The Washington herald., 1915-02-13
DR.. Marden's Uplift Talks.
By ORISON SWEET MARDEN.
Author of Pushing to the Front" Etc,
How Do You Rate Yourself ?

But for the heroic maid Joan of Arc
France would be today merely a de-
pendency of England, a conquered and
subject colony.
BY what magic did a poor, unlettered
peasant girl Of eighteen. who knew moth
Ing whatever of warfare, who had never
before been away from her humble VII
lage home. lead a great army TO victory?
Whence came the power and wisdom that
enabled a timid, shrinking maiden to in
fuse new life and courage into the dis
heartened legiOns of France to do what
great generals had failed to do?
The magic, the power. the wisdom, the
heroic courage that saved a great nation
from defeat were born of self-confidenCe.
In spite of ridiculc and opposition. Joan
clung TO her belief in her divnely ap-
pointed mission to save France Nothing
could divert her from her purpose. To all
objections her answer was that voices"
called her to il. God willed it,"
II is this divine self-COnfidenCe. this un-
wavering belief in ones mission in life,
that accompliShGs all the marveLs of the
world
y great many men and women who
wonder why people do not believe more in
them carry the reason in their very faces.
Everybody who looks at them sees there
confession Of weakness. a lack of self
faith. a doubt of their own ability. And
when we see that people do not believe
in themselves We do not believe in them
How is it possible for a man who has
no confidence in himself to get the conf
denCe of others? How can one expect
others to believe he will ever amount to
anything when he says by his very eve
and manner, DO not take muc'. stock in
me; do not believe ! can do much Of
anything. for l cannot. l dc not believe
very much in myself. You are mistaken
II you think | am capable of doing any
very important work" How can any
one reach a faraway and desirable port.
who is always waiting for the tide TO
take him along? II one never takes the
initiative if he can help it, how can he
expect to get anywhere worth while?
There is nothing more fatal to success
me- who takes no stock in his own
ability has nothing upon which to base
assurance OF victory.
The man is not quite right who sneaks
and skulkS and gets in a Corner-the
man who always takes the back scat in
the hall or the church. as though he were
afraid somebody would see him: the man
who effaces himself, who always depreci-
ates himself who always beGs you to put
somebody else on the committee, who al
ways thinks. no matter what the occa-
sion, somebody else can do better than he
can.
He who sinks out Of sight. who never
thinks he is just the man to do this or
that, who believes that perhaps some
body else could do much better, shows
that he has no faith in himself. that he
does not really believe in himself. As he
has lived with himself all his life. he IS
supposed to be better judge OF his own
ability than others. and people naturally
a at his rating c Tnlp
the world accepts a mans own estimate
of himself.
When YOU go to A man for a position.
or a favor. or an order look him In the
eye and tell him what You want. Ap-
proach him fearlessly. with confidence
and assurance. with a consciousness OF
ability and strength. and YOU viii be
much more likely to get the thing you
desire. Your own moods are contagious.
and tho man YOU approach will feel your
confidence or lack of il very quickly.
Many people are all the time "queering''
their own interests by communicating
their doubts to others. II is a very dif-
hCult thing to ClinCh a bargain with
great big doubt in YOUR own mind. To
convince another, you must he convinced
yourself. Doubt in yourself cannot bring
conviction to another.
Doubt uncertainty. fear Of failure. lack
of faith in oneself. are the great enemies
of mankind.
The just honorinE of ourselves" says
Milton. may be thought the foundation
from whence every worthy enterprise
issues forth" The miracles Of civiliza-
ton have been performed by men and
women who justly hOnored by believing
in themselves. The list of those who.
amid jeers, discouraEements, obstacles OF
all kinds have banked solely upon
their belief in themselves is a long one.
Copyright. rsI5.N