"I Can Make It Happen"

History abounds with tales of experts who were convinced that the ideas, plans, and
projects of others could never be achieved. However, accomplishment came to those
who said, "I can make it happen."
The Italian sculptor Aostino d!Antonio worked diliently on a lare piece of marble.
"nable to produce his desired masterpiece, he lamented, "I can do nothin with it."
#ther sculptors also worked this difficult piece of marble, but to no avail. $ichelanelo
discovered the stone and visuali%ed the possibilities in it. His "I&can&make&it&happen"
attitude resulted in one of the world!s masterpieces & 'avid.
The experts of (pain concluded that )olumbus!s plans to discover a new and shorter
route to the *est Indies was virtually impossible. +ueen Isabella and ,in -erdinand
inored the report of the experts. "I can make it happen," )olumbus persisted. And he
did. .veryone knew the world was flat, but not )olumbus. The /ina, the 0inta, the
(anta $aria, alon with )olumbus and his small band of followers, sailed to
"impossible" new lands and thrivin resources.
.ven the reat Thomas Alva .dison discouraed his friend, Henry -ord, from pursuin
his fledlin idea of a motorcar. )onvinced of the worthlessness of the idea, .dison
invited -ord to come and work for him. -ord remained committed and tirelessly
pursued his dream. Althouh his first attempt resulted in a vehicle without reverse ear,
Henry -ord knew he could make it happen. And, of course, he did.
"-oret it," the experts advised $adame )urie. They areed radium was a scientifically
impossible idea. However, $arie )urie insisted, "I can make it happen."
1et!s not foret our friends #rville and *ilbur *riht. 2ournalists, friends, armed
forces specialists, and even their father lauhed at the idea of an airplane. "*hat a silly
and insane way to spend money. 1eave flyin to the birds," they jeered. "(orry," the
*riht brothers responded. "*e have a dream, and we can make it happen." As a
result, a place called ,itty Hawk, /orth )arolina, became the settin for the launchin
of their "ridiculous" idea.
-inally, as you read these accounts under the manificent lihtin of your environment,
consider the pliht of 3enjamin -ranklin. He was admonished to stop the foolish
experimentin with lihtin. *hat an absurdity and waste of time4 *hy, nothin could
outdo the fabulous oil lamp. Thank oodness -ranklin knew he could make it happen.
5ou too can make it happen4
It Couldn't Be Done
(omebody said that it couldn!t be done, 3ut he with a chuckle replied That maybe it
couldn!t, but he would be one *ho wouldn!t say so "till he tried." (o he buckled riht in
with the trace of a rin #n his face. If he worried, he hid it. He started to sin as he
tackled the thin That couldn!t be done, and he did it. (omebody scoffed6 "#h, you!ll
never do that7 At least no one ever has done it." 3ut he took off his coat and took off his
hat And the first thin he knew he!d beun it. *ith the lift of his chin and a bit of a rin,
*ithout any doubtin or 8uiddit, He started to sin as he tackled the thin That
couldn!t be done, and he did it. There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done, There
are thousands to prophesy failure7 There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,
The daners that wait to assail you. 3ut just buckle riht in with a bit of a rin, Then
take off your coat and o to it7 2ust start in to sin as you tackle the thin That cannot
be done, and you!ll do it.
.dar A. 9uest
Keeper of the Spring
The late 0eter $arshall was an elo8uent speaker and for several years served as the
chaplain of the "( (enate. He used to love to tell the story of the ",eeper of the (prin,"
a 8uiet forest dweller who lived hih above an Austrian villae alon the eastern slope of
the Alps.
The old entleman had been hired many years earlier by a youn town councilman to
clear away the debris from the pools of water up in the mountain crevices that fed the
lovely sprin flowin throuh their town. *ith faithful, silent reularity, he patrolled
the hills, removed the leaves and branches, and wiped away the silt that would
otherwise have choked and contaminated the fresh flow of water. The villae soon
became a popular attraction for vacationers. 9raceful swans floated alon the crystal
clear sprin, the mill wheels of various businesses located near the water turned day
and niht, farmlands were naturally irriated, and the view from restaurants was
pictures8ue beyond description.
5ears passed. #ne evenin the town council met for its semiannual meetin. As they
reviewed the budet, one man!s eye cauht the salary fiure bein paid the obscure
keeper of the sprin. (aid the keeper of the purse, "*ho is the old man: *hy do we
keep him on year after year: /o one ever sees him. -or all we know, the strane raner
of the hills is doin us no ood. He isn!t necessary any loner." 3y a unanimous vote,
they dispensed with the old man!s services.
-or several weeks, nothin chaned.
3y early autumn, the trees bean to shed their leaves. (mall branches snapped of and
fell into the pools, hinderin the rushin flow of sparklin water. #ne afternoon
someone noticed a sliht yellowish&brown tint in the sprin. A few days later, the water
was much darker. *ithin another week, a slimy film covered sections of the water alon
the banks, and a foul odor was soon detected. The mill wheels moved more slowly,
some finally round to a halt. (wans left, as did the tourists. )lammy finers of disease
and sickness reached deeply into the villae.
+uickly, the embarrassed council called a special meetin. ;eali%in their ross error in
judment, they rehired the old keeper of the sprin, and within a few weeks, the
veritable river of life bean to clear up. The wheels started to turn, and new life returned
to the hamlet in the Alps.
/ever become discouraed with the seemin smallness of your task, job, or life. )lin
fast to the words of .dward .verett Hale6 "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do
everythin, but still I can do somethin7 and because I cannot do everythin, I will not
refuse to do somethin I can do. " The key to accomplishment is believin that what you
can do will make a difference.
A Lesson From a Mad Hatter
#ne of the first steps to accomplishin reat thins in your life is to cease dwellin on
the neative thins in your past. )arefully assess your present strenths, successes, and
achievements. 'well on those positive events in your life, and 8uit limitin your
potential by constantly thinkin about what you have done poorly. Alice and the $ad
Hatter in *onderland had a conversation that illustrates this concept6
Alice6 *here I come from, people study what they are not ood at in order to be able to
do what they are ood at.
$ad Hatter6 *e only o around in circles in *onderland, but we always end up where
we started. *ould you mind explainin yourself:
Alice6 *ell, rown&ups tell us to find out what we did wron, and never do it aain
$ad Hatter6 That!s odd4 It seems to me that in order to find out about somethin, you
have to study it. And when you study it, you should become better at it. *hy should you
want to become better at somethin and then never do it aain: 3ut please continue.
Alice6 /obody ever tells us to study the riht thins we do. *e!re only supposed to learn
from the wron thins. 3ut we are permitted to study the riht thins other people do.
And sometimes we!re even told to copy them.
$ad Hatter6 That!s cheatin4
Alice6 5ou!re 8uite riht, $r. Hatter. I do live in a topsy&turvy world. It seems like I have
to do somethin wron first, in order to learn from what not to do. And then, by not
doin what I!m not supposed to do, perhaps I!ll be riht. 3ut I!d rather be riht the first
time, wouldn!t you:
A raged! "r a Blessing#
5ears ao in (cotland, the )lark family had a dream. )lark and his wife worked and
saved, makin plans for their nine children and themselves to travel to the "nited
(tates. It had taken years, but they had finally saved enouh money and had otten
passports and reservations for the whole family on a new liner to the "nited (tates.
The entire family was filled with anticipation and excitement about their new life.
However, seven days before their departure, the younest son was bitten by a do. The
doctor sewed up the boy but hun a yellow sheet on the )larks! front door. 3ecause of
the possibility of rabies, they were bein 8uarantined for fourteen days.
The family!s dreams were dashed. They would not be able to make the trip to America
as they had planned. The father, filled with disappointment and aner, stomped to the
dock to watch the ship leave & without the )lark family. The father shed tears of
disappointment and cursed both his son and 9od for their misfortune.
-ive days later, the traic news spread throuhout (cotland & the mihty Tittanic had
sunk. The unsinkable ship had sunk, takin hundreds of lives with it. The )lark family
was to have been on that ship, but because the son had been bitten by a do, they were
left behind in (cotland.
*hen $r. )lark heard the news, he hued his son and thanked him for savin the
family. He thanked 9od for savin their lives and turnin what he had felt was a traedy
into a blessin.
o Build a Bridge
The 3rooklyn 3ride that spans the river tyin $anhattan Island to 3rooklyn is truly a
miracle bride. In <=>?, a creative enineer named 2ohn ;oeblin was inspired by an
idea for this spectacular bride. However, bride&buildin experts throuhout the world
told him to foret it7 it could not be done.
;oeblin convinced his son, *ashinton, who was a youn upand comin enineer,
that the bride could be built. The two of them developed the concepts of how it could
be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. *ith un harnessed
excitement and inspiration, they hired their crew and bean to build their dream
bride.
The project was only a few months under construction when a traic accident on the
site took the life of 2ohn ;oeblin and severely injured his son, *ashinton.
*ashinton was left with permanent brain damae and was unable to talk or walk.
.veryone felt that the project would have to be scrapped since the ;oeblins were the
only ones who knew how the bride could be built.
.ven thouh *ashinton was unable to move or talk, his mind was as sharp as ever,
and he still had a burnin desire to complete the bride. An idea hit him as he lay in his
hospital bed, and he developed a code for communication. All he could move was one
finer, so he touched the arm of his wife with that finer, tappin out the code to
communicate to her what to tell the enineers who were buildin the bride. -or
thirteen years, *ashinton tapped out his instructions with his finer until the
spectacular 3rooklyn 3ride was finally completed.
$rind or Shine
Adversity is the rindstone of life. Intended to polish you up, adversity also has the
ability to rind you down. The impact and ultimate result depend on what you do with
the difficulties that come your way. )onsider the phenomenal achievements of people
experiencin adversity.
3eethoven composed his reatest works after becomin deaf. (ir *alter ;aleih wrote
the History of the *orld durin a thirteen year imprisonment. If )olumbus had turned
back, no one could have blamed him, considerin the constant adversity he endured. #f
course, no one would have remembered him either. Abraham 1incoln achieved
reatness by his display of wisdom and character durin the devastation of the )ivil
*ar. 1uther translated the 3ible while endurin confinement in the )astle of *artbur.
"nder a sentence of death and durin twenty years in exile, 'ante wrote the 'ivine
)omedy. 2ohn 3unyan wrote 0ilrim!s 0roress in a 3edford jail.
-inally, consider a more recent example. $ary 9roda&1ewis endured sixteen years of
illiteracy because of unreconi%ed dyslexia, was committed to a reformatory on two
different occasions, and almost died of a stroke while bearin a child. )ommitted to
oin to collee, she worked at a variety of odd jobs to save money, raduated with her
hih school e8uivalency at eihteen, was named #reon!s outstandin "pward 3ound
student, and finally entered collee. 'etermined to become a doctor, she faced fifteen
medical school rejections until Albany $edical )ollee finally accepted her. In <@=A, 'r.
$ary 9roda&1ewis, at thirty&five, raduated with honors to fulfill her dream.
Adversity & the rindstone of life. *ill it rind you down or polish you up:
%ho's Counting#
/apoleon was involved in conversation with a colonel of a Hunarian battalion who had
been taken prisoner in Italy. The colonel mentioned he had fouht in the army of $aria
Theresa. "5ou must have a few years under your belt4" exclaimed /apoleon. "I!m sure
I!ve lived sixty or seventy years," replied the colonel. "5ou mean to say," /apoleon
continued, "you have not kept track of the years you have lived:"
The colonel promptly replied, "(ir, I always count my money, my shirts, and my horses
& but as for my years, I know nobody who wants to steal them, and I shall surely never
lose them."
"If I Had M! Life to Li&e "&er"
If I had my life to live over, I!d dare to make more mistakes next time. I!d relax, I!d
limber up. I would be sillier than I!ve been this trip. I would take fewer thins seriously,
take more chances, take more trips. I!d climb more mountains, and swim more rivers. I
would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles,
but I!d have fewer imainary ones. 5ou see, I!m one of those people who lived seriously,
sanely, hour after hour, day after day. #h, I!ve had my moments, and if I had it to do
over aain, I!d have more of them. I!ve been one of those persons who never oes
anywhere without a thermometer, a hot&water bottle, a raincoat, and a parachute. If I
had to do it aain, I would travel lihter than this trip. If I had my life to live over, I
would start oin barefoot earlier in the sprin, and stay that way later in the fall. I
would o to more dances, I would ride more merry&o&rounds. I would pick more
daisies.
he Lion and he 'ougar
A pointed fable is told about a youn lion and a couar. 3oth thirsty, the animals
arrived at their usual water hole at the same time. They immediately bean to arue
about who should satisfy their thirst first. The arument became heated, and each
decided he would rather die than ive up the privilee of bein first to 8uench his thirst.
As they stubbornly confronted each other, their emotions turned to rae. Their cruel
attacks on each other were suddenly interrupted. They both looked up. )irclin
overhead was a flock of vultures waitin for the loser to fall. +uietly, the two beasts
turned and walked away. The thouht of bein devoured was all they needed to end
their 8uarrel.
Complain( Complain( Complain(
It takes a disciplined spirit to endure the monastery on $ount (erat in (pain. #ne of
the fundamental re8uirements of this reliious order is that the youn men must
maintain silence. #pportunities to speak are scheduled once every two years, at which
time they are allowed to speak only two words.
#ne youn initiate in this reliious order, who had completed his first two years of
trainin, was invited by his superior to make his first two&word presentation. "-ood
terrible," he said. Two years later the invitation was once aain extended. The youn
man used this forum to exclaim, "3ed lumpy." Arrivin at his superior!s office two years
later he proclaimed, "I 8uit." The superior looked at this youn monk and said, "5ou
know, it doesn!t surprise me a bit. All you!ve done since you arrived is complain,
complain, complain.
.xaerated: $aybe. *hat if you were asked to share two words that describe your
1ife: would your focus be the lumps, bumps, and unfairness, or are you committed to
dwell on those thins that are ood, riht, and lovely:
he %hole %orld Came ogether
The youn mother was ready for a few minutes of relaxation after a lon and
demandin day. However, her youn dauhter had other plans for her mother!s time.
";ead me a story, $om," the little irl re8uested. "9ive $ommy a few minutes to relax
and unwind. Then I!ll be happy to read you a story," pleaded the mother.
The little irl was insistent that $ommy read to her now. *ith a stroke of enius, the
mother tore off the back pae of the maa%ine she was readin. It contained a full&pae
picture of the world. As she tore it into several pieces, $om asked her dauhter to put
the picture toether and then she would read her a story. (urely this would buy her
considerable relaxin moments.
A short time later, the little irl announced the completion of her pu%%le project. To her
astonishment, she found the world picture completely assembled. *hen she asked her
dauhter how she manaed to do it so 8uickly, the little irl explained that on the
reverse side of the pae was the picture of a little irl. "5ou see, $ommy, when I ot the
little irl toether, the whole world came toether."
.ach of us has the responsibility to put our world toether. It starts by ettin ourselves
put toether. *e can become better parents, friends, spouses, employees, and
employers. The first step is chanin our attitude.
he %hole %orld Stinks
*ise men and philosophers throuhout the aes have disareed on many thins, but
many are in unanimous areement on one point6 "*e become what we think about."
;alph *aldo .merson said, "A man is what he thinks about all day lon." The ;oman
emperor $arcus Aurelius put it this way6 "A man!s life is what his thouhts make of it."
In the 3ible we find6 "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he."
#ne (unday afternoon, a cranky randfather was visitin his family. As he lay down to
take a nap, his randson decided to have a little fun by puttin 1imburer cheese on
9randfather!s mustache. (oon, randpa awoke with a snort and chared out of the
bedroom sayin, "This room stinks." Throuh the house he went, findin every room
smellin the same. 'esperately he made his way outside only to find that "the whole
world stinks4"
(o it is when we fill our minds with neativism. .verythin we experience and
everybody we encounter will carry the scent we hold in our mind.
Hang In here
/icolo 0aanini was a well&known and ifted nineteenth century violinist. He was also
well known as a reat showman with a 8uick sense of humor. His most memorable
concert was in Italy with a full orchestra. He was performin before a packed house and
his techni8ue was incredible, his tone was fantastic, and his audience dearly loved him.
Toward the end of his concert, 0aanini was astoundin his audience with an
unbelievable composition when suddenly one strin on his violin snapped and hun
limply from his instrument. 0aanini frowned briefly, shook his head, and continued to
play, improvisin beautifully.
Then to everyone!s surprise, a second strin broke. And shortly thereafter, a third.
Almost like a slapstick comedy, 0aanini stood there with three strins danlin from
his (tradivarius. 3ut instead of leavin the stae, 0aanini stood his round and calmly
completed the difficult number on the one remainin strin.
)ost*it +otes
The ?$ )ompany encouraes creativity from its employees. The company allows its
researchers to spend <B percent of their time on any project that interests them. This
attitude has brouht fantastic benefits not only to the employees but to the ?$
)ompany itself $any times, a spark of an idea turned into a successful product has
boosted ?$!s profits tremendously.
(ome years ao, a scientist in ?$!s commercial office took advantae of this <B percent
creative time. This scientist, Art -ry, came up with an idea for one of ?$!s best&sellin
products. It seems that Art -ry dealt with a small irritation every (unday as he san in
the church choir. After markin his paes in the hymnal with small bits of paper, the
small pieces would invariably fall out all over the floor.
(uddenly, an idea struck -ry. He remembered an adhesive developed by a colleaue
that everyone thouht was a failure because it did not stick very well. "I coated the
adhesive on a paper sample," -ry recalls, "and I found that it was not only a ood
bookmark, but it was reat for writin notes. It will stay in place as lon as you want it
to, and then you can remove it without damae."
5es, Art -ry hit the jackpot. The resultin product was called 0ost&it4 and has become
one of ?$!s most successful office products.
From Candles to Soap
In <=C@, 0rocter and 9amble!s best seller was candles. 3ut the company was in trouble.
Thomas .dison had invented the liht bulb, and it looked as if candles would become
obsolete. Their fears became reality when the market for candles plummeted since they
were now sold only for&special occasions.
The outlook appeared to be bleak for 0rocter and 9amble. However, at this time, it
seemed that destiny played a dramatic part in pullin the strulin company from the
clutches of bankruptcy. A foretful employee at a small factory in )incinnati forot to
turn off his machine when he went to lunch. The result: A frothin mass of lather filled
with air bubbles. He almost threw the stuff away but instead decided to make it into
soap. The soap floated. Thus, Ivory soap was born and became the mainstay of the
0rocter and 9amble )ompany.
*hy was soap that floats such a hot item at that time: In )incinnati, durin that period,
some people bathed in the #hio ;iver. -loatin soap would never sink and
conse8uently never ot lost. (o, Ivory soap became a best seller in #hio and eventually
across the country also.
1ike 0rocter and 9amble, never ive up when thins o wron or when seeminly
unsurmountable problems arise. )reativity put to work can chane a problem and turn
it into a old mine.
A en*Cent Idea
*hen youn -. *. *oolworth was a store clerk, he tried to convince his boss to have a
ten&cent sale to reduce inventory. The boss areed, and the idea was a resoundin
success. This inspired *oolworth to open his own store and price items at a nickel and
a dime. He needed capital for such a venture, so he asked his boss to supply the capital
for part interest in the store. His boss turned him down flat. "The idea is too risky," he
told *oolworth. "There are not enouh items to sell for five and ten cents." *oolworth
went ahead without his boss!s backin, and he not only was successful in his first store,
but eventually he owned a chain of -. *. *oolworth stores across the nation. 1ater, his
former boss was heard to remark, "As far as I can fiure out, every word I used to turn
*oolworth down cost me about a million dollars."
ime o hink
Henry -ord hired an efficiency expert to o throuh his plant. He said, "-ind the
nonproductive people. Tell me who they are, and I will fire them4"
The expert made the rounds with his clipboard in hand and finally returned to Henry
-ord!s office with his report. "I!ve found a problem with one of your administrators," he
said. ".very time I walked by, he was sittin with his feet propped up on the desk. The
man never does a thin. I definitely think you should consider ettin rid of him4"
*hen Henry -ord learned the name of the man the expert was referrin to, -ord shook
his head and said, "I can!t fire him. I pay that man to do nothin but think & and that!s
what he!s doin."
Criti'ism
If an impulse comes to say
(ome un&thouhtful word today
That may drive a friend away,
'on!t say it4
If you!ve heard a word of blame
)ast upon your neihbor!s name
That may injure his fair fame,
'on!t tell it4
If malicious ossip!s tonue
(ome vile slander may have flun
#n the head of old or youn,
'on!t repeat it4
Thouhtful, kind, helpful speech,
!Tis a ift promised to each&&
This the lesson we would teach6
'on!t abuse it4
Anonymous
A ,uiet S'olding
The late 2ohn *anamaker was the kin of retail. #ne day while walkin throuh his
store in 0hiladelphia, he noticed a customer waitin for assistance. /o one was payin
the least bit of attention to her. 1ookin around, he saw his salespeople huddled
toether lauhin and talkin amon themselves. *ithout a word, he 8uietly slipped
behind the counter and waited on the customer himself. Then he 8uietly handed the
purchase to the salespeople to be wrapped as he went on his way. 1ater, *anamaker
was 8uoted as sayin, "I learned thirty years ao that it is foolish to scold. I have enouh
trouble overcomin my own limitations without frettin over the fact that 9od has not
seen fit to distribute evenly the ift of intellience."
Blurred -ision
A businessman was hihly critical of his competitors! storefront windows. "*hy, they
are the dirtiest windows in town," he claimed. -ellow business people rew tired of the
man!s continual criticism and nitpickin comments about the windows. #ne day over
coffee, the
businessman carried the subject just too far. 3efore leavin, a fellow store owner
suested the man et his own windows washed. He followed the advice, and the next
day at coffee, he exclaimed, "I can!t believe it. As soon as I washed my windows, my
competitor must have cleaned his too. 5ou should see them shine."
)onfucius once declared, "'on!t complain about the snow on your neihbor!s roof when
your own doorstep is unclean."
,ui'k De'isions
A ame warden noticed how a particular fellow named (am consistently cauht more
fish than anyone else, whereas the other uys would only catch three or four a day. (am
would come in off the lake with a boat full. (triner after striner was always packed
with freshly cauht trout. The warden, curious, asked (am his secret. The successful
fisherman invited the ame warden to accompany him and observe. (o the next
mornin the two met at the dock and took off in (am!s boat. *hen they ot to the
middle of the lake, (am stopped the boat, and the warden sat back to see how it was
done.
(am!s approach was simple. He took out a stick of dynamite, lit it, and threw it in the
air. The explosion rocked the lake with such a force that dead fish immediately bean to
surface. (am took out a net and started scoopin them up.
*ell you can imaine the reaction of the ame warden. *hen he recovered from the
shock of it all, he bean yellin at (am. "5ou can!t do this4 I!ll put you in jail, buddy4 5ou
will be payin every fine there is in the book4" (am, meanwhile, set his net down and
took out another stick of dynamite. He lit it and tossed it in the lap of the ame warden
with these words, "Are you oin to sit there all day complainin, or are you oin to
fish:"
The poor warden was left with a fast decision to make. He was yanked, in one second,
from an observer to a participant. A dynamite of a choice had to be made and be made
8uickly4 1ife is like that. -ew days o by without our comin face to face with an
uninvited, unanticipated, yet unavoidable decision. 1ike a crashin snow bank, these
decisions tumble upon us without warnin. +uick. Immediate. (udden. /o council, no
study, no advice. 0ow4
A Short Course in Human .elations
The six most important words6 I admit that I was wron.
The five most important words6 5ou did a reat job.
The four most important words6 *hat do you think:
The three most important words6 )ould you please. . .
The two most important words6 Thank you.
The most important word6 *e.
The least important word6 I.
Anonymous
/ou are %onderful
The followin true story captured our heart. It happened several years ao in the 0aris
opera house. A famous siner had been contracted to sin, and ticket sales were
boomin. In fact, the niht of the concert found the house packed and every ticket sold.
The feelin of anticipation and excitement was in the air as the house manaer took the
stae and said, "1adies and entlemen, thank you for your enthusiastic support. I am
afraid that due to illness, the man whom you!ve all come to hear will not be performin
toniht. However, we have found a suitable substitute we hope will provide you with
comparable entertainment." The crowd roaned in disappointment and failed to hear
the announcer mention the stand&in!s name. The environment turned from excitement
to frustration.
The stand&in performer ave the performance everythin he had. *hen he had finished,
there was nothin but an uncomfortable silence. /o one applauded. (uddenly, from the
balcony, a little boy stood up and shouted, "'addy, I think you are wonderful4" The
crowd broke into thunderous applause.
*e all need people in our 1ives who are willin to stand up once in a while and say, "I
think you are wonderful. "
0o Kinds of )eople
There are only two kinds of people on earth today
Two kinds of people, no more I say.
/ot the rich and the poor, for to know a man!s wealth
5ou must first know the state of his conscience and health,
/ot the happy and sad, for in life!s passin years,
.ach has his lauhter and each has his tears.
/o, the two kinds of people on earth I mean
Are the people who lift and the people who lean.
In which class are you: Are you liftin the load
#f some overtaxed lifter who!s oin down the road
#r are you a leaner who lets others share
5our portion of toil and labor and care:
.lla *heeler *ikcox
%ranglers and Stranglers
5ears ao there was a roup of brilliant youn men at the "niversity of *isconsin, who
seemed to have ama%in creative literary talent. They were would&be poets, novelists,
and essayists. They were extraordinary in their ability to put the .nlish lanuae to its
best use. These promisin youn men met reularly to read and criti8ue each other!s
work. And criti8ue it they did4
These men were merciless with one another. They dissected the most minute literary
expression into a hundred pieces. They were heartless, touh, even mean in their
criticism. The sessions became such arenas of literary criticism that the members of this
exclusive club called themselves the "(tranlers."
/ot to be outdone, the women of literary talent in the university were determined to
start a club of their own, one comparable to the (tranlers. They called themselves the
"*ranlers." They, too, read their works to one another. 3ut there was one reat
difference. The criticism was much softer, more positive, more encourain.
(ometimes, there was almost no criticism at all. .very effort, even the most feeble one,
was encouraed.
Twenty years later an alumnus of the university was doin an exhaustive study of his
classmates! careers when he noticed a vast difference in the literary accomplishments of
the (tranlers as opposed to the *ranlers. #f all the briht youn men in the
(tranlers, not one had made a sinificant literary accomplishment of any kind. -rom
the *ranlers had come six or more successful writers, some of national renown such
as $arjorie ,innan ;awlins, who wrote The 5earlin.
Talent between the two: 0robably the same. 1evel of education: /ot much difference.
3ut the (tranlers stranled, while the *ranlers were determined to ive each other a
lift. The (tranlers promoted an atmosphere of contention and self doubt. The
*ranlers hihlihted the best, not the worst.
+e&er Mind(
(ometimes when nothin oes just riht And worry reins supreme, *hen heartache
fills the eyes with mist And all thins useless seem, There!s just one thin can drive
away The tears that scald and blind && (omeone to slip a stron arm !round And
whisper, "/ever mind." /o one has ever told just why Those words such comfort brin7
/or why that whisper makes our cares 'epart on hurried win. 5et troubles say a 8uick
"9ood&day," *e leave them far behind *hen someone slips an arm around, And
whispers, "/ever mind." 3ut love must prompt that soft caress& That love must, aye, be
true #r at that tender, clinin touch /o heart ease come to you, 3ut if the arm be
moved by love, (weet comfort you will find *hen someone slips an arm around, And
whispers, "/ever mind4"
Murph!'s La0s
.veryone has heard of $urphy!s first law6 "If anythin can o wron, invariably it will."
3ut hardly anybody has even a foy idea of who $urphy was.
The search for $urphy!s notebooks led to a arae in Toledo, #hio7 an inventor!s junk
loft in Ali8uippa, 0ennsylvania7 and the home of a retired female blackmailer in
(arasota, -lorida. It was learned that $urphy had no first name, that he never could
hold a job, and that his writins were returned by the post office for insufficient
postae.
It seems everythin $urphy wrote about had some explanation for why thins o
wron. )onsider a few more $urphy classics6
/othin is ever as simple as it first seems.
.verythin you decide to do costs more than first estimated.
.very activity takes more time than you have.
It!s easier to make a commitment or to et involved in somethin than to et out
of it.
*hatever you set out to do, somethin else must be done first.
If you improve or tinker with somethin lon enouh, eventually it will break.
3y makin somethin absolutely clear, somebody will be confused.
5ou can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the
time, and that!s sufficient.
Belie&e he Impossi1le
.very reat achievement was once impossible until someone set a oal to make it
a reality.
1ewis )arroll!s famous masterpiece Throuh the 1ookin 9lass contains a story
that exemplifies the need to dream the impossible dream. There is a conversation
between Alice and the 8ueen, which oes like this6
"I can!t believe that4" said Alice.
")an!t you:" the 8ueen said in a pityin tone. "Try aain, draw a lon breath, and
shut your eyes."
Alice lauhed. "There!s no use tryin," she said. "#ne can!t believe impossible
thins."
"I dare say you haven!t had much practice," said the 8ueen. "*hen I was your ae,
I always did it for half an hour a day. *hy, sometimes I!ve believed as many as six
impossible thins before breakfast."
*hen you dare to dream, many marvels can be accomplished. The trouble is,
most people never start dreamin their impossible dream.
Ho0 High Can /ou 2ump#
-lea trainers have observed a predictable and strane habit of fleas while trainin
them. -leas are trained by puttin them in a cardboard box with a top on it. The
fleas will jump up and hit the top of the cardboard box over and over and over
aain. As you watch them jump and hit the lid, somethin very interestin
becomes obvious. The fleas continue to jump, but they are no loner jumpin
hih enouh to hit the top. Apparently, .xcedrin headache <C?= forces them to
limit the heiht of their jump.
*hen you take off the lid, the fleas continue to jump, but they will not jump out
of the box. They won!t jump out because they can!t jump out. *hy: The reason is
simple. They have conditioned themselves to jump just so hih. #nce they have
conditioned themselves to jump just so hih, that!s all they can do4
$any times, people do the same thin. They restrict themselves and never reach
their potential. 2ust like the fleas, they fail to jump hiher, thinkin they are doin
all they can do.
If /ou hink
If you think you are beaten, you are. If you think you dare not, you don!t4 If you
want to win, but think you can!t, It!s almost a cinch you won!t. If you think you!ll
lose, you!re lost7 -or out in the world we find (uccess beins with a fellow!s will7
It!s all in the state of the mind. 1ife!s battles don!t always o To the stroner and
faster man, 3ut sooner or later the man who wins Is the man who thinks he can.
*alter '. *intle