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A8TOR, LENOX
Til 17
I Illy
V O L . LIV. N o . 10
REVIEW
Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 373 Fourth Ave., New York, March 9,1912
Opportunity Does Not Use An Axe
T
HERE are some men who believe in the statement that opportunity knocks at least once on every
man's door.
.
.
In truth, some men expect not only one, two or three loud knocks, but they expect oppor-
tunity to come around with a big axe and break the door down.
In other words, they believe that a gentle tap is not sufficient and that they are entitled to a better
service than that from opportunity.
As a matter of fact, some mighty gentle knocks are given by opportunity, and there are some men
whose ears are carefully attuned to the slightest sound made that they are extraordinarily quick to open
the door and welcome opportunity.
They are the live ones—the ones who are succeeding—the business creators—they are the men who
are building the surest road to the development of big possibilities.
Opportunity is not always looking for men with a vast amount of gray matter, but for men with
ordinary intelligence the way is also open.
The surest road to fortune is to offer the people something that they have been wanting and what
nobody else has given them.
Their wants may be simple—the article may be so inexpensive to make that it can be sold for a few
cents, but if the demand for it is sufficiently large it will make fortunes for its promoters.
A friend of mine a while ago was not looked upon as a genius, and yet after he had passed forty he
invented a little specialty which has made him a fortune within a couple of years.
It is the new idea that counts.
When a man succeeds in finding a new way—in originating something new or developing old ideas in
a new direction—-we say that he is very lucky, thus giving fate credit for accomplishing results for which
the individual himself is responsible.
When we do something original fate and luck have little to do with it.
The fact that we have displayed originality proves conclusively that we have concentrated our minds
upon special work and that we have been enabled to open up a new way.
It may be true that much which passes for originality is nothing more or less than old ideas dressed
up in new raiment.
Still the matter of readjustment counts—the matter of assembling—the matter of bringing together
certain separate parts, combining them into a completed whole, is the real work.
There are thousands of parts which must be brought together to make a completed piano, and
yet if we go back a few years we will find men who figured that it was impossible to make any particular
advance in piano-making.
In fact, it is only necessary to go back a quarter of a century to find men who affirmed that by 1900
all the piano factories would be closed simply through the. fact that the entire demand for pianos would
be supplied.
.
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Certainly the different viewpoints constitute an interesting phenomena nowadays.
But as far as opportunities go, there are plenty of them which can be found for the seeking.