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About The Chemawa American (Chemawa, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 3, 1926)
THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN PAGE 4 VERY FINE TALK (Continued from page 1) bound to step out of the crowd and make yourself an independent factor; a new and original force in the life of your community. What the world wants today, what it has always wanted, is practical ability coupled with education. The education that is worth while develops this sort of ability. It develops the power of concentration; the ability to deal rightly with everyday problems; to think clearly and act quickly. The really educated individual has a peculiar faculty of transforming knowledge into power, of doing things that need to be done. Conse quently, if your education is an evidence that you can qualify for the work which lies ahead of you, then it means something. If it only proves that your memory is stuffed with facts which your brain cannot apply, it means nothing but so many years out of your life. The success material is inside of each one of you, not in the things you get from the outside, which only assist. The happiness and success that life holds for every normal person are never found by multitudes of men and women because they think that the methods by which they are attained are very difficult and intricate. It is believed that happiness and success are only for those who have been born in the ranks of the fortunate, the well-to-do, or who have been especially gifted by nature with genius, commanding ability, or talents of some sort. How few of us realize that true success, which is open to all, is not measured by the accomplishment of some great thing; that it does not consist in being wealthy, famous, or powerful; but that it is the crown of all who honestly and earnestly dotheir best and live the every-day simple life, with all that it involves in the practice of the common duties of each day. It is by the exercise of common, homely virtues; it is by trying to carry everything one attempts to a complete finish; by trying to be scrupulously honest in every transaction; by always ringing true to your friend ships, even by holding a helpful, accommodating attitude toward those about us; by trying to fulfill to the best of our ability the obligation to be noble, to be loyal to our highest ideals. It is by such acts as these that we make successful lives. Many people get the impression that success consists in doing some marvelous thing, and that there must be some genius born in the man or woman who achieves it; that otherwise it would not be possible to them. The youthful mind throws a halo around the success ful character; invests it with the superhuman attri butes which are not possessed by common mortals. It is almost impossible to convince the average young per son that his hero is not superhuman, a sort of demi god endowed with divine posibilities so far above their own that it would be useless for them to try to imitate him. As a matter of fact, the majority of those who ac complished the things that have blessed mankind have not ranked among the geniuses. The people who have done things were simply men and women who developed their average ability and cultivated their ordinary talents to their fullest capacity. The truth is, and it should be the most encouraging truth that can be im pressed upon our minds: “What man has done, man can do”—if he is willing to pay the price. Men of great achievement are not to be set on pedestals and reverenced as exceptions to the average of humanity. Success that is possible to the average human is made up of very common ingredients. It is the sum total of the exercise of the plain, ordinary virtues and talents —of sound judgment—of honesty of purpose and per sistent industry. If we analyze the success of most men and women we shall find that it is the fruit of the extraordinary application of those modest every-day qualities which all well-balanced people possess in greater or less degree, applying sound judgment and common sense to all the affairs of life. I wish to emphasize for your benefit that if you young men and women, instead of keeping your eyes too constantly upon those who have climbed up a little further in the world than those around them, you will take an inventory of yourselves and develop your own resources you will be surprised to find that you have ability even superior, probably, to that of those whom you are in the habit of looking up to with such reverence and admiration. Choose what you will, within the limits of reason, and by the exercise of the average ability you possess you will in time reach your mark. I wish, also, to emphasize a truism which I have used here before, and which I trust you will let “sink in,” and that is this: There is one thing without which the world cannot be either wise or respectable, and that is good women. They hold the future in their hands, and they, young men, can do no better than you would have them. So, my young man, after all, the whole matter of civilization comes up to you. It is said that a man’s value is measured almost absolutely by the respect he has for women, and his worthlessness by the lack of it. The whole lesson of life goes to prove that no amount of smartness, scheming, long-headed cunning, can take the place of down-right honesty, or be a substitute for personal integrity. Don’t underrate the value of a good reputation. It is the best capital, the greatest asset. No person is big enough to defy what others think of him; no one big enough to be independent of the good opinion of others. In the last analysis, there is no secret in the greatest of all successes—the building of a noble character. It is achieved quietly, without noise or straining, by the exercise of the most common, every-day qualities; hanging on, never giving up, no matter how great the discouragement or how dark the outlook. These quali ties are indispensable. This body of fine, upstanding young men and women, as splendid a company as ever attended Che- mawa, will be able to exercise the power of choice rightly and overcome any obstacle which may pre sent itself and be the successes which are possible for all young men and women of these great United States of America. This is my heart-felt wish for you boysand girls, in which Mrs. Hall joins most sincerely.
