A mole travels one road, according to the way nature intended him; and a squirrel travels another. They cannot follow the same path to get ahead. But the mole is not a failure because he cannot climb a tree, nor does the squirrel sit down and mope because he cannot travel underground. You cannot make a ship sail on dry land to any port; and it is equally foolish to try to make one person reach money and prosperity by the same road which another travels with ease. There are different species among the human race as among animals. But man does not always follow his instincts, and the animal does that is why so many men are failures; some try to climb a tree when nature built them to "get there" under the earth. Nobody is born to be a failure. It is only when he refuses to see his way; the way which always lies right at his hand; when he ignores his way and thinks the other fellow's way is better, then he dwindles into a failure. There is the case of a famous Senator from Michigan. He began business selling popcorn, with newspapers as a side line. Then he became an office boy in a law office, and while he was sitting by the door ready to answer questions to callers, he was studying law. At twenty four he was admitted to the bar. That was his way, and he found it. He did not wait for "an easy job" but took hold of the first thing at hand; then the way opened before him as he went along. A good many years ago there was a ten year old boy running errands at a small railroad station in Illinois. His spare time was spent studying the telegraph key, and when he was thirteen he was given a job as a regular telegraph operator. At the age of thirty eight he was President of a railroad. He died the other day, President of the Canadian Pacific Railroad, owning an art collection worth $2,000,000, knighted, and regarded as one of the greatest railroad Presidents in the world. He did not wait for an "opportunity." He began, like the mole, right where he was and burrowed his way ahead. The main thing is to start no matter what at, but start at something. The best schooling in the world is dealing with people. The youth who is selling egg beaters from door to door is worth forty young fellows who are "waiting for an opening." The boy who is sweeping out the drug store before school in the mornings is learning business; learning. |
