There is a lot of talk about how bad things are with the stock markets melting down, real estate markets in turmoil, war all over the place and our government apparently not even listening to us in the least. To that end I want to bring you some words of wisdom from someone that pretty much everyone can respect. Read on, and if you have time, take a look at the full text of the book this is from.
I have heard that nothing gives an author so great a pleasure as to find his work respectfully quoted by others. Judge, then, how much I must have been gratified by and incident I am going to relate to you. I stopped my horse, lately, where a great number of people were gathered at an auction of merchants’ goods. The hour of the sale not being come, they were conversing on the badness of the times; and one of the company called to a plain, clean old man, with white locks, “Pray, Father Abraham, what think you of these times? Will they not be quite ruin the country? How shall we be ever able to bear them? What would you advise us to do?” Father Abraham stood up, and replied, “If you would have my advice, I will give it you in short; for ‘a word to the wise is enough,’ as poor Richard says.” They joined in desiring him to speak his mind, and gathering around him, he proceeded as follows:
“Friends,” says he, “it may be the times are bad, but let us see whether the fault is our own. Our expenses are doubled by idleness, and trebled by pride and folly;, and these can only be abated by our own exertions. If we hearken to good advice, we may gain something. ‘God helps them that help themselves,’ as poor Richard says.
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“So what signify wishing and hoping for better times? We may make these times better, if we bestir ourselves. ‘Industry need not wish: and he that lives upon home will die fasting. There are no gains without pains; then help hands, for I have no lands;’ or, if I have they are smartly taxed. ‘He that hath a trade hath and estate; and he that hath a calling, hath and office in profit and honor,’ as poor Richard says; but then; the trade must be worked at, and the calling well followed, or neither the estate nor the office will enable us to pay our taxes. If we are industrious, we shall never starve, for ‘at the working man’s house hunger looks in, but dares not enter.’ Nor will the bailiff or constable enter; for ‘industry pays debts, while despair increases them.’
If you haven’t guessed, this is an excerpt from Benjamin Franklin’s famous work The Way to Wealth. I encourage you to download the full PDF of this book and read through it. There are some amazing insights into life and prosperity that still hold true today.