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Psychology of Success

Psychology of Success

Finding Meaning in Work and Life

sixth edition

PSYCHOLOGY OF SUCCESS: FINDING MEANING IN WORK AND LIFE, SIXTH EDITION

Published by McGraw-Hill Education, 2 Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Previous editions © 2010, 1990, and 1993. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education, including, but not limited to, in any network or other electronic storage or transmission, or broadcast for distance learning.

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About the Author

Denis Waitley is a world-renowned expert and motivational speaker on human performance and potential. Best known as the author/narrator of The Psychology of Winning, he has helped millions of people throughout the world in their quest for personal excellence. He is the author of several best-selling books, including Seeds of Greatness, The Winner’s Edge, Being the Best, and Empires of the Mind. His newest book, The Dragon and The Eagle, compares the challenges facing both China and America in education and business as they attempt to survive and thrive together in a rapidly changing world.

Long recognized as an authority on high-level achievement, Dr. Waitley has counseled leaders in every field, from CEOs to Super Bowl champions. He has lent his understanding and expertise to American astronauts and POWs. Dr. Waitley has also served as Chairman of Psychology on the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Sports Medicine Council, dedicated to the performance enhancement of Olympic athletes.

One of the country’s most sought-after speakers, Denis Waitley was named Outstanding Platform Speaker of the Year by his peers and elected to the International Speakers’ Hall of Fame. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis and holds a doctorate in human behavior. Dr. Waitley was a founding director of the National Association for Self-Esteem and has been a consultant to the President’s Council on Vocational Education and the International Parenting Association.

CHAPTER 1 Psychology and Success 2

Real-Life Success Story “Am I Doing the Right Thing?” 2

SECTION 1.1 Understanding Success 4

What Is Success? 4

Activity 1: What Success Means to You 5

Personal Journal 1.1 Ingredients of Success 9

Activity 2: Your Role Model 11

Activity 3: Self-Awareness Checklist 14

Understanding Psychology 17

Personal Journal 1.2 Your Thoughts, Feelings, and Actions 21

SECTION 1.2 Understanding Yourself 24

Your Inner Self 24

Personal Journal 1.3 How Do You See Yourself? 26

Activity 4: Wheel of Life 27

You and Your Social World 30

Activity 5: Sides of Yourself 31

Activity 6: Identity Profile 34

Chapter Review and Activities 39

Real-Life Success Story “Am I Doing the Right Thing?” 41

CHAPTER 2 Self-Awareness 42

Real-Life Success Story “What Do I Really Want?” 42

SECTION 2.1 Finding Your Direction 44

Developing Self-Awareness 44

Personal Journal 2.1 How Well Do You Know Yourself? 45

Activity 7: How Self-Conscious Are You? 47

Defining Your Dreams 49

Getting in Touch with Your Values 52

Personal Journal 2.2 What Are Your Dreams? 53

Activity 8: Values Inventory 56

SECTION 2.2 Discovering Your Strengths 59

Personality and Individuality 59

Activity 9: Personality Self-Portrait 61

Exploring Your Skills and Interests 69

Putting It All Together: Self-Awareness and Work 71

Activity 10: Discover Your Multiple Intelligences 72

Activity 11: Skills Assessment 75

Personal Journal 2.3 Exploring Your Interests 79

Activity 12: Interest Survey 82

Chapter Review and Activities 85

Real-Life Success Story “What Do I Really Want?” 87

CHAPTER 3 Goals and Obstacles 88

Real-Life Success Story “Where Do I Go From Here?” 88

SECTION 3.1 Setting and Achieving Goals 90

What Are Your Goals? 90

Activity 13: Setting SMART Goals 93

Activity 14: Generating Short-Term Goals 96

Personal Journal 3.1 Goal Cards 98

Overcoming Obstacles 99

Activity 15: Anticipating Obstacles 102

SECTION 3.2 Handling Stress and Anger 105

Stress and Stressors 105

Activity 16: How Stressed Are You? 108

Coping with Anger 113

Personal Journal 3.2 Stress Management Techniques 113

Activity 17: Personal Stressors and Relievers 114

Personal Journal 3.3 Stress Relief Reminders 116

Personal Journal 3.4 Anger Triggers 120

Chapter Review and Activities 122

Real-Life Success Story “Where Do I Go From Here?” 124

CHAPTER 4 Self-Esteem 126

Real-Life Success Story “Do I Have What It Takes?” 126

SECTION 4.1 Understanding Self-Esteem 128

The Power of Self-Esteem 128

Activity 18: Test Your Self-Esteem 131

Activity 19: Social Support and Self-Esteem 141

Self-Expectancy and Self-Esteem 144

Personal Journal 4.1 Examine Your Self-Expectancy 145

Activity 20: Accomplishment Inventory 147

Personal Journal 4.2 Learning to Cope 150

SECTION 4.2 Learning to Like Yourself 151

Self-Acceptance and Self-Esteem 151

Activity 21: Personal Inventory 154

Personal Journal 4.3 Social Comparison Log 159

Personal Journal 4.4 Your Ideal Self 160

Using Positive Self-Talk 161

Activity 22: Negative Self-Talk Log 164

Criticism and Self-Esteem 166

Activity 23: Handling Criticism 171

Chapter Review and Activities 175

Real-Life Success Story “Do I Have What It Takes?” 177

CHAPTER 5 Positive Thinking 178

Real-Life Success Story “Will Things Go My Way?” 178

SECTION 5.1 Becoming a Positive Thinker 180

Positive Thinking and Optimism 180

Adopting Positive Habits 185

Personal Journal 5.1 Focusing on the Good 186

Activity 24: Are You a Positive Thinker? 187

Activity 25: Banishing Worry 192

Thinking Style and Health 194

Personal Journal 5.2 Depression Self-Check 196

Activity 26: What’s Your Health Attitude? 198

SECTION 5.2 Conquering Negative Thoughts 201

Overcoming Self-Defeating Attitudes 201

Recognizing Distorted Thoughts 203

Activity 27: Challenging Self-Defeating Attitudes 204

Personal Journal 5.3 From Irrational to Rational 211

Changing Your Negative Thoughts 211

Activity 28: Disputing Negative Thoughts 215

Chapter Review and Activities 217

Real-Life Success Story “Will Things Go My Way?” 219

CHAPTER 6

Self-Discipline 220

Real-Life Success Story “Should I Make a Change?” 220

SECTION 6.1 Taking Control of Your Life 222

What Is Self-Discipline? 222

Personal Journal 6.1 Going Against the Odds 225

Controlling Impulses 227

Activity 29: Do You Control Your Life? 228

Embracing Change 230

Personal Journal 6.2 Thinking Long Term 231

Activity 30: Making Positive Changes 233

Conquering Bad Habits 235

Activity 31: Overcoming Resistance to Change 236

Activity 32: Getting to Know Your Bad Habits 240

Personal Journal 6.3 Habit Change Chart 242

SECTION 6.2 Disciplining Your Thinking 244

Learning to Think Critically 244

Activity 33: How Critical Is Your Thinking? 246

Becoming a Better Decision Maker 252

Activity 34: Developing Your Critical Thinking 253

Activity 35: Using the Decision-Making Process 257

Personal Journal 6.4 Pros and Cons 262

Chapter Review and Activities 265

Real-Life Success Story “Should I Make a Change?” 267

CHAPTER 7

Self-Motivation 268

Real-Life Success Story “How Can I Succeed?” 268

SECTION 7.1 Understanding Motivation 270

The Power of Motivation 270

Personal Journal 7.1 Generating Positive Motivation 272

Activity 36: What Motivates You? 274

Needs and Motivation 277

Activity 37: Are Your Needs Being Met? 283

SECTION 7.2 Recharging Your Motivation 285

Motivation and Emotion 285

Overcoming Fear of Failure 287

Overcoming Fear of Success 289

Activity 38: Expanding Your Comfort Zone 290

Visualization 293

Personal Journal 7.2 Confronting Fear of Success 294

Activity 39: Visualizing Success 298

Chapter Review and Activities 300

Real-Life Success Story “How Can I Succeed?” 302

CHAPTER 8 Managing Your Resources 304

Real-Life Success Story “Will I Ever Be Able to Enjoy Some ‘Free’ Time?” 304

SECTION 8.1 Time Management 306

Taking Control of Your Time 306

Activity 40: Time-Demand Survey 308

Personal Journal 8.1 Prioritizing Your Life 311

Activity 41: Examining Your Priorities 313

Activity 42: Time-Management Practice 316

Tackling Procrastination 318

Personal Journal 8.2 What’s Your Prime Time? 318

Activity 43: Do You Procrastinate? 320

SECTION 8.2 Money Management 323

Money Matters 323

Personal Journal 8.3 How Do You See Money? 324

Managing Your Finances 325

Activity 44: Expense Log 327

Stretching Your Resources 331

Activity 45: Budget Worksheet 332

Personal Journal 8.4 Look Before You Leap 336

Chapter Review and Activities 339

Real-Life Success Story “Will I Ever Be Able to Enjoy Some ‘Free’ Time?” 341

CHAPTER 9 Communication and Relationships 342

Real-Life Success Story “How Do I Stand Up for Myself?” 342

SECTION 9.1 Effective Communication 344

A Look at Communication 344

Activity 46: How Much Do You Know About Communication? 345

Nonverbal Communication 350

Activity 47: Analyzing Communication 351

Improving Your Communication Skills 356

Activity 48: Body Language Log 357

Personal Journal 9.1 “I” Statements 360

Activity 49: Giving Feedback 365

SECTION 9.2 Healthy Relationships 367

A Look at Relationships 367

Personal Journal 9.2 Understanding Diversity 370

Personal Journal 9.3 Circles of Yourself 372

Interpersonal Relationships 374

Activity 50: Your Close Relationships 376

Personal Journal 9.4 Dealing with Conflict 381

Chapter Review and Activities 383

Real-Life Success Story “How Do I Stand Up for Myself?” 385

Further Reading 386

Glossary 388

Credits 399

Index 401

FIGURES

Table of Figures

FIGURE 1.1 Positive and Negative Emotions 22

FIGURE 2.1 Feeling Words 50

FIGURE 2.2 Expanding Your Intelligences 68

FIGURE 3.1 SMART Goals 91

FIGURE 3.2 The ABC Model 105

FIGURE 4.1 Childhood Origins of Self-Esteem 139

FIGURE 4.2 You and Your Ideal 159

FIGURE 4.3 Responding to Constructive Criticism 168

FIGURE 4.4 Responding to Destructive Criticism 170

FIGURE 5.1 The Power of Positive Thoughts 182

FIGURE 5.2 Self-Defeating Attitudes: A Vicious Cycle 202

FIGURE 5.3 The ABCDE Method 213

FIGURE 6.1 Ingredients of Self-Discipline 223

FIGURE 7.1 Positive and Negative Motivation 271

FIGURE 7.2 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs 279

FIGURE 7.3 Expanding the Comfort Zone 288

FIGURE 8.1 Where the Money Goes 329

FIGURE 9.1 Elements of Communication 347

FIGURE 9.2 Influences on Nonverbal Communication 355

FIGURE 9.3 The Johari Window 379

FEATURES professional development )))

Internal Career Motivation 7

Career Fufillment 80

Job Stress 111

Positive Image at Work/First Impressions Matter 152

Positive Thinking in Action at Work 190

Wanted: Problem Solvers 256

What Motivates Employees? 286

Investing in Your Future 330

Your Cover Letter—The Competitive Edge 363

Applying

Psychology *

Lead by Example 54

Technology and Stress 106

Culture and Body Image 157

Aging with an Attitude 181

A Little Guilt Can Be Good for You 229

Six Types of Achievement Motivation 281 The “Mind” of Spending or Saving 331

Emotional Intelligence 355

internet action

Virtual Therapy 18

Online Personality Profiles 60

Surfing the Day Away 101

Your Social Network 143

Building and Tracking Your Optimum Health Plan 197

Artificial Intelligence versus Human Intelligence 245

Staying Motivated with E-learning 280

E-mail Efficiency and Effectiveness 322

Managing Your Online Identity 375

Introduction

Preface

Welcome to Psychology of Success. Success is a lifetime of personal fulfillment that comes from creating a sense of meaning in all aspects of life. To succeed in this way, students must take an active role in discovering and pursuing their personal definition of success, and use the psychological and fundamental strategies in this course to achieve their goals. This book introduces you to the fundamental psychological principles of success—principles applicable to everyone regardless of age, background, or specialty. Unlike many psychology books, Psychology of Success doesn’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, it asks you to take an active role in defining what is right for you as an individual. Psychology of Success calls on you to use self-awareness and critical thinking strategies to examine your dreams, values, interests, skills, needs, identity, self-esteem, and relationships. This will help you set and achieve goals that are in harmony with your personal vision of success. Psychology of Success presents the principles of success in a logical order. First you will assess who you are and what special qualities you possess, which will help you develop self-awareness and clarify your goals. Next you will learn about the importance of self-esteem and positive thinking to a satisfying life. You’ll also learn about self-discipline and self-motivation, which are the tools you’ll need to keep yourself on track toward your goals. Once you have mastered these psychological tools, you’ll learn the fundamentals of time and money management, communication, and positive relationships.

Because each chapter refers to concepts introduced in previous chapters, you’ll derive maximum benefit from working through the book chapter by chapter. If your time is limited, however, you may choose to concentrate on the topics of greatest interest to you.

Features

The features of Psychology of Success are designed to help you understand and remember the psychological principles introduced in each chapter. They are also intended to provoke thought and discussion and to help you make the material relevant to your life.

Real-Life Success Story Begin each chapter by reading the Real-Life Success Story, a vignette about an ordinary person struggling with the problems and challenges addressed in the chapter. Use the question following the story to put yourself in that person’s shoes and take stock of what you already know about the topic of the coming chapter. At the end of the chapter, revisit the Real-Life Success Story and use the concepts you’ve learned to create a successful resolution to the character’s situation.

Chapter Introduction and Learning Objectives In each chapter, a short introduction previews the major topics that will be covered, and a list of objectives lays out the skills and information you can expect to have mastered after reading the text and completing the activities.

Opening Quote The opening quote relates to the ideas discussed in the chapter and serves as food for thought. Take a moment to think about what the author of the quote is trying to say. Do you agree with the author? Why or why not?

Key Terms Key terms appear in bold in the text and are defined in the margin for easy review. Key terms, along with italicized terms, are also defined in the Glossary.

Success Secret Important lessons presented in the chapter are summarized in the Success Secret feature. These notes can be used

to preview and review the chapter, as well as to remind yourself to apply these important principles of success in your daily life.

Applying Psychology This feature focuses on thought-provoking issues such as culture and body image, impulse control, and the psychology of aging. It links one or more topics in the chapter to cutting-edge issues in psychology.

Professional Development The Professional Development feature makes chapter concepts relevant to the world of work, providing information on topics such as job stress, problem solving, and résumé writing.

Internet Action This technology feature discusses how to use computers, the Internet, and e-mail efficiently and effectively. It also illustrates the link between technology and psychology in areas such as artificial intelligence and online collaborative learning.

Activities Each chapter has numerous activities that form an integral part of the material. The activities allow you to apply newly learned concepts to your own life through self-assessment, real-world observation, and critical thinking.

Personal Journals Each chapter also has several Personal Journals, short notebook-style activities that let you pause to offer personal reflections on the material.

McGraw-Hill Connect® Connect offers a number of powerful tools and features to make managing assignments easier, so faculty can spend more time teaching. With Connect, students can engage with their coursework anytime and anywhere, making the learning process more accessible and efficient. From Connect, instructors can also access chapter-bychapter notes, test bank questions, a PowerPoint

presentation, and additional resources. Student features include practice quizzes, assessment activities, links to related materials for research projects and helpful online tools, job hunting resources, and much more. References to specific Web site materials are provided throughout the text.

LearnSmart Students want to make the best use of their study time. The LearnSmart adaptive self-study technology within Connect® provides students with a seamless combination of practice, assessment, and the remediation for every concept in the textbook. LearnSmart’s intelligent software adapts to every student response and automatically delivers concepts that advance the student’s understanding while reducing time devoted to the concepts already mastered. The result for every student is the fastest path of mastery of chapter concepts. LearnSmart:

• Adapts automatically to each student, so students spend less time on the topics they understand and practice more those they have yet to master.

• Provides continual reinforcement and remediation, but gives only as much guidance as students need.

• Integrates diagnostics as part of the learning experience.

Enables you to assess which concepts students have efficiently learned on their own, thus freeing class time for more applications and discussions.

Getting Started

Psychology of Success is a workbook as well as a textbook. Take notes, highlight important concepts, and flag passages that you want to explore further. Take time to do each Activity

and Personal Journal thoroughly before moving on to the next—they will help you understand the material on a personal level. Don’t worry, however, about finding the “right” answers—the only right answers are ones that are honest, true to yourself, and supported by reflection and critical thinking. When you complete Psychology of Success, you will have a valuable record of your goals and where you want the future to take you.

What’s New

Chapter One—Psychology and Success

• Updated material on defining success

• NEW Professional Development Feature— Internal Career Motivation

• Updated material on Sense of Self

• NEW material on Individual Identity

• Updated material on Gender Roles

• NEW Internet Activities

Chapter Two—Self-Awareness

• NEW section on Natural Abilities

• Updated Professional Development Feature— Career Fulfillment

• NEW Internet Activity

Chapter Three—Goals and Obstacles

• NEW material on Goal Setting

• NEW material on Positive Self-Talk

• Updated material on digitizing goals

• NEW Applying Psychology Feature— Technology and Stress

• Updated Professional Development Feature— Job Stress

• NEW Internet Activity

Chapter Four—Self-Esteem

• NEW material on the Origins of Self-Esteem

• NEW material on Self-Expectancy

• NEW Professional Development Feature— Positive Image at Work

• NEW Internet Activities

Chapter Five—Positive Thinking

• NEW material on Why Positive Thinking Matters

• NEW section on Failure Avoidance

• NEW section on Learned Helplessness

• Updated material on Adopting Positive Habits

• NEW Professional Development Feature— Positive Thinking in Action at Work

• NEW Internet Action Feature—Building and Tracking Your Optimum Health Plan

• NEW Application Exercises

• NEW Internet Activity

Chapter Six—Self-Discipline

• NEW material on The Power of Persistence

• NEW material on Personal Control

• Updated Applying Psychology Feature

• NEW Internet Action Feature—Artificial Intelligence versus Human Intelligence

• Updated Professional Development Feature— Wanted: Problem Solvers

• NEW Application Activity

• NEW Internet Activities

Chapter Seven—Self-Motivation

• NEW Internet Action Feature—Staying Motivated with eLearning

• NEW Applying Psychology Feature—Six Types of Achievement Motivation

• Updated material on The Importance of Desire

• NEW Professional Development Feature— What Motivates Employees?

• Updated material on Rethinking Failure

• NEW Critical Thinking Activities

• NEW Application Activities

• NEW Internet Activities

Chapter Eight—Managing Your Resources

• NEW material on Taking Control of Your Time

• Updated Internet Action Feature—E-mail Efficiency and Effectiveness

• NEW Professional Development Feature— Investing in Your Future

• NEW Applying Psychology Feature—The “Mind” of Spending or Saving

• Updated Critical Thinking Activity

• NEW Application Activities

• NEW Internet Activities

Chapter Nine—Communication and Relationships

• Updated communications to reflect new digital landscape

• NEW Applying Psychology Feature— Emotional Intelligence

• NEW section on Listening and Leadership

• NEW Professional Development Feature— Your Cover Letter

• NEW Internet Action Feature—Managing Your Online Identity

• NEW Critical Thinking Activities

• NEW Application Activity

• NEW Internet Activities

Acknowledgment

McGraw-Hill would like to offer our sincerest gratitude and deepest appreciation to our valuable reviews whose feedback was instrumental in successfully compiling this text. We could not have done this without you! Thank you!

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Gary R. LewisSouthern Technical College Fort Myers glewis@southerntech.edu

Deana Guido Nash Community College dguido@nashcc.edu

Christopher LauHutchinson Community CollegeLauC@hutchcc.edu

Deborah KindySonoma State University deb.kindy@sonoma.edu

Real-Life Success Story

“Am I Doing the Right Thing?”

Looking Ahead

Bill Santos, a freelance film production assistant in Los Angeles, was offered a full-time job as an assistant producer. Everyone congratulated him on the salary raise and more impressive title. Bill, however, wasn’t completely happy about the prospect of the new job. The promotion would mean longer hours and more responsibility. Plus, now that he thought of it, he didn’t even like the shows he had helped make. Why was he doing this?

Looking Within

Bill’s dream had been to write for a living. Being a production assistant wasn’t his dream job, but he

was good at it, and there were a lot of extra benefits. Recently, Bill had started writing for a start-up magazine. Although the pay was low, it reminded him why he had wanted to be a writer in the first place. If he took the new job he wouldn’t be able to spend time writing. Bill knew it would be sensible to take the job, but he couldn’t get enthusiastic about it.

What Do You Think? Do you think Bill would be more successful if he took the production job or if he spent more time writing? Why?

“ Psychology and Success 1Chapter

What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.”

The first step on the road to success is to define what success means to you. In Section 1.1 you’ll clarify your vision of success and begin to think about how you can make it a reality. You’ll also consider the personal qualities that will help you reach success and discover how studying psychology can help you understand yourself and your world. In Section 1.2 you’ll begin thinking about your identity and self-image. You’ll consider how you see yourself and what it means to be you.

learning objectives

After you complete this chapter, you should be able to:

• Define success.

• List several personal qualities that help people to be happy.

• Define psychology and cite its four major goals.

• Explain the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and actions.

• Define self, self-image, and identity.

• Describe the components of identity.

success Lifetime fulfillment that comes from creating a sense of meaning in your work and personal life.

WHAT IS SUCCESS?

Success has a personal definition for each of us. About 95 percent of the human beings on earth are poor; the majority of them desperately poor. Success to any member of such a family is to have some land to till, any job that pays, and a way to earn enough to provide nourishment for the children to grow in decent health into adulthood.

Success in our culture and in many of the industrialized nations is usually associated with material wealth and fame. The images of lifestyles of the rich and famous bombard our senses and we are seduced into equating skin-deep values with authentic fulfillment. A more meaningful definition of success was penned by Earl Nightingale—a 20th-century philosopher—in his classic audio recording The Strangest Secret: “Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.” It means that when we are working or moving toward something we want to accomplish, especially when that something brings us respect and dignity as members of the human race, we are succeeding. It has nothing to do with talent, IQ, age, gender, ethnicity, or birthright. It does not mean being a celebrity, icon, or tycoon.

So what is success? In this book, success means a lifetime of personal fulfillment. Personal fulfillment comes from creating a sense of meaning in your work and life. This kind of success is not given by anyone else and cannot be taken away by anyone else. It requires taking risks, overcoming challenges, and using your best resource—you—to its fullest potential.

Success is a journey, not a destination. Success is a process, not a status. You don’t arrive at success. You engage in living successfully on a daily basis. It involves looking inward, considering what you value, and navigating the life path that is most meaningful for you. Begin to think about what success means to you in Activity 1. As you work through this text, you may wish to return to this exercise to clarify your vision of success.

Ingredients of Success

success secret

Money and fame don’t equal success.

Lifelong success has several important ingredients, all of which you will learn about in this book. These ingredients, shown in Personal Journal 1.1 on page 9, are positive habits of thought and action that you can integrate into your life. The first important ingredient is self-awareness. Closely tied to self-awareness are self-direction, self-esteem, self-discipline, and self-motivation, which are the tools to keep you moving in the direction of your goals and dreams. Your attitude is an important ingredient of success, too; positive thinking can help you put things in perspective and make it

ACTIVITY 1: What Success Means to You

A Take at least three or four minutes to brainstorm every word or phrase that comes to mind when you think of “success.” Write these in the box below.

Success =

B Look at everything you wrote. What do these words or phrases tell you about your vision of success?

C Now put your definition of success down in writing.

To me, success means

D Does your definition of success differ from the definition of success presented in this text? If so, how?

E Do you think you will become successful, according to your own definition of success? Why or why not?

F Describe two people you know who have achieved success the way you define it.

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supply But people who are not used to Croton water, or Schuylkill, or Cochituate water do not seem to care much for this. They are glad enough to get water at all.

In other parts of Europe, and in this continent too, the water is carried about by men and women.

In the opposite picture you may see how some of these watercarriers supply their customers.

In Malaga a jaunty Spaniard with a cigar in his mouth, and two jars of water hanging from his shoulders and arms, walks up and down the streets selling the precious fluid at so much a quart or a pint.

In Pongo the water is conveyed in a great leathern jar on the back of a stout, bare-legged fellow who carries a long funnel, so that he can pour the water into the pitcher and pails without taking his jar from his shoulders.

In parts of Mexico the jars are fastened to broad straps which pass around the water-carrier’s head, while in Guaymas, the carrier has no load at all himself, but puts two great skins of water on the back of a little donkey.

The French water-carrier has a stick on his shoulders with a pail of water on each end; and when one shoulder is tired he can shift his load to the other, which is, perhaps, the next best thing to having a donkey.

But the water-carriers of Arabia and Egypt, who very often are women, are the most graceful and in some respects the most sensible of all. They carry their jar of water on their heads.

As this makes it necessary for them to keep themselves very erect, it gives them fine, straight figures, and a graceful walk. The disadvantage of their plan is that they cannot carry very much water at a time.

Carrying water on the head reminds me of a little negro girl I once saw in the South. This girl had been to a spring to get a pail of water. The pail was so large and the girl was so small that she had a hard time of it as she staggered along, holding the handle of the pail with

both hands, and with the greatest difficulty keeping it from touching the ground.

I pitied the poor little creature, for her load was a great deal too heavy for her.

But at length she reached a stump of a tree, and by great efforts she got the pail on the top of this. Then she stooped down and managed to slide the pail from the stump to the crown of her head.

Then she stood up. She was all right! She seemed to forget that she had a load, and skipped away as if she had nothing heavier on her head than a spring bonnet. She did not go directly to the house where she was to carry the water, but trotted over to where some children were playing, and began running around in a perfectly easy and unconcerned way,

WATER CARRIERS.

1 Water Carrier of Malaga. 4 Water Carrier of Guaymas.

2.

3.

6.

VARIOUS METHODS OF CARRYING WATER.

Pongo.
5. French Water Carrier.
Water Carrier of Mexico.
Arabian Woman at the Fountain.

not appearing to think at all of her pail. But she did not spill a drop of the water.

The Southern negroes are very dexterous in this matter of carrying things on their heads.

On some of the water-melon plantations there may sometimes be seen long lines of men walking from the fields to the boats which are to be loaded with these melons, and each man carries a watermelon under each arm and one on his head.

Sometimes one of these men will drop a water-melon from under his arm, but no one ever drops one from his head.

Such a thing would be considered a disgrace.

I think it is likely that very few of us would ever have a pail of water or a water-melon, if we were obliged to carry either of them very far on our heads.

THE LAND OF THE WHITE ELEPHANT.

This is the kingdom of Siam in Southern Asia. It has this name because the white elephant is the national emblem, and is represented on the Siamese flag, as the eagle is on the American flag.

Siam is a very pleasant country to live in, and a good many Europeans have from time to time had their homes there, so that the Siamese, who seem to be a teachable people, have learned a great deal from them, and have copied some of their ways. The missionaries, too, have done very much to improve the manners and customs of the Siamese. But still they retain many of their old customs, and the result is a queer sort of mixture—in some things the people show themselves to be manly and intelligent, and, in others, they appear very ignorant, and degraded.

For instance, a fine-looking Siamese gentleman will be standing by your side, conversing with you. He is a nobleman of the country, dressed in silk and diamonds. He will talk with you about foreign countries, perhaps about books, and you will be astonished at his information, and will regard him as a very superior man; as, indeed, he is. But suddenly, he will go down on his hands and knees, right in the dust. What has happened? The King has appeared upon the scene! If he wishes to speak to the king this nobleman will crawl up to him on all fours, and, as long as he is in the king’s presence, if it is for two or three hours, he remains in this degrading position. The king may be a very well-informed, and a kind-hearted man, but it has never occurred to him that this old custom of his country is ridiculous and disgraceful.

The Siamese are very fond of ornament. On the next page is a portrait of one of the little princes of the royal family.

His silken suit is covered with gold and silver embroidery, and with rows of precious stones. I hope that high pointed affair he has upon his head is not very heavy. It would be a very inconvenient thing to

take off when he wished to make a bow to a lady. But then he never does wish to make a bow to a lady. That is a piece of good manners that no Siamese boy is ever taught.

When this young prince has his meals his attendants crouch before him on their hands and knees. When he wishes anything they crawl towards him with the articles. To stand erect in his presence would be an unheard of impropriety.

When he goes out for an airing he rides upon an elephant. Perhaps you think that would not be a very agreeable way of traveling, but there you are mistaken. The motion of an elephant is very easy, and pleasant to the rider; and it is a much more intelligent animal than the horse, and quite as gentle, and docile. A little child can lead a well-trained, tame elephant. The

A SIAMESE PRINCE.

disadvantage of this kind of steed is that when it does take it into its great head to behave badly, it is sometimes very difficult to control, for it is exceedingly strong, and capable of doing a great deal of mischief. But these trained elephants of the Siamese seldom get into tantrums.

When the young prince takes his ride he has, at least, one attendant to walk by the elephant, and keep things all straight. The prince sits in a little ornamental tower on the beast’s back. From this lofty seat he gets a good view of the surrounding country.

Near Ayuthia, in Siam, there is a large stockade, into which the king’s elephants are driven once a year, and the finest ones are selected for use during the ensuing year. This stockade is made of posts of teak wood, driven firmly into the ground, a few feet apart. In the middle of the enclosure, thus made, is a small tower-like house, built on poles, and surrounded by strong stakes. In this are the men who are to secure the animals after they are chosen.

The king and his nobles are on a raised platform near the stockade; and they select those of the animals that have been driven into the enclosure, that they consider the most desirable.

The fine points in an elephant are these: a color approaching to white or red, black nails on the toes, and tails that have not been injured. Elephants are so fond of fighting each other that it is a rare thing to find one in a herd that has not lost some portion of its tail in a battle.

ELEPHANT HERD.

It occasionally happens, when a hunting party is out, that a white elephant is captured. This is considered a very fortunate circumstance, as the possession of a white elephant by the king is supposed to bring prosperity upon the whole kingdom. The fortunate finder of this precious animal is received with great honor upon his return to court, and is magnificently rewarded.

The elephant is placed in a large enclosure, and treated with great distinction. It is caparisoned with cloth of gold; and is fed with all the dainties that elephants like. Rings of gold are placed on its tusks, and a diadem on its head. When it is sick the court physician attends it, the priests pray for it; and when it dies the whole kingdom mourns.

Of late years the people of Siam have grown less superstitious, and do not pay as many honors to white elephants as they did while

in an entirely uncivilized state But they still retain the white elephant on their flag as the emblem of their country.

CURIOSITIES OF VEGETABLE LIFE.

It is not necessary to travel in order to find a great many curious things in vegetable growth. They lie around us everywhere.

We will find a great deal to surprise us, if we study the habits of the trees and plants about us Some have very peculiar methods of growth; some go to sleep, and wake up at regular hours; some set little traps for catching insects; some often change the colors of their flowers; and many other curious ways they have.

But men, who travel in various countries, and study the vegetable growth of all climates, meet with very marvelous things indeed. Let us follow them about the world for awhile. But we will have to travel very swiftly, and to skip from one country to another, and back again, perhaps, with great haste.

We will first look at some trees that surprise us by their size.

On Mount Etna, in Sicily, there is a famous chestnut tree. It stands on one of the lower slopes of the mountain, so that it is often visited. There are quite a number of huge chestnut trees in that neighborhood, each of which has a distinctive name. But the “Chestnut of a Hundred Horses” is much larger than any of the others. It is a very, very old tree, and the people who now live near it, are not sure how it first got its name. Some say it was named many years ago by a Spanish queen because its thick wide branches once sheltered her and her party of a hundred horsemen, from the rain. Others say it is so called because a hundred horses can be sheltered within, and around it. It is now the home of a shepherd, who has built a hut for himself, and a fold for his sheep, within the hollow of the tree.

The trunk measures 190 feet around. It looks as if there were several trees growing together, but it is known to be all one tree.

THE GREAT CHESTNUT TREE OF MOUNT ETNA

In the centre of a graveyard, in the village of Allouville, in Normandy, there stands an oak that is over nine-hundred years old. Near the ground its trunk measures thirty feet in circumference. Two hundred years ago it was fitted up as a little chapel, and is used for that purpose to this day.

The tree is hollow, as are all these very old trees. The lower part of this hollow is lined with wood, carefully plastered and wainscoted. This is the chapel. Above it, is a second story, and in this room lives a solitary man—a hermit. Above, in the branches, is a belfry, ornamented with a cross.

In another part of France, there is an oak that is known to be fifteen hundred years old. It also is hollow, but every year, like the Hundred Horse Chestnut, and the Allouville Oak, it covers itself with thick and luxuriant foliage. The circumference of this oak is over 80 feet, and its branches spread over a circumference of 380 feet.

The inside of this tree is used for a dining hall by pleasure parties. A circular bench has been cut out of the wood, and a dozen persons can sit comfortably around the table. The room has a glass door, and a window. Beautiful ferns and mosses spring out of the sides of the tree, and decorate this hall.

Not far from Smyrna, in Asia Minor, there is a very old, and a very large Plane tree. It has three stems from one root. These join into one trunk at the height of about twenty feet from the ground, thus forming a gateway. The main road runs right through this gateway, and cavalcades of horsemen, and camel riders, and vehicles pass under this singular arch.

There is another Plane tree in the island of Cos, which is almost as well known as that of Smyrna. Its spreading branches cover the whole of a large square of a city, and are so heavy that the old trunk is not able to bear their weight. The inhabitants of the city, proud of their tree, and anxious to keep it, have built columns of marble under the branches to support them.

CHAPEL OAK OF ALLOUVILLE.

We have been visiting single trees of different kinds. There is a family of trees, every member of which attains a great size. The Baobabs ought to be large, for they require 800 years to attain their full growth. They then measure, usually, from 70 to 77 feet in girth. Enormous branches spread out from the central stem, each one of which is a respectable size for a tree. So these trees give a splendid shade, covering a space of ground 300 feet in circumference. They do not grow very tall. These trees are found chiefly in Africa.

The Baobabs remind us of another marvel of the vegetable kingdom—the great age of some trees. We have mentioned one 900 years old, and another 1,500. The ages of these are known because the trees have been traced back historically for that length of time. But these are babies in age by the side of the Baobabs. Botanists calculate the ages of the largest Baobabs to be over 5,000 years! We must remember this is calculation, not certainty. It is positively known, however, that some of them are several hundred years old;

and there are olive trees known to have lived over a thousand years. This is a very good old age when we consider that man seldom lives to a hundred.

THE GIANT CANDLE.

The height to which some tropical plants that are not trees grow is surprising. You have, no doubt, all seen the queer fleshy-leaved cactus that is cultivated in green-houses. This plant has no woody stem, and yet one species of it grows to the height of twenty and thirty feet.

It is called the giant candle, and it certainly looks like one.

The great height of this plant is the more surprising because it grows right out of crevices of rocks where no soil can be seen, and pushes its straight, fleshy stem up into the air without anything to shelter it from the furious winds that often sweep over the country. But it braves the winds, and grows, and grows; and every year puts forth its large white flowers, and bears upon its queer stalk a very savory fruit.

The largest palms rise to a height of 45 feet, and more or sometimes as high as 70 feet—before putting out a single branch. Then they spread out a great plume of feathery leaves. The wax palm of the Andes is said to grow to the height of 200 feet.

In New Zealand, the ferns, that are here so fragile and delicate, grow so high that they look, at a little distance like small palms.

TREE FERNS.

The tallest trees in the world are the giant trees of California. These are from 300 to 350 feet high; and one that was cut down was 450 feet high.

We cannot very well speak of the height of vines, but there are species of these that grow to a very great length. Sometimes one stalk will stretch itself out to the length of 150 yards. Some of the sea-weeds, thrown upon the shore, measure 500 yards in a single strip.

We must again go to the tropics if we want to find large leaves. You have, no doubt, heard of the great water-lily—the Victoria Regia, but I think you would open your eyes if you could get a sight of a river filled with these floating mammoths of leaves. They are from four to eight feet in diameter. They are, in shape, almost circular, and are turned up a little around the edges.

The strength of these leaves is almost as surprising as their size. The fibres are large, and are so woven together on the under side that they form a solid framework to support the upper part of the leaf, which is of a beautiful green, and thick, and velvety. The water-fowl choose these leaves often for sleeping places in the hot nights, and find it very pleasant, doubtless, to be thus rocked on the cool water, in a velvet bed, that will not sink.

Palms have ridges running lengthwise of their leaves, as you may see by examining a palm leaf fan. One ridged leaf of the talipot palm, when well grown, it is said, will shelter forty persons. This sounds like a traveler’s story, but single leaves of this tree have been brought to this country, and one of them will completely cover the ceiling of a good-sized room.

THE GUTTA PERCHA TREE

The leaves of the cocoanut palm are several feet long.

The juices of many vegetables possess very singular properties. The cow-tree, is so called because the sap that flows from it closely resembles milk, and is used as such by the natives.

A substance, with which you are very familiar, India-rubber, is nothing but the sap of a tree. A very useful sap it is; and, when hardened, and properly prepared, is impervious to water; and shoes, coats, coverlets, &c., are made of it. Put through another hardening process it takes a fine polish, and is made up into beautiful ornaments and useful articles.

India-rubber trees are found in South America, the East Indies, and in some parts of Africa.

In the same countries there grows a beautiful tree, which yields a thick sap, called gutta-percha This is similar, in substance, to Indiarubber, and is used for a great variety of purposes, from making lifeboats to knife-handles.

Sugar and molasses are made from the juice of a cane; maple sugar from the sap of a tree that grows plentifully in all our mountain districts. You think it wonderful that milk can be taken from a tree. Is it not quite as strange to find sugar there? I suppose you will reply to this that the milk is ready prepared, while we have to make the sugar. That is true, but we add nothing to what we take from the tree. We simply apply heat to the sap, and behold the sugar! The chief reason, I think, why we are not surprised at this sugar tree is that we are familiar with it. The inhabitants of Central America do not see anything strange in the fact of a tree bearing milk.

But there is a tree that produces sugar ready-made. This is the manna tree of Sicily. The sap hardens on the trunk and branches into sugary particles, which are scraped off with wooden knives. This kind of sugar is used principally in medicine. It is insipid in taste.

A species of Laurel in India contains camphor in all its juices. Break up twigs, stems, and leaves of this tree, and heat them, and the liquid that comes from them will soon condense into camphor gum.

The seeds of one kind of palm produce a fine oil; and the stalks of another give us wax, of which candles are made. This wax forms on the outside of the stalk, at the places where the leaves join the stem.

From another palm is extracted a juice that when exposed to the air for a short time, becomes wine.

In arid deserts, and in unwholesome marshes plants flourish luxuriantly, the leaves of which contain pure, sweet, freshwater, always ready for the thirsty traveler.

So far we have only spoken of the wholesome juices of plants and trees, but a large number are full of deadly poisons. Many of these grow in our own woods and fields. Some of the poisons have been utilized in medicines, for it has been found that, properly prepared, and given in small quantities, they can frequently arrest disease. Such is opium, which we get from the poppy, strychnine, and prussic acid. All of these are terrible poisons, but when administered by a physician in small doses, they relieve pain, and help to cure disease.

Other vegetable poisons seem to be only destructive. If a man should, ignorantly take refuge under a Machineel tree from a shower, and remain there for any length of time after the rain began to drip upon him, he would suddenly discover that blisters were breaking out on his skin, and that sharp pains were running through his limbs, and he might well feel thankful if he escaped without a fit of sickness. This, at least is the story that the savages tell who live in the regions where the Machineel grows. It is probable that they exaggerate the facts, but they will none of them go near a tree of this species if they can help it; and there is no doubt that it is very poisonous.

THE DEADLY UPAS

The most celebrated of the poison-trees is the Upas, which grows in several tropical countries, but chiefly in the island of Java. The accounts given of the Machineel tree are nothing compared to the wonderful stories told of the Upas. No plant, not even grass, will grow under one of these trees, or anywhere near it. A drop of water falling from a leaf on any one beneath it, will produce inflammation.

Whoever walks under one of these trees bare-headed, must expect to lose all his hair. To stay under it for a short time will cause sickness. To sleep under it is certain death. Birds fly over the tree with great difficulty, and if one should chance to alight upon it, woe be to him! Instantly he drops down dead. The wild beasts know the fatal tree, and shun it, but, if one venture beneath its shadow, he never comes forth again, but leaves his bones there.

These stories which the natives really believe, they told to travelers, and, for a long time they were supposed to be true. One thing which caused these accounts to be so readily credited was the condition of things in a valley in Java, where these trees were found in abundance.

The natives of Java told the Europeans of a wonderful valley that they called the Valley of Death, because the air was so poisoned with the noxious vapors of the Upas trees that no animal ever went through the valley. It dropped dead before the short journey was completed, and the ground was strewn with the bones of creatures that had perished there. The natives were willing to conduct their visitors to a hill that overlooked this valley at a safe distance. When they arrived at this hill, there, sure enough, was the valley, Upas trees, dead grass, bones, and all, just as the savages had described it. This settled the matter for a great many years in regard to the death dealing Upas tree. Other travelers to Java, rode up this hill, looked at the Valley of Death, shuddered, and rode down again.

At last there arrived on the hill-top a man who made up his mind he would ride through this valley! And so he did! Everybody said he was going to his death, but he was resolved to solve the mystery of the valley. He rode into it, and through it, and back again, and came out alive and well! Nevertheless he found the skeletons of wild animals, and of birds strewn the whole length of the valley

It was a mystery, but it was all cleared up afterwards. The valley was fatal to all animals except man. But the Upas tree had nothing to do with it. The valley was filled with carbonic acid gas to the height of a couple of feet from the ground.

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