Any entrepreneur serious about his craft has likely read Napoleon Hill’s Think & Grow Rich. It’s been 80 years since its original publication, but the secrets offered to Hill by Andrew Carnegie remain transformative. Further, they remain fundamental to success. As Jim Rohn once said, “There are no new fundamentals. You’ve got to beware of the man who says ‘we’re manufacturing antiques.'”
“We see men who have accumulated great fortunes, but we often recognize only their triumph, overlooking the temporary defeats which they had to surmount before ‘arriving.'” —Napoleon Hill
“Defeat makes you stronger.” —Napoleon Hill
Here are 3 fundamentals from Hill’s essential work:
Thoughts Are Things
If your thoughts are buoyed by vague hope and imprecision, you will not likely transcend your place in life. If, however, you recognize that thoughts are real, then commit to making your thoughts clear and precise. This type of thinking is what Andrew Carnegie employed to turn desire into gold. He followed six steps, two of which shall be identified here:
- First, write out a clear, concise statement of the amount of money you intend to acquire, name the time limit for its acquisition, state what you intend to give in return for the money, and describe clearly the plan through which you intend to accumulate it.
- Second, read your written statement aloud twice daily, once just before retiring at night, and once after arising in the morning. As you read, see and feel and believe yourself already in possession of the money.
Failure
There are 31 major reasons for failure. Many of the reasons play critical roles in our story (the story we tell ourselves and often unconsciously rehearse). Among these 31 reasons noted by Hill is number 4: Insufficient education. Hill writes: “There is a handicap which may be overcome with comparative ease. Experience has proven that the best-educated people are often those who are known as ‘self-made’ or self-educated. It takes more than a college degree to make one a person of education. Any person who is educated is one who has learned to get whatever he wants in life without violating the rights of others. Education consists not so much of knowledge, but of knowledge effectively and persistently applied. Men are paid not merely for what they know, but more particularly for what they do with that which they know.”
Positive vs. Negative
Positive and negative emotions cannot occupy the mind at the same time. According to Hill, these are the major negative emotions: fear, jealousy, hatred, revenge, greed, superstition, anger. And these are the positive emotions: desire, faith, love, sex, enthusiasm, romance, hope. “It is your responsibility,” notes Hill, “to make sure that positive emotions constitute the dominating influence of your mind.”
A little bit of success literature can go a long way. Make the consumption of works like Napoleon Hill’s Think & Grow Rich a part of your daily ritual. As Zig Ziglar was fond of saying, “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing—that’s why we recommend it daily.”
For more motivation, reach out to us today. Let’s have a conversation about your needs.