Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich

            

All over the free world, there are thousands of successful men and women who are where they are today because they once picked up a copy of Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. Without question, this single book has had a greater influence on the lives, accomplishments, and fortunes of more people than any other work of its kind.

This remarkable book helped me decide once and for all how I was to accomplish my goal. It unified my thinking and gave me a straight, clear road to the point I decided to reach. One of my closest friends found the book, stayed home for three days reading and digesting its material, and he then went on to reach the top of his industry. I've sat in richly paneled executive offices and listened to world famous business leaders tell me how reading Think and Grow Rich changed their lives.

When the last page of Think and Grow Rich is read, the hand that puts the book down on the table is a different hand. The man who then stands up and walks out into the world is a different, a changed man - the possessor of the unique knowledge that will enable him to turn dreams into reality, thoughts into things. So called fate and exterior circumstances are no longer in command. He who had been a passenger is now suddenly the captain.

The secret behind Think and Grow Rich, the reason why it has withstood the test of time, is because it stands on the foundation of truth: the clear, unchallenged fact that everything begins with an idea. One may start with nothing but ideas, but ideas are incredibly powerful when they're supported by Definiteness of Purpose, persistence, and a burning desire for their translation into material objects or riches - "riches" being whatever it is you happen to want.

In other words, by controlling your mind, you can control your destiny. And you can start that amazing process today, by absorbing and applying Napoleon Hill's famous 13 principles for unbridled success.

Desire

Desire is the starting point for all achievement, the first step toward riches. But it's here that we so often run into a roadblock. A person will say, "I know what I desire, but can I get it?"

The answer was best expressed by Emerson: "There's nothing capricious in nature, and the implanting of a desire indicates that its gratification is in the constitution of the creature that feels it." In other words, you would not have the desire unless you were capable of its achievement.

Your burning desire is nothing more than an accurate picture of what you will one day become. So right here, firmly establish in your mind that which you desire more than anything else, and cherish and nurture that desire. Do not suppress or annihilate it. A man without desire has within him no principle of action, nor motive to act.

Faith

Faith is the state of mind that may be induced or created by affirmation or repeated instructions to the subconscious mind by conscious auto suggestion. By summoning over and over again a mental image of yourself already having accomplished your main desire, you will muster the faith you need. Faith is vital to accomplishment.

Have faith that you can accomplish that which you seek, for you would never have decided upon it unless it was meant for you to accomplish it. If you find it difficult at times to have faith in yourself, you may be certain that you can have faith in these principles.

Auto Suggestion

Through repeated suggestion, the subconscious mind can be put to work for you. It's the faculty of being able to concentrate your mind on your burning desire until your subconscious mind accepts it as fact and begins to devise ways of bringing it about. Here's where hunches come from, sudden flashes of thought, inspiration, or guidance.

To access the power of auto suggestion, go into some quiet spot, perhaps in bed at night. Close your eyes and repeat aloud so you may hear your own words a careful reaffirmation of whatever your goal happens to be. If it's the accumulation of a sum of money, reiterate the time limit for its accumulation and a description of the service or merchandise you intend to give in return for it. As you carry out these instructions, see yourself already in possession of your goal.

Specialized Knowledge

Knowledge is power only to the extent that it's organized into a definite plan of action and directed to a definite end. Before you can be sure of your ability to transmute desire into its monetary equivalent, you will require specialized knowledge of the service, merchandise, or profession that you intend to offer in return for fortune.

Realize that you must learn all you can about your specialty. Set aside a definite time every day for learning more about what it is you do for a living. Take the courses that are offered on your subject and associate with people who know your business well.

Imagination

Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. Man's only limitation, within reason, lies in the development and use of his imagination and subsequent motivation to action. The great leaders of business, industry, and finance, and the great artists, musicians, poets, and writers became great because they developed the power of self-motivation.

As you go about your daily work, think constantly of ways in which it could be done better, more efficiently. Think of the changes that are inevitable. Can they be made now? If you feel limited, remember the words of the late Frank Lloyd Wright: "The human race built most nobly when limitations were greatest and, therefore, when most was required of imagination in order to build at all."

Decision

Analysis of several hundred people who've accumulated fortunes well beyond the million-dollar mark disclose the fact that every one of them had the habit of reaching decisions promptly and of changing these decisions slowly, if and when they were changed.

When you make up your mind, stay with it. The majority of people who fail are generally easily influenced by the opinions of others. Opinions are the cheapest commodities on earth. Keep your own counsel when you begin to put into practice the principles described here by reaching your own decisions and following them. Take no one into your confidence except the members of your mastermind alliance (as discussed later), and be very careful in your selection of this group, choosing only those who will be in complete sympathy and harmony with your purpose. Close friends and relatives, while not meaning to do so, often handicap one through uninformed opinions and sometimes through ridicule.

Persistence

Persistence is simply the power of will. Willpower and desire, when properly combined, make an irresistible pair. Persistence is to an individual what carbon is to steel. In uncounted thousands of cases, persistence has stood as the difference between success and failure. It is the lack of this quality more than any other that keeps the majority from great accomplishment. As soon as the going gets tough, they fold.

If you're to accomplish the goal you set for yourself, you must form the habit of persistence. Things will get difficult. It will seem as though there's no longer any reason to continue. Everything in you will tell you to give up, to quit trying. It is right here that if you'll go that extra mile and keep going, the skies will clear and you'll begin to see the first signs of the abundance that is to be yours because you had the courage to persist. With persistence will come success.

Enthusiastic Support

                            

It is of great significance that behind practically every great leader has been the supportive love and inspiration of a spouse. When things get tough - and you can count on it, they will - you may be deserted by some you thought were friends. But if you've got a good woman or man supporting you, you will never be alone. He or she will be willing to start over again if necessary and will give you the new enthusiasm that comes through faith in you.

Having someone to love is having someone to share your success and accomplishments; to give you the praise that all of us need from time to time. A person can become successful without a spouse and family, but much of the real joy is lost if it cannot be shared. Take care of your spouse and children as your greatest possessions.

Organized Planning

The first of the six steps for transforming desire into reality is the formation of a definite, practical plan through which this transformation may be made (see From Desire to Reality in Six Easy Steps, pg. 40). Once you do, it is critical that you ally yourself with one or more people or a group of as many people as you may need for the creation and carrying out of your plan. These people are your "mastermind alliance."

Before forming your mastermind alliance, decide what advantages and benefits you may offer the individual members of your group in return for their cooperation. No one will work indefinitely without compensation, though this may not always be in the form of money.

Arrange to meet with the members of your mastermind alliance at least twice a week, and more often if possible, until you have jointly perfected the necessary plan or plans for the accomplishment of your goal.

Maintain perfect harmony between yourself and every member of your mastermind alliance. Keep in mind these facts: First, you are engaged in an undertaking of major importance to you. To be sure of success, you must have plans that are as faultless as possible. Second, you must have the advantage of the experience, education, native ability, and imagination of other minds. This is in harmony with the methods followed by every person who has risen above the average. Work at this until you have a well-executed formal plan for reaching your objective. In this way you're never confused or wondering what you should do next. Every morning you know exactly what you're going to do and why.

Organized planning is one the most important principles, because a person without a plan is like a ship without a course. With no place to go, disaster is a probability.

The Power of the Mastermind

No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third - a third invisible, intangible force that may be likened to a third mind. You may have noticed many times that by discussing something with another person you suddenly get good ideas as a result of the discussion, ideas you would not have gotten without this association. Well, the same thing happens to the other person. A lot of good ideas have been born in individual minds as a result of having met in committee.

Associating with your mastermind alliance is not meant as a means of letting others do your thinking for you, far from it. It is meant to stimulate your own thinking through the association with other minds. No one knows everything. The more sympathetic minds you get together - that is, minds working for a common purpose - the more related information is going to be available. Great ideas are a combination of related information.

Pick the members of your mastermind group with care. Make sure they're people you respect and who are hard working and conscientious. You'll have a lot of fun, and you'll reach your goals just that much sooner.

The Subconscious Mind

The subconscious mind is a mental area in which all inputs through any of the five senses are classified and recorded, and from which they may be recalled or withdrawn like data from the storage banks of a limitless computer. No one knows very much about what we call the subconscious mind but we do know that it is incalculably powerful and can solve our problems if we go about using it the right way.

The best way is to hold in your conscious mind as often as possible a clear picture of yourself already having accomplished your goal. Know what you want. Define it clearly, and then project it on the motion picture screen of your mind. Hold it. See yourself doing and having the things you have when your objective will have been reached. Do this as often as practical, particularly at night just before you go to sleep and the first thing upon waking. As you do this, your subconscious will begin to lead you toward your objective. Don't fight it. Follow your sudden hunches, the ideas that come into your mind, knowing that they may well represent subconscious knowledge.

If you'll keep at this, you'll be amazed and delighted by the ideas that just seem to come from nowhere.

The Power of the Brain

If you had access to all the wealth in the world and used only a penny, you would be doing exactly what most of us very probably have been doing in the use of our brains. You own in your brain the most marvelous, miraculous, inconceivably powerful force the world has ever known.

It is the brain that has given us the computer, supersonic airplane, our deep rocket probes into outer space, the sciences, and the arts. All of what we know today and will achieve tomorrow is born from this small, gray mass each of us carries around.

Can you doubt, even for a moment, that your brain can bring you and yours everything you want here on earth? Recognize its power, give it the job you've decided to accomplish, and watch it handle it.

The Sixth Sense

The sixth sense can be described as the sense through which your infinite intelligence may and will communicate. This principle is the apex of the philosophy. It can be assimilated, understood, and applied only by first mastering the other 12 principles. The sixth sense is that function of the subconscious mind that has been referred to as the creative imagination. It's also been referred to as the receiving set through which ideas flash into the mind, sometimes called hunches or inspirations.

The sixth sense cannot be described to a person who has not mastered the other principles of this philosophy, because such a person has no knowledge and no experience to serve as points of reference. The sixth sense is not something one can take off and put on at will. The ability to use this great power comes slowly through application of the other principles we've outlined. So begin to develop it now by applying the principles we've talked about here.

Remember this: Man can create nothing that he does not first conceive in the form of an idea, a desire. Keep fear out of your mind. Concentrate on the mental picture of yourself achieving your desire. Cut yourself away from the average - from the mediocre - and chart your course on the dream in your heart. These 13 principles will never let you down. You need only remember and use them.

From Desire to Reality in Six Easy Steps

Six definite practical steps to transform a burning desire into reality.

Fix in your mind an exact picture of what you desire. It's not sufficient merely to say, for example, "I want plenty of money." Be definite as to the amount.

Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the thing you desire. There's no such reality as something for nothing.

Establish a definite date by which you intend to possess the desired thing.

Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once, whether you feel entirely ready or not to put this plan into action.

Write out a clear, concise statement of your responses to the preceding four steps.

Read your written statement aloud twice daily. Once after arising in the morning and once just before retiring at night. As you read, see and feel and believe yourself already in possession of whatever your goal happens to be.

"Through some strange and powerful principle of mental chemistry, nature wraps up in the impulse [of a] strong desire that something which recognizes no such word as impossible and accepts no such reality as failure."

- Napoleon Hill

The Genius behind Napoleon Hill's Science of Personal Achievement

https://ezinearticles.com/?Napoleon-Hills-Think-and-Grow-Rich&id=9597681

This 6-step guide to getting rich is buried in a 78-year-old book

Thousands of personal finance books on shelves today promise to teach you to spend less, save more, invest better, retire earlier, get out of debt faster, and solve just about every financial conundrum in between.

But perhaps none said it better than a book published in 1937.

Napoleon Hill, a Great Depression-era author and former advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, interviewed "more than five hundred of the most successful men this country has ever known" to figure out the key to their good fortune. He wrapped all of his insights in a 200-page package and published "Think and Grow Rich," which went on to become one of the best-selling books of all time.

Don't expect to find any stock-picking or gambling advice in it. Despite Hill interviewing some of the most iconic businessmen of his day, none of his findings involved any particularly hard-to-attain skills. His entire premise is helping people overcome the psychological barriers that keep them from wealth. 

"Wishing will not bring riches," Hill writes. "But desiring riches with a state of mind that becomes an obsession, then planning definite ways and means to acquire riches, and backing those plans with persistence which does not recognize failure, will bring riches."

In one passage, he sums up six steps to turning a desire for wealth into "its financial equivalent":

First. Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire. It is not sufficient merely to say “I want plenty of money." Be definite as to the amount. (There is a psychological reason for definite- ness which will be described in a subsequent chapter).

Second. Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire. (There is no such reality as “something for nothing.")

Third. Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money you desire. 

Fourth. Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire, and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action.

Fifth. Write out a clear, concise statement of the amount of money you intend to acquire, name the time limit for its acquisition, state what you intend to give in return for the money, and describe clearly the plan through which you intend to accumulate it.

Sixth. Read your written statement aloud, twice daily, once just before retiring at night, and once after arising in the morning. AS YOU READ, SEE AND FEEL AND BELIEVE YOURSELF ALREADY IN POSSESSION OF THE MONEY. 

It seems basic, but if you actually compare this to just about any personal finance guide out there, you'll find exactly the same simple steps. They just come with a lot more bells and whistles. 

If anything, Hill's book is a reminder that one of the only ways to achieve true wealth is to understand that more often than not our emotions and our mindset are what keep us from succeeding, and that it's our job to come up with a plan to overcome them.

"When riches take the place of poverty, the change is usually brought about through well conceived and carefully executed plans," he wrote. "Poverty needs no plan. It needs no one to aid it, because it is bold and ruthless. Riches are shy and timid. They have to be 'attracted.'"

http://www.businessinsider.com/6-steps-to-think-and-grow-rich-2013-9

What is Auto-suggestion and why is it Fundamental to Think and Grow Rich?

Auto-suggestion is a term that describes the process in which people stimulate their minds through self suggestion. It refers to the method which we all use to communicate between our conscious thoughts and the actions that are carried out subconsciously. In other words when a thought enters your mind through any of the five senses, it is either accepted or rejected by the subconscious part of the mind. Although there is the potential for anyone to learn how to control these thought processes, many are unable to reject negative thoughts and so as they dominate a persons mind. This eventually leads to destructive behavour.

By filling the subconscious mind with positive thoughts and discouraging the negative ones you can learn how to influence the way you carry yourself through life's obstacles. It is down to each individual whether through auto-suggestion, they want to fall into good or bad habits through the repetition of its process.

To understand the process of auto-suggestion a little better it is essential that you establish what your desires are in life. What is it you want to achieve and what kind of reward do you want for your time and efforts? Write down your future plans and aims and read them allowed every day. Imagine yourself achieving your goals and experiencing the success your efforts would bring. By repeating the process you will find that you start to subconsciously act on these positive thought impulses. However, you will only start to see the desired results if you truly believe in yourself, and your own individual dream.

This may all seem a bit abstract for you at first and it may take a while to come to terms with what auto-suggestion is capable of. Do not give up if it is not clear in the beginning. By thinking positively and channelling that thinking into a step by step program that pushes you further towards the definite goal that you have you will start to see successful results. Remember that it takes a strong willed person and a lot of persistence to get this to work.

Success also depends on your willingness to concentrate on a specific desire rather than to have too many aims at once. The ability to concentrate o a single desire so much that it eventually becomes an obsession will mean you are constantly using your subconscious mind to find solutions to the problems which prevent you reaching your goals.

One way of improving that concentration on desire is to find a quiet place and to sit and imagine yourself in the position you are looking to get to, or with the possessions you desire to obtain. By repeatedly telling yourself you are capable of achieving that goal and by actually imagining the result of your hard work you can to some level trick the subconscious mind. By realising that your goal is out there for you to claim and convincing yourself that it will be achieved no matter what, you will eventually start to plan how to go about it in stages. Do not wait for a plan to become apparent but actually imagine the success before it comes and start to focus on what would work rather than what barriers would there be in the way. You may find that days go by with you imagining the acquisition of your desire before an idea comes in a flash of inspiration. Treat these moments with the greatest of significance and get them down on paper for they are the subconscious trying to express what you have needed.

It may seem an abstract task but these instructions do work for people. The more you understand how auto-suggestion works the more chance of fulfilling that inner desire you will have. As long as you have faith and a positive mind rather than a mind full of doubt then you can see the benefit in the ideas.

http://goarticles.com/article/What-is-Auto-suggestion-and-why-is-it-Fundamental-to-Think-and-Grow-Rich/873300/

The 6 fears keeping you from getting rich, according to a 78-year-old personal-finance classic

According to Napoleon Hill, author of the 1937 personal-finance classic "Think and Grow Rich," there are six basic fears in life, and every human being suffers from them at some point.

These fears, Hill writes, are the psychological reasons keeping some people from ever becoming rich.

Hill maintains that "fears are nothing more than states of mind," and that "one's state of mind is subject to control and direction."

In other words, you can avoid them. But, as Hill writes, "Before we can master an enemy, we must know its name, its habits, and its place of abode."

As you can probably tell already, Hill's language — and some of his ideas — come across as a little dated, but Hill was clearly clued in to the idea that success might not be just about how much money you earn, but also how you choose to think.

The fears are:

1. The fear of poverty

According to Hill, the fear of poverty is both the most destructive and the hardest to master of the six fears. This is because of what Hill refers to as "money madness."

People "prey" on one another financially to attain the most money. The author points out "a man is considered less than the dust of the earth, unless he can display a fat bank account." He continues: "Nothing brings man so much suffering and humility as poverty!"

To conquer this fear, Hill says, you must create a desire for riches and completely banish the option of poverty. You must be unwilling to accept poverty.

2. The fear of criticism

Hill says the roots of this fear can be traced back to the times when people used to be burned at the stake if they expressed beliefs that were contrary to common beliefs held at the time. He writes that criticism often becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy that can hold people back from being successful — and rich.

According to the author, criticism does nothing but instill fear and resentment in people, and parents, relatives, and employers should not use it: "Employers who understand human nature, get the best there is in men, not by criticism, but by constructive suggestion."

The fear of sickness is related to the fear of death.

3. The fear of ill health

People fear sickness because they know it could, in an extreme case, lead to death. Hill says people also fear sickness because of the "economic toll" a sickness can take on the person it affects. For example, a severe illness could eliminate your ability to work, which would also eliminate your livelihood. 

The author cites hypochondria and says that people are often the creators of their own illness. The more people think they are sick or are told they are sick, the more likely they are to actually become sick, which then negatively affects their ability to reach their wealth goals. 

4. The fear of loss of love

According to Hill, this fear comes from "man's polygamous habit of stealing his fellow man's mate." He says it's the most painful of the six fears and that it "probably plays more havoc with the body and mind than any of the other basic fears, as it often leads to permanent insanity." The author says this fear makes people less likely to trust others and more likely to gamble, which can result in spending more than you have and incurring debt. Old age brings fears of losing financial independence.

5. The fear of old age

Hill says that behind people's fear of old age is their fear of the possibility of poverty. "'Poorhouse' is not a pretty word," Hill writes. "It throws a chill into the mind of every person who faces the possibility of having to spend his declining years on a poor farm."

The author points out that old age threatens not only a person's economic freedom and independence, but also their physical freedom and independence. 

6. The fear of death

The fear of death comes from the fear of the unknown, Hill says. No one truly knows what comes after death, which is why it scares people. Hill says the fear of death leads to a "lack of purpose" and "lack of a suitable occupation." Without an occupation, it's hard to become rich.

The author maintains that for some people, this is the cruelest fear. At the same time, he thinks the fear is useless. "Death will come, no matter what anyone may think about it," Hill writes. "Accept it as a necessity, and pass the thought out of your mind. It must be a necessity, or it would not come at all."

http://uk.businessinsider.com/life-fears-that-keep-you-poor-2015-4

Auto Suggestion, The Most Important Tool for Fulfillment of Desires

We have often heard that we are what we think we are. If someone thinks, lives, behaves like an effluent person, there are strong chances that he will become on, if not already. Conversely people who crib about everything in life including their luck, fate, conditions and lifestyle, the person must be a struggling in life.

But how about using this very strong manta to our advantage. How about feeding our sub conscious mind with our desires, our wishes, our goals to tune ourselves with what we want to achieve. Napoleon Hill in his famous book Think and grow rich explains the principles of auto suggestion in a detailed manner. He puts a word of caution, simply wishing to get something, reach somewhere of earn lots of money does not work. Firstly you have to make auto suggestion with absolute faith and sincere feelings - your emotions must carry your wishes to your sub conscious. Further, whatever you seek has to be exact, with dollars and cents, the time frame in which you want to achieve that also has to be exact. You also have to spell out clearly what you would give or surrender in return to the nature for receiving what you desire.

The concept to visualizing that whatever you desired has already been granted to you, your ability to sense and feel the money, success of whatever you desired has to be with all your five sensory faculties. This is the only language, a definite desire laced with deep emotions that our subconscious recognizes. And acts upon or engages it to convert it into its physical equivalent.

An important condition to make the concept of auto suggestion work for you is to feed your sub conscious with your desired goal repeatedly, at least twice daily. You must pen down your statement of desire on a piece of paper and read it aloud at least twice daily. Here also a simple teat book reading mode does not work; you must read it with feelings, faith and above all with sincere emotions. That is the only language our sub conscious understands.

For the benefit of readers of this post, I am reproducing relevant excerpts from the book "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill. I am sure this will help you.

Quote:

"The instructions given in connection with the six steps in the second chapter will now be summarized, and blended with the principles covered by this chapter, as follows:

First.

Go into some quiet spot (preferably in bed at night) where you will not be disturbed or interrupted, close your eyes, and repeat aloud, (so you may hear your own words) the written statement of the amount of money you intend to accumulate, the time limit for its accumulation, and a description of the service or merchandise you intend to give in return for the money. As you carry out these instructions, SEE YOURSELF ALREADY IN POSSESSION OF THE MONEY.

For example:--Suppose that you intend to accumulate $50,000 by the first of January, five years hence, that you intend to give personal services in return for the money, in the capacity of a salesman. Your written statement of your purpose should be similar to the following:

"By the first day of January, 19.., I will have in my possession $50,000, which will come to me in various amounts from time to time during the interim.

"In return for this money I will give the most efficient service of which I am capable, rendering the fullest possible quantity, and the best possible quality of service in the capacity of salesman of... (describe the service or merchandise you intend to sell).

"I believe that I will have this money in my possession. My faith is so strong that I can now see this money before my eyes. I can touch it with my hands. It is now awaiting transfer to me at the time, and in the proportion that I deliver the service I intend to render in return for it. I am awaiting a plan by which to accumulate this money, and I will follow that plan, when it is received."

Second. 

Repeat this program night and morning until you can see, (in your imagination) the money you intend to accumulate.

Third. 

Place a written copy of your statement where you can see it night and morning, and read it just before retiring, and upon arising until it has been memorized.

Remember, as you carry out these instructions, that you are applying the principle of auto-suggestion, for the purpose of giving orders to your subconscious mind. Remember, also, that your subconscious mind will act ONLY upon instructions which are emotionalized, and handed over to it with "feeling." FAITH is the strongest, and most productive of the emotions. Follow the instructions given in the chapter on FAITH.

These instructions may, at first, seem abstract.

Do not let this disturb you. Follow the instructions,"

Unquote.

As for me, I am following Napoleon Hill to the point and am eagerly looking forward to a very bright and memorable future in life!

To you success!

http://ezinearticles.com/?Auto-Suggestion,-The-Most-Important-Tool-for-Fulfillment-of-Desires&id=8806393

The 3 Most Common Reasons People Fail

Failures are unavoidable for even the most talented, driven people.

The successful, however, learn from their setbacks and develop habits that keep them from making the same mistakes repeatedly.

Napoleon Hill, author of "Think and Grow Rich," one of the bestselling books of all time, explained that there are three common reasons people don't achieve success.

He talked about them in an undated radio broadcast most likely from around 1953, since Hill was promoting his book "How to Raise Your Own Salary," published in the same year.

This radio clip, titled "Three Causes of Failure," was among the years' worth of material the Napoleon Hill Foundation gave motivational speaker and author Greg Reid, whose latest book "Stickability" repurposes Hill's teachings on perseverance for a contemporary audience.

Here are what Hill considered the most common reasons people fail:

1. Being unable to get along with other people

Hill placed tremendous importance on having a "million-dollar personality." Successful people have a network of those who will go out of their way to help them.

As Hill says, "The first step to causing others to like you is to begin by liking them." The best collaborators are likable because they care about their reputation and understand the value of others. The key is to be genuine, since people can easily see past a fake smile and insincere handshake.

Reid recommends adopting an "inverse paranoid" personality, where you think the world is conspiring to help you rather than hold you back, and you'll be more open to positive connections.

2. Quitting when things get tough

In the radio broadcast, Hill says that Thomas Edison, who he had previously interviewed, tested countless materials for the incandescent lamp before finding the ones that worked.

"One failure is sufficient to make the average person quit. Perhaps this is why there are so many average persons, and there was only one Thomas A. Edison," Hill says.

3. Procrastinating

Procrastination is rooted in fear, whether it's a fear of not meeting your own ambition or being embarrassed. Successful people lack this fear and make decisions after they have a sufficient amount of information, avoiding the need to feel like their decision is "perfect."

http://www.businessinsider.com/common-reasons-people-fail-2014-6?IR=T

10 Rules Of Success Andrew Carnegie Used To Become Incredibly Rich

           

Andrew Carnegie arrived in the U.S. in 1848 with barely a dollar to his name. By 1901, he was the richest man in the world.

At the height of his power, he was approached by a young journalist named Napoleon Hill who was interested in telling the stories of successful people.

Carnegie saw a special drive in Hill and in 1908 decided that Hill would document all of the strategies that made him a legendary businessman and philanthropist.

Together, they helped pioneer the self-help genre, and Hill's 1937 book "Think and Grow Rich" has gone on to become one of the top-selling books of all time.

When Hill began his career writing about success, Carnegie gave him his "10 Rules of Success" that provided a foundation for much of Hill's work. Here's a synopsis of the rules, which appear in the forthcoming collection "The Science of Success":

1. Define your purpose.

Create a plan of action and start working toward it immediately.

2. Create a "master-mind alliance."

Contact and work with people "who have what you haven't," Hill says.

3. Go the extra mile.

"Doing more than you have to do is the only thing that justifies raises or promotions, and puts people under an obligation to you," writes Hill.

4. Practice "applied faith."

Believe in yourself and your purpose so fully that you act with complete confidence.

5. Have personal initiative.

Do what you have to without being told.

6. Indulge your imagination.

Dare to think beyond what's already been done.

7. Exert enthusiasm.

A positive attitude sets you up for success and wins the respect of others.

8. Think accurately.

In Hill's words, accurate thinking is "the ability to separate facts from fiction and to use those pertinent to your own concerns or problems."

9. Concentrate your effort.

Don't become distracted from the most important task you are currently facing.

10. Profit from adversity.

Remember that "there is an equivalent benefit for every setback," Hill writes.

http://uk.businessinsider.com/andrew-carnegies-rules-of-success-2014-5?r=US

11 Traits All Successful Leaders Share

In 1908, a young journalist named Napoleon Hill met with the industrialist Andrew Carnegie, one of the richest men to ever live, to discuss how he became so successful.

Carnegie liked Hill so much that he decided to share his core values and strategies, which launched Hill's career as a pioneer of the self-help genre.

His 1937 book "Think and Grow Rich" went on to become one of the best selling books of all time. Hill based his insights on the lives of legendary businessmen of the early 20th century, like Thomas Edison and Henry Ford.

Here are the 11 traits that Hill found all successful leaders share:

1. They have unwavering courage based on self-confidence.

When leaders have a vision they believe in and know that they are capable of realizing it, others will believe in them, too.

2. They have self-control.

Strong leaders need to be able to control themselves if they're going to be able to control others. This means refraining from overreacting to something either positive or negative, which can give people a bad impression.

3. They are fair.

"Without a sense of fairness and justice, no leader can command and retain the respect of his followers," Hill writes.

4. They don't wait for perfect answers to make a decision.

Great leaders practice what Hill calls "definiteness of decision." This means that they do not defer making a decision until they find a "perfect" answer or reach full consensus. They can't be afraid of risk or criticism.

5. They work by a plan.

Hill said that successful leaders never operate on guesswork, and that a resolute leader can trump someone who is naturally more talented. "Henry Ford accumulated a fortune, not because of his superior mind, but because he adopted and followed a plan which proved to be sound," he writes.

6. They do more than what is required.

The best leaders attain a position of power because they outperformed their competition. And if they're at the top of their field, they maintain greatness by outperforming themselves.

7. They are exceptionally likeable.

In his essay "Develop A Pleasing Personality," Hill explains that it was steel magnate Charles M. Schwab's charming demeanor that made him so much money. His boss, Andrew Carnegie, told Hill that he gave Schwab a regular million-dollar bonus (a tremendous amount of money in the late 19th century) not for the work he did, but for the work he used his pleasing personality to get others to do.

8. They are sympathetic.

Successful leaders understand the personalities and problems of their team members. Hill says it's not a coincidence that history is filled with kings and dictators being overthrown, since "people will not follow forced leadership indefinitely."

9. They pay attention to detail.

The best leaders set themselves apart by giving every part of their job their full effort, no matter how small it may be. If a lack of attention leads to regular tiny mistakes, their accumulation can become linked with reputation.

10. They assume full responsibility for their team.

"The successful leader must be willing to assume responsibility for the mistakes and the shortcomings of his followers," Hill writes. The best leaders do not look for excuses to blame others or situations for failures that happened under their watch.

11. They are cooperative.

"Leadership calls for power, and power calls for cooperation," Hill says. The best leaders recognize that by themselves they cannot handle every challenge that comes their way, and instead build a team that they can work with, rather than make demands of.

http://www.businessinsider.com/traits-all-successful-leaders-share-2014-6?IR=T

Achieve Your Goals By Creating Value

        

The only way you can feel really happy is when you create value for other people. But there’s just very few who actually create value. And this is because we are not taught to create, we are taught to consume. This can be seen everywhere. There are much more consumers than producers. And only producers reap the rewards. Consumers get when they want but this is not going to fulfil them in the long term. On the other hand, producers create value therefore they are happy now and they will be so as long as they create value.

Many people don’t succeed in life because they try to get without giving first. Many are conditioned to believe that that’s how it works, you get, then you give, but that’s not the case. It is the law that you firstly give and then you receive.

You always have something to give in return for something greater. You have time, you have talent, intelligence and skill. There is always something that you can contribute to improve the lives of others.

Even when people get convinced that they actually do have something in themselves that they could use to create value, they don’t because of another belief that they will not get anything in return. This shouldn’t be your concern because of the law of compensation.

This law says that for everything that you no longer have, you will gain something new. So for example, you may lose time because of value creation, but you will gain wealth or acknowledgement of people as a result. Or you may use your effort to change the lives of people but then in return you will become well known and people will respect you. So you always get when you give, and usually the returns are much greater than what you had to sacrifice for that.

The same law applies to those who only consume but don’t create. People can spend al their lives watching TV but this in turn causes them to miss opportunities and waste their lives. Or they may try to get something of value without paying anything for it, but then that causes them to lose their reputation or they are likely to be treated unfairly in the situations to come. So you get exactly what you pay for and if you don’t want to part with anything you have, don’t expect your life to be full of precious gifts.

There’s no escape from value creation. You either create value or you live the life that doesn’t satisfy you. Create or disintegrate is one of the most fundamental laws of life. There is no middle here, you either constantly progress or your go backwards.

I very often think of the words in the bible “The meek shall inherit the earth” and many people interpret it the wrong way. The meek doesn’t mean poor as so many think and therefore they assume that having no many will make them saints. That’s not what it means. “The meek shall inherit the earth” means those who are obedient to the laws of the universe, or obedient to god, in other words, will succeed, they will create heaven on earth.

That’s what it means. So get in harmony with laws and give as much as you can, provide immense value and you will become so successful that you could easily say that you really own this world because you will gain complete understanding of it. There will be nothing that scares you or makes you angry because you will be so in harmony with the laws.

We are supposed to create because we are creative beings. And the only reason why people who only consume don’t feel fulfilled is because they don’t create anything and this makes them feel like they are losing out on something, but they don’t realise what is it that they have to do to make their lives more fulfilling.

The answer lies in contribution to the good of others. I remember when I used to consume but not create. I felt like I don’t understand life and I definitely sensed that there was more to it than what I was experiencing at that time. Fortunately I was able to figure it out because I searched for the meaning of life. When you really do your best and give as much as you can, you feel such a sense of fulfilment, it’s hard to describe. This is really what everyone is supposed to do because only that makes you feel a good person and that makes you happy.

        

So the reason people who are born into rich families and they have everything, become disillusioned is because they don’t contribute to anything. They just use what they were given, but they don’t give. And they don’t understand what’s missing in their lives, so they search it everywhere be it in drugs, alcohol, parties or other things that cannot make them permanently happy and therefore make them feel even more disillusioned.

The more you create, the more you will get in return. But there is one exception to this rule.

And this is employment. People in any kind of occupation contribute to the good of others in some way, but then they are usually underpaid for their value creation. You may ask why this happens if they genuinely create value. Well this is because they chose the easy option of employment rather than creating something of their own so they get only a portion of how much value they create. So that’s the price they have to pay for this easy option.

You always have choices and the majority of people choose the easy option to work for someone else. They choose such option because:

1. Other people do the same – that’s a big one:)

2. They have instant feeling of security

3. They know how much money they will earn so they get again the feeling of security

So because of this extra security that they get, they pay the price of getting less money for the value they create. They also lose their freedom. They have to come to work at specified times. They have to take vacations only for a defined length of time and there are many other rules they have to comply with. People who choose easier options will always miss out in one way or another.

On the other hand, when you choose self-employment, you are not sure when and how much money you will make, you are not sure what it will take to make your business successful, you have to put much more effort to make your business profitable.

Well, this definitely does not seem like the best option at first as it looks very insecure and unpredictable. But only those people who choose this more risky option option eventually get the rewards so much greater than the majority. They get great rewards for their efforts including money, freedom, personal fulfilment, growth and happiness. But don’t forget that there is a bigger price to pay for that, but the rewards are so much worth it.

Now you see why most people choose employment. They get certainty, they don’t pay big price for that but they also don’t get big rewards. So you can either stay safe all your life and don’t see or do or have much, or you can take risks and then you lose sometimes, but when you win, the rewards will be huge. After all, we shouldn’t spend our lives in fear and insecurity because what’s the point in living this way? It’s as though you are living dead if you choose this option.

Life is an adventure. You play hard and then you get rewarded and that’s what its all about. People miss out big time who try to take least risky paths and who take ages to make even a small decision. This is not fun and this is definitely not fulfilling.

But then you may say that you are afraid to take risks because you were not conditioned this way. To escape such prison you created for yourself you just simply have to do the thing you fear. Yes, I feared to call the company I was working for and tell that I will no longer work for them. It was really scary because I wasn’t sure if I would really make it, but I knew that the more I hesitate if I should or if I shouldn’t that, the more fear will take over me and that will eventually result in me putting it off for nobody knows how long.

So I had to do that, I could literally feel my heart beating so loud and my hands were shaking, I knew that once I quit my job, that’s it. It’s only me and my business now because I promised to myself that I will never ever work for anyone else after that job. I never break promises made for myself so I knew that once I quit my job, there’s no way back. As Napoleon Hill puts in his “Think And Grow Rich” book,

“I will burn all bridges behind me, and stake my ENTIRE FUTURE on my ability to get what I want. I leave myself no possible way of retreat. I have to win or perish!”

That’s how it works. You absolutely trust that you will succeed and you have to leave yourself no excuses and do everything it takes to commit even more to your goal. That’s the price you pay for your goal.

You take risks because that’s how you go forward. You don’t go forward by doubting yourself or reading positive material, you go forward by actually taking risks and taking action, creating value, winning and losing. And trust me, that’s so much more exciting than to do nothing significant with your life.

I absolutely know that I will experience many failures on my way, but I also know that they serve as stepping stones to success. It would be stupid for me to fear the difficulties because they are testing me how much I really want to achieve my goal. They are unavoidable so there’s no point in fearing them. So don’t expect that the road to success will be smooth and clear. There will be days where you’ll think that everything is falling apart, yet only those who still don’t give up will become successful. I will quote again Napoleon hill on this because of how he puts this point:

“Before success comes to most people, they are sure to meet with much temporary defeat, and perhaps some failure. When faced with defeat the easiest and most logical thing to do is to quit. That is exactly what the majority of people do.

More that 500 of the most successful people America has ever known told the author that their greatest success came just one step beyond the point at which defeat had overtaken them.

Failure is a trickster with a keen sense of irony and cunning. It takes great delight in tripping one up when success is almost within reach.”

You will notice that once you start taking risks, you will have to develop faith because sometimes there will be nothing outside that would prove that you are going to make it. You will simply have to believe that you will.

Anyone can develop faith, but so few do because it’s just so intangible. People are so used to seeing feedback and than taking action according to what they see, that for some it just seems plainly wrong to just trust. So many people make decisions about where they are going on holiday or what they are going to do by looking at their bank accounts. But so few can actually see that their bank account is low but still book the best holiday with faith that everything will be just fine. But that’s how best decisions are made, when there’s nothing in your outside world showing that you are making the right decision but you still do it with faith that it is the right decision.

No matter who you are, I know that you’ve had such experience, when you really need money for something and at the last minute the money appears from some source. When you think you are not going to pay your bills or you will lose something and then you suddenly get the money.

So when you need something, it always appears because you know exactly how much you need and you know that you really need it and once you are that certain, the money has to come because you attract it. So don’t make decisions according to what you have or who you are. Make decisions according to what you want to have and who you want to be and the means will surely come once you are absolutely certain of what you want.

But it is impossible for you to have hope or faith that everything will turn out fine if you still have fear in you. Because fear is the opposite of faith, you can have only one of them present in your mind. You can get rid of fear, as I said earlier, by doing what you fear or you can do so by understanding the great universal law which is the law of cause and effect.

Many people use this law to their disadvantage. They complain and live in fear which is basically a negative cause, but for some reason they are surprised when a negative effect appears in their lives. So because of their constant complaining and fear they may be completely lonely or unsuccessful yet they fail to connect the dots of why this happened.

If you only create positive causes the effects will be only positive. So if you think positively, have a definite goal and constantly take action to achieve it, it would be impossible for you to get negative results because the cause was positive, so the effect will be positive too.

So it’s illogical to think that those people who do nothing and think that the world owes them a living would magically become successful. They won’t because they don’t create any value, they just take without giving. So the life of misery and failure is the price they are paying for such inactivity.

I remember when I used to work for a market research company (which was my last job ever). I absolutely hated it but I would never express that in conversations. I didn’t even think about that because I didn’t want to get stuck here. So there were far too many people who were dissatisfied with their lives. They would hate the work and and they would constantly complain.

One girl was always talking about how horrible the company director was to her but she forgot the fact that the company director hired her in the first place. Some people are so ungrateful and they feel that they are treated unfairly when they are the ones who treat others unfairly and they want better conditions without paying the price first.

Such people will never succeed unless they wake up to realise that it’s actually them that were wrong. And exactly these people, the ones that complain instead of changing something, would see a person who achieved his or her goals and would say “You are so lucky”.

They use it as an excuse so that they would feel better for their inaction. I get such people telling me too how lucky I am to work for myself. But they don’t realise that I wasn’t working for myself all the time. I changed myself because I realised that if I don’t change, my life will not change either! It’s logical when you think, yet so few stop and really think about it.

So I realised that if I want my life to change, I have to change myself first. So little by little I changed my bad habits, I removed my limiting beliefs and changed my thinking and this way I became a motivated person who can consistently take action and achieve goals.

So I wasn’t just born this way as many people think. I was definitely not lucky and my circumstances were not the best. There were so many people around me that had much better circumstances yet they were still unable to change.

Sometimes, to be honest, the feeling of comfort is your enemy when it comes to wanting to change. If you are comfortable now, it is harder, it’s much harder to change then if you are very uncomfortable. Because when you are uncomfortable you make the change a must whilst when you are in acceptable condition you are not as motivated to change.

So to have stronger desire to change you will need, as I said earlier, burn some bridges behind you. Get committed to your goal by telling people that you are going to achieve it, by doing something that will force you to change.

I’m not saying that you have to quit your job when you have zero income coming from your business, but when you start getting money quite consistently, that’s something I would definitely encourage you to do because that will give you extra kick to really try to make it, to create more value and get even more income as a result. So if there’s no one who gives you a push to change, burn some bridges to be forced to change.

You can change fast by creating immense value but usually you only start creating value when your back is against the wall. So this again comes to the necessity to burn some bridges.

Start creating value even if at first you contribute really little, don’t wait for something to happen for you to start taking action because you can wait for such happening till your death. So many people fool themselves by thinking that as soon as something happens, they will definitely start taking action towards their goals. Such excuses, for example, can be:

“As soon as I have more time, I will start my business.”

…but that is unlikely to happen of course!

Or a very usual excuse for people stuck in bad relationships is this:

“As soon as he would do this or that again, I will leave him.”

And that never happens either. So you either change now or you will never change. Don’t try to link some kind of future event to your change. Change because you don’t feel happy with where you are.

The quickest way to change your life is by changing someone else’s life. That I have definitely experienced. So if you are not happy where you are, try to create value for other people and that will get you out of where you are to where you want to be. When you create genuine value, people always reward you. But by genuine value I mean genuine value, I don’t mean to only create out of your need for a better life because that will not create value for others. You have to find out what other people need and provide a solution to their problems. That’s how you create value and that’s what will make you progress towards your goals.

There will always be a demand for good products and services, so don’t worry if there are many other people who have the same product. Don’t discourage yourself by listing all the reasons why your product or service cannot succeed. It must succeed if you provide enough value.

What I’ve noticed is that the more you serve, the more successful you become. But that also means that the more you want to serve, the more motivation you have to have. To develop motivation you have to have a definite goal you really care about. This will give you more than enough motivation to create value.

If you still don’t feel motivated even when you really know that you want to achieve that goal, here’s what you should do. You should ask why you want to achieve that particular goal. Because then you will be able to uncover what you really want.

       

You see, your goal is the means to achieve what you really desire. So you may uncover that you want to achieve your goal because you will get freedom or happiness as a result. Once this is done, list what else you will gain once you achieve your goal. Make as long list as possible, and this will motivate you to take massive action and get massive results.

Some people don’t set major goals at all because they unconsciously associate such goals with change and change in their minds means slow and painful progress. But that is a wrong way of thinking about change because change actually happens in an instant, it happens when you decide to change. That’s all it takes. So decide to change now and decide to create value and you will definitely get rewarded for that.

http://simonarich.com/achieve-goals-by-creating-value