IT IS ALL YOURS – TAKE IT EASY CHAPTER XV

Every day I thank God for two things: First, that I was born a human being. Second, that I am a citizen of the United States. As a human being I am able to visualize and imagine my opportunities. As a citizen of the United States I am able to realize and enjoy them. This great heritage gives me cause to be truly thankful.

Everyone in the United States has cause to be grateful. No nation in all history has been more generously blessed. Most assuredly the United States is the garden spot of the world. Her geographical position, combined with her varying altitudes, provide a greater variety of soil and vegetation than any equal extent of territory in the world. There is no logical or common-sense reason for anyone to be a pessimist living in the United States, if he will only open his eyes and see. A survey of the material resources with which you have to work, and also a survey of the fundamental facts affecting the prosperity, security, development and progress of the United States will enable you to have a better appreciation of these resources.

On the north is expanding Canada, with which to trade. On the east is the Atlantic Ocean, to connect us with all European and Near East ports. On the south is the Gulf of Mexico, the Mediterranean of the New World, with unexcelled natural facilities to enlarge our export and import business with South America. On the west is the Pacific Ocean, to connect us with the Orient and the Far East.

In the United States there are eight great rivers, the Hudson, the Delaware, the Potomac, the Mississippi, the Ohio, the Missouri, the Columbia, and the Colorado. All these rivers and many more are natural arteries for commerce, waiting for the ingenuity and skill of man with vision to dot their banks with thriving industry, and to set afloat on their surging bosoms argosies of commerce to enrich the comforts of people everywhere. Some day boats propelled by electric waves will be serving the people along these rivers.

The waterpower resources of the United States can produce annually five hundred billion kilowatt hours of electricity, or enough to give each family approximately fifteen thousand kilowatt hours of electricity each year. This source of power has hardly been tapped. It is waiting for development.

The United States, including possessions, has a total area of almost four million square miles. If this land were divided, it would be enough to give every man, woman and child a farm of nineteen acres' each.

The United States contains only six per cent of the world's area, seven per cent of the world's population. It normally consumes: Forty-eight per cent of the world's coffee; fifty percent of the world's tin; fifty-six per cent of the world's rubber; twenty-one per cent of the world's sugar; seventy-two per cent of the world's silk; thirty-six per cent of the world's coal; forty-two per cent of the world's pig iron; forty-seven per cent of the world's copper; sixty per cent of the world's crude petroleum.

The United States produces over three billion bushels of corn, one and a half billion bushels of wheat and fifteen million bales of cotton each year.

With thirty million automobiles, everyone in the United States can take a ride at one time.

The United States has over sixty per cent of the world's telephones.

The United States has two hundred and fifty thousand miles of railroads with fifty thousand locomotives, and over two million boxcars.

The United States produces:

Seventy per cent of the world's oil; fifty per cent of the world's copper; sixty per cent of the world's wheat; sixty per cent of the world's cotton; fifty percent of the world's pig iron; forty per cent of the world's lead; forty per cent of the world's coal.

The purchasing power of the population of the United States is greater than that of five hundred million people in Europe.

The people of the United States have their lives insured for more than one hundred and seventy-five billions of dollars. This is almost an average of twelve hundred dollars for every man, woman and child.

The United States has over three million commercial business concerns and over two hundred thousand manufacturing establishments.

The United States has almost twenty-two billions of dollars in gold, over seventy per cent of the world's total supply. It has sixty-six per cent of civilization's banking facilities, with fifteen thousand banks and one hundred and fifty-three billion dollars on deposit.

The national income of the United States is more than three hundred and fifty thousand dollars per minute. To meet this income, Ford's fortune would last less than one half a day. There are over twenty-nine billion dollars in circulation, or over one hundred and ninety-six dollars per capita.

The United States appraised today, including its developed and undeveloped resources, its manpower and potentialities, would be worth in excess of one thousand billion dollars. It is a trillion-dollar concern. To divide this aggregation of wealth by one hundred and forty million subjects we find the per capita wealth is over seven thousand dollars. Are you a blushing Croesus?

What about debt? Debt is a part of the economic system. It is like other subjects and to be understood it must be treated with common sense, or no one understands it. Debt does not mean anything so long as it is in the family.

The public and private debt of the United States at the end of 1945 was four hundred billion, five hundred million dollars. It was divided as follows: Two hundred and forty-seven billions of dollars in the Federal Government and Federal Agencies. Thirteen and seven-tenths billions in State and Local Governments. Eighty-five and eight-tenths billions in corporate bonds, including both short-and long-term issues. Twenty-seven and three-tenths billions in urban real estate and mortgages. Five and two-tenths billions in farm mortgages, and twenty-one and five-tenths billions in non-corporate bonds. Debt, because it is owned by the people, increases the national wealth.

A thousand-dollar United States Government bond is a debt and an obligation against the United States, and it is treated as a liability. The same bond in your safe deposit is far from being a debt or a liability, in fact, it is a gilt-edge security and a quick liquid asset.

A thousand-dollar bond issued by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company is carried on its books as a debt, and listed as a liability in its financial statement. The same bond is listed as an asset in the financial statement of the New York Life Insurance Company.

Debt is a large part of our wealth. In fact, most of the assets of insurance companies and other savings institutions are predicated on debt.

The most scientific way to treat this debt is to have some of it transferred to your own safe deposit box.

What about dollars? Dollars are based on wealth. As the national wealth increases so do dollars.

Most of the enigmas of our economic system easily solve themselves by thought.

The United States has millions of opinions and the best part of these opinions make our laws, and keep our country secure. As long as these opinions prevail in a free market, this nation will remain intact.

I like to think of the majority of these opinions expressing the American Creed. "I believe in the United States of America as a Government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a republic; a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.

"I, therefore, believe it is my duty to my country to love it; to support its Constitution; to obey its laws; to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies."

As an individual citizen in the United States you have free access to its gigantic wealth through your own initiative and ability. As long as you do not encroach upon the rights of others, you can acquire as much of it as your capacity warrants. It is all yours.

All these unlimited resources are yours to draw upon. All these inexhaustible supplies are here to satisfy your desires. You have the ability to convert them into economic values to meet your own comforts and enjoyment. Therefore, there should be no occasion for want, and certainly no reason for doubt, uncertainty, anxiety, worry or dread. However, a few suggestions on how to relax and take it easy may help you.

Physical fitness, mental alertness and personal efficiency are largely determined by your ability to relax. You are at your best physically and mentally when you are relaxed.

Relaxation is only following out a natural law. All things in nature grow with ease and grace. There is no friction. It has also been proved by observation and experience that the power of most living things lies in their ability to relax. The dog can leap three times as far from a state of relaxation. The rattle-snake can strike its full length from a state of coil or relaxation. The lion, the tiger, the panther all leap with deadly aim from a reclining position.

When you are in a state of relaxation water will hold you up. A person drowns because he fails to relax.

Relaxation tells you to loosen up, to take it easy, to relieve tension, and let go. It tells you to take the brake off, to open up and to let the forces of nature flow into your body. These forces will restore, recuperate, revitalize and rehabilitate you. These forces cannot enter your body when it is rigid and tense. They only come when you cease trying or straining.

Relaxation is very important to the physical body. The body is made up of billions of cells. Among these cells are the nerve cells. The nerve cells include the sensory nerves, which convey impressions from the sense organs to the brain, and the motor nerves which cause and direct movement. These nerve cells get their nourishment to perform from the blood. When they are well fed and well nourished with pure blood, they become strong, like nerves of steel. They are able to withstand storms, jolts, and hard bumps. Therefore, the chapter on "How to Double Your Energy" is very important. By all means read, study and practice the principles as outlined in that chapter. Train and discipline yourself to masticate your food thoroughly. Train and discipline yourself consciously to breathe deeply. Train and discipline your-self to take sun baths. Train and discipline yourself to drink plenty of water. Train and discipline yourself to stretch as outlined in Chapter IV and do it systematically. When a difficult situation confronts you, take a deep breath, all your lungs can hold, and count to ten.

By following out the above suggestions you are going to have a strong body with the power to relax, to do the job efficiently. These suggestions will also help to keep you young and vibrant. They will re-move the wrinkles from your face. Stretch and you feed the cells of the face with blood. Blood and wrinkles do not go together.

Everyone wants to be well, happy, teeming with energy, confident, capable and free from care. Possibly a few suggestions on how to relax mentally may help you to realize this. Here are a few that help me.

1. LOVE

Love means to practice a feeling of kindness in all activity. The brain is the center of all activity that takes place in the human body, whether the act is voluntary or involuntary. The master over all activity is the intelligence, the seat of reason.

After forty years of experience trying, testing and experimenting with every possible motive, I have discovered that love has more power and influence over my mental activities than any other quality or attribute. When I practice a feeling of kindness it seems to tap a great reservoir of power and strength that enables me to perform with skill and alacrity. It eliminates doubt, uncertainty, anxiety, worry and dread, and directs me without conflict or confusion. It removes all stubbornness, tenseness and rigidness. It makes me more tolerant, more liberal and more forgiving. It placates and soothes me. It frees me from stress and strain. It relaxes me. I can act free from all care. It pays me large dividends.

2. KNOW YOUR BUSINESS

a thorough, complete and comprehensive knowledge of every phase of your business regardless of how unimportant it is. Sometimes the least important becomes the most important. Study your occupation and appraise your ability in conjunction with the chapters in this book. A thorough knowledge of what you are doing gives you confidence and this gives you the faith and power to act.

3. GET RID OF SELFISHNESS

There are several grades of selfishness. The worst offender is carrying the world around on your shoulders. It is taking to heart everything that happens. Sympathy is all right, but false sympathy may impair your efficiency. You must learn to consider things, persons and events impersonally, and this will help you to relax. Do not bother about other people's troubles. Most trouble will go to sleep if you do not keep it awake. Be considerate always but by no means solicitous.

4. SHOW GRATITUDE

Nothing seems to relax the mind so quickly and completely as a state of being grateful. A spirit of thankfulness for what you are and what you have seems to penetrate every part of your being. It seems to loosen the very marrow in your bones. When you stop, pause and think for a moment. You find many things for which to be thankful. Someone has said that the Old Testament has over six hundred thousand words, and only six of these words are asking God for something, while all the rest are a song of praise, thanking God for all His wonderful creation. Turn your day into a day of thanksgiving. The way to relax and be happy is to be truly grateful.

5. TRAIN YOURSELF TO LAUGH

and the world laughs with you. Why does a man laugh? Because he has an imagination. What makes a man laugh? Because with imagination he is able to compare the ridiculous with the sublime. This quick comparison tickles his fancy and causes him to chuckle. So learn to compare and exercise your imagination. You will find many situations and conditions that will make you laugh. This will relax you.

6. PRACTICE THE LAW OF AVERAGES

This law guarantees results and makes you indifferent as to results. This attitude will also help you to relax. When you have done your best, there is only one answer--results. Then too your lot or portion of life is seeking after you, therefore be at rest from seeking after it. What's the wisdom of fretting, worrying, fuming and fussing? Billions of people have made their home on this earth for thousands of years. They tell us that all of them have been fed and sustained. They also tell us that they have not used up a thing. It is all still here. The only thing to do is practice the Law of Averages, do the job well and trust in that inexorable law of remuneration which never fails to pay or reward you for honest effort.

The ability to relax is a great asset. It acts as a lubricant to smooth and sooth the way between all business and social relationships. It tears down and penetrates the barriers of rigid feelings. It relieves stress and strain, and frees you from apprehension and dread. When you relax, you cause others to relax. It establishes mutual understanding and confidence prevails. By all means relax and take it easy. It will give you more capacity to do, more ability to think, and more energy to act. It will take all the stubbornness, tenseness and rigidness out of your mind and body. It will unleash all the positive and creative forces within you. It will enable you to turn your ability into cash. It will put your share in your lap.

The Declaration of Independence was a birth certificate, giving birth to a new freedom. In this certificate was hidden a dream that man could express the thoughts of his own choosing. A hope that man could perfect himself in science, in philosophy, in art, in business, in craftsmanship, or in any other field of endeavor, and enjoy the fruits of his own efforts with peace of mind. A prayer that man could worship God in his own way, and share the truth of his own convictions. That dream, that hope, that prayer, became your nation--America.

Individual ability, individual industry, individual initiative, individual integrity, encouraged by freedom of action, stimulated by opportunity, inspired by faith and sustained by achievement, turned this dream into a reality. Today America has one hundred and forty million people who rise to call her blessed. Her cities are vast hives of thrift and industry, and her countryside is teeming with agricultural enterprise. The United States is one throbbing neighborhood of people, who live, love and share. It is yours today--something for which to thank God.

Remember that your success lies in your dreams, in your hopes and in your prayers. Remember also that the destiny of these United States, and the future welfare and happiness of your children depend on your dignity and your nobility as a human being. Therefore, put your faith in the great creative forces within, and make every day the best day. Inspire and influence others to enjoy the abundant life with you. By planning and working together with a spirit of living and loving and sharing, America is secure, not only for you, but for your children and your children's children.

May He who clothes the lilies and marks the spar-row's fall, protect and save you and guide you safe through all!