The world is full of all kinds of disappointed beings—artists, writers, business men—workers of all sorts, who lead disappointed lives.
Of these men, a great many started out hopefully and promisingly.
But fate failed to do for them the work of the polishing lapidary that we all need.
They succeeded too soon, they made money too easily, they rose too suddenly.
Failure at the right time would have made them think, work and do better. But failure came too late, and when the energy to fight and overcome was no longer there.
If every young man who thinks well of himself will realize that he mistakes good fortune for great ability, and that the failure that has been put off will come sooner or later, unless he thinks of it and struggles to improve himself in spite of success, many disappointments will be saved in the future.
Discount your failure. Don't wait for it to discount you.
DON'T BE IN A HURRY, YOUNG GENTLEMEN
There are many young men on earth who fail because they lack ambition and determination to advance. There are many more whose trouble is hasty ambition. They fail to realize their present chances in their hurried reaching out for something better. You may see in any club, pool-room or other resort for wasting time crowds of young men smoking and deploring their lack of success.
"I've been working three years at the same job and the same salary," one will say, "and I don't see what chance I have for getting ahead."