A FEW WORDS ABOUT SUCCESS 35 



It is true that our own experiences, trials and hardships can be 

 of but little use to the young man or woman starting out in life. In 

 fact, I think there are but few cases wherein the son ever profited 

 by what his father went through. On the other hand, many a so- 

 called self-made man makes the mistake of trying to shield his boy 

 from the very knocks and bumps that helped to make a man out 

 of him. And the boy needs those knocks and bumps so badly! 

 Only those who actually have had them can truly appreciate so- 

 called success later on, while those who, in youth, always traveled 

 on a smooth road, are hardly ever capable of getting the most out 

 of Ufe, no matter how long they live. Besides, in the case of reverses 

 or a cloudy sky, they have a hard time retrenching or facing the 

 conditions. 



Every Man's Responsibilities 



I haven't the young man or woman in mind just now, but 

 rather those who either are starting into business, or are in it and 

 might be benefited by what, to my way of thinking, makes toward 

 a successful life. None of us, if we travel long enough, can escape 

 moments when we ask ourselves the same question that philosopher 

 Kant asked about life and our struggles over one hundred and fifty 

 years ago: "What is it really all about?" But we usually get over 

 that, and those with healthy minds will find, as man in all ages has 

 found, that there is a lot to be thankful for, and that there are 

 great things to be done. While we really don't know the first thing 

 about how it all came about, we become conscious of duties we have 

 to perform, involving ourselves and others. We recognize our 

 responsibilities — and each one, if at all a useful member of society, 

 has them. Whether we are rich or poor, there is work to do and a 

 lot of it; not only in connection with our own personal affairs, but 

 for others. These things make life worth while, and each of us can 

 help best by doing just a little to make it pleasant for those about 

 us, and who come within the circle of our reach. 



As florists, we are very apt to judge a man's success by the 

 amount of glass he possesses. In reality there is much more to it. 

 To build up a large establishment, acquire wealth and reach the 

 head of a large business are all accomplishments to be proud of, 

 but the man with only a small establishment may, for all that, be 

 every bit as successful, if not more so. It all depends on what use 

 he makes of life itself and whatever he may be blessed with. 



The most foolish thing is to find fault with the times and the 

 way things are going. You can do your share in trying to solve the 

 great problems confronting humanity — and there are and always 

 have been some mighty serious ones. Conditions exist today for 

 which there is no good reason. They wouldn't exist if we but knew 

 enough, had advanced far enough and would practice more consci- 

 entiously the poHcy of STOP, LOOK AND LISTEN. 



