TodayIshedmyoldskinwhichhath,toolong,sufferedthebruisesoffailureandthewoundsofmediority.
TodayIambornanewandmybirthplaceisavineyardwherethereisfruitforall.
TodayIwillpluckgrapesofwisdomfromthetallestandfullestvinesinthevineyard,forthesewereplantedbythewisestofmyprofessionwhohavecomebeforeme,generationupongeneration.
TodayIwillsavorthetasteofgrapesfromthesevinesandverilyIwillswallowtheseedofsuccessburiedineachandnewlifewillsproutwithinme.
ThecareerIhavechosenisladenwithopportunityyetitisfraughtwithheartbreakanddespairandthebodiesofthosewhohavefailed,weretheypiledoneatopanother,wouldcastashadowdownuponallthepyramidsoftheearth.
YetIwillnotfail,astheothers,forinmyhandsInowholdthechartswhichwillguidethroughperilouswaterstoshoreswhichonlyyesterdayseemedbutadream.
Failurenolongerwillbemypaymentforstruggle.Justasnaturemadenoprovisionformybodytotoleratepainneitherhasitmadeanyprovisionformylifetosufferfailure.Failure,likepain,isalientomylife.InthepastIaccepteditasIacceptedpain.NowIrejectitandIampreparedforwisdomandprincipleswhichwillguidemeoutoftheshadowsintothesunlightofwealth,position,andhappinessfarbeyondmymostextravagantdreamsuntileventhegoldenapplesintheGardenofHesperideswillseemnomorethanmyjustreward.
TimeteachesallthingstohimwholivesforeverbutIhavenottheluxuryofeternity.YetwithinmyallottedtimeImustpracticetheartofpatiencefornatureactsneverinhaste.Tocreatetheolive,kingofalltrees,ahundredyearsisrequired.Anonionplantisoldinnineweeks.Ihavelivedasanonionplant.Ithasnotpleasedme.NowIwouldstbecomethegreatestofolivetreesand,intruth,thegreatestofsalesman.
Andhowwillthisbeaccomplished?ForIhaveneithertheknowledgenortheexperiencetoachievethegreatnessandalreadyIhavestumbledinignoranceandfallenintopoolsofself-pity.Theanswerissimple.Iwillcommencemyjourneyunencumberedwitheithertheweightofunnecessaryknowledgeorthehandicapofmeaninglessexperience.Naturealreadyhassuppliedmewithknowledgeandinstinctfargreaterthananybeastintheforestandthevalueofexperienceisoverrated,usuallybyoldmenwhonodwiselyandspeakstupidly.
Intruth,experienceteachesthoroughlyyethercourseofinstructiondevoursmen'syearssothevalueofherlessonsdiminisheswiththetimenecessarytoacquireherspecialwisdom.Theendfindsitwastedondeadmen.Furthermore,experienceiscomparabletofashion;anactionthatprovedsuccessfultodaywillbeunworkableandimpracticaltomorrow.
OnlyprinciplesendureandtheseInowpossess,forthelawsthatwillleadmetogreatnessarecontainedinthewordsofthesescrolls.Whattheywillteachmeismoretopreventfailurethantogainsuccess,forwhatissuccessotherthanastateofmind?Whichtwo,amongathouandwisemen,willdefinesuccessinthesamewords;yetfailureisalwaysdescribedbutoneway.Failureisman'sinabilitytoreachhisgoalsinlife,whatevertheymaybe.
Intruth,theonlydifferencebetweenthosewhohavefailedandthosewhohavesuccessedliesinthedifferenceoftheirhabits.Goodhabitsarethekeytoallsuccess.Badhabitsaretheunlockeddoortofailure.Thus,thefirstlawIwillobey,whichprecedethallothersis--Iwillformgoodhabitsandbecometheirslave.
AsachildIwasslavetomyimpulses;nowIamslavetomyhabits,asareallgrownmen.Ihavesurrenderedmyfreewilltotheyearsofaccumulatedhabitsandthepastdeedsofmylifehavealreadymarkedoutapathwhichthreatenstoimprisonmyfuture.Myactionsareruledbyappetite,passion,prejudice,greed,love,fear,environment,habit,andtheworstofthesetyrantsishabit.Therefore,ifImustbeaslavetohabitletmebeaslavetogoodhabits.Mybadhabitsmustbedestroyedandnewfurrowspreparedforgoodseed.
Iwillformgoodhabitsandbecometheirslave.
AndhowwillIaccomplishthisdifficultfeat?Throughthesescrolls,itwillbedone,foreachscrollcontainsaprinciplewhichwilldriveabadhabitfrommylifeandreplaceitwithonewhichwillbringmeclosertosuccess.Foritisanotherofnature'slawsthatonlyahabitcansubdueanotherhabit.So,inorderforthesewrittenwordstoperformtheirchosentask,Imustdisciplinemyselfwiththefirstofmynewhabitswhichisasfollows:
Iwillreadeachscrollforthirtydaysinthisprescribedmanner,beforeIproceedtothenextscroll.
First,IwillreadthewordsinsilencewhenIarise.Then,IwillreadthewordsinsilenceafterIhavepartakenofmymiddaymeal.Last,IwillreadthewordsagainjustbeforeIretireatday'send,andmostimportant,onthisoccasionIwillreadthewordsaloud.
OnthenextdayIwillrepeatthisprocedure,andIwillcontinueinlikemannerforthirtydays.Then,Iwillturntothenextscrollandrepeatthisprocedureforanotherthirtydays.IwillcontinueinthismanneruntilIhavelivedwitheachscrollforthirtydaysandmyreadinghasbecomehabit.
Andwhatwillbeaccomplishedwiththishabit?Hereinliesthehiddensecretofallman'saccomplishments.AsIrepeatthewordsdailytheywillsoonbecomeapartofmyactivemind,butmoreimportant,theywillalsoseepintomyothermind,thatmysterioussourcewhichneversleeps,whichcreatesmydreams,andoftenmakesmeactinwaysIdonotcomprehend.
AsthewordsofthesescrollsareconsumedbymymysteriousmindIwillbegintoawake,eachmorning,withavitalityIhaveneverknownbefore.Myvigorwillincrease,myenthusiasmwillrise,mydesiretomeettheworldwillovercomeeveryfearIonceknewatsunrise,andIwillbehappierthanIeverbelieveditpossibletobeinthisworldofstrifeandsorrow.
EventuallyIwillfindmyselfreactingtoallsituationswhichconfrontmeasIwascommandedinthescrollstoreact,andsoontheseactionsandreactionswillbecomeeasytoperform,foranyactwithpracticebecomeseasy.
Thusanewandgoodhabitisborn,forwhenanactbecomeseasythroughconstantrepetitonitbecomesapleasuretoperformandifitisapleasuretoperformitisman'snaturetoperformitoften.WhenIperformitoftenitbecomesahabitandIbecomeitsslaveandsinceitisagoodhabitthisismywill.
TodayIbeginanewlife.
AndImakeasolemnoathtomyselfthatnothingwillretardmynewlife'sgrowth.IwilllosenotadayfromthesereadingsforthatdaycannotberetrievednorcanIsubstituteanotherforit.Imustnot,Iwillnot,breakthishabitofdailyreadingfromthesescrollsand,intruth,thefewmomentsspenteachdayonthisnewhabitarebutasmallpricetopayforthehappinessandsuccessthatwillbemine.
AsIreadandre-readthewordsinthescrollstofollow,neverwillIallowthebrevityofeachscrollnorthesimplicityofitswordstocausemetotreatthescroll'smessagelightly.Thousandsofgrapesarepressedtofillonejarwithwine,andthegrapeskinandpulparetossedtothebirds.Soitiswiththesegrapesofwisdomfromtheages.Muchhasbeenfilteredandtossedtothewind.Onlythepuretruthliesdistilledinthewordstocome.Iwilldrinkasinstructedandspillnotadrop.AndtheseedofsuccessIwillswallow.
Todaymyoldskinhasbecomeasdust.Iwillwalktallamongmenandtheywillknowmenot,fortodayIamanewman,withanewlife.
Life is all about Choices
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