The Chemawa American, October 13, 1920, Image 1

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The Chemawa American
P r i n t e d a t C h e m a w a , O r e g o n , a n d D e v o t e d to t h e I n t e r e s t s o f I n d i a n E d u c a t i o n
Vol. X X III
W ednesday, O ctober 13, 1920
ABOUT SUCCESS A N D F A IL U R E
E veryw here and u n d er all conditions we hear peo­
ple m aking excuses for th eir failures to get on T hey
are dissatisfied w ith th eir lots, m iserable because of
th eir seem ingly inferior positions, and envious of the
success of others. If they could only get som ew here
else, into some other occupation, into some o th er
school; if they could only have som eone else’s o p p o r­
tu n ity , some other fellow ’s chance, they, too, would
be successful and co ntented. B ut they never can do
a n y th in g w here they are or with w hat th ey have.
Each im agines th at th e other fellow has the best
chance.
T hose people who do not get on in the w orld have
a good deal to say about o th er people’s good fo rtu n e
and superior o p p o rtu n ities, an d th ey do not th in k of
p u ttin g the blam e for th eir lack of success w here it
belongs. T hey excuse th eir own failure on the g ro u n d
th a t those w ho have succeeded have alw ays been
b o o sted ,” or fav o red ,” or som eone or som eth in g
outside of them selves “ gave them a lif t.”
A young m an who has risen rapidly from an office
boy to the possession of a fine business of his ow n,
and owes his success en tire ly to his own pluck, in
d u stry and initiative, in speaking of his experiences,
says th a t d u rin g his clim b as an em ploye he was la u g h ­
ed at constantly by his com rades for w orking so m uch
harder than he needed to, doing m ore th an he was paid
for or was expected of him . W hen he w orked alter
hou rs to clean up and get th in g s ready for th e n ex t
m orning, they would tell him he was a fool to do so
m uch w ith o u t over-tim e pay, th a t his em ployer would
probably never know he was w orking over-tim e, and
th a t even if he did learn of it he w o u ld n ’t appreciate
it. “ A nd n o w ,” he said, “ these same fellows are
saying th at my success is due to th e fact th at from the
very beg in n in g tuy o p p o rtu n ities were better th an
theirs; th at even in th e old days when we used to
w ork tog eth er the boss alw ays favored me and was
prejudiced against them . T hey positively resent my
success and seem to th in k I have in some way injured
them .
T h e tendency to u n d er-rate our own chances and to
over-rate those of our fellow -w orkers is com mon
am ong all classes of people. W herever we go the same
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tendency to under value w hat they have and to m a g ­
nify the value of w hat th e other fellow’ has is n o tic e­
able. T his seems to be an elem ent of o u r n atu res. W e
have a feeling of dissatisfaction w ith w hat we have
and a longing for w hat o u r more successful or m ore
prosperous neighbor possesses. In lo n g in g for w hat
we do not have, or looking forw ard to som e big th in g
we hope to have, we miss m uch enjoym ent th a t we
could get from w hat we do have and of the m u ltitu d e
of pleasant th in g s w ith in our reach.
H appiness, fortune, o p p o rtu n ity —e v e ry th in g — is
som ew here else. T h e good th in g s are for o th ers.
H ow m uch energy has been lost: how m any lives have
been spoiled by this fru itless longing for other fields,
other opportunities o u t of our reach; in d ream ing of
w hat we would do if we w’ere in somebody else’s place.
H as it ever occurred to our stu d e n ts th a t there are
people all around you envying you your good fortune,
y o u r o p p o rtu n ity to get an education under g o v ­
ern m en t supervision, y o u r chance to procure vo­
cational tra in in g as well as academ ic education w ith ­
out th at great effort to pay th e bills required of all
w hite people? And yet we find so m any stu d e n ts in
our g overnm ent schools dissatisfied. T h e good fortune
and happiness w hich you are looking for elsew’here
are rig h t w ithin yourselves. Instead of w asting your
energies in useless rep in in g and in envying others
w hat they have attain ed th ro u g h hard w ork, instead
of longing to be som eone else, or to have somebody
else’s o p p o rtu n ity , m ake th e m ost of w hat you have.
Do the best you can w here you are, and you will be
surprised at the stre n g th you will develop and the
progress you will m ake, and how th e obstacles that
now discourage you will be overcom e. E nvy and
in ertia will never g et you anyw’h ere—it only b rin g s
you discontent and unhappiness.
E veryw here there are discontented men and women
who are more or less soured on life, because they could
not get w hat they longed for so badly T hey feel th a t
life has cheated them , w hen the tru th is they have
cheated them selves. T hey are stru g g lin g along in an
uncongenial en v iro n m en t, envying those who have
succeeded w here they failed, railing at the fate w hich
(C o n tin u e d on page 4)