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sales　and　currently　selling　only　three　units　a　week；　what　
would　the　consequences　be　for　you　if　you　were　to　decide　to　
make　one　additional　sale　per　week；　through　a　conscientious　
application　of　the　second　effort　concept？　Well；　on　a　weekly　
basis；　it　might　not　appear　to　be　a　major　breakthrough。　
However；　viewed　over　the　time　frame　of　an　entire　career；　it　
would　actually　amount　to　well　over　two　thousand　extra　sales。　
Moreover；　from　a　monetary　standpoint；　it　would　mean　you　
would　actually　receive　an　extra　ten　years'　income　over　the　
span　of　a　forty…year　career。　Yes；　that　one　sale　would　be　the　
Razor's　Edge　difference；　which　could　catapult　you　into　〃the　big　
leagues〃　in　your　chosen　career。　

Milt　Campbell's　Triumph　

One　individual　who　discovered　the　Razor's　Edge　
difference　for　himself；　in　his　own　life；　is　Milton　Campbell。　You　
see；　Milt　went　to　the　Olympic　Games　in　1952；　to　compete　in　


the　decathlon　event。　He　performed　with　distinction；　finishing　
in　second　place　in　the　world　and　as　a　result；　brought　home　an　
Olympic　silver　medal。　However；　Milt's　ambition　has　always　
been　to　win　the　Olympic　gold　medal。　Therefore；　when　he　
returned　home；　he　gave　it　that　old　second　effort　and　he　started　
his　training　program　all　over　again。　For　the　next　four　years；　
Milt　Campbell　dedicated　himself　single…mindedly　to　a　training　
schedule；　which　would　culminate　with　his　winning　the　
Olympic　gold　medal　for　his　country　at　the　1956　Olympic　
games。　In　the　aftermath　of　that　spectacular　achievement；　I　had　
the　pleasure　of　speaking　with　Milt　on　numerous　occasions。　He　
often　confided　to　me　that　many　of　the　athletes　against　whom　
he　competed　in　high　school　were　far　superior　to　him　at　that　
time。　But　at　some　point；　they　had　made　the　decision　to　
abandon　a　sports　career　and　the　Razor's　Edge　difference　for　
Milt　was　that　he　kept　training。　The　result…the　day　they　pinned　
the　gold　medal　on　Milt；　he　was　recognized　as　the　best　athlete　
in　the　entire　world！　

One　of　the　most　powerful　illustrations　of　the　fine　line　
which　separates　winning　from　losing　was　revealed　in　the　
filming　of　the　movie；　The　Razor's　Edge。　The　cast　for　the　movie　
was　comprised　of　eight　〃principal　actors；〃　and　eight　〃stand…
ins。〃　（That　is　to　say；　each　〃principal〃　had　a　〃stand…in〃　to　do　the　
hard；　grueling　and　tiresome　work　for　him；　while　the　stars　did　
〃the　rest！〃）　After　the　film　had　been　completed；　Life　Magazine　
published　a　story　in　which　the　pictures　of　the　eight　
〃principals〃　were　exhibited　on　one　page；　and　the　eight　〃stand…
ins〃　were　shown　on　the　opposite　page。　

The　stand…in　for　〃the　star〃　of　the　film；　Tyrone　Power；　was　
a　man　by　the　name　of　Thomas　Noonan。　Noonan　was　a　close　
associate　of　Power's　and　they　had　even　attended　the　same　high　
school　at　the　same　time。　Both　men　were　about　the　same　size；　
they　were　equal　in　intelligence；　they　dressed　almost　
identically；　and　they　resembled　one　another　very　closely；　even　
in　their　physical　appearance。　In　point　of　fact；　as　close　a　
resemblance　as　was　humanly　possible　existed　between　each　
〃principal　actor〃　and　his　or　her　〃stand…in。〃　But　in　one　way…and　


one　way　only…the　〃principal　actors〃　and　their　〃stand…ins〃　were　
completely　dissimilar。　For　the　combined　salaries　received　by　
the　eight　〃principals〃　for　the　picture　amounted　to；　what　was　at　
that　time；　a　staggering　489；000。　The　combined　salaries　for　
the　eight　〃stand…ins；〃　on　the　other　hand；　amounted　to　a　paltry　
6；534。　The　〃principals〃　may　only　have　been　slightly　more　
talented　than　their　〃understudies〃　were；　but　the　monetary　
compensation　which　they　received　was　seventy…five　times　
greater！　

As　your　awareness　becomes　increasingly　great　with　
respect　to　〃The　Razor's　Edge〃　concept；　you　will　be　astounded　
by　the　number　of　such　examples　you　encounter　every　day。　As　
a　case　in　point；　just　consider　how　much　kindlier　you　feel　
towards　a　particular　retail　store；　where　the　cashier　smiles　and　
〃thanks　you　for　your　business；〃　and　then　asks　you　to　come　
back　〃real　soon〃；　as　compared　to　one　where　you　are　greeted　
with　a　stern；　〃Well；　are　you　going　to　buy　anything　or　not；〃　
attitude。　

Or　consider　this　illustration…approximately　one　year　ago；　
a　family　attended　one　of　my　seminars　in　Toronto。　They　were　a　
truly　beautiful　family；　but　they　had　a　serious　problem　and　
they　asked　me　if　I　could　help　them　solve　it。　They　informed　me；　
to　begin　with；　that　they　were　the　owners　of　an　automobile　
repair　shop。　But　they　also　explained　their　business　had　gone　
sour；　so　〃sour；〃　in　fact；　they　were　seriously　contemplating　
〃closing　their　doors；〃　and　going　to　work　for　someone　else。　

In　an　attempt　to　assist　them；　I　visited　them　on　the　
premises　of　their　shop　and　I　asked　them　a　series　of　related　
questions。　Then；　I　〃sat　back〃　and　listened　very　carefully　to　the　
answers　which　they　provided　me　with。　It　wasn't　long　before　I　
ascertained；　that　whenever　I　asked　a　question　having　to　do　
with　their　ability　as　mechanics；　they　answered　with　great　
enthusiasm　and　literally　overflowing　with　confidence。　In　fact；　
they　soon　had　me　convinced　not　only　were　they　very　skillful　
mechanics；　but　they　were　exceptionally　hard　workers　as　well。　


On　the　other　hand；　however；　I　also　discerned；　that　
whenever　I　asked　them　a　question　which　touched　upon　the　
public　relation's　side　of　their　business；　they　exhibited　
absolutely　no　enthusiasm；　whatsoever。　In　fact；　an　aura　of　
pessimism　and　despondency　actually　came　over　them。　It　was　
fairly　obvious　to　me；　therefore；　the　only　problem　which　this　
family　really　had　was　dealing　with　their　own　mental　attitudes。　

Once　I　had　identified　the　exact　nature　of　the　problem；　I　
was　able　to　suggest　corrective　action。　I　told　them　they　must　
begin　to　〃visualize　their　shop　full　of　cars　which　needed　to　be　
repaired。〃　I　suggested；　moreover；　that　every　time　they　
visualized　themselves　doing　work　on　a　car；　they　also　visualize　
themselves　vacuuming　the　inside　of　the　car；　washing　the　
outside；　and　making　sure　the　windows　were　spotless。　I　pointed　
out　to　them；　that　because　most　people　don't　really　understand　
very　much　about　the　mechanical　aspects　of　a　car；　the　only　
thing　which　they　would　notice；　was　〃how　it　looked；〃　and　since　
almost　everyone　feels　better　driving　a　car　that　looks　good；　
these　little　extra　touches　would　soon　start　paying　great　
dividends　for　them。　

Approximately　two　weeks　later；　I　received　a　phone　call　
from　one　of　the　family　members。　She　told　me　that　none　of　
them　quite　understood　how　〃something　so　basic；〃　could　make　
such　a　tremendous　difference。　But　nevertheless；　they　had　
become　so　busy　in　the　next　two　weeks　since　I　had　visited　
them；　their　only　problem　now　was　completing　all　of　the　work　
which　they　had　attracted　to　themselves。　The　Razor's　Edge　
difference　that　changed　their　business　from　a　loser　into　a　
winner；　turned　out　to　be　nothing　more　dramatic　than　a　
hospitable　attitude　and　a　few　additional　touches　on　each　and　
every　automobile。　Was　it　worth　it？　Just　ask　the　Jacob's　family　
of　Toronto；　Canada！　

Most　educators　will　admit　…　with　some　coaxing　…　that　the　
average　individual　reads　at　only　about　a　grade　six　or　seven　
level。　The　reason　for　this　is　we　are　taught　to　read　by　the　time　
we　reach　grade　six　or　seven；　and　then　we　never　bother　to　


improve　our　reading　skills　beyond　that　point。　You　should　
realize；　moreover；　that　what　is　true　about　〃reading；〃　is　also　
true　of　most　other　skills　which　we　acquire　in　life。　Once　people　
have　become　proficient　in　the　basics　in　any　particular　field；　
they　usually　choose　to　stop　learning；　and　of　course；　from　that　
point　forward　they　cease　to　improve。　Since　this　is　true　of　most　
people；　it　follows　that　it　is　only　the　small　minority　of　people　in　
any　given　field　who　will　go　on　to　become　the　acknowledged　
experts　in　their　chosen　vocation。　Therefore；　they　are　the　people　
who　can　demand　and　who　will　receive　the　lion's　share　of　the　
income　in　their　field。　（Just　reflect　upon　the　vast　difference　in　
the　incomes　of　the　actors　in　the　movie　The　Razor's　Edge。）　

Taking　this　information　into　account；　consider　the　job　
you　are　doing　presently　and　ask　yourself　the　following　
questions：　〃How　good　am　I　at　doing　it？；〃　and　〃How　much　better　
could　I　be？〃　Realize；　that　if　you　would　study　your　chosen　field　
for　one　hour　per　day；　in　five　years　time　you　would　have　
studied　for　45　forty…hour　weeks；　which　amounts　to　almost　a　
full　year　of　study。　Moreover；　since　you　would　only　be　studying　
for　one　hour　at　any　given　time；　you　would　be　able　to　give　the　
material　your　undivided　attention。　Therefore；　it　would　actually　
be　the　equivalent　of　〃a　full　year〃　of　concentrated　study。　This　
means　that　by　the　end　of　the　first　year；　you　would　already　
have　put　in　nine　forty…hour　weeks　of　invaluable　study　time。　
Although　this　amounts　to　only　one　hour　of　study　per　day；　if　
you　were　to　follow　this　schedule　rigorously；　in　a　relatively　
short　span　of　time　you　would　stand　among　your　peers　like　a　
giraffe　in　a　herd　of　field　mice。　

In　fact；　when　you　really　think　about　it；　you　will　soon　
understand　there　isn't　any　competition　at　all；　because　there　
are　so　few　people　in　the　race；　that　even　the　losers　are　winners。　
Therefore；　you　need　not　do　a　tremendous　amount