HONOR ROLL
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IF I HAD KNOWNRECENTLY a well known man spoke at a man's meeting on the subject, "Things I Wish I Had Known Before I Was Twenty-one." The things he named were the results of a questionnaire sent to a large number of friends and men of ability. In many cases their words were much the same, but when they were all in his office and he had an opportunity to sort them, he found that all of the men together had submitted a total of twenty things which they wished they could have known before they were twenty-one: 1. What I was going to do for a living, what my life work would be. 2. That my health after thirty depended in a large degree on what I put in my stomach before I was twenty-one. 3. How to take care of money. 4. The commercial asset of being neatly and sensibly dressed. 5. That a man's habits are hard to change after he is twenty-one. 6. That a harvest depends upon the seeds sown; wheat produces wheat, thistles bring forth thistles, ragweed spoil good pasture, and wild oats sown will surely produce all kinds of misery and unhappiness. 7. That things worth while require time, patience, and work. 8. That you can't get something for nothing. 9. That the world would give me just about what I deserved. 10. That by the sweat of my brow would I earn my bread. 11. That a thorough education not only pays better wages than hard labor, but it brings the best of everything else, namely, more enjoyable work, better food, more of the wholesome luxuries and pleasures of life, better folks to live and deal with, and best of all, the genuine satisfaction that you are somebody worthy of respect, confidence, and the priceless gift of friendship. 12. That honesty is the best policy, not only in dealing with my neighbors, but also in dealing with myself and God. 13. The value of absolute truth in everything. 14. The folly of not taking older people's advice. 15. What it really means to father and mother to rear their son. 16. What hardships and disappointments would be entailed by my leaving home against my parents' wishes. 17. More of the helpful and inspiring parts of the Bible, particularly the four books dealing with the life of Christ. 18. The greatness of the opportunity and joy of serving a fellow man. 19. That Jesus Christ was with me as an elder brother and friend in every activity and relationship in my personal life. 20. That God's relationships to me were just as helpful and delightful as that of a good shepherd toward his sheep, or of a father toward his son. ____________________
He will be easily content and at peace whose conscience is pure. PAGE 4 |
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