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Centuries before it was fashionable, Ben Franklin understood the importance of a holistic approach to the self. His methods of self-improvement made an important connection between the spirit, the mind and the body. Franklin's entire life reflected his belief in self-improvement, and from adolescence until his death at eighty-four, he worked constantly to improve himself.
As a youth, Franklin didn't always behave responsibly. At the age of 20, he decided to change the direction of his life by embarking on a course he called "moral perfection." He created a list of resolutions to follow. He resolved to be more frugal so he could save enough money to repay debts he owed. He decided he would be honest "in every word and action." He promised to be industrious "to whatever business I take in hand." He vowed "to speak ill of no man whatever, not even in a manner of truth" and to "speak all the good I know of every body."
Ben apprenticed at a printing shop, and it was there he decided to improve his writing abilities. He studied writings of authors whose style he liked, then practiced writing essays in their same style. He re-wrote famous essays, trying to improve them. He wrote sentences of an essay on slips of paper, shuffled the slips, and reassembled them in the correct order.
During his apprenticeship, he was exposed to a variety of books and he read everything he could. Not only was he an avid reader, but he loved to discuss what he read!
Franklin's endless curiosity helped him maintain a spirit of lifelong learning. He continued his scientific inquiries, he corresponded with some of the greatest minds of the 18th century, he met with scholars and scientists in every country, and he learned French late in life.
When most people think of Ben Franklin, they don't usually think of an athlete. However, Franklin was an early proponent of physical fitness. In an age when few people knew how to swim, Franklin taught himself how to swim, and was an avid swimmer all his life. He even considered becoming a full-time swim instructor, and is in the Swimming Hall of Fame.
In England, Franklin found work in a print shop where most of the apprentices spent much of their time getting drunk. Franklin knew that the mind and body were much more productive when not impaired by alcohol. Franklin decided to drink water instead of beer and encouraged his co-workers to do the same. He wasn't successful at convincing all his colleagues to change their ways, but Franklin's clear-headed work and productive physical strength were recognized and rewarded with promotions. Most printers could only carry a single tray of heavy lead type, while Ben Franklin was known for carrying two trays!
If there was any one theme throughout Ben Franklin's life, it was self-improvement. He was one of seventeen children; a son of a poor candle maker. He had less than two years of formal education and began his adulthood entirely on his own. Yet he became a wealthy man by eighteenth century standards and one of the most respected intellects of the Western world. He was a model for the rags-to-riches story of the self-made man.