The Prosperity & Wealth Bible. Kahlil Gibran
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Thing a man can keep.
Recently a young man, large of Mind and Future, left his employment with a lie upon his lips. Coming into the seething whirl of the Great New York he sought his former friends. Immediately he began to hand out a stock of Lies. More abominably than any abandoned thief he slyly exchanged his Lies for Favors and for Gold. Then nervously yet quietly sneaking away under cover of his Lies, his Soul naked of Honor and Character, he sought refuge under his own-made Tent of Lies. There Self-convicted he now awaits Judgment.
Truth is the Highest Thing a man can keep.
Mark Twain spoke more than humor when he said: “When in doubt, speak the Truth.” Even the Devil hates a Liar — one of his own children. And Nature itself doses its eyes in shame as the Liar passes by.
Truth is the Highest Thing a man can keep.
You — Young Man, Young Woman, Business Builder, Doer of Things — whoever you are, and in whatever groove you work your way — Listen! Starve — die, rather than Lie. Flee from the presence of a Lie as from the Plague. Grasp the dean, strong hand of Truth and follow in its path through the livelong hours of every single passing day. Remembering that —
Truth is the Highest Thing a man can keep.
Forward
This is a talk to Women. Both Unmarried and Married. The theme insures Happiness and Inspiration. It has to do with Advancement. Here it is —
Keep Step.
Keep Step with The Man. For he has mostly secured his Steps to something better from you. Behind the Greatness and Work of every man there has always been the name of some noble woman who was greater than the Deed or Work performed by The Man. The world will always bow its head in reverence at the naming of the Mothers and Wives of the Makers of History.
Keep Step.
The young fellow whose name you hope to link to yours — he is taking his “cue” these days from you. You, who already have him with you — how about it? Is he getting his Steps from you? And are you Keeping Step? If not, start now to —
Keep Step.
A man is as great as the Woman who loves him — makes and wants him to be. A great Man can never be greater than a great woman who helps make him great. Your Power is his. But if you give no Power, his clipped wings make him walk sadly alone. His fight then may become one against the Inevitable.
Keep Step.
As he Learns — you Learn. As he Climbs — you Climb. As he Fights — you Fight. As he Wins — you Win. As long as this world lasts, you, who sometimes think yourself “just a woman’’ will lead and rule. It’s your Kingdom, after all. But in the Home, in Business, and before the eyes of people in Public, this must be your love and your life — with The Man —
Keep Step.
Ragged Edges
Back of all the tragedy of Failure there is always the tragic truth of Neglect and Slight — edges left ragged and incomplete.
Finish up as you Go.
A few years ago a young man in a Western College got restless and discouraged. He wanted to leave his course unfinished. He sought the advice of a successful man and this was the advice: “Stick it out. Finish Something. There are too many men now with Ragged Edges crowding the ranks.” The young man Finished his College course with honors. To-day he is a Leader and a Success.
Finish up as you Go.
Many a man stops work with the clock. He leaves his day’s work with Ragged Edges. He is the man who starts his days with Ragged Edges, and finally rounds out an incomplete life.
Finish up as you Go.
There is a satisfaction and a feeling of latent Strength in the breast of a man who Starts a thing — and Finishes it. You will find this true if you do it. The most important task is always the task at hand. Complete it. Make it stand square and clean when you leave it. Look it over. Be sure no Ragged Edges remain.
Finish up as you Go.
Make Thoroughness one of your Masters. Searchingly note the trifles. Get them together and know them. For out of them comes — Perfection.
Finish up as you Go.
Bystanders
In life you are either on the Side Lines or else in the Game. If you are on the Side Lines you are merely watching. You are inactive. You are contributing to your personal pleasure. If you are in the Game you are playing hard, you are getting pleasure and you are rendering Service.
You will always get more pleasure out of the Game if you are a Player instead of a Bystander.
All along the streets of any town or city are lined the Bystanders. Inside the Stores and Offices and Factories are housed the Workers. The Workers are the ones who support the Bystanders.
Let no man do for you what you ought to do for Yourself.
To be the mere title-holder of a Job counts for little. You must be the Job in every sense of the word or else you may be classed with the Bystanders.
The worst thing about the Bystander is that he Contributes neither to himself nor other people — he is a Blank.
The surest law in the world is the Law of Compensation. Its Justice works continually. If you do a Service you get back a Service. If you do Nothing you get back Nothing. Mere existence is not Living.
Into your twenty-four hours put Work and Play and Rest, but at no time be a Bystander.
Tongues
One of the most difficult things in this world to get control of is the human Tongue. Kipling never said anything truer than when he wrote that “Man may hold most any post if he’ll only hold his Tongue.”
Before you set your Tongue to action get it under perfect Control.
A single Tongue can do more harm in the world than a Battalion of Soldiers. For Soldiers can kill but Bodies while the Tongue can kill Reputations and Characters. It is too bad that we have no laws to curb Tongues. Shakespeare powerfully pictured in the character of Iago the terrible consequences following in the path of an evil Tongue. Iago not only destroyed the Reputation and pure Character of Desdemona, but he finally, through Othello, killed her body.
Compel your Tongue to speak Helpful Messages or else keep it still.
Make it a rule of your life to use your Tongue for high purposes alone. Resolve to speak in no way of any man or woman unless you can speak of the good qualities of that man or woman. No one ever gained Happiness out of injuring the Feelings or Character of someone else. No one ever failed to get Happiness by speaking well of other people.
The Golden Rule applied to the Tongue comprises one of the real Golden Rules of Conduct.
The “George” Habit
If you only realized how much you min in Pleasure, Growth and increased Power every time you push Responsibility upon someone else, you would never again let a chance pass to do what comes to you to do.
Once for all, break the “Let George Do It” habit. When a task steps up before you — take hold of it and do it Yourself.
In every community — in this community — there are always big, ready, generous, willing people quick to respond to any call for Service at the moment someone else shirks. They are the “Georges.” And if you will let them perform your work, they will do it. But when they do — you move Backward. YOU — be a “George.”
Work that should be done by Yourself