born_rich-第8章

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convinced　you　are　actually　going　backwards；　but；　persistence　
is　the　key。　Continue　to　hold　the　picture　of　personal　prosperity　
and　understand　that　what　is　happening　to　you；　is　what　must　
happen；　to　prepare　you　to　receive　the　good　you　desire。　

〃Persistence〃…Napoleon　Hill　devoted　an　entire　chapter　in　
Think　and　Grow　Rich　to　persistence。　In　that　chapter　he　said；　
〃There　may　be　no　heroic　connotation　to　the　word　persistence；　
but　the　character　is　to　the　quality　of　man　what　carbon　is　to　
steel。〃　Hill　also　pointed　out　in　another　part　of　the　same　
chapter；　that　the　only　thing　which　separated　Thomas　Edison　
or　Henry　Ford　from　the　rest　of　the　people　in　the　world　was　
persistence。　For　both　of　these　great　men　had　an　image　and　
they　would　not　let　anyone　or　anything　dissuade　them…they　
were　persistent。　One　illuminated　the　world；　the　other　put　the　
world　on　wheels。　Both　were；　of　course；　richly　rewarded。　

In　a　previous　chapter；　we　explained　money　is　a　reward　for　
service　rendered。　These　men　provided　a　tremendous　service　to　
millions　of　individuals　and　their　reward　was　in　direct　
proportion　to　the　service　rendered。　So　build　your　image　of　
prosperity　and　be　persistent。　The　way　for　your　image　to　
materialize　will　be　shown　to　you。　Persistence　Always　Pays　

A　number　of　years　ago；　John　Kanary；　a　friend　and　
business　partner　of　mine；　was　discussing　Hill's　chapter　on　
〃persistence〃　with　me。　We　both　seemed　to　be　equally　
impressed　with　the　importance　of　this　quality；　as　well　as　with　
the　necessity　of　a　person　having　it；　if　they　were　to　reach　any　
worthwhile　goal。　After　a　time　and　nearing　the　end　of　our　


discussion；　we　each　agreed　we　would　read　the　chapter　on　
〃persistence〃；　once　every　day　for　thirty　days。　I　don't　even　have　
to　ask　John　to　find　out　if　this　exercise　helped　him…I　know　it　
did；　and　the　exercise　has　most　certainly　benefited　me　on　
numerous　occasions。　

There　is　an　interesting　story　concerning　John　Kanary；　
which　would　be　very　appropriate　to　share　with　you　here；　since　
it　illustrates　both　the　power　of　〃imaging；〃　as　well　as　
〃persistence。〃　

Although　I　had　known　John　Kanary　for　a　couple　of　years　
and　had　talked　with　him　on　many　occasions；　I　certainly　did　
not　know　him　as　intimately　as　I　do　at　the　time　of　this　writing。　
It　is　important　that　I　bring　this　out　here；　as　I　will　be　referring　
back　to　it　shortly。　The　incident　I　am　about　to　relate；　took　place　
in　1971。　

I　was　living　in　Chicago　at　the　time　and　had　just　
completed　a　speaking　engagement　in　Edmonton；　Alberta。　
When　I　returned　to　my　room；　there　was　a　telephone　message　
for　me　to　call　John　Kanary；　in　Belleville；　Ontario；　Canada。　I　
returned　the　call　and　after　a　couple　of　minutes　of　small　talk；　
John　said　it　was　rather　important　that　he　meet　with　me；　as　he　
had　something　he　wanted　to　discuss　and　he　preferred　not　to　
〃go　into　it〃　on　the　telephone。　I　asked　John　to　wait　while　I　
looked　over　my　calendar；　it　was；　in　the　vernacular…packed　
tight。　I　was　busy；　to　say　the　least；　almost　every　day　I　had　
either　a　seminar　or　speaking　engagement　in　a　different　city　in　
North　America。　I　explained　this　to　John　and　told　him　that　
although　I　would　love　to　visit；　I　really　didn't　know　when　I　
could。　John　was　persistent；　so　I　said；　〃Listen；　I'm　leaving　
Edmonton　for　Chicago　tonight　at　midnight。　To　get　to　Chicago　I　
have　to　go　through　Toronto。　I'll　arrive　there　at　7　a。m。　I'll　have　
to　change　terminals　and　I　leave　from　the　second　terminal；　one　
hour　and　fifty　minutes　later。　I'll　be　happy　to　talk　to　you　then；　
although　I　don't　promise　to　be　too　alert　after　flying　all　night。〃　

It　is　also　worth　mentioning　that　John　had　to　get　up　early　
enough　to　drive　the　125　miles　from　Belleville　to　Toronto；　to　


meet　my　7：00　a。m。　arrival。　I　remember　that　all　John　said　was；　
〃I'll　be　there。〃　

The　next　morning　I　sat　in　the　airport　coffee　shop　and　
listened　as　John　explained　how　he　〃wanted　to　do　what　I　was　
doing。〃　He　wanted　to　conduct　seminars。　He　also　explained　that　
he　was　prepared　to　pay　the　price；　whatever　it　might　be。　

As　I　listened；　it　was　like　hearing　a　popular　song　on　the　
radio…you　keep　hearing　it；　over　and　over　again。　In　almost　every　
seminar　I　conduct　there　is　a　man　or　woman　in　the　seminar　
who　wants　to　do　〃what　I　am　doing。〃　I've　heard　it　in　Biloxi；　
Mississippi；　Butte；　Montana；　Los　Angeles；　New　York；　Moncton　
and　Montreal…it　was　an　old　tune。　Now；　here　I　was　in　Toronto　
with　a　friend　who；　as　I　have　already　mentioned；　I　did　not　know　
that　well；　and　he　was　asking　what　〃he　had　to　do。〃　

As　I　was　listening；　the　same　images；　which　I　had　with　all　
the　others；　were　flashing　through　my　mind。　I　was　
remembering　all　the　traveling　and　the　fear　of　standing　up　and　
speaking　in　a　large　hotel　ballroom　crowded　with　people　who　
wanted　you　to　get　them　excited；　but　who　were　mentally　
putting　you　on　trial　at　the　same　time；　thinking；　〃Does　this　guy　
know　what　he　is　talking　about？〃　In　many　situations；　such　as　a　
sales　convention；　you　had　forty　minutes　from　beginning　to　end　
in　which　to　build　rapport　with　a　few　hundred　strangers　and　
get　them　excited　about　themselves。　

The　years　of　staying　up　nights　reading　and　studying；　the　
years　of　learning　by　attending　seminars　all　over　the　continent；　
the　years　of　working　for　next　to　nothing　to　prepare　oneself　to　
hold　the　attention　of　a　group　of　people　all　day　in　a　seminar；　
these　were　the　images　racing　across　my　mind。　It　had　taken　me　
eleven　years　to　get　to　that　point。　

But　how　do　you　say；　〃No；　you'll　never　do　it；〃　when　
someone　like　John　asks　you；　especially　when　the　essence　of　
what　you　teach　is　…you　can　do　anything。　Yet；　how　can　you　say　
〃yes；〃　when　everyone　you　know；　with　the　exception　of　two　or　
three　others　besides　yourself；　cannot　earn　a　living　in　the　


public　speaking　business　unless　they　are　a　celebrity。　（And　that　
is　a　whole　different　story。）　

When　John　Kanary　finished；　I　told　him　what　I　had　told　all　
the　others：　〃Yes；　you　can　do　it；　but　it's　tough。　Make　sure　you　
understand　that；　John。　It's　tough。　You　will　have　to　do　a　
tremendous　amount　of　studying；　because　you　not　only　have　to　
know　what　to　say；　but　you　must　also　have　the　answers　to　a　
thousand　and　one　questions　arising　as　a　result　of　what　you　
say。　Some　of　the　questions　will　come　from　professional　people…
medical　doctors；　engineers　and　lawyers…who；　in　most　cases；　
know　what　they　are　talking　about。　So　you　not　only　have　to　be　
right；　but　confident　as　well；　or　you　will　be　discredited　with　
your　entire　audience；　and　that　only　has　to　happen　a　couple　of　
times　and　you're　〃out　of　business。〃　

You　not　only　have　to　study　these　ideas；　but　you　must　use　
them　as　well；　or　there　will　be　no　conviction　in　your　talks。　（Not　
to　mention　the　fact　that　you　will　be　a　walking　physical　
contradiction　to　what　you　teach。）　It　is　next　to　impossible；　for　
example；　to　have　a　sick　person　teaching　'health'。　

You　must　develop　showmanship　and　voice　control；　and　
on　and　on　it　goes。　In　short；　John；　for　every　one　who　makes　it；　
a　thousand　fail　miserably。〃　

Usually　when　this　is　explained；　the　person　says　they　still　
want　to　go　ahead；　but　you　never　hear　from　them　again。　John　
was　no　exception；　in　one　sense…he　still　wanted　to　go　ahead。　
However；　in　every　other　way　he　was　an　exception。　I　did　see　
him　again。　I　told　him　what　to　read　and　what　to　do　and　he　read　
it　and　did　it。　John　read　hundreds　of　books…he　〃devoured〃　
them。　He　narrated　them　onto　tapes　and　then　played　the　tapes　
in　the　car。　At　his　own　expense；　he　followed　me　all　over　the　
country　and　sat　in　hundreds　of　seminars。　He　wrote　thousands　
of　pages　of　notes　and　studied　them　diligently。　

Finally；　I　would　have　him　open　and　close　the　seminars。　
Then　he　would　conduct　part　of　a　seminar　himself。　In　the　
beginning　he　was　full　of　fear；　he　was　soaking　wet。　Sometimes　


he　would　be　so　worried　about　what　the　audience　thought　of　
him；　that　he　would　forget　everything　he　knew　and；　as　you　
know；　an　audience　can　be　very　cruel。　But　despite　all　this　he　
continued。　（Keep　in　mind　this　was　costing　him　money；　he　was　
not　being　paid。）　

John　Kanary　had　built　an　image　of　himself　doing　〃what　I　
was　doing〃　and　he　would　not　quit。　He　was　persistent　and　it　
worked。　It　always　has　and　it　always　will。　Today　he　has　earned　
the　respect　of　many　of　the　world's　largest　corporations。　He　has　
spoken　in　almost　every　major　city　in　North　America。　He　has　
also　earned　more　in　one　day　than　he　was　earning　in　a　year　
when　I　first　met　him！　

So　if　someone　with　numerous　degrees　after　their　name　
tells　you　Image…Making　and　Persistence　don't　work；　just　look　
John　Kanary　up　and　ask　him。　He　will　tell　you；　〃I　know　you　can　
do　it；　because　I　did　it！〃　

Philip　Nacola；　a　minister　in　Santa　Anna；　California；　
preached　a　sermon　on　a　similar　idea　one　Sunday　that　I　was　
fortunate　enough　to　hear　when　I　was　living　there。　He　said；　
〃Keep　your　mind　on　a　higher　image　rather　than　a　lower　
concern。〃　I　realize　that　is　not　always　an　easy　thing　to　do；　but　it　
sure　pays　great　dividends　for　the　person　who　develops　the　
mental　strength　to　do　it；　and　that　is　what　it　takes…mental　
strength。　

Build　your　image　now　and　develop　the　mental　strength　to　
hold　it。　

A　number　of　years　ago；　prior　to　Napoleon　Hill's　death；　
Earl　Nightingale　condensed　and　narrated　Think　and　Grow　
Rich　onto　a　long…playing　record。　At　the　end　of　the　record　Mr。　
Hill　comes　on　to　close　the　record。　He　said；　〃And　now　as　I　
stretch　out　the　hand　of　friendship　through　time　and　space；　let　
me　remind　you；　not　to　go　searching　for　opportunity　in　the　
distance；　but　reach　out　and　embrace　it　right　where　you　are。〃　


Wattles　said；　〃This　thinking　stuff；　permeates　and　
penetrates　the　entire　universe。〃　They　are　both　telling　us　the　
same　thing。　So　build　your　image　now；　right　where　you　are。　
Don't　even　wait　until　you　finish　this　book。　Build　it　now　and　let　
the　remaining　pages　in　this　book　strengthen　the　image。　You　
don't　even　have　to　try；　just　let　the　image　of　a　more　prosperous　
you　float　to　the　center　of　your　consciousness。　It's　already　here；　
so　let　it　appear。　

For　many　years　now；　I　have　been　very　aware　of　the　power　
that　flows　through　you　to　accomplish　good　in　your　life；　when　
you　hold　the　proper　image　in　your　mind；　and　this　great　truth　
has　been　responsible　for　many　wonderful　things　happening　in　
my　own　life。　Moreover；　I　have　also　seen　numerous　examples　of　
what　a　proper　image　will　do　in　the　lives　of　other　people。　

Paul　Hutsey's　Story　

I　would　be　remiss　if　I　concluded　this　chapter　without　
sharing　Paul　Hutsey's　story　with　you。　It　all　began　when　I　
received　a　telephone　call　from　Charlie　Beck；　who　was　the　Vice　
President　of　Sales　for　the　southwestern　Home　Office　of　the　
Prudential　Insurance　Company　of　America；　in　Houston；　Texas。　
He　invited　me　to　speak　at　the　company's　Regional　Business　
Conferences；　to　be　held　in　Toronto；　Canada。　He　explained　they　
had　four　different　regions　and　each　region　was　coming　in　for　
three　days　to　the　conference。　（This　meant　that　they　wanted　me　
to　work　in　Toronto　for　approximately　12　days。）　Although　I　was　
living　in　Los　Angeles　at　the　time；　Toronto　was　my　home　town…
where　I　grew　up。　My　family　and　friends　all　lived　there；　so　
naturally　the　idea　appealed　to　me。　But　I　asked　Charlie　how　
long　I　co