Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-04-13
WHAT is SUCCESS?
VI.-Taking Our Bearings

ton with business. George N Rer.
holds started on his road to fortune
IN western Iowa agricultural conf
munity about forty years ago. jIe
! mas ouilt up and is now at the head
or one of the largest banks in the
United States. the Continental and
commercial National Bank of Chi
caso, and is recognized as one Of tho
greatest financiers of the world
Listen to what he says in a reported
interview:
Can You Decide Quickly:
! L have never accomplished any
! thing big in my life that my friends
have not urged me to take a different
course. man to succeed, as to do
anything else, must think for him
self. Fortunes are built on deals that
are largely the impulse OF the mo-
ment. | have always made that nv
| rule. Opportunities present them
| selves, and they must be grasped
Get the facts, be actuated by the
right motives and then act"
]. z. Morgan, the great business
genius, wisely said: THE foundation
of wealth is the first decision we'll
made and the first hundred dollars
Rothschild, the great banker, said:
Determine an enterprise that the
public must ultimately support. Here
lies the secret of success"
George Westinghouse, the inventor
of the air brake, said: Five thou
sand Americans are each millionaireS
because they had the courage and
ability to decide questions quickly
and correctly"
e. III. Hartman. the railway king.
said: One good decision is worth a
lifetime of saving, but be sure the
decision is made with the desire OF
rendering service
A noted educator gave this as his
definition of education: Education is
acquiring the ability to make intelli-
gent decisions after taking ones
bearings. First mark out a line to
follow and then adhere to it unflinchS
ingly."
An investigation of the past bust
ness methods and records of the most
or elsewhere will show that they had
the courage to think for themselves
and to make decisions for themselves.
They often took their latitude and
longitude in order to keep headed for
the one goal which they sought.
There is a phase of our modern
industry, however, which is very
harmful to the development of the
DDS of Standardization in industry.
Often a man spends his entire work
ing day in performing just one little
operation, hundreds or more of such
make the completed article. The man
thus employed has no chance to use
or exercise his judgment, no chance
to make decisions, no chance to share
in the joys of creative industry. The
story is told of the man who was
asked, What do you work att" his
answer was, AT the Motor Car Works
attaching nut No. s." The work OF
such man is a prison wall 10 his
mind. Thus the growth and develop
ment of such a man himself depends
wholly upon what he does with his
time in the other hours of the day
routine.
Looking Forward.
If we must look forward TO a fu-
ture when all industry will be thus
standardized, it would present a very
distressing picture. There is hope.
however. The spiritual forces of this
world are more powerful than the
material; therefore the spiritual
qualities in man will predominant.
Thus man will develop further and
improve his machines so that the ma
chimes will do most of this standard
lied routine work, and the man Will
use his mind in the care and direc-
ton of these machines. The applica
ton of machines to industry is rela
lively undeveloped.
So let us stop and take our bear
! ings. Let us decide the port of our
| life and the direction We will take to
reach the pot. Let US realize that
| these spiritual qualities which deter
mine character are far more potent
| in developing success than the mate
rial things which are so much talked
about. Let us realize that the foun-
dation of success is a worthwhile
goal and a determination fearlessly
to drive for this goal. When tempta-
nr vi
successful man decides them solely
according to whether or not they lead
to the desired goal. Hence the i'm
portance ID of keeping constantly
in mind the port we really desire 70
reach, CD of. taking our bearings
often to be sure we are travelling in
the right direction and (3) Of making
decisions quickly and finally with one
purpose of reaching the port of our
choosing.
Copyright. 1923. Fleming H. ReveII COMPANY.
First published in this newspaper by ar
rangement with Babson Institute. Babsou
Park, Mass