ABILITIES NEEDED IN LIFE 647 



courteous? Do we know how to use our speaking voice? Do 

 we cultivate smiles instead of ill temper? Do we have good 

 table manners ? Impressions made on employers are largely based 

 on an estimate of such habits. Much of our life we control, and 

 the formation of habits of industry, alertness, promptness, thor- 

 oughness, orderliness, tolerance, honesty, reliability, and open- 

 mindedness will go far in making for success in life. 



Abilities. Certain natural abilities, tendencies, and instincts 

 dependent oh physical and mental heredity must be considered 

 also in choosing a vocation. Good health is first of all. Certain 

 kinds of work — mining, farming, forestry, stock raising, and 

 many trades — demand a good constitution, if one is to " make 

 good." Persons who become leaders in commercial life must have 

 executive power, system, energy, resourcefulness, and capacity to 

 form sound judgments. Professional life makes demands upon 

 muscles and brain in still another way. Let us examine a few 

 cases to see just what this means. 



Abilities needed for the professions. For the ministry high 

 ideals, faith, sympathy, power in thought and in word, capacity for 

 sacrifice, combined with knowledge acquired from books and 

 people, are essentials. For the medical profession, certain skill of 

 hand and eye which aids in making a delicate dissection, nerve, 

 good eyesight, ability to search for causes and to draw conclu- 

 sions, together with sympathy, tact, and love for the work, are 

 essential to success. For engineering, mathematical and con- 

 structive abilities are outstanding, while a lawyer needs high 

 reasoning powers and ability to deal with men. The teacher 

 should be well educated and, in addition, must love boys and girls. 

 Health, tact, good nature, imagination, inventiveness, and enthu- 

 siasm are some of the qualities which make the successful teacher. 



Abilities needed in commercial life. For all commercial life 

 reliability, promptness, energy, cheerfulness, and high moral 

 character are the basis. Stenographers and clerks need, in addi- 

 tion, special skills which will be increased in practice. If one is 

 to become a manager or a promoter of a business, organizing and 

 executive ability, good judgment, caution, and a knowledge of 

 business affairs are necessary. The business man or woman should 



