Have you read the all time classic 'Think and Grow Rich' by Napoleon Hill? Perhaps yes, because it is the Bible to those who want success in their lives. If not, this is the right time for you to learn the secrets of success that Hill has gathered spending more than 25 years and studying at least 2500 top successful people from around the world. So what are those (13) great principles of success? I am going to present a summary of this book regularly for 13 weeks. Wait, read and give feedback.
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DESIRE
The first principle of success that Hill found is desire. We do not get success in life so much because we do not really desire something. It means we don't have any fixed and certain goal and an intense desire to achieve. Hill writes, 'Desire is the first principle of success I had learned, from years of experience with men, that when a man really DESIRES a thing so deeply that he is
willing to stake his entire future on a single turn of the wheel in order to get it, he is sure to win.''
Hill offers an example of the business associate of Thomas Edison, the genius scientist who invented more than 1000 scientific tools, Barnes and how his intense desire made him to reach his goal which would be mere a daydream for many people. When Barnes first met Edison, he did not have even a penny. He had no money to begin with. He had but little education. He had no influence. But he did have initiative, faith, and the will to win. His intense desire to work with Edison as his business associate became a reality. "He was constantly intensifying his DESIRE to become the business associate of Edison. Psychologists have correctly said that “when one is truly ready for a thing, it puts in its appearance.Maybe young Barnes did not know it at the time, but his bulldog determination, his persistence in standing back of a single DESIRE, was destined to mow down all opposition, and bring him the opportunity he was seeking.”
Opportunities come, but we do not recognize them always. Hill says, 'Often it comes disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat. Perhaps this is why so many fail to recognize opportunity.One of the most common causes of failure is the habit of quitting when one is overtaken by temporary defeat. Before success comes in any man’s life, he is sure to meet with
much temporary defeat, and, perhaps, some failure. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and most logical thing to do is to QUIT. That is exactly what the majority of men do.' However, 'WHEN RICHES BEGIN TO COME THEY COME SO QUICKLY, IN SUCH GREAT ABUNDANCE, THAT ONE WONDERS WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN HIDING DURING ALL THOSE LEAN YEARS.'
'One of the main weaknesses of mankind is the average man’s familiarity with the word “impossible.” He knows all the rules which will NOT work. He knows all the things which CANNOT be done.Success comes to those who become SUCCESS CONSCIOUS. Failure comes to those who indifferently allow themselves to become FAILURE CONSCIOUS.Another weakness found in altogether too many people, is the habit of measuring everything, and everyone, by their own impressions and beliefs.Henry Ford is a success, because he understands, and applies the principles of success. One of these is DESIRE: knowing what one wants.'
'Our brains become magnetized with the dominating thoughts which we hold in our minds, and, by means with which no man is familiar, these “magnets” attract to us the forces, the people, the circumstances of life which harmonize with the nature of our dominating thoughts.' A successful person's desire is 'not a hope! It is not a wish! It is a keen, pulsating DESIRE, which transcends everything else. It is DEFINITE.'
Hill offers examples of many successful persons. He writes, 'Barnes succeeded because he chose a definite goal, placed all his energy, all his will power, all his effort, everything back of that goal.'
Barnes did not say, “I will keep my eyes open for another opportunity, in case I fail to get what I want in the Edison organization.” He said, “There is but ONE thing in this world that I am determined to have, and that is a business association with Thomas A. Edison. I will burn all bridges behind me, and stake my ENTIRE FUTURE on my ability to get what I want.”
Many unsuccessful people have one trait in common. When the going is hard, and the future looks dismal, they pull up and go where the going seems easier.
So what is the nature of desire that we should have? Hill suggests, 'First. Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire. It is not sufficient merely to say “I want plenty of money.” 'One must realize that all who have accumulated great fortunes, first did a certain amount of dreaming, hoping, wishing, DESIRING, and PLANNING before they acquired money.'
'Tolerance, and an open mind are practical necessities of the dreamer of today.“SUCCESS REQUIRES NO APOLOGIES, FAILURE PERMITS NO ALIBIS.”'
'Thomas Edison dreamed of a lamp that could be operated by electricity, began where he stood to put his dream into action, and despite more than ten thousand failures, he stood by that dream until he made it a physical reality. Practical dreamers DO NOT QUIT! It may interest you to know that Marconi’s “friends” had him taken into custody, and examined in a psychopathic hospital, when he announced he had discovered a principle through which he could send messages through the air, without the aid of wires, or other direct physical means of communication.A BURNING DESIRE TO BE, AND TO DO is the starting point from which the dreamer must take off. Dreams are not born of indifference, laziness, or lack of ambition.'
'Remember, too, that all who succeed in life get off to a bad start, and pass through many heartbreaking struggles before they “arrive.” The turning point in the lives of those who succeed, usually comes at the moment of some crisis, through which they are introduced to their “other selves.”
'Strange and varied are the ways of life, and stranger still are the ways of Infinite Intelligence, through which men are sometimes forced to undergo all sorts of punishment before discovering their own brains, and their own capacity to create useful ideas through imagination.'
Quite often we are disappointed by temporary failures and defeats and mourn over them. However, if we are able to transmute them, we can achieve great success. Hill gives an example of successful author Charles Dickens. Dickens' began by pasting labels on blacking pots. The tragedy of his first love penetrated the depths of his soul, and converted him into one of the world’s truly great authors. That tragedy produced, first, David Copperfield, then a succession of
other works that made this a richer and better world for all who read his books. Disappointment over love affairs, generally has the effect of driving men to drink, and women to ruin; and this, because most people never learn the art of transmuting their strongest emotions into dreams of a constructive nature.'
Hill states of himself, "Many years previously, I had written, “Our only limitations are those we set up in our own minds.”
EVERY ADVERSITY BRINGS WITH IT THE SEED OF AN EQUIVALENT ADVANTAGE. nothing is impossible to the person who backs DESIRE with enduring FAITH. Strange and imponderable is the power of the human mind!
So what comes after Desire? It is faith! We should have faith in what we desire. In my next posting next week I will be writing about this second 'mantra' of success: FAITH.
willing to stake his entire future on a single turn of the wheel in order to get it, he is sure to win.''
Hill offers an example of the business associate of Thomas Edison, the genius scientist who invented more than 1000 scientific tools, Barnes and how his intense desire made him to reach his goal which would be mere a daydream for many people. When Barnes first met Edison, he did not have even a penny. He had no money to begin with. He had but little education. He had no influence. But he did have initiative, faith, and the will to win. His intense desire to work with Edison as his business associate became a reality. "He was constantly intensifying his DESIRE to become the business associate of Edison. Psychologists have correctly said that “when one is truly ready for a thing, it puts in its appearance.Maybe young Barnes did not know it at the time, but his bulldog determination, his persistence in standing back of a single DESIRE, was destined to mow down all opposition, and bring him the opportunity he was seeking.”
Opportunities come, but we do not recognize them always. Hill says, 'Often it comes disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat. Perhaps this is why so many fail to recognize opportunity.One of the most common causes of failure is the habit of quitting when one is overtaken by temporary defeat. Before success comes in any man’s life, he is sure to meet with
much temporary defeat, and, perhaps, some failure. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and most logical thing to do is to QUIT. That is exactly what the majority of men do.' However, 'WHEN RICHES BEGIN TO COME THEY COME SO QUICKLY, IN SUCH GREAT ABUNDANCE, THAT ONE WONDERS WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN HIDING DURING ALL THOSE LEAN YEARS.'
'One of the main weaknesses of mankind is the average man’s familiarity with the word “impossible.” He knows all the rules which will NOT work. He knows all the things which CANNOT be done.Success comes to those who become SUCCESS CONSCIOUS. Failure comes to those who indifferently allow themselves to become FAILURE CONSCIOUS.Another weakness found in altogether too many people, is the habit of measuring everything, and everyone, by their own impressions and beliefs.Henry Ford is a success, because he understands, and applies the principles of success. One of these is DESIRE: knowing what one wants.'
'Our brains become magnetized with the dominating thoughts which we hold in our minds, and, by means with which no man is familiar, these “magnets” attract to us the forces, the people, the circumstances of life which harmonize with the nature of our dominating thoughts.' A successful person's desire is 'not a hope! It is not a wish! It is a keen, pulsating DESIRE, which transcends everything else. It is DEFINITE.'
Hill offers examples of many successful persons. He writes, 'Barnes succeeded because he chose a definite goal, placed all his energy, all his will power, all his effort, everything back of that goal.'
Barnes did not say, “I will keep my eyes open for another opportunity, in case I fail to get what I want in the Edison organization.” He said, “There is but ONE thing in this world that I am determined to have, and that is a business association with Thomas A. Edison. I will burn all bridges behind me, and stake my ENTIRE FUTURE on my ability to get what I want.”
Many unsuccessful people have one trait in common. When the going is hard, and the future looks dismal, they pull up and go where the going seems easier.
So what is the nature of desire that we should have? Hill suggests, 'First. Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire. It is not sufficient merely to say “I want plenty of money.” 'One must realize that all who have accumulated great fortunes, first did a certain amount of dreaming, hoping, wishing, DESIRING, and PLANNING before they acquired money.'
'Tolerance, and an open mind are practical necessities of the dreamer of today.“SUCCESS REQUIRES NO APOLOGIES, FAILURE PERMITS NO ALIBIS.”'
'Thomas Edison dreamed of a lamp that could be operated by electricity, began where he stood to put his dream into action, and despite more than ten thousand failures, he stood by that dream until he made it a physical reality. Practical dreamers DO NOT QUIT! It may interest you to know that Marconi’s “friends” had him taken into custody, and examined in a psychopathic hospital, when he announced he had discovered a principle through which he could send messages through the air, without the aid of wires, or other direct physical means of communication.A BURNING DESIRE TO BE, AND TO DO is the starting point from which the dreamer must take off. Dreams are not born of indifference, laziness, or lack of ambition.'
'Remember, too, that all who succeed in life get off to a bad start, and pass through many heartbreaking struggles before they “arrive.” The turning point in the lives of those who succeed, usually comes at the moment of some crisis, through which they are introduced to their “other selves.”
'Strange and varied are the ways of life, and stranger still are the ways of Infinite Intelligence, through which men are sometimes forced to undergo all sorts of punishment before discovering their own brains, and their own capacity to create useful ideas through imagination.'
Quite often we are disappointed by temporary failures and defeats and mourn over them. However, if we are able to transmute them, we can achieve great success. Hill gives an example of successful author Charles Dickens. Dickens' began by pasting labels on blacking pots. The tragedy of his first love penetrated the depths of his soul, and converted him into one of the world’s truly great authors. That tragedy produced, first, David Copperfield, then a succession of
other works that made this a richer and better world for all who read his books. Disappointment over love affairs, generally has the effect of driving men to drink, and women to ruin; and this, because most people never learn the art of transmuting their strongest emotions into dreams of a constructive nature.'
Hill states of himself, "Many years previously, I had written, “Our only limitations are those we set up in our own minds.”
EVERY ADVERSITY BRINGS WITH IT THE SEED OF AN EQUIVALENT ADVANTAGE. nothing is impossible to the person who backs DESIRE with enduring FAITH. Strange and imponderable is the power of the human mind!
So what comes after Desire? It is faith! We should have faith in what we desire. In my next posting next week I will be writing about this second 'mantra' of success: FAITH.
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