He took the lesson well to heart, thus starting himself on the road to self-reliance.

If he had repeated the offense it is likely he would have lost his job and also _his nerve_--thereby spoiling his chances for a successful career.
The fact that he did not, but went on and made of himself a famous newspaper man, proves that he lost no time in developing _initiative and self-reliance_.
There is no questioning the vast importance these two words mean to all of us.

Many a man who did not grasp the significance of initiative became a "_leaner_" for the rest of his life.

Many a man also missed his chances by doing _just as he was told_ and nothing more.

His work ended there.