Omaha daily bee., 1916-03-07
Quick Decision and
Self Confidence
Two Great Assets
By ELLA WHEELER WILCOX.
Copyright, 1916. Star Company
One ship sails east and another sail


One ship sails east and another sails
With the very same winds that blow.
IT'S the set of the sails and not the
THAT tells them the way to go.
Like the winds Of the sea are the ways
AS we voyage along thro' life.
IT'S the, set of a soul that decides its
goal,
And not the calm or the strife
About a year ago was compelled to
give up a profession / had been training
for all my life-or give up my life. pre-
ferred the former. 1 took a rest, an OPP
portunity presented itself in the country
town where was. 1 learned a little
something about the mail order business.
l determined to again visit New York
and secure a better position. came on.
knowing nobody and with no visible op-
portunity in sight. 1 visited two places,
one the leading monthly magazine of its
class in the country.
In the three interviews I had with
the vice president of the concern
changed his ideas so completely that from
a 'don't-want' attitude he not only
thanked me for telling him where his
magazine was weak, but i had brought
him around to must-have-a-man-to-
do-what- you-say feeling, and the only
reason am not on that publication to-
day is, because while he had been maxi
ing up his mind ] had accepted a position
as correspondent with one of the largest
concerns OF the sort in the city. visited
two places. I could have secured two
good positions-and I am a puny, sickly
looking, undersized individual at that.
/ was SO earnest they had to believe me.
Moral: II you don't find an opportunity,
make one. II. A. Il"
That is a good letter. and / am glad
! TO give 1t publicity. We are so ready to
Name fate for our misfortunes and our
failures. when a little careful analysis Of
our own natures and methods would ex-
plain many OF them.
The very first thing to cultivate after
honesty OF purpose and a belief of your
own divine inheritance is decision.
Make up your mind promptly what
you will do in small matters: II it is
a question OF going out or staying in,
or writing or reading book. of making
a call or taking a walk. decide 1t. and
then act on your decision. Do not
shilly-shally and waste your mental
other people regarding 1t.
Form the habit of choosing a course
of action for yourself, and IL you find
or going out that it would have been
wiser to remain at home, take the ex-
perience as a lesson on the next occa-
sion and lose no time in regrets or
doubts of yourself.
once you begin to depend upon your
own judgment in small affairs it will
become easier for you to form logical
opinions for your course Of conduct in
more serious affairs,
Believe in yourself Remember you
have just as good right to walk in
Gods avenues of happiness and sue
cess and usefulness as any one else. You
are just as near the throne as any NOR
-nss who ever lived. or who lives today.
No matter how humble your station
you are an important part Of the uni
verse, or you would not be here.
Keep that always in mind. Then OK
pect good influences to guide you. Think
of yourself as encircled by holy line,
over which nothing but good can pass.
Be IN earnest. Be so in earnest that, as
my correspondent says, people must be-
lieve in you.
young man recently wrote me that
he loved art and liked law; he asked me
TO decide for him whether he should be-
come an artist OF a lawyer. He feared
whichever choice he made he would re-
gret the idea abandoned. l might as
well advise a weather-vane which way
to turn as such man. His own mind
is laying the foundation of failure.
Learn to choose your own course in
life. Then persevere in it with such
industry that nothing can move you.
Learn how to hoist your sails and any
wind that blows will take you into port