羊皮卷（英文版）--vivian
2011-11-05 18:01阅读：
羊皮卷一：The Scroll Marked One--Today I
begin a new life
Today I begin a new
life.
Today I shed my old skin which hath,
too long, suffered the bruises of failure and the wounds of
mediority.
Today I am born anew and my
birthplace is a vineyard where there is fruit for
all.
Today I will pluck grapes of wisdom
from the tallest and fullest vines in the vineyard,for these were
planted by the wisest of my profession who have come before
me,generation upon generation.
Today I will savor the taste of
grapes from these vines and verily I will swallow the seed of
success buried in each and new life will sprout within
me.
The career I have chosen is laden
with opportun
ity yet it is fraught with heartbreak and despair and the bodies of
those who have failed, were they piled one atop another, would cast
a shadow down upon all the pyramids of the earth.
Yet I will not fail, as the others,
for in my hands I now hold the charts which will guide through
perilous waters to shores which only yesterday seemed but a
dream.
Failure no longer will be my payment
for struggle. Just as nature made no provision for my body to
tolerate pain neither has it made any provision for my life to
suffer failure. Failure, like pain, is alien to my life. In the
past I accepted it as I accepted pain. Now I reject it and I am
prepared for wisdom and principles which will guide me out of the
shadows into the sunlight of wealth, position, and happiness far
beyond my most extravagant dreams until even the golden apples in
the Garden of Hesperides will seem no more than my just
reward.
Time teaches all things to him who
lives forever but I have not the luxury of eternity. Yet within my
allotted time I must practice the art of patience for nature acts
never in haste. To create the olive, king of all trees, a hundred
years is required. An onion plant is old in nine weeks. I have
lived as an onion plant. It has not pleased me. Now I wouldst
become the greatest of olive trees and, in truth, the greatest of
salesman.
And how will this be accomplished?
For I have neither the knowledge nor the experience to achieve the
greatness and already I have stumbled in ignorance and fallen into
pools of self-pity. The answer is simple. I will commence my
journey unencumbered with either the weight of unnecessary
knowledge or the handicap of meaningless experience. Nature already
has supplied me with knowledge and instinct far greater than any
beast in the forest and the value of experience is overrated,
usually by old men who nod wisely and speak
stupidly.
In truth, experience teaches
thoroughly yet her course of instruction devours men's years so the
value of her lessons diminishes with the time necessary to acquire
her special wisdom. The end finds it wasted on dead men.
Furthermore, experience is comparable to fashion; an action that
proved successful today will be unworkable and impractical
tomorrow.
Only principles endure and these I
now possess, for the laws that will lead me to greatness are
contained in the words of these scrolls. What they will teach me is
more to prevent failure than to gain success, for what is success
other than a state of mind? Which two, among a thouand wise men,
will define success in the same words; yet failure is always
described but one way. Failure is man's inability to reach his
goals in life, whatever they may be.
In truth, the only difference between
those who have failed and those who have successed lies in the
difference of their habits. Good habits are the key to all success.
Bad habits are the unlocked door to failure. Thus, the first law I
will obey, which precedeth all others is --I will form good habits
and become their slave.
As a child I was slave to my
impulses; now I am slave to my habits, as are all grown men. I have
surrendered my free will to the years of accumulated habits and the
past deeds of my life have already marked out a path which
threatens to imprison my future. My actions are ruled by appetite,
passion, prejudice, greed, love, fear, environment, habit, and the
worst of these tyrants is habit. Therefore, if I must be a slave to
habit let me be a slave to good habits. My bad habits must be
destroyed and new furrows prepared for good
seed.
I will form good habits and become
their slave.
And how will I accomplish this
difficult feat? Through these scrolls, it will be done, for each
scroll contains a principle which will drive a bad habit from my
life and replace it with one which will bring me closer to success.
For it is another of nature's laws that only a habit can subdue
another habit. So, in order for these written words to perform
their chosen task, I must discipline myself with the first of my
new habits which is as follows:
I will read each scroll for thirty
days in this prescribed manner, before I proceed to the next
scroll.
First, I will read the words in
silence when I arise. Then, I will read the words in silence after
I have partaken of my midday meal. Last, I will read the words
again just before I retire at day's end, and most important, on
this occasion I will read the words aloud.
On the next day I will repeat this
procedure, and I will continue in like manner for thirty days.
Then, I will turn to the next scroll and repeat this procedure for
another thirty days. I will continue in this manner until I have
lived with each scroll for thirty days and my reading has become
habit.
And what will be accomplished with
this habit? Herein lies the hidden secret of all man's
accomplishments. As I repeat the words daily they will soon become
a part of my active mind, but more important, they will also seep
into my other mind, that mysterious source which never sleeps,
which creates my dreams, and often makes me act in ways I do not
comprehend.
As the words of these scrolls are
consumed by my mysterious mind I will begin to awake, each morning,
with a vitality I have never known before. My vigor will increase,
my enthusiasm will rise, my desire to meet the world will overcome
every fear I once knew at sunrise, and I will be happier than I
ever believed it possible to be in this world of strife and
sorrow.
Eventually I will find myself
reacting to all situations which confront me as I was commanded in
the scrolls to react, and soon these actions and reactions will
become easy to perform, for any act with practice becomes
easy.
Thus a new and good habit is born,
for when an act becomes easy through constant repetiton it becomes
a pleasure to perform and if it is a pleasure to perform it is
man's nature to perform it often. When I perform it often it
becomes a habit and I become its slave and since it is a good habit
this is my will.
Today I begin a new
life.
And I make a solemn oath to myself
that nothing will retard my new life's growth. I will lose not a
day from these readings for that day cannot be retrieved nor can I
substitute another for it. I must not , I will not, break this
habit of daily reading from these scrolls and, in truth, the few
moments spent each day on this new habit are but a small price to
pay for the happiness and success that will be
mine.
As I read and re-read the words in
the scrolls to follow, never will I allow the brevity of each
scroll nor the simplicity of its words to cause me to treat the
scroll's message lightly. Thousands of grapes are pressed to fill
one jar with wine, and the grapeskin and pulp are tossed to the
birds. So it is with these grapes of wisdom from the ages. Much has
been filtered and tossed to the wind.Only the pure truth lies
distilled in the words to come. I will drink as instructed and
spill not a drop. And the seed of success I will
swallow.
Today my old skin has become as dust.
I will walk tall among men and they will know me not , for today I
am a new man, with a new life.
羊皮卷二：The Scroll Marked Two--I will
greet this day with love in my heart
I will greet this day with love in my
heart.
For this is the greatest secret of
success in all ventures. Muscle can split a shield and even destroy
life but only the unseen power of love can open the hearts of men
and until I master this art I will remain no more than a peddler in
the market place. I will make love my greatest weapon and none on
whom I call can defend against its force.
My reasoning they may counter; my
speech they may distrust; my apparel they may disapprove; my face
they may reject; and even my bargains may cause them suspicion; yet
my love will melt all hearts liken to the sun whose rays soften the
coldest clay.
I will greet this day with love in my
heart.
And how will I do this? Henceforth
will I look on all things with love and I will be born again. I
will love the sun for it warms my bones; yet I will love the rain
for it cleanses my spirit. I will love the light for it shows me
the way; yet I will love the darkness for it shows me the stars. I
will welcome happiness for it enlarges my heart; yet I will endure
sadness for it opens my soul. I will acknowledge rewards for they
are my due; yet I will welcome obstacles for they are my
challenge.
I will greet this day with love in my
heart.
And how will I speak? I will laud
mine enemies and they will become friends; I will encourage my
friends and they will become brothers. Always will I dig for
reasons to applaud; never will I scratch for excuses to gossip.
When I am tempted to criticize I will bite on my tongue; when I am
moved to praise I will shout from the roofs.
Is it not so that birds, the wind,
the sea and all nature speaks with the music of praise for their
creator? Cannot I speak with the same music to his children?
Henceforth will I remember this secret and it will change my
life.
I will greet this day with love in my
heart.
And how will I act? I will love all
manners of men for each has qualities to be admired even though
they be hidden. With love I will tear down the wall fo suspicion
and hate which they have built round their hearts and in its place
will I build bridges so that my love may enter their
souls.
I will love the ambitious for they
can inspire me! I will love the failures for they can teach me. I
will love the kings for they are but human; I will love the meek
for they are divine. I will love the richfor they are yet lonely; I
will love the poor for they are so many. I will love the young for
the faith they hold; I will love the beautiful for their eyes of
sadness; I will love the ugly for their souls of
peace.
I will greet this day with love in my
heart.
But how will I react to the actions
of others? With love. For just as love is my weapon to open the
hearts of men, love is also my shield to repulse the arrows of hate
and the spears of anger. Adversity and discouragement will beat
against my new shield and become as the softest of rains. My shield
will protect me in the market place and sustain me when I am alone.
It will uplift me in moments of despair yet it will calm me in time
of exultation. It will become stronger and more protective with use
until one day I will cast it aside and walk unencumbered among all
manners of men and, when I do, my name will be raised high on the
pyramid of life.
I will greet this day with love in my
heart.
And how will I confront each whom I
meet? In only one way. In silence and to myself I will address him
and say I Love You. Though spoken in silence these words will shine
in my eyes, unwrinkle my brow, bring a smile to my lips, and echo
in my voice; and hisheart will be opened. And who is there who will
say nay to my goods when his heart feels my
love?
I will greet this day with love in my
heart.
And most of all I will love myself.
For when I do I will zealously inspect all things which enter my
body, my mind, my soul, and my heart. Never will I overindulge the
requests of my flesh, rather I will cherish my body with
cleanliness and moderation. Never will I allow my mind to be
attracted to evil and despair, rather I will uplift it with the
knowledge and wisdom of the ages. Never will I allow my soul to
become complacent and satisfied, rather I will feed it with
meditation and prayer. Never will I allow my heart to become small
and bitter, rather I will share it and it will grow and warm the
earth.
I will greet this day with love in my
heart.
Henceforth will I love all mankind.
From this moment all hate is let from my veins for I have not time
to hate, only time to love. From this moment I take the first step
required to become a man among men. With love I will increase my
sales a hundredfold and become a great salesman. If I have no other
qualities I can succeed with love alone. Without it I will fail
though I possess all the knowledge and skills of the
world.
I will greet this day with love, and
I will succeed.
羊皮卷三：The Scroll Marked Three--I will
persist until I succeed
I will persist until I
succeed.
In the Orient young bulls are tested
for the fight arena in a certain manner. Each is brought to the
ring and allowed to attack a picador who pricks them with a lance.
The bravery of each bull is then rated with care according to the
number of times he demonstrates his willingness to charge in spite
of the sting of the blade. Henceforth will I recognize that each
day I am tested by life in like manner. If I persist, if I continue
to try,if I continue to charge forward, I will
succeed.
I will persist until I
succeed.
I was not delivered unto this world
in defeat, nor does failure course in my veins. I am not a sheep
waiting to be prodded by my shepherd. I am a lion and I refuse to
talk, to walk, to sleep with the sheep. I will hear not those who
weep and complain, for their disease is contagious. Let them join
the sheep. The slaughterhouse of failure is not my
destiny.
I will persist until I
succeed.
The prizes of life are at the end of
each journey, not near the beginning; and it is not given to me to
know how many steps are necessary in order to reach my goal.
Failure I may still encounter at the thousandth step, yet success
hides behind the next bend in the road. Never will I know how close
it lies unless I turn the corner.
Always will I take another step. If
that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another. In truth,
one step at a time is not too difficult.
I will persist until I
succeed.
Henceforth, I will consider each
day's effort as but one blow of my blade against a mighty oak. The
first blow may cause not a tremor in the wood, nor the second, nor
the third. Each bolw, of itself, may be trifling, and seem of no
consequence. Yet from childish swipes the oak will eventually
tumble. So it will be with my efforts of
today.
I will be liken to the rain drop
which washes away the mountain; the ant who devours a tiger; the
star which brightens the earth; the slave who builds a pyramid. I
will build my castle one brick at a time for I know that small
attempts, repeated, will complete any
undertaking.
I will persist until I
succeed.
I will never consider defeat and I
will remove from my vocabulary such words and phrases as quit,
cannot, unable, impossible, out of the question, improbable,
failure, unworkable, hopeless, and retreat; for they are the words
of fools. I will avoid despair but if this disease of the mind
should infect me then I will work on in despair. I will toil and I
will endure. I will ignore the obstalcles at my feet and keep mine
eyes on the goals above my head, for I know that where dry desert
ends, green grass grows.
I will persist until I
succeed.
I will remember the ancient law of
averages and I will bend it to my good. I will persist with
knowledge that each failure to sell will increase my chance for
success at the next attempt. Each nay I hear will bring me closer
to the sound of yea. Each frown I meet only prepares me for the
smile to come. Each misfortune I encounter will carry in it the
seed of tomorrow's good luck. I must have the night to appreciate
the day. I must fail often to succeed only
once.
I will persist until I
succeed.
I will try, and try, and try again.
Each obstacle I will consider as a mere detour to my goal and a
challenge to my profession. I will persist and develop my skills as
the mariner develops his, by learning to ride out the wrath of each
storm.
I will persist until I
succeed.
Henceforth, I will learn and apply
another secret of those who excel in my work. When each day is
ended, not regarding whether it has been a success or a failure, I
will attempt to achieve one more sale. When my thoughts beckon my
tired body homeward I will resist the temptation to depart. I will
try again. I will make one more attempt to close with victory, and
if that fails I will make another. Never will I allow any day to
end with a failure. Thus will I plant the seed of tomorrow's
success and gain an insurmountable advantage over those who cease
their labor at a prescribed time. When others cease their struggle,
the mine will begin, and my harvest will be
full.
I will persitst until I
succeed.
Nor will I allow yesterday's success
to lull me into today's complacency, for this is the great
foundation of failure. I will forget the happenings of the day that
is gone, whether they were good or bad, and greet the new sun with
confidence that this will be the best day of my
life.
So long as there is breath in me,
that long will I persist. For now I know one of the greatest
principles of success; if I persist long enough I will
win.
I will persist.
I will win.
羊皮卷四：The Scroll Marked IV--I am
nature's greatest miracle
I am nature's greatest
miracle.
Since the beginning of time never has
there been another with my mind, my heart, my eyes, my ears, my
hands, my hair, my mouth. None that came before, none that live
today, and none that come tomorrow can walk and talk and move and
think exactly like me. All men are my brothers yet I am different
from each. I am a unique creature.
I am nature's greatest
miracle.
Although I am of the animal kingdom,
animal rewards alone will not satisfy me. Within me burns a flame
which has been passed from generations uncounted and its heat is a
constant irritation to my spirit to become better than I am, and I
will. I will fan this flame of dissatisfaction and proclaim my
uniqueness to the world.
None can duplicate my brush strokes,
none can make my chisel marks, none can duplicate my handwriting,
none can produce my child, and, in truth, none has the ability to
sell exactly as I. Henceforth, I will capitalize on this difference
for it is an asset to be promoted to the
fullest.
I am nature's greatest
miracle.
Vain attempts to imitate others no
longer will I make. Instead will I place my uniqueness on display
in the market place. I will proclaim it, yea, I will sell it. I
will begin now to accent my differences; hide my similarities. So
too will I apply this principle to the goods I sell. Salesman and
goods, different from all others, and proud of the
difference.
I am a unique creature of
nature.
I am rare, and there is value in all
rarity; therefore, I am valuable. I am the end product of thousands
of years of evolution; therefore, I am better equipped in both mind
and body than all the emperors and wise men who preceded
me.
But my skills, my mind, my heart, and
my body will stagnate, rot, and die lest I put them to good use. I
have unlimited potential. Only a small portion of my brain do I
employ; only a paltry amount of my muscles do I flex. A hundredfold
or more can I increase my accomplishments of yesterday and this I
will do, beginning today.
Nevermore will I be satisfied with
yesterday's accomplishments nor will I indulge, anymore, in
self-praise for deeds which in reality are too small to even
acknowledge. I can accomplish far more than I have, and I will, for
why should the miracle which produced me end with my birth? Why can
I not extend that miracle to my deeds of
today?
I am nature's greatest
miracle.
I am not on this earth by chance. I
am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain,
not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply all my
efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my
potential until it cries for mercy.
I will increase my knowledge of
mankind, myself, and the goods I sell, thus my sales will multiply.
I will practice, and improve, and polish the words I utter to sell
my goods, for this is the foundation on which I will build my
career and never will I forget that many have attained great wealth
and success with only one sales talk, delivered with excellence.
Also will I seek constantly to improve my manners and graces, for
they are the sugar to which all are
attracted.
I am nature's greatest
miracle.
I will concentrate my energy on the
challenge of the moment and my actions will help me forget all
else. The problems of my home will be left in my home. I will think
naught of my family when I am in the market place for this will
cloud my thoughts. So too will the problems of the market place be
left in the market place and I will think naught of my profession
when I am in my home for this will dampen my
love.
There is no room in the market place
for my family, nor is there room in my home for the market. Each I
will divorce from the other and thus will I remain wedded to both.
Separate must they remain or my career will die. This is a paradox
of the ages.
I am nature's greatest
miracle.
I have been given eyes to see and a
mind to think and now I know a great secret of life for I perceive,
at last, that all my problems, discouragements, and heartaches are,
in truth, great opportunities in disguise. I will no longer be
fooled by the garments they wear for mine eyes are open. I will
look beyond the cloth and I will not be
deceived.
I am nature's greatest
miracle.
No beast, no plant, no wind, no rain,
no rock, no lake had the same beginning as I, for I was conceived
in love and brought forth with a purpose. In the past I have not
considered this fact but it will henceforth shape and guide my
life.
I am nature's greatest
miracle.
And nature knows not defeat.
Eventually, she emerges victorious and so will I, and with each
victory the next struggle becomes less
difficult.
I will win, and I will become a great
salesman, for I am unique.
I am nature's greatest
miracle.
羊皮卷五：The Scroll Marked V--I will live
this day as if it is my last
And what shall I do with this last
precious day which remains in my keeping? First, I will seal up its
container of life so that not one drop spills itself upon the sand.
I will waste not a moment mourning yesterday’s misfortunes,
yesterday’s defeats, yesterday's aches of the heart, for why should
I throw good after bad?
Can sand flow upward in the hour
glass? Will the sun rise where it sets and set where it rises? Can
I relive the errors of yesterday and right them? Can I call back
yesterday's wounds and make them whole? Can I become younger than
yesterday? Can I take back the evil that was spoken, the blows that
were struck, the pain that was caused? No. Yesterday is buried
forever and I will think of it no more.
I will live this day as if it is my
last.
And what then shall I do? Forgetting
yesterday neither will I think of tomorrow. Why should I throw note
after maybe? Can tomorrow's sand flow through the glass before
today's? Will the sun rise twice this morning? Can I perform
tomorrow's deeds while standing in today's path? Can I place
tomorrow's gold in today's purse? Can tomorrow’s child be born
today? Can tomorrow's death cast its shadow backward and darken
today's joy? Should I concern myself over events which l may never
witness? Should I torment myself with problems that may never come
to pass? No! Tomorrow lies buried with yesterday, and I will think
of it no more.
I will live this day as if it is my
last.
This day is all I have and these
hours are now my eternity. I greet this sunrise with cries of joy
as a prisoner who is reprieved from death. I lift mine arms with
thanks for this priceless gift of a new day. So too, I will beat
upon my heart with gratitude as I consider all who greeted
yesterterday's sunrise who are no longer with the living today. I
am indeed a fortunate man and today's hours are but a bonus,
undeserved. Why have I been allowed to live this extra day when
others,far better than I, have departed? Is it that they have
accomplished their purpose while mine is yet to be achieved? Is
this another opportunity for me to become the man I know I can be?
Is there a purpose in nature? Is this my day to
excel?
I will live this day as if it is my
last.I have but one life and life is naught but a measurement of
time. When I waste one I destroy the other. If I waste today I
destroy the last page of my life. Therefore, each hour of this day
will I cherish for it can never return. It cannot be banked today
to be withdrawn on the morrow, for who can trap the wind? Each
minute of this day will I grasp with both hands and fondle with
love for its value is beyond price. What dying man can purchase
another breath though he willingly give all his gold? What price
dare I place on the hours ahead? I will make them
priceless!
I will live this day as if it is my
last.I will avoid with fury the killers of time. Procrastination I
will destroy with action; doubt I will bury under faith; fear I
will dismember with confidence. Where there are idle mouths I will
listen not; where there are idle hands I will linger not; where
there are idle bodies I will visit not. Henceforth I know that to
court idleness is to steal food, clothing, and warmth from those I
love. I am not a thief. I am a man of love and today is my last
chance to prove my love and my greatness.
I will live this day as if it is my
last.
The duties of today I shall fu1fill
today. Today I shall fondle my children while they are young;
tomorrow they will be gone, and so will I. Today I shall embrace my
woman with sweet kisses; tomorrow she will be gone, and so will I.
Today I shall lift up a friend in need; tomorrow he will no longer
cry for help, nor will I hear his cries. Today I shall give myself
in sacrifice and work; tomorrow I will have nothing to give, and
there will be none to receive.
I will live this day as if it is my
last.
And if it is my last, it will be my
greatest monument. This day I will make the best day of my life.
This day I will drink every minute to its full. I will savor its
taste and give thanks. I will make the every hour count and each
minute I will trade only for something of value. I will labor
harder than ever before and push my muscles
until they cry for relief, and then I
will continue.I will make more calls than ever before. I will sell
more goods than ever before. I will earn more gold than ever
before. Each minute of today will be more fruitful than hours of
yesterday. My last must be my best.I will live this day as if it is
my last. And if it is not, I shall fall to my knees and give
thanks.
羊皮卷六：The Scroll Marked Six--Today I
will be master of my emotions
The tides advance; the tides recede.
Winter goes and summer comes. summer wanes and the cold increases.
The sun rises; the sun sets. The moon is full; the moon is black.
The birds arrive;the birds depart. Flowers bloom; flowers
fade.Seeds are sown; harvests are reaped. all nature is a circle of
moods and I am a part of nature and so,like the tides, my moods
will rise; my moods will fall.
Today I will be master of my
emotions.
It is one of nature's tricks, little
understood,that each day I awaken with moods that have changed from
yesterday. Yesterday's joy wilI become today's sadness; yet today's
sadness will grow into tomorrow's joy. Inside me is a
wheel,constantly turning from sadness to joy, from exultation to
depression, from happiness to melancholy. Like the flowers, today's
full bloom of joy will fade and wither into despondency, yet I will
remember that as today's dead flower carries the seed of tomorrow's
bloom so, too, does today's sadness carry the seed of tomorrow's
joy.
Today I will be master of my
emotions.
And how will I master these emotions
so that each day will be productive? For unless my mood is right
the day will be a failure. Trees and plants depend on the weather
to flourish but I make my own weather, yea I transport it with me.
If I bring rain and gloom and darkness and pessimism to my
customers then they will react with rain and gloom and darkness and
pessimism and they will purchase naught. If I bring joy and
enthusiasm and brightness and laughter to my customers they will
react with joy and enthusiasm and brightness and laughter and my
weather will produce a harvest of sales and a granary of gold for
me.
Today I will be master of my
emotions.
And how will I master my emotions so
that every day is a happy day, and a productive one? I will learn
this secret of the ages: Weak is he who permits his thoughts to
control his actions; strong is he who forces his actions to control
his thoughts. Each day, when I awaken, I will follow this plan of
battle before I am captured by the forces of sadness, self-pity and
failure-
If I feel depressed I will
sing.
If I feel sad I will laugh.
If I feel ill I will double my labor.
If I feel fear I will plunge ahead.
If I feel inferior I will wear new garments.
If I feel uncertain I will raise my voice.
If I feel poverty I will think of wealth to come.
If I feel incompetent I will remember past success.
If I feel insignificant I will remember my goals.
Today I will be master of my emotions.
Henceforth, I will know that only
those with inferior ability can always be at their best, and I am
not inferior. There will be days When I must IN THE WORLD
constantly struggle against forces which would tear me down. Those
such as despair and sadness are simple to recognize but there are
others which approach with a smile and the hand of friendship and
they can also destroy me. Against them, too, I must never
relinquish control-
If I become overconfident I will
recall my failures.
If I overindulge I will think of past hungers.
If I feel complacency I will remember my competition.
If I enjoy moments of greatness I will remember moments of
shame.
If I feel all-powerful I will try to stop the wind.
lf I attain great wealth I will remember one unfed mouth.
If l become overly proud I will remember a moment of
weakness.
If I feel my skill is unmatched I will look at the stars.
Today I will be master of my emotions.
And with this new knowledge I will
also understand and recognize the moods of him on whom I call. I
will make allowances for his anger and irritation of today for he
knows not the secret of controlling his mind. I can withstand his
arrows and insults for now I know that tomorrow he will change and
be a joy to approach.
No longer will l judge a man on one
meeting;no longer will I fail to call again tomorrow on he who
meets me with hate today. This day he will not buy gold chariots
for a penny, yet tomorrow he would exchange his home for a tree. My
knowledge of this secret will be my key to great
wealth.
Today l will be master of my
emotions.
Henceforth I will recognize and
identify the mystery of moods in all mankind, and in me.From this
moment I am prepared to control whatever personality awakes in me
each day. I will master my moods through positive action and when I
master my moods I will control my destiny.
Today I control my destiny, and my
destiny is to become the greatest salesman in the
world!
I will become master of
myself.
I wi1l become
great.
羊皮卷七：The Scroll Marked Seven--I will
laugh at the world
No living creature can laugh except
man. Trees may bleed when they are wounded, and beasts in the field
will cry in pain and hunger, yet only I have the gift of laughter
and it is mine to use whenever I choose. Henceforth I will
cultivate the habit of laughter.
I will smile and my digestion will
improve; I will chuckle and my burdens will be lightened; I will
laugh and my life will be lengthened for this is the great secret
of long life and now it is mine.
I will laugh at the
world.
And most of all, I will laugh at
myself for man is most comical when he takes himself too seriously.
Never will I fall into this trap of the mind. For though I be
nature's greatest miracle am I not still a mere grain tossed about
by the winds of time? Do I truly know whence I came or whither I am
bound? Will my concern for this day not seem foolish ten years
hence? Why should I permit the petty happenings of today to disturb
me? What can take place before this sun sets which will not seem
insignificant in the river of centuries?
I will laugh at the
world.
And how can I laugh when confronted
with man or deed which offends me so as to bring forth my tears or
my curses? Four words I will train myself to say until they become
a habit so strong that immediately they will appear in my mind
whenever good humor threatens to depart from me. These words,
passed down from the ancients, will carry me through every
adversity and maintain my life in balance. These four words are:
This too shall pass.
I will laugh at the
world.
For all worldly things shall indeed
pass. When I am heavy with heartache I shall console myself that
this too shall pass; when I am puffed with success I shall warn
myself that this too shall pass. When I am strangled in poverty I
shall tell myself that this too shall pass; when I am burdened with
wealth I shall tell myself that this too shall pass. Yea, verily,
where is he who built the pyramid? Is he not buried within its
stone? And will the pyramid, one day, not also be buried under
sand? If all things shall pass why should I be of concern for
today?
I will laugh at the
world.
I will paint this day with laughter;
I will frame this night in song. Never will I labor to be happy;
rather will I remain too busy to be sad. I will enjoy today's
happiness today. It is not grain to be stored in a box. It is not
wine to be saved in a jar. It cannot be saved for the morrow. It
must be sown and reaped on the same day and this I will do,
henceforth.
I will laugh at the
world.
And with my laughter all things will
be reduced to their proper size. I will laugh at my failures and
they will vanish in clouds of new dreams; I will laugh at my
successes and they will shrink to their true value. I will laugh at
evil and it will die untasted; I will laugh at goodness and it will
thrive and abound. Each day will be triumphant only when my smiles
bring forth smiles from others and this l do in selfishness, for
those on whom l flown are those who purchase not my
goods.
I will laugh at the
world.
Henceforth will l shed only tears of
sweat, for those of sadness or remorse or frustration are of no
value in the market place whilst each smile can be exchanged for
gold and each kind word, spoken from my heart, can build a
castle.
Never will l allow myself to become
so important, so wise, so dignified, so powerful, that I forget how
to laugh at myself and my world. In this matter I will always
remain as a child, for only as a cl1ild am I given the ability to
look up to others; and so long as I 1ook up to another I will never
grow too long for my cot.
I will laugh at the
world.
And so long as I can laugh never will
I be poor. This, then, is one of nature's greatest gifts, and l
will waste it no more. Only with laughter and happiness can l truly
become a success. Only with laughter and happiness can I enjoy the
fruits of my labor. Were it not so, far better would it be to fail,
for happiness is the wine that sharpens the taste of the meal. To
enjoy success I must have happiness, and laughter will be the
maiden who serves me.
I will be
happy.
I will be
successful.
I will be the greatest salesman the
world has ever known.
羊皮卷八：The Scroll Marked Eight--Today I
will multiply my value a hundredfold
Today I will multiply my value a
hundredfold.
A mulberry leaf touched with the
genius of man becomes silk.
A field of clay touched with the
genius of man becomes a castle.
A cyprus tree touched with the genius
of man becomes a shrine.
A cut of sheep's hair touched with
the genius of man becomes raiment for a king.
If it is possible for leaves and clay
and wood and hair to have their value multiplied a hundred, yea a
thousandfold by man, cannot I do the same with the clay which bears
my name?
Today I will multiply my value a
hundredfold.
I am liken to a grain of wheat which
faces one of three futures. The wheat can be placed in a sack and
dumped in a stall until it is fed to swine. Or it can be ground to
flour and made into bread. Or it can be placed in the earth and
allowed to grow until its golden head divides and produces a
thousand grains from the one.
I am liken to a grain of wheat with
one difference. The wheat cannot choose whether it be fed to swine,
ground for bread, or planted to multiply. I have a choice and I
will not let my life be fed to swine nor will I let it be ground
under the rocks of failure and despair to be broken open and
devoured by the will of others.
Today I will multiply my value a
hundredfold.
To grow and multiply it is necessary
to plant the wheat grain in the darkness of the earth and my
failures, my despairs, my ignorance, and my inabilities are the
darkness in which I have been planted in order to ripen. Now, like
the wheat grain which will sprout and blossom only if it is
nurtured with rain and sun and warm winds, I too must nurture my
body and mind to fulfill my dreams. But to grow to full stature the
wheat must wait on the whims of nature. I need not wait for I have
the power to choose my own destiny.
Today I will multiply my value a
hundredfold.
And how will I accomplish this? First
I will set goals for the day, the week, the month, the year, and my
life. Just as the rain must fall before the wheat will crack its
shell and sprout, so must I have objectives before my life will
crystallize. Insetting my goals I will consider my best performance
of the past and multiply it a hundredfold. This will be the
standard by which I will live in the future. Never will I be of
concern that my goals are too high for is it not better to aim my
spear at the moon and strike only an eagle than to arm my spear at
the eagle and strike only a rock?
Today I will multiply my value a
hundredfold.
The height of my goals will not hold
me in awe though I may stumble often before they are reached. If I
stumble I will rise and my falls will not concern me for all men
must stumble often to reach the hearth. Only a worm is free from
the worry of stumbling. I am not a worm. I am not an onion plant. I
am not a sheep. I am a man. Let others build a cave with their
clay. I will build a castle with mine.
Today I will multiply my value a
hundredfold.
And just as the sun must warm the
earth to bring forth the seedling of wheat so, too, will the words
on these scrolls warm my life and turn my dreams into reality.
Today I will surpass every action which I performed yesterday. I
will climb today's mountain to the utmost of my ability yet
tomorrow I will climb higher than today, and the next will be
higher than tomorrow. To surpass the deeds of others is
unimportant; to surpass my own deeds is all.
Today I will multiply my value a
hundredfold.
And just as the warm wind guides the
wheat to maturity, the same winds will carry my voice to those who
will listen and my words will announce my goals. Once spoken I dare
not recall them lest I lose face. I will be as my own prophet and
though all may laugh at my utterances they will hear my plans, they
will know my dreams; and thus there will be no escape for me until
my words become accomplished deeds.
Today I will multiply my value a
hundredfold.
I will commit not the terrible crime
of aiming too low.
I will do the work that a failure
will not do.
I will always let my reach exceed my
grasp.
I will never be content with my
performance in the market.
I will always raise my goals as soon
as they are attained.
I will always strive to make the next
hour better than this one.
I will always announce my goals to
the world.
Yet, never will I proclaim my
accomplishments. Let the world, instead, approach me with praise
and may I have the wisdom to receive it in
humility.
Today I will multiply my value a
hundredfold.
One grain of wheat when multiplied a
hundredfold will produce a hundred stalks. Multiply these a
hundredfold, ten times, and they will feed all the cities of the
earth. Am I not more than a grain of wheat?
Today I will multiply my value a
hundredfold.
And when it is done I will do it
again, and again, and there will be astonishment and wonder at my
greatness as the words of these scrolls are fulfilled in
me.
羊皮卷九：The Scroll Marked IX--I will act
now
My dreams are worthless, my plans are
dust, my goals are impossible.
All are of no value unless they are
followed by action.
I will act now.
Never has there been a map, however
carefully executed to detail and scale, which carried its owner
over even one inch of ground. Never has there been a parchment of
law, however fair, which prevented one crime. Never has there been
a scroll, even such as the one I hold, which earned so much as a
penny or produced a single word of acclamation. Action, alone, is
the tinder which ignites the map, the parchment, this scroll, my
dreams, my plans, my goals, into a living force. Action is the food
and drink which will nourish my success.
I will act now.
My procrastination which has held me
back was born of fear and now I recognize this secret mined from
the depths of all courageous hearts. Now I know that to conquer
fear I must always act without hesitation and the flutters in my
heart will vanish. Now I know that action reduces the lion of
terror to an ant of equanimity.
I will act now.
Henceforth, I will remember the
lesson of the firefly who gives of its light only when it is on the
wing, only when it is in action. I will become a firefly and even
in the day my glow will be seen in spite of the sun. Let others be
as butterflies who preen their wings yet depend on the charity of a
flower for life. I will be as the firefly and my light will
brighten the world.
I will act now.
I will not avoid the tasks of today
and charge them to tomorrow for I know that tomorrow never comes.
Let me act now even though my actions may not bring happiness or
success for it is better to act and fail than not to act and
flounder. Happiness, in truth, may not be the fruit plucked by my
action yet without action all fruit will die on the
vine.
I will act now.
I will act now. I will act now. I
will act now. Henceforth, I will repeat these words again and again
and again, each hour, each day, every day, until the words become
as much a habit as my breathing and the actions which follow become
as instinctive as the blinking of my eyelids. With these words I
can condition my mind to perform every act necessary for my
success. With these words I can condition my mind to meet every
challenge which the failure avoids.
I will act now.
I will repeat these words again and
again and again.
When I awake I will say them and leap from my cot while the failure
sleeps yet another hour.
I will act now.
When I enter the market place I will
say them and immediately confront my first prospect while the
failure ponders yet his possibility of
rebuff.
I will act now.
When I face a closed door I will say
them and knock while the failure waits outside with fear and
trepidation.
I will act now.
When I face temptation I will say
them and immediately act to remove myself from
evil.
I will act now.
When I am tempted to quit and begin
again tomorrow I will say them and immediately act to consummate
another sale.
I will act now.
Only action determines my value in
the market place and to multiply my value I will multiply my
actions. I will walk where the failure fears to walk. I will work
when the failure seeks rest. I will talk when the failure remains
silent. I will call on ten who can buy my goods while the failure
makes grand plans to call on one. I will say it is done before the
failure says it is too late.
I will act now.
For now is all I have. Tomorrow is
the day reserved for the labor of the lazy. I am not lazy. Tomorrow
is the day when the evil become good. I am not evil. Tomorrow is
the day when the weak become strong. I am not weak. Tomorrow is the
day when the failure will succeed. I am not a
failure.
I will act now.
When the lion is hungry he eats. When
the eagle has thirst he drinks. Lest they act, both will
perish.
I hunger for success. I thirst for
happiness and peace of mind. Lest I act I will perish in a life of
failure, misery, and sleepless nights.
I will command, and I will obey mine
own command.
I will act now.
Success will not wait. If I delay she
will become betrothed to another and lost to me
forever.
This is the time. This is the place.
I am the man.
I will act now.
羊皮卷十：The Scrolls Mark Ten--I will
pray for guidance, and I will pray as a
salesman
Who is of so little faith that in a
moment of great disaster or heartbreak has not called to his God?
Who has not cried out when confronted with danger, death, or
mystery beyond his normal experience or comprehension? From where
has this deep instinct come which escapes from the mouth of all
living creatures in moments of peril?
Move your hand in haste before
another's eyes and his eyelids will blink. Tap another on his knee
and his leg will jump. Confront another with dark horror and his
mouth will say, 'My God' from the same deep impulse.
My life need not be filled with
religion in order for me to recognize this greatest mystery of
nature. All creatures that walk the earth, including man, possess
the instinct to cry for help. Why do we possess this instinct, this
gift?
Are not our cries a form of prayer?
Is it not incomprehensible in a world governed by nature's laws to
give a lamb, or a mule, or a bird, or man the instinct to cry out
for help lest some great mind has also provided that the cry should
be heard by some superior power having the ability to hear and to
answer our cry? Henceforth I will pray, but my cries for help will
only be cries for guidance.
Never will I pray for the material
things of the world. I am not calling to a servant to bring me
food. I am not ordering an innkeeper to provide me with room. Never
will I seek delivery of gold, love, good health, petty victories,
fame, success, or happiness. Only for guidance will I pray, that I
may be shown the way to acquire these things, and my prayer will
always be answered.
The guidance I seek may come, or the
guidance I seek may not come, but are not both of these an answer?
If a child seeks bread from his father and it is not forthcoming
has not the father answered?
I will pray for guidance, and I will
pray as a salesman, in this manner Oh creator of all things, help
me. For this day I go out into the world naked and alone, and
without your hand to guide me I will wander far from the path which
leads to success and happiness.
I ask not for gold or garments or
even opportunities equal to my ability; instead, guide me so that I
may acquire ability equal to my opportunities.
You have taught the lion and the
eagle how to hunt and prosper with teeth and claw. Teach me how to
hunt with words and prosper with love so that I may be a lion among
men and an eagle in the market place.
Help me to remain humble through
obstacles and failures; yet hide not from mine eyes the prize that
will come with victory.
Assign me tasks to which others have
failed; yet guide me to pluck the seeds of success from their
failures. Confront me with fears that will temper my spirit; yet
endow me with courage to laugh at my misgivings.
Spare me sufficient days to reach my
goals; yet help me to live this day as though it be my last.
Guide me in my words that they may
bear fruit; yet silence me from gossip that none be maligned.
Discipline me in the habit of trying
and trying again; yet show me the way to make use of the law of
averages. Favor me with alertness to recognize opportunity; yet
endow me with patience which will concentrate my strength.
Bathe me in good habits that the bad
ones may drown; yet grant me compassion for weaknesses in others.
Suffer me to know that all things shall pass; yet help me to count
my blessings of today.
Expose me to hate so it not be a
stranger; yet fill my cup with love to turn strangers into
friends.
But all these things be only if thy
will. I am a small and a lonely grape clutching the vine yet thou
hast made me different from all others. Verily, there must be a
special place for me. Guide me. Help me. Show me the way.
Let me become all you planned for me
when my seed was planted and selected by you to sprout in the
vineyard of the world.
Help this humble salesman. Guide me,
God.
