The very first step towards success in any occupation is to

Hear now the timeless wisdom of William Osler, the healer of bodies and minds, who declared: “The very first step towards success in any occupation is to become interested in it.” Simple though his words may seem, they ring with the resonance of truth, for they unveil the hidden seed from which all mastery grows. Without interest, no skill may be nourished; without curiosity, no journey may truly begin.

When Osler speaks of the first step, he does not speak of labor, nor of discipline, nor even of ambition, though all are needed in their season. He speaks of the spark—the fire within the soul that turns mere toil into joyful striving. To be interested is to awaken the senses, to draw the heart into communion with the task, so that work is not endured as a burden, but embraced as a calling. Without this fire, even the strongest will falters, and even the most gifted talents wither.

The ancients knew this truth well. Consider Archimedes of Syracuse, who found delight in numbers and shapes. He was not compelled by duty, nor by fear of punishment, but by a burning interest that drew him to study the mysteries of levers, pulleys, and spheres. It is said he shouted “Eureka!” not for gold or conquest, but for the sheer joy of discovery. His interest became his power, and through it he shaped principles that endure to this day.

Osler himself lived by his words. A physician by trade, he was not satisfied merely to practice medicine as routine. His interest in the lives of patients, in the study of disease, and in the teaching of students transformed him into one of the greatest medical educators of his time. He saw what others ignored, he cared when others grew weary, because his heart was alive with curiosity. His success did not spring from obligation, but from love for the work itself.

This truth stretches beyond science, beyond medicine, beyond the walls of learning. Consider the story of Leonardo da Vinci, whose interest in all things—art, anatomy, flight, engineering—made him a giant of many worlds. It was not duty that drove him to dissect bodies at night, nor command that led him to sketch flying machines centuries before their time. It was wonder. His interest was his compass, and it guided him to achievements no man before him could have dreamed.

The lesson, O children of tomorrow, is clear: do not ask first, “What will bring me wealth? What will bring me honor?” Ask instead, “What stirs my heart? What awakens my curiosity?” For where there is interest, there will be perseverance; where there is perseverance, there will be growth; and where there is growth, there shall be success. To labor without interest is to walk in shadows, but to labor with it is to stride in light.

Therefore, let your daily practice be this: seek within your tasks the spark of fascination. If it is hidden, search until you find it. Approach each duty with the question, “What may I learn here? What beauty lies concealed?” For every craft, every occupation, holds treasures for those who look with eager eyes. Cultivate this spirit, and even the humblest work will become a field of discovery, and even the hardest toil will yield joy.

Thus remember Osler’s words: interest is the first step, the key that opens all doors. With it, the path of mastery becomes not a burden but a journey of wonder. Without it, success is but an empty crown. Guard this truth, live it, and pass it on, so that your days may be not only prosperous, but radiant with purpose.