One Saturday night I returned from what most people would have called a very successful two months' trip. I had been given luncheons by the leading Chambers of Commerce of the country and had spoken to numerous very large audiences where thousands had been turned away. All of these talks had caused very favorable comment in the newspapers of the cities visited. While away I had been elected to positions of power and influence by some of America's large corporations. Moreover, on my desk - upon my return - was a report showing that my business had just completed its most prosperous year, earning profits many times greater than anything I had ever expected.

Notwithstanding these things which are commonly called "success," I was tired and half sick. The next day on my way from church, I stopped in at the local drug store to tell the proprietor, "Tom West," as he is commonly called, my troubles. I asked for some aspirin or something of the kind which he slowly tied up and gave to me. As I turned to go out, he called out:

"Roger, you think you are prosperous; but I say you are a damn fool."

For some days this thought clung to me until it seemed as if friend Tom was right. Prosperity consists not in fame, power, or money, but rather in health, happiness, love, and peace. Jesus said, "First seek the Kingdom of Heaven and all these other things will be added unto you." Let us make sure that we get all the things to which Jesus referred. Let us not think that prosperity consists in having only houses, automobiles, stocks, and bonds. Let us remember that when Jesus said "all things" he had more in mind those spiritual things for which so many men give their lives.

Forced To Think

"Tom West" certainly made me think about many things. Among them were these:

Once I had plenty of time to give to my only child. When I became "prosperous" she, of course, went away to a boarding school. I had no time to give her. Henceforth, her life was not shaped by her father, but rather by unknown and young boarding school friends.

Once I had a small number of employees and knew them all by their first names and knew their fathers and their mothers, having visited in their homes; but when I became "prosperous" an employment manager was engaged and this personal touch which had been so helpful was lost.

When I first started in business there was plenty of time to go to Gloucester and see my father and mother who enjoyed having me with them; but when I became "prosperous" I had no time for this and could only steal down over a hurried meal once every two or three months.

It is said that prosperity means health, freedom, and happiness. I had not the health of my hired men on the farm who were working in the garden summers and were cutting wood winters. Every one in my employ had more freedom than I had. It was possible for them to go anywhere and do anything they liked without having it noticed or reported. As for happiness, I envied the squirrels running about my place. Yes, if prosperity is health, freedom, and happiness, certainly these squirrels were more prosperous.

The facts showed that Tom West was right. I was a "damn fool." Before another week had gone by, I had turned over a new leaf. I was still determined to be prosperous, but had made up my mind that prosperity consists in having a little of all things, a comfortable home, a reasonable income, a lot of fresh air, honest out-door work, some good friends, and the joy which comes from quietly and unostentatiously giving some one else a lift.

Of course it is untrue to say life is made up simply of the spiritual things. The person who has not a fair proportion of the material things is not prosperous; but statistics do show that the spiritual things - love, joy, peace, health, friends, and beauty - are more important. This means that you cannot judge a man's prosperity by his position or his wealth. You can judge him only by God's ratings, not by Dun's or Bradstreet's.

A True Perspective

Since Tom West opened my eyes, I have been getting a better perspective. It seems almost as if real prosperity is seeing life in its true perspective. I wonder if many readers of this book are not also "damn fools?" We read a good deal about religion and business. At one time we hear of religion as the hand maid of business; another time business would appear to be almost necessary to religion. Do not we think too much about both religion and business and too little about life for which both religion and business exist?

Production has been a favorite theme with me. For greater production I have appealed and am still appealing to-day. Yet production is only a means to an end and should not be made an end itself. Production is of use only as it sustains life and gives greater life. Whenever production begins to contract life and causes us to lose those spiritual qualities which make life really worth while, then production ceases to function, and with it all of this vast commerce, industry, and investing ceases likewise to function.

Richard Roberts has said that production is to life what the kitchen is to the rest of the home. It is essential and indispensable, but yet a home with only a kitchen would be no home at all. Owing to the incomplete definition that is being given to the words "prosperity," "production," and "investments," are not we all crowding together in the kitchen of the house of life? It certainly seems so. It appears that one is neglecting the library, the living room, and those spacious, airy verandas upon which we should be basking in the sunshine of truth, love and peace.

For this reason we must not test our investments by their productivity of mere things. Things are important and essential, but they are only a small part of prosperity. Unless our investments produce these final, spiritual qualities as well as the material, both for ourselves and others, our investments have failed in their purpose and certainly will not endure.

Men should live to produce, but not merely to produce mere material things. The great thing that we are called upon to produce is a real and full life. This full life is made up of friendship, wandering through the woods, enjoying music, art, and the beauties of nature. This is what was in mind, when in a previous chapter, reference was made to the soul's craving for self-expression so inherent in human nature.