Melville H. Nahin, 33°
1924 San Ysidro Drive, Beverly Hills, California 90210–1521

Whatever laurels past accomplishments may have conferred, today presents opportunities for success and growth.

Andrew Carnegie was once asked what he considered most important in industry: labor, capital, or brains. With a laugh, Carnegie replied, "Which is the most important leg of a three-legged stool?" When we accomplish anything in this life, it requires all the above—labor, capital, and brains.

I suppose it is easy for those who are successful to rest on their laurels and say they have done enough for their community and not to do any more. They feel entitled to take it easy. In truth, the minute we start to relax on our oars, we begin to lose our value. Someone with more drive and ambition will step in and, possibly, do a better job. If we slack off, someone else surely will take over the reins of our Government, or Lodges, or Valleys.

Let's face it. What we accomplished yesterday is merely water over the dam. More important now is what we do today and tomorrow. When the things we did yesterday and last year are more important than our ambitions for today or next year, it is time to let someone else take over.

This may seem like a hard, unfeeling way to look at things, but isn't it the truth? You cannot win today's game on last year's press clippings. No success is final. No success can last forever. People who enjoy success have to plan to keep on succeeding. As each goal is achieved, we must look for a new one and keep on scrambling. As our kids and grandkids phrase it, "You've got to go for it!" That's what keeps life interesting and productive.

When you feel that you've got it "made," watch out. That's the first step toward settling back into a pleasant, convenient rut. People who have it "made" are only one step from being "has beens." One of the tragedies of life is the number of people, at all ages and levels, who have "mentally retired." They are resting on their laurels and just going along for the ride. They aren't looking for new challenges; they are not interested in ways of doing things better or differently; they are no longer much concerned about the competition, the customer, or anyone else.

For anyone who coasts, there is only one way to go—downhill. Keep challenging yourself. When growth stops, decay begins. Most of us have not let this happen. We've kept working for the Family of Freemasonry, and each day we see the good result of our efforts. We will continue to succeed so long as we desire to do so. Carnegie had his three-part formula for success, and the Lecture of our Third Degree in California offers another three-part promise, "Time, patience, and perseverance will accomplish all things." And we, as Brothers, have the three tenets of our Craft—Brotherhood, Relief, and Truth. May we always work from this foundation of three principles, live the obligations taken at the Masonic altar, and so continue to grow in knowledge, ability, and happiness.

Melville H. Nahin is an attorney in Los Angeles, a Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of California (1998–99), Past Venerable Master of Los Angeles Valley, present Chairman of Los Angeles Scottish Rite Childhood Language Disorders Clinic, Past Master Ionic Lodge No. 520 and Southern California Research Lodge, and Chairman of the Board of Governors Shriners Hospitals for Children–Los Angeles Unit.