Excerpts from
How
To Turn Your Ability Into Cash
by Earl
Prevette
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Book
Description
Written by master salesman and
successful author, Earl Prevette, How To Turn Your Ability Into
Cash contains step-by-step instructions for controlling negative
thoughts, getting the most out of your abilities and achieving your
dreams.
You’ll learn:
- The law of
wealth – and why
when
applied it never fails to produce an abundance of worldly goods.
- How to
achieve the success of
your
dreams in just 8 simple steps – you’ll be amazed at how easy it really
is to succeed when you follow these simple instructions.
- Why you
should compare your
ability
to an iceberg – and what that means in regards to how you should
approach the future.
- How to
accomplish any goal,
such as
writing a book, using just 15 minutes of your day – you’ll be amazed at
what you read here.
- 7 ways to
develop your ability
– and
ensure that you are taking full advantage of it.
- How to
increase your power to
think
and to build – more than anything else this information will put you on
the fast track to achieving the success you’ve always dreamed of.
- How to
control your negative
thoughts – you’ll be surprised at how easy this is to do when you
follow these simple tips.
- How to
replace “wrong”
thoughts with
right ones – follow these tips and you will be well on your way to
achieving success.
- Aids to help
you remember –
you’ll
be amazed at how easy it is to remember even the most complex
information with these simple tips.
- How to use
the laws of
observation,
concentration, memory, reason and action to maximize your abilities –
and achieve your dreams faster than you ever thought possible.
- How to
double your energy –
follow
these tips and you’ll have more energy than you did 10, 20, even 30
years ago.
- 2 forms of
exercise – that can
send
your energy skyrocketing while significantly improving your health.
- The key to
earning a fortune –
here’s a hint: it’s more important than money, which is only a
temporary convenience and is usually lost or spent. This is a permanent
asset that can be used over and over again and the more you use it, the
more potent it becomes. It never wears out and will last forever. And
best of all its free.
- 7 ways to
generate enthusiasm
–
which will help you win promotions, earn more money, increase your
salary and get you ahead!
- And much,
much more....
By following the secrets
revealed
in
the How to Turn Your Ability into Cash ebook, you will be
able to rid yourself of negative thinking and quickly and easily
achieve the dreams you previously thought unachievable...
CONTENTS
Chapter 1 - It
Might
Have
Been You............................
|
Chapter 2 - Are
You
Nine-Tenths
Under
Water?..................
|
Chapter
3 - How To Increase Your Power
To Think And To Build..
|
Chapter 4 - How
To
Double Your
Energy......................... |
Chapter 5 - The
Key To
A
Fortune.............................. |
Chapter 6 - How
To
Generate
Enthusiasm........................ |
Chapter 7 - The
Most
Interesting
Thing
In The World........... |
Chapter
8 - How To Turn Your Ideas
Into Money................. |
Chapter
9 - How To Improve Your
Speech, Voice And Manner...... |
Chapter
10 - How To Make Use Of The
Present.................... |
Chapter
11 - How To Make A
Speech.............................. |
Chapter
12 - How To Attract And Get
What You Want.............. |
Chapter
13 - How The Law Of Averages
Can Make You Rich......... |
Chapter
14 - How To Find Your Place In
Life.................... |
Chapter
15 - It Is All Yours - Take It
Easy.................... |
CHAPTER I
It Might Have
Been You
One day not
long
ago,
while standing on the corner of a busy street in Philadelphia, talking
to a friend, along came an old man. He was a decrepit old man with
swollen, tearful eyes, and his unshaven face was drawn and withered.
His lips were blue with unclean sores. His toes were pushing through
his worn- out shoes. His clothes were torn to rags. He had seen better
days. I thought, how dreadfully poverty has gnawed at you. I was
stunned for the moment. With a look of sadness, and with a dirty
bloated hand thrust forward, he pleaded for a few pennies. He got a few
more pennies; I got a little more sense.
As I
pondered
over the
circumstances which had caused the deplorable condition of this man,
and had left him a wreck in its ruins, I began to think: It might have
been you!
What
happened to
this
old man? What precipitated his deplorable condition? What caused such
poverty? Why had fortune turned into misfortune? His plight may have
been owing to overindulgence, to grief, to envy, to jealousy, to
hatred, to prejudice, to dread, to self- pity, to temptation, or to
discouragement. What-ever it was had changed his outlook, his attitude,
his process of thinking and his entire pattern of living.
Desperation,
despair,
discouragement, disappointment, sorrow and sadness were indelibly
stamped in the lines of his face. He was a picture of his thoughts, a
victim of circumstances and a slave to poverty.
In
analyzing the
plight of this old man, I came to the conclusion that his condition was
a definite result of that desperate little enemy-- negative thinking.
Negative
thinking is a
sneaky little enemy which silently steals its way into a man's
consciousness and, like a thief at night, steals not his purse, but
robs him of that power which makes him poor indeed. It is a sinister
and destructive influence that works night and day to prey on a man's
soul. It is man's worst enemy, and life's meanest foe. It is worse than
war, and largely the cause of war. It is the curse of the human race.
It is as blind to reason as an owl is to light. It turns friends into
enemies and enemies into foes. It robs a man of reason. It stirs up
hate, greed, selfishness, cynicism, pessimism, anger, suspicion,
rivalry, jealousy, revenge, lust and envy. It tears down confidence,
undermines health, impairs character and causes poverty.
An old
legend
relates
that the devil was thrown into bankruptcy. Out of all his tools, the
creditors permitted him to keep one. The tool he selected was the wedge
of negative thinking. Asked why he liked this tool better than all the
rest, the devil explained, "It is because this is the one tool which I
can use when all others fail. Let me get that little wedge into a man's
consciousness, and it opens everything else.
That wedge
has
opened
more doors for me than all other weapons combined."
Someone
asked
one of
the world's greatest explorers what exploration he enjoyed most. His
answer was, "My personal preference is for sitting in an old-fashioned
rocking chair and exploring the undiscovered regions inside my own
mind."
In
exploring the
undiscovered regions inside the mind, man discovers he has interest.
His interest creates a desire. There are two kinds of desire. One is
physical. One is mental. Subsistence and propagation satisfy the
physical desire. Thoughts and ideas satisfy the mental desire.
There are
two
kinds of
thoughts. Positive thoughts which are creative. Negative thoughts which
are destructive. I often compare positive thoughts to light, and
negative thoughts to darkness. Darkness is nothing. It is the absence
of light. Turn on the light, and there is no darkness.
Negative
thoughts of
dread, worry, anger, prejudice, jealousy, envy, grudge, stubbornness,
impudence, selfishness, cynicism, gloom, hate, despair and
discouragement disappear instantly when they meet the positive thoughts
of love, faith, consideration, respect, kindness, courage,
understanding, persistence, fervence, loyalty, joy, power, plenty,
endurance and strength. Think positive thoughts, and the ability can
accomplish any desire.
Positive
thoughts are
based on understanding and faith. Negative thoughts are based on
ignorance and doubt. There is no problem or condition that fails to
disappear in the light of positive thoughts. Face one half of your
problems or troubles with positive thoughts, and they will disappear,
and then face the other half, and they will disappear. Positive and
creative thinking will burn holes in problems, as a lighted cigarette
will burn holes in tissue paper.
In the
study of
physics we find Ohm's Law of Electricity. It teaches: C = E/R. C is the
current or the amount of electrical energy to be delivered for any
given purpose. E is the power house to supply the current. R is the
resistance the current meets on its way to do the job. The less
resistance offered to the current, the more electrical energy available
to do the job. This depends on the efficiency of the conductor.
The same
applies
to
you. You are a conductor for your thoughts. Ability is the power house.
Positive thoughts are the current. Negative thoughts are the
resistance. Get rid of all negative thoughts. Get rid of resistance.
Get rid of all inhibitions, all grudges and all dreads. The ability
demonstrates its full power and strength when unhampered, and
unencumbered by resistance. Your income, your health, your well-being,
your happiness, and your peace of mind are only retarded by permitting
the phantoms of negative thinking to set up a resistance to your
ability.
A physician
in
Boston
examined twenty--five people suffering from inflammatory disorders. A
close check-up revealed that every one of them was holding a grudge.
Negative thinking impairs the body, and also disrupts the ability.
Cut loose
and
free
yourself from all petty restrictions, all pygmy notions and all
corroded resistance. They retard and hold you back. Open up the channel
to good. Cast out all your troubles. What good are they? Turn the power
and dominion of positive thoughts on worries and dreads, and they are
gone. Seek good and expect nothing but good. Rejoice and be glad. It
liberates and frees you. You cease to dread, you cease to worry. You
feel like a new person. You feel like starting all over again. What
seemed a burden and a task is turned into a pleasant and interesting
adventure.
Conditions
are
thought-made; change your thoughts and you change your conditions.
Therefore, if your conditions seem unbearable, dark and gloomy, change
your thoughts about them and see how quickly your thoughts change you.
J. Allen
Stone
in his
book, Letters to Strongheart, reveals the qualities and attributes of a
German Shepherd dog who became a movie star. To sum up the character of
this wonderful dog, he put everything he had in everything he did. All
of his acts were positive and decided. He spared nothing. He gave all.
This teaches a great lesson. Whatever you do, put your all into it.
Lose yourself in that which you are seeking to accomplish. Give all and
there is no room for negative thoughts.
Therefore,
the
remedy
for negative thinking is positive thoughts. The application of positive
thoughts floods the consciousness with faith, confidence, dominion and
determination and gives you the power to perform with decision,
precision, skill and speed. Think positive, be positive and act
positive, and negative thinking goes out the window. One mighty breath
from Truth will scatter negative thinking and all its hosts of human
mockeries and miseries like a whirlwind and establish the reign of
positive thoughts that assure success in any endeavor.
Positive
thoughts will
knock out your worst enemy-- negative thinking. The preparation is now
laid for your best friend-- Ability. Ability is positive thoughts on
the job to deliver to you the things you desire.
There is a
tide
in the
affairs of men which when taken at the flood leads on to fortune. That
tide is the accumulation of positive thoughts that must eventually
burst forth into a flood of good fortune.
Emerson
says,
"We lie
in the lap of immense intelligence which makes us receivers of its
truth, and organs of its activity." All around and about us this vital
force and creative power is instantly available for us to draw from,
and to apply to our activities to supply all our human needs. It is
God's gift to man. It is not owned by any one man, or any group of men.
It is the property of all men. However, to be of practical value, each
individual must seek it, recognize it, realize it, and demonstrate it
for himself in his own affairs. It is positive and active and can
develop all the faculties and talents of the individual into ability
capable of achievement.
"Cogito,
ergo
sum. I
think, therefore I am." The power to think gives man the ability to
analyze his own thought. Thought is not an indefinite abstraction, but
a vital, living force, the most vital, subtle and irresistible force in
the world. Thought has form, quality and substance. Thought can
originate, develop and create things.
In
developing
the
ability to think and create things to satisfy man's desire, it is wise
to get the right attitude. Man is greater than the flesh and bones that
carry him around. His body belongs to him, but he does not belong to
his body. The power to think does not confine him to his own skin. He
can project thought. He can visualize and create things to satisfy his
mental desires. To do this scientifically and effectively it is
essential to organize his thoughts into a plan. This book is an
example.
What is a
plan?
A plan
is a method of action, procedure or arrangement. It is a program to be
done. It is a design to give effect to an idea, a thought, a project or
the development of something.
A plan may
ask:
What
do you desire? Do you desire to sell something? Do you desire a job? Do
you desire an increase in salary? Do you desire clients? Do you desire
customers? Do you desire to invent something? These questions pertain
to your present or future occupation. The only way to make your desire
known is through a plan. It conveys to people in plain language a
definite concept of what you are offering for their consideration.
My book,
How to
Sell
by Telephone tells how I sold $10,000,000 worth of life insurance to
strangers over the telephone. To achieve this unparalleled record, it
was necessary for me to create a plan to satisfy my desire. The plan
set forth in plain, understandable language the value and advantages of
life insurance, and what they meant to the prospect. After creating the
plan it was necessary to develop a process to put the plan into action.
This required faith to believe wholeheartedly in the plan, repetition
to perfect it, imagination to visualize it, and persistence to see it
through. Finally, it required the act to idealize the plan, to feel its
possession and claim it as reality. I put all the power at my command
in the plan and the desire was satisfied.
Self-
discipline,
self- knowledge, self -improvement, self- expression and
self-unfoldment are individual undertakings. The word "individual"
comes from two Latin words-- "in," which means "not," and "divisus,"
which means "divisible." An individual is not divisible. He is a
complete entity, a self--contained unit, made up of four parts. One
part is matter—the physical body to house him. One part is essence to
give him form and to identify him according to his species. One part is
mind to guide and direct him. One part is spirit to inspire and to
enthuse him. Strict attention and careful consideration must be given
each part. The physical body must have the proper food. The essence
must be treated with care. The mind must be fed with positive thoughts.
The spirit must be inspired with unfaltering faith. When these four
parts are well fed and well treated harmony prevails, and the
individual functions healthfully, generates happiness and produces
wealth.
How To Turn
Your
Ability Into Cash puts the Law of Wealth into operation. When applied
it never fails to produce an abundance of worldly goods.
In applying
the
ideas
and suggestions in this book it will enhance your ability to realize
three things.
IDEAS AND
SUGGESTIONS
First:
Realize
that
everything you can think of exists now, otherwise you could not think
about it. There is no lack of anything and there should be no envy or
jealousy between men. There is enough of everything for everyone that
lives.
Second:
Realize
that
all things belong to God's creation and that you can only have a
temporary use of them. There is no limit on your desires, and you can
have the use of anything the ability can create.
Third:
Realize
that
all things are distributed to those who have desires, but ability must
be applied to formulate plans to claim these desires.
Here are a
few
suggestions that will help you stake your claim.
THINGS TO DO
1. Meditate
and
ask
God if there is any reason why you should not have the thing you
desire. Dismiss your desire for a few days and if it is right for you
to have it, the desire will become more intense. This removes doubt and
uncertainty, and inspires determination and action.
2. Make a
strong
mental picture of what you desire, and affirm it several times each
day.
3. Be
specific
about
what you desire. If you desire money visualize the amount and feel it
in your pocket. If you desire customers visualize the number and see
them doing business with you. If you desire things visualize the kind
of thing you want and see yourself with it. If you desire a position,
visualize the kind and it will soon make its appearance in your
experience. 4. Relax, meditate and be positive when you visualize your
desire. 5. Be aware that ideas are infinite and the ways to manifest
them are as uncountable as the stars of the heaven. Make your
selection.
6. Engender
a
feeling
of kindness into your desire. It sends out vibrations of love that are
the source of attraction.
7. Thank
God for
the
abundance that is yours" now. Repeat daily.
8. Remember
- an
idea
based on good backed by a sincere desire and held to by faith never
fails to materialize.
The Law of
Wealth is
ideas on the job.
Decide now
to be
the
master of your affairs, the director of your ability, the conductor of
positive thoughts, the doer of good and the captain of your activities.
Hold fast to these tenets with dogged determination, unflinching
courage and unfaltering faith. Remember, every element in the Universe
is here at your command to help you satisfy and realize your desire.
Draw on these forces. Create a plan, reach out for the thing you desire
mentally, and in the spirit of gratitude claim it as a reality.
"Believe that you receive, and you shall have them."
The full
power
and
strength of the Mississippi River is where it flows into the Gulf of
Mexico. It is made up of many individual tributaries, and each one
contributes its share to converge into one great stream of power and
strength.
You are
like
this
great river. You are made up of many tributary attributes and
qualities, and each one contributes its individual share to make up
your ability. The full power and strength of your ability is to
converge these individual tributaries. Each chapter in this book aims
to develop your individual qualities and attributes and to converge
them into one great stream of power and strength. Read, study and apply
the contents of each chapter. They will put this power and strength in
action and help you turn your ability into cash.
CHAPTER 2
Are You
Nine-Tenths
Under Water?
Man is not
the
largest
physical creature in the world, yet he has dominion over the earth, and
all things in it. God gave this dominion to man through Mind and the
conscious ability to form ideas. The capacity to form ideas gave man
the ability to reason. The activity of reason gave man the power to
control. Through control man became the Master. Since he is the Master
and has this control, he should exercise his intelligence to establish
dominion over himself, and not act as an accident in the world.
On the
wings of
his
imagination, man is able to fly around, and make an investigation of
things both material and immaterial. He flies around among the planets
in the solar system, stars in the different stellar systems, and even
makes a speculative investigation of the Universe, and his relationship
to it.
His
intellect is
capable of reviewing himself and his own achievements, and also of
contemplating the cause and source of his own creation. Man, through
his imagination and acquired knowledge, discovers and explores the
physical laws, and harnesses these laws and puts them in service for
his comfort and convenience. With his vast capacity to know and to
understand, Man fails to turn the spotlight on himself. He gets
acquainted with everything but himself. This he leaves to the "isms,"
"ics," "ties," "ious," and permits ignorance and superstition to
control them. Once man applies the same knowledge and science to
himself that he applies to physical things, human misery and poverty
will be a thing of the past.
In the
so-called
busy
world the tendency is to lose sight of the individual man. Most of us
are thing-minded and lose sight of the man in the thing. Everything
that man creates has its origin in Mind. It is an invisible idea before
it is a tangible thing. It is a thought, then a product. The ability is
Mind in action to create, invent and build all things.
Speaking of
losing
sight of the individual man reminds me of the time when the Professor
of Astronomy at the University of Virginia was showing me through the
Astronomical Observatory. In this observatory were charts, maps,
globes, atlases, pictures and diagrams, portraying a complete and
comprehensive panorama of our solar system, and other stellar systems.
In describing the infinite magnitude of these great systems, the
Professor turned to me and said: "And to think of all these worlds upon
worlds without end, and their infinite magnitude, and then to compare
them to the little thing we call 'man.' "
"Yes," I
said,
"Professor, that's true, but do not forget or lose sight of the fact
that the astronomer is still a 'little man.' " He looked at me
dumfounded and rushed over and grabbed me by the hand and said: "Mr.
Prevette, that is the greatest appraisal, the greatest estimation, the
greatest contribution to man that it has been my good fortune to hear,
and I thank you for it."
Man is the
joint
heir
to a Consciousness that is common to all men. It furnishes the means
and supplies the method through which ideas are communicated, otherwise
it would be impossible for us to understand each other. This
Consciousness is infinite, ideas are inexhaustible, and the ability to
harness the two is only limited by its own estimation.
What is
ability?
Ability is the capacity to act, the quality or state of being able. It
is the power to perform, whether physical, moral, intellectual or
legal.
The ability
of
the
average man may be compared to an iceberg: about nine-tenth of it is
under water. Professor William James, the eminent and renowned
psychologist, estimated that the average man uses only ten per cent of
his real ability, while the other ninety percent is latent. Latent
ability is potential power, and can be released by the proper
encouragement and the proper treatment. The might and power of ability
feeds on its own achievement, and when inspired it permeates the whole
consciousness with a synchronized responsiveness and any art, craft or
business is performed efficiently, and enjoyed freely. A superior
service is rendered and a larger income is earned.
Ability
cannot
be
developed all at once. It is like building a house. One brick must be
laid at a time. Most people want to begin with the house instead of
with the bricks. Things are not built as a whole, but in parts, and
each part must be built. The same principle applies to ability. You
must build a little each day. Suppose that you develop three sentences
each day on the improvement of yourself, a profession, craft or
business. At the end of one year you will have a total of eleven
hundred sentences, and at the end of four years enough material for a
book. This can be accomplished in fifteen minutes each day. A little
built each day is amazing in its results.
The ability
of
man is
versatile. One year his ability expressed in labor and art is
transforming material into implements of destruction. The next year
using the same kind of material, and the same ability with a change of
method, he is transforming material into implements of comfort. Either
of these performances requires an application of ability. Application
turns the ability toward the transformation of some material into a
useful service, or to illustrate some idea in the form of a plan. The
precious fruit of application ripens in the mind itself to establish an
experience, wherein idleness, vague and uncertain tendencies prevail.
The ability enlightens and enlarges itself through its own application.
A party of
explorers
was driven by a storm from the Amazon River far out into the Atlantic
Ocean. They had no fresh water aboard, and for days they drifted,
suffering untold agony from thirst. They almost perished for the lack
of fresh water.
To the
great
delight
of all aboard, a ship finally hove in sight. They signaled it
frantically to come near, and asked for fresh water. The captain
signaled back: "Let down your buckets. There is fresh water all around
you."
The
explorers
were not
aware that the Amazon River remains fresh more than a hundred miles out
to sea. These men were drifting in a body of fresh water and were
almost perishing from thirst. Many people are like these explorers. In
the midst of plenty, a world overflowing with abundance, they are
begging for opportunities. Opportunities are as plentiful as the air.
They are all around you. Let down your buckets and draw on that
inexhaustible ocean of latent ability.
The
application
of
what you know reveals many things you do not know. "But as it is
written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into
the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love
Him." Application puts this principle of the Bible in operation.
Application of ability is like steam to a locomotive. It draws into
action all the mechanism and channels it into power.
Therefore,
the
first
way to develop ability is Application.
The second
way
to
develop ability is to lay down a Challenge.
In
analyzing
those
individuals who have made a phenomenal success, we find that it was not
the result of elaborate education, or of specialized training. On the
contrary, most of these individuals had little formal education and
none of them was trained for leadership. What is the secret behind such
phenomenal success? These individuals had one quality in common--the
daring ability to start something. They challenged their own ability.
They dared to think for themselves. They determined to do something and
to rely on their own. With confidence engendered by action, they drew
on their own ability to do things others thought impossible. They did
not know they could not do it, so they went ahead and did it.
In
preparing
this
book, I was challenged. My wife and children dared me to write it. I
thought it was an opportunity to share a few ideas with others. I
accepted the challenge, and even though my field is not journalism,
this is my second book and a third is on the way.
Pasteur,
who
gave more
knowledge for the preservation of health than any other man, was not a
physician. Whitney, the man who invented the cotton gin, was a school
teacher in Connecticut, far away from the fields of cotton. John D.
Rockefeller was a clerk in a produce house. Andrew Carnegie was a
bobbin boy. Thomas A. Edison was a newsboy. Henry Ford was an
electrical mechanic. Benjamin Franklin was a printer's apprentice.
Morse of telegraphic fame was a portrait painter. Bell, the inventor of
the telephone, was a teacher of sound. Eastman, the Kodak king, was a
bank clerk.
Men who
blaze
new
trails, charter new routes, pioneer new methods, make new discoveries
and invent new things are men who dare to do things that can't be done.
While
others
falter,
they go forward. Seek, search, and things shall be revealed, even the
innermost things of perfection. A man does not need pull. He needs to
think. A challenge to dare, an incentive to undertake, and an urge to
begin turns most things into a blessing. He who dares to think stands
secure in the majesty of his own might.
The third
way to
develop ability is to Organize.
Ability is
personal
and only you can develop it. Only you can raise all or a part of the
hidden nine-tenths. Organize your present qualities and attributes. Be
fair, but strict. Be true to yourself and you cannot be false to
others.
The
following
pattern
is a suggestion for organization.
HOW TO ORGANIZE
Put down on
paper a
list of all your past achievements, regardless of their importance.
Analyze each one and try to visualize improvement. A review of past
performances conjures courage to attempt other projects. Some of your
best achievements have been spontaneous with little or no preparation.
This may be a clue to your real power, and an incentive to develop your
natural talents.
Make a list
of
your
personal attributes and qualities. It may assist you to answer the
following questions: What is my attitude toward myself, toward people,
toward God, toward my neighbor, and toward my job? Do I think and act
positive? Am I tolerant and considerate to other people? Do I honestly
respect the rights and opinions of others? Do I interrupt while others
are speaking? Do I tell my affairs to everyone I meet? Do I practice
the Golden Rule? Do I permit the whims and fancies of misfortune to
deter real issues? Do I realize that little issues may be big ones? Do
I monopolize the conversation with a big "I" and a little "you"? Am I
arrogant and impudent? Am I honest with myself? Am I persistent and
progressive, without being offensive? Am I blown around from opinion to
opinion, like a thistle in a windstorm? Do I cultivate habits that make
me strong physically, mentally and spiritually? Do I have confidence in
my ability? Do I dare to think for myself? Do I dread to act? Do I
hesitate, falter, postpone and procrastinate? Do I like to co-operate
with others? Do I indulge in gossip? Do I like to work alone? Do I
practice the little acts of courtesy in my daily associations? Do I
remember to say: "Thank you," "Pardon me," "Forgive me," "I'm sorry,"
"Excuse me, please," and others? Am I willing to live, love and share?
Do I covet what others have? Am I envious? Am I jealous? Do I pray and
work against selfishness? Conscious attention to the improvement of
personal qualities and attributes improves the social and business
relationship of any individual and if indulged in, they will
distinguish him.
Make a list
of
your
specialized knowledge. In what field are you most proficient? What
business offers you the greatest stimulation? Can you lose yourself in
what you are doing? Can you present ideas in a scientific plan? Can you
make an intelligent blue print of your personal qualifications? Are you
versatile? Can you tell wheat from chaff? Do you have a new interest in
your job? Do you exercise your imagination?
Do you
challenge
your
own ability? Do you read each day something to provoke thought? Do you
cultivate your sense of humor?
Intelligence
is
the
capacity and ability to size up yourself, size up your environment and
to organize them into a workable plan that you may share life's
abundance.
The fourth
way
to
develop ability is Freedom.
Ability is
seeking
self-expression and functions more efficiently when the mind is not
loaded down with a lot of false and specious importations. All kinds of
rumors, hearsays, dreads, superstitions and dire speculations are
constantly infesting the air. Ninety-nine per cent of these mental
vagabonds have no leg on which to stand. They are only fantastic
phantoms to harass, subdue and delay the ability's action. Here are a
few examples: "Have you heard this one?" "Don't tell anyone I said
so..." "Confidentially speaking . . ." "During my last operation . . ."
"Have you heard about so and so?" "Between you and me . . ." "I don't
seem to be able to get started." "The trouble of the world is . . ."
"My situation is different . . ." "This is a good one . . ." So they
travel ad infinitum. The moment any of these mental vagabonds cross
your path, do not stop them, let them keep on going.
"Old Pop
Judgment" and
"Old Mom Advice" are on every corner to tell you how to do it, or to
advise that it is impossible. Then there is Cousin Tom, Dick and Harry
with a wet blanket to dampen the spirit. They, too, have a brand of
expert knowledge.
How can
anyone
know
the value of your ideas when they have had no part in creating them?
Take suggestions, but let the dictates of your conscience be the final
judge. Everything in the Universe is organized. Organization is the
secret of scientific development and fruition. It gets rid of excess
baggage, and permits the ability to function with freedom.
The fifth
way to
develop ability is Vision.
Most people
believe
only in the things they see. Appearance is everything. To attribute
power to appearance is superstitious. Appearance is only a
manifestation and has no power in itself. All power is invisible. Mind
is invisible. Wind is invisible. Sound is invisible. Life is invisible.
Spirit is invisible. Electricity is invisible. Put two wires side by
side, charge one with a hundred thousand volts of electricity, let the
other one remain inert, and you cannot distinguish between them. The
only thing visible about electricity is the manifestation of light. If
you doubt that electricity exists touch a live wire.
Vision is
something
seen otherwise than by ordinary sight. It is a visual image of a plan
in action. It is peeping through the fence of appearance. To believe in
things you can see is sight. To believe in things you cannot see is
vision. When vision fails, men perish. Vision is the camera of the
imagination, and supplies the film to register the image.
For
thousands of
years
the Niagara River dashed over the rocky cliff, and was only an
interesting sight for visitors. A wise man, with a vision, recognized
its great potentialities. Why not convert this great force into power?
Today those falls have not changed, but the invisible power concealed
in them is turning the wheels of a thousand industries, and supplying
electrical power to light and heat thousands of homes. By drawing on
his latent ability, the man with a vision harnessed the power of
countless horses and converted it into a useful channel to serve his
fellow men.
Vision is
one of
the
most important faculties. It develops foresight and turns hindsight
into profit. Every man has a portion. Use it.
The sixth
way to
develop the ability is Coordination.
Ideas have
a
kinship
and form excellent partnerships to produce harmony. When this kinship
is recognized it illuminates and invigorates the ability. When ideas
conflict, distraction confuses and disrupts the ability. It is unable
to function with full force to reach its goal, or to enjoy a complete
fruition.
Special
machinery is
constructed to perform specific jobs. A knitting machine makes hosiery.
A lawn mower cuts grass. Both machines are excellent performers and do
a splendid job in their respective fields. However, it would entail a
severe conflict to attempt to mow a lawn with a knitting machine or to
knit hosiery with a lawn mower. The same principle applies to ability.
My ability has been developed in the field of human relations, and
regardless of how good this ability is, it would be thwarted and
confused in the field of obstetrics. The field of human relations, and
also the field of obstetrics, are not crowded with perfection, and each
field offers the ability a lifetime of interest and investigation.
A host of
ideas
is
seeking a partnership to improve and perfect your occupation. To be
cooperative, effective and beneficial, these ideas must be regulated
and expressed through coordination. Therefore, stick to one field, and
as the ability develops in that field, the field enlarges and the
ability expands. Let harmonious ideas co-ordinate and feed your ability
and your ability will feed you.
The seventh
way
to
develop ability is Conviction.
Every day
Parson
Jones
visited his church to preach. Someone asked him why he preached six
days each week to himself, and only one day each week to his
congregation. His answer was: "It takes six days of preaching to
convince myself, and only one day to convince my congregation."
One of the
most
difficult jobs is to convince ourselves, but once this is accomplished
it is fairly easy to convince others.
Conviction
comes
from
two Latin words, "con," and "vincere," which means "to conquer." In
order to conquer doubt about your ability to perform, either by
argument or belief, it is imperative that the proposition be thought
through to a conclusion. Half-baked conclusions are the result of
faulty reasoning. Thinking through can only reach one conclusion--the
proposition is either true or false. If it is true, make a decision
with conviction, and act upon it with determination. A state of being
convinced is predicated upon the integrity of the human mind.
When fed
with
facts
the mind does not err and the decision reached inspires conviction.
To realize
the
full
impetus of ability and to derive the full benefit from it, a thorough
and whole-hearted conviction must permeate and embrace every phase of
your occupation. The occupation must warrant this, otherwise the
standard must be raised, or a new field of endeavor sought to allow
full expression.
In my forty
years of
experience in the field of selling, I have always acted as my first
customer. My conviction has been if it is good enough for me to buy, it
is good enough for me to sell. On the other hand, if it is not good
enough for me to buy, it is not good enough for me to sell. Acting on
this conviction, success followed.
Conviction
based
upon
the principle of good is invincible and never fails to convince. It
puts the ability in operation in high gear. It acts with confidence and
determination. Convince yourself, and you convince all others. A few
strong impulses, a little gumption, a rule or two, and a dose of
conviction, and the ability goes in action.
Before
closing
the
book on this chapter, I suggest that you read, review and study each
one of these seven ways and think of them in terms of your own ability.
As a definite reminder, I will list them.
Application
Challenge
Organize
Freedom
Vision
Co-ordination
Conviction
God is not
partial to
a fortunate few. His unlimited gifts and riches are free to all.
However, there are certain laws that govern them.
During
World War
II,
many stories were told how man faced and overcame what seemed to be
insurmountable problems and conditions. When faced with a crisis,
hidden ability comes to man's rescue. He finds himself doing the
impossible, and performing so-called miracles. The exigency of the
situation provokes means to solve it. Latent ability does not seek a
favorable occasion to work. It is instantaneously available for any
occasion and will work for any one at any time. It is not necessary to
get in a fox-hole or to be stranded in a rubber boat to find God's
Laws. They are where you are. Miraculous achievements become
commonplace once man learns to draw on his latent ability. A miracle is
only a fulfillment of one of God's Laws which man learns to understand
and apply.
Electricity
turns the
inert electric bulb into a shining light. Gasoline vapors turn a motor
into action, and steam turns a locomotive into a vehicle of energy and
power. At this very moment, your ability can revitalize and remake you.
It turns negative thinking into positive action. It turns pessimism and
despair into hope and confidence. It turns dissipation and defeat into
application and progress. It turns all effort into health, happiness
and achievement.
Fairy tales
are
founded upon wisdom and mysticism. When you learn to draw upon the
invisible Laws of God, and use your ability to apply them, many more
fairy tales will be a dream fulfilled.
Your
ability is
the
product of your thoughts. Be satisfied with none but the best.
Remember:
Ability is
twice
blest;
It blesses
him
that
gives, and him that takes.
"How
To Turn Your Ability Into Cash" by Earl
Prevette
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