Brownie Wise urged women to exercise their "will to wish" in her 1957 book Best Wishes, Brownie Wise. After Wise was abruptly fired the following year, Tupperware staff buried thousands of remaining copies of the book. Excerpt below from the chapter, "Women, Wishes, and Wonder" in Best Wishes, Brownie Wise. 1998 reprint, Tupperware Corporation.

Be Frank with Yourself
I have said that the women are the flexible females of the species. That they too may drag their complacent feet and that they are too dog-gone easy to please. If you are a woman, there are just three things that you can do about it!

In the first instance — possibly the easiest retaliation would be to fall back on the old adage, "there is an exception to all rules." And to sit back relieved that you are always one of the many exceptions in life.

Secondly — human nature might prod you into a virtual rage at being accused of such shiftless shenanigans... in which case you'll loudly demand to know just who I am to take such liberties with your conscience.

And last — it isn't easy to be frank with yourself. But, if you wish to find your particular success in life, it is the most rewarding reaction of them all!

My approach to you is not that of a prophet, nor do I seek fame as a teacher of the tested thoughts in life. I feel sincerely that I did not indeed discover the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow when I found the will to wish. It is my strong conviction that rewards are sweeter when they are shared with those around you. And I come as a friend who wishes that all my friends will find the way to happiness!

A very vivacious young woman sparkled up to me during a recent meeting in Denver. And I will always remember the words she used to describe her confidence in the future.

The conversation stemmed from her knowledge of my wishing ways. She said that since she had learned to wish, the days no longer "just passed." Instead, they moved to the sunny side of the street, allowing tomorrow to parade and excite her with its caravan of opportunities.

"It's sort of a preview of the progress you're bound to make," she bubbled, "when you wake up to what you really can do and open your eyes to the endless satisfaction of believing."

"It's wonderful to be a woman," she said, beaming, "women and wishes just seem to go together!"

"Women and wishes just seem to go together"... I certainly agree that they do! There's no reason for a woman to be waiting instead of wishing... there's too great a chance of being jilted by happiness!

Get going ladies! You're not denied the suffrage of success... in fact, you never were. Mark your wishing ticket well, if you elect to have a better world to live in.

There's a place in that parade for you!

Primary Resources: The Power of Norman Vincent Peale
Methodist minister Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993) transformed himself into household name in the 1950s with the success of his book, The Power of Positive Thinking. Dr. Peale also hosted a weekly radio show, "The Art of Living," and published a motivational magazine, Guideposts, that is still in circulation today.

Peale embraced psychology as well as Christian teachings, preaching a message of self-improvement through religious faith, optimism, and willed self-esteem. Like those of the other self-help gurus of the era, including Dale Carnegie and Napoleon Hill, Peale's teachings seemed to speak directly to the Tupperware rank and file, who devoted their lives to direct selling.

Excerpt below from Norman Vincent Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking. Sixth Edition. Prentice-Hall, Inc., New York, 1953.

...Many people are tired simply because they are not interested in anything. Nothing ever moves them deeply. To some people it makes no difference what's going on or how things go. Their personal concerns are superior even to all crises in human history. Nothing makes any real difference to them except their own little worries, their desires, and their hates. They wear themselves out stewing around about a lot of inconsequential things that amount to nothing. So they become tired. They even become sick. The surest way not to become tired is to lose yourself in something in which you have a profound conviction.

A famous statesman who made seven speeches in one day was still boundless in energy.

"Why are you not tired after making seven speeches?" I asked.

"Because," he said, "I believe absolutely in everything I said in those speeches. I am enthusiastic about my convictions."

That's the secret. He was on fire for something. He was pouring himself out, and you never lose energy and vitality in so doing. You only lose energy when life becomes dull in your mind. Your mind gets bored and therefore tired doing nothing. You don't have to be tired. Get interested in something. Get absolutely enthralled in something. Throw yourself into it with abandon. Get out of yourself. Be somebody. Do something. Don't sit around moaning about things, reading the papers, and saying, "Why don't they do something?" The man who is out doing something isn't tired. If you're not getting into good causes, no wonder you're tired. You're disintegrating. You're deteriorating. You're dying on the vine. The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have. You won't have time to think about yourself and get bogged down in your emotional difficulties.

To live with constant energy it is important to get your emotional faults corrected. You will never have full energy until you do.

How to sell Tupperware
Tupperware Home Parties motivated its dealers with an official handbook, Know How! The Guide to Making Money with Tupperware.... In this excerpt, a Tupperware dealer educates a friend about party opportunities.

Excerpt from Know How! The Guide to Making Money with Tupperware... (Fifth Edition). Tupperware Home Parties, Inc., 1958.

Prospective Hostesses Are Everywhere!

Betty held up her fingers and started to tick off the wonderful prospects for Tupperware parties: "Every homemaker; working girl, single or married; mixed groups, young married couples... I could go on... clubs, church organizations, sports and fraternal groups..."

Ann broke in, "My goodness! You mean all those have Tupperware parties?"

"Certainly," laughed Betty. "Everyone needs and wants Tupperware. And don't forget your beauty operator, your milk man, your grocer, butcher, service station attendant, your doctor... in other words, everybody you see every day."

Ann added, "What about the P.T.A.? I know some people there."

"Exactly! You're getting the idea. In other words, wherever you go, you will meet people who are prospects for Tupperware parties."

Ann asked, "Well, just exactly how do I get people interested in Tupperware or having parties? How do I interest people who don't know about Tupperware?"

"I always carry a 2-oz. Midget with a seal on it or a Sauce Dish and seal and a catalog with me. A person can't see Tupperware without being interested in it. Oh, and here's another one I didn't mention, trailer parks are among the best spots for Tupperware parties."