THE SUSTAINED EFFORT NECESSARY
TO INDUCE FAITH
The Eighth Step toward Riches
PERSISTENCE is an essential factor in the procedureof transmuting DESIRE into its monetary equivalent.
The basis of persistence is the POWER OF WILL.
Will-power and desire， when properly combined，make an irresistible pair. Men who accumulate greatfortunes are generally known as cold-blooded， andsometimes ruthless. Often they are misunderstood.
What they have is will-power， which they mix withpersistence， and place back of their desires to insurethe attainment of their objectives.
Henry Ford has been generally misunderstood tobe ruthless and cold-blooded. This misconceptiongrew out of Ford’s habit of following through in allof his plans with PERSISTENCE.
The majority of people are ready to throw theiraims and purposes overboard， and give up at the firstsign of opposition or misfortune. A few carry onDESPITE all opposition， until they attain their goal.
These few are the Fords， Carnegies， Rockefellers，and Edisons.
There may be no heroic connotation to the word“persistence，” but the quality is to the character ofman what carbon is to steel.
The building of a fortune， generally， involvesthe application of the entire thirteen factors of thisphilosophy. These principles must be understood，they must be applied with PERSISTENCE by all whoaccumulate money.
If you are following this book with the intention ofapplying the knowledge it conveys， your first test asto your PERSISTENCE will come when you begin tofollow the six steps described in the second chapter.
Unless you are one of the two out of every hundredwho already have a DEFINITE GOAL at which youare aiming， and a DEFINITE PLAN for its attainment，you may read the instructions， and then pass on withyour daily routine， and never comply with thoseinstructions.
The author is checking you up at this point， becauselack of persistence is one of the major causes offailure. Moreover， experience with thousands ofpeople has proved that lack of persistence is aweakness common to the majority of men. It isa weakness which may be overcome by effort.
The ease with which lack of persistence may beconquered will depend entirely upon the INTENSITYOF ONE’S DESIRE.
The starting point of all achievement is DESIRE.
Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desires bringweak results， just as a small amount of fire makes asmall amount of heat. If you find yourself lackingin persistence， this weakness may be remedied bybuilding a stronger fire under your desires.
Continue to read through to the end， then go backto Chapter two， and start immediately to carry outthe instructions given in connection with the sixsteps. The eagerness with which you follow theseinstructions will indicate clearly， how much， orhow little you really DESIRE to accumulate money.
If you find that you are indifferent， you may besure that you have not yet acquired the “moneyconsciousness” which you must possess， before youcan be sure of accumulating a fortune.
Fortunes gravitate to men whose minds have beenprepared to “attract” them， just as surely as watergravitates to the ocean. In this book may be found allthe stimuli necessary to “attune” any normal mind tothe vibrations which will attract the object of one’sdesires.
If you find you are weak in PERSISTENCE， centeryour attention upon the instructions containedin the chapter on “Power”； surround yourselfwith a “MASTER MIND” group， and through thecooperative efforts of the members of this group，you can develop persistence. You will find additionalinstructions for the development of persistence in thechapters on auto-suggestion， and the subconsciousmind. Follow the instructions outlined in thesechapters until your habit nature hands over to yoursubconscious mind， a clear picture of the object ofyour DESIRE. From that point on， you will not behandicapped by lack of persistence.
Your subconscious mind works continuously， while you are awake， and while you are asleep.
Spasmodic， or occasional effort to apply the ruleswill be of no value to you. To get RESULTS， youmust apply all of the rules until their applicationbecomes a fixed habit with you. In no other way canyou develop the necessary “money consciousness.”
POVERTY is attracted to the one whose mind is favorable to it， as money is attracted to himwhose mind has been deliberately prepared toattract it， and through the same laws. POVERTYCONSCIOUSNESS WILL VOLUNTARILY SEIZE THEMIND WHICH IS NOT OCCUPIED WITH THE MONEY
CONSCIOUSNESS. A poverty consciousness developswithout conscious application of habits favorableto it. The money consciousness must be created toorder， unless one is born with such a consciousness.
Catch the full significance of the statements in thepreceding paragraph， and you will understand theimportance of PERSISTENCE in the accumulationof a fortune. Without PERSISTENCE， you will bedefeated， even before you start. With PERSISTENCEyou will win.
If you have ever experienced a nightmare， youwill realize the value of persistence. You are lying inbed， half awake， with a feeling that you are about tosmother. You are unable to turn over， or to move amuscle. You realize that you MUST BEGIN to regaincontrol over your muscles. Through persistent effortof will-power， you finally manage to move thefingers of one hand. By continuing to move yourfingers， you extend your control to the musclesof one arm， until you can lift it. Then you gaincontrol of the other arm in the same manner. Youfinally gain control over the muscles of one leg， andthen extend it to the other leg. THEN—WITH ONESUPREME EFFORT OF WILL—you regain completecontrol over your muscular system， and “snap” outof your nightmare. The trick has been turned step bystep.