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 without any distractions and I really enjoy it. By the time
the other people arrive to begin work, I have several pages
already written, so I am then free to get busy with the other
work which I have scheduled for the day.
Simulation
Now try to relate this story to your own situation, for just
a moment. For example, if you are employed in a "sales"
capacity, consider the dynamic sales presentation which you
could be delivering in a month or two, if you did a similar
thing each morning. In other words, if, instead of writing as I
do, try to simulate a sales presentation with an imaginary
prospect, or possibly with one of your associates. (I used the
word simulate rather than role play, because the latter usually
turns out to be exactly what the word suggests-play, and the
exercise often turns into a game. The word simulate, on the
other hand, came into popular parlance when we learned how
astronauts prepared for their space missions. When they were
simulating, they were actually pre-living the in-space
experience, as if it were already happening.) Therefore, I would
suggest that if you practised your sales presentation in a
similar manner, every morning-for one or two hours-you
would witness an incredible improvement in your
performance, in a relatively short span of time. With a year or
two of diligent effort under your belt, you would become so
proficient, you would rarely miss a sale. So remember, "If the
need is there, and the means are there and you still haven't
made the sale, it is probably because you are not good
enough, yet!"
A guaranteed way to become "good enough," is to do what
Dr. DeVries prescribed: namely, "Rehearse, rehearse, and then
rehearse some more." For in this manner, you will attain the
stature of a true professional, and of course, you will receive
the compensation a true professional deserves. And, although
I am only suggesting you set aside one hour per day for
preparation, like the actors in Zanuck's movie, you will
probably be rewarded many times over.
Consider the following account. Several years ago, I was
traveling through the southeastern United States with Rudy
Michaud, the Senior Vice-President of one of the world's
largest insurance companies. Rudy had some papers out that
he was working on, as we were flying from one city to the next,
and I was also busy working on a project. Suddenly Rudy
turned to me and showed me some figures he had written on a
sheet of paper. He then pointed out to me: there were actually
individual salespeople, in his company, who were earning
more money themselves, than the combined incomes of the
thirty or forty people who constitute "a district sales
operation."
Do you think these individuals were really thirty or forty
times better than their colleagues? - of course not! For like the
race horse ARMED, they were probably only three or four
percent more effective. But in terms of annual income, there
was absolutely no comparison. What made the difference for
them? Perhaps they planned their day, while others didn't; or
maybe they practised for that one hour, while the others did
not. Nevertheless, whatever it was that they did, you can be
sure the difference was as fine as a Razor's Edge!
Now stop reading, sit back, relax, and think, really think-
what is it in your life that will make the Razor's Edge
difference for you? You know what it is? Good-then do it now!
Don't Think In Reverse
"Let us not look back in anger
nor forward in fear
but around us in awareness."
- Leland Val Van De Wall
You will never obtain any substantial measure of
material wealth if you insist upon living your life as if you were
looking back through the rearview mirror of your automobile.
Nevertheless, this seems to be a very common error which
many people have turned into a pernicious habit. That is to
say, many of us spend most of our present moments,
"floundering mentally," in the time zone of the dead and
should-be-forgotten past.
Let The Dead Bury The Dead
Remember the old adage which says, "Let the dead bury
the dead." In other words, what you want to do is to stop
looking back in your life and worrying about things which
have already occurred and which you can no longer alter. For
pursuing that kind of mental activity will never lead to any
worthwhile accomplishments in your life. You should
understand, moreover, that all of the great achievers of the
past have been visionary figures; they were men and women
who projected into the future and did not belabor over things
which had already past. They thought of what could be, rather
than what already was, and then they moved themselves into
action to bring these things into fruition.
Think of the magnificent legacy which these forward-
thinking individuals have left for us living today. Due to their
formidable efforts, we are now able to enjoy breakfast in Paris,
lunch in New York and dinner in Toronto. We are now able to
live our lives in brightness and light (twenty-four hours a day
if we so desire). We can hear the voice of a loved one on the
other side of the ocean, merely by pressing some buttons on a
telephone. All of these miraculous possibilities, and so much
more, are available to us, simply because ordinary human
beings-like you and me-have built extraordinary images on the
screen of their minds, of things which had never been before.
The pioneering spirit of men and women of all faiths,
creeds, and color has been put to great use. Those
praiseworthy individuals were able to look into the future, to
see what could be rather than what already was, and then
they ignored those who scoffed and said, "It couldn't be done."
Also understand that all great achievers always expect to do
great things and then they turn around and do them! Do not
be misled by your sensory factors-we are endowed with the
same, basic mental tools which the Wright's, the Edison's and
the Bell's possessed, and we all have the God-given ability to
employ those tools, just as they did. All of us have been
blessed with the mental capacity to gaze into the future and to
see our lives in a richer and much more satisfying state.
Therefore, regardless of the present circumstances in
which you find yourself, clearly understand that if you can
build the image of something new in your mind, something
that far surpasses anything that has occurred up until now,
you have the ability to realize that result in the physical world.
It could not be more clear, that all of us have been "Born
