Your Body At Its Best Ch 1

One evening, many years ago, a young man came to the home of that great humanitarian, Orison Swett Marden, in search of a formula by which he might increase his ability and power to succeed. The young man was pale and weary with signs of dissipation in his face.

Mr. Marden listened attentively to the young man's plea. When he had finished, Mr. Marden asked in his gentle, friendly way:   "What is your work, my boy?"

"I'm a student at the university," he answered.

"But you look so tired and so weary," said Mr. Marden questioningly.

"Well, you see, Mr. Marden, I'm working my way through college," explained the young man. "That means late study hours every night. I get pretty tired, and I drink a lot of coffee to keep me going. Sometimes I take a little whisky, too - to pep me up a bit when I'm just about all in."

The old gentleman looked at the young man quietly for a moment. Then he spoke to him slowly, in a kindly, yet forceful way: "My son, if you sincerely want my advice, then I'll gladly give it to you."   The young man nodded his eager consent. "First of all you must recognize the fact that artificial stimulus is like a whip to a tired horse. It saps your energy and can lead only to disaster. The only certain way to increase ability, to multiply and strengthen one's faculties, is to build a good foundation of health - a sound and a healthy body - and then to guard it as your most precious possession, for that is really what it is. Vigorous, abounding health will emphasize, reinforce, and multiply the forcefulness of all your faculties, and the sum of these faculties constitutes your ability - the force that creates, that achieves."

Mr. Marden's advice to that young man so many years ago is just as good and vital for every one of us today, men and women, young and old.

If you really want to succeed in life, then, first of all, go out and build a sound and healthy body, and henceforth protect it as one of your most precious treasures, for that is really what it is.

In this great new atomic era with its fierce and growing competition in every worthwhile endeavor, physical fitness will play a tremendously important role. The winners will be, in general, men with powerful vitality, tremendous staying power. Success or failure will depend to a very great extent on physical reserve-power - plus vitality.  

Herbert Spencer put it this way:    "To be a good animal is the first requisite to success in life."

"Survival of the fittest" is the law of the jungle. It is equally true in man's struggle for success - the physically fit will push to the front, and the frail and weak of body will fall behind. Physical weakness is, indeed, a trying handicap. It greatly discounts the possibilities of real success. If you do not back up your special talents, and special training, with abounding health, you will always be at a terrible disadvantage. Nine out of ten of the physically handicapped are doomed to mediocrity or failure.

• Your Body At It's Best - Ch 2
• Your Body At It's Best - Ch 3
• Your Body At It's Best - Ch 4
• Your Body At It's Best - Ch 5
• Your Body At It's Best - Ch 6
• Your Body At It's Best - Ch 7
• Your Body At It's Best - Ch 8