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which break most eggs in this country. He who carries three baskets must put one on his head, which is apt to tumble and trip him up. One fault of the American businessman is lack of concentration. To summarize what I have said: aim for the highest; never enter a bar room; do not touch liquor, or if at all only at meals; never speculate; never indorse beyond your surplus cash fund; make the firm’s interest yours; break orders always to save owners; concentrate; put all your eggs in one basket, and watch that basket; expenditure always within revenue; lastly, be not impatient, for as Emerson says, “no one can cheat you out of ultimate success but yourselves.
年轻人应该从头学起,担当最基层的职务,这是件好事。匹兹堡有许多大企业家在创业之初都肩负过重任。他们与扫帚结伴,以清扫办公室度过了企业生涯的最初时光。我注意到现在的办公室都配备了工友,这使我们的年轻人不幸丢掉了这个有益的企业教育的一个内容。不过,如果哪一天早晨清扫工碰巧没来,某位具有未来合伙人气质的青年就会毫不犹豫试着拿起扫帚。有一天,以为溺爱孩子的,时髦的密歇根母亲问一位男青年,是否见过像她的女儿普里希拉那样的年轻女郎如此潇洒地在房间里进行打扫。男青年说从未见过,那位母亲高兴的乐不可支。但男青年顿了顿又说: “我想看到的是她能在室外进行打扫”。如果有必要,新来者在办公室外进行打扫并没有什么损失。我本人就曾经是打扫人之一。假设你们都已就业了,并干的相当出色,我对你们的忠告是要“胸怀大志”。对那些尚未把自己看成
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是某重要公司的合伙人或领导人的年轻人,我会不屑一顾。你们在思想上一刻也不要满足于充当任何企业的首席职员,领班或总经理,不管这家企业的规模有多大。你们要对自己说:“我的位置在最高处”你们要梦寐以求登峰造极。获得成功的首要条件喝最大秘诀是:把精力和财力完全集中于所干的事业上。一旦开始干那一行,就要决心干出个名堂,要出类拔萃,要点点滴滴地改进,要采用最好的机器,要尽力通晓这一行。失败的企业是那些分散了资力,因而意味着分散了精力的企业。他们向这件事投资,又向那件事投资,在这里投资,又在哪里投资,方方面面都有投资。“别把所有的鸡蛋放进一个篮子”之说大错特错。我告诉你们,“要把所有的鸡蛋放在一个篮子,然后照管好那只篮子。”注意走位并留点神,能这样做的人往往不会失败。管好并提好那只篮子很容易。在我们的国家,想多提篮子的人打碎的鸡蛋也多。有三只篮子的人就得把一只篮子顶在头上,这样很容易摔倒。美国企业家的一个错误就是缺少集中。我把所说的话归纳如下:要志在顶峰,千万不要涉足酒吧,不要沾酒,或者仅在用餐时喝点酒;千万不要投机,签署支付的款项时,千万不要超过盈余的现金储备,把公司的利益当成自己的利益,取消订货的目的永远在于挽救货主,集中精力,把所有的鸡蛋放进一个篮子,支出永远小于收入,最后不要失去耐心,因为正如爱默生所说,“除了你自己以外,没有人能哄骗你离开最后的成功。”
2、When Henry ford decided to produce his famous v-8 motor, he chose to build an engine with the entire eight cylinders c
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ast in one block, and instructed his engineers to produce a design in one for the engine. The design was placed on paper, but the engineers agreed, to a man, that it was simply impossible to cast an eight-cylinder engine-block in one piece. Ford said, “Produce it anyway.” “But,” they replied, “It’s impossible!”
“Go ahead.” Ford commanded, “And stay on the job until you succeed, no matter how much time is required.”
The engineers went ahead. There was nothing else for them to do, if they were to remain on the ford staff. Six months passed and nothing happened. Another six months passed, and still nothing happened. The engineers tried every conceivable plan to carry out the orders, but the thing seemed out of the question: “impossible!”
At the end of the year ford checked with his engineers, and again they informed him they had found no way to carry out his orders.
“go right head,” said ford, “I want it, and I’ll have it.”
They went ahead, and then, as if by a stroke of magic, the secret was discovered.
The ford determination had won once more!
This story may not be described with minute accuracy, but the
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sum and substance of it is correct. Deduce from it, you who wish to think and grow rich, the secret of the ford millions, if you can. You’ll not have to look very far.
Henry ford was successful, because he understood and applied the principles of success. One of these is desire: knowing what one want. Remember this Ford’s story as you read.And pick out the lines in which the secret of his stupendous achievement have been described. If you can do this, if you can lay your finger on the particular group of principles which made Henry ford rich, you can equal his achievements in almost any calling for which you are suited.
亨利福特在要制造有名的v8汽缸引擎汽车时,曾指示他手下的工程师着手设计一种引擎,要把八个汽缸全放在一起。设计的纸上作业完成了,但是工程师们都异口同声地跟福特说,“要把八个汽缸全放在一起,压根是不可能。”
福特说:“无论如何都要做出来。”
他们又回答:“但是,那不可能啊!”
“动手做。”福特一声令下, “不论花多少时间,做到交差为止!”
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工程师只得着手去做。如果他们还想呆在福特的公司里讨生活,就别无他途可行,值得去做。过了半年,没有动静。又过了半年,一样没有半点进展。工程师们试过了所有想得出来的计划去执行命令,结果仍然是:“不可能!”
过了一年,福特的工程师们都没有进展,他们再次告诉他,他们想不出有什么办法可以做到的指示。
“继续做,”福特说。“我要八汽缸引擎,就一定要做到!”
他们继续努力,然后仿佛如有神助似的,做法出笼了。
福特的决心又打赢了一仗。
这个故事也许说的不够详尽,但是故事的内容却都是“如假包换”的。要想致富的你,从这个故事可以推算出福特百万家财的秘密何在。务须舍近求远,就在眼前。
亨利福特了解成功的原则,也运用了这些原则,所以他成功了。这些原则中,有一项就是渴望:知道自己要做的是什么。阅读这篇文章时,请牢记这则福特的故事,时时在字里行间寻找他了不起的原因。只要
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