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Build A Purpose Bigger Than Yourself | Napoleon Hill — Transcript

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0:02You may acquire everything you once
0:04desired and still discover that you have
0:06given your life to something too small.
0:09A fine house, a comfortable income, a
0:12respected position, and the admiration
0:15of your neighbors may satisfy many
0:17desires, but they cannot answer one
0:19question that every thoughtful man must
0:22eventually face.
0:23What useful difference will your
0:25existence make beyond the satisfaction
0:27of your own wants?
0:29I am not asking you to become
0:31indifferent to money, to neglect your
0:33family, or to apologize for ambition.
0:37I'm asking you to give ambition a
0:39purpose great enough to justify the
0:42strength of your mind.
0:44If your entire plan begins and ends with
0:46what you intend to receive, your
0:48determination will weaken whenever the
0:50reward becomes uncertain.
0:52But when you attach your efforts to a
0:54service that genuinely matters, you
0:57discover reasons to continue that
0:59personal comfort alone cannot provide.
1:02You begin thinking beyond immediate
1:04advantage.
1:05You begin asking what should be built,
1:08improved, protected, or passed forward.
1:11And that question can awaken capacities
1:14that the mere pursuit of applause has
1:16never called into action.
1:18There is a particular poverty that can
1:20exist in the presence of abundant
1:22possessions.
1:23It belongs to the man who has learned
1:25how to acquire,
1:27but has never decided what his
1:29acquisition is meant to serve.
1:31He works to obtain recognition, and when
1:34recognition arrives, he requires more of
1:36it.
1:37He increases his income, then measures
1:40himself against someone wealthier.
1:42He reaches an important position, then
1:45fears the loss of its importance.
1:47His ambition has no destination
1:50because its only command is to obtain
1:53another advantage for himself.
1:56Do not mistake this restlessness for
1:58greatness.
2:00A purpose worthy of your life must
2:01provide direction even when no audience
2:04is watching and no immediate prize is
2:06offered.
2:07It must tell you
2:09what deserves your labor, what
2:10sacrifices are justified, and which
2:12opportunities should be refused.
2:14Without such a purpose, you may become
2:16remarkably successful at acquiring
2:18things that do not satisfy the deeper
2:20demands of your character.
2:22I want you to understand that a purpose
2:25bigger than yourself need not begin with
2:28a grand public undertaking.
2:30A craftsman who determines to produce
2:32work that people can trust has begun
2:35serving something beyond vanity.
2:38A merchant who makes it his business to
2:40provide honest value contributes more
2:42than the movement of money from one
2:44account to another.
2:45A teacher who devotes serious attention
2:47to awakening the abilities of his pupils
2:50works upon consequences that may
2:52continue long after his own labor has
2:54ended. A parent who accepts the
2:56demanding work of raising responsible
2:58children is performing a service whose
3:01value cannot be calculated solely in
3:03wages.
3:04These purposes may appear ordinary to
3:06men who judge importance by titles and
3:08public attention.
3:10But their worth lies in the lives
3:12affected and the standards preserved.
3:15Do not postpone meaningful service until
3:18you become famous.
3:20Begin by improving the usefulness of
3:22what already passes through your hands.
3:25Do not suppose that service requires you
3:27to surrender sound financial judgment.
3:30An enterprise that cannot meet its
3:32obligations will struggle to continue
3:34benefiting customers, employees, and the
3:37community.
3:38A man who gives away resources he has
3:40promised to his family may create a new
3:43injustice while attempting to perform a
3:45good deed.
3:46The desire to contribute must be joined
3:49with competence.
3:50Learn how to earn fairly, preserve
3:53necessary resources, fulfill agreements,
3:56and sustain the work you begin.
3:58Prosperity can be a powerful instrument
4:01when directed toward worthwhile ends.
4:04Money can purchase tools, employ skilled
4:07labor, extend useful services, and
4:10provide security for those who depend
4:12upon you.
4:13There is nothing dishonorable in
4:15desiring substantial wealth.
4:18The question is whether wealth remains
4:20the master of your decisions or becomes
4:23an instrument governed by a definite and
4:25honorable purpose.
4:27The first practical duty is to identify
4:30a need that deserves your abilities.
4:33Do not begin with the impressive
4:34reputation you hope to enjoy.
4:37Begin with a problem you are prepared to
4:39understand.
4:41What work is being performed poorly?
4:44What service could become more reliable?
4:47What useful knowledge is unavailable to
4:49people who need it?
4:51What burden might be reduced through
4:53careful organization or a better method?
4:56>> [music]
4:56>> A definite purpose is not merely an
4:58elevated feeling.
5:00It must find expression in
5:02responsibilities
5:03that can be examined and performed.
5:06If you wish to improve your community,
5:09determine what improvement is possible,
5:11what cooperation it requires, and how
5:13the results may be judged.
5:15If you wish to establish a useful
5:17enterprise, discover who will benefit
5:20and why they would choose the value you
5:22provide. Great language cannot excuse a
5:25vague plan.
5:26Your purpose must descend from
5:29admiration into action.
5:32There is a danger in selecting a purpose
5:34merely because it sounds noble. You may
5:36announce that you intend to transform an
5:39entire industry while possessing little
5:42understanding of its actual
5:43difficulties.
5:45You may promise to improve the lives of
5:47thousands before learning to serve 10
5:49people dependably.
5:51Such declarations can satisfy pride
5:53without producing useful results.
5:56Begin with honest preparation.
5:59Study the field. Listen to people who
6:02experience the problem directly.
6:04Learn from those who have already
6:07attempted a solution.
6:09Identify the limits of your present
6:12resources.
6:13Then undertake a responsibility
6:16proportionate to your knowledge while
6:19preparing for a larger work. This is not
6:22a lowering of ambition.
6:24It is the means by which ambition
6:26becomes credible.
6:28A purpose bigger than yourself should
6:30make you more willing to learn, not more
6:33eager to announce that you already
6:35possess every answer.
6:37I have seen that a clear purpose can
6:40alter the way a man regards difficulty.
6:43When he works only for immediate
6:45personal reward, an obstacle appears as
6:48an interruption of pleasure.
6:51A disappointing result can make the
6:53entire undertaking seem worthless.
6:56But when the work matters to other
6:58people, he has a stronger reason to
7:00investigate the difficulty.
7:02He cannot merely ask whether the task
7:04continues to amuse him.
7:06He must ask whether the need remains and
7:09whether his method can be improved. He
7:11may still discover that a particular
7:13plan is unsound.
7:15He may need to withdraw from a venture
7:18to prevent greater harm.
7:20Yet the larger purpose can survive the
7:23failure of one method. The desire to
7:26provide a useful service may lead him
7:27toward another approach, another
7:29association, or a better application of
7:32the knowledge gained.
7:34Another change occurs when you cease
7:37making personal recognition the chief
7:39reward of your labor.
7:41You become more willing to develop
7:43capable associates.
7:45The insecure man fears anyone whose
7:48abilities may outshine his own.
7:51He withholds information, takes credit
7:54unfairly, and surrounds himself with
7:57people who will never challenge him.
7:59But a man committed to a larger result
8:01understands that the undertaking becomes
8:03stronger when others become more
8:05capable.
8:07He welcomes sound ideas wherever they
8:09arise.
8:11He shares responsibility with those
8:13prepared to carry it.
8:15He gives credit honestly and corrects
8:17mistakes without turning every
8:19disagreement into a contest for
8:21authority.
8:22Such cooperation is not weakness.
8:25It is the intelligent recognition that
8:27worthwhile work often exceeds the
8:29knowledge and strength of one
8:31individual.
8:32Now ask yourself what you would continue
8:34doing if your own prosperity were
8:37already secure.
8:39Not what idle pleasures you would
8:41purchase, but what contribution would
8:43still command your serious interest.
8:46What problem would you wish to solve?
8:49Whose abilities would you seek to
8:51develop? What standard of workmanship or
8:54fairness would you want to preserve?
8:57Your answer may reveal a purpose that
8:59money alone has been unable to describe.
9:03You may discover that you want to build
9:06opportunities for younger men, improve a
9:09neglected trade, establish a dependable
9:12enterprise, or support education that
9:15enlarges human ability.
9:17Such objectives do not eliminate
9:19personal ambition.
9:21They give it a direction that can remain
9:23meaningful after particular financial
9:25goal has been reached.
9:27The average man waits until he has
9:29become successful before asking how
9:31success may be useful.
9:33He tells himself that once he has
9:36acquired enough, he will begin
9:38contributing to something worthwhile.
9:40But, the habits governing his mind do
9:42not automatically change when his income
9:45increases.
9:46If he has practiced measuring every
9:48decision by personal advantage,
9:51greater resources may simply provide
9:53more opportunities to continue the
9:55practice.
9:56Begin enlarging your purpose now.
9:59You may have little money to give,
10:02but you can provide honest service.
10:05You may possess no important office, but
10:07you can teach what you know.
10:09You may lack influence over great
10:11institutions, but you can fulfill your
10:14local responsibilities with greater
10:16care.
10:17The principle must begin operating
10:19before the rewards arrive, or you may
10:22discover that the rewards have become an
10:25excuse for delaying it again.
10:28There is a special kind of courage
10:29required to commit yourself to work
10:32whose full results you may never
10:34witness.
10:35The tree planted today may provide shade
10:38to people you will never meet. A young
10:41person you instruct may apply your
10:43lesson long after the conversation has
10:46been forgotten.
10:48A trustworthy practice you establish may
10:51protect customers who never learn who
10:54first insisted upon it.
10:56A useful purpose teaches you to value
10:58consequences
11:00beyond your personal experience of them.
11:02That is why it can loosen the grip of
11:04vanity and impatience.
11:07Your effort no longer depends entirely
11:10upon immediate evidence that you are
11:11becoming important.
11:13It depends upon whether the work itself
11:15is sound, and whether its benefits
11:18justify continued attention.
11:20You must also decide what you are
11:22willing to refuse for the sake of your
11:25purpose. A tempting arrangement may
11:27offer quick profit while weakening the
11:29trust upon which your work depends.
11:32An impressive position may demand that
11:35you abandon the very service you
11:36intended to provide. A flattering
11:39association may give your name greater
11:41attention, but consume resources needed
11:44for more useful responsibilities.
11:47Without a clear purpose, every
11:48attractive opportunity seems worthy of
11:51pursuit. With one, you possess a
11:54standard for selection.
11:56You can ask whether the proposed
11:58advantage strengthens the work, respects
12:00your obligations, and agrees with your
12:02principles.
12:03The ability to refuse what is impressive
12:06but unsuitable may preserve more
12:08progress than the acceptance of another
12:11opportunity ever could. I want you to
12:14remember that a larger purpose does not
12:16require you to become solemn, joyless,
12:18or indifferent to ordinary happiness.
12:21Satisfaction in honest work is not
12:24selfish. Enjoyment of your family and
12:27the fruits of your labor is not evidence
12:30that your mission is weak. In fact, a
12:32purpose that permanently destroys your
12:34ability to live well may deserve serious
12:37reconsideration.
12:38The object is not to become a servant of
12:41a grand phrase.
12:43It is to direct your abilities toward
12:45something valuable enough to justify
12:47disciplined effort while maintaining the
12:50responsibilities that give your life its
12:52proper balance.
12:54Let the purpose deepen your character
12:56rather than consume it.
12:58Let it make your judgment steadier, your
13:00service more useful, and your conduct
13:03more trustworthy.
13:04And when you have begun to identify such
13:06a purpose, do not expect every person
13:09around you to understand it immediately.
13:11Some will judge your choices by the
13:13money you could have earned elsewhere.
13:15Others will question why you devote
13:17effort to results that bring little
13:19recognition.
13:20Listen when their objections reveal
13:22genuine weaknesses in your plans, but do
13:25not abandon a carefully examined purpose
13:28merely because someone else would choose
13:30a different reward.
13:31You are responsible for deciding what
13:33your life should serve, and you must
13:36also accept the consequences of that
13:38decision.
13:39A large purpose is not an exemption from
13:42ordinary duty.
13:44It is a reason to perform duty with
13:46greater intelligence and conviction.
13:49The question now is whether you will
13:51allow this idea to remain another
13:54attractive belief or give it authority
13:57over your life.
13:58Identify the service, acquire the
14:00knowledge, build the associations, and
14:03begin the work.
14:04>> [music]
14:05>> Improve the plan when facts expose its
14:08weakness, and remain steady when rewards
14:11are delayed.
14:12Above all, stop asking only how much the
14:14world can give you,
14:16and begin asking what your abilities can
14:18contribute to it starting today.
14:21The moment you begin asking what your
14:23abilities can contribute to the world,
14:25you accept a responsibility that reaches
14:28beyond the pursuit of personal
14:30advantage.
14:31You can no longer measure every
14:33opportunity by the money it promises,
14:36the recognition it may bring,
14:38or the comfort it might provide.
14:40You must begin examining the value of
14:43the work itself.
14:44I want you to understand that a great
14:46purpose does not become great because
14:48you describe it in impressive language.
14:51It becomes great through the usefulness
14:53of the service it produces, and the
14:55seriousness with which you undertake its
14:57responsibilities.
14:59A man may announce that he intends to
15:01improve the condition of humanity while
15:03neglecting the needs of the people who
15:05depend upon him.
15:07Another may quietly establish a business
15:10that provides honest employment,
15:11dependable products, and opportunities
15:14for others to develop their abilities.
15:16Which man has demonstrated the greater
15:18purpose?
15:19Do not answer according to the grandeur
15:22of the declaration.
15:23Examine the actual contribution.
15:26The world has no shortage of magnificent
15:29intentions.
15:30What it requires is the intelligent
15:32application of those intentions to
15:35problems that deserve attention.
15:37There is a weakness that prevents many
15:40ambitious men from discovering a purpose
15:42worthy of their abilities.
15:45They are so concerned with becoming
15:47important that they never seriously
15:49consider what makes a contribution
15:51important.
15:53They seek an impressive position before
15:55developing the knowledge necessary to
15:57perform its duties.
15:59They desire influence before identifying
16:01the people who might benefit from that
16:03influence.
16:05They imagine themselves directing great
16:07enterprises while neglecting the
16:09ordinary responsibilities through which
16:11sound leadership is learned.
16:14This is ambition governed by vanity
16:16rather than purpose.
16:18You must reverse the order.
16:20Identify the work that deserves to be
16:22accomplished.
16:23Determine the abilities required.
16:26Then prepare yourself to accept
16:27responsibility for the undertaking.
16:30If recognition eventually follows, let
16:32it follow as a consequence of useful
16:35achievement.
16:36Never make recognition the foundation
16:39upon which the entire undertaking
16:41depends.
16:43The man who requires admiration before
16:45offering his best effort has made his
16:47purpose dependent upon the opinions of
16:50people who may understand very little
16:52about his actual value. I want you to
16:55recognize that a larger purpose will
16:57expose weaknesses that ordinary ambition
17:00may permit you to ignore.
17:02When your objective is merely to obtain
17:04something for yourself, you may regard
17:07your personal satisfaction as the only
17:09standard that matters.
17:11But when your work affects employees,
17:13customers, associates, and families,
17:16careless judgment can impose
17:18consequences upon people who never
17:21participated in your decisions.
17:23You must become more accurate in your
17:25promises, more disciplined in managing
17:28resources, and more willing to examine
17:30mistakes before they develop into
17:32serious difficulties.
17:33A merchant who serves hundreds of
17:35customers cannot permit his enthusiasm
17:37to replace reliable accounts.
17:40A manufacturer responsible for the
17:42safety of his products cannot treat
17:45defective workmanship as an
17:47insignificant inconvenience.
17:50A leader whose decisions influence the
17:52livelihood of others must consider more
17:55than his personal desire for immediate
17:58success.
17:59Purpose enlarges responsibility.
18:03If you are unwilling to accept that
18:05enlargement, you may admire the
18:07appearance of leadership without
18:10possessing the character necessary to
18:12exercise it. There is another truth that
18:15ambitious men must learn.
18:18You cannot establish a purpose bigger
18:20than yourself while insisting that you
18:22remain the most important person within
18:24it.
18:25A worthwhile undertaking
18:27may require abilities that exceed your
18:30own. It may require the judgment of
18:32people who disagree with you, the
18:34experience of associates who understand
18:36matters unfamiliar to you, and the labor
18:39of individuals whose contributions
18:41deserve proper recognition.
18:43If your pride prevents you from
18:45accepting these realities,
18:48your purpose will remain limited by your
18:50personal weaknesses.
18:52Learn to welcome competence wherever it
18:55appears.
18:56Do not become threatened when another
18:58man understands a problem more
19:00thoroughly than you do.
19:01Seek his knowledge.
19:03Give him responsibility appropriate to
19:06his ability.
19:08A great undertaking is not diminished
19:10because its success depends upon
19:12cooperation.
19:13It is strengthened when useful minds and
19:15willing hands are organized toward a
19:17definite objective.
19:19Your duty is to serve the purpose, not
19:22to make the purpose a monument to your
19:24personal importance.
19:26I have observed that many enterprises
19:29fail to develop their full usefulness
19:32because their founders become more
19:34concerned with preserving control than
19:37accomplishing the work. They refuse
19:39valuable advice because accepting it
19:41might suggest that their original
19:43judgment was imperfect. They surround
19:46themselves with agreeable associates
19:49rather than capable ones.
19:51They protect ineffective methods because
19:54those methods were their own invention.
19:56Such behavior reveals that personal
19:59pride has become more important than the
20:02result.
20:03If you intend to build something that
20:05deserves to endure, you must be willing
20:08to distinguish the purpose from your
20:10preferred method of achieving it.
20:12The objective may remain sound while the
20:15plan requires correction.
20:18A capable associate may discover a
20:20better approach.
20:22Changing circumstances may demand a new
20:25arrangement. Accept these developments
20:27without imagining that every adjustment
20:30is an insult to your intelligence.
20:32The man who places a worthy purpose
20:34above personal vanity becomes more
20:37capable of using the knowledge that
20:39cooperation makes available.
20:41But cooperation must rest upon a
20:43definite understanding of
20:45responsibility.
20:46It is not enough to gather several
20:48enthusiastic people and assume that
20:50shared excitement will produce
20:51extraordinary achievement. Each
20:54participant must understand the
20:55objective, the duties involved, and the
20:58standards by which progress will be
21:00examined.
21:02Agreements must be honored.
21:04Contributions must be recognized fairly.
21:08Differences of opinion must be
21:09considered without allowing personal
21:11hostility to destroy useful
21:13relationships.
21:15And when a decision must be made,
21:17someone must accept responsibility for
21:20making it.
21:22A purpose that belongs to everyone in
21:23name, but to no one in practice, may
21:25accomplish very little.
21:27Organize your cooperation intelligently.
21:31Seek associates who bring knowledge,
21:33character, and willingness to work.
21:36Become worthy of their confidence by
21:38fulfilling your own obligations.
21:41When capable people unite their efforts
21:43around an honorable objective,
21:45they may produce results beyond what
21:47isolated ambition could reasonably
21:49achieve.
21:51There is a mistake I want you to avoid
21:52when considering service to others.
21:55Do not confuse service with a continual
21:58surrender of your time to every request
22:00that reaches you.
22:02A man who attempts to satisfy everyone
22:04may eventually become incapable of
22:07fulfilling his most important
22:08responsibilities.
22:10He accepts obligations without examining
22:13his resources.
22:15He gives assurances that exceed his
22:17ability.
22:18He neglects his family or necessary work
22:20because he fears appearing selfish.
22:23Then,
22:24when exhaustion and disappointment
22:26arrive, he begins resenting the very
22:28people he intended to assist.
22:31This is not intelligent service. You
22:34must learn to distinguish between a
22:35responsibility that belongs to your
22:38purpose and a demand that merely seeks
22:41possession of your time.
22:43Give generously where giving is
22:45appropriate, but preserve the resources
22:48necessary to fulfill commitments already
22:51made.
22:52A larger purpose requires direction, not
22:56unlimited availability.
22:58The man who cannot establish reasonable
23:00boundaries may discover that his
23:02willingness to serve has been scattered
23:05among activities that contribute little
23:07to any lasting result.
23:09I
23:10want you to examine the meaning of
23:13sacrifice because the word is frequently
23:15used without sufficient understanding.
23:18A sacrifice is not made valuable merely
23:22because it is painful.
23:24Men sometimes surrender their health,
23:27neglect honorable obligations, or expose
23:29their families to unnecessary hardship
23:32while persuading themselves that
23:33suffering proves the greatness of their
23:35ambition.
23:37But the amount of discomfort endured is
23:39not the proper measure of wisdom.
23:42The important question is whether the
23:44sacrifice contributes reasonably to a
23:46worthwhile objective.
23:48You may need to surrender unnecessary
23:50pleasures to acquire specialized
23:52knowledge.
23:53You may need to delay certain comforts
23:55while establishing financial security
23:58for an enterprise.
23:59You may need to accept criticism when a
24:02necessary decision is unpopular.
24:05Such sacrifices can serve a definite
24:07purpose.
24:08But hardship pursued without judgment
24:11may destroy the very ability through
24:13which your work must be accomplished.
24:15Do not worship suffering.
24:17Direct your sacrifices intelligently and
24:20refuse those that create more harm than
24:23useful progress.
24:24A purpose bigger than yourself
24:27must also possess a clear relationship
24:30with the needs of actual people.
24:33It is easy to speak of improving society
24:36while knowing very little about the
24:37difficulties experienced by those you
24:39intend to serve.
24:41You may imagine that your proposed
24:43service is valuable because the idea
24:46appeals to you.
24:47But genuine usefulness must be examined
24:50through the experiences and requirements
24:52of the people concerned.
24:54Listen before assuming that you
24:56understand. Ask what is missing, what is
24:59unreliable, and what improvement would
25:02make a practical difference.
25:04If you are establishing a business,
25:07discover whether customers truly need
25:09what you propose to offer.
25:11If you are developing an educational
25:13undertaking,
25:14understand the abilities students must
25:17acquire.
25:18If you are improving working conditions,
25:21consider both the needs of employees and
25:24the resources necessary to sustain the
25:26work. Good intentions become useful
25:29through knowledge, and knowledge often
25:31begins with a humility to listen.
25:34There is another danger in building your
25:36purpose upon a problem that you have
25:38never properly investigated.
25:40Enthusiasm may cause you to mistake your
25:44preferred solution for the only
25:46reasonable solution.
25:48You begin investing money and effort
25:49before obtaining sufficient evidence
25:52that your approach will succeed.
25:54When difficulties appear,
25:56you defend the plan because admitting
25:59its weakness would threaten the noble
26:00identity you have attached to it.
26:03Do not permit your purpose to become an
26:05excuse for poor judgment.
26:07The greater the importance of the work,
26:10the more carefully its methods should be
26:12examined.
26:13Test assumptions.
26:15Study costs.
26:16Seek qualified criticism.
26:19Begin at a scale appropriate to your
26:23present means.
26:24Improve the arrangement through
26:26experience.
26:28The purpose of careful planning
26:30is not to weaken conviction.
26:33It is to prevent conviction from
26:35becoming a force that carries you
26:36confidently in the wrong direction.
26:39I want you to understand that the
26:42quality of your contribution is more
26:45important than the number of people who
26:47know about it.
26:48A teacher may influence a few pupils so
26:51effectively that their lives are
26:53permanently enriched.
26:55A craftsman may produce work so
26:57dependable that families trust it for
26:59generations.
27:01A business owner may provide stable
27:02employment and fair treatment without
27:05ever becoming a celebrated public
27:07figure.
27:08These achievements possess value
27:11independently of publicity.
27:13Do not dismiss a useful contribution
27:16because it lacks an impressive audience.
27:19The desire to affect thousands
27:22can become an excuse for neglecting the
27:2410 people presently within your ability
27:26to serve.
27:28Begin with the responsibilities that are
27:30real.
27:32Fulfill them with unusual care.
27:34Then consider whether your method can be
27:37improved or extended. A purpose may
27:40become larger through the quality of its
27:43foundations
27:44rather than the grandeur of its first
27:47announcement. You must also abandon the
27:49notion that every contribution will
27:51produce an immediate reward.
27:53Some services require time before their
27:56value becomes visible.
27:59Education may influence decisions years
28:02after instruction has ended.
28:04Improvements in workmanship may prevent
28:06failures that would otherwise have
28:08occurred without attracting any
28:09attention.
28:10A dependable enterprise may strengthen
28:12its community gradually through repeated
28:15acts of fair dealing. If you demand
28:18public recognition after every useful
28:20action, your commitment will become
28:22uncertain whenever recognition is
28:24absent.
28:25Establish standards that permit you to
28:27judge whether the work itself is sound.
28:30>> [music]
28:30>> Examine results where results can be
28:33measured. Seek criticism that reveals
28:36weaknesses,
28:37but do not make applause the only
28:39evidence that your purpose deserves
28:42continued effort.
28:43The most important consequences of
28:45honorable service are not always the
28:47most immediately visible.
28:49There is an important relationship
28:51between purpose and persistence.
28:54When a man works exclusively for
28:56personal comfort,
28:58difficulty may persuade him that the
29:00reward is no longer worth the effort.
29:03But when he believes that his work
29:04answers a genuine need, he possesses
29:07another reason to continue investigating
29:09possible solutions.
29:11This does not mean that a noble
29:13objective justifies endless expenditure
29:16upon a failing method.
29:18Persistence must remain intelligent.
29:21If the undertaking cannot be sustained,
29:24revise it.
29:26If the service is no longer needed,
29:29direct your abilities elsewhere.
29:31If your resources are insufficient,
29:34consider a smaller beginning or better
29:36cooperation.
29:38What should endure is your commitment to
29:40creating value, not your attachment to
29:43every original assumption.
29:45Purpose gives persistence direction,
29:48while judgment determines how that
29:49persistence should be employed. The man
29:52who understands this distinction can
29:53endure temporary disappointment without
29:56surrendering the entire meaning of his
29:58work.
29:59A proposed enterprise may fail to
30:01attract sufficient customers.
30:03>> [music]
30:04>> An educational effort may produce weaker
30:06results than anticipated.
30:09A cooperative undertaking may encounter
30:11disagreements that make its original
30:13arrangement impossible.
30:15These experiences deserve honest
30:18examination.
30:19Do not pretend that every setback
30:22contains a hidden guarantee of eventual
30:25success.
30:26Some failures expose objectives that
30:28must be reconsidered.
30:30Others reveal methods requiring
30:33improvement. Learn the difference.
30:36Preserve whatever knowledge the
30:37experience provides, and use it in
30:39deciding what should follow.
30:42The value of a purpose lies partly in
30:44its ability to direct learning and
30:46effort beyond one unsuccessful attempt,
30:49but only when the continued effort
30:51remains connected with practical
30:53reality.
30:54I have observed that men who pursue only
30:57personal advantage often become
30:59impatient with the success of others.
31:02Another man's prosperity appears to
31:04threaten their importance.
31:06Another man's superior ability becomes a
31:09reason for resentment.
31:11But a purpose directed toward useful
31:13contribution changes the significance of
31:16another person's achievement. If your
31:18objective is to improve a particular
31:20service,
31:22the discovery of a better method by
31:23another person may benefit the very
31:25people you intended to serve.
31:28If your purpose is to develop capable
31:30individuals, the success of those
31:33individuals becomes evidence that your
31:35efforts have contributed something
31:37worthwhile.
31:38You need not abandon fair competition or
31:42surrender legitimate business interests,
31:45but you can learn to distinguish between
31:47protecting your enterprise and resenting
31:50progress merely because someone else
31:53produced it.
31:54The larger your purpose, the less reason
31:57you have to make every achievement a
31:58contest for personal superiority.
32:01Now consider the difference between
32:03influence and importance.
32:06A man may occupy an impressive position
32:09and possess little beneficial influence
32:12beyond the authority of his title.
32:14Another may hold no distinguished
32:16office, yet influence the judgment,
32:18character, and opportunities of people
32:20who trust him.
32:22Which has greater value?
32:24The answer depends upon the service
32:26rendered, not merely upon public rank.
32:29If you seek influence, become worthy of
32:32confidence.
32:34Keep your agreements.
32:36Improve your knowledge.
32:38Demonstrate fairness in the decisions
32:40placed within your control.
32:42Be willing to accept responsibility when
32:45conditions become difficult.
32:47Influence acquired through useful
32:49conduct often possesses greater
32:51substance than influence demanded
32:54through position alone.
32:56Do not waste your strength attempting to
32:58appear important.
33:00Use it to become valuable to the people
33:02and purposes that deserve your
33:04attention.
33:05There is also a danger in believing that
33:07a great purpose permits you to neglect
33:09the people closest to you.
33:11A man becomes so absorbed in his mission
33:15that he treats ordinary family
33:17responsibilities as interruptions.
33:20He promises that once his undertaking
33:21succeeds, he will repair the
33:24relationships weakened by years of
33:25neglect. But time cannot always be
33:28recovered through later generosity.
33:32A noble public objective does not
33:34automatically excuse dishonorable
33:37private conduct. Examine your
33:39obligations before undertaking
33:41sacrifices on behalf of a larger cause.
33:45Consider what your family requires, what
33:47agreements you have made, and what
33:49support is necessary for the people who
33:51depend upon you.
33:52There may be seasons when demanding work
33:54calls for unusual effort, but that
33:57effort should be discussed and organized
33:58responsibly. A purpose that seeks to
34:01improve the lives of strangers while
34:03carelessly damaging the lives entrusted
34:06to your immediate responsibility
34:08deserves serious correction.
34:11Do not become discouraged by the fact
34:14that your resources may be limited.
34:16A man with modest means can still
34:19establish habits of useful contribution.
34:22He can become dependable in his
34:23occupation.
34:25He can share specialized knowledge with
34:27someone prepared to learn.
34:29He can correct unfair practices within
34:32the authority he possesses.
34:34He can improve the quality of service
34:36offered by a small enterprise.
34:38These actions may not attract great
34:40attention,
34:42but they make the principle practical.
34:44The size of your contribution may
34:46increase as your abilities and resources
34:49develop.
34:50Yet, you must not assume that a small
34:53contribution lacks value.
34:55The proper question is whether it is
34:57honest, useful, and responsibly
35:00performed.
35:01Begin with what you can sustain, and
35:04enlarge the work only when experience
35:06provides reasonable grounds for doing
35:08so.
35:09I want you to recognize another obstacle
35:13that may appear as your purpose
35:15develops.
35:16You may begin identifying yourself so
35:18completely with the undertaking that any
35:21criticism of the work feels like
35:23criticism of your worth.
35:25You defend plans that should be
35:26improved. You reject information that
35:29contradicts your expectations.
35:31You grow resentful toward those who
35:33point out weaknesses, even when their
35:35observations are accurate.
35:38Such reactions can damage a valuable
35:41purpose.
35:42Learn to separate your personal dignity
35:44from the success of a particular method.
35:47You may be an honorable and capable
35:49individual whose first plan is
35:52ineffective.
35:53You may possess sincere intentions while
35:56misunderstanding an important condition.
35:59Accept correction without surrendering
36:02self-respect.
36:03>> [music]
36:03>> The man who can revise his work without
36:05treating revision as humiliation becomes
36:09better equipped to accomplish a purpose
36:11larger than personal pride.
36:13Your purpose should also influence the
36:15way you handle prosperity when it
36:17arrives.
36:18If your enterprise becomes profitable,
36:21determine how those resources can
36:23strengthen its usefulness and security.
36:26Provide fair compensation where
36:29compensation is due.
36:31Maintain the quality of your service.
36:35Establish reasonable reserves.
36:38Invest in abilities and equipment that
36:40improve what you can provide. You may
36:43also enjoy the rewards of your labor.
36:46And you need not apologize for doing so
36:48honorably.
36:49But remain aware that prosperity can
36:52introduce temptations that were less
36:54powerful during the struggle.
36:55>> [music]
36:56>> You may become attracted to impressive
36:58appearances, careless expansion, or
37:00personal privileges that weaken the
37:02foundation of the undertaking.
37:04Let your original purpose remain a
37:06standard against which new opportunities
37:08are examined. Increased resources should
37:11enlarge your capacity for wise
37:14decisions, not remove the necessity for
37:17making them. There's a distinction
37:19between generosity and the desire to
37:21purchase admiration.
37:23A man may contribute publicly because he
37:26sincerely wishes to support a worthwhile
37:29cause.
37:30Another may make the same contribution
37:32chiefly because he expects recognition.
37:35The action may produce some benefit in
37:37either case, but the motives can
37:39influence what follows.
37:41If applause is the principal reward,
37:44generosity may disappear when attention
37:47diminishes.
37:48If service is the purpose, the man may
37:50continue contributing within his means
37:53even when no public credit is available.
37:56Examine your motives without becoming
37:59unnecessarily suspicious of every good
38:01intention.
38:02Recognition can help attract support to
38:04a worthy undertaking. And there is
38:07nothing inherently wrong with
38:08acknowledging contributions.
38:11But do not make the survival of your
38:13purpose depend upon the continuous
38:15satisfaction of your vanity.
38:17You must also become capable of
38:20measuring achievement through standards
38:23other than personal wealth. Consider the
38:25opportunities your enterprise has
38:27created for others,
38:29the reliability of your service, the
38:31improvement of skills among your
38:33associates,
38:34and the responsibilities you have
38:35fulfilled without compromising your
38:38principles.
38:39These are not excuses for financial
38:43carelessness.
38:44A business must still examine its
38:47accounts, and a useful undertaking must
38:49remain capable of meeting its
38:51obligations.
38:53But financial success alone does not
38:55provide a complete account of
38:57achievement.
38:58An enterprise can become profitable
39:00while treating people unfairly or
39:02providing inferior value.
39:05Another may earn modest returns while
39:07building a dependable service that meets
39:09an important need.
39:11Judge the complete result.
39:14Wealth is a valuable instrument, but it
39:16cannot by itself establish the worth of
39:18every method through which it was
39:20obtained.
39:21I want you to consider what would happen
39:24if your work continued after your
39:26personal participation ended.
39:28Would its usefulness disappear because
39:30every decision depended upon your
39:32presence?
39:34Would its standards collapse because
39:35nobody else understood the principles
39:37that governed it? Would capable
39:39associates remain unprepared to assume
39:42responsibility because you feared
39:43allowing them to develop independence?
39:46If your purpose genuinely reaches beyond
39:48yourself, you must eventually consider
39:51how its value can endure beyond your
39:54direct supervision.
39:56Document useful methods.
39:58Train responsible people.
40:01Establish fair and understandable
40:03procedures.
40:04Share knowledge that others will need.
40:07Do not confuse making yourself
40:08indispensable with building something
40:10strong.
40:12An enterprise that depends permanently
40:14upon one man's attention may remain
40:16limited by his capacity.
40:18A sound system can allow useful work to
40:23continue through the abilities of
40:24others.
40:25There is great satisfaction in helping
40:28another individual become more capable,
40:30but you must approach that
40:31responsibility without attempting to
40:34control his entire future.
40:37A teacher may provide knowledge, but the
40:40student must eventually exercise
40:42independent judgment.
40:44An employer may create opportunity, but
40:47the employee must develop his own
40:48abilities and ambitions.
40:51A parent may offer guidance, but the
40:53child must gradually learn to accept
40:55responsibility.
40:57The object of useful influence is not to
41:00make others permanently dependent upon
41:02your decisions.
41:03It is to strengthen their capacity to
41:06make wise decisions of their own.
41:08When you develop people who can
41:10eventually surpass your personal
41:12abilities,
41:13you have not necessarily diminished your
41:15importance.
41:16You may have demonstrated that your
41:18purpose was genuinely concerned with
41:21their growth, rather than merely with
41:23preserving your authority.
41:25You must also accept that not every
41:26person will understand or support the
41:28work you have chosen.
41:30Some will question its practical value.
41:33Others will prefer that you direct your
41:36abilities toward more immediately
41:38profitable undertakings.
41:40A few may criticize your motives
41:43regardless of what you accomplish.
41:45Listen when criticism supplies useful
41:48information.
41:49Examine financial objections, practical
41:52difficulties, and warnings concerning
41:54your methods,
41:55but do not abandon a worthy objective
41:58simply because it does not satisfy
42:01another man's preferences.
42:03The purpose is yours to examine,
42:05and the responsibility for pursuing it
42:07remains yours.
42:09Independence of judgment requires the
42:11courage to accept reasonable criticism
42:14without surrendering to every opinion.
42:17It also requires humility sufficient to
42:19recognize when criticism reveals a
42:22problem that your enthusiasm has
42:25overlooked. There is another test that
42:28every larger purpose must eventually
42:30face.
42:31What will you do when fulfilling it
42:33requires work that carries no prestige?
42:37You may need to examine routine records,
42:39correct small errors, attend to
42:41difficult complaints, or perform duties
42:44that could easily be assigned to someone
42:46else, but presently require your
42:48attention.
42:50The man who serves only the impressive
42:53portions of his mission has not accepted
42:56the whole responsibility.
42:58Important undertakings are sustained
43:00through ordinary details.
43:02A school depends upon more than inspired
43:06instruction.
43:07A business depends upon more than an
43:10attractive idea.
43:12A charitable effort depends upon more
43:15than generous declarations.
43:17Each requires organization, reliability,
43:21and continuing attention to practical
43:23matters.
43:24>> [music]
43:24>> If your purpose is worthy of your
43:26ambition, it must also be worthy of your
43:30patience with the duties that make it
43:31possible.
43:33I want you to stop believing that
43:36meaningful work must always produce an
43:38extraordinary feeling.
43:41There will be mornings when your purpose
43:43seems distant and the responsibilities
43:45before you appear ordinary.
43:48There will be seasons when progress is
43:50slow, financial concerns demand
43:52attention, and the people you intend to
43:54serve appear indifferent. Such
43:57conditions do not automatically make the
43:59purpose unworthy.
44:01Examine whether the need remains,
44:03whether your methods are sound, and
44:05whether continued effort is justified.
44:08If it is, fulfill the necessary work
44:11without demanding that every hour
44:13provide inspiration.
44:15A serious purpose must be capable of
44:18directing conduct through ordinary days.
44:21Otherwise, it remains an emotion rather
44:25than a governing commitment. You should
44:27now begin to see why a purpose bigger
44:29than yourself can strengthen ambition
44:32without making you a servant of endless
44:35desire.
44:36It gives your efforts a reason beyond
44:38immediate reward.
44:40It encourages you to develop knowledge
44:42because that knowledge may become useful
44:44to others.
44:45It makes cooperation more attractive
44:48because the result matters more than
44:50personal credit.
44:52It encourages careful planning because
44:54failure may affect people who depend
44:56upon the work.
44:58And it provides a standard for deciding
45:01when an opportunity deserves your
45:03attention.
45:05These advantages do not guarantee
45:07success, but they can bring greater
45:09unity to your thinking and conduct. A
45:12man who understands what his work is
45:14meant to accomplish is better prepared
45:16to organize his resources around the
45:18requirements of that objective.
45:20But do not mistake the discovery of a
45:22worthy purpose for the completion of
45:24your responsibility.
45:26You must still act. A man can spend
45:29years speaking about service,
45:31leadership, and contribution while
45:34producing very little of practical
45:36value.
45:37He may become so impressed with the
45:40nobility of his intentions that he
45:43neglects the ordinary work necessary to
45:45fulfill them.
45:47Refuse that deception.
45:49Establish definite objectives.
45:52Determine the resources required.
45:55Identify the people whose knowledge may
45:57improve the undertaking.
46:00Examine progress through facts rather
46:02than flattering impressions. Correct
46:05what fails. Preserve what proves useful.
46:09Your purpose becomes real to the extent
46:11that it influences what you do, not
46:14merely what you believe. And remember
46:16that no worthy purpose gives you
46:18ownership over the lives of those you
46:20intend to help. You may provide
46:22opportunity, instruction, and
46:24encouragement, but others retain their
46:27own responsibilities and choices.
46:29Do not become resentful when they select
46:32a course different from the one you
46:34would have chosen. Do not make
46:36generosity a means of demanding
46:39obedience.
46:40Do not confuse leadership with a desire
46:43to control. The purpose of genuine
46:45service is to create value while
46:48respecting the dignity and independence
46:50of the people concerned. If your
46:53ambition begins requiring constant
46:55submission from others, examine whether
46:58your original purpose has been displaced
47:01by the pursuit of personal power. The
47:03larger your undertaking becomes, the
47:06more carefully you must preserve this
47:07distinction.
47:09Influence can tempt a man to believe
47:12that every disagreement threatens his
47:14mission. Wealth can persuade him that
47:17his judgment deserves automatic
47:19acceptance.
47:20Public recognition can make correction
47:23feel humiliating.
47:25These are dangers that must be met
47:27through continued self-examination.
47:29Ask whether your methods remain fair.
47:32Ask whether capable associates can
47:34express honest disagreement. Ask whether
47:38the people you serve are receiving the
47:40value you intended to provide. And ask
47:43whether your personal desire for
47:45importance has begun overshadowing the
47:47original purpose.
47:49Such questions may be uncomfortable, but
47:52they protect an undertaking from
47:54weaknesses that success itself can
47:56introduce.
47:58I want you to carry one important
47:59principle into every decision that
48:01follows.
48:02The value of your life cannot be
48:04determined entirely by what you obtain
48:07for yourself.
48:08Your abilities become more useful when
48:10they are directed toward work that
48:12answers a genuine need.
48:14Your influence becomes more honorable
48:16when it develops the capacities of
48:18others.
48:19Your wealth becomes more meaningful when
48:21it supports responsibilities and
48:23opportunities worthy of its use.
48:26None of these things requires you to
48:28abandon personal ambition.
48:31They require you to give ambition an
48:33objective that extends beyond personal
48:36satisfaction.
48:37And when you have accepted that
48:39responsibility,
48:41you will face a question more demanding
48:44than the desire to become successful.
48:46You must decide whether you are prepared
48:48to build something whose value does not
48:50depend entirely upon your name, your
48:53applause, or even your continued
48:55presence.
48:56You must be willing to develop people
48:58who may receive recognition you never
49:00receive, to establish standards whose
49:02benefits may become visible long after
49:05your own labor has ended, and to give
49:07your best effort to work that cannot
49:10always repay you immediately.
49:12For the highest test of a purpose bigger
49:14than yourself is not whether it makes
49:16you important while you are pursuing it,
49:18but whether the good it creates remains
49:21valuable even when your personal
49:22importance is no longer part of the
49:24consideration.
49:25The moment your purpose becomes more
49:28important than your name, you enter a
49:30different kind of struggle.
49:32You must learn to work for a result that
49:34may not carry your signature.
49:37You must become willing to teach another
49:39man what you know, even when he may use
49:42that knowledge to accomplish something
49:44greater than you have accomplished. You
49:46must accept that an enterprise worthy of
49:49preservation cannot depend forever upon
49:52your personal attention.
49:54I want you to understand this clearly.
49:58The desire to be remembered is not the
50:00same as the desire to be useful.
50:04One asks whether people will continue
50:05speaking about you.
50:07The other asks whether something
50:08valuable will continue serving them.
50:11Build for usefulness first.
50:14If recognition follows, receive it
50:15without allowing it to become the master
50:17of your decisions.
50:19If recognition never arrives, let the
50:21work still possess the value that
50:23justified your effort.
50:25Most men do not fail because they
50:28possess no ambition.
50:30>> [music]
50:30>> They fail to give ambition a destination
50:33beyond themselves.
50:35They want greater income because income
50:37will distinguish them from their
50:39neighbors.
50:40They want authority because authority
50:43will make others listen.
50:44They want influence because influence
50:47promises the satisfaction of being
50:49considered important.
50:51None of these desires gives a man
50:53sufficient guidance when he must choose
50:55between profitable convenience and
50:58lasting benefit.
50:59A purpose that reaches beyond yourself
51:02introduces another standard.
51:05Will this decision strengthen the
51:07service? Will it protect the confidence
51:10of those who depend upon the
51:11undertaking?
51:12Will it develop something that remains
51:14useful when the first reward has been
51:17spent?
51:18These questions do not eliminate
51:20financial judgment. They prevent
51:23financial reward from becoming the only
51:25judgment you are capable of making.
51:28Consider the man who establishes a
51:30workshop and teaches a young apprentice
51:32his trade.
51:33He may conceal his finest methods
51:36fearing that the apprentice will someday
51:38become a competitor.
51:40He may reserve every important task for
51:42himself because he wishes to remain
51:45indispensable.
51:47For a
51:48these precautions may preserve his
51:50superiority.
51:51But, they also place a limit upon the
51:54quality and reach of his work.
51:56The workshop cannot develop beyond the
51:58strength of one pair of hands,
52:00and the apprentice cannot become capable
52:03enough to accept greater responsibility.
52:06Another master teaches carefully,
52:08expects excellent workmanship, and
52:11gradually entrusts more demanding duties
52:13to those who have earned his confidence.
52:15He risks seeing a pupil surpass him.
52:18Yet, he also creates the possibility
52:21that the standard he established will
52:23survive him.
52:24Decide which result deserves your
52:27ambition.
52:28There's an important sacrifice hidden
52:30within this practice.
52:32You must become willing to lose the
52:34pleasure of being needed for every
52:35decision.
52:37Many men call themselves servants of a
52:39cause, while arranging the cause so that
52:41nothing can occur without their
52:43approval.
52:44They enjoy being consulted, praised, and
52:47obeyed.
52:48They fear that uh capable associates
52:51will diminish their importance.
52:54But, an enterprise that cannot operate
52:55in the temporary absence of its founder
52:58has not yet acquired the strength he
52:59imagines.
53:01Establish clear principles.
53:04Develop dependable methods.
53:08Allow others to exercise judgment within
53:10their responsibilities.
53:12Correct errors without making every
53:14correction an exhibition of personal
53:17power.
53:18Your purpose should gain strength as
53:20others become more capable, not become
53:22weaker whenever your attention is
53:24directed elsewhere.
53:26I want you to examine what you intend to
53:29leave behind.
53:30Do not answer merely with the amount of
53:32property you hope your heirs will
53:34receive.
53:35Property may be useful, but without
53:37judgment, it can be wasted. A business
53:40may be inherited, but without competence
53:43it can decline.
53:44A respected name may open a door, but it
53:48cannot perform the duties waiting beyond
53:51that door.
53:52What knowledge are you preserving?
53:55What habits are you demonstrating?
53:57What opportunities are you creating for
53:59others to learn how to serve
54:01intelligently?
54:03What standards will remain when you are
54:05no longer present to enforce them?
54:07The real value of a legacy is not simply
54:10that something passes from your
54:11possession into another's.
54:14It is that what passes forward has been
54:16made capable of doing continuing good.
54:20Some men are attracted to large purposes
54:23because large purposes sound heroic.
54:26They imagine monumental buildings, great
54:29institutions, and names repeated through
54:32history.
54:33But the desire for magnificence can
54:35distract a man from the needs before
54:36him.
54:37A community may require reliable work
54:40more urgently than a splendid monument.
54:43A young person may need honest
54:45instruction more than an inspiring
54:47speech.
54:48A family may need stable employment more
54:51than a ceremony praising a benefactor.
54:54Examine the need before selecting the
54:56display.
54:57If a modest undertaking serves people
55:00well,
55:01do not despise it because it lacks
55:03grandeur.
55:04If a larger undertaking can be sustained
55:08and will provide greater value, examine
55:11it carefully and proceed.
55:13The size of the purpose should be
55:15determined by the useful result it can
55:17responsibly produce, not by the size of
55:21the admiration it might attract.
55:23I ask you to distinguish a bold decision
55:26from a reckless one.
55:28Boldness recognizes a worthwhile
55:30opportunity, examines the possible
55:33consequences, and acts despite
55:35reasonable uncertainty.
55:37Recklessness treats uncertainty as a
55:40reason to abandon examination.
55:43It may endanger resources entrusted to
55:45your care while permitting you to feel
55:48courageous.
55:49When other people will carry part of the
55:52loss, you have a special duty to
55:54consider the risk. Do not gamble with
55:57their welfare merely to demonstrate the
56:00intensity of your faith in an idea.
56:03Begin at a scale that permits
56:04responsible learning.
56:06Test your assumptions.
56:08Seek knowledgeable advice.
56:11If the evidence supports expansion,
56:14expand intelligently.
56:16If it exposes a fatal weakness, correct
56:19the undertaking or withdraw.
56:22Your courage should serve the purpose,
56:24never the vanity of appearing fearless.
56:28A larger purpose will sometimes demand
56:30that you speak an unwelcome truth.
56:33An associate may be performing poorly.
56:35A plan may no longer be sustainable.
56:38A promising project may have consumed
56:41resources without producing the service
56:44for which those resources were intended.
56:47The easiest course may be silence,
56:49especially when everyone has invested
56:52pride in the undertaking.
56:54But silence can become a costly form of
56:57disloyalty.
56:58Present the facts accurately.
57:00Distinguish a temporary difficulty from
57:02a fundamental defect. Invite
57:05constructive examination.
57:07Do not humiliate those who made an
57:09honest mistake.
57:11But do not permit affection or
57:12embarrassment to conceal what must be
57:15corrected.
57:16Loyalty to the purpose may require you
57:19to challenge the very method you once
57:21defended. Do not suppose that agreement
57:24among your associates is sufficient
57:26evidence that your course is right.
57:28People may agree because they respect
57:31you, because they fear offending you, or
57:34because everyone has become attached to
57:37the same untested assumption.
57:40Encourage honest questions before costly
57:43decisions are made. Give a capable
57:45critic the opportunity to expose what
57:48enthusiasm has overlooked. Listen
57:51without demanding flattery.
57:53A leader who can hear unwelcome evidence
57:56without anger becomes better equipped to
57:59protect the undertaking.
58:01You are not required to accept every
58:03objection,
58:05and endless discussion can prevent
58:07necessary action.
58:09But, a decision becomes stronger when it
58:12has survived fair examination.
58:15Build a circle of cooperation in which
58:17truth is more valuable than the pleasure
58:19of constant agreement. There's another
58:22danger in placing your life in the
58:24service of a worthy objective.
58:27You may begin to believe that the
58:28objective excuses neglect of every other
58:31duty.
58:32You tell yourself that your family must
58:34endure endless absence,
58:37that your health may be treated as
58:38expendable, or that promises made
58:41outside the enterprise no longer deserve
58:43attention.
58:44Be careful.
58:46The greatness of one responsibility does
58:48not automatically cancel the others.
58:51Consider what you owe to those who
58:53depend upon you.
58:55Arrange demanding seasons with honesty.
58:58Protect the strength necessary to
59:01continue working usefully.
59:03When obligations conflict, examine them
59:05according to their urgency and
59:07legitimacy, rather than merely according
59:10to which one offers the greatest public
59:12distinction.
59:14A purpose that improves many lives while
59:16needlessly damaging those nearest to you
59:19requires better judgment, not more
59:21praise.
59:22The best purposes also require an honest
59:24understanding of their limits.
59:26You cannot relieve every hardship,
59:29instruct every student, or solve every
59:31problem that deserves attention.
59:34If you attempt to do so, your resources
59:36may be scattered until no undertaking
59:39receives sufficient care.
59:41Select the field in which your
59:42abilities, knowledge, and circumstances
59:45offer a reasonable opportunity for
59:47useful work. Commit yourself to specific
59:50duties.
59:52Learn what can be achieved and what must
59:54remain beyond your present capacity.
59:57Cooperate with others whose work
59:59addresses different needs.
1:00:02The recognition that you cannot
1:00:03accomplish everything is not an argument
1:00:05for accomplishing nothing.
1:00:07It is a reason to direct your effort
1:00:09where it may produce its greatest value.
1:00:11There will be seasons when your
1:00:13contribution appears small.
1:00:15You may spend months correcting details,
1:00:18training associates, or maintaining a
1:00:20service that offers little excitement.
1:00:23Do not demand that every period of work
1:00:25provide the sensation of historical
1:00:28importance.
1:00:29A useful institution is preserved
1:00:31through thousands of duties that seldom
1:00:33attract admiration.
1:00:35Records must be kept. Materials must be
1:00:38examined.
1:00:40People must be heard.
1:00:42Agreements must be fulfilled. If you
1:00:46refuse these tasks because they are
1:00:48ordinary, your purpose has become an
1:00:50ornament rather than an obligation.
1:00:53The man who serves a worthy mission
1:00:55faithfully must learn to respect the
1:00:57duties through which the mission remains
1:00:59practical.
1:01:00His seriousness is revealed not merely
1:01:02by the grandeur of his ideas,
1:01:05but by his willingness to perform
1:01:07necessary work when the grandeur is
1:01:09absent.
1:01:10You should also prepare yourself for
1:01:12ingratitude.
1:01:14Some people who benefit from your effort
1:01:16will never recognize the sacrifice it
1:01:18required.
1:01:19Others may criticize the very service
1:01:22from which they have gained.
1:01:24Still others may forget your
1:01:25contribution as soon as their immediate
1:01:27need has passed.
1:01:29Do not let resentment make gratitude the
1:01:31hidden price of your assistance.
1:01:34You have a right to proper compensation
1:01:36where compensation is part of the
1:01:38agreement, and you have a right to
1:01:40defend yourself against unfair
1:01:41treatment.
1:01:43But appreciation cannot be compelled. If
1:01:47you make it the foundation of your
1:01:48purpose, the first season of
1:01:50indifference may destroy your resolve.
1:01:53Let useful results and sound obligations
1:01:56guide your work. Receive thanks when it
1:01:59comes,
1:02:00but do not make your character dependent
1:02:02upon receiving it.
1:02:04A purpose bigger than yourself can also
1:02:06change the meaning of wealth.
1:02:08Money becomes more than a means of
1:02:10buying comfort or establishing status.
1:02:14It can become capital for useful
1:02:16employment, better workmanship,
1:02:18instruction, and opportunities that
1:02:20extend beyond your own household.
1:02:22But never permit this possibility to
1:02:25make you careless in acquiring or
1:02:27distributing it.
1:02:29Wealth obtained through exploitation
1:02:31does not become honorable merely because
1:02:33a portion is later given away.
1:02:36Nor does indiscriminate generosity
1:02:38guarantee lasting benefit. Earn through
1:02:42fair exchange. Investigate the results
1:02:44of what you support.
1:02:46Give within responsible means.
1:02:49Invest where value can be sustained.
1:02:52And remember that your own security and
1:02:55the welfare of your dependents are
1:02:57legitimate considerations.
1:02:59Wise service requires a sound foundation
1:03:02beneath generous intentions.
1:03:05You must decide how to recognize
1:03:07progress when the ultimate objective
1:03:10remains distant.
1:03:12Do not measure only the number of
1:03:13speeches delivered, buildings opened, or
1:03:16public honors received. Examine whether
1:03:19the people served are receiving genuine
1:03:21benefit. Are students gaining useful
1:03:25understanding?
1:03:26Are customers receiving dependable
1:03:29value? Are employees becoming more
1:03:32capable?
1:03:33Are promised obligations being met?
1:03:37Is the undertaking sufficiently sound to
1:03:40continue without constant emergency?
1:03:43These are less glamorous questions than
1:03:46the announcement of a magnificent
1:03:48vision, but they reveal whether the
1:03:50vision has begun to take practical form.
1:03:53If the answers are disappointing, let
1:03:56them lead to correction. A noble phrase
1:03:59cannot substitute for an honest result.
1:04:02And now consider the question of your
1:04:05own satisfaction. It is possible to
1:04:07become so devoted to future usefulness
1:04:10that you refuse to recognize the value
1:04:12of what has already been accomplished.
1:04:14You imagine that only the final,
1:04:17greatest result will justify your life.
1:04:20Each smaller achievement is dismissed as
1:04:22insufficient. This attitude can turn an
1:04:25honorable purpose into endless
1:04:27self-punishment. Learn to appreciate
1:04:30sound progress without surrendering
1:04:32ambition.
1:04:33Acknowledge the apprentice who has
1:04:35mastered his craft, the family whose
1:04:38condition has improved, the service that
1:04:41has become more dependable.
1:04:43These results may not complete your
1:04:45purpose, but they give you reasons to
1:04:47continue intelligently. Gratitude for
1:04:50actual progress and determination for
1:04:53further improvement are not enemies.
1:04:56They can strengthen one another when
1:04:58held in proper balance.
1:05:00I have spoken of legacy, but do not
1:05:03allow the idea of being remembered to
1:05:05become another form of vanity. Your name
1:05:08may eventually be forgotten even if the
1:05:09consequences of your work remain
1:05:11valuable.
1:05:12A method you developed may be improved
1:05:15by people who never learn its origin.
1:05:18Someone you instructed may pass that
1:05:21knowledge to another generation without
1:05:24mentioning you.
1:05:25>> [music]
1:05:25>> A fair practice may become so ordinary
1:05:28that nobody remembers who first insisted
1:05:30upon it.
1:05:31Would the disappearance of your name
1:05:33make those results worthless?
1:05:35Certainly not.
1:05:37If you can accept that truth, your
1:05:39purpose has begun escaping the narrow
1:05:41limits of personal recognition.
1:05:44You are no longer attempting to make the
1:05:45future continually applaud the past.
1:05:49You are attempting to make the future
1:05:51better equipped to meet its
1:05:52responsibilities.
1:05:54There is a kind of courage in building
1:05:56for people whose faces you may never
1:05:58see.
1:05:59You must act upon reasonable evidence
1:06:01that the work is useful without
1:06:03expecting to witness every consequence.
1:06:05Yet, you must not hide behind distant
1:06:08promises to excuse failures in the
1:06:10present.
1:06:11A proposed benefit for future
1:06:13generations does not justify dishonesty
1:06:17toward people living now.
1:06:19An imagined improvement tomorrow does
1:06:21not automatically excuse avoidable harm
1:06:23today.
1:06:24Your larger purpose must respect both
1:06:27present duties and future hopes.
1:06:29Examine costs as well as benefits.
1:06:32Protect those affected by your methods.
1:06:35Revise your plans when the damage
1:06:37becomes greater than the good reasonably
1:06:39expected. Real service is not a
1:06:42magnificent end used to pardon every
1:06:45means.
1:06:46It is a continuous obligation to
1:06:48exercise judgment and principle
1:06:50throughout the undertaking.
1:06:52Ask yourself now what you wish your
1:06:55associates to have learned from working
1:06:57beside you.
1:06:58That a powerful man must always receive
1:07:00the credit?
1:07:01That ambition excuses broken promises?
1:07:05That success belongs to whoever can
1:07:07dominate the weakest
1:07:09or that serious work can be joined with
1:07:11fairness, accuracy, courage, and useful
1:07:14cooperation.
1:07:16Your example is part of what your
1:07:18purpose leaves behind.
1:07:20You cannot teach responsibility
1:07:22persuasively while habitually evading
1:07:25your own.
1:07:26You cannot build trust through speeches
1:07:28while secretly making agreements you do
1:07:31not intend to honor.
1:07:33Let your conduct instruct as clearly as
1:07:35your words.
1:07:37The people who work with you should have
1:07:39grounds to become more capable and more
1:07:41dependable because of the standards you
1:07:44maintain.
1:07:45I want you to understand that your
1:07:47purpose may change its outward form as
1:07:51your knowledge improves.
1:07:53You may begin with one service and
1:07:55discover that another meets the need
1:07:57more effectively.
1:07:59You may enter a trade expecting to build
1:08:01a large enterprise and later recognize
1:08:03that teaching its methods would produce
1:08:06a greater contribution.
1:08:07You may establish an institution and
1:08:10eventually find that capable successors
1:08:12can lead it better than you can.
1:08:14Do not fear such discoveries.
1:08:17A purpose is not made sincere
1:08:20by refusing every alteration.
1:08:23It is made sincere by continuing to seek
1:08:26the useful result with honest judgment.
1:08:29Preserve the governing principle while
1:08:31allowing experience to improve the
1:08:33method. The man who cannot change his
1:08:35plan may be serving his pride more
1:08:37faithfully than his mission.
1:08:39There will also come a time when you
1:08:41must trust others with work you have
1:08:44carried for years.
1:08:46This may be difficult. You know the
1:08:48sacrifices involved, the mistakes that
1:08:51were corrected, and the standards that
1:08:53must not be neglected. Another person
1:08:56will not possess your exact experience.
1:08:59But if you have failed to prepare
1:09:00successors, the fault cannot be
1:09:03corrected by refusing forever to release
1:09:05control.
1:09:06Begin early.
1:09:08Teach what matters.
1:09:10Explain why certain standards exist.
1:09:14Allow capable people to exercise
1:09:16responsibility while you can still offer
1:09:18guidance.
1:09:19Accept that they may improve upon your
1:09:22methods.
1:09:23The object is not to reproduce yourself
1:09:26in every detail.
1:09:28It is to preserve and enlarge the
1:09:31usefulness of the undertaking through
1:09:33people who can think responsibly without
1:09:36you.
1:09:37The seeds of a lasting contribution are
1:09:40planted in the decisions made during
1:09:42ordinary working years.
1:09:44Every trustworthy procedure, every
1:09:47capable associate, every useful lesson,
1:09:50and every fire agreement contribute
1:09:52something to the strength of the whole.
1:09:54But you can bring this principle into
1:09:57the occupation you now practice.
1:09:59You can decide that your labor shall
1:10:01leave something better than it found it.
1:10:04You can refuse the temptation to
1:10:06sacrifice useful quality for empty
1:10:08display.
1:10:09>> [music]
1:10:10>> You can measure ambition not merely by
1:10:12the rewards it gathers, but by the
1:10:14service it makes possible.
1:10:16The moment has arrived to remove the
1:10:18last excuse.
1:10:20Do not say that you must first become
1:10:22wealthy before your life can serve a
1:10:25larger purpose.
1:10:26Do not say that you must receive an
1:10:28impressive title before you can exercise
1:10:31fair judgment. Do not say that you must
1:10:34command the multitude before your work
1:10:36can matter.
1:10:37Begin with the responsibility already in
1:10:39your hands.
1:10:41Improve one service.
1:10:43Fulfill one neglected agreement. Teach
1:10:47one useful skill.
1:10:49Correct one practice that causes
1:10:51unnecessary harm.
1:10:53Then organize the next step according to
1:10:55what the experience reveals.
1:10:57Great ambitions are made practical
1:10:59through definite action,
1:11:01and definite action must begin
1:11:03somewhere.
1:11:04The size of the beginning cannot be used
1:11:07as an excuse for refusing to begin.
1:11:10But do not stop at one charitable
1:11:12gesture and imagine that the purpose has
1:11:14been fulfilled. Establish a continuing
1:11:17standard.
1:11:18Decide what you intend to improve, how
1:11:21improvement may be recognized, and what
1:11:24resources can responsibly be committed.
1:11:27Review the works. Invite honest
1:11:29correction.
1:11:31Seek cooperation where it can enlarge
1:11:33useful results.
1:11:35Be willing to perform uncelebrated
1:11:37duties and to make difficult decisions
1:11:40when the original plan proves
1:11:42inadequate.
1:11:43In this manner, your purpose becomes a
1:11:46governing influence rather than an
1:11:48occasional feeling.
1:11:50It begins directing how you earn, how
1:11:52you lead, how you select opportunities,
1:11:55and how you use the strength and
1:11:57knowledge entrusted to you.
1:11:59I leave you with a final challenge.
1:12:02When the rewards you desire have been
1:12:04obtained, what will remain worth your
1:12:07effort?
1:12:08If all you have sought is personal
1:12:09distinction, the satisfaction may be
1:12:12brief and the hunger for more may
1:12:13return.
1:12:15But if you have built a purpose grounded
1:12:17in useful service, there will still be
1:12:19work worth improving, people worth
1:12:22developing, and standards worth
1:12:24preserving.
1:12:25Your prosperity can become an
1:12:27instrument. Your knowledge can become a
1:12:30gift of instruction.
1:12:32Your influence can become an opportunity
1:12:34to protect and develop others.
1:12:37And your ambition can grow without
1:12:39requiring the world to revolve around
1:12:41your name.
1:12:42Let that be the greater victory, not
1:12:44merely that you rose, but that something
1:12:47worthwhile rose with you through honest
1:12:50effort.

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