Napoleon Hill

What do you want to be like, who do you want to be, what do you want to do when you grow up?

Make A Vision

If you are 55 or 10 or any age you should answer the question, why?  The answer can be your vision that you flesh out to use the law of attraction.  It can be the vision you use to lead you to success.

Are there qualities of a particular person you’d like to incorporate?  Read about that person and see yourself doing those kinds of things, responding successfully as that person might.

See And Feel The Vision And Take Action!

Play this vision and add words to it to form a plan.  Napoleon Hill gives a formula in Think and Grow Rich.  These words you should go over in the morning and before bed to burn them into your mind.

Then – begin to act – ideas will be coming to you about the actions to take and you need to take action.

The whole idea of a vision is to create a burning desire which will sharpen your observation and create the desire to spur you to action.  Another part of your job is when dis empowering things come along that you manage them.  Do whatever it is so you will act and keep acting.

Act NOW – Waiting Solves Nothing: Success And The Law Of Attraction

Remember, things won’t be perfect when you start and don’t think of waiting even an hour for things to be a little better.  The great Zig Ziglar asks, “do you wait for all the traffic lights to turn green before you leave home for the store?”  Of course you don’t – you’d never get there.  It is the same with your dreams and goals.

Run the movie in your mind, replay and enhance the vision – ideas will come and when you see the ideas you will act on them.  This is success and the law of attraction in action – make no mistake the law of attraction needs action to work.

So why grow up?   Just keep asking yourself what you want, what and who you want to be when you do grow up.  Asking those questions keeps your mind open to possibility.

Never Give Up

Did you know that Colonel Sanders was 65 and trying to figure out how to make it on Social Security when he started Kentucky Fried Chicken?  He lived on for many years and saw it become a huge success and saw it make him a great deal of money before he died.  KFC started on his idea that the fried chicken recipe he had developed in his roadside restaurant in Corbin Kentucky was worth something.  Colonel Sanders created his own future with principals of success and the law of attraction.

A thousand people told him no as he traveled town-to-town, often sleeping in his car, trying to find someone to buy a franchise.  A thousand said no before he got his first yes.

And so the vision – the idea – the action must be bolstered by cultivating your thoughts so that you too can take some rejection, some knocks, and discomfort as you work toward your success.

Napoleon Hill said it best – that everything you want to accomplish in life has it’s beginnings in an idea.   It’s up to you to keep the idea alive and take action on it.

Growing up means figuring out what it is you want to be and do and it is a realization that it’s more than wishing, you have to do something.  But the magic combination of these things will get you anything you want and that is how The Law of Attraction Works.

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Attitude Is Everything

However this is what success in life is all about, your ability to adapt and have a winning attitude no matter what challenges we are faced with. You can always find something to complain about or be grateful for it is your choice.

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The law of attraction is working are you using it on purpose or is it working randomly in your life?

What motivates people to work?  Can people be given incentives to improve performance on the job?

Rewards narrow our focus and can help motivate us in certain situations.  If the job is simple, physical these motivators can do wonders.  But for creative tasks, thought based tasks, it is a different story.

When creativity is involved – rewards, bonuses, and the like lead to poorer performance.

What motivates people at work?  You need to look at what that work is.

What things suck the joy out of your life?  Many of us work only for money and not for the joy of contributing. We do a variety of tasks because of what others might think and we brush right past what we might really think.  It’s time to take a look at those scripts running in your head, those scripts running your life.

Most of us go through life giving little thought to why we do the things we do.  For many of us the same things play out over and over and we don’t even realize it; we don’t realize that it is not our thoughts producing the actions that produce the life around us.  Often this life does not bring us the satisfaction and happiness that we seek and deserve.  Our friend Socrates said as much:

“The unexamined life is not worth living.”

That’s perhaps overstating it for most of us and yet we live far below our potential.  How could it be otherwise since we are living the thoughts that others put in our heads.

1. There are things we have to do.  Responsibilities given to us that we must do rather than realizing ourselves that these tasks are something we do of our own choice.  Tasks of these kind tend to seem difficult to us because they are done not for the joy they bring us but of obligation.
2. Things others expect, what will the neighbors think?  Is this why we keep our yards in order?  Or do we do it for the joy and the beauty.
3. Because of the money.  We keep an unsatisfying job because we need the money – probably couldn’t make as much in a job we’d like better.  Most don’t work for the joy of producing something of value to the world but for money.   There is no more certain path to being unhappy than doing a job only for the money.

It is almost like being forced to do after school chores by your parents when your head wants to be in that big game or adventure with your friends that you are missing out on.

And so we put all these reasons and scripts that came from others as central tenants in our lives never having given them a second thought.  These are just a few of the common scripts that we run.  In fact many more govern a great deal of our lives.  These scripts guide us but they do not serve us well.  How could they serve us.  Some ideas from long ago are pulling the strings of our lives.  And we come back to Socrates, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”  Timeless wisdom that we all need to stop and consider.

Leave a comment below and tell us what you think.

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EXAMINED LIFE

The Unexamined Life

Third and most importantly, we attended the University of San Francisco, a Jesuit school that required a tremendous amount of introspection in its coursework, it’s motto being “the unexamined life is not worth living.”

“The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living” – Socrates (469 BC – 399 BC)

It freed me from the past-unresolved problems and to truly begin growing and living my life. However, without the influence of the unsubstantiated Vatican’s antigay teachings I would have begun to truly living my life over some 50 years ago.

The “Unexamined” Life

The lecture room had Socrates’ saying over the door: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” I expected this sort of thing, and had prepared a talk for those very fine people.

The “Unexamined” Life

An internet library of journal articles, essays, book excerpts, and other texts chosen for their objective, concise, and clear presentation of Catholic teachings, history, and culture.

Many look at Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich as a get rich quick guide.  In fact it has been used by the unscrupulous as a part of their sales pitch to pull people into money making schemes and programs that are less than sound.  For many this may have been their first introduction to Hill and his book and that is unfortunate since these people, having been burned by the business, may put the book down forever, and that is unfortunate.

And yet others take the book, regardless of their experience in the business, and take it to heart and are able to put it’s principals to work and achieve something fine, even great.  Years before Think And Grow Rich Hill had his beginnings writing for magazines, and eventually his own magazine: “Hill’s Golden Rule Magazine”  and “Napoleon Hill’s Magazine.”

Napoleon Hill on Concentrated Action

Some of Hill’s earliest writing in these magazines dealt with the lack of concentrated action, moving from one idea or job to the next without ever fully fleshing out the first.  Thus there is no concentrated effort, little action and no success.  Hill is a big proponent of finishing what you start.  Take your idea and stick with it – don’t jump from one thing to the next simply because the first does not pour out dollars when you first take it up.

“Nearly every man has intellegence enough to create ideas in his mind, but the trouble with most is that those ideas never find expression in action.  The finest locomotive on earth is not worth a shilling nor will it pull a single pound of weight, utill the stored up energy in the steam dome is released by the throttle.

You have energy in that head of yours — every human being does — but you are not releasing it at the throttle of action!  You are not applying it through the principal of concentration to the tasks which if completed, would place you on the list of those who are regarded as successes.”  –Napoleon Hill from  Napoleon Hill’s First Editions

This idea of concentrated action is why Hill and so many success authors talk about writing not only goals, but a short list of what you should do the next day.  It keeps you focused, it keeps you in a state of concentration on the ideas, on the goals, it also facilitates visualization which Napoleon Hill covers in detail in Chapters 3 and 4 of Think and Grow Rich.

Napoleon Hill on Persistence

From Chapter 9 of Think and Grow Rich:

PERSISTENCE is an essential factor in the procedure of transmuting DESIRE into its monetary equivalent. The basis of persistence is the POWER OF WILL.

Will-power and desire, when properly combined, make an irresistible pair. Men who accumulate great fortunes are generally known as cold-blooded, and sometimes ruthless. Often they are misunderstood. What they have is will-power, which they mix with persistence, and place back of their desires to insure the attainment of their objectives.

Henry Ford has been generally misunderstood to be ruthless and cold-blooded. This misconception grew out of Ford’s habit of following through in all of his plans with PERSISTENCE.

The majority of people are ready to throw their aims and purposes overboard, and give up at the first sign of opposition or misfortune. A few carry on DESPITE all opposition, until they attain their goal. These few are the Fords, Carnegies, Rockefellers, and Edisons.

Napoleon Hill and Others on Procrastination

This brings us to procrastination.  Procrastination is a form of fear.  Procrastination often results when there is anxiety over something you want to do or need to do.  Wikipedia has this to say:

The psychological causes of procrastination vary greatly, but generally surround issues of anxiety, low sense of self-worth, and a self-defeating mentality^[4]. Procrastinators are also thought to have a lower-than-normal level of conscientiousness, more based on the “dreams and wishes” of perfection or achievement in contrast to a realistic appreciation of their obligations and potential.

Napoleon Hill had this to say about procrastination:

Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.

Persistent action carried out now.  These ideas are two of  the primary keys to success.  W. Clement Stone had a saying:

“Do it now.”

And why not, why not now?  Do we have genuine reasons or are they procrastination and hidden fear?

Napoleon Hill was writing about periodic self examination when he wrote the first quote above.  That if you are jumping around from one thing to the next then you will never put forth the concentrated effort that you need to really put the thing over.  And if you have a good idea and are not going forward with it – with persistence and with belief in it – then perhaps there is some hidden fear that you need to understand that is causing you to procrastinate.

Napoleon Hill’s writings are timeless and remain some of the foremost success liturature that we have.  That the unscrupulous would use it to manipulate those seeking to better their lives is unfortunate but that should not stop us from taking and using Hills literary works for our betterment.

by Michael Griffin

By thought, the thing you want is brought to you; by action you receive it.

–Wallace D. Wattles

“The Science of Getting Rich” calls on you to form the vision of the things you want. It also has a call to action in the place and job you are in so that you more than fill your present place. You are not doing this to please your employer, although it may, you are doing it to advance yourself. You are doing it because your future is so compelling (because of your visioning) that you inject energy, purpose, and faith into the moment you are in. Those who work with you and those who come in contact with you will feel this radiance and sense of increase and will be attracted to you. Always remember: vision and action.

Visualize

It is necessary to visualize: according to “The Science of Getting Rich,” this holding of your vision in the “Thinking Substance” will cause your desires to form. Holding your vision should be a big part of your work in leisure hours, contemplating your vision and firmly fix it in memory. See the picture of your future in your mind’s eye: some find it helpful to make a vision board with pictures of the objects of their intentions and desires. While this can help but is not necessary do it if it serves you but don’t get hung up on it. The thing to realize is the visioning process doesn’t end with pictures, it encompasses all senses. If one of your goals is a new car, can you hear the sound of the door closing as you climb in? Notice the new car smell, can you see yourself in the car? Now hear the key slide into the ignition and hear the motor start, feel how it feels to accelerate, how it handles on the road. Wattles says in chapter 12:

In saying that you must hold your vision while you are doing each act, however trivial or commonplace, I do not mean to say that it is necessary at all times to see the vision distinctly to its smallest details. It should be the work of your leisure hours to use your imagination on the details of your vision, and to contemplate them until they are firmly fixed upon memory. If you wish speedy results, spend practically all your spare time in this practice.

Do this kind of visualization for all the parts of your new life, all the parts of your life of riches. The detail is necessary: nurture your vision that you become so enthused about its promise that the thought of it will “call forth the strongest energies of your whole being.” In your leisure create, form, and nurture the vision. In your working time you need only refer to these mental pictures to stimulate your faith, purpose, and actions. In your working time you cannot hold the detail or concentration as when you are at leisure but you can allow thoughts of the vision to bubble up to create a sense of advancement and power in you. This will create an enthusiasm in you that will be attractive to people you come in contact with.

“Hold the faith and purpose of increase,” don’t allow your thoughts to slide back on circumstance or on anything but your vision, your compelling future. If contrary thoughts creep in you must replace them with thoughts of your future. Some find it helpful to use words like: “cancel, cancel” as many times as necessary to cancel those thoughts. Then bring your focus back again with the vision that you have established. It is necessary to keep your mind in the NOW.

Action

The vision thus formed and nurtured, and your mind trained on the now, will drive your actions; it will stimulate you to your best. But this is only the beginning. Out of the “Thinking Substance” which “permeates” the universe, which makes up everything will come ideas and plans. These will bubble into your consciousness and lead you to specific actions that will move you to the fulfillment of your vision. Recall the quote we began with: “By thought, the thing you want is brought to you; by action you receive it.” These ideas and plans are the specific actions for you’re to receive the thing that is brought to you. Again from chapter 12 of “The Science of Getting Rich:”

Whatever your action is to be, it is evident that you must act NOW. You cannot act in the past, and it is essential to the clearness of your mental vision that you dismiss the past from your mind. You cannot act in the future, for the future is not here yet. And you cannot tell how you will want to act in any future contingency until that contingency has arrived. Because you are not in the right business, or the right environment now, do not think that you must postpone action until you get into the right business or environment. And do not spend time in the present taking thought as to the best course in possible future emergencies; have faith in your ability to meet any emergency when it arrives. If you act in the present with your mind on the future, your present action will be with a divided mind, and will not be effective. Put your whole mind into present action.

…

Do not give your creative impulse to Original Substance, and then sit down and wait for results; if you do, you will never get them. Act now. There is never any time but now, and there never will be any time but now. If you are ever to begin to make ready for the reception of what you want, you must begin now. And your action, whatever it is, must most likely be in your present business or employment, and must be upon the persons and things in your present environment.

Hold with faith and purpose the vision of yourself in the better environment, but act upon your present environment with all your heart, and with all your strength, and with all your mind.

As you begin to live life this way you will find new energy and joy as the visions, these expressions of your soul form first into your actions and then into physical reality.

“The Science of Getting Rich” is a call to action. Actions of the soul and so actions that are natural and a part of you. Work yes, but work that is of you, work that brings you to your dreams and not just work done for someone else; it is the kind of work that will bring you joy. In the words of the Psalmist:

Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it. Psalm 90: 16-17

These things that you want, the things that “The Science of Getting Rich” tells you to visualize about, these things may be things that you haven’t believed possible for you. When, after nurturing your vision you see yourself in those places with those things you want you will know they are right for you. The part you were missing is the action steps to receive them. And now that you know those things are right for you – you will also come to know that the plan will present itself. Sometimes it is a progressive realization of the goals and sometimes it comes as if by magic. Keep the vision, keep the faith. Make the decision that this future is right for you. Then the actions you take will be inspired, empowered, and the actions will be taken toward a hope and a future.

There’s your call to action, act and create the vision, act and nurture it, and act when the ideas come. In the words of Wayne Dyer, “you’ll see it when you believe it.”