A Drop of Ink to Make Millions Think

A Drop of Ink To Make Millions Think (1985) Dianne Vecchiet and Helen Hazell

I found a filthy, dilapidated copy of this 92-page book during a walk among sheoaks and "prickly acacia" on unused land on Kangaroo Island.

The book represents a cross-section of "Thoughts for the Day" shared by attendees at S.W.A.P. breakfasts to inspire one another.

SWAP stands for "Salesmen With A Purpose".

SWAP Clubs Australia was founded by John Nevin in 1973 to encourage high standards among sales and business people and included a weekly hour-long breakfast.

The inspiring ideas in A Drop of Ink To Make Millions Think start in the Introduction where Dianne Vecchiet writes:

A vision without a task is a dream,
A task without a vision is drudgery —
The two combined make for SUCCESS.

The "thoughts" are organized into fifteen chapters.

Many come from Power Ideas for Happy Family and Discover Your Possibilities (1972 & 1978) by Robert H. Schuller, Gentle Freedom, Gentle Courage (1980) Diane Westlake, and This Is Your Life (1978) Susan Polis Schutz.

The thoughts on page 76 are typical and include:

What turns the ordinary into the extraordinary is the extra you put into it.
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

And a few from page 77:

An apology is better than an explanation — and quicker.
Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.
Six essential qualities that are the key to success: sincerity, personal integrity, humility, courtesy, wisdom and charity.

SWAP seems religious in character. Andrew West, writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, reported there were three SWAP clubs in Sydney with 350 members and says: “A SWAP breakfast … begins with a prayer and the national anthem…” (June 8, 1988)

The thoughts in A Drop of Ink To Make Millions Think are meant to advance your personal growth and goals, encourage you to become better than you are, and increase your sales.