You can get into the business you want by making constructive3 use of the business you are already established in; by doing your daily work in a Certain Way.
And in so far as your business consists in dealing4 with other men, whether personally or by letter, the key-thought of all your efforts must be to convey to their minds the impression of increase.
Increase is what all men and all women are seeking; it is the urge of the Formless Intelligence within them, seeking fuller expression.
[128]
The desire for increase is inherent in all nature; it is the fundamental impulse of the universe. All human activities are based on the desire for increase; people are seeking more food, more clothes, better shelter, more luxury, more beauty, more knowledge, more pleasure—increase in something, more life.
Every living thing is under this necessity for continuous advancement5; where increase of life ceases, dissolution and death set in at once.
Man instinctively6 knows this, and hence he is forever seeking more. This law of perpetual increase is set forth7 by Jesus in the parable8 of the talents; only those who gain more retain any; from him who hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
The normal desire for increased wealth is not an evil or a reprehensible9 thing; it is simply the desire for more abundant life; it is aspiration10.
And because it is the deepest instinct[129] of their natures, all men and women are attracted to him who can give them more of the means of life.
In following the Certain Way as described in the foregoing pages, you are getting continuous increase for yourself, and you are giving it to all with whom you deal.
You are a creative center, from which increase is given off to all.
Be sure of this, and convey assurance of the fact to every man, woman, and child with whom you come in contact. No matter how small the transaction, even if it be only the selling of a stick of candy to a little child, put into it the thought of increase, and make sure that the customer is impressed with the thought.
Convey the impression of advancement with everything you do, so that all people shall receive the impression that you are an Advancing Man, and that you advance all who deal with you. Even to the people whom you meet in[130] a social way, without any thought of business, and to whom you do not try to sell anything, give the thought of increase.
You can convey this impression by holding the unshakable faith that you, yourself, are in the Way of Increase; and by letting this faith inspire, fill, and permeate11 every action.
Do everything that you do in the firm conviction that you are an advancing personality, and that you are giving advancement to everybody.
Feel that you are getting rich, and that in so doing you are making others rich, and conferring benefits on all.
Do not boast or brag12 of your success, or talk about it unnecessarily; true faith is never boastful.
Wherever you find a boastful person, you find one who is secretly doubtful and afraid. Simply feel the faith, and let it work out in every transaction; let every act and tone and look express the quiet assurance that you are getting[131] rich; that you are already rich. Words will not be necessary to communicate this feeling to others; they will feel the sense of increase when in your presence, and will be attracted to you again.
You must so impress others that they will feel that in associating with you they will get increase for themselves. See that you give them a use value greater than the cash value you are taking from them.
Take an honest pride in doing this, and let everybody know it; and you will have no lack of customers. People will go where they are given increase; and the Supreme13, which desires increase in all, and which knows all, will move toward you men and women who have never heard of you. Your business will increase rapidly, and you will be surprised at the unexpected benefits which will come to you. You will be able from day to day to make larger combinations, secure greater advantages, and to go on[132] into a more congenial vocation if you desire to do so.
But in doing all this, you must never lose sight of your vision of what you want, or your faith and purpose to get what you want.
Nothing is so pleasant to the unformed or partially17 developed mind as the exercise of power or dominion18 over others. The desire to rule for selfish gratification has been the curse of the world. For countless19 ages kings and lords have drenched20 the earth with blood in their battles to extend their dominions21; this not to seek more life for all, but to get more power for themselves.
To-day, the main motive15 in the business and industrial world is the same; men marshal their armies of dollars, and lay waste the lives and hearts of[133] millions in the same mad scramble22 for power over others. Commercial kings, like political kings, are inspired by the lust23 for power.
Jesus saw in this desire for mastery the moving impulse of that evil world He sought to overthrow24. Read the twenty-third chapter of Matthew, and see how He pictures the lust of the Pharisees to be called “Master,” to sit in the high places, to domineer over others, and to lay burdens on the backs of the less fortunate; and note how He compares this lust for dominion with the brotherly seeking for the Common Good to which He calls His disciples25.
Look out for the temptation to seek for authority, to become a “master,” to be considered as one who is above the common herd26, to impress others by lavish27 display, and so on.
The mind that seeks for mastery over others is the competitive mind; and the competitive mind is not the creative one. In order to master your environment[134] and your destiny, it is not at all necessary that you should rule over your fellow men; and indeed, when you fall into the world’s struggle for the high places, you begin to be conquered by fate and environment, and your getting rich becomes a matter of chance and speculation28.
Beware of the competitive mind! No better statement of the principle of creative action can be formulated29 than the favorite declaration of the late “Golden Rule” Jones of Toledo: “What I want for myself, I want for everybody.”
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1
vocation
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| n.职业，行业 | |
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pertaining
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| 与…有关系的，附属…的，为…固有的(to) | |
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constructive
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| adj.建设的，建设性的 | |
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dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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advancement
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| n.前进，促进，提升 | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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parable
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| n.寓言，比喻 | |
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reprehensible
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| adj.该受责备的 | |
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aspiration
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| n.志向，志趣抱负；渴望；(语)送气音；吸出 | |
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permeate
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| v.弥漫，遍布，散布；渗入，渗透 | |
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brag
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| v./n.吹牛，自夸；adj.第一流的 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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insidious
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| adj.阴险的，隐匿的，暗中为害的，（疾病）不知不觉之间加剧 | |
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partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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18
dominion
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| n.统治，管辖，支配权；领土，版图 | |
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countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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drenched
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| adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
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dominions
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| 统治权( dominion的名词复数 )； 领土； 疆土； 版图 | |
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scramble
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| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
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lust
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| n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望 | |
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overthrow
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| v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆 | |
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disciples
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| n.信徒( disciple的名词复数 )；门徒；耶稣的信徒；（尤指）耶稣十二门徒之一 | |
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herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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lavish
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| adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍 | |
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speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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29
formulated
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| v.构想出( formulate的过去式和过去分词 )；规划；确切地阐述；用公式表示 | |
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