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52 THINK AND GROW RICH
536 physical counterpart. Perhaps science will uncover this secret. I planted in my
537 son's mind the DESIRE to hear and to speak as any normal person hears and
538 speaks. That DESIRE has now become a reality. I planted in his mind the
539 DESIRE to convert his greatest handicap into his greatest asset. That DESIRE
540 has been realized. The modus operandi by which this astounding result was
541 achieved is not hard to describe. It consisted of three very definite facts; first, I
542 MIXED FAITH with the DESIRE for normal hearing, which I passed on to my
543 son. Second, I communicated my desire to him in every conceivable way
544 available, through persistent, continuous effort, over a period of years. Third,
545 HE BELIEVED ME!
546 As this chapter was being completed, news came of the death of Mme.
547 Schuman-Heink. One short paragraph in the news dispatch gives the clue to this
548 unusual woman's stupendous success as a singer. I quote the paragraph, because
549 the clue it contains is none other than DESIRE.
550 Early in her career, Mme. Schuman-Heink visited the director of the Vienna
551 Court Opera, to have him test her voice. But, he did not test it. After taking one
552 look at the awkward and poorly dressed girl, he exclaimed, none too gently,
553 "With such a face, and with no personality at all, how can you ever expect to
554 succeed in opera? My good child, give up the idea. Buy a sewing machine, and go
555 to work. YOU CAN NEVER BE A SINGER."
556 Never is a long time! The director of the Vienna Court Opera knew much about
557 the technique of singing. He knew little about the power of desire, when it
558 assumes the proportion of an obsession. If he had known more of that power,
559 he would not have made the mistake of condemning genius without giving it an
560 opportunity. Several years ago, one of my business associates became ill. He
561 became worse as time went on, and finally was taken to the hospital for an
562 operation. Just before he was wheeled into the operating room, I took a look at
563 him, and wondered how anyone as thin and emaciated as he, could possibly go
564 through a major operation successfully. The doctor warned me that there was
565 little if any chance of my ever seeing him alive again. But that was the
566 DOCTOR'S OPINION. It was not the opinion of the patient. Just before he



































































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