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About The Chemawa American (Chemawa, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (April 13, 1921)
t * 3 MAY Ü 'he Chemawa American P r in t e d a t C h e m a w a , O re g o n , a n d D e v o te d to th e In te r e s t s o f In d ia n E d u c a tio n Vol. X X III W ednesday, APRIL 13, 1921 AM BITIO N We hear a good deal these days from our students about their ambitions. We often wonder as to just how many sacrifices they are willing to make in order to attain their ambitions—positions in life which they claim to desire so much. Students, are you willing to cut out little luxuries and pleasures, to forego many of the desires you have been accustomed to gratify? Have you the backbone, or the grit, to stand all sorts of discouragements—to work on and on with out losing heart? How much criticism, misunder standing and scolding can you stand, anyhow? Have you the pluck and perseverance to go on when others fall down or drop out, to continue the struggle when your friends have given up and advise you to do the same? Do you realize that pure laziness is at the bottom of more failures than all other factors com bined? People who do not succeed in this great land of ours, where opportunities abound on every hand, are not willing, speaking generally, to pay the price of success in hard work, in concentration on their ambi tions. It takes nerve and a large amount of energy and work to win anything worth while. Get the thought that somebody will do your work for you out of your mind right now. Success is founded on drudgery, sacrifice, painstaking, persistent labor. That man or woman, boy or girl, who has not the grit, will power, or courage, to stick and strive for the thing wanted will always find plenty of excuses for failure. There are always too many things in the way, too many obstacles to overcome. There is al ways something the matter with the school, the teach er, the shop equipment, or the system employed, and and the like. Such students—such people—never seem to realize that the trouble lies with themselves. Do not blame your faults, such as lack of energy, your indolence and indifference, on others, but put it where it belongs—on yourself. The great trouble is that so few people are willing to sacrifice the nearest pleasure, the closest comfort, a good time, for the fu ture, and by failing to buckle down to the business of preparing for the future, throw away priceless oppor tunities for education, lor self-improvement, and shirk responsibilities which might open the way to a great No. 27 career, avoid experiences which would give them stamina and courage; make them wise, efficient, suc cessful. Because of this they will go through life shallow, superficial, ignorant, and end their days as total failures. Everyone who has reached distinction, who has lived a life really worth while, who has tried to make the most of himself, and has given up his best to the world, has had to sacrifice a good many things which would have been pleasant and enjoyable, some of which are in line with things directed to our readers’ attention in former articles. We are all—every one of us—so constructed that we cannot respect ourselves if we do not do our part, our share, of whatever work lies at hand. No-one who shirks, can ever quite respect himself; he has that innate feeling of being dishonest. Let us affirm that not one boy or gill in a million will bring out the best in him- or herself, will ever grow to the heighth of their possibilities, if they lack ambition or fail to apply themselves, for where there is no struggle, no self-help, there is no growth. You cannot develop without exertion, or grow with out effort, without a struggle to upbuild. It is this that develops courage, confidence, self-reliance. The exercise of your powers is imperatively necessary, to gether with resolution, determination and grit, coupled with a vigorous endeavor, to achieve one’s ambition. Remember that— No person succeeds whose character is built up in idleness. People without ambition, or an honest desire to attain it, are weaklings—nobodies. There is only one way to build up a strong, vigor ous character, and that is to associate one-self with Honest Purpose and Hard Work. Did you notice how many Juniors were in action at the track meet between the E.L.S. and R. L. S.? All sophs and seniors should be prepared when the class day track meet takes place. The painters have finished the Small Boys’ Home and are busy on Brewer Hall. We have a great deal of painting to do and from the present indications the detail will cover considerable of it in a short time.
