220 THE PRINCIPLES OF SELF-MASTERY
would meet with in trying to sell them would also come strength and
Self-Confidence. He was one of the very few who understand that all
rivers and some people are crooked because of following the line of
least resistance.
I am going to digress and break the line of thought for a moment to
offer a word of advice to spouses and companions.
From having analyzed more than 16,000 people, the majority of
whom were married, I have learned something that may be of value.
You have it within your power to send your mate away to his
or her work, business, or profession each day with a feeling of Self-
Confidence that will carry them successfully over the rough spots of a
day and bring them home again at night, smiling and happy. A man I
know well married a woman who had a set of false teeth. One day his
wife dropped her teeth and broke the plate. The husband picked up the
pieces and began examining them. He showed such interest in them that
his wife said:
"You could make a set of teeth like those if you made up your mind
to do it."
This man was a farmer whose ambitions had never carried him
beyond the bounds of his little farm until his wife made that remark.
She walked over, laid her hand on his shoulder, and encouraged him
to try his hand at dentistry. She finally coaxed him to make the start,
and today he is one of the most prominent and successful dentists in
the state of Virginia. I know him well, for he is my father!
No one can foretell the possibilities of achievement available to the
man or woman whose partner supports and encourages bigger and
better endeavor. It is your right and your duty to encourage your mate
in worthy undertakings until he or she finds an appropriate place in
the world. You can induce your mate to put forth greater effort than can
any other person in the world. Make him or her believe that nothing