A LOVER OF BOATS, a man adept at reading blueprints and using tools, decided to build a boat of his own. He secured complete plans and specifications for building a small cabin cruiser and dreamed of the day when, sitting behind the wheel in a gold-braided cap, he would guide the boat around the inland waters. It has been several years since this man purchased the plans, yet to this day the keel has not been laid. He gets the plans out quite often and studies them, then they are carefully folded and placed on a shelf in his den. You now have the plans for a new life of Health, Wealth and Happiness. You can put them away with the intention that you will make a start someday (which may never come) or you can make the start right now. You would laugh at a builder who, when given a contract, would visit the site where the building was to be built, study the blueprints awhile, then go home to think about something else. The builder, after a contract has been signed, assembles his materials, then goes to work. Reading this book has been like signing a contract with yourself to build a better life, one which will give you pride as your friends and relatives praise you for your accomplishments. As a builder will read and reread the plans to make certain they are all clear to him; you should read this book. You are certain, I am sure, of the efficacy of the principles covered. You now instinctively know that to apply the principles is to assure yourself of a more radiant life. Lay this book aside for a day or two to digest properly all you remember. Then, with chest and chin out, and a determination never equaled before, read the entire book through from the first page to the last, knowing that from it you will shape a life which will bring to you all of the blessings you may have dreamed about, but which you never expected to have. Many of you, from the first reading, are already on your way. You have already started practicing the principles and are enjoying results from them. You will reach great heights; that is certain. But, please permit me to issue a warning - not negatively but positively - for your own good: After you attain your goal, do not lose sight of the source of your good fortune. A physical culturist can help a weakling to gain robust health through proper exercise and diet. But if, after gaining radiant health, this former weakling slips back into his former method of living, his physical being will slip back to the state of a weakling. Nothing stands still. It goes either forward or backward. So far as your thinking is concerned, you either continue to develop in the direction of positive thinking, or you slip back into the customary channels of negative thinking. "Why will one go back to negative thinking when he can see the good which comes from positive thinking?" one may ask - and it's a good question. Since 95 per cent of all people lean, to some degree, to the negative side, it is inevitable that most of the people we meet will be more negative than positive. Most of the arguments presented by the negative-minded person why conditions are bad, why it is hard to do this and to do that, why, under existing circumstances, it is not possible to succeed, seem logical. Under these conditions it is not hard for the one recently initiated into the realm of positive thinking to fall back in line with the great majority of negative thinkers. Remember, there always has been - and probably always will be - a large majority of negative thinkers. This is why so comparatively few people ever reach the top. The principles included between the two covers of this book will raise you to undreamed-of heights. But, reading and applying the principles is no assurance that you will remain there. Unless you continue to replace negative thoughts with positive ones, it could be very easy for you to retrace your steps back to where you were before becoming initiated into the fraternity of positive thinkers. You must reach the point where it will become second nature for you to offset every negative with a positive. I want to refer back to my friend, W. Clement Stone, who, as I mentioned in the first chapter, invested $100 in the insurance business and built it up to a personal fortune of over $100,000,000. I am sure that during his building years many negative situations came to his attention. He was probably told many times about the things which could not be done, or why some of his men were not able to close sales. Do you suppose that Mr. Stone succumbed to the negative thoughts and relaxed his efforts? Not for a minute! He probably analyzed the problem to learn what prompted the negative thoughts and then conceived plans for correcting the condition. That man will tell you in no uncertain terms that his positive mental attitude is wholly responsible for his great success. The extent of your success depends entirely on how high you raise your sights. You can acquire hundreds of dollars, thousands of dollars or millions of dollars, depending upon your state of consciousness. This fact has been proved in many ways throughout the book. There have been several repetitions to fix the truth more firmly in your consciousness. But, now, let's think about your future. Let us lay out a routine for you to follow to assure you that your journey will ever be onward and upward.
At breakfast, talk about your happiness and enthusiasm and that you know it will be a great day. If, by chance, you are with people who have not yet learned the blessings which come from positive thinking, you can be happy that you have a positive mind. On the other hand, if you spend a period of time with a real go-getter, you leave feeling like doing things and going places. If at all possible, refrain from associating with negative people, unless you can be of help in teaching them how to gain the blessings which come from a positive mind. If circumstances make it necessary for you to be in a negative atmosphere, keep your mind happy with the thought that you have conditioned your mind to be positive.
See to it that not a day passes without some progress. Until it becomes second nature for you to do so, you must consciously take some progressive step each day. In time - and not long either - so many blessings will be coming into your life there will be no letup on progress. When you reach the point of wealth where you feel your work is done, that your security is assured, then do not let down. There are many new trails to blaze other than those pertaining to making money. Think of taking up music, painting, writing, or any one of the many arts and crafts. Age and an idle mind go hand in hand. An active mind is a youthful mind. And a youthful mind will keep your body young much longer than if you dwell on thoughts of age, which you will do, unless your mind is occupied with constructive thoughts. Just as I was placing this page in my typewriter, I received a telephone call which made me very happy. The voice on the other end said: "Ben, I wanted you to know that just one idea I got from one of your books has meant over $50,000 to me." The caller went on to tell me of an inspiration he got which led him to develop an idea resulting in a fortune for him. Such messages mean far more to me than the few pennies in royalty I make on each book sold. I know that by reading this book you will gain results far out of proportion to the trifling cost, but this will not satisfy me at all. To learn that you have merely gotten your money's worth would be greatly disappointing. I want this book to prove to be the greatest adventure ever to come into your life. I am not conceited to the point of feeling that I alone am responsible for this book. The teachers I had throughout my school days, countless lecturers and authors, the newspapers, magazines, radio and television - all have contributed to my storehouse of knowledge. I have met thousands and thousands of people in all walks of life who have given me ideas which are reflected in many of the thoughts expressed. My part in creating this book has been to screen the knowledge I have gained and collate the constructive thoughts in a way which will be usable to you, the reader. I am grateful to you for the compliment you have paid me by reading this book. It is my prayer (and I do believe in prayer) that from your reading of this book you will correct every condition which now stands between you and your happiness. |
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