The Secret of Success William Walter Atkinson

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The Secret of Success

William Walter Atkinson(1907)

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Table of Contents Part 1: The Individual Part 2: Spiritedness Part 3: Latent Powers Part 4: Soul-orce Part !: The Power of "esire Part #: The Law of $ttraction Part %: Personal &a'netis(

Part ): $ttractive Personalit* Part +: $n $fterword

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Introduction

It is with some hesitation that we bring ourselves to write this little book, entitled

"The e!ret o u!!ess#" $ot that we are not in s%m&ath% with the sub'e!t not

that we do not believe that there is a "e!ret o u!!ess" but be!ause there

has been so mu!h written on the sub'e!t o "u!!ess" that is the veriest twaddle

masses o &latitudinous wordiness that we hesitate to take the &osition o a

tea!her o u!!ess# It is so eas% to ill &ages o &a&er with good advi!e it is so

mu!h easier to sa% things than to do them so mu!h easier to ormulate a !ode

o &re!e&ts than to get out into the ield o a!tive endeavor and &ut into &ra!ti!e

the same &er!e&ts# And, %ou ma% imagine wh% we hesitate to assume a role

whi!h would la% us o&en to the sus&i!ion o being one o the "do as I tell %ou,

and not as I do" tea!hers o the Art o u!!ess#

ut there is another side o the *uestion# There is, besides the mere re!ital o a

+ist o ood -ualities +eading to u!!ess a list with whi!h ever% s!hoolbo%

and reader o the maga.ines is a!*uainted a omething /lse and that

omething /lse, is a suggestion that the eeker or u!!ess has a omethingWithin himsel whi!h i e&ressed into a!tivit% and a!tion will &rove o great

value to him a veritable e!ret o u!!ess, instead o a !ode o rules# And, so

we &ro&ose to devote this little book to unolding our idea o what this

omething Within is, and what it will do or one who will unold it and thus

e&ress it into a!tion# o, thereore, do not e&e!t to ind this book a "2om&lete

2om&endium o 3ules 2ondu!ive to u!!ess, A&&roved o and 4ormulated b%

the u!!essul 5en o the World who be!ame a!*uainted with these 3ules onl%

ater the% had Attained u!!ess, and !onse*uentl% had Time and In!lination to

6rea!h to thers#" This is not a book o that sort# It is -uite 8ierent# We ho&e

%ou will like it it will do %ou good in an% event#

All &eo&le are striving and seeking u!!ess# Their idea o u!!ess ma% dier,

but the% have all agreed u&on the desirabilit% o Attainment# "Attainment"that is

the word, whi!h embodies the essen!e o that whi!h we !all u!!ess# It is the

"ettingThere" idea the idea o Attainment o 3ea!hing the oal or whi!h

we set out# That is the stor% Attainment#

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5an% men and women have endeavored to &oint out the wa% to u!!ess, and

while some have rendered valuable servi!e to those who were ollowing them

on the 6ath o Attainment, %et none have been able to tell the whole stor% ou!!ess# And this is not to be wondered about, or the reason that on the road

to u!!ess ea!h and ever% individual must be, in a measure a law unto himsel,

or hersel# $o two tem&eraments are ea!tl% alike $ature delights in variet%

no two sets o !ir!umstan!es are &re!isel% the same ininite variet% maniests

here also# And so it would be oll% to attem&t to la% down rules o universal

a&&li!ation, whi!h would surel% lead all to the great goal o u!!ess# ne has

but to look around him on all sides and see the dierent needs o the dierent

individuals !om&osing the !rowd, in order to re!ogni.e the utilit% o an% attem&tto la% down lines o universal instru!tion on this sub'e!t# /a!h and ever% man

who has su!!eeded has done so in a dierent wa% generall% along some

original lines o a!tion in a!t, the a!ult% or !hara!teristi! known as

Individualit%, seems to have &la%ed an im&ortant &art in the su!!ess o the

ma'orit% o &ersons who have attained it# And Individualit% renders those

&ossessing it to a marked degree to be likel% to de&art rom an% set o rules or

laidout !ourses o a!tion# And so, it ma% be stated as a general &rin!i&le that

ea!h must work out his own u!!ess along the lines o his own Individualit%,

rather than b% ollowing an% set rule or line o !ondu!t#

In view o what we have 'ust said, it ma% seem strange that eeling as we do we

have ventured to write a little book entitled "The e!ret o u!!ess,"

&arti!ularl% as we have started the said book b% de!laring the im&ossibilit% o

la%ing down an% set rules on the sub'e!t# This ma% seem like a &arado, but a

little eamination will show %ou that it is not so# It is true that we believe that

ea!h and ever% &erson must work out his own u!!ess, along the lines o his

own Individualit%, instead o along some !utanddried &lan# And right here is

where the "e!ret o u!!ess" !omes in# "Along the lines o his own

individualit%," we have 'ust said then it must ollow that one must &ossess

Individualit% beore he ma% work along its "lines# "And in the measure that he

&ossesses Individualit%, so will he &ossess the irst &rere*uisite to u!!ess# And

that is what we mean b% "The e!ret o u!!ess" I$8II8:A+IT;#

/ver% &erson &ossesses dormant and latent Individualit% but onl% a ew allow it

to e&ress itsel# The ma'orit% o us are like human shee& trotting along

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!om&la!entl% ater some selassertive bellwether, whose tinkling bell serves to

guide our ootste&s# We have absorbed the notion somehow that these

bellwethers &ossess the sum and substan!e o human knowledge and &ower,and abilit% to think and instead o unolding our own dormant &owers, and

latent &ossibilities, we allow them to remain in obs!urit%, and we trot along,

'ogitt%'oggit%'og ater our &et bellwether# 6eo&le are ver% mu!h like shee& in

this wa% the% are obedient and imitative animals, and rather than assume the

res&onsibilit% o dire!ting their own ootste&s, the% wait until someone takes the

lead, and then awa% the% stam&ede ater him# Is it an% wonder that the leaders

!laim the !hoi!est &i!kings or themselves, and allow the lo!k to get onl% the

s!rubb% grass< $ot a bit o it the% have earned the !hoi!e bits b% reason olo!k o Individualit% and Initiative on the &art o those ollowing them in a!t,

the% were !hosen as leaders be!ause o this selassertive, and seldire!tive

*ualit%# I the% had stood ba!k in a modest, mild manner, the% would have been

&ushed aside b% the lo!k that would dis!laim them as leaders, in avor o others

who knew how to &ush to the ront#

$ow, in this little book we shall not endeavor to awaken a s&irit o

"bellwetherism" in %ou, nor to urge %ou to strive to lead the lo!k = there is

nothing in the mere leading o &eo&le other than vainglor% and &ett% sel

satisa!tion# The desirable thing is to &ossess sui!ient Individualit% and

Initiative to be %our own bellwether = to be a law unto %oursel, so ar as other

men are !on!erned# The great men = the strong men = !are nothing or the

lo!k, whi!h so obedientl% trots along ater them# The% derive no satisa!tion

rom this thing, whi!h &leases onl% inerior minds, and gratiies onl% &ett%

natures and ambitions# The big men = the great s&irits o all ages = have

derived more satisa!tion rom that inward !onvi!tion o strength and abilit%

whi!h the% elt unolding into a!tivit% within themselves, than in the &laudits o

the mob, or in the servilit% o those imitative !reatures who sought to ollow in

their ootste&s#

And, this thing !alled Individualit% is a real thing# Inherent in ea!h o us, and

whi!h ma% be develo&ed and brought into a!tivit% in ea!h one o us i we go

about it right# Individualit% is the e&ression o our el = that el whi!h is what

we mean when we sa% "I"# /a!h o us is an Individual = an "I" = diering rom

ever% other "I" in the universe, so ar as &ersonal e&ression is !on!erned# And

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in the measure that we e&ress and unold the &owers o that "I", so are we

great, strong and su!!essul# We all "have it in us" = it de&ends u&on us to get it

out into /&ression# And, this Individual /&ression lies at the heart o the"e!ret o u!!ess"# And that is wh% we use the term = and that is what we

shall tell %ou about in this little book# It will &a% or %ou to learn this "e!ret"#

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The Individual

In our last lesson we stated that we !onsidered the "e!ret o u!!ess" to

!onsist &rin!i&all% o the 4ree /&ression o the Individual the "I#" ut beore

%ou will be able to a&&l% this idea su!!essull%, %ou must irst awaken to a

reali.ation o what the Individual the "I" within %ou reall% is# This statement

ma% a&&ear ridi!ulous at irst to man% o %ou, but it will &a% %ou to a!*uaint

%oursel ull% with the idea behind it, or u&on the true reali.ation o "I" !omes

6ower#

I %ou will sto& and take sto!k o %oursel, %ou will ind that %ou are a more

!om&le being than %ou had at irst !onsidered %oursel to be# In the irst &la!e

there is the "I," whi!h is the 3eal el or the Individual, and there is the "5e,"

whi!h is something atta!hed to and belonging to the "I" the 6ersonalit%# 4or

&roo o this, let the "I" take sto!k o the "5e," and it will ind that the latter

!onsists o three &hases or &rin!i&les, (ie# 1# The 6h%si!al od% ># The ital

/nerg% ?# The 5ind)# 5an% &eo&le are in the habitat o regarding their bodies

as the "I" &art o them, but a little !onsideration will show them that the bod% isbut a material !overing, or ma!hine through whi!h and b% means o whi!h the

"I" is able to maniest itsel# A little thought will show that one ma% be vividl%

!ons!ious o the "I Am" &art o himsel while totall% oblivious o the &resen!e o

the &h%si!al bod%# This being so, it ollows that the "I" is inde&endent o the

bod%, and that the latter alls into the "5e" !lassii!ation# The &h%si!al bod% ma%

eist ater the "I" has let it the dead bod% is not the "I#" The &h%si!al bod% is

!om&osed o !ountless &arti!les whi!h are !hanging &la!es ever% moment o

our lives our bod% o toda% is entirel% dierent rom our bod% o a %ear ago#

Then !omes the se!ond &rin!i&le o the "5e" the ital /nerg%, or what man%

!all +ie# This is seen to be inde&endent o the bod%, whi!h it energi.es, but it,

too, is transitor% and !hangeable, and readil% ma% be seen to be but a

something used to animate and energi.e the bod% an instrument o the "I," and

thereore a &rin!i&le o the "5e"# What, then, is let to the "I" to eamine and

determine its nature< The answer that !omes naturall% to the li&s is, "The 5ind,

b% whi!h I know the truth o what %ou have 'ust said# "ut, sto& a moment, %ou

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have said, s&eaking o the mind, "b% whi!h I know" = have %ou not, in sa%ing

this, a!knowledged the mind to be a something through whi!h the "I" a!ts) that the% ma% attra!t !heerul &ersons and things to them b% the

+aw o Attra!tion and (?) that the% ma% &resent an attra!tive 6ersonalit% to

others, and thereb% be wel!ome and !ongenial asso!iates and &arti!i&ants in

the work o lie# There is little wel!ome or hel& or the loom% us tribe in

ever%da% business lie = the% are avoided as a &estilen!e = ever%one has

troubles enough o his own without those o other &eo&le added thereto#

3emember the old lines@

Laugh and the world laughs with you;

eep and you weep alone.

For this sad old earth is in need of mirth,

And has troubles enough of its own

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o !ultivate the mile that Wont 2ome # It is a valuable asset o 6ersonalit%#

$ot the sill%, idioti! grin, but the mile that means something = the 3eal Thing#

And su!h a smile !omes rom within, and is more that skin dee I %ou want aerbal 6attern u&on whi!h to model the mental state that will &rodu!e this

outward a&&earan!e o 6ersonalit%, here it is@ "3ICT, 2C//34:+, A$8

CA66;# "43A5/ IT A$8 CA$ it in a &rominent &la!e in %our 5ental Art

aller%# 2ommit it to memor% and isuali.e it, so that %ou ma% be able to see it

beore %ou like an illuminated ele!tri! sign = "3ICT, 2C//34:+ A$8

CA66;" = then endeavor to materiali.e the idea into realit% within %our mind#

Think it out = a!t it out = and it will be!ome real to %ou# Then will %ou have

omething Worthwhile in the sha&e o 6ersonalit%< This ma% seem sim&le and!hildish to %ou = but i %ou will work it out into a!tualit%, it will be worth

thousands o dollars to %ou, no matter what walk o lie %ou ma% be in#

Another valuable bit o 6ersonalit% is that o el 3es&e!t# I %ou have real el

3es&e!t it will maniest itsel in %our outward demeanor and a&&earan!e# I %ou

dont have it, %ou had better start in and !ultivate the a&&earan!e o el

3es&e!t, and then 3emember that %ou are a 5A$, or a W5A$, as the !ase

ma% be, and not a &oor, !rawling Worm on the 8ust o a Cuman 8oor 5at# 4a!e

the world irml% and earlessl%, kee&ing %our e%es well to the ront# C+8 :6

;:3 C/A8FThere is nothing like a sti ba!kbone and a raised head or

meeting the world# The man with bent head seems to a&ologi.e or living and

being on the earth = and the world is a&t to take su!h at their own valuation# An

ere!t head enables one to walk &ast the dragons at the door o u!!ess# A

writer gives the ollowing good advi!e on this sub'e!t@"Cold %our ear lobes

dire!tl% over %our shoulders, so that a &lumb line hung rom the ears des!ribes

the line o %our bod%# e sure also not to !arr% the head either to the right or let,

but verti!al# 5an% men make the mistake, es&e!iall% while waiting or a

!ustomer to inish some im&ortant &ie!e o business, o leaning the head to the

right or let# This indi!ates weakness# A stud% o men dis!loses the a!t that the

strong men never tilt the head# Their heads sit &ere!tl% straight on strong

ne!ks# Their shoulders, held easil%, %et irml%, in &osition, are ins&iring in their

strength = indi!ating &oise# /ver% line o the bod%, in other words, denotes the

thought o the bearer# "The value o this advi!e lies not onl% in the a!t that it

gives to %ou the "a&&earan!e" o el 3es&e!t (no triling matter, b% the wa%),

but also that it tends to !ultivate a !orres&onding mental state within %ou# 4or

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'ust as "Thought takes orm in A!tion," so do A!tions develo& mental states = it

is a rule that works both wa%s# o think el 3es&e!t and a!t el 3es&e!t# +et

the "I A5" within %ou maniest itsel# 8ont !rawl = dont !ringe = dont grovel =but do be a 3eal Cuman eing# Another bit o 6ersonalit% worth !ultivating is

the Art o Taking an Interest in thers# 5an% &eo&le go through the world so

wra&&ed u& in their own aairs that the% !onve% the im&ression o being "a&art"

and aloo rom others with whom the% !ome in !onta!t# This mental state

maniests in a most un&leasant orm o 6ersonalit%# u!h &eo&le are not onl%

regarded as "!old" and la!king heart and soul, but the% also give others the

im&ression o selishness and hardness, and the &ubli! is a&t to let su!h a

&erson alone = to leave him to his own selish moods and mental states# u!h aone never be!omes &o&ular = never be!omes a good mier among men# Taking

an Interest in thers is an art that well re&a%s the student o u!!ess to

!ultivate it# !ourse one must alwa%s kee& the main !han!e beore him and

not allow his own interests to suer b% reason o his interest in others = that

goes without sa%ing, or unreasonable altruism is 'ust as one sided as undue

selishness# ut there is a middle !ourse# ;ou will ind something o interest in

ever% &erson with whom %ou !ome in !onta!t, and i %ou will but turn %our

attention to that interest it will maniest itsel in su!h a wa% that the &erson will

be !ons!ious o it, will a&&re!iate it, and will be glad to res&ond b% taking an

interest in %ou# This is not de!eit, or time serving, or latter% = it is the +aw o

2om&ensation working on the mental &lane = %ou get what %ou give# I %ou will

sto& and think a moment %ou will ind that the &eo&le whose 6ersonalit% seems

the most attra!tive to %ou are the &eo&le who seem to Take an Interest in %our

own &ersonalit%#

This Taking an Interest in thers maniests itsel in man% wa%s, one o whi!h is

in making %ou a ood +istener# $ow, we do not mean that %ou should allow

%oursel to be made a dum&ing ground or all the talk o all the &eo&le with

whom %ou !ome in !onta!t = i %ou do this %ou will have time or nothing else#

;ou must use ordinar% 'udgment and ta!t in regulating the time %ou give to

others, de&ending u&on the &erson and the &arti!ular !ir!umstan!es o the

!ase# What we do mean is that while %oure listening %ou should +isten Well#

There is no subtler !om&liment that one &erson !an &a% to another than

+istening Well to him or her# To +isten Well is to +isten with Interest# And that is

something that !annot be ver% well taught in a book# 6erha&s the best wa% to

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e&ress the idea is to sa%, "+isten as %ou Would be +istened unto# "The olden

3ule ma% be a&&lied to man% things and ideas, with beneit and good results#

The man who listens well is well thought o b% those to whom he listens# In this!onne!tion we are alwa%s reminded o the old stor% o 2arl%le, who, as

ever%one knows, was re&uted to be a !rust%, !rabb% old !ha&, &rone to

sar!asti! remarks and brus*ue treatment o those with whom he engaged in

!onversation# The tale goes that one da% a man !alled u&on 2arl%le = and the

man understood the Art o +istening Well# Ce so turned the !onversations as to

get 2arl%le started on a sub'e!t dear to his heart = and then he ke&t *uiet and

+istened Well# 2arl%le talked "a straight streak" or several hours, and grew

*uite enthusiasti! over his to&i!# When at last the visitor arose to de&art, he wasor!ed to a!tuall% tear himsel awa% rom 2arl%le, who, ollowing him to the door,

maniested unusual enthusiasm and good s&irits, and bidding him goodb%e,

said warml%@ "2ome again, mon = !ome again and oten = %e have a

wonderull% bright mind, and Ive en'o%ed %our !onversation ver% mu!h indeed =

%e are a most delightul !onversationalist# "

e !areul not to bore &eo&le with %our &ersonal e&erien!es = better orget

%our &ersonal sel in talking to others, e!e&t when it is right to the &oint to bring

%oursel in# 6eo&le do not want to hear what a wonderul ellow %ou are = the%

want to tell %ou what wonderul &eo&le the% are, whi!h is ver% mu!h more

&leasant to them# 8ont retail %our woes, nor re!ite %our man% &oints o

e!ellen!e# 8ont tell what a wonderul bab% %ou have = the other &eo&le have

babies o their own to think about# ;ou must endeavor to talk about things o

interest to the other &erson, i he wants to do the talking himsel# 4orget %oursel

and Take and Interest in the ther 6erson#

ome o the best retail mer!hants im&ress u&on their sales&eo&le theadvantage o !ultivating the mental attitude and &ersonalit% that %ou will give the

!ustomer the im&ression that %ou are "on his side o the !ounter" = that is, that

%ou are taking a &ersonal interest in his being wellserved, suited, welltreated

and satisied# The salesman who is able to !reate that im&ression is well

advan!ed on the road to su!!ess in his &arti!ular line# This is a dii!ult thing to

des!ribe, but a little observation and thought and &ra!ti!e along the lines laid

down in the &re!eding lessons will do mu!h or %ou in this dire!tion# A re!ent

writer truthull% sa%s on this sub'e!t@ u&&ose, or instan!e, %ou are in trade or a

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&roession, and wish to in!rease %our business# It will not do, when %ou sell

goods or servi!es, to make the mater a merel% &erun!tor% transa!tion, taking

the !ustomers mone%, giving him good value and letting him go awa% eelingthat %ou have no interest in the matter be%ond giving him a air deal and

&roiting thereb%# :nless he eels that %ou have a &ersonal interest in him and

his needs, and that %ou are honestl% desirous to in!rease his welare, %ou have

made a ailure and are losing ground# When %ou !an make ever% !ustomer eel

that %ou are reall% tr%ing to advan!e his interests as well as %ou own, %our

business will grow# It is not ne!essar% to give &remiums, or heavier weights, or

better values than others give to a!!om&lish this it is done b% &utting lie and

interest into ever% transa!tion, however small# "This writer has stated the idea!learl%, or!ibl% and truthull%, and %ou will do well to heed his advi!e and to &ut

it into a!tual &ra!ti!e#

Another im&ortant &oint in 6ersonalit% is el2ontrol, &arti!ularl% in the matter

o Dee&ing %our Tem&er# Anger is a mark o weakness, not o strength# The man

who loses his tem&er immediatel% &la!es himsel at a disadvantage# 3emember

the old sa%ing@ "Those whom the gods would destro%, the% irst make angr%#

":nder the inluen!e o anger a man does all sorts o oolish things that he

aterwards regrets# Ce throws 'udgment, e&erien!e and !aution to the winds,

and a!ts like a !ra.% man# In a!t, anger is a sort o madness = a &hase o

insanit% = i %ou doubt this look !areull% at the a!e o the irst angr% man %ou

meet and see how irrational he looks and a!ts# It is a wellknown a!t that i one

kee&s !ool while his o&&onent is angr%, he has de!idedl% the best o the matter

= or he is a sane man dealing with an irrational one# It is the better &oli!% to

allow the other ellow to "stew in his own at" o anger, kee&ing !ool %oursel at

the same time# It is a !om&arativel% eas% matter to !ool down an angr% man

without be!oming angr% with %ou = and as it takes two to make a *uarrel, the

matter is soon over# ;ou will ind that a !ontrol o the outward e&ression will

give %ou !ontrol o %ou inner mental state# ;ou will ind that i %ou are able to

!ontrol %our voi!e, kee&ing it !alm, stead% and low&it!hed, %ou will not l% into a

&assion, and more than this, %ou will ind b% so doing that the voi!e o the other

ellow will graduall% !ome down rom its loud, boisterous tones, and in the end

both o %ou will be &it!hing %our voi!es in the same ke% = and %ou have set that

ke%note# This is worth remembering = this !ontrol o the voi!e = it is a se!ret

well worth knowing and &ra!ti!ing#

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While we are on the sub'e!t o voi!e, we would like to !all %our attention to a

urther !ontrol o voi!e, or rather a !ultivation o voi!e# A man having a well

!ontrolled, even, &leasant voi!e has an advantage over others having e*ualabilities in other dire!tions, but la!king that one *ualit%# The value o a vibrant,

resonant, sot and leible voi!e is great# I %ou have su!h a voi!e, %ou are

blessed# I %ou la!k it, wh% start to work and !ultivate it# h, %es, %ou !anF 8id

%ou ever hear o $athan he&&ard, the wellknown &ubli! s&eaker< Then listen

to these words o his, telling o his natural disadvantages o voi!e, and how he

over!ame them and be!ame a great s&eaker# Ce sa%s@ "When I made u& m%

mind to devote m% mind and bod% to &ubli! s&eaking, I was told b% m% tea!hers

and governors that I would !ertainl% ail that m% arti!ulation was a ailure, and itwas that m% organs o s&ee!h were inade*uate, and the% were and that i I

would s!rew u& m% little mouth it !ould be &ut into m% mothers thimble, and it

!ould# tinging words these !ertainl% were, and !ruel ones# I shall never orget

them &ossibl%, however, the% stung me into a &ersisten!% that I would have

never known but or these words# At all events, that is the &hiloso&h% o the Bsel

made world o mankind# I ma% not have a!!om&lished mu!h I do not !laim to

have a!!om&lished mu!h# It is something I have made a living out o, m% art or

twent% %ears, and that I do !laim to have done in s&ite o ever% obsta!le and

ever% dis!ouragement, b% turning m% will u&on m% voi!e and vo!al organs, b%

!ultivating m% elo!utionar% instin!ts and m% ear or the !aden!es o rhetori!, b%

knowing what I and m% voi!e and m% eelings were about, b% making the most

o m%sel# "Ater these words, an%thing that we might add regarding the

&ossibilit% o a!*uiring a good voi!e b% will, &ra!ti!e and desire would be

su&erluous# 6i!k out the kind o voi!e that %ou think best ada&ted to %our work,

and then !ultivate it b% &ra!ti!e, determination and desire# I 5r# he&&ard !ould

be!ome a amous &ubli! s&eaker with su!h obsta!les as these, then or %ou to

sa% "but I !ant" is to stam& %ou as a weakling#

It has been suggested to us that we have a ew words to sa% regarding the

!arriage or &h%si!al bearing o the &erson, as an im&ortant &art o 6ersonalit% =

&arti!ularl% in the &hase o Walking# ut we do not think that is ne!essar% to add

to what we have said in this lesson regarding the sub'e!t, in !onne!tion with

what we have also said regarding the mental state o el 3es&e!t# The main

thing is to !ultivate the 5ental tate o el 3es&e!t, and the rest will ollow as a

natural !onse*uen!e# Thought takes orm in A!tion, and the man who has el

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3es&e!t imbedded in his mind will surel% so !arr% and demean him that he will

give eviden!e o his mental state in his ever% &h%si!al a!tion, gesture, !arriage

and motion# Ce must have it within, as well as without# ne must &a% attentionto the eterior as&e!t o !ourse, &arti!ularl% in the matter o dress# ne should

!ultivate 2leanliness and $eatness, o both bod% and !lothing# To be well

dressed does not mean to me showil% !lad = in a!t, the &erson who is best

dressed is in!ons&i!uousl% dressed# 2ultivate a *uiet, reined taste, e&ressed

in *ualit% rather than in showiness# And above all = be 2lean#

In !on!lusion, let us im&ress u&on %ou again and again that that whi!h we !all

6ersonalit% is but the outer mask o the Individual Within# The mask ma% be

!hanged b% an eort o the Will, aided b% an intelligent dis!rimination# 4irst ind

out what kind o 6ersonalit% %ou should have, and then set to work to !ultivate

it to grow it, in a!t# 4orm the 5ental Image o what %ou want to be = then think

o it = desire it ardentl% = will that %ou shall have it = then A!t It ut, over and

over again rehearsal ater rehearsal, until %ou will a!tuall% materiali.e %our

ideal into ob'e!tive realit%# 5ake a good mental &attern or mold, and then &our

in %our mental material steadil%, and slowl%F 4rom the mold will !ome orth the

2hara!ter and 6ersonalit% that %ou desire and need# Then &olish u& this

newborn 6ersonalit% until it be!omes radiant with the brightness o 2ulture#

;ou !an be what %ou want to be = i %ou onl% want to hard enough# 8esire is the

mother o the A!tualit%# 3emember on!e more the old rule = /A3$/T 8/I3/

= 2$4I8/$T /G6/2TATI$ = 4I35 3/+/ = these are the three things

that lead to A2256+IC5/$T# And now that we have given %ou this little

e!ret o u!!ess = :/ IT# "It is :& to ;ou" to "5ake ood# "We have

"&ressed the button = %ou must do the restF"

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$n $fterword

n reading the oregoing &ages ater the% have been set u& in t%&e, we are

im&ressed with the idea that in s&ite o our determination, as e&ressed in the

irst ew &ages, not to attem&t to la% down a !ode or rules or a !ourse o

!ondu!t whi!h should be !onsidered as an inallible uide to u!!ess = in s&ite

o our vowed determination not to &ose as a tea!her or &rea!her = we have

nevertheless managed to do !onsiderable in the dire!tion o "la%ing down the

law" so ar as is !on!erned naming o things to be done, or avoided#

Cowever, we eel that the advi!e given is good, and that the various eam&les

*uoted are !al!ulated to arouse within the mind o the reader the &irit that

leads to u!!ess# And, with this thought, we send orth these &ages to those

who ma% attra!t them to themselves, or who ma% be attra!ted to them = under

the +aw o Attra!tion# ut we eel that we shall not have !om&leted our task

unless we, on!e more, remind the reader that u!!ess is not to be gained b% a

blind and slavish ollowing o an%ones rules or advi!e, our own an% more than

an% other &ersons# There is no 3o%al 3oad to u!!ess = no 6atent 6ro!ess b%whi!h the unsu!!essul are to be magi!all% transormed into 2a&tains o

Industr% or 5agnates o Wall treet# There is nothing more amusing, or &itiul,

a!!ording to how one views it, than the bulk o u!!ess Talk given to the &ubli!

b% sela&&ointed tea!hers and &rea!hers# There is no one who !an in a ew

&ages &oint out to seekers ater u!!ess an inallible method whereb% ea!h and

ever%one ma% attain the u!!ess and Attainment that their hearts !rave# It is a

!old, hard truth that ea!h and ever% man must work out his own salvation in the

matter o u!!ess# 3ules and advi!e ma% greatl% assist = and the% undoubtedl%

do this = but the individual must a!!om&lish the real work# Ce must !arve out

his own 8estin%, and there is no &ower above or below that will do the work or

him i he reuses to &erorm it himsel#

The old sa%ing that "od hel&s him who hel&s himsel" is true in more senses

than one# It is true in the sense that the Cigher Aid seems to reuse to !ome to

the assistan!e o one who is not willing to strike out or him and do his best# ut

it is true in another sense = this Aid does !ome to one who will throw heart and

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soul into the task set beore him, and who will do ea!h da%s work the best he

know how, with ho&e in his soul, and a !onident e&e!tation o better things

right ahead, around the turn o the road# The wise man is the one who takes!ourageousl% the ste& right ahead o him, &lanting his oot irml% and !onidentl%

u&on it, although he is unable to see urther ahead# To su!h a one ste& ater

ste& is illuminated as he &ro!eeds, and he rea!hes his goal, whereas the

shrinking ones, who have eared to take the obvious ste& be!ause the% !ould

not see be%ond it, are still waiting or something to turn u This waiting

business is a &oor &oli!% = as arield said@ "8ont wait or something to turn u&

= go out and turn something u "Take the ste& beore %ou boldl% and ho&eull%,

and the net ste& will then a&&ear# The thing to do is that whi!h lies right beore%ou to be done = do it the best %ou know how, eeling assured that in its doing

%ou will be making &rogress toward the better things or whi!h %our heart has

been longing# $ew ideas !ome while %ou are in a!tion = in the doing o things

!omes the ins&iration or the doing o greater things# ;ou !an alwa%s get a

better "running start" when in a!tion, whi!h will give %ou an advantage over the

best "standing start" imaginable# et into a!tion and motion#

In this little work we have endeavored to !all %our attention to something o ar

greater im&ortan!e than a mere !ode o rules and general advi!e# We have

&ointed out to %ou the glorious a!t that within ea!h o %ou there is a omething

Within, whi!h i on!e aroused would give %ou a greatl% in!reased &ower and

!a&a!it%# And so we have tried to tell %ou this stor% o the omething Within,

rom dierent view&oints, so that %ou might !at!h the idea in several wa%s# We

irml% believe that u!!ess de&ends most materiall% u&on a re!ognition and

maniestation o this omething Within = we think that a stud% o the !hara!ter

and work o all su!!essul men will show %ou that dier as the% do in &ersonal

!hara!teristi!s, the% all maniest that !ons!iousness o that omething Within

them that gives them an assuran!e o Inward 6ower and trength, rom whi!h

&ro!eeds 2ourage and el2oniden!e# ;ou will ind that the ma'orit% o

su!!essul men eel that there is a omething hel&ing them = ba!k o and

behind their eorts# ome have !alled this Thing b% the name o "+u!k" or

"8estin%," or some su!h term# ut it is all a orm o the same re!ognition o an

Inward 6ower that the% are "hel&ed" in some wa%, although the% are not *uite

sure o the nature o the hel&er = in a!t, the ma'orit% o them do not sto& to

s&e!ulate u&on its nature, the% are too bus% and are !ontent with the knowledge

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that It is there# This omething Within is the Individual = the "I" in ea!h o them

= the sour!e o the &ower whi!h men maniest when the% e&ress it# And this

little book is written in the ho&es that to man% it ma% be the irst ste& toward there!ognition, unoldment and maniestation o this Inward 6ower#

We earnestl% urge u&on %ou to !ultivate this "I A5" !ons!iousness = that %ou

ma% reali.e the 6ower Within %ou# And then there will !ome naturall% to %ou the

!orrelated !ons!iousness whi!h e&resses itsel in the statement, "I 2A$ and I

WI++," one o the grandest airmations o 6ower that man !an make# This "I

2an and I Will" !ons!iousness is that e&ression o the omething Within,

whi!h we trust that %ou will reali.e and maniest# We eel that behind all the

advi!e that we !an give %ou, this one thing is the 63I5/ 4A2T3 in the e!ret

o u!!ess#

The ,nd

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The Secret of Success William Walter Atkinson

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