Making this the fundamental principle of one’s life, around which all others properly arrange and subordinate themselves, is not, as a casual observer might think, and as he sometimes suggests, an argument against one’s own growth and development, against the highest possible unfoldment of his entire personality and powers.  Rather, on the other hand, is it one of the greatest reasons, one of the greatest arguments, in its favor; for, the stronger the personality and the greater the powers, the greater the influence in the service of mankind.  If, then, life be thus founded, can there possibly be any greater incentive to that self-development that brings one up to his highest possibilities?  A development merely for self alone can never have behind it an incentive, a power so great; and after all, there is nothing in the world so great, so effective in the service of mankind, as a strong, noble, and beautiful manhood or womanhood.  It is this that in the ultimate determines the influence of every man upon his fellow-men. Life, character, is the greatest power in the world, and character it is that gives the power; for in all true power, along whatever line it may be, it is after all, living the life that tells.  This is a great law that but few who would have great power and influence seem to recognize, or, at least, that but few seem to act upon.

Are you a writer?  You can never write more than you yourself are.  Would you write more?  Then broaden, deepen, enrich the life.  Are you a minister?  You can never raise men higher than you have raised yourself.  Your words will have exactly the sound of the life whence they come.  Hollow the life?  Hollow-sounding and empty will be the words, weak, ineffective, false.  Would you have them go with greater power, and thus be more effective?  Live the life, the power will come.  Are you an orator?  The power and effectiveness of your words in influencing and moving masses of men depends entirely upon the altitude from which they are spoken.  Would you have them more effective, each one filled with a living power?  Then elevate the life, the power will come.  Are you in the walks of private life?  Then, wherever you move, there goes from you, even if there be no word spoken, a silent but effective influence of an elevating or a degrading nature.  Is the life high, beautiful?  Then the influences are inspiring, life-giving.  Is it low, devoid of beauty?  The influences then, are disease laden, death-dealing.  The tones of your voice, the attitude of your body, the character of your face, all are determined by the life you live, all in turn influence for better or for worse all who come within your radius.  And if, as one of earth’s great souls has said, the only way truly to help a man is to make him better, then the tremendous power of merely the life itself.