Thoughts From Napoleon Hill
Napoleon Hill, 1883-1970, began writing at an early age for small town newspapers in his home state of Virginia and he went on to become one of America's most beloved motivational authors. He was a popular writer, teacher, and lecturer on the principles of success. His book, Think and Grow Rich, is the all time bestseller in the field.
Many successful people, past and present, contribute their success to his teachings.
Following are his key principles:
1. Know What You Want: Success and progress begins by knowing what you want and where you are going. This must become your major purpose in life and your anchor during stormy seas. Once this purpose dominates your conscious thoughts and actions through repeated effort and becomes emotionalized by your burning desire for its realization, your subconscious mind will take over and help you achieve it through whatever means possible.
2. Create Synergy With a Mastermind Group: A mastermind group consists of two or more minds working actively toward a common objective. No individual has ever achieved success without the help and cooperation of others. This alliance allows you to draw upon the experience, training, and knowledge of others and develops synergy where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
3. Become Irresistibly Attractive: Your personality is your greatest asset because it embraces everything under your control - attitude, mind, body, and soul. Control your emotions because they are a reflection of your mental attitude. Look for the best in others; focus on solutions and on what can be done in difficult situations. Be courteous and respectful of others. Make others feel good about themselves and appeal to their better nature.
4. Believe it's Possible: There are universal powers to assist you if you believe. It is not a passive dependence on but rather an active belief that you will achieve lasting success. This will not bring you what you desire, but will show you the way to achieve it. It helps you rise above your fears. Fear is a state of mind, which is under your direction and control so slam the door to your fears and doubts.
5. Pay Up Front: The more you give, the more you get, and sometimes you get more in ways you might not even imagine. It's who you're becoming that's important. If it were easy everyone would do it. Strength results from your struggles. Serve better than you are paid for, and sooner or later you will receive compound interest from your investment. Your investment is front end loaded. You have to pay up front to enjoy the return down the road. The end of the rainbow is at the end of the second or third mile.
6. Independence Precedes Interdependence: Keep your conscious mind on the things you want and off the things you don't want! It's easier when you develop positive affirmations and repeat them 10 times then follow up with positive actions. Positive and negative emotions cannot occupy your mind at the same time. Positive and Negative energy cannot occupy your actions at the same time. Develop an "I can" attitude and then act as if you can.
7. Interdependence is the Key to Great Teamwork: Great contribution requires the cooperation of others. Great communication and relationship skills are essential to your success. Helping others solve their problems will help you solve your own. Enthusiasm is contagious. Most respond more positively to a request than they will to an order.
8. It Will Be Hard: Defeat may be a stepping-stone or stumbling block, and no one is immune. You need to learn and profit from each step whether it be forward or back. You can never fail unless you quit trying. Edison failed 10,000 times before perfecting the electric light bulb. In all things there is balance. Every adversity carries the seed of a benefit that may prove to be a blessing in disguise. Often success is close at hand when you are the most discouraged and ready to quit.
9. See the Results As You Want Them: Imagination is where you see new ideas and facts emerge and your creativity springs from your commitment to your purpose and your ability to relax in the face of certain stress. Your creative imagination is fertile and recognizes no limitations. Visualize the results you want to see. Correct the setbacks in your mind and ask your imagination for solutions. Your imagination weakens through inactivity and it can be reactivated through trust, use and belief.
10. A Healthy Mind Requires a Healthy Body: Physical health affects mental health and attitude. Exercise clears sluggishness in your thoughts and actions and both require willpower and determination.
11. Watch Your Time and Money: The secret of getting things done is to do the most important thing possible now. Learn how and where you are spending your time and money. When time is gone, it's gone forever. You will be the same person in five years you are today except for how you manage your time and money. Time is a non-renewable resource – spend it wisely.
12. It Takes a Habit to Replace a Habit. First you get a habit and then it gets you. Make sure new habits are better than the old ones. Success and failure result from your habits.
13. Be a Person of Action: Procrastination, indecisiveness and the inability to solve problems kills' initiative. Procrastinators are experts in creating alibis. Successful people accept responsibility for their success and failure. They are people of action.
14. Build a Positive Mental Attitude: This is the single most important principle of success. To maintain a Positive Mental Attitude and develop a healthy mind and body, you must conquer fear and anxiety. You need to have complete control over your attitude – it attracts opportunities for success. A positive mind finds a way it can be done... a negative mind looks for all the ways it can't be done. A positive attitude moves you forward. A negative constantly undermines your efforts.
15. To Be Enthusiastic - Act Enthusiastically! Enthusiasm is contagious, propels you forward and is a state of being. It stimulates your subconscious mind and your imagination. Consistently feed your conscious mind with enthusiasm and you will impress upon your subconscious the importance of attaining your burning desire. It is more powerful than logic and reason.
16. Develop Self-Discipline: Think before you act. Self-discipline is the ability to control your thoughts, initiative, attitude and enthusiasm. If you don't discipline yourself, others will discipline you. Think For Yourself: Your thoughts have power. They create feelings and feelings create actions and expectations. They can be used wisely or unwisely. Analyze all data before acting. Master your emotions. Separate the facts from the feelings and then divide the facts into important and not so important.
Well, what are you waiting for?
