There is power lying latent everywhere， waiting for the observant eye to discover it.
Don’t think you have no chance in life because you have no capital to begin with. Most of the rich men of today began poor. It is estimated that not one rich man’s son in ten thousand dies rich. God has given every man a capital to start with； we are born rich. He is rich who has good health， a sound body， good muscles； he is rich who has a good head， a good disposition， a good heart； he is rich who has two good hands， with five chances on each. What a fortune he possesses in the marvelous mechanism of his body and mind. It is individual effort that has accomplished everything worth accomplishing in this world. Money to start with is only a crutch， which， if any misfortune knocks it from under you， would only make your fall all the more certain.
格蘭特將軍曾經回憶道：“當我還小的時候，有一天早晨母親做早餐時，發現黃油用完了，於是母親便叫我到鄰居家借一些。我沒有打招呼就進了鄰居的屋子，並在不經意間聽到鄰居正在讀他兒子的一封來信。鄰居的兒子當時正在西點軍校讀書，信的大意是，他因為考試沒有合格，即將返回家中。我借了黃油，交給媽媽，顧不上吃早餐，我就跑到我們區的議員辦公室。‘海默先生，’我說，‘您能指定我去西點軍校嗎？’‘不行，你鄰居的兒子在那裏，他還有三年才能回來。’‘可假設他考試不及格，你能讓我去嗎？’海默先生禁不住笑了起來。‘假如他考試不及格，你去嚐試也是徒勞，尤利。’‘不管怎樣，海默先生，求求您答應給我這個機會吧。’海默先生最終妥協了。第二天，那個失敗的少年便回家了。對我的小聰明，海默先生感到很可笑，然後便給了我機會。如今，”格蘭特說，“是母親叫我借黃油這件事促使我成了將軍和總統。”可實際上，他說錯了，是因為他的機靈，發現了機會，並馬上把握了機會，才成就了他的輝煌。