Whatever You Do, Give It Your All

Work at it, if necessary, early and late, in season and out of season, not leaving a stone unturned, and never deferring for a single hour that which can be done just as well now. The old proverb is full of truth and meaning, "Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well." Many a man acquires a fortune by doing his business thoroughly, while his neighbor remains poor for life, because he only half does it. Ambition, energy, industry, perseverance, are indispensable requisites for success in business.

If necessary, work early and late, whether the time seems right or not. Leave no stone unturned. Never put off for even an hour what you can do just as well now. The old saying is full of truth and meaning: "Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well." Many a man builds a fortune by doing his work thoroughly. Meanwhile, his neighbor stays poor for life because he does his work only halfway. Ambition, energy, hard work, and perseverance are essential for success in business.

Fortune always favors the brave, and never helps a man who does not help himself. It won't do to spend your time like Mr. Micawber, in waiting for something to "turn up." To such men one of two things usually "turns up:" the poorhouse or the jail; for idleness breeds bad habits, and clothes a man in rags. The poor spendthrift vagabond says to a rich man:

Fortune always favors the brave and never helps a man who does not help himself. You cannot spend your time like Mr. Micawber, waiting for something to "turn up." For such men, one of two things usually "turns up:" the poorhouse or jail. That is because idleness breeds bad habits and leaves a man in rags. The poor, wasteful drifter says to a rich man:

"I have discovered there is enough money in the world for all of us, if it was equally divided; this must be done, and we shall all be happy together."

"I've discovered there's enough money in the world for all of us if it's divided equally. The money must be divided equally, and then we'll all be happy together."

"But," was the response, "if everybody was like you, it would be spent in two months, and what would you do then?"

"But," came the reply, "if everyone were like you, it would all be spent in two months. What would you do then?"

"Oh! divide again; keep dividing, of course!"

"Oh! Divide again. Keep dividing, of course!"

I was recently reading in a London paper an account of a like philosophic pauper who was kicked out of a cheap boarding-house because he could not pay his bill, but he had a roll of papers sticking out of his coat pocket, which, upon examination, proved to be his plan for paying off the national debt of England without the aid of a penny. People have got to do as Cromwell said: "not only trust in Providence, but keep the powder dry." Do your part of the work, or you cannot succeed. Mahomet, one night, while encamping in the desert, overheard one of his fatigued followers remark: "I will loose my camel, and trust it to God!" "No, no, not so," said the prophet, "tie thy camel, and trust it to God!" Do all you can for yourselves, and then trust to Providence, or luck, or whatever you please to call it, for the rest.

I recently read in a London paper about a similarly philosophical pauper. He was kicked out of a cheap boarding house because he could not pay his bill. But a roll of papers stuck out of his coat pocket. When examined, the papers turned out to be his plan for paying off England’s national debt without spending a penny. People must do as Cromwell said: "not only trust in Providence, but keep the powder dry." Do your share of the work, or you cannot succeed. One night, while camping in the desert, Mahomet overheard one of his tired followers say: "I will let my camel loose, and trust it to God!" "No, no, don't do that," said the prophet, "tie your camel, and trust it to God!" Do all you can for yourselves. Then trust to Providence, or luck, or whatever you choose to call it, for the rest.

DEPEND UPON YOUR OWN PERSONAL EXERTIONS.

RELY ON YOUR OWN EFFORTS.

The eye of the employer is often worth more than the hands of a dozen employees. In the nature of things, an agent cannot be so faithful to his employer as to himself. Many who are employers will call to mind instances where the best employees have overlooked important points which could not have escaped their own observation as a proprietor. No man has a right to expect to succeed in life unless he understands his business, and nobody can understand his business thoroughly unless he learns it by personal application and experience. A man may be a manufacturer: he has got to learn the many details of his business personally; he will learn something every day, and he will find he will make mistakes nearly every day. And these very mistakes are helps to him in the way of experiences if he but heeds them. He will be like the Yankee tin-peddler, who, having been cheated as to quality in the purchase of his merchandise, said: "All right, there's a little information to be gained every day; I will never be cheated in that way again." Thus a man buys his experience, and it is the best kind if not purchased at too dear a rate.

An employer’s watchful eye is often worth more than the work of a dozen employees. By nature, an employee cannot serve his employer’s interests as faithfully as his own. Many employers will remember times when even their best employees missed important details. Those details could not have escaped their own notice as owners. No one has a right to expect success in life without understanding his business. And no one can understand his business thoroughly without learning through hands-on work and experience. A man who manufactures goods must personally learn the many details of his business. He will learn something every day, and he will find himself making mistakes nearly every day. But those very mistakes give him valuable experience if he learns from them. He will be like the Yankee tin peddler who was cheated about the quality of the goods he bought. The peddler said: "All right, there's a little information to be gained every day. I will never be cheated in that way again." In this way, a man pays for his experience. And experience bought this way is the best kind, if the price is not too high.

I hold that every man should, like Cuvier, the French naturalist, thoroughly know his business. So proficient was he in the study of natural history, that you might bring to him the bone, or even a section of a bone of an animal which he had never seen described, and, reasoning from analogy, he would be able to draw a picture of the object from which the bone had been taken. On one occasion his students attempted to deceive him. They rolled one of their number in a cow skin and put him under the professor's table as a new specimen. When the philosopher came into the room, some of the students asked him what animal it was. Suddenly the animal said "I am the devil and I am going to eat you." It was but natural that Cuvier should desire to classify this creature, and examining it intently, he said:

I believe every man should know his business thoroughly, just as Cuvier, the French naturalist, did. His knowledge of natural history was so great that you could bring him an animal’s bone, or even a fragment. Even if he had never seen the animal described, he could draw it by comparing the bone with others. On one occasion, his students tried to fool him. They wrapped one of their classmates in a cow skin and placed him under the professor’s table as a new specimen. When Cuvier entered the room, some of the students asked him what animal it was. Suddenly the animal said "I am the devil and I am going to eat you." Naturally, Cuvier wanted to classify the creature. He examined it closely and said:

"Divided hoof; graminivorous! It cannot be done."

"Split hoof. Grass-eating! It can't be done."

He knew that an animal with a split hoof must live upon grass and grain, or other kind of vegetation, and would not be inclined to eat flesh, dead or alive, so he considered himself perfectly safe. The possession of a perfect knowledge of your business is an absolute necessity in order to insure success.

He knew that an animal with a split hoof must eat grass, grain, or other plants. Such an animal would not be inclined to eat flesh, dead or alive, so he felt perfectly safe. To ensure success, you absolutely must know your business thoroughly.

Among the maxims of the elder Rothschild was one, all apparent paradox: "Be cautious and bold." This seems to be a contradiction in terms, but it is not, and there is great wisdom in the maxim. It is, in fact, a condensed statement of what I have already said. It is to say; "you must exercise your caution in laying your plans, but be bold in carrying them out." A man who is all caution, will never dare to take hold and be successful; and a man who is all boldness, is merely reckless, and must eventually fail. A man may go on "'change" and make fifty, or one hundred thousand dollars in speculating in stocks, at a single operation. But if he has simple boldness without caution, it is mere chance, and what he gains to-day he will lose to-morrow. You must have both the caution and the boldness, to insure success.

One of the elder Rothschild’s sayings seemed like a complete paradox: "Be cautious and bold." These words seem contradictory, but they are not. There is great wisdom in this saying. In fact, it sums up what I have already said: "you must be cautious when making your plans, but bold when carrying them out." A man who is entirely cautious will never dare to take action and succeed. A man who is entirely bold is simply reckless and must eventually fail. A man may go to the "stock exchange" and make fifty or a hundred thousand dollars speculating in stocks in a single transaction. But if he has boldness without caution, his success is pure chance. What he gains today he will lose tomorrow. You must have both caution and boldness to ensure success.

The Rothschilds have another maxim: "Never have anything to do with an unlucky man or place." That is to say, never have anything to do with a man or place which never succeeds, because, although a man may appear to be honest and intelligent, yet if he tries this or that thing and always fails, it is on account of some fault or infirmity that you may not be able to discover but nevertheless which must exist.

The Rothschilds have another rule: "Never have anything to do with an unlucky man or place." In other words, never deal with a man or place that never succeeds. A man may seem honest and intelligent. But if he tries one thing after another and always fails, those failures come from some fault or weakness. You may not be able to spot that fault or weakness, but it must exist.

There is no such thing in the world as luck. There never was a man who could go out in the morning and find a purse full of gold in the street to-day, and another to-morrow, and so on, day after day: He may do so once in his life; but so far as mere luck is concerned, he is as liable to lose it as to find it. "Like causes produce like effects." If a man adopts the proper methods to be successful, "luck" will not prevent him. If he does not succeed, there are reasons for it, although, perhaps, he may not be able to see them.

There is no such thing as luck. No man has ever found a purse full of gold in the street every morning, day after day. He may find one once in his life. But by luck alone, he is just as likely to lose a purse of gold as to find one. "The same causes produce the same results." If a man uses the right methods to succeed, "luck" will not stop him. If he does not succeed, there are reasons for his failure, although perhaps he cannot see those reasons.