"But," you say, "suppose the cashier had been unable to wait, would not the young man's over-emphasis of his attitude on preparation have _prevented_ him from succeeding in his ambition?"
No! A single turn-down cannot cause the failure of a successful salesman. If that cashier had not appreciated the worth of the candidate, an officer of some other bank certainly would have had a clearer vision of his value. The applicant might have been balked temporarily in his ambition. The best salesman occasionally has to try and try again. But a successful career for that young man was assured in advance. From the very start he was "certain to get there."
On the other hand, if he had risked making a disappointing impression in his new job, he might have taken the first step toward failure. Suppose he had begun the work for which he was unprepared, and then had made serious mistakes due to his unfitness. His record would have been blemished. His ability might have been questioned. He prevented such possibilities by _making sure his preparation was adequate_ before he accepted his big chance.
[Sidenote: Preparation Should Be Two-fold]
Your preparation for certain success must be two-fold. You need to prepare yourself in ability first _to perceive_; then _to appreciate the full value_ of what you see. Golden opportunities are all about you. If you do not recognize them, or if you perceive but slight value in the signs of rich chances to succeed, you will fail because of your unreadiness.
Many a farmer in Oklahoma cursed his "bad luck" after he sold a farm on which a gusher was later discovered. But the oil had been there all the time. The "luckless" farmer simply did not _perceive_ the indications of wealth under his plodding feet; or, if he saw signs of oil, he did not realize that they _denoted_ the possibility of millions.
Perception can be broadened almost immeasurably. The physical eye, if normal and thoroughly trained, is fitted to be "all seeing." _So can your mind be made capable of widest vision over all the fields of possible opportunity_. Some are within your present mental view, others you can see only after going farther or climbing higher in knowledge. The biggest possibilities of success cannot be comprehended in their entirety by narrowed mental sight.