MAY BR

A young man, a graduate of a large university, aftersearching for several months for a job, became discouraged. He was too proud to ask for assistance. He hadworked his way through college and had no reserve capital; he hadpractically nothing but his diploma and his courage; and now hiscourage had left him. He had gone 2 days without food, and had beenobliged to give up his room because he couldn't pay his rent. He hadslept upon a park bench for several nights. It seemed to him that thebottom had dropped out of everything. He didn't see any use ina college education, and felt that the world didn't have anyuse for him or any place for him. He was completely obsessed by discouragement, andby a frightful fit of the "blues," which had stuck by him for days,balking his efforts at hunting for a job. He couldn't see anylight in the future, or any prospects ahead. He had a horror of finally drifting into the ranksof the unfit and the failures. His clothes became faded andwrinkled from constant wear without change. He couldn't keephimself in a presentable condition, and he was turned downeverywhere. At last he got a job washing dishes in a cheaprestaurant, which at least provided him with his meals; but hecontinued to sleep in the park. One night, in the midst of his wretchedness, hehad a sort of vision. He saw emblazoned in letters of fire acrossthe sky these words: "Trust yourself." He slept no more that night. At dawn he got upfrom the bench, went to a watering trough and washed his face andhands and shaved himself as best he could. He made friends with abootblack who allowed him to polish his shoes. Then he set forth determined to get a positionthat very day. Fortified by his vision he did not go slinking intoany office as though he had been a thief; but he entered withan air of confidence, of expectation. There was grit in his very _expression. That day he got a place. It was not what he wanted, but it was something,an opening wedge. Best of all, he had solved a problem; he had learnedthe great lesson of trusting himself, of believing in his ownpowers. The vision of that night never left him. This young man has climbed to an enviable positiontoday, and he says he owes it all to his vision, "Trustyourself." All his early life he had been a victim of diffidence. Hehad suffered greatly in school and college. The calling of his name for recitation was likesticking a knife into him. He had never dared get up in any publicmeeting. It paralyzed him to think of being singled out, ofhaving attention called to him. Although he had ability, he graduallybecame so disheartened that he didn't believe he could succeedunder any circumstances. He accepted as a fact the estimate thatdiscouragement pointed out to him. It kept whispering to him that he couldnever do that which he was undertaking, that there was no use intrying. But once with his feet on the upgrade, he began toawaken to his powers. He began to trust himself more and more,instead of standing back or relying upon others. This self-trust has grown until now this man is soself-reliant and has such a vigorous initiative, that no onewould dream he had ever been a victim of timidity and discouragement. The "Know yourself" of the Greek sages is butanother _expression of this universal truth. We say today, "He can whothinks he can." "Didn't dare to begin" would make a good epitaph formultitudes of people. "He was discouraged" is on the tombstones ofcountless others.