Knock yourself, and the world will accept you at your own estimate. Show streaks of yellow cowardice, and the mob will pounce on you like a pack of hungry wolves. Accuse yourself, curse your luck, belittle your worth, be afraid, and you will remain a mere bump on a log, unnoticed, uninteresting, uninvited. The world welcomes men who do things. The world judges by outward appearances. If your heart is sick, if your courage is low, don't show it. Put up a stiff attitude and act with confidence, and that attitude will carry you over many a pitfall and past many an obstacle. Show strength and the world will help you; show weakness and the world will shun you. You are prejudiced when it comes to judging yourself. You compare your weakness with your friends' strength, and this comparison is unfair; it makes you lose confidence. [Sidenote: Doubt and Belief.] Nothing hurts one worse than doubting one's own ability, assets, and character. When you find yourself experiencing doubt, or inability, or hard luck, turn square around and say: "Begone, doubt; henceforth I have belief." Say: "I have ability; I have pluck, and pluck means luck." Always express confidence, faith, courage, and cheer thoughts, whether you feel them or not. Do this heroically and persistently, and soon the fear shadows and weakness feelings will leave you, and you will be in reality strong, courageous, active, and will do things you never thought possible. "As a man thinketh, so is he." Always remember that. Get hold of your thoughts; make yourself think up, and have faith and courage. Hold to your resolve, and the whole world will change. You will prosper, you will have poise, and every once in a while happiness will come as a reward. No man will be more surprised at your complete change of attitude and character than yourself. Your problems can only be solved by yourself. Friends can advise, _I_ can suggest, but YOU must act. Henceforth, never accuse yourself, never feel sorry for your condition or position, cut out fear thoughts,--be strong. Think faith, courage, cheer, confidence, and strength, and by-and-by the habit will be fixed and natural. This is as certain truth as I have ever experienced. I know it. I've tried it. I've watched others and the results are always good. Don't be passive and forget this chapter. Start right this minute to THINK RIGHT. And you will never regret and never forget this chapter on Self-accusation. 24. [Sidenote: Dare to Dream.] The great colleges turn out thousands of graduates each year, and the great newspapers have much sport ridiculing them in funny pictures. Every great man was once a boy with a dream, and that dream came true because the boy had pep that made him stick to his ambition and kept him from being discouraged because of ridicule or obstacles.