10. THE LOGIC OF SUCCESS.
We may now hope to show that material aggrandizement, the adopted standard of success, is one of the illogical factors of modern life.
The tree of the forest always grows toward the light. It pushes its way through the darkness of the soil into the shadow of the underbrush and finally out into the unobstructed light of the sun. This parallels the progress of the race. From the darkness of savagery into the shadow of barbarism, and finally out into the full light of civilization. Thus has man grown steadily and continually toward better things. But “better things” is arelative term and has changed with the development of the race. “A good healthy idea may not live longer than twenty years.” In consequence growth toward the light has been in accordance with man’s conception of a higher and a better life; which conception is ever changing.
Moreover, growth toward the best is always rewarded by real happiness. It therefore follows that the right road to real happiness extends along the way of better things as conceived by the traveller, man.
Any force which tends to lift the world up toward more light is a blessing, and any personality which contributes to this end is a success. When one drops a pin it falls down toward the earth, at the same time the earth comes up to meet the pin. This is according to the universal law of gravitation. It is true that the earth moves the pin through a much greater space than the pin moves the earth, and yet the fact remains that the pin does move the earth. The extent to which the smaller body is able to move the larger, depends on the two factors of weight and relative position. If the pin were lighter or farther away it would influence the earth so much the less. In like manner does the “pin-man” influence the “human-world.” The extent of this influence is controlled by man’s weight, or his “lifting power,” and the position which he occupies; just as the attraction of the pin for the earth is controlled by weight and position.
The facts of history have proved that man’s power to lift depends not so much upon what he has as upon what he is. In short, lifting power is directly in proportion to personal worth. Moreover, man’s ability to draw humanityup may be increased or decreased by the position which he occupies. Such a position must function for the best good of the world, and at the same time must elicit the highest development of the man.
TO SUMMARIZE:
Individual success involves these three elements:
First—A man of personal worth.
Second—A position which draws out the best in the man.
Third—A work which definitely contributes to the uplift of the world.
A definition is now in order:
Success is the right man in the right place doing his best for the highest good of the world.