Last week, in the daily email from Amazon with book deals, was the first self-improvement book I ever bought. The Greatest Salesman in the World was written by Og Mandino. It was published in 1968, and I guess I bought it in the early part of the 70s.
Og Mandino was, before his death in 1996, the world’s most widely read inspirational and self-help author. As a former president of Success Unlimited magazine, Mandino was the first to receive the Napoleon Hill Gold Medal for literary achievement. He was a member of the International Speakers Hall of Fame and was honored with the Masters of Influence award by the National Speakers Association.
The book is dedicated to William Clement Stone, an American businessman, philanthropist, and author of New Thought self-help books.
The New Thought was a religious movement that emerged in the United States in the early 19th century. Its followers considered New Thought to succeed “ancient thought,” which includes wisdom and philosophy from various origins such as Ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Chinese, Taoist, Hindu, and Buddhist cultures, along with their associated belief systems.
The movement primarily focuses on the interaction among thought, belief, and consciousness in the human mind, as well as the effects of these both inside and outside the mind. Although no direct transmission can be identified, many New Thought followers in the 19th and 20th centuries claimed to be direct descendants of those systems.
Mandino’s book is a fable with deeply modern lessons and serves as both a guide to salesmanship and a story that redefines what success truly means.
The fable is about Hafid, a young camel boy in Jerusalem who dreams of achieving more. Watching the great trade empires that others have built, he longs to do the same, to become not just a salesman but the greatest salesman in the world. He is eager to prove himself and seeks out the best merchant he knows. The merchant gives him an impossible challenge, one that takes him on an unforgettable journey involving a red cloak, a barn in Bethlehem, and ten scrolls that will change his life.
As Hafid discovers, each scroll presents timeless lessons: persisting against odds, mastering emotions, embracing joy, and building good habits. Through Hafid’s story and his ten scrolls, The Greatest Salesman in the World guides readers with a philosophy for making the most of life, starting today.
- Today I begin a new life.
- I will greet this day with love in my heart.
- I will persist until I succeed.
- I am nature’s greatest miracle.
- I will live this day as if it is my last.
- Today, I will be a master of my emotions.
- I will laugh at the world.
- Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
- My dreams are worthless, my plans are dust, my goals impossible. All are of no value unless they are followed by action.
- I will act now.
The last scroll begins by asking these questions:
• Who is of so little faith that in a moment of great disaster or heartbreak has not called to his God?
• Who has not cried out when confronted with danger, death, or mystery beyond his normal experience or comprehension? From where has this deep instinct come which escapes from the mouth of all living creatures in moments of peril?
The answer to these questions is given in this statement:
“Never will I pray for the material things of the world. I am not calling to a servant to bring me food. I am not ordering an innkeeper to provide me with room. Never will I seek delivery of gold, love, good health, petty victories, fame, success, or happiness. Only for guidance will I pray, that I may be shown the way to acquire these things, and my prayer will always be answered.”
I cannot recall how I originally discovered this book, but its rediscovery was something I’m glad happened. Its message is inspirational and powerful.
Have a Great Masonic Day!
