born_rich-第25节

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are　so　few　people　in　the　race；　that　even　the　losers　are　winners。　
Therefore；　you　need　not　do　a　tremendous　amount　of　studying　
to　gain　the　understanding　you　require；　because　again；　the　
difference　between　knowledge　and　ignorance；　may　be　as　fine　
as　〃the　Razor's　Edge。〃　


Let's　get　down　to　specifics　again…as　I　have　explained　to　
audiences　on　numerous　occasions；　I　do　a　great　deal　of　
studying　by　listening　to　educational　tapes　while　I　am　driving　
my　car。　I'd　like　to　suggest　that　you　turn　your　radio　off　and　
your　tape…recorder　on　when　you　get　into　your　car；　as　it　could　
make　as　big　a　difference　for　you；　as　it　has　for　me。　You　should　
be　aware　that　those　people　who　drive　twenty…five　thousand　
miles　per　year　spend　thirteen　forty…hour　weeks　sitting　behind　
the　wheel　of　their　car。　Therefore；　they　are　in　an　excellent　
position　to　have　a　wealth　of　invaluable　information　deposited　
in　their　subconscious　minds；　while　they　are；　otherwise；　
engaged　in　the　routine　activity　of　driving。　Remember；　it　is　
virtually　impossible　to　keep　exposing　your　mind　to　great　ideas　
without　having　those　ideas　expressed　in　your　physical　world。　
Moreover；　it　is　probably　only　one　idea　you　need　to　make　the　
difference　in　your　life。　

Consider　this　illustration…by　merely　moving　an　index　
finger　a　fraction　of　an　inch；　a　person　can　transform　a　cold　
piece　of　metal　into　a　deadly　weapon。　Or；　by　simply　shouting　
the　word　〃Fire；〃　a　person　can　turn　a　room　full　of　happy　people　
into　a　screaming；　panic…stricken　mob。　Obviously；　these　are　
both　very　negative　examples。　Nevertheless；　they　do　graphically　
illustrate　the　important　truth；　that　〃the　Razor's　Edge　can　cut　
both　ways。〃　In　other　words；　since　the　law　of　opposites　is　at　
work　in　every　aspect　of　life；　it　follows；　that　if　you　are　not　
consciously　striving　to　move　across　that　fine　line　to　improve　
the　quality　of　your　life；　you　could　be　inadvertently　moving　in　
such　a　way；　that　your　particular　position　in　life　is　actually　
starting　to　backslide。　

Let　me　elaborate。　A　couple　of　weeks　ago；　I　was　doing　a　
talk　show　on　the　radio。　A　lady　phoned　in　and　she　was　in　a　
fairly　negative　frame　of　mind　because　the　reality　of　her　life；　as　
she　perceived　it；　was　far　different　from　what　she　had　dreamed　
it　would　be　when　she　was　still　a　student　in　university。　
Apparently；　at　that　time；　she　had　dreamed　of　having　an　
exciting　career　as　a　famous　author。　However；　she　felt　her　
plans　had　been　ruined　because　she　married　shortly　after　


graduation　and　now　had　two　young　children　to　contend　with。　
The　children；　she　explained；　were　still　quite　young　and　they　
were；　as　she　described　it；　〃under　my　feet；　most　of　the　day。〃　
She　said　that　due　to　this　circumstance　of　life；　she　was　unable　
to　go　away　by　herself　to　write　and　this　made　her　feel　very　
resentful　towards　her　family　and　towards　life　in　general。　

I　suggested　to　her；　however；　it　was　not　necessary　to　〃go　
away〃　to　write　her　book；　even　though　it　is　quite　true　some　
writers　do　go　off　to　some　south　sea　island；　just　to　write。　But　I　
assured　her；　these　individuals　were　in　the　minority；　and　there　
are；　in　fact；　very　few　authors　who　devote　all　their　time　to　
writing　（or　who　even　earn　a　major　portion　of　their　income；　
while　engaged　in　this　activity）。　Therefore；　I　continued；　there　
was　absolutely　nothing　preventing　her　from　writing　at　least　
one　page　per　day…and　if　she　followed　this　schedule　religiously；　
in　a　year's　time　she　would　have　completed　a　good…sized　book　
（365　pages）；　or　possibly　two　or　three　smaller　ones。　Yes；　just　
getting　out　of　bed　one　hour　earlier　in　the　morning　could　be　the　
Razor's　Edge　difference　which　would　permit　her　to　realize　her　
dream。　Moreover；　she　would　have　the　additional　benefit　of　
having　her　family　near　her　to　provide　〃moral　support。〃　

First　Artificial　Heart　

As　I　am　writing　this　particular　chapter；　the　media　is　
literally　inundating　us　with　stories　about　the　〃first　artificial　
heart；〃　ever　to　have　been　placed　in　the　chest　of　a　human　
patient。　The　Toronto　Daily　Star；　for　example；　printed　one　story　
a　few　days　ago；　in　which　it　quoted　the　chief　surgeon　for　the　
operation；　Dr。　William　DeVries。　According　to　the　newspaper；　
he　said　that　his　credo；　with　respect　to　surgery；　had　always　
been…〃Rehearse　。。。　rehearse　。。。　and　then　rehearse　some　more！　
For　if　you　'stick　to'　this　principle；〃　he　continued；　〃when　it　
comes　time　to　perform　the　actual　operation；　the　procedure　will　
have　become　almost　routine　for　you。〃　

Dr。　DeVries　is　an　exemplary　case　of　an　individual　who　
gave　that　little　bit　extra。　For　he　took　the　time　and　effort　to　
rehearse　the　operation　on　the　screen　of　his　own　mind；　before　


he　actually　performed　it　in　the　hospital　operating　room。　
（Incidentally；　that　Razor's　Edge　difference　has　enabled　Dr。　
DeVries　to　become　a　world　renowned　surgeon；　who　is　destined　
to　be　〃written　up〃　in　the　annals　of　medical　history；　not　to　
mention　the　fact　that　it　enabled　him　to　prolong　the　life　of　one　
Dr。　Barney　Clark！）　

Another　excellent　illustration　of　〃going　that　extra　mile〃　by　
trying　one　more　time；　is　offered　in　the　same　historic　event。　For　
Dr。　Robert　Jarvik…only　36　years　of　age…and　the　man　who　
designed　the　world's　first　artificial　heart；　is　another　prime　
Razor's　Edge　candidate。　For　you　see；　Dr。　Jarvik　is　also　a　man　
who　was　rejected；　at　least　three　times；　by　every　medical　school　
in　the　entire　United　States　of　America。　In　fact；　he　was　even　
advised　by　one　teacher；　whose　course　he　was　failing；　to　apply　
to　dental　school。　

But　Robert　Jarvik　was　a　man　with　a　vision；　and　he　would　
not　be　denied　it。　He　intuitively　grasped　that　he　was　the　master　
of　his　fate；　and　he　must　have　innately　understood　the　Razor's　
Edge　concept…for　he　would　not　accept　defeat。　As　a　result　of　his　
remarkable　perseverance；　he　was　finally　accepted　into　the　
University　of　Utah　School　of　Medicine；　Salt　Lake　City；　in　1972。　
A　mere　decade　later；　young　Robert　Jarvik　achieved　a　medical　
breakthrough；　the　likes　of　which　had　never　been　seen　before。　

Speaking　of　her　husband；　Dr。　Jarvik's　wife　Elaine　said；　
〃He　has　qualities　which　are　very　difficult　to　measure…he　is　
creative；　and　that　is　something　you　cannot　measure　with　a　
test。〃　Clearly；　young　Robert　Jarvik　entered　the　fierce　
competition　for　a　place　in　medical　school；　with　none　of　the　
conventional　assets…superior　grades；　a　prestigious　academic　
degree；　and　a　high　score　on　the　medical　entrance　exam。　
Nevertheless；　he　did　possess　those　all　important　intangibles：　
namely；　perseverance　and　a　consuming　passion　to　be　
successful。　

Now；　I　am　in　no　way　suggesting　that　all　of　us　will　one　day　
make　medical　history。　Still；　we　might　resemble　Dr。　Jarvik；　in　
the　sense　that　our　particular　talents　and　aptitudes；　like　his；　


may　not　translate　well　onto　standardized　tests　of　ability。　
Therefore；　like　Robert　Jarvik；　it　may　be　necessary　for　us　to　
bring　our　particular　talents　to　bear；　through　tenacity；　
perseverance；　and　courage；　and　just　〃one　more　bite　at　the　
apple；〃　may　be　all　that　is　required　for　us　to　succeed。　

Napoleon　Hill　devoted　an　entire　chapter　in　his　classic　
book；　Think　and　Grow　Rich；　to　the　subject　of　〃persistence。〃　He　
said；　〃There　may　be　no　heroic　connotation　to　the　word　
persistence；　but　the　quality　is　to　the　character　of　man；　what　
carbon　is　to　steel。〃　

In　another　part　of　that　same　chapter；　he　wrote；　〃I　had　the　
happy　privilege　of　analyzing　both　Mr。　Thomas　Edison　and　Mr。　
Henry　Ford；　year　by　year；　over　a　long　period　of　years；　and　
therefore　the　opportunity　to　study　them　at　close　range。　
Therefore；　I　speak　with　actual　knowledge　when　I　say　that　I　
found　no　quality；　save　Persistence；　in　either　of　them；　that　even　
remotely　suggested　the　major　source　of　their　stupendous　
achievements。〃　

Surely　you　would　have　to　agree　there　was　a　tremendous　
difference　in　the　accomplishments　of　these　two　men；　as　
compared　with　the　accomplishments　of　most　other　people。　Yet　
by　their　own　admission；　neither　of　these　men　were　
intellectually　superior…in　fact；　in　terms　of　their　I。Q。…　they　may　
actually　have　been　inferior　to　many　other　people。　Nevertheless；　
because　both　men　possessed　the　vital　quality　of　〃persistence；〃　
their　results　in　life　were　invariably　superior　to　those　of　the　
masses。　

Therefore；　perhaps　the　factor　which　will　catapult　you　into　
the　〃big　leagues；〃　which　will　multiply　your　income　from　a　
material；　as　well　as　a　psychic　point　of　view；　will　be　your　own　
ability　to　persist。　So　the　next　time　you　step　out　to　do　
something；　and　〃the　going　gets　tough；〃　just　remember　that　the　
Razor's　Edge　difference　for　you　could　well　be　your　own　ability　
to　persevere。　Just　try　one　more　time…with　enthusiasm…and　you　
could　watch　your　accomplishments　go　from　the　very　ordinary；　
to　the　very　extraordinary！　


Let　me　share　a　brief　anecdote　from　my　own　experience。　
To　complete　this　book；　I　am　forming　a　new　habit。　Each　
morning　I　get　up　before　everyone　else　at　home；　shower　quickly　
and　pour　myself　a　cup　of　coffee　（which　I　drink　on　my　way　to　
the　office）。　I　arrive　at　the　office　before　seven　a。m。　and　then　I　
start　writing。　Since　it　is　absolutely　quiet　at　this　hour　in　the　
morning…no　telephones　ringing；　no　interruption…I　am　able　to　
write