t." He is generally rattling.

The greater and wiser the man, the more anxious he is to be told.

I am sorry for the one who struts around saying, "I own the job. They
can't get along without me." For I feel that they are getting ready to
get along without him. That noise you hear is the death-rattle in his
throat.

Big business men keep their ears open for rattles in their machinery.

I am sorry for the man, community or institution that spends much time
pointing backward with pride and talking about "in my day!" For it is
mostly rattle. The live one's "my day" is today and tomorrow. The dead
one's is yesterday.

We Must Get Ready to Get

We young people come up into life wanting great places. I would not
give much for a young person (or any other person) who does not want a
great place. I would not give much for anybody who does not look
forward to greater and better things tomorrow.

We often think the way to get a great place is just to go after it and
get it. If we do not have pull enough, get some more pull. Get some
more testimonials.

We think if we could only get into a great place we would be great. But
unless we have grown as great as the place we would be a great joke,
for we would rattle. And when we have grown as great as the place, that
sized place will generally come seeking us.

We do not become great by getting into a great place, any more than a
boy becomes a man by getting into his father's boots. He is in great
boots, but he rattles. He must grow greater feet before he gets greater
boots. But he must get the feet before he gets the boots.

We must get ready for things before we get them.

All life is preparation for greater things.

Moses was eighty years getting ready to do forty years work. The Master
was thirty years getting ready to do three years work. So many of us
expect to get ready in "four easy lessons by mail."

We can be a pumpkin in one summer, with the accent on the "punk." We
can be a mushroom in a day, with the accent on the "mush." But we
cannot become an oak that way.

The world is not greatly impressed by testimonials. The man who has the
most testimonials generally needs them most to keep him from rattling.
A testimonial so often becomes a crutch.

Many a man writes a testimonial to get rid of somebody. "Well, I hope
it will do him some good. Anyhow, I have gotten him off my hands." I
heard a Chicago superintendent say to his foreman, "Give him a
testim