain way in which it "a be better
performed than some other way. Find
this way. The general in command of
an army must have his mind trained
to see the point of vantage. The man
ager of a large industry that gives
employment to thousand of men must
see the points that are sc essential to
success. The ability to concentrate
energy, to master things, to find the
main point, and to take advantage OF
discoveries is an assurance of success
What ever you undertake to do,
be sure that you use your brain, and
use it rightly. One man will fret and
stew over a task, and spend days ! n
worrying about little things that are
unimportant, while another mar will
notice the main point in an instant
and without apparent effort will do
what the slow and vacillating one per-
haps could never do.
Only a short time ago a mining en-
gineer conceived an idea of perfect
ing a machine for washing gold. He
applied to the government for a patent
and it was refused because they
claimed that such a machine could not
be constructed according to his speci-
fications. Experts tried to work out
the problem. All gave it up. BY acct
dent the engineer met a mechanic and
explained what he wanted. The me-
chanic said: I'll make it for you"
He started to work. He did complete
the machine that government experts
claimed could not be made. The fell
low discovered the main point. He
was trained in the right way. His
thinking apparatus was all right, and
his seeking the point" was the means
of making him a wealthy man, and
the mining engineer as well.
A few years ago a young electrical
engineer was experimenting in a Pitts
burg steel works. He noticed that
certain substances when intensely
heated produced a substance that he
was not familiar with. He kept on ex-
~perimenting. He got out a patent on
the new product. He named it corbo-
rundum, a substance almost as hard
as the diamond and now extensively
used in polishing gems and steel and
used instead of emery. The young
man saw the point and today is sew
eral times a millionaire. 1t is seeing
the point" discovering things that
are essentials, that make the men.
The noted John D. Rockefeller several
years ago had brains enough to see
the great future of petroleum. He set
about to get control of the industry.
He succeeded. Had he not the quality
of getting at the meat of the nut" he
would have done as hundreds and
thousands of others, let the opportun-
ity pass.
There is nothing like keeping your
brain focused on the main point. Con-
centrate all your energies on what you
have to do. Sift out the chaff. Get
rid of the worthless. the immaterial
things. and get at the chief PROPOSE.
ton. Don't spend time and brain
power in little worthless prospecting.
Bore right into the heart of things.
and discover where the point lies.
Then work right. Don't lag. Bend
every energy to win, and success will
be yours. Keep your eye on the
huIl'Seye