Kahlil Gibran - The Prosperity & Wealth Bible

Ghosts Ghosts There is nothing in Ghosts. But they do exist. Ghosts are nothing more nor less than the phantom Imaginations of sick, afraid Minds. They go by various names — Failure Ghosts, Idea Ghosts, Mistake Ghosts, Chance Gho6ts, Regret Ghosts — and Millions of others. Face your Ghosts. Walk right up to your Ghosts. Shake hands with them. Look them in the eye. Give them a hearing. And then kick them out — for they never will do you any good. Face your Ghosts. Ghosts are always on the Job. In the office of the Doctor, Lawyer, Business man, in your Home, on the Street — everywhere. But Ghosts get uneasy in the Light. They are born and bred in the Dark Alleys and exist only by the Sandbag. Your cue is to keep the Lights turned on — your Mind open — your Courage alert — your Character Impregnable. Face your Ghosts. To-day when you read your newspapers there will be Ghosts between the Lines of the Print. Ghosts seek you out and constantly try for your scalp. They like Time-Wasters, The Man-Afraid-of-His-Job Hesitaters. They revel among the players of idle Good-fellowship. But Ghosts sneak like cowed dogs with their tails between their legs, at the sight of Doers, Time Users, Obstacle Riddlers, and Path Makers. Be unafraid of Ghosts. Face your Ghosts. But don’t harbor them. Live, Red-Blooded Men can’t be dragging around a lot of Ghosts and amount to Anything. Face your Ghosts.

Respect Respect Respect is the name of the Fellow who tends door for your Conscience. His is the most sacred Office in the gift of your Character. For, when he goes wrong, Conscience becomes ill unto Death. Nothing of Winning matters with Respect gone. Respect is your most faithful Friend, your greatest Guide, your most powerful Protector — your safest Pilot into Port. Nothing of Winning matters with Respect gone. And Respect is made at home. You are your own Respect. For a man can be on no better terms with anybody than with his Own Self. The Man without Respect is a Make-believe, a Fraud — a Counterfeit. Nothing of Winning matters with Respect gone. Respect yourself and other people will be compelled to Respect you — and you will Respect them. Respect is the beginning of Wisdom. With Respect on guard, you look people squarely in the Eye without wavering. With Respect, active and unafraid, you go ahead to move away Rubbish and Obstacles and pave a Path for other people to walk in from which they profit. Nothing of Winning matters with Respect gone. Think about this as you move about To-day. Let it keep you Strong. Let it make you indomitable. Let it lift you from your present position into one higher up. Let it make of you a Leader. For — Nothing of Winning matters with Respect gone.

General Manager General Manager Human beings were created to run themselves. Else at birth, each would have been accompanied by a Book of Instructions. You are your own General Manager. Realize but this and it will make you thrill with Fire and Force. Are YOU on the Job? No one else can possibly see your Faults in the clear light that you yourself can see them. No one else can possibly fathom the Mysteries of your Mind so thoroughly. No one else can possibly supplant your ability to powerfully picture your own great Ideals and Purposes. No one else can possibly dictate the Policies and Measures of your own life so well. No one else can possibly so efficiently get Work and Results from your marvelous Brain and Body machinery. Who’s conducting your shop, anyway? You are the General Manager. Are YOU on the Job? Most of us are just First, Second, Third, etc., ASSISTANT General Managers. We let someone else do our Thinking for us. We want the fancy Titles and Glory — but shirk at doing the work. Are YOU on the Job? If not, do this without delay. Call a meeting of your own Intellectual Faculties. Insist on a full meeting. Then lock the door and get down to Business. Take your seat at the head of the table. Discuss frankly and freely the Real Things that concern your Life Success. But keep solidly in mind that you are the Boss — the Force behind all the Artillery, the real Directing Factor — the actual General Manager.

Lincolnize Lincolnize A man is always bigger than anything big that he does. No man will ever be able to create anything greater than his own Character. To take a single illustration — Lincoln. To Humanity, Abraham Lincoln is infinitely finer than President Lincoln, and as the years accumulate, deeper and deeper do his superb qualities penetrate into the innermost workings of the peoples and nations of the world. Lincolnize your Work. The rules of action that guided Lincoln were the rules of ordinary Sense and Humanity. They were unvarnished. They were disguised by no extra trappings and encumbrances. The simplest thinking person immediately grasped the just rulings and conclusions of Lincoln. The best investment that any Business House can make is to gather together the simple rules of conduct that guided Lincoln, and have them Printed, Framed and Hung, before the faces of every one of its Employees. Lincolnize your Business. When Lincoln promoted General Hooker he told him that he was doing it in spite of the fact that he had glaring Faults, Enemies, Vanities, and a lot of other things. Lincoln recognized the high qualities of Leadership that Hooker had and he was not blinded by his defects. He always saw the Big things in a man. He knew Grant even before he had met him. He felt men by their Deeds. Results to him reflected the man. Lincolnize your Judgment. Lincoln was Just. Lincoln was Generous. Lincoln was Square. Lincoln was Magnanimous. Lincoln was Modest. Lincoln was Gentle. Lincoln was Strong. Lincolnize your Ideals.

System System Be Systematic. The Thought, the Plan, the Energy, the Success of your day is measured in value by your application to each — of System. Be Systematic. First, it is the easiest way. And then, it is the only way. For without System, the most stupendous Task is sure to crack, crumble and fall into a wreck of waste and loss. Be Systematic. With System, a worthwhile Purpose, and an iron determination, progress is steady and smooth and sure. Difficulties fade away. Obstructions are pushed aside, and the Completed Task rises with precision and reality, like unto the rising shafts of steel that reach skyward, outlining and suggesting and making real the giant form of the completing Skyscraper. All through System! Be Systematic. Form the habit of undertaking even the smallest Task through System. Then the big things will be achieved with ease and with enjoyment. Be Systematic. But don’t be satisfied to apply System to yourself alone. Teach it to others. You who are a Stenographer, Clerk, Manager, Owner of a Business — no matter what your niche — see that System rules your Throne. Be Systematic.

Sincerity Sincerity Be Sincere. For it’s the mark that stamps and “Trademarks” your Character so that it stands at once as Genuine. Be Sincere. Nobody trusts the man who doesn’t trust himself. Be Sincere. Look the other fellow in the eye squarely and with confidence, and he will trust you. Be Sincere. Lacks in ability and knowledge are many times excused. But insincerity — never. Be Sincere. Teach the world once for all that you are square — Sincere — and the “order of business” for you will move smoothly and with satisfaction. Be Sincere. Sincerity is more than money. Even as the magnet attracts and clusters to itself particles of steel, so does the man who holds Sincerity as his asset, draw Men and Chances and great Works to his record. Be Sincere. Trouble yourself not that Yesterday was a failure. To-day faces you. Try a new instrument. Tighten new cords for a new Tune. Take hold on a new Force — be Sincere. Then will this day have been far from in vain. Be Sincere.