Show I Work Toward Your Goal in iii Life BY ELLA WHEELER WILCOX Copyright 1909 1903 19 Examiner Emine by TIE following letter lett came cm from r a ayoung 1 young youg woman who assures aur me meshe meshe meshe she has lived an optimistic creed without success She says sy I 1 have had the t courage to attempt anything that comes cm up before me that seems sD in any way wy reasonable am a not nt easily ely discouraged and when I have ba ve vemde made failures have attributed the th same to accident and cheerfully tried tiled it i again ain and I simply cannot understand why every effort efort will wi continue to meet met with failure As I look frankly Into the t face of things that tt have bave and do continue to oc or occur o cur I realize rU that I have struggled through more discouragement with Wih an optimistic mind than tn any other woman I have ever kno knon knon n I have a reputation thin tion to among my friends of always ala s being happy and the one to help them th see seethe s seethe the bright side se of life and an at the same time their slightest effort efort is 11 crowned with effort wih greater success than thail tn my greatest This of course coun will wi sound sund to you yo like a pessimistic view but it I is from recounted facts fat that have and do come ce up from day to day dy and I have struggled stu along not realizing that I was Wa really rely unfortunate but when wi there is no success what must one think With each additional effort efort the object seems sms to be driven farther away aw from fromme fromme fromme me meI I have no doubt that her failure fiure comes comee come from an unfocussed mind She Sh Is I op optimistic optimistic but bt she sh does dos not turn her op timis into practical use us She scatters her ber hopes hop in too many directions She Shed does d not unite unit will wil with wih hope hp She ex expects expects good things thing to happen but she shedo does do not direct dirt her ber spiritual mental and practical powers power toward a certain un unchanging Unchanging changing goal go May Be Aiming for Wrong Goal Again she sh may have chosen c n the I wrong goal ol Thousands of people do that tt and bend all aJl their energies to achievements for which they ty are not fitted There was ws a woman who had hd de decided decided decided talent with the te pen but the dream of her ber life Ufe was to lecture leture She was full ful of hope and optimism and she sh was industrious The first frt failure did I Inot not discourage her nor the second nor third She persisted year yer after year yer with wit unwise hope hop and faith in a career crr for to which nature had not fitted her Meanwhile she se allowed her real rel tal tai talent talet ent et to run to waste and when she finally turned her bel attention to liters litera literature lera ture her enthusiasm had bad died de out and her courage coure had lessened l ne Therefore her life Ue was virtually virtuly a n failure in spite spie of her ber optimism and industry and hope hop because bu she did not unite unie good sense with her other qualities Wonderful and gifted Anna Dicken Dickenson son n pursued a similar course curse A born orator with the magnetic voice and presence preC to hold the te Interest of her au audience audience dlen as a few women speakers ever held it It this child of genius edu after making a place for herself In the hearts hert of her countrymen and after accumulating a competence was wa seized seize with the ambi ambition ambition tion ton to become an actress atres She too to was optimistic and over overflowing overflowing flowing with wih hope hop and confidence She invested d all al her ber savings a sum sum sufficient sm dent to have maintained her for life in m comfort in organizing a company I I Ithe in which she was Wag to star and not until the last penny disappeared dl pIre and her health broke down under the useless effort efort to make the te public believe beleve she se was an actress did she give up the struggle Still Stil another ease case CaRp A woman espe especially daily endowed with wih the th qualities to tomake i make her hr a su s as a speaker and j i tur r was vas t write ar ati 1 T v i f she s pre Jr pr rj 61 a n u n j of talent it ft lacked the spontaneous and electric quality of her conversation She never nver made the success ICe she ahl hoped hop for and wondered at the nig niggardly niggardly niggardly gardly benefits fate bestowed upon one of her Industry and talents and Ideals Idels Had she turned her efforts effort Into the field feld for which she was peculiarly adapted adapt by nature she might have had fortune ha worldwide fame and ami an independent We need n only look to right or left lef to find such illustrations of mistaken vo vocations Of one thing I am sure sur the hopeful I and determined spirit Is the one which brings the best b results in life le and an the one which I oe conquers adverse adver fate and wins success in the long run rn It I sets set the invisible mechanism of the looms of fate ft in motion But the meas measure mes measUre ure ur of our success of course depends upon the amount of material our own OW natures can cn supply the loom lm with wih Somebody has hs said Be sure you ou oua are a right and then go g ahead That is very ver good go advice Most people how however however however ever they were WP go ahead aed wrong first and find out later |