THINK and GROW RICH - The Greatest Motivational Book in History summed up in a 5 page essay

Many years ago I read THINK and GROW RICH by Napolean Hill. The book motivated me to the point of a paradigm shift and led to writing the below "Cliff Note" version if you will. Originally it was meant as message to my estranged father. A message I decided to never send, however, this essay has caused positive growth in myself over the past decade. To the point that I forget I'm the one who wrote this. I was a much different man back then.

Hopefully this can inspire you the way it has inspired me.

                             **What  the  ??????????????**

                   Thoughts, ideas, adversities, emotions, lessons……………LIFE.

Let’s take a walk, shall we, beginning on the path of thoughts. Hmm………. thoughts, so simple yet the most powerful thing we can control; in fact the only thing we can control. One realizes that thoughts are important; the “just think positive” and “set your mind to it” are coined phrases, being heard in one’s life up to a gazillion times.

But, it is what the phrase suggests that is of real importance. When pointed out, one can truly acknowledge the power of these suggestions; CONTINUITY OF POSITIVE THOUGHT. The problem is an individual told “set your mind to it” only does it for that moment. In reality, they should do it every time they are faced with that situation or task.

Setting your mind to something is a continuing task, as well as thinking positive.
Positive thoughts breed positive thoughts. This germination of positive thought continues at an ever-increasing rate assuming one maintains a steady diet of positives over a course of time.

Now, to instill positive thinking on oneself is easier said then done. Methods do exist though. A practice known as autosuggestion; the influencing of the mind has been known to work. This practice entails thoughts of future states of being; whether it is health, monetary or spiritual. One needs to picture that state of being and have the thoughts they would have if they were already in the desired place. Then also have the thoughts that are getting one to that place.

The continuous process of autosuggestion will eventually lead to the body doing things physically outward to help achieve the desired state, in addition to the ever-increasing positive state of mind. It is said that this is due to the subconscious mind picking up on the positive thoughts over time as they are mixed with emotion, hence the picturing of oneself in a desired state.

Now we have the other side of the coin to recognize. Negative thoughts, those damn little dream killers. They suck the desire out of an individual and make their motivation lie stagnant. The funny thing is unlike positive thoughts; it is said negative thoughts do not need to be created or suggested to germinate. They come about on their own, whether it from past experiences, things observed or emotions felt.

If one seeks the attainment of an objective, he will naturally think of past failures in similar situations. But, one needs to think of artificial positives that will get them to the objective. This is why positive thinking has to be an objective in itself, while negative does not. Remember, the negative thoughts will germinate on their own especially when not offset by positives.

“Failure comes to those who indifferently allow themselves to become failure conscious.”

“Success comes to those who become success conscious.”

                                Napoleon Hill

Ah, here we are at the path of ideas. Think about this. What does every great achievement always begin with? That is right, an idea, which is the product of a thought. Creating an idea in one’s mind is a wonderful accomplishment, who knew?

The assembly line started out as an idea in Henry Ford’s mind. The idea of light in Thomas Edison’s, as well as any other accomplishment by an individual. The idea doesn’t turn achievement into reality though.

What transforms ideas into reality is DESIRE!

“The starting point of all achievement is desire”
                                Napoleon Hill

“The real difference between men is energy.  A strong will, a settled purpose, an invincible determination, can accomplish almost anything, and in this lies the distinction between great men and little men.”
                                Thomas Fuller

One can read about Edison or Ford as examples. After learning about these men one comes away with the sense they were very determined men. They were, but what they held was a desire equivalent to an obsessive passion. The idea would not be left alone until the creation was realized; while everybody told them it couldn’t happen.

Why didn’t others believe?
“We refuse to accept that which we can’t understand”
Napoleon Hill

Uh-Oh, here is a path full of adversities, what the heck, let us walk it.
To say life is full of adversities is an understatement. One should say life is full of adversities and opportunities. That now sounds correct. Without incurring adversities, one would never realize some of life’s greatest opportunities.

“To be thrown upon one’s resources, is to be cast into the very lap of fortune; for our faculties then undergo a development and display an energy of which they were previously unsusceptible”
Benjamin Franklin

The preceding quote sends a powerful statement. In essence, he is saying to experience misfortune is a catalyst toward finding fortune, due to the new state of mind. The thoughts one is having are different now then in normal circumstances. New thoughts equal new opportunities.

“Every problem contains the seed of its own solution”
Napoleon Hill

The problem with this quote is that most people are not willing to accept the solution, even after it has been recognized. Usually due to the level of difficulty or the length needed to accomplish it. One can easily say, “I just don’t have the time.”

“You will never ‘find’ time for anything. If you want time you must make it”

                                    Charles Buxton

Now granted, every now and then one will run into a genuine bad break. It happens, best that can be done is to incorporate the misfortune into one’s life and keep on going. However, the funny thing about adversities or “bad luck” is that the remaining majority of bad breaks are somewhat self- inflicted. Many people fail to see this, could it have something to do with not wanting to admit we were wrong or responsible. No way! It must have been bad luck.

“We are not creatures of circumstance, we are creators of circumstance”

                                          British Prime Minister
                                          Benjamin Disraeli

As the quote states, you made your bed now you have to lay in it! If one ponders how they wound up in a circumstance, whether favorably or not, take a look at oneself and figure out what lead them there. This will lead to the answers needed to continue in or change the current state.

Emotions are just as vital as thoughts, here is the path, let’s take a walk. When thoughts are mixed with emotions, it is said the subconscious mind begins to listen, picking up on them. As stated earlier this is the key to autosuggestion.

The emotions being felt while one is in thought are vital in that they lead to faith. Again, the mind must be influenced; faith can be cultivated to a positive state when desired. One has a tendency to discount the fact faith can also be negative; this could be referred to as doubt.

One who has negative faith dominating their universe, is one who walks around with an artificial dark cloud looming above. The belief that nothing can be done is a destination to doom. They are their makers of misfortune due to their negative belief; the subconscious mind picks up on it and transforms it to the physical equivalent.

“Our grand business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.”
Thomas Carlyle

It should be clear that emotions play an integral part in the make up of faith and belief. Look inside oneself and ask, what type emotion dominates my thought? Only two choices exist, positive or negative, what’s it going to be?

Life is full of lessons, we’ll walk the path and learn. I once heard a man state, “A genius is one who learns from other’s mistakes; a wise man, one who learns from his own mistakes, and a dumb man is one who learns from neither.”

That statement alone is a lesson in itself. Boy, if one could incorporate another’s mistakes into their thought process; that would have a powerful impact on a life. This task is extremely difficult and is not accomplished by many, as it requires much discipline.

To be in a situation that you already have information about due to another person’s previous experience in that state is valuable at that. But to act wisely with that information is difficult; due to one thinking that “it will be different for me” or “if I just do this little part different, it will be okay.”

Wrong! That is precisely what the previous person had thought. This action can be referred to as hope. “Hope is for dopes”; this is not to be confused with faith, as the terms are commonly intertwined. Faith is a true belief in a process; a common example is religion. Religion is faith, you believe there is a god and follow his guidance. You do not hope there is a god.

If one already knows which path to not walk, why do they insist on trying to take it? Probable cause is familiarity; one is comfortable with what is familiar, even if there is a negative bearing. The justification, the other alternatives could have been worse.

Nonsense! Taking a path that one knows is bad will get them nowhere. How can any progress be made with that approach? Unfortunately this is the path that the majorities walk. Again, it takes a lot of discipline to choose the path of the unknown, even though it holds a positive potential.

Where does one find resolve? Second part of the preceding quote, “individuals learn from their previous mistakes”. This leads them to progress; when one is approached with a similar situation as seen once before; they can make an informed decision based on the previous experience.

In regard to the last sentence in the preceding quote, if one reviews and notices a theme of recurring mistakes; time to have a serious talk with oneself. What are the reasons for the recurring problems, why have they not been learned from? What can be done to learn, change, to grow! If one is in this vicious cycle they are on a path to nowhere

In closing,
It all boils down to one thing in the end. Your Life is on You!
You either Step up or Give up, which is what life is all about.

(Source of all quotes used herein from “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill)