Book Summary: "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill

 

    THINK AND GROW RICH

             BY – NAPOLEON HILL



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-- PRASHANT WANI, 5th September 2023 (Teachers Day)

The steel magnate Andrew Carnegie gave the young journalist Napoleon Hill a challenge, he asked him to create a concrete philosophy of success based on the experience of the world’s greatest achievers.

Napoleon Hill considered this as an opportunity and interviewed more than 500 individuals who were very successful in their areas. His research continued for more than two decades and as a result of it 13 philosophies were presented in the form of “Think and Grow Rich” book.

Anything is possible in life, if one has a definiteness of purpose, persistence, and a burning desire. State of mind needs to be created through self-discipline, protecting yourself against negative influences, putting WILL-POWER into constant use until it builds a wall of immunity against negative influences in your own mind.

Success comes to those who becomes “success conscious.”

“I am the master of my fate; I am the caption of soul.” 


·      Our Thoughts are Powerful

o   Thoughts are things and powerful things mixed with definiteness of purpose, persistence, and a burning desire that translates into riches or any other material objects.

o   Life is strange and often imponderable; success and failure have their roots in simple experiences. Analysing experiences and learning lessons are critical.

o   Success comes to those who become “success conscious.”

o   Weakness of too many people

§  People neither have time, nor inclination to study failure in search of knowledge that may lead to success.

§  People’s thoughts and habits have been stepped in to poverty, wants, misery, failure, and defeat.

o   You are the master of your fate, the captain of your soul. Because we have the power to control our thoughts.

o   Example-Henry Ford asked his engineers to develop a six-cylinder casting block, he dreamed it. Engineers were saying it is impossible but after more than one year of effort engineers were successful is developing single casting for 6 cylinders.

o   When opportunity comes, it comes in different forms and different directions. It has a silly habit of slipping from the back door.

o   It takes great delight in tripping one when success is almost within the reach.

 

·      Burning Desire to Win:

o   Every person who wins in any undertaking must be willing to burn his/her ships and cut all sources of retreat. Only by doing so, one can maintain that state of mind known as a “Burning Desire.”

§  Example Chicago Fire - Despite full burnt-out property, the owner decided to recreate the world’s greatest store.

o   Every human being who understands money wishes for it. Wishing will not bring riches, but desiring to be rich with the state of mind, planning definite ways and means, backing plans with persistence without recognising failures.

o   Method-Desire for riches can be transmuted-

§  Determine exact amount

§  Determine what you intend to give in return for money-Sacrifice.

§  Establish the date by which you intend to possess this money

§  Create a definite plan, and begin immediately even if you are not fully ready. Plan can be further developed.

§  Write a clear statement of money, time, plan and intend to give in return

§  Read this statement each day once you wake up and before going to bed.

§  Examples-

·      Columbus dreamt of the unknown world

·      Thomas Edison-Failed Ten-thousand times but did not quit.

·      The Wright Brothers - Machine that could fly

§  Our only limitations are those we set up in our mind, every adversity brings with in the seed of an equivalent advantage.

§  No one is ever defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality.

o   The power of desire backed by faith, creates mental chemistry which does not recognise word “Impossible” and there is no reality as a failure.

 

·      FAITH:

o   Faith is a state of mind that may be induced or created by affirmation or repeated instructions to the subconscious mind through the principle of auto suggestions.

o   Faith is the element the “chemical” which when mixed with prayer gives one direct communication with infinite intelligence.

o   A negative attitude towards others can never bring success.

o   There are no limitations to the mind except those we acknowledge.

 

·      Auto Suggestions:

o   Man has absolute control over anything that reaches his/her subconscious mind through five senses.

o   Our thoughts need to be coupled with Faith, emotions, and belief. Concentrate on desire, until it becomes Burning Desire.

o   I am the master of my faith and I am the captain of my soul.

o   Be alert for the plans when they appear, and put them into action immediately, when plan appears they will flash in your mind through 6th sense in the form of inspiration.

o   Visualize the money you intend to accumulate with closed eyes and see yourself rendering services in return for this money.

 

·      Specialized Knowledge:

o   Knowledge is only potential power and it will not attract money, unless it is organised and intelligently directed through practical plans of action.

o   Successful men, in all callings never stop acquiring specialized knowledge related to their major purpose, business, and profession.

o   The habit of looking around, observing how others go ahead, seeing opportunity and embracing it without hesitation is required.

 

·      Imagination:

o   Man can create anything that he can imagine.

o   God seems to throw himself on the side of the man who knows exactly what he wants, if he is determined to get just that.

“Success requires no explanations; failure permits no alibis.”

 

·      Organized Planning: 

o   Persistence is the key to success. When your plan fails, that temporary defect is not a permanent failure. It may only mean that your plans have not been sound. Build other plans, start all over again.

o   “Have a fire of persistence to build your plans. Leader by force cannot endure.”

o   Major attributes of Leadership-

-         Unwavering courage

-         Self-control

-         A keen sense of justice

-         Definiteness of decision

-         Definiteness of plans

-         The habit of doing more than paid for

-         A pleasing personality

-         Sympathy and understanding

-         Mastery of details

-         Willingness to assume a full responsibility

-         Cooperation – Leadership calls for power and power calls for cooperation

o   10 Major causes of Failure in Leadership-

-         Inability to organise details – A successful leader must be a master of all details connected with his position.

-         Unwilling to render humble service

-         Expectation of pay for what they know

-         Fear of competition from followers

-         Lack of imagination

-         Selfishness

-         Intemperance

-         Disloyalty

-         Emphasis on the authority of leadership

-         Emphasis of title

Every company is looking for a person who can give something of value, whether it be an idea, service, or connection. Every company has room for the person who has a definite plan of action which is to the advantage of that company.

·      What is your QQS Rating?

QQS formula which means that QUALITY plus QUANTITY plus the proper SPIRIT of coorporation. Do more and apply as a habit.

Quality -Performance of every detail in the most efficient manner possible.

Quantity of service means the habit of rendering all the services that you are capable of. 

Spirit of service means the habit of agreeable, harmonious conduct which will induce cooperation from associates and fellow employees.

o   Do not wait, the time will never be “just right.” Start where you stand and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.


·      Decision:

o   Procrastination is the opposite of Decision. People who accumulate fortunes have a habit of reaching decisions promptly and changing these decisions slowly.

 

·      Persistence:

o    Persistence is a state of mind; hence this can be cultivated like all states of mind.

o   Lack of persistence is a common cause of failure. Fortunes gravitate to men whose minds are prepared to attract them.

o   Too many people refuse to set up high goals for themselves or even neglect selecting a career because they fear criticism.

o   As one makes an impartial study of prophets, philosophers, “miracle men” and religious leaders of the past one is drawn to the inevitable conclusion that persistence concentration of efforts, and definiteness of purpose were the major sources of their achievement.

 

·      The Power of Master Mind:

o   Organised effort in produce through the coordination of effort of two or more people who work towards a definite end in a spirit of harmony.

o   A group of brains coordinated or connected in a spirit of harmony will provide more thought, and energy than a single brain, as a group of electric batteries will provide more energy than a single battery.

o   Men take on the nature and the habits and the power of thought of those with whom they associate in a spirit of sympathy and harmony.

o   There is no other road to genius than through voluntary self-effort.

 

·      The Mystery of sex:

o   Man’s greatest motivating force is his desire to please women!

o   The major reason why majority of men who succeed do not begin to do so before the age of forty to fifty, is their tendency to dissipate their energies through overindulgence in physical expression of the emotion of sex.

o   A man’s wife either makes him or breaks him.

 


·      Subconscious Mind:

o   The subconscious mind acts first on the dominating desires which have been mixed with emotional feelings like faith.

o   The subconscious mind is an intermediary that translates prayers to Infinite Intelligence can understand, this is spiritual in nature. This communication needs patience, faith, persistence, understanding, sincere desire to communicate to the subconscious mind.

o   Form the habit of applying and using positive emotions, eventually they will dominate your mind so completely that the negatives cannot enter it.

o   There is no toll-gates between the finite mind of men and infinite intelligence, communication costs nothing except patience, faith, persistence, understanding, and a sincere desire to communicate.

 

·      The Brain:

o   Every human brain is both a broadcasting and receiving station for the vibration of thoughts. When stimulated to a high degree. The mind becomes more receptive to the vibrations of thoughts.

 

·      The Sixth Sense: The door to the temple of Wisdom:

o   A state of mind is something that one assumes, it cannot be purchased, it must be created. All men have become what they are, because of their dominating thoughts and desires.

o   Physicians do not fear diseases, hence do not get infected with others even if they come in contact with many people suffer from diseases.

o   A man whose mind is filled with fear not only destroys his own chances of intelligent action, but he transmits these destructive vibrations to the minds of all who come into contact with him and also destroys their chances. Even dog or horse knows, when his master lacks courage, they pick up vibrations of fear thrown off by his master and behave accordingly.

o   To protect yourself against negative influences whether your own making or people around you, recognize that you have a WILL-POWER put it into constant use, until it builds a wall of immunity against negative influences in your own mind. deliberately seek the company of people who influence you to THINK AND ACT FOR YOURSELF.

o   Mind control is the result of self-discipline and habit. You either control your mind or it will control you. There is no hallway compromise, keeping it busy with a definite purpose backed by definite plans, without this control success is not possible. The first and best victory is to conquer self.

o   Life is like a checkerboard and the player opposite to you is Time, if you hesitate before moving or neglect to move promptly your men will be wiped off the board by time. You are playing with a partner who will not tolerate indecision.

 

It is the satisfaction that comes to all who conquer self and force life to pay us whatever is asked. The reward is worthy of your efforts.

Let us get started with burning desire.

“I am the master of my fate; I am the caption of soul.”

                        ----Prashant Wani---

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