The Washington herald., 1918-11-18

Do YOU ever sit down calmly and
quietly and try TO find out what Is
the greatest defect in your charac-
ter? No. 1t hurts our vanity too
badly when we try to vivisect our
own weaknesses, so we lay the blame
Of our failures and our unhapplness
on luck. on social conditions, on
other people, and let il go at that
Yet If We knew what was our great
est defect we would have diagnosed
our case and found what ailed US
and at least have a chance 10 cure
II. so it is really worth while 10 IN
yestigate the subject.
Perhaps YOUR greatest defect Is laEi-
ness. You have never admitted that
to yourself, but you have got that
chronically tired feeling that makes
YOU loaf and invite your soul instead
of rolling up your sleeves ana
tackling a job as II you meant ousi-
ness. You are never quite on III ui.Is
in the morning, and you work WIN
one eve on the clock and are the
first to leave in the evening.
Won never do one lick more OIL
labor than you are paid for. You
never really put your back into your
task You never have any interest
in what YOU are doing or any en-
thusiasm over it, and yet you won
der why it is that you never suc'ee"
when the reason for your faliute II
as nIain as a pike staff. It's because
Won are lazy, and laZiness Is a per
fectly durable disease as soon as you
ouit camoufaging 1t as the artistlc
temperament or delicate health.
perhaps your greatest defect is lack
of grit and staying power. you are
moor, miserable gutter. As hooii
as you strike the hard shedding that
il takes endurance and courage 10
pull through. you throw up your
hands and give up.
You have tried half dozen dlHer-
ent professions into which you en-
tered with high hopes ana ehthusi
asm. You were sure you had louila
lust the thing that suited you AT
last, and you were sure TO WIN iaihe
and fortune. I'D
stuck hut YOU didn't. The minute
vour new occupation ceased to thru
yon with its novelty you grew tired.
when vou found that to achieve sue
cess in any line means long, hard.
Dersistent drudgery, ceaseless strlV-
ing. and heartbreaking anxiety you
quit COll' 'cN
price of victory.
you have never gotten anywhere IN
life You have stood still and have
saan hundreds of people. with TENN
of YOUR natural ability, pass you IN
the race. and you don't understand
A.. yet there would be no mystery
IN If If you would face the fact that
tho reason you have failed Is De
cause YOU hove a spinal column ABOUT
the size and firmness OF a SILK
thread.
Perhaps your greatest defect is be-
LfnC a waster. You spend money as
IL il grew on trees instead OF being
coined out of ones very lifeblood.
You have never looked out for the
future, but let each day take care
of itself. The pennies have slipped
through your loose fingers as II they
were so much water.
OnDortunity has come your way, but
ones big chance nearly always has a
price mark on it You couldn't take
advantage of the opportunity you mad
TO go into business for yourself be-
cause YOU didn't have the money to
swing it. You couldn't take advan-
tage OF the chance you had to make
a neat little turn in a speculation, IN
which you WOulu nave DteH lSt III VII
the ground floor by friend. because
YOU didn't have any money to put
into 1t.
You haven't had chance to even
get a better Job because you didn't
have enough money saved 10 risk be-
ing out of employment for few
months. You can't even take the rest
Won need when you are sick because
Won haven't the price.
Yet YOU always have been n good
money maker, and you are headed for
the poor house or dependence on your
children in your old age Iecause
you've always been a waster. All that
has stood between you and riches has
been the hole in your pocket that you
could have sewed up If you had only
recognized the fatal flaw in your own
character.
Perhaps your greatest defect Is
a high temper. That has stood be-
tween you and success in business =
hundred times. 1t has kept you from
advancement. because a high temp
cred man or woman cannot be trust
ed not to spill the beans in some
moment of rage. 1t has kept you
from executive positions because
those who cannot control them
selves can never control others.