Prosperity Through Thought-Force: Some Other Things Part 3
Prosperity Through Thought-Force: Some Other Things Part 3
This fact is further exemplified when it is remembered that an honest man is seldom cheated. We mean a man who would not take advantage in a business transaction when he could. His pure mind brings him in contact with honest people, and, if another tries to take advantage of him, some instinctive voice holds him from accepting the transaction. The old adage that honesty is the best policy is based on a scientific fact. Cultivate it. This quality, force, is the sustaining power that enables one to laugh at trouble, the mental attribute that causes others to recognize its possessor as a strong man.
If any character be strongly endowed with it, some degree of success would be obtained, even if the great part of it was wasted in violence, and self-control is only valuable in a business sense as it enables the mind to use all its powers to the very best advantage; to stop the worrying thought and substitute instead the strong, vigorous ideas of pushing on to the desired end. A weak man (one lacking in force and power) having perfect self-control will accomplish more by properly directing his force and retaining his energy than the strong man who wastes his energy in driving numberless projects towards, but never to, completion, in worrying over his failures, in anger and other modes of mental dissipation, for it uses the same energy to worry that would be used for pushing forward a successful business.
One idea carried to a successful conclusion will produce larger returns, even if it be but a poor idea, than a half dozen imperfectly carried out. The less irons a weak character has in the fire the better for him, since he requires the concentrative energy of all his power to carry one plan forward. On the other hand, a strong, vigorous man can carry several plans to as great a success as the other fellow can his simple purpose, but not to as great success as he could if his whole power was given to one large project.
The little fellow attempts sometimes to carry out great things on the principle that the higher the aim the greater the results, which is true in so far that great aspirations bring force of character which enables one to increase his power, but until that increased power is obtained there is danger of his being, assailed in mind by his own doubts and lack of confidence in his ability to carry it out, which invariably leads to failure. This lack of confidence is shown by the expression, “I know I can do it,” while, if confidence prevailed, the question as to whether or not he could, would not occur to him, and, if the question were asked, he would probably answer abruptly, “Why not?”
Now do not understand that a perfect state of confidence must be developed before any degree of success can be obtained, for, if that were true, the most of us would never be successful; only, one should do those things which he can do without being assailed by doubts and fear of failure, and, in the meantime, build up the qualities of force, courage, confidence and determination; and as they are acquired he will find himself doing work of such caliber that the idea of it would alone have frightened him off some time before, while carrying with him the intention of doing some larger line of business will accustom his mind to the idea and he will not “scare at the cars” so easily. In time he will grow into such confidence in himself that it will be no longer a great idea, but just a commonplace affair when he is ready for its projection.
