ATTRACT PROSPERITY - 18. TIME IS MONEY, AND MUCH MORE - Orison Swett Marden

PROSPERITY – How to Attract It - Chapter 18. TIME IS MONEY, AND MUCH MORE - Orison Swett Marden - HQ Full Book.In Chapter 18 of Prosperity – How to Attract It, Orison Swett Marden presents a profound and stirring meditation on the value of time—not merely as a monetary asset, but as the very essence of our potential, success, and destiny. Titled “Time is Money, and Much More,” this chapter explores how time, when rightly understood and wisely used, becomes the foundation upon which all great lives are built. Marden urges readers to recognize that their “todays” are the building blocks of their future, and the substance of their dreams is shaped minute by minute. Marden begins by identifying a universal human tendency: the inclination to postpone effort and achievement into the future. It is far more comfortable to dream of a better tomorrow than to dedicate today to actualizing that dream. Yet, he insists, it is precisely our actions today—how we spend each hour—that determine whether we will ever see those dreams materialize. Success does not come in one great surge, but rather in the accumulation of small, disciplined efforts spread across days, weeks, and years. To drive home the immense value of time, Marden references historic figures who have famously understood and respected it. He recalls Queen Elizabeth I’s dying words, “My kingdom for a moment,” and mentions how industrialist J.P. Morgan valued his hours at thousands of dollars apiece. But even these assessments, he notes, fall short of capturing time’s true worth. Time is not just money—it is life itself. Every moment we waste is not just a financial opportunity lost, but a fragment of our very existence thrown away. According to Marden, one of the clearest indicators of a person’s future success is how they use their spare time. He contrasts those who fritter away their evenings and weekends with those who invest these hours into self-improvement, learning, or refining their craft. From George Washington to Thomas Edison, history is filled with examples of ordinary people who achieved extraordinary things by maximizing every moment available to them. This principle is not abstract; Marden grounds it in concrete success stories. He tells of Charles M. Schwab, who started his career at a steel plant earning just a dollar a day. Schwab rose to become a titan of industry, not through privilege or genius, but because he used his spare time to educate himself and master the technical aspects of steel manufacturing. His after-hours laboratory experiments, driven by ambition and curiosity, set him apart from peers who chose leisure over learning. Schwab’s story is not an anomaly, Marden insists, but a pattern echoed across the lives of countless achievers. Marden passionately argues that lack of formal education is not an insurmountable barrier. Many great minds were self-educated, using their spare moments to read, study, and grow. He cites examples such as Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, and Andrew Carnegie, all of whom carved success out of very modest beginnings through relentless self-improvement. These individuals did not wait for ideal circumstances or lament their limitations—they made use of what they had, especially their time. A recurring theme in the chapter is the distinction between those who treat time as a precious resource and those who squander it. The former build wealth, character, and influence; the latter often find themselves full of regret later in life. Marden warns that wasting time in youth is like dissolving pearls in wine—extravagant and irretrievable. He paints a sobering picture of people who reach old age lamenting lost opportunities, their golden years tarnished by the careless dissipation of the moments that might have secured their prosperity. To avoid such a fate, Marden calls for a radical revaluation of our daily routines. He suggests adopting the motto: “I will make this day worth while.” This simple yet powerful affirmation, repeated at the beginning and throughout the day, can serve as a compass that aligns one's actions with long-term goals. When each day is treated as a crucial installment in the unfolding of one’s destiny, excellence becomes a habit, and success, a natural outcome. Marden also addresses common excuses, such as the claim of being too tired after work to study or pursue self-development. He counters this by pointing out that engaging a different set of faculties—switching from physical labor to intellectual activity, for instance—can actually be rejuvenating. Moreover, while recreation and rest are important, they should not consume the valuable hours that could otherwise be devoted to advancement. In this chapter, Marden also emphasizes the disproportionate impact of “odds and ends” of time—those short intervals between tasks, the evenings, weekends, and moments often dismissed as too brief to be useful. He insists ...