Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
A mulberry leaf touched with the genius of man becomes silk.
A field of clay touched with the genius of man becomes a castle.
A cyprus tree touched with the genius of man becomes a shrine.
A cut of sheep's hair touched with the genius of man becomes raiment for a king.
If it is possible for leaves and clay and wood and hair to have their value multiplied a hundred, yea a thousandfold by man, cannot I do the same with the clay which bears my name?
Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
I am liken to a grain of wheat which faces one of three futures. The wheat can be placed in a sack and dumped in a stall until it is fed to swine. Or it can be ground to flour and made into bread. Or it can be placed in the earth and allowed to grow until its golden head divides and produces a thousand grains from the one.
I am liken to a grain of wheat with one difference. The wheat cannot choose whether it be fed to swine, ground for bread, or planted to multiply. I have a choice and I will not let my life be fed to swine nor will I let it be ground under the rocks of failure and despair to be broken open and devoured by the will of others.
Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
To grow and multiply it is necessary to plant the wheat grain in the darkness of the earth and my failures, my despairs, my ignorance, and my inabilities are the darkness in which I have been planted in order to ripen. Now, like the wheat grain which will sprout and blossom only if it is nurtured with rain and sun and warm winds, I too must nurture my body and mind to fulfill my dreams. But to grow to full stature the wheat must wait on the whims of nature. I need not wait for I have the power to choose my own destiny.
Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
And how will I accomplish this? First I will set goals for the day, the week, the month, the year, and my life. Just as the rain must fall before the wheat will crack its shell and sprout, so must I have objectives before my life will crystallize. Insetting my goals I will consider my best performance of the past and multiply it a hundredfold. This will be the standard by which I will live in the future. Never will I be of concern that my goals are too high for is it not better to aim my spear at the moon and strike only an eagle than to arm my spear at the eagle and strike only a rock?
Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
The height of my goals will not hold me in awe though I may stumble often before they are reached. If I stumble I will rise and my falls will not concern me for all men must stumble often to reach the hearth. Only a worm is free from the worry of stumbling. I am not a worm. I am not an onion plant. I am not a sheep. I am a man. Let others build a cave with their clay. I will build a castle with mine.
Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
And just as the sun must warm the earth to bring forth the seedling of wheat so, too, will the words on these scrolls warm my life and turn my dreams into reality. Today I will surpass every action which I performed yesterday. I will climb today's mountain to the utmost of my ability yet tomorrow I will climb higher than today, and the next will be higher than tomorrow. To surpass the deeds of others is unimportant; to surpass my own deeds is all.
Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
And just as the warm wind guides the wheat to maturity, the same winds will carry my voice to those who will listen and my words will announce my goals. Once spoken I dare not recall them lest I lose face. I will be as my own prophet and though all may laugh at my utterances they will hear my plans, they will know my dreams; and thus there will be no escape for me until my words become accomplished deeds.
Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
I will commit not the terrible crime of aiming too low.
I will do the work that a failure will not do.
I will always let my reach exceed my grasp.
I will never be content with my performance in the market.
I will always raise my goals as soon as they are attained.
I will always strive to make the next hour better than this one.
I will always announce my goals to the world.
Yet, never will I proclaim my accomplishments. Let the world, instead, approach me with praise and may I have the wisdom to receive it in humility.
Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
One grain of wheat when multiplied a hundredfold will produce a hundred stalks. Multiply these a hundredfold, ten times, and they will feed all the cities of the earth. Am I not more than a grain of wheat?
Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
And when it is done I will do it again, and again, and there will be astonishment and wonder at my greatness as the words of these scrolls are fulfilled in me.
今天我要加倍重視自己的價值。
桑葉在天才的手中變成了絲綢。
粘土在天才的手中變成了堡壘。
柏樹在天才的手中變成了殿堂。
羊毛在天才的手中變成了袈裟。
如果桑葉、粘土、柏樹、羊毛經(jīng)過人的創(chuàng)造,可以成百上千地提高自身的價值,那么我們?yōu)槭裁床荒苁棺约荷韮r百倍呢?
今天我要加倍重視自己的價值。
我的命運如同一顆麥粒,有著三種不同的道路。一顆麥??赡鼙谎b進麻袋,堆在貨架上,等著喂豬;也可能被磨成面粉,做成面包;還可能撒在土壤里,讓它生長,直到金黃的麥穗上結出成百上千顆麥粒。
我和一顆麥粒唯一不同在于:麥粒無法選擇是變得腐爛還是做成面包,或是種植生長。而我有選擇的自由,我不會讓生命腐爛,也不會讓它在失敗,絕望的巖石下磨碎,任人擺布。
今天我要加倍重視自己的價值。
要想讓麥粒生長、結實,必須把它種植在黑暗的泥土中,我的失敗、失望、無知、無能便是那黑暗的泥土,我須深深地扎在泥土中,等待成熟。麥粒在陽光雨露的哺育下,終于發(fā)芽、開花、結實。同樣,我也要健全自己的身體和心靈,以實現(xiàn)自己的夢想。麥粒須等待大自然的契機方能成熟,我卻無須等待,因為我有選擇自己命運的能力。
今天我要加倍重視自己的價值。
怎樣才能做到呢?首先,我要為每一天,每個星期、每個月。每一年、甚至我的一生確立目標。正像種子需要雨水的滋潤才能破土而出,發(fā)芽長葉,我的生命也須有目的方能結出碩果。在制定目標的時候,不妨參考過去最好的成績,使其發(fā)揚光大。這必須成為我未來生活的目標。永遠不要當心目標過高。取法乎上,得其中也,取法中也,得其下也。
今天我要加倍重視自己的價值。
高遠的目標不會讓我們望而生畏,雖然在達到目標以前可能屢受挫折。摔倒了,再爬起來,我不灰心因為每個人在抵達目標之前都會受到挫折。只有小爬蟲不必擔心摔倒。我不是小爬蟲,不是洋蔥,不是綿羊。我是一個人。讓別人作他們的粘土造穴吧,我只要一座城堡。
今天我么加倍重視自己的價值。
太陽溫暖大地,麥粒吐穗結實。這些羊皮卷上的話也照耀我的生活,使夢想成真。今天我要超越昨天的成就。我要竭盡全力攀登今天的高峰,明天更上一層樓。超越別人并不重要,超越自己才是最重要的。
今天我要加倍重視自己的價值。
春風吹熟了麥穗,風聲也將我的聲音吹往那些愿意聆聽者的耳畔。我要宣告我的目標。君子一言,駟馬難追。我要成為自己的預言家。雖然大家可能嘲笑我的言辭但會傾聽我的計劃,了解我的夢想,因為我無處可逃,直到兌現(xiàn)了諾言。
今天我要加倍重視自己的價值。
我不能放低目標。
我要做失敗者不屑一顧的事。
我不停留在力所能及的事上。
我不滿足于現(xiàn)有的成就。
目標達到后再定一個更高的目標。
我要努力使下一刻比此刻更好。
我要常常向世人宣告我的目標。
但是我決不炫耀我的成績。讓世人來贊美我的吧,但愿我能明智而謙恭地接受它們。
今天我要加倍重視自己的價值。
一顆麥粒增加數(shù)倍以后,可以變成千株麥苗,再把這些麥苗增加數(shù)倍,如此數(shù)十次,它們可以供養(yǎng)世上所有的城市。難道我不如一顆麥粒嗎?
當我完成這件事,我再接再勵。當羊皮卷上的話在我身上實現(xiàn)時,世上會驚嘆我的偉大。