Several years ago I witnessed an exceptionally impressive sales meeting. The vice-president in charge of marketing for this com­pany was tremendously excited. He wanted to drive home a point. He had with him on the platform the leading representative in the organization, a very ordinary looking fellow, who earned in the year just ended just a little under $60,000. The earnings of other representatives averaged $12,000.

The executive challenged the group. Here is what he said!

"I want you to take a good look at Harry. Look at him! Now what's Harry got that the rest of you haven't? Harry earned five times the average but is Harry five times smarter? No, not according to our personnel tests. I checked. They show he's about average in that department."

"And did Harry work five times harder than you fellows? No—not according to the reports. In fact he took more time off than most of you."

"Did Harry have a better territory? Again I've got to say no. The accounts averaged about the same. Did Harry have more educa­tion? Better health? Again, no. Harry is about as average as an average guy could be except for one thing."

"The difference between Harry and the rest of you," said the vice-president, "the difference is that Harry thought five times bigger."

Then, the executive proceeded to show that success is deter­mined not so much by the size of one's brain as it isby the size of one's thinking.

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This was an intriguing thought. And it stayed with me. The more I observed, the more people I talked with, the deeper I dug into what's really behind success, the clearer was the answer.

Case history after case history proved that the size of bank accounts, the size of happiness accounts, and the size of one's general satis-faction account is dependent onthe size of one's thinking.

Thereismagic in thinking big.

"If Thinking Big accomplishes so much, why doesn't everyone think that way?"

I've been asked that question many times. Here I believe is the answer. All of us, more than we recognize, are products of the thinking around us. And much of this thinking is little, not big. All around you is an environment that is trying to tug you, trying to pull you down Second Class Street.

You are told almost daily that there are "too many chiefs and not enough Indians." In other words, that opportunities to lead no longer exist, that there is a surplus of chiefs, so be content to be a little guy.

But this "too many chiefs" idea simply doesn't square with the truth. Leading people in all occupations will tell you as they've told me that "the trouble is there are too many Indians and not nearly enough chiefs."

This pettily petty environment says other things too. It tells you, "whatever will be will be," that your destiny is outside your control, that "fate" is in complete control. So forget those dreams, forget that finer home, forget that special college for the children, forget the better life. Be resigned. Lie down and wait to die.

And who hasn't heard the statement that "Success isn't worth the price," as if you have to sell your soul, your family life, your conscience, your set of values, to reach the top. But, in truth, success doesn't demand a price. Every step forward pays a divi­dend.

And this environment also tells us there's too much competition for the top spots in life. But is there? A personnel selection execu­tive told me that he receives 50 to 250 times as many applicants forjobs that pay $10,000 per year as for jobs that pay $50,000 a year. This is to say that there is at least 50 times as much competition for jobs on Second Class Street as for jobs on First Class Avenue. First Class Avenue, U.S.A. is a short uncrowded street. There are countless vacancies waiting there for people like you who dare to think big.

The basic principles and concepts supportingThe Magic of Think­ing Bigcome from the highest pedigree sources, the very finest and biggest thinking minds yet to live on planet Earth.

Minds like the prophet David who wrote, "As one thinketh in his heart, so is he";

minds such as Emerson who said "Great men are those who see that thoughts rule the world";

minds like Milton who inParadise Lostwrote, "The mind is its own place and in itself can make a heaven of hell or a hell of heaven."

Amazingly perceptive minds like Shakespeare who observed "There is nothing either good or bad except that thinking makes it so."

But where does the proof come from?

How do we know the master thinkers were right? Fair questions. The proof comes from the lives of the select people around us who, through winning success, achievement, and happiness, prove that thinking bigdoeswork magic.

The simple steps we have set down here are not untested theories. They are not one man's guesses and opinions. They are proven approaches to life's situations, and they are universally applicable steps that work and work like magic.

That you're reading this page proves you are interested in larger success. You want to fulfill your desires. You want to enjoy a fine standard of living. You want this life to deliver to you all the good things you deserve.

Being interested in success is a wonderful quality.

The fact that you're holding this article in your hands shows you have the intelligence to look for tools that will help take you where you want to go.

In building anything—automobiles, bridges, missiles—we need tools. Many people in their attempt to build a successful life forget there are tools to help them. You have not forgotten. You have, then, the two basic qualities needed to realize real profit from this book: a desire for greater success, and the intelligence to select a tool to help you realize that desire.

Think Big and you'll live big. You'll live big in happiness. You'll live big in accomplishment. Big in income. Big in friends. Big in respect.

Enough for the promise.

Start now, right now, to discover how to make your thinking make magic for you. Start out with this thought of the great philosopher Disraeli,