登陆注册
15450200000029

第29章 CHAPTER IX(1)

Go On South!

The Book in the Running Brook

THERE is a little silvery sheet of water in Minnesota called Lake Itasca.

There is a place where a little stream leaps out from the lake.

"Ole!" you will exclaim, "the lake is leaking. What is the name of this little creek?"

"Creek! It bane no creek. It bane Mississippi river."

So even the Father of Waters has to begin as a creek. We are at the cradle where the baby river leaps forth. We all start about alike.

It wabbles around thru the woods of Minnesota. It doesn't know where it is going, but it is "on the way."

It keeps wabbling around, never giving up and quitting, and it gets to the place where all of us get sooner or later. The place where Paul came on the road to Damascus. The place of the "heavenly vision."

It is the place where gravity says, "Little Mississippi, do you want to grow? Then you will have to go south."

The little Mississippi starts south. He says to the people, "Goodbye, folks, I am going south." The folks at Itascaville say, "Why, Mississippi, you are foolish. You hain't got water enough to get out of the county." That is a fact, but he is not trying to get out of the county. The Mississippi is only trying to go south.

The Mississippi knows nothing about the Gulf of Mexico. He does not know that he has to go hundreds of miles south. He is only trying to go south. He has not much water, but he does not wait for a relative to die and bequeath him some water. That is a beautiful thought! He has water enough to start south, and he does that.

He goes a foot south, then another foot south. He goes a mile south. He picks up a little stream and he has some more water. He goes on south. He picks up another stream and grows some more. Day by day he picks up streamlets, brooklets, rivulets. Business is picking up! He grows as he flows. Poetry!

My friends, here is one of the best pictures I can find in nature of what it seems to me our lives should be. I hear a great many orations, especially in high school commencements, entitled, "The Value of a Goal in Life." But the direction is vastly more important than the goal. Find the way your life should go, and then go and keep on going and you'll reach a thousand goals.

We do not have to figure out how far we have to go, nor how many supplies we will need along the way. All we have to do is to start and we will find the resources all along the way. We will grow as we flow. All of us can start! And then go on south!

Success is not tomorrow or next year. Success is now. Success is not at the end of the journey, for there is no end. Success is every day in flowing and growing. The Mississippi is a success in Minnesota as well as on south.

You and I sooner or later hear the call, "Go on south." If we haven't heard it, let us keep our ear to the receiver and live a more natural life, so that we can hear the call. We are all called.

It is a divine call--the call of our unfolding talents to be used.

Remember, the Mississippi goes south. If he had gone any other direction he would never have been heard of.

Three wonderful things develop as the Mississippi goes on south.

1. He keeps on going on south and growing greater.

2. He overcomes his obstacles and develops his power.

3. He blesses the valley, but the valley does not bless him.

Go On South and Grow Greater You never meet the Mississippi after he starts south, but what he is going on south and growing greater. You never meet him but what he says, "Excuse me, but I must go on south."

The Mississippi gets to St. Paul and Minneapolis. He is a great river now--the most successful river in the state. But he does not retire upon his laurels. He goes on south and grows greater. He goes on south to St. Louis. He is a wonderful river now. But he does not stop. He goes on south and grows greater.

Everywhere you meet him he is going on south and growing greater.

Do you know why the Mississippi goes on south? To continue to be the Mississippi. If he should stop and stagnate, he would not be the Mississippi, river. he would become a stagnant, poisonous pond.

As long as people keep on going south, they keep on living. When they stop and stagnate, they die.

That is why I am making it the slogan of my life--GO ON SOUTH AND

GROW GREATER! I hope I can make you remember that and say it over each day. I wish I could write it over the pulpits, over the schoolrooms, over the business houses and homes--GO ON SOUTH AND GROW GREATER. For this is life, and there is no other. This is education--and religion. And the only business of life.

You and I start well. We go on south a little ways, and then we retire. Even young people as they start south and make some little knee-pants achievement, some kindergarten touchdown, succumb to their press notices. Their friends crowd around them to congratulate them. "I must congratulate you upon your success. You have arrived."

So many of those young goslings believe that. They quit and get canned. They think they have gotten to the Gulf of Mexico when they have not gotten out of the woods of Minnesota. Go on south!

We can protect ourselves fairly well from our enemies, but heaven deliver us from our fool friends.

Success is so hard to endure. We can endure ten defeats better than one victory. Success goes to the head and defeat goes to "de feet."

It makes them work harder.

The Plague of Incompetents Civilization is mostly a conspiracy to keep us from going very far south.

The one who keeps on going south defies custom and becomes unorthodox.

But contentment with present achievement is the damnation of the race.

The mass of the human family never go on south far enough to become good servants, workmen or artists. The young people get a smattering and squeeze into the bottom position and never go on south to efficiency and promotion. They wonder why their genius is not recognized. They do not make it visible.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 嘉庆帝师:王尔烈大传

    嘉庆帝师:王尔烈大传

    清末官场流传说:有四种人最当红,分别是:帝师、王佐、鬼使、神差。这话拿来检视王尔烈,却不管用,因为他不爱权、不爱钱,他唯一热爱的,就是才——教育英才。他有很多机会可以发财,却都鄙夷之,这种追求公义、坚守清贫的观念,源自儒家思想对他的熏陶……从这里,可以看到读书人的价值观;也可以让我们反躬自省:知识分子的人生理念中,有没有一个永恒的价值?能不能起积极正面的领导作用?能不能发挥向上提升的功能?(台湾作家王寿来)
  • 盛世豪庭

    盛世豪庭

    刚取得天下第一却莫名被杀,重生回十二岁,却发现原来仙人并不只是传说。尘世挣扎,仙界争雄,这一世,我誓要登上巅峰,开他一个盛世,立他一个皇庭,还这世间一个天下太平。
  • 终上难山不尽邪

    终上难山不尽邪

    心无所碍,既是大自在。遥遥山上修道难嘞,修道难。修道不修心嘞,一场空,一场空。你说修道难嘞,修道难唉我说世人难,世人行世难哟难嘞、、、、
  • 动漫校园宅集斗

    动漫校园宅集斗

    喜欢跟你们一起玩耍啊,喜欢你们啊,献给我爱的你们。
  • 废柴三小姐:逆天狂妃

    废柴三小姐:逆天狂妃

    她,本是一位顶级杀手却因为同伴的背叛重生到了一个众人皆知的废柴身上;废柴兼草包?瞎了你们的眼!全系灵气师,灵武双修的绝世体质,丹药更是随手拈来,手拿神器,身骑神兽,虐渣男打贱女是每天必做的事,身旁还有一位绝世大神!且看她怎样逆天改命!
  • 我在爱的小说世界

    我在爱的小说世界

    某天闲逛回家后,家里进了陌生的男人,还是自己的上司兼搭档。于是,她在作死之路一去不复返……『夏亦寒,你在干什么。。。』洛冰宫看着大腿上的挂件“你不懂,我这叫抱大腿~贿赂上级~嘻嘻~”『呵,那我让你贿赂个够~』“你你你别过来!!”
  • 王爷很杯具:只怪本妃太多情

    王爷很杯具:只怪本妃太多情

    穿越不混个皇亲贵族富二代,都不好意思说自己到过古代。要了有美男有金子有身份的好命,却又因这身体前任的情人太多让王爷老公又爱又恨。所幸成功回归了富二代单身贵族身份……等等,王爷前夫你不是休了我吗,凭什么还在勾搭美男的时候老来妨碍我,你爸又不是李刚,管得着我吗!      
  • 邪门女庸医

    邪门女庸医

    据说,她是南星国名扬万里的小小女神医,是某风流掌门的第一百零八个特别女人,是那断袖绝情冷男的准新娘,更是某出尘男子痴恋三年的心上妻,是那俊俏王爷青梅竹马的不二王妃……其实,她只是个彻头彻尾的女庸医,一个被自己内火轰死的穿越小女子。
  • 逆天兽妃:媳妇萌萌哒

    逆天兽妃:媳妇萌萌哒

    她来自21世纪。凯雅贩毒集团的首脑之一。人人眼中得而诛之的大魔头,为了训练杀手,她的手,沾满了鲜血。可谁又知道,她不过是一个刚刚成年的小女孩?迫于无奈才被人控制如此。在众人翘首以盼的这一天,她终于死了,却穿越到了神兽国,变成了一枚蛋。从此神兽国的血雨腥风开始了。他,神兽国的废材太子,无意中却得了这个绝世之蛋,当这个从蛋里出来的某“猫”开始欺负人时,某男就下定决心,一定要让这个坏的“猫”快快长大!他要“欺负”回来!
  • 炼胎

    炼胎

    万物生而定一世,自根儿上捣要捣到胎里去,黄泉摆渡人给你贴上啥标签,你就得做啥鸟!