Chapter 19 The nineteenth letter: to be the first

Motto: Wealth is directly proportional to goals. One is either planning for success or one is planning for failure. To me, being second is no different than being last. (We must march toward this goal, painfully but resolutely, certain in advance of our failings on a long a road.) March 15, 1931 Dear John: "Those who have no ambition will not achieve great things." This is the secret of success that my car king friend, Mr. Henry Ford, confided to me yesterday when he came to see me. I admire this rich man from Michigan very much. He is a persistent and resolute guy.He had almost the same experience as me. He did farm work, worked as an apprentice, and partnered with others to open a factory. Through struggle, he finally became one of the wealthiest men in the United States in this era.

In my opinion, Mr. Ford is a creator of a new era. No one in the United States can completely change the American way of life like him. Look at the cars passing by on the street, and you will know that I am definitely not To his credit, he transformed the automobile from a luxury item into an affordable necessity for almost everyone.And the miracle he created turned him into a billionaire.Of course, he also made my wallet a lot bigger. A person must have goals or ambitions in life, otherwise, he is like a boat without a rudder, drifting forever, and will only reach the beach of disappointment, failure and frustration.Mr. Ford's ambition exceeds his height, he wants to create a world where everyone can enjoy a car.It seemed unimaginable, but he succeeded, he became the master of the global small car market, and made amazing profits for Ford, in the words of this guy, "It's not making cars, it's printing money" .It's not difficult for me to imagine how good Ford is in a good mood when he is rich and enjoys the reputation of "Car King".

The achievements created by Ford proved one of my tenets in life: wealth is directly proportional to goals.If you have great ambitions and lofty goals, your mountain of wealth will reach the sky. If you just want to muddle along, then you will only be a lowlife, or even achieve nothing. Even if wealth is close to you, you just want to You will get very little.Before Ford succeeded, there were many automakers far stronger than him, but many of them went bankrupt. Man was created for a purpose, and one is either planning success or planning failure.This is the experience of my life. I never seem to lack ambition. Since I was very young, becoming the richest person has always been my impulsive ambition and dream.This seems a little too big for a poor boy.But I think the goal must be great, because in order to achieve, there must be stimulation, and great goals can make you exert all your strength, and then there will be stimulation.Losing stimulation means that there is no strong force to push you forward.Don't make small plans because it doesn't motivate the mind, I often remind myself that.

Of course, the chance to be great doesn't slope down like a swift Niagara Falls, but slowly, one drop at a time.The difference between being great and being close to greatness is realizing that if you want to be great, you have to work towards it every day. But for a poor boy, how can this great dream become a tangible reality?Is it to achieve it by working hard for others?This is a stupid idea. I believe that working hard for yourself will make you rich, but I don't believe that working hard for others will guarantee success.Before I lived on Millionaire's Row, I discovered that many poor people around me were the hardest workers.The reality is so cruel, whether employees work hard or not, there are very few people who work for the boss and become rich.The wages paid for working for the boss will only keep the employee alive as far as is reasonably expected, and while the employee may make a lot of money, getting rich is hard.

I have always regarded "work hard and you will get rich" as a lie. I have never regarded working for others as the best way to accumulate considerable wealth.Everything I do is true to my big dream and the various goals I am constantly striving to achieve. When I left school and looked for a job, I set a goal for myself: to go to a first-class company and to be a first-class employee.Because a first-class company will give me first-class experience, shape my first-class ability, let me grow up to first-class knowledge, and also allow me to earn a generous salary-that is the capital to start my future career, and all of these It is undoubtedly the most solid cornerstone of my road to success.

Of course, working in a big company allows me to think in a big company way, which is very important.Therefore, I admire big companies, and I want to go to high-profile companies. This is bound to make me suffer.I first went to a bank, was very unlucky, and was rejected; I went to a railway company, but returned in a bad mood, and the weather seemed to be against me at that time, and it was extremely hot.But I, against all odds, continued to search endlessly.During those days, looking for a job became my only occupation. Every morning at 8:00, I dressed myself up as best I could, and then I left the place of residence to start a new round of appointment interviews.For weeks, I ran the companies on the list and found nothing.

This looks bad, doesn't it?But no one can stop your way forward, the biggest obstacle to your progress is yourself, you are the only one who can go on forever.I told myself: If you don't want others to steal your dreams, then you should stand up immediately after being knocked down by setbacks.I was not depressed or discouraged, but the continuous setbacks strengthened my determination.I started from the beginning again, running one by one, and several companies even asked me to run two or three times. God did not forsake me, and this indomitable search for a job came to an end one afternoon after six weeks, when I was hired by Hewitt-Tuttle & Co. on September 26, 1855.

This day seems to decide everything about my future.To this day, I often shudder when I ask myself what would have happened if I hadn't gotten that job.Because I know what I got in return for that job, and what would happen to me if I lost it.So, all my life, I have celebrated September 26 as a "birthday again," feeling far more emotionally attached to this day than my birthday. As I write this, I am touched by myself. Man is functionally like a bicycle, unless you move up and forward toward your goal, you wobble and fall.Three years later, I left the Hewitt-Tuttle Company with my ability and self-confidence beyond ordinary people, and co-founded Clark-Rockefeller Company with Mr. Clark, and started the history of working for myself.

Stupid hard work may lead to nothing after all the hard work, but if you think of working hard for your boss as a ladder to one day work for yourself, it is undoubtedly the beginning of wealth creation.Being your own boss feels amazing, beyond words.Of course, I can't always be immersed in the pride of becoming a trade agent at the age of 18. I warned myself: "Your future depends on the days that go by. The end of your life is the richest man in the United States. How far is it from you?" There is still a long way to go, you have to continue to work hard for yourself." Being the richest person is the basis for my efforts and the strength to spur myself.Over the past few decades, I have been a believer in the pursuit of excellence, and one of the words that motivates me most often is: To me, being second is as good as being last.If you understand it, it's no surprise that I rule the oil industry as the undisputed king.

Each of us lives in hope, but I live more in the achievement of goals.My goal in life is to be the number one. This is also the life plan I try to make and try to follow. All my efforts and actions are loyal to my life goals and life rules. God gave us smart minds and strong muscles, not to make us losers, but to make us great winners.Some twenty years ago, the federal courts dissolved our happy family, but every time I think about what I have created, I am excited. A great life is the process of conquering greatness, and we must advance towards this goal, fearless of pain, resolute, and ready to stumble along the long road.

love your father