The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-12-02
DIR. Marden's
Uplift Talks
THE ENEMIES IN OUR VOCABU
Larry.
BY oRIsoN SWEET MARDEN.
pyright by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate

Did you ever think that many OF
the words and phrases which you con-
stantly. use are your real enemies,
that they leave their hideous pictures
and black shadows in your mind? I'm
the dictionary of fools we find I
can't very often, plenty Of IFS lots
of words like luck and destiny and
phrases like If I only had time or a
chance like other people," How many
times have you been kept from doing
a good deed by such phrases as "Oh,
l know l can't do that" Somebody
else can do that a great deal BETTER"
Il am afraid to try" II haven't the
courage" II fear 1 shall take cold or
catch some disease If l do this or
that?
l believe that those two words 81
can't" have ruined more prospects
and have kept more ability doing the
work Of ~mediocrity than any other
two words in our language.
Did you ever know a person who
has a great many 81 can'ts" in his vo-
%cabulary to accomplish very much?
Some people are always using the
words, "Oh, I can't afford to 60 there"
II can't undertake such a hard task,
let somebody else do that" II am
afraid of this or that" Is a terrible
hinderer, a terrible blighter of ambi-
ton, a cooler Of enthusiasm. All
achievement and all efficiency depend
upon initiative, and that is easily
killed by the fear words, the, words
which express doubt and uncertainty.
by thy words thou shalt be justi-
fed, and by thy words thou shalt be
condemned" Every person indicates
his strength or his weakness by the
preponderance of strong or weak
words in his habitual vocabulary.
Negative, weak words, words of doubt,
uncertainty or hesitation, predomi-
nate in the vocabulary Of a negative
man; while the positive, plus, crea-
tive, vigorous. progressive words,
which indicate mental dominion, pre-
vail in the vocabulary of a positive,
vigorous, progressive character, as
they did in Webster's vocabulary.
Did you ever think that every time
you say 81 can't" you weaken your
confidence in yourself and your
power to do things? Confld ance is
the greatest factor in achievement.
Self-faith is a powerful asset, better
than money capital without it. No
body believes in the youth who thinks
he cannot do things, who has no CON
fidence in himself, no faith in his
ability, because everybody knows
that he cannot do a thing until he
thinks he can. He must first believe
in himself, must be convinced that he
can accomplish 1t.
/ know a young man who seems
very ambitious in a general sort of
way, but when the opportunity which,
perhaps, he had been working a long
time for, comes, he willis, his stamina
oozes out, his ambition wavers, and
he does not feel equal to 1t. He does
not have faith in himself equal to his
ambition. Of course his life Is, a dis
appointment. The man who never
wants to give a decided opinion, who
always wants to reserve his judg-
ment, or who says he doesn't know,
or that he is afraid, the man who does
not dare m hooin th;noo rho ,br{olx,
from responsibility, or who always
thinks he cannot do this or that, is
not the mar for great responsibility.
But the man who says, 81 ian do the
thing, and l WILL" the man who be-
lieves in himself and in his ability to
carry through what he undertakes Is
the masterful man-the one who will
do things, not dream about them.