title and author: The Road to Wealth by Benjamin Franklin
Content Synopsis:
This is a compilation of various writings by the grandfather of America’s hit, Benjamin Franklin. It begins with the introduction he wrote to his autobiography. It is then divided into three sections:
the road to riches
In this section, Franklin discusses the importance of industry (what we would call hard work today); self sufficiency; Frugality; charity; Experience; and all peppered with pithy axioms and Yankee sayings. Little has changed since Franklin wrote these words. He did not invent these ideas. They represented the Yankee indigenous work ethic and the Judeo-Christian ethic.
Tips for a young worker
In this short article, Franklin recalls the disciplines and methods that served him so well in the world of work in his youth. It is a brief review of those “virtues” as he calls them, hard work, perseverance, frugality, etc. He frames these ideas for the young man or woman looking to get it right.
The path to virtue
As a young man, Franklin began a self-improvement project, focusing on one virtue each week until he felt he had incorporated it into his life. It speaks of the value of temperance (avoid overindulgence), silence (avoid small talk), resolve (resolve to go on), frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, tranquility, chastity, and humility.
As was customary in the eighteenth century, Franklin did not divorce personal integrity and virtue from personal success. The improvement of the person was required to achieve success both on a personal and business level. He understood, as did Jim Rohn two centuries later, that you cannot be less of a person and succeed at the same time.
While some of Franklin’s moral teachings may seem naive and preachy today, one has to wonder if the world wouldn’t be a much better place if more people heeded this advice. Today’s headlines all too often describe deceit, deceit, and a lack of integrity among our leaders and business leaders. Franklin understood that one must constantly work to improve oneself in order to be successful. One must be a good person to be a successful person.
Utility:
Anyone who is serious about genuine self-improvement and developing the whole being for success will benefit from this timeless work. In it you will find the fundamental principles that almost all the successful authors have defended since then.
Readability/Writing Quality:
Franklin wrote with remarkable clarity for an eighteenth-century author. He wrote for the common man, not for the intellectual. Although the organization and style of that period are somewhat difficult for modern readers, his work was much more readable than that of most of his contemporaries.
Notes on the author:
Benjamin Franklin was an eminently successful American of the 18th century. He is so successful in the printing and publishing business that he was able to retire from active business at age 40. He spent the rest of his life as a statesman, diplomat, and inventor. He was instrumental in many public improvement projects by founding the first public library, insurance company, and fire department in the United States. He became one of our nation’s leading scholars and architects, helping to write the United States Constitution. He was one of the most important founding fathers.
Three great ideas that you can use:
1. When someone complained about paying taxes, Franklin responded: “Our idleness taxes us twice, our pride triples our pride, and our foolishness fourfold.
2. Franklin appreciated the value of time, our most precious asset. He wrote: “If you love life, then don’t waste time, because that’s what life is made of.”
3. In a proverb, Franklin embodies both the need for hard work and the equally important balance to a successful life: “Run your business, don’t let it drive you; and early to bed and early to rise makes a healthy man.” and tasty”. , and wise, says poor Ricardo”.
Disclosure Information:
Benjamin Franklin’s Road to Riches
Published by Best Success Books (Kindle). This material is in the public domain.