今天,我开始新的生活(Today I begin a new life)

todayishedmyoldskinwhichhath,toolong,sufferedthebruisesoffailureandthewoundsofmediority.

todayiambornanewandmybirthplaceisavineyardwherethereisfruitforall.

todayiwillpluckgrapesofwisdomfromthetallestandfullestvinesinthevineyard,forthesewereplantedbythewisestofmyprofessionwhohavecomebeforeme,generationupongeneration.

todayiwillsavorthetasteofgrapesfromthesevinesandverilyiwillswallowtheseedofsuccessburiedineachandnewlifewillsproutwithinme.

thecareerihavechosenisladenwithopportunityyetitisfraughtwithheartbreakanddespairandthebodiesofthosewhohavefailed,weretheypiledoneatopanother,wouldcastashadowdownuponallthepyramidsoftheearth.

yetiwillnotfail,astheothers,forinmyhandsinowholdthechartswhichwillguidethroughperilouswaterstoshoreswhichonlyyesterdayseemedbutadream.

failurenolongerwillbemypaymentforstruggle.justasnaturemadenoprovisionformybodytotoleratepainneitherhasitmadeanyprovisionformylifetosufferfailure.failure,likepain,isalientomylife.inthepastiaccepteditasiacceptedpain.nowirejectitandiampreparedforwisdomandprincipleswhichwillguidemeoutoftheshadowsintothesunlightofwealth,position,andhappinessfarbeyondmymostextravagantdreamsuntileventhegoldenapplesinthegardenofhesperideswillseemnomorethanmyjustreward.

timeteachesallthingstohimwholivesforeverbutihavenottheluxuryofeternity.yetwithinmyallottedtimeimustpracticetheartofpatiencefornatureactsneverinhaste.tocreatetheolive,kingofalltrees,ahundredyearsisrequired.anonionplantisoldinnineweeks.ihavelivedasanonionplant.ithasnotpleasedme.nowiwouldstbecomethegreatestofolivetreesand,intruth,thegreatestofsalesman.

andhowwillthisbeaccomplished？forihaveneithertheknowledgenortheexperiencetoachievethegreatnessandalreadyihavestumbledinignoranceandfallenintopoolsofself-pity.theanswerissimple.iwillcommencemyjourneyunencumberedwitheithertheweightofunnecessaryknowledgeorthehandicapofmeaninglessexperience.naturealreadyhassuppliedmewithknowledgeandinstinctfargreaterthananybeastintheforestandthevalueofexperienceisoverrated,usuallybyoldmenwhonodwiselyandspeakstupidly.

intruth,experienceteachesthoroughlyyethercourseofinstructiondevoursmensyearssothevalueofherlessonsdiminisheswiththetimenecessarytoacquireherspecialwisdom.theendfindsitwastedondeadmen.furthermore,experienceiscomparabletofashion；anactionthatprovedsuccessfultodaywillbeunworkableandimpracticaltomorrow.

onlyprinciplesendureandtheseinowpossess,forthelawsthatwillleadmetogreatnessarecontainedinthewordsofthesescrolls.whattheywillteachmeismoretopreventfailurethantogainsuccess,forwhatissuccessotherthanastateofmind？whichtwo,amongathouandwisemen,willdefinesuccessinthesamewords；yetfailureisalwaysdescribedbutoneway.failureismansinabilitytoreachhisgoalsinlife,whatevertheymaybe.

intruth,theonlydifferencebetweenthosewhohavefailedandthosewhohavesuccessedliesinthedifferenceoftheirhabits.goodhabitsarethekeytoallsuccess.badhabitsaretheunlockeddoortofailure.thus,thefirstlawiwillobey,whichprecedethallothersis——iwillformgoodhabitsandbecometheirslave.

asachildiwasslavetomyimpulses；nowiamslavetomyhabits,asareallgrownmen.ihavesurrenderedmyfreewilltotheyearsofaccumulatedhabitsandthepastdeedsofmylifehavealreadymarkedoutapathwhichthreatenstoimprisonmyfuture.myactionsareruledbyappetite,passion,prejudice,greed,love,fear,environment,habit,andtheworstofthesetyrantsishabit.therefore,ifimustbeaslavetohabitletmebeaslavetogoodhabits.mybadhabitsmustbedestroyedandnewfurrowspreparedforgoodseed.

iwillformgoodhabitsandbecometheirslave.

andhowwilliaccomplishthisdifficultfeat？throughthesescrolls,itwillbedone,foreachscrollcontainsaprinciplewhichwilldriveabadhabitfrommylifeandreplaceitwithonewhichwillbringmeclosertosuccess.foritisanotherofnatureslawsthatonlyahabitcansubdueanotherhabit.so,inorderforthesewrittenwordstoperformtheirchosentask,imustdisciplinemyselfwiththefirstofmynewhabitswhichisasfollows:

iwillreadeachscrollforthirtydaysinthisprescribedmanner,beforeiproceedtothenextscroll.

first,iwillreadthewordsinsilencewheniarise.then,iwillreadthewordsinsilenceafterihavepartakenofmymiddaymeal.last,iwillreadthewordsagainjustbeforeiretireatdaysend,andmostimportant,onthisoccasioniwillreadthewordsaloud.

onthenextdayiwillrepeatthisprocedure,andiwillcontinueinlikemannerforthirtydays.then,iwillturntothenextscrollandrepeatthisprocedureforanotherthirtydays.iwillcontinueinthismanneruntilihavelivedwitheachscrollforthirtydaysandmyreadinghasbecomehabit.

andwhatwillbeaccomplishedwiththishabit？hereinliesthehiddensecretofallmansaccomplishments.asirepeatthewordsdailytheywillsoonbecomeapartofmyactivemind,butmoreimportant,theywillalsoseepintomyothermind,thatmysterioussourcewhichneversleeps,whichcreatesmydreams,andoftenmakesmeactinwaysidonotcomprehend.

asthewordsofthesescrollsareconsumedbymymysteriousmindiwillbegintoawake,eachmorning,withavitalityihaveneverknownbefore.myvigorwillincrease,myenthusiasmwillrise,mydesiretomeettheworldwillovercomeeveryfearionceknewatsunrise,andiwillbehappierthanieverbelieveditpossibletobeinthisworldofstrifeandsorrow.

eventuallyiwillfindmyselfreactingtoallsituationswhichconfrontmeasiwascommandedinthescrollstoreact,andsoontheseactionsandreactionswillbecomeeasytoperform,foranyactwithpracticebecomeseasy.

thusanewandgoodhabitisborn,forwhenanactbecomeseasythroughconstantrepetitonitbecomesapleasuretoperformandifitisapleasuretoperformitismansnaturetoperformitoften.wheniperformitoftenitbecomesahabitandibecomeitsslaveandsinceitisagoodhabitthisismywill.

todayibeginanewlife.

andimakeasolemnoathtomyselfthatnothingwillretardmynewlifesgrowth.iwilllosenotadayfromthesereadingsforthatdaycannotberetrievednorcanisubstituteanotherforit.imustnot,iwillnot,breakthishabitofdailyreadingfromthesescrollsand,intruth,thefewmomentsspenteachdayonthisnewhabitarebutasmallpricetopayforthehappinessandsuccessthatwillbemine.

asireadandre-readthewordsinthescrollstofollow,neverwilliallowthebrevityofeachscrollnorthesimplicityofitswordstocausemetotreatthescrollsmessagelightly.thousandsofgrapesarepressedtofillonejarwithwine,andthegrapeskinandpulparetossedtothebirds.soitiswiththesegrapesofwisdomfromtheages.muchhasbeenfilteredandtossedtothewind.onlythepuretruthliesdistilledinthewordstocome.iwilldrinkasinstructedandspillnotadrop.andtheseedofsuccessiwillswallow.

todaymyoldskinhasbecomeasdust.iwillwalktallamongmenandtheywillknowmenot,fortodayiamanewman,withanewlife.