Benjamin Saphiro

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                               Benjamin Saphiro  







     There is but one heartbeat bteween us.









When i was a kid, the videogames used to tell us that
winners didn't take drugs.
They lied to us.
I still want to believe that lie.





I stand for equality, no man is better than his brother.






 
Today I begin a new life

Today I begin a new life.
Today I shed my old skin, which hath, too
long, suffered the bruises of failure and
the wounds of mediocrity.
Today I am born anew and my birthplace is
a vineyard where there is fruit for all.
Today I will pluck grapes of wisdom fro
m the tallest and fu
llest vines in the
vineyard, for these were planted by the wisest
of my profession who have come
before me, generati
on upon generation.
Today I will savor the taste of grapes from
these vines and verily I will swallow the
seed of success buried in each and
new life will sprout within me.
The career I have chosen is laden with oppo
rtunity yet it is fraught with heartbreak
and despair and the bodies of those who ha
ve failed, were they piled one atop
another, would cast its shadow down upo
n all the pyramids of the earth.
Yet I will not fail, as the others, for in
my hands I now hold the charts, which will
guide me through perilous waters to sh
ores, which only yesterday seemed but a
dream.
Failure will no longer by my payment for
my struggle. Just as nature made no
provision for my body to tole
rate pain neither has it made
any provision for my life
to suffer failure. Failure, like pain, is alien
to my life. In the past I accepted it as I
accepted pain. Now I reject
it and I am prepared for wisdom and principles which
will guide me out of the shadows into the
sunlight of wealth,
position, and happiness
far beyond my most extravagant dreams un
til even the golden apples in the Garden
of Hesperides will seem no mo
re than my just reward.
Time teaches all things to he who lives fore
ver but I have not the luxury of eternity.
Yet, within my allotted time I must practi
ce the art of patience for nature acts never
in haste. To create the olive, king of all
trees, a hundred years is required. An onion
plant is old in nine weeks. I have lived as
an onion plant. It has not pleased me. Now
I wouldst become the greatest of
olive trees and, in truth, the greatest of salesmen.
And how will this be accomplished? For
I have neither the knowledge nor the
experience to achieve greatness and alrea
dy I have stumbled in
ignorance and fallen
into pools of self-pity. The answer
is simple. I will commence my journey
unencumbered with either the weight of
unnecessary knowledge or the handicap of
meaningless experience. Nature already ha
s supplied me with knowledge and instinct
far greater than any beast in
the forest and the value
of experience is overrated,
usually by old men who nod wi
sely and speak stupidly.
In truth, experience teache
s thoroughly yet her course of instruction devours men’s
years so the value of her lessons diminish
es with the time necessary to acquire her
special wisdom. The end finds it wasted on
dead men. Furthermore, experience is
comparable to fashion; an action that
proved successful today will be unworkable
and impractical tomorrow.
Only principles endure and these I now posse
ss, for the laws that will lead me to
greatness are contained in the words of these
scrolls. What they will teach me is more
to prevent failure than to gain success, for
what is success other than a state of mind?
Which two, among a thousand wise men, will
define success in the same words; yet
failure is always described in
one way. Failure is man’s in
ability to reach his goals in
life, whatever they may be.
In truth, the only difference between t
hose who have failed
and those who have
succeeded lies in the differences of thei
r habits. Good habits are the key to all
success. Bad habits are the
unlocked door to failure. Thus
, the first law I will obey,
which precedeth all others is – I will form
good habits and become their slave.
As a child I was slave to my impulses; now
I am slave to my habits, as are all grown
men. I have surrendere
d my free will to the years of accumulated habits and the past
deeds of my life have alr
eady marked out a path, whic
h threatens to imprison my
future. My actions are ruled by appetite,
passion, prejudice, greed, love, fear,
environment, habit, and the worst of these tyrants is habit. Therefore, if I must be a
slave to habit let me be a slave to good ha
bits. My bad habits must be destroyed and
new furrows prepared for good seed.
I will form good habits and
become their slave.
And how will I accomplish this difficult f
eat? Through these scrolls, it will be done,
for each scroll contains a principle whic
h will drive a bad habit from my life and
replace it with one which will bring me closer
to success. For it is
another of nature’s
laws that only a habit can subdue another ha
bit. So, in order for these written words
to perform their chosen task, I must disciplin
e myself with the first of my new habits,
which is as follows:
I will read each scroll for thirty days in th
is prescribed manner, before I proceed to
the next scroll.
First, I will read the words
in silence when I arise. Th
en, I will read the words in
silence after I have partaken of my midd
ay meal. Last, I will
read the words again
just before I retire at day’
s end, and most important, on
this occasion I will read the
words aloud.
On the next day I will repeat this proced
ure, and I will conti
nue in like manner for
thirty days. Then, I will turn to the next
scroll and repeat this procedure for another
thirty days. I will continue in this manner un
til I have lived with each scroll for thirty
days and my reading has become habit.
And what will be accomplished with this ha
bit? Herein lies the hidden secret of all
man’s accomplishments. As I re
peat the words daily they will soon become a part of
my active mind, but more important, they w
ill also seep into my other mind, that
mysterious source which never sleeps, whic
h creates my dreams, and often makes me
act in ways I do not comprehend.
As the words of these scrolls are consumed
by my mysterious mind I will begin to
awake, each morning, with a vitality I
have never known be
fore. My vigor will
increase, my enthusiasm will rise, my desi
re to meet the world will overcome every
fear I once knew at sunrise, and I will be ha
ppier than I ever believed it possible to be
in this world of strife and sorrow.
Eventually, I will find myself reacting to a
ll situations which c
onfront me as I was
commanded in the scrolls to react, and soon
these actions and reactions will become
easy to perform, for any act with practice becomes easy.
Thus a new and good habit is born, for wh
en an act becomes easy through constant
repetition it becomes a pleasure to perform a
nd if it is a pleasure to perform it is
man’s nature to perform it often. When
I perform it often it becomes a habit and I
become its slave and since it is
a good habit this is my will.
Today I begin a new life.
And I make a solemn oath to myself that
nothing will retard my new life’s growth. I
will lose not a day from these readings fo
r that day cannot be retrieved nor can I
substitute another for it. I
must not, I will not, break this habit of daily reading from
these scrolls and, in truth, the few mome
nts spent each day on this new habit are but
a small price to pay for the happine
ss and success that will be mine.
As I read and re-read the words in these
scrolls to follow, never will I allow the
brevity of each scroll nor the simplicity of
its words to cause me
to treat the scroll’s
message lightly. Thousands of grapes are pr
essed to fill one jar with wine, and the
grapes skin and pulp are tossed to the birds. So it is with these grapes of wisdom
from the ages. Much has been filtered and to
ssed to the wind. Only the pure truth lies
distilled in the words to come. I will drink
as instructed and spill not one drop. And
the seed of success I will swallow.
Today my old skin has become as dust.
I will walk tall among men and they will
know me not, for today I am a
new man, with a new life.

The Scroll Marked II

I will greet this day with love in my heart

I will greet this day with love in my heart.
For this is the greatest secret of success in all
ventures. Muscle can split a shield and
even destroy life but only the unseen power of love can open the hearts of men and
until I master this art I will remain no more than a peddler in the market place. I will
make love my greatest weapon and none on whom I call can defend against its force.
My reasoning they may counter; my speech they may distrust; my apparel they may
disapprove; my face they may reject; and even my bargains may cause them
suspicion; yet my love will melt all hearts liken to the sun whose rays soften the
coldest clay.
I will greet this day with love in my heart.
And how will I do this? Henceforth will I look on all things with love and I will be
born again. I will love the sun for it warms my bones; yet I will love the rain for it
cleanses my spirit. I will love the light for it shows me the way; yet I will love the
darkness for it shows me the stars. I will welcome happiness for it enlarges my heart;
yet I will endure sadness for it opens my soul. I will acknowledge rewards for they
are my due; yet I will welcome obstacles for they are my challenge.
I will greet this day with love in my heart.
And how will I speak? I will laud mine enemies and they will become friends; I will
encourage my friends and they will become brothers. Always will I dig for reasons to
applaud; never will I scratch for excuses to gossip. When I am tempted to criticize I
will bite my tongue; when I am moved to praise I will shout from the roofs.
Is it not so that birds, the wind, the sea and all nature speaks with the music of praise
for their creator? Cannot I speak with the same music to his children? Henceforth
will I remember this secret and it will change my life.
I will greet this day with love in my heart.
And how will I act? I will love all manners of men for each has qualities to be
admired even though they be hidden. With love I will tear down the wall of suspicion
and hate which they have built round their hearts and in its place will I build bridges
so that my love may enter their souls.
I will love the ambitious for they can inspire me; I will love the failures for they can
teach me. I will love the kings for they are but human; I will love the meek for they
are divine. I will love the rich for they are yet lonely; I will love the poor for they are
so many. I will love the young for the faith they hold; I will love the old for the
wisdom they share. I will love the beautiful for their eyes of sadness; I will love the
ugly for their souls of peace.
I will greet this day with love in my heart.
But how will I react to the actions of others? With love. For just as love is my
weapon to open the hearts of men, love is also my shield to repulse the arrows of hate
and the spears of anger. Adversity and discouragement will beat against my new
shield and become as the softest of rains. My shield will protect me in the market
place and sustain me when I am alone. It will uplift me in moments of despair yet it
will calm me in time of exultation. It will become stronger and more protective with
use until one day I will cast aside and walk unencumbered among all manners of men
and, when I do, my name will be raised high on the pyramid of life.
I will greet this day with love in my heart.
And how will I confront each whom I meet? In only one way. In silence and to
myself I will address him and say I Love You. Though spoken in silence these words
will shine in my eyes, unwrinkle my brow, bring a smile to my lips, and echo in my
voice; and his heart will be opened. And who is there who will say nay to my goods
when his hearts feels my love?
I will greet this day with love in my heart.
And most of all I will love myself. For when I do I will zealously inspect all things
which enter my body, my mind, my soul, and my heart. Never will I overindulge the
requests of my flesh; rather I will cherish my body with cleanliness and moderation.
Never will I allow my mind to be attracted to evil and despair, rather I will uplift it
with the knowledge and wisdom of the ages. Never will I allow my soul to become
complacent and satisfied, rather I will feed it with meditation and prayer. Never will I
allow my heart to become small and bitter, rather I will share it and it will grow and
warm the earth.
I will greet this day with love in my heart. Henceforth will I love all mankind. From
this moment all hate is let from my veins for I have not time to hate, only time to
love. From this moment I take the first step required to become a man among men.
With love I will increase my sales a hundred-fold and become a great salesman. If I
have no other qualities I can succeed with love alone. Without it I will fail though I
possess all the knowledge and skills of the world.
I will greet this day with love, and I will succeed.






The Scroll Marked III


I will persist until I succeed

I will persist until I succeed.

In the Orient young bulls are tested for the fight arena in a certain manner. Each is brought to the ring and allowed to attack a picador who pricks them with a lance.
 Thebravery of each bull is then rated with care according to the number of times he demonstrates his willingness to charge in spite of the sting of the blade. Henceforth will I recognize that each day I am tested by life in like manner. If I persist, if I
continue to try, if I continue to charge forward, I will succeed.


I will persist until I succeed.


I was not delivered unto this world in defeat, nor does failure course in my veins. I am not a sheep waiting to be prodded by my shepherd. I am a lion and I refuse to
talk, to walk, to sleep with the sheep. I will hear not those who weep and complain, for their disease is contagious. Let them join the sheep. The slaughterhouse of failure
is not my destiny.

I will persist until I succeed.


The prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not near the beginning; and it is not given to me to know how many steps are necessary in order to reach my goal. Failure I may still encounter at the thousandth step, yet success hides behind the next bend in the road. Never will I know how close it lies unless I turn the corner.

Always will I take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another. In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult.

I will persist until I succeed.

Henceforth, I will consider each day's effort as but one blow of my blade against a mighty oak. The first blow may cause not a tremor in the wood, nor the second, nor the third. Each blow, of itself, may be trifling, and seem of no consequence. Yet from
childish swipes the oak will eventually tumble. So it will be with my efforts of today.I will be liken to the rain drop which washes away the mountain; the ant who devours a tiger; the star which brightens the earth; the slave who builds a pyramid.
I will build my castle one brick at a time for I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking.

I will persist until I succeed.

I will never consider defeat and I will remove from my vocabulary such words and phrases as quit, cannot, unable, impossible, out of the question, improbable, failure, unworkable, hopeless, and retreat; for they are the words of fools. I will avoid despair but if this disease of the mind should infect me then I will work on in despair.

I will toil and I will endure. I will ignore the obstacles at my feet and keep mine eyes on the goals above my head, for I know that where dry desert ends, green grass
grows.

I will persist until I succeed.


I will remember the ancient law of averages and I will bend it to my good. I will persist with knowledge that each failure to sell will increase my chance for success at the next attempt. Each nay I hear will bring me closer to the sound of yea. Each frown I meet only prepares me for the smile to come. Each misfortune I encounter will carry in it the seed of tomorrow's good luck. I must have the night to appreciate the day. I must fail often to succeed only once.

I will persist until I succeed.

I will try, and try, and try again. Each obstacle I will consider as a mere detour to my goal and a challenge to my profession. I will persist and develop my skills as the mariner develops his, by learning to ride out the wrath of each storm.

I will persist until I succeed.


Henceforth, I will learn and apply another secret of those who excel in my work. When each day is ended, not regarding whether it has been a success or a failure, I
will attempt to achieve one more sale. When my thoughts beckon my tired body homeward I will resist the temptation to depart. I will try again. I will make one more
attempt to close with victory, and if that fails I will make another. Never will I allow any day to end with a failure. Thus will I plant the seed of tomorrow's success and gain an insurmountable advantage over those who cease their labor at a prescribed time. When others cease their struggle, then mine will begin, and my harvest will be
full.

I will persist until I succeed.

Nor will I allow yesterday's success to lull me into today's complacency, for this is the great foundation of failure. I will forget the happenings of the day that is gone, whether they were good or bad, and greet the new sun with confidence that this will be the best day of my life.
So long as there is breath in me, that long will I persist.
For now I know one of the
greatest principles of success; if I persist long enough I will win.

I will persist. I will win.






The Scroll Marked IV


I am nature's
greatest miracle

I am nature’s greatest miracle.



Since the beginning of time never has there
 been another with my mind, my heart,
my eyes, my ears, my hands, my hair, my mouth.
 None that came before, none that
live today, and none that come tomorrow can walk and talk and move and thinkexactly like me. All men are my brothers yet I am different from each. I am a unique
creature.


I am nature’s greatest miracle.


Although I am of the animal kingdom, animal rewards alone will not satisfy me.
Within me burns a flame, which has been passed from generations uncounted, and its heat is a constant irritation to my spirit to become better than I am, and I will.

I will fan this flame of dissatisfaction and proclaim my uniqueness to the world.

 None can duplicate my brush strokes,
 none can duplicate my chisel marks,
 none canduplicate my handwriting,
 none can produce my child, and, in truth, none has the
ability to sell exactly as I.

Henceforth, I will capitalize on this difference for it is an asset to be promoted to the fullest.

I am nature’s greatest miracle.

Vain attempts to imitate others no longer will I make.
Instead I will place my uniqueness on display in the market place. I will proclaim it, yea, I will sell it. I will begin now to accent my differences; hide my similarities. So too will I apply this principle to the goods I sell. Salesman and goods, different from all others, and proud of the differences.

I am a unique creature of nature.

I am rare, and there is value in all rarity; therefore, I am valuable. I am the end product of thousands of years of evolution; therefore, I am better equipped in both mind and body than all the emperors and wise men who preceded me. But my skills, my mind, my heart, and my body will stagnate, rot, and die lest I put them to good use. I have unlimited potential. Only a small portion of my brain do I employ; only a
paltry amount of muscles do I flex. A hundredfold or more can I increase my accomplishments of yesterday and this I will do, beginning today.
Nevermore will I be satisfied with yesterday’s accomplishments nor will I indulge,anymore, in self-praise for deeds which in reality are too small to even acknowledge.

I can accomplish far more than I have, and I will, for why should the miracle which produced me end with my birth? Why can I not extend that miracle to my deeds of
today?


I am nature’s greatest miracle.


I am not on this earth by chance. I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply all my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy.

I will increase my knowledge of mankind, myself, and the goods I sell, thus my sales will multiply. I will practice, and improve, and polish the words I utter to sell my goods, for this is the formulation on which I will build my career and never will I forget that many have attained great wealth and success with only one sales talk,delivered with excellence. Also will I seek constantly to improve my manners and graces, for they are the sugar to which all are attracted.


I am nature’s greatest miracle.


I will concentrate my energy on the challenge of the moment and my actions will help me forget all else. The problems of my home will be left in my home. I will
think naught of my family when I am in the market place for this will cloud my thoughts. So too will the problems of the market place be left in the market place and I will think naught of my profession when I am in my home for this will dampen my love.

There is no room in the market place for my family, nor is there room in my home for the market. Each I will divorce from the other and thus will I remain wedded to
both. Separate must they remain or my career will die. This is the paradox of the
ages.


I am nature’s greatest miracle.

I have been given eyes to see and a mind to think and now I know a great secret of life for I perceive, at last, that all my problems, discouragements, and heartaches are, in truth, great opportunities in disguise. I will no longer be fooled by the garments
they wear for mine eyes are open. I will look beyond the cloth and I will not be
deceived.

I am nature’s greatest miracle.

No beast, no plant, no wind, no rain, no rock, no lake had the same beginning as I, for I was conceived in love and brought forth with a purpose.

 In the past I have not considered this fact but it will henceforth shape and guide my life.


I am nature’s greatest miracle.

And nature knows not defeat. Eventually, she emerges victorious and so will I, and with each victory the next struggle becomes less difficult.

I will win, and I will become a great salesman, for I am unique.

I am nature’s greatest miracle.







The Scroll Marked V

I will live this day as if it is my last




I will live this day as if it is my last.


And what shall I do with this last precious day, which remains I my keeping? First, I will seal up its container of life so that not one drop spills itself upon the sand. I will waste not a moment mourning yesterday’s misfortunes, yesterday’s defeats,
yesterday’s aches of the heart, for why should I throw good after bad?

Can sand flow upward in the hourglass? Will the sun rise where it sets and set where
it rises? Can I relive the errors of yesterday
and right them? Can I call back
yesterday’s wounds and make them whole? Can I become younger than yesterday?
Can I take back the evil that was spoken, the blows that were struck, the pain that
was caused? No. Yesterday is buried forever and I will think of it no more.

I will live this day as if it is my last.

And what then shall I do? Forgetting yesterday neither will I think of tomorrow. Why should I throw now after maybe? Can tomorrow’s sand flow through the glass before today’s? Will the sun rise twice this morning? Can I perform tomorrow’s deeds whilestanding in today’s path? Can I place tomorrow’s gold in today’s purse? Can
tomorrow’s child be born today?
Can tomorrow’s death cast its shadow backward and darken today’s joy? Should I concern myself over events, which I may never witness? Should I torment myself with problems that may never come to pass? No!
Tomorrow lies buried with yesterday, and I will think of it no more.

I will live this day as if it is my last.

This day is all I have and these hours are now my eternity. I greet this sunrise with cries of joy as a prisoner who is reprieved from death. I lift mine arms with thanks for this priceless gift of a new day. So too, I will beat upon my heart with gratitude as
I consider all who greeted yesterday’s sunrise who are no longer with the living today. I am indeed a fortunate man and today’s hours are but a bonus, undeserved.
Why have I been allowed to live this extra day when others, far better than I have departed? Is it that they have accomplished their purpose while mine is yet to be
achieved? Is this another opportunity for me to become the man I know I can be? Is there a purpose in nature? Is this my day to excel?

I will live this day as if it is my last.

I have but one life and life is naught but a measurement of time. When I waste one I destroy the other. If I waste today I destroy the last page of my life. Therefore, each
hour of this day will I cherish for it can never return. It cannot be banked today to bewithdrawn on the morrow, for who can trap the wind? Each minute of this day will I
grasp with both hands and fondle with love for its value is beyond price. What dying man can purchase another breath though he willingly give all his gold? What price
dare I place on the hours ahead? I will make them priceless!

I will live this day as if it my last.

I will avoid with fury the killers of time. Procrastination I will destroy with action;
doubt I will bury under faith; fear I will dismember with confidence. Where there are
idle mouths I will listen not; where there are idle hands I will linger not; where there
are idle bodies I will visit not. Henceforth I know that to court idleness is to steal
food, clothing, and warmth from those I love. I am not a thief. I am a man of love
and today is my last chance to prove my love and my greatness.

I will live this day as if it is my last.

The duties of today I shall fulfill today. Today I shall fondle my children while they are young; tomorrow they will be gone, and so will I. Today I shall embrace my
woman with sweet kisses; tomorrow she will be gone, and so will I. Today I shall lift
up a friend in need; tomorrow he will no longer cry for help, nor will I hear his cries. Today I shall give myself in sacrifice and work; tomorrow I will have nothing to
give, and there will be none to receive.

I will live this day as if it is my last.

And if it is my last, it will be my greatest monument. This day I will make the best day of my life. This day I will drink every minute to its full. I will savor its taste and give thanks. I will maketh every hour count and each minute. I will trade only for something of value. I will labor harder than ever before and push my muscles until they cry for relief, and then I will continue. I will make more calls than ever before. I will sell more goods than ever before. I will earn more gold than ever before. Each minute of today will be more fruitful than hours of yesterday. My last must be my
best.

I will live this day as if it is my last. And if it is not, I shall fall to my knees and give
thanks.






             The Scroll Marked VI

      Today I will be master of my emotions


Today I will be master of my emotions.

The tides advance; the tides recede. Winter goes and summer comes. Summer wanesand the cold increases. The sun rises; the sun sets. The moon is full; the moon is
black. The birds arrive; the birds depart. Flowers bloom; flowers fade. Seeds aresown; harvests are reaped. All nature is a circle of moods and I am a part of nature
and so, like the tides, my moods will rise; my moods will fall.

Today I will be master of my emotions.

It is one of nature’s tricks, little understood, that each day I awaken with moods that
have changed from yesterday.
Yesterday’s joy will become today’s sadness;
yet today’s sadness will grow into tomorrow’s joy. Inside me is a wheel, constantly turning from sadness to joy, from exultation to depression, from happiness to
melancholy. Like the flowers, today’s full bloom of joy will fade and wither intodespondency, yet I will remember that as today’s dead flower carries the seed of
tomorrow’s bloom so, too, does today’s sadness carry the seed of tomorrow’s joy.

Today I will be master of my emotions.