What would you do with a Million Dollars?

If I had a million dollars, I would invest it in fundamental education. But I am sure that almost any goal can be done with zero start-up capital.

The following case proves the correctness of the old saying "Where there is will, there is skill." It was often recited by my favorite teacher, the late Pastor Frank W. Hansolus, who began his career as a preacher and missionary in a barnyard farm in South Chicago. When Frank Hansolus was in college, he faced many flaws in our educational system.

He believed that he could fix all these flaws if he was the headmaster of the college. His deepest desire was to lead an educational institution where young men and women would be taught according to his own system, free from the dogma of the formal school. He decided to found his own college, where he could realize all his ideas. But to implement an ambitious project, he needed a million dollars! Where to get such a huge amount? This question occupied all the thoughts of this ambitious young pastor. Do not think that he was very lucky along the way. At first, there were very few successes. But the pastor remained true to his dream. Every night he went to bed thinking about it. I got up with her every morning. Wherever he was, whatever he was doing, his mind was occupied only with this thought and nothing else. He twisted it this way and that, making plans, imagining, until it became an obsession for him. A million dollars is a lot of money. This is a fact, and Hansolus knew this fact. But he was also aware of another fact, namely, that the only real-life boundaries are those that we set for ourselves. As not only a preacher, but also a philosopher, Frank Hansolus recognized that everyone who succeeded in this life had a DEFINED PURPOSE, which is the starting point of any path. He also knew that HOT DESIRE can turn into its material equivalent. He perfectly understood all these universal truths, but he could not think of a way through which he could have a million dollars. It seems the most natural thing in such a situation - to leave this venture, saying to yourself: "All this is good, old man, and your idea is great, but you will never make a million dollars." This is exactly what most people would say, but not what Frank Hansolus said to himself. What he said and did is so important that I want to give the floor directly to him.

“One Saturday afternoon I was sitting in my room and, as usual, thinking about ways and means of raising money to implement my plan. For two years now I have been thinking about it, but I practically didn’t do anything. And then something pushed me from the inside. I realized: IT'S TIME TO ACT! I will receive the required million within a week. How? To be honest, at that moment I was not too interested in it. The most important thing for me was the decision to get this money within the specified time frame. And I must say that when I firmly decided this, I suddenly had a feeling - as if a promise from above - that this million will really be with me exactly in a week. It seemed that my whole being was screaming inside: why, why didn't you make such a decision a long time ago? After all, all this time the money has been waiting for you! All further events developed rapidly. I called the newspapers and advertised that the next morning I was going to deliver a sermon entitled "What Would I Do If I Had A Million Dollars?" Then he immediately sat down to write the text of the sermon. And I must tell you that it was not difficult at all - after all, I had been preparing for this for almost two years! At about midnight I got up from the table. And I fell asleep with a feeling of unshakable faith, since I already had my million - I saw it with my own eyes! The next morning, I locked myself in the bathroom to reread the sermon aloud and warm up my voice at the same time. Then I knelt down and began to pray that my sermon could touch the hearts of those who can give the necessary money. And during the prayer, he again seemed to receive a promise from above - a promise that the money would be found.

But when I went to church and stood in the pulpit, I found that I had no sermon sheet! I was so worried that I forgot it at home! The situation was hopeless: all the pews were already occupied by people, and it was too late to run home for a sermon. Only later did I see the hidden Providence in this trouble; I didn't need to read from a piece of paper - God inspired me. Before uttering the first word, I closed my eyes and mentally plunged into the very depths of my heart. There I found exactly what I needed so badly. I found a word that could reach the depths of another human heart. When I began to speak, it seemed to me that I was speaking not only with people, but also with God. I opened my soul to them. I told them what I would do with a million dollars if I had it. I outlined a detailed plan for organizing such an educational institution where boys and girls could not only receive education, but, first of all, develop their abilities and learn to put into practice the knowledge that will be given to them. When I finished and sat down on a chair to catch my breath, I saw one person in the third row slowly get up and begin to make his way to the exit. I thought that he was about to leave the church, but he did not go to the door, but to my pulpit. I was at a loss: what is he going to do? The man went up to the podium, stood at the pulpit, raised his right hand and addressed me: “Reverend Father, your sermon touched me to the depths of my soul. When you were talking about what you would have done if you had a million dollars, I suddenly saw everything that you described - this wonderful school and the young people who study in it. I believe you and believe that you will be able to create such a school. As proof of my faith, I declare in public that I will give you a million dollars for this project. I look forward to seeing you at my office tomorrow morning. My name is Philip D. Armour. " The next morning young Hansolus entered Mr. Armour's office and received a million dollars. With this money, he founded the Armour Institute of Technology. [6] A million dollars and nowadays a considerable amount.

But for that time it was a lot of money. Not a single preacher in his entire life was able to collect as much as his fleeting thought brought Hansolus. Institute of Technology, a million dollars - all this first appeared in the mind of Hansolus. His imagination took an IDEA into work, and DESIRE nourished and supported the work of imagination. His mind worked non-stop for two years, and in the end, his subconscious mind came up with a perfect plan for how to get a million dollars. Think about this fact: the preacher received money within one and a half days after he made a certain decision to receive them. DECISION TOLD HIM THE PLAN, AND THAT HE IMMEDIATELY IMPLEMENTED THIS PLAN, BROUGHT HIM THE DESIRED RESULT! It is not unusual for young Hansolus to dream of a million dollars in those vague dreams. Many dream the same thing, and many, like Frank Hansolus, hope to actually get it. Before and after him, thousands of men and women had similar thoughts. But what sets him apart from everyone else is the firm DECISION he made on that unforgettable Saturday. He turned his vague dreams into a definite plan and said to himself: "I will receive this money in one week!"

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