Foundation Stones to Happiness and Success

More Good is the recompense of Good;
More Virtue is the reward of Virtue;
More capacity is the crown of Use.
In Goodness, Virtue, and the wise use of all
our powers is all happiness.
Other forms of happiness are fleeting,
But this abides, and does not pass away.

Foreword

How does a man begin the building of a house? He first secures a plan of the proposed edifice, and then proceeds to build according to the plan, scrupulously following it in every detail, beginning with the foundation. Should he neglect the beginning—the beginning on a mathematical plan—his labour would be wasted, and his building, should it reach completion without tumbling to pieces, would be insecure and worthless. The same law holds good in any important work; the right beginning and first essential is a definite mental plan on which to build.

Nature will have no slipshod work, no slovenliness and she annihilates confusion, or rather, confusion is in itself annihilated. Order, definiteness, purpose, eternally prevail, and he who in his operations ignores these mathematical elements at once deprives himself of substantiality, completeness, happiness and success.

James Allen

Editor’s preface

This is one of the last manuscripts written by James Allen. Like all his works it is eminently practical. He never wrote theories, or for the sake of writing; but he wrote when he had a message, and it became a message only when he had lived it out in his own life, and knew that it was good. Thus he wrote facts, which he had proven by practice.

To live out the teaching of this book faithfully in every detail of life will lead one to more than happiness and success—even to Blessedness, Satisfaction and Peace.

Lily L. Allen

Bryngoleu

Ilfracombe, England.

Contents

This work was published before January 1, 1930, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

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