Motivational Writers

By Bruce Shawkey

I recently discovered the little-known motivational writer Vash Young on the Internet Archive. Born Vashni Young in Salt Lake City on January 18, 1889, he went by “Vash” throughout his life.

Though he wrote numerous books, Young never achieved the lasting fame of writers like Dale Carnegie, Napoleon Hill, or Viktor Frankl. That’s unfortunate, because his writing is warm, direct, and deeply human — blending personal stories with practical advice for living well.

“I enjoy listening to people talk about their lives, their struggles, their ambitions, their regrets, and the ways they’ve changed over time,” he once wrote. “To me, there’s nothing more interesting.”

Of all his books, the one that stands out most is Fortunes for All, published in 1959 when Young was 70 years old. It reads like the final distillation of a lifetime’s worth of hard-earned wisdom.

Early in the book, Young offers a simple daily prescription for pushing back against discouragement:

Be my own best friend instead of my own worst enemy.

Refuse to let troubled thoughts take over my mind.

Let my family know I love them.

Go forth to give, not merely to get.

Be careful and courteous on the highways.

Remain calm when things go wrong.

Make my employer glad to have me.

Be quick to praise and slow to condemn.

Let go of the past and trust the future.

Waste neither time nor money.

Avoid harmful habits.

Be neither anxious nor afraid.

Live today as though it were my last, and conduct myself accordingly.

Furthermore, he writes:

"I completed this present book at the age of seventy. If my hands were shaky, my legs wobbly, my voice faltering and my mind troubled, I most certainly would not have written this volume. However, far from being feeble, my mind is sturdy; my hands, legs and voice are steadier than ever; and my outlook on life gives me a feeling of complete dominion over current turbulent world conditions."