Page 69 - Napoleon Hill Think and Grow Rich Full Book | Success Learned

NAPOLEON HILL THINK AND GROW RICH

The home study method of training is especially suited to the needs of employed
people who find, after leaving school, that they must acquire additional special-
ized knowledge, but cannot spare the time to go back to school.

The changed economic conditions prevailing since the depression have made it
necessary for thousands of people to find additional, or new sources of income.
For the majority of these, the solution to their problem may be found only by ac-
quiring specialized knowledge. Many will be forced to change their occupations
entirely.

When a merchant finds that a certain line of merchandise is not selling, he usually
supplants it with another that is in demand. The person whose business is that of
marketing personal services must also be an efficient merchant. If his services do
not bring adequate returns in one occupation, he must change to another, where
broader opportunities are available.

Stuart Austin Wier prepared himself as a Construction Engineer and followed
this line of work until the depression limited his market to where it did not give
him the income he required. He took inventory of himself, decided to change
his profession to law, went back to school and took special courses by which he
prepared himself as a corporation lawyer. Despite the fact the depression had not
ended, he completed his training, passed the Bar Examination, and quickly built
a lucrative law practice, in Dallas, Texas; in fact he is turning away clients.

Just to keep the record straight, and to anticipate the alibis of those who will say,
"I couldn't go to school because I have a family to support," or "I'm too old," I
will add the information that Mr. Wier was past forty, and married when he went
back to school. Moreover, by carefully selecting highly specialized courses, in col-
leges best prepared to teach the subjects chosen, Mr. Wier completed in two years
the work for which the majority of law students require four years. IT PAYS TO
KNOW HOW TO PURCHASE KNOWLEDGE!

The person who stops studying merely because he has finished school is forever
hopelessly doomed to mediocrity, no matter what may be his calling. The way of
success is the way of continuous pursuit of knowledge.

Let us consider a specific instance. During the depression a salesman in a grocery
store found himself without a position. Having had some bookkeeping experi-
ence, he took a special course in accounting, familiarized himself with all the lat-
est bookkeeping and office equipment, and went into business for himself. Start-
ing with the grocer for whom he had formerly worked, he made contracts with
more than 100 small merchants to keep their books, at a very nominal monthly

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