Think And Grow Rich Summary
1-Sentence-Summary: Think And Grow Rich is a curation of the 13 most common habits of wealthy and successful people, distilled from studying over 500 individuals over the course of 20 years.
Favorite quote from the author:
Table of Contents
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Think and grow rich review, audio summary, who would i recommend the think and grow rich summary to.
If The Intelligent Investor is the bible for investing, then Think And Grow Rich is the bible for successful people in general. It’ll also make you rich , but not necessarily by picking stocks.
Published in 1937 by Napoleon Hill , this book has sold 70 million (!) copies to date. Yup, nothing beats the power of starting early . To contrast that, the last Harry Potter book has sold 50 million copies – impressive, huh?
Hill spent the majority of his life studying successful people and their habits, and the 13 most prevalent ones are the ones he shares in this book.
Here are the 3 that will get you the furthest:
- Use autosuggestion to build an unshakable belief in yourself.
- Be stubborn and always stick to your decisions.
- Join a Mastermind group to cut the learning curve.
Ready to absorb Mr. Hills mental fertilizer? Here we grow!
If you want to save this summary for later, download the free PDF and read it whenever you want.
Lesson 1: Use autosuggestion to build an unshakable belief in yourself.
Autosuggestion is a psychological technique developed in the early 20th century.
Basically, it makes use of the Placebo effect by turning your goals into self-fulfilling prophecies through imprinting them in your subconscious.
Hill says a key trait of all successful people is this absolutely incredible, unshakable belief that they have about themselves and their goals.
It’s not a result, more a necessary prerequisite, to become successful.
By telling yourself over and over and over again , that it is possible for you to achieve your goals, that you can make your dreams a reality, and that you have to go your own way and can’t let anyone interfere with it, you form these beliefs in your subconscious.
This builds not only the confidence you need to follow through on your actions, but also lets your goals seep into the unconscious part of your brain, until you automatically align all of your actions in a way that leads you towards your goals .
But what else can you use this belief that could move mountains for?
Lesson 2: Be stubborn and always stick to your decisions.
Maybe you could use it to become a little hardheaded. In fact, you should.
Hill quotes lack of determination as the most common reason for long-term failure.
Millionaires, on the other hand, make snap decisions, and then they stick to them .
Come hell or high water.
When Henry Ford decided the Model T would be his masterpiece, he knew this would be it for the long haul. In spite of people telling him to come up with a new model again and again, he stuck to his guns. How long did production run?
The first model was produced in August 1908 , and started the craze that turned into 15 million units total – the last of which was manufactured in 1927 – 19 years later .
Opinions are cheap. Everyone has one, and most people dispense them like they’re paper towels, only cluttering your mind with negative influences.
So be careful who you share your goals with, make it a set of trusted advisors, close friends and allies only – a mastermind maybe?
Lesson 3: Join a Mastermind group to accelerate your learning.
Yes, this is where this concept comes from and yes, it’s that old.
Napoleon Hill invented the Mastermind group as we know it today.
Millions of people use it (I’m in one as well), and with the internet, it’s become a worldwide phenomenon, as it’s gotten easier to hold a Mastermind session with people from around the globe.
Here’s how Hill defined a Mastermind group originally: “The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony.”
Today, most groups consist of 4 people, which are not necessarily working towards the exact same goal or at the same company, but who are in the same industry and share many problems, obstacles, as well as character traits.
However, groups can be of any size, the only rule being that each session must follow a specific agenda ( here’s the one we use ).
The main benefit is that by combining the brain power of two or more people to solve problems, the result is more than the sum of its parts.
There is a surplus from sharing experiences, ideas and skills that could never be achieved if each person worked on their stuff alone, and that’s why Masterminds are so powerful.
I highly recommend you start one, you can find groups all over Facebook and online. Simply use Google Hangouts to run your sessions and then create a protocol for each meeting that you share with all members.
It’s really hard to pick 3 things from 13, especially because they’re all important, but I think I did a good job. When you read the summary, you might think “Well, this is a lot of good advice, but it’s all generic.”
That’s true, but always keep in mind when the book was published. Imagine being a 1937 factory worker or coal miner, and then getting your hands on this book – the insights were mind-blowing at the time.
I find it astonishing that you could read this book or the set of blinks for it and know everything you ever need to become successful, as long as you instantly start to execute the ideas in it.
Hats off Mr. Hill, you’ve done a great job at watering all the human plants you found in your lifetime and those of generations to come. Think And Grow Rich is a no-brainer, read the summary and insta-order the book – you can thank me later 🙂
Listen to the audio of this summary with a free reading.fm account:
The 16 year old, who doesn’t get a lot of positive affirmation at home and wants to develop confidence herself, the 47 year old entrepreneur, who runs a successful business, but can’t find himself sticking to decisions, and anyone who’s never been part of a Mastermind session.
Last Updated on July 28, 2022
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Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill [Book Summary & PDF]
Home » Blog » Book Summaries » Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill [Book Summary & PDF]
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill examines the psychological power of thought and the brain in the process of furthering your career for both monetary and personal satisfaction. Originally published in 1937, this is one of the all-time self-help classics and a must read for investors and entrepreneurial types.
DOWNLOAD THINK AND GROW RICH PDF FOR FREE!
INTRODUCTION
Who is this book for.
Despite the book’s title, this book is not about how to increase your income and become rich. The author’s philosophy can help just about anyone succeed in their professional life, achieve their aspirations, and attract success in their life, but it’s definitely a must-read for investors and entrepreneurs.
About the author
Napoleon Hill was an American author in the area of the new thought movement, who was one of the earliest producers of the modern genre of personal-success literature and is widely considered to be one of the great writers on success. Hill's works examined the power of personal beliefs, and the role they play in personal success. He became an advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933 to 1936.
In this summary
Think And Grow Rich (1937) is one of the best-selling books of all time. It examines the psychological power of thought and the brain in the process of furthering your career for both monetary and personal satisfaction. Enjoy the summary of this all-time self-help classic!
BOOK SUMMARY
Towards success consciousness.
“You are the master of your fate, the captain of your soul.” Click To Tweet
Think And Grow Rich is a state of mind. It exploits the power of thought to manifest strong desires and a definite purpose into reality. Turning your all-consuming obsession (definite purpose) into a reality is not an easy task. However, if the desire is strong and you’re willing to raise the stakes, you will win. The author projects the following formula:
Desire + Ideas + Plans + Massive Action = Success
Start with your goal. What do you really want? A better job? To succeed in your current career? To work for a business leader who inspires you?
To achieve that goal, shifting your thinking from failure consciousness to success consciousness is the key. For this to happen, the question ‘how do I get a job?’ needs to change into ‘what can I give to a job?’, and ‘how do I get more dollars per hour?’ into ‘how do I give more energy, desire, focus?’
To get from where you are to where you want to be, the author highlights:
“Never quit. Never give up. Focus. Seek help. Make new connections. Take different approaches. Seek additional resources to help you improve your job search skills. Persist and find people who can help you to achieve your goals.”
The Turning Point Of Achievement
What do you desire above everything else? A powerful desire towards achieving a goal uses a combination of two types of motivation:
- Pull motivations (the outcome of the goal is so favourable, that it pulls you towards the goal)
- Push motivations (you are pushed to action because of the negative consequences of not taking action)
The author provides the mindset for 5 key areas of Desire:
Going from ‘what do I get?’ to ‘how will I grow?’ requires shifting from ego-driven concerns (title, salary, benefits etc.) to growth opportunities within the company and position.
To lead, first, you need to follow and learn from an existing leader. How would it affect your career if you became an apprentice to someone at the top of your field that you admire?
This is a series of steps that the author suggests for money-based desires.
- Be definite as to the amount of money or type of job.
- Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire.
- Establish a definite date when you intend to attain the money you desire.
- Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once.
- Write out a clear, concise statement of the amount of money you intend to acquire, name the time limit, state what you intend to give in return, and describe the plan through which you plan to accumulate it.
- Read your written statement aloud, twice daily.
Look for lessons within failure and examine them without the emotional attachment of why something has failed. Use failure as a growth opportunity towards greater accomplishments.
“Every failure brings with it the seed of an equivalent success.” Click To Tweet
Others People’s Desires
By helping the owner of a company or a manager achieve their goals (as an employee or freelancer), you also advance your own goals, because you progressively start excelling at the area of interest (provided this area is aligned with your own goals).
Visualisation & Belief In Attainment Of Desire
“Your own success or failure is based largely on your self-belief, and a mind-set of positive expectancy is the foundation of which your success can be achieved.”
Faith is the starting point of success and the glue that holds it all together. As a state of mind, faith can be induced or created through affirmations or repeated instructions to the subconscious mind. By encouraging positive emotions and eliminating negative emotions (such as doubt, denial, and fear), faith can be a useful tool in various ways:
- It is an antidote for failure.
- By believing in yourself, others will believe in you, too.
- Employers seek successful, confident people who can make a positive impact.
To summon faith in the form of self-confidence, the author suggests that you sign your name to a statement, which you should be repeating daily towards subconsciously influencing your thoughts and actions. This statement should include affirmations that acknowledge certain things about yourself:
- That you have the ability to achieve your purpose.
- That you promise to take action.
- That you understand that your thoughts will gradually transform into a physical reality.
- That you promise to dedicate time to ensuring that these thoughts become real.
- That you understand the importance of self-confidence and promise to spend 10 minutes a day working on this.
- That you will never stop trying to achieve your goals.
- That you are willing to serve others, and in turn will get others to serve you.
Find examples of people who are where you want to be (career-, money-, influence-wise, you name it), use their examples as a way to keep your faith strong, and remind yourself that your desire is possible to attain.
3. AUTO-SUGGESTION
The medium for influencing the subconscious.
The principle of auto-suggestion communicates our desires directly to the subconscious mind in a spirit of unshakable faith.
Through routine repetition of our conscious thoughts and desires (as mentioned in the ritual of the “Faith” section above) to ourselves, we can regain absolute control over the material which reaches our subconscious mind, exercising control over our decisions, feelings, and actions.
4. SPECIALISED KNOWLEDGE
Personal experience or observations.
For our desires to translate into monetary, career, or another kind of success (which we’ve picked in the “Desire” step), we are first required to have specialised knowledge of the service, product, or profession of which we intend to offer in return for fortune.
Notably, this specialised knowledge doesn’t have to be in your possession already. Knowing how to purchase or rent knowledge is a popular way of fulfilling this step. Courses, seminars, books (or summaries!), industry conferences, they all improve your odds of acquiring the much-needed specialised knowledge for yourself.
Working with knowledgeable people (“renting knowledge”) is the other – equally powerful – side of the spectrum. Lifelong learning is obviously necessary for an ambitious person to keep up with all the latest developments in their field.
5. IMAGINATION
The workshop of the mind.
Ideas are products of and given a shape or form through imagination.
“Humans can create anything they can imagine.”
The author mentions two types of imagination. Synthetic imagination:
this faculty includes arranging old concepts, ideas or plans into new combinations. And creative imagination: this faculty is where ideas come from (“infinite intelligence”) and “hunches” and “inspirations are received.
To make the best use of your imagination towards achieving your big goal, come up with a list of ideas that will both inspire you and allow you to best utilise your talents.
6. ORGANISED PLANNING
The crystallisation of desire into action.
Simply hoping to succeed at your goal is not the answer. Every achievement starts with a strong desire, workshopped to reality through imagination, followed by an organised plan.
No plan is perfect. When you execute your plan, you will likely experience a temporary defeat. The best way to approach defeat is to simply accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound. Rebuild your plans and keep pursuing your goal, armed with the knowledge of your previous failures.
Don’t give up before you reach your goal, because quitters do not get to see their long-term plans come to fruition.
7. DECISION
The mastery of procrastination.
“Tell the world what you intend to do, but first show it freedom or death on a decision.”
People who fail to succeed, without exception, reach decisions, if at all, very slowly, and change their minds quickly and often. Successful people reach decisions promptly and definitely, changing their mind slowly. They know what they want and, generally, get it. Definiteness of decision always requires courage. Procrastination, the opposite of decision, is a common enemy which practically every person must conquer.
8. PERSISTENCE
The sustained effort necessary to induce faith.
Lack of persistence is one of the major causes of failure. It can be conquered but this depends entirely upon the intensity of one’s desire – weak desires bring weak results. The basis of persistence is the power of will, and it’s also influenced by other factors, such as:
- Definiteness of purpose
- Self-reliance
- Definiteness of plans
- Accurate knowledge
- Co-operation
Which of the aforementioned factors are you lacking, which might be hindering your persistence? On the contrary, lack of persistence begets the following symptoms:
- Procrastination
- Lack of interest
- Self-satisfaction
- Indifference
- Weakness of desire
- Willingness to quit
- Lack of organised plans
- Wishing instead of willing
- Searching for shortcuts
- Fear of criticism
So, how does one develop persistence?
The author suggests the following 4 steps:
- Develop a definite purpose, backed by a burning desire for its fulfillment.
- Build a definite plan, expressed in continuous action.
- Keep out all negative and discouraging influences.
- Stay accountable to people who will encourage you to follow through your plan and purpose.
9. POWER OF THE MASTERMIND
The driving force.
A mastermind is having a team of people in place, whose job it is to help you succeed and carry out your plans. Who could be in your team and how could you form one in the next 30 days? Nobody can acquire great power and succeed without the power of a mastermind. According to the author:
“No two minds ever come together without, thereby, creating a third, invisible, intangible force which may be likened to a third mind”.
The goal of a mastermind is to convert knowledge into power, by organising it into definite plans, and then translating plans into action.
10. TRANSMUTATION OF SEX
Converting sex into a highly creative outlet.
Sex has three constructive potentialities:
- Perpetuation of mankind
- Maintenance of health
- Transformation of mediocrity into genius through transmuting
The desire for sex is the most powerful of human desires. Its motivating force brings keenness of imagination, courage, will-power, persistence and creative ability unknown to people at other times.
Sexual drive (the thoughts of physical expression) can be transmuted into highly creative and productive outlets, used as a powerful force for success, or, of course, the accumulation of riches. It requires the exercise of will-power, but the reward is worth the effort.
11. SUBCONSCIOUS MIND
The connecting link.
The subconscious mind is the connecting link between the finite mind of a human and infinite intelligence.
The subconscious mind can be used as a medium for transmuting your desires into their physical or monetary equivalent. However, if you fail to plant your own desires into it, as a result of your neglect, it will feed upon any thoughts that reach it.
To gain control over your subconscious mind, form the habit of applying and using to your advantage the following 7 major positive emotions: Desire, Faith, Love, Sex, Enthusiasm, Romance, Hope.
The mere presence of a single negative emotion in your conscious mind might be sufficient to destroy all chances of constructive aid from your subconscious mind. The 7 major negative emotions to avoid are; Fear, Jealousy, Hatred, Revenge, Greed, Superstition, Anger.
Eventually, the positive emotions will dominate your mind completely, so that the negative ones cannot enter.
12. THE BRAIN
A broadcasting and receiving station for thought.
Every human brain is both a broadcasting and receiving station for the vibration of thought.
The subconscious mind is the “sending station” of the brain, through which vibrations of thought are broadcast.
The creative imagination is the “receiving set,” through which the vibrations of thought are picked up from the ether.
When stimulated (“stepped up”) to a high rate of vibration, the mind becomes more receptive to the vibration of thought. This “stepping up” takes place through positive or negative emotions.
Vibrations of an exceedingly high rate are the only vibrations picked up and carried, by the ether, from one brain to another.
13. THE SIXTH SENSE
The door to the temple of wisdom.
The understanding of the sixth sense comes only by meditation, through mind development from within.
Once you’ve mastered the sixth sense, you will be able to receive warnings about impending dangers in time to avoid them and get notified of opportunities in time to embrace them.
However, the sixth sense will never function if indecision, doubt, and fear remain in your mind. They are closely related: indecision crystallises into doubt, and the two blend to become the end result, fear.
The 6 basic fears are; Poverty, Criticism, Ill Health, Loss of love, Old age, Death. However, there’s also a 7th ‘enemy’: susceptibility to negative influences.
To shield yourself from this enemy, like all people who accumulate great riches, you have to:
- Put your willpower into constant use, until you build immunity against negative influences in your own mind,
- Deliberately seek the company of people who influence you to think and act from a positive standpoint, and
- Use your willpower to gain control over your thoughts and influence your subconscious mind.
Fear is just a state of mind. It is subject to control and direction. Use this knowledge to your advantage.
“Man’s thought impulses begin immediately to translate themselves into their physical equivalent, whether those thoughts are voluntary or involuntary.”
Key takeaways
- The book exploits the power of thought to manifest strong desires and a definite purpose into reality.
- Faith is the glue that holds it all together.
- Every achievement starts with a strong desire, workshopped to reality through imagination, followed by an organised plan.
- Successful people reach decisions promptly and definitely, changing their mind slowly.
- Lack of persistence is one of the major causes of failure.
- To acquire great power & succeed, you need the help of a mastermind.
- Sexual drive, transmuted into creative and productive outlets, can be a powerful force for success.
- Fear is just a state of mind. It is subject to control and direction.
Further reading
How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie. As relevant as ever before, Dale Carnegie's principles endure and will help you achieve your maximum potential in the complex and competitive modern age.
If you are interested in the money side of things, Rich Dad Poor Dad is a really interesting perspective on lessons learned from a Rich Man and a Poor Man. This book by Robert T Kiyosaki includes helpful tips on how to translate these lessons into real life and become rich yourself!
Guidelines is my eBook that summarises the main lessons from 33 of the best-selling self-help books in one place. It is the ultimate book summary; Available as an 80-page ebook and 115-minute audiobook. Guidelines lists 31 rules (or guidelines) that you should follow to improve your productivity, become a better leader, do better in business, improve your health, succeed in life and become a happier person.
Action Steps
- Think about your burning desire you seek to accomplish.
- Create a definite plan to carry out and set a deadline for it.
- Form a mastermind of people to hold you accountable.
- Download the complete book on Amazon.
This summary is not intended as a replacement for the original book and all quotes are credited to the above-mentioned author and publisher.
Posted: 19/04/2019 By: Paul Minors
With: 20 Comments
# Mindset
Sam Thomas Davies
Think and Grow Rich by Napolen Hill
Print | Audiobook | Get My Searchable Collection of 100+ Book Notes
Rating: 4/5
The Book in Three Sentences
- Napoleon Hill researched more than forty millionaires to find out what made them the men that they were.
- In Think and Grow Rich, he imparts that knowledge to you.
- Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.
The Five Big Ideas
- The starting point of all achievement is desire.
- You are the master of your destiny.
- When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.
- Your greatest success will often come just one step beyond the point at which defeat has overtaken you.
- Set your mind on a definite goal and observe how quickly the world stands aside to let you pass.
Want a Free Copy of My Summary?
Think and grow rich summary.
Bob Proctor has formed the habit of reading a few lines from Think and Grow Rich every day and has arrived at the conclusion that whatever challenge he may face, his solution will be found in the pages of Think and Grow Rich.
Another habit Proctor has formed that he would urge the reader to follow is to read the chapter on “Persistence” every day for 30 days at least twice a year.
“Don’t wait. The time will never be right.”
“Thoughts are things—and powerful things at that when they are mixed with definiteness of purpose, persistence, and a burning desire for their translation into riches or other material objects.”
Hill learned from years of experience with men that when a man really desires a thing so deeply that he is willing to stake his entire future on a single turn of the wheel in order to get it, he is sure to win.
“What a different story people would have to tell if only they would adopt a definite purpose and stand by that purpose until it had time to become an all-consuming obsession.”
“Opportunity has a sly habit of slipping in by the back door, often disguised in the form of misfortune or temporary defeat which why so many fail to recognize opportunity.”
“An intangible impulse of thought can be ‘transmuted’ into its physical counterpart.”
Know what you want and have the determination to stand by that desire until you realize it.
“One of the most common causes of failure is the habit of quitting when one is overtaken by temporary defeat.”
Before success comes into your life, you are sure to be met with much temporary defeat and, perhaps, some failure.
More than 500 of the most successful individuals this country has ever known told Hill that their greatest success came just one step beyond the point at which defeat had overtaken them.
“When riches begin to come, they come so quickly, in such great abundance, that one wonders where they have been hiding all those years.”
One of the main weaknesses of the human race is the average person’s familiarity with the word “impossible.”
A great many years ago Hill purchased a dictionary. The first thing he did with it was turn to the word “impossible” and neatly clip it out of the book. Hill advises you to do the same.
Another weakness found in many people is the habit of measuring everything and everyone by their own impressions and beliefs.
“When poet William Ernest Henley wrote the prophetic lines, ‘I am the Master of my Fate, I am the Captain of my Soul,’ he should have informed us that we are the Masters of our Fate, the Captains of our Souls, because we have the power to control our thoughts.”
“A burning desire to be and to do is the starting point from which the dreamer must take off. Dreams are not born of indifference, laziness, or lack of ambition.”
“Those who win in any undertaking must be willing to burn their ships and cut all sources of retreat. Only by so doing can one be sure of maintaining that state of mind known as a burning desire to win, which is essential to success.”
“Wishing will not bring riches. 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.”
The method by which desire for riches can be transmuted into its financial equivalent consists of six definite, practical actions.
- 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.”
- Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire. (There is no such reality as “something for nothing.”)
- Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money you desire.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
You can never have riches in great quantities unless you can work yourself into a white heat of desire for money and actually believe you will possess it.
“If you do not see great riches in your imagination, you will never see them in your bank balance.”
“If the thing you wish to do is right and you believe in it, go ahead and do it. Put your dream across, and never mind what ‘they’ say if you meet with temporary defeat, for ‘they’ perhaps do not know that every failure brings with it the seed of an equivalent success.”
“You may have been disappointed, you may have suffered setbacks and defeat during hard economic times, you may have felt the great heart within you crushed until it bled. Take courage, for these experiences have tempered the spiritual metal of which you are made—they are assets of incomparable value.”
All who succeed in life get off to a bad start and pass through many heartbreaking struggles before they “arrive.”
“No one ever is defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality.”
“There is a difference between wishing for a thing and being ready to receive it. You are never ready for a thing until you believe you can acquire it.”
“No more effort is required to aim high in life, to demand abundance and prosperity, than is required to accept misery and poverty.”
“Nothing is impossible to the person who backs desire with enduring faith.”
“All achievement, no matter what may be its nature or its purpose, must begin with an intense, burning desire for something definite.”
“Faith is a state of mind which may be induced by autosuggestion.”
“Faith is a state of mind which may be induced, or created, by affirmations or repeated instructions to the subconscious mind, through the principle of autosuggestion.”
“Repetition or affirmation of orders to your subconscious mind is the only method of voluntary development of the emotion of faith.”
“All thoughts which have been emotionalized (given feeling) and mixed with faith begin immediately to translate themselves into their physical equivalent or counterpart.”
“Each of us is what we are because of the dominating thoughts which we permit to occupy our mind.”
“Any idea, plan, or purpose may be placed in the mind through repetition of thought.”
“Your subconscious mind recognizes and acts only upon thoughts which have been well-mixed with emotion or feeling.”
“When visualizing (with closed eyes) the money you intend to accumulate, see yourself rendering the service or delivering the merchandise you intend to give in return for this money.
“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 $500,000 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 sales representative.”
Your written statement of your purpose should be similar to the following:
By the first day of January, [here state the year], I will have in my possession $500,000, 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 selling…. (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.
“Repeat this program night and morning until you can clearly visualize (in your imagination) the money you intend to accumulate.”
“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.”
“There are two kinds of knowledge. One is general; the other, specialized. General knowledge, no matter how great in quantity or variety it may be, is of but little use in the accumulation of money.”
“Knowledge is only potential power. It becomes power only when, and if, it is organized into definite plans of action and directed to a definite end.”
“The individual who can organize and direct a Mastermind Group of people who possess knowledge useful in the accumulation of money is just as educated as anyone in the group. Remember that if you suffer from a feeling of inferiority because your schooling has been limited.”
“Your major purpose in life, the goal toward which you are working, will help determine what knowledge you need.”
“As knowledge is acquired, it must be organized and put into use, for a definite purpose, through practical plans. Knowledge has no value except that which can be gained from its application toward some worthy end.”
“Successful people, in all callings, never stop acquiring specialized knowledge related to their major purpose, business, or profession.”
“The person who stops studying merely because he or she has finished school is forever hopelessly doomed to mediocrity, no matter what that person’s calling.”
“The way of success is the way of continuous pursuit of knowledge.”
“We rise to high positions or remain at the bottom because of conditions we can control if we desire to control them.”
“Anybody can wish for riches, and most people do, but only a few know that a definite plan, plus a burning desire for wealth, are the only dependable means of accumulating wealth.”
“The only limitation is that which one sets up in one’s own mind.”
“Ideas can be transmuted into cash through the power of definite purpose, plus definite plans.”
“Riches, when they come in huge quantities, are never the result of hard work. Riches come, if they come at all, in response to definite demands, based upon the application of definite principles, and not by chance or luck.”
“Success requires no apologies. Failure permits no alibis.”
“Your achievement can be no greater than your plans are sound.”
“No follower of this philosophy can reasonable expect to accumulate a fortune without experiencing temporary defeat.”
“When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.”
“A quitter never wins—and a winner never quits.”
“A follower cannot reasonably expect the compensation to which a leader is entitled, although many followers make the mistake of expecting such pay.”
“Most great leaders began in the capacity of followers. They became great leaders because they were intelligent followers.”
“The person who can follow a leader most efficiently is usually the one who develops into leadership most rapidly.”
“An intelligent follower has many advantages, among them the opportunity to acquire knowledge from his or her leader.”
“Most people go through life as failures because they habitually wait for the “time to be right” to start doing something worthwhile.”
“Before you even start to negotiate for a readjustment of your salary in your present position or seek employment elsewhere, be sure that you are worth more than you receive.”
“Many people mistake their wants for their just dues.”
“Genuine wisdom is usually conspicuous through modesty and silence.”
“Riches do not respond to wishes. They respond only to definite plans, backed by definite desires, through constant persistence.”
“When a group of individual brains are coordinated and function in harmony, the increased energy created through that alliance becomes available to every individual brain in the group.”
“The years between 40 and 50 are, as a rule, the most fruitful. Individuals should approach this age not with fear and trembling, but with hope and eager anticipation.”
“Positive and negative emotions cannot occupy the mind at the same time.”
The Seven Major Positive Emotions:
The Seven Major Negative Emotions (To be avoided):
- Superstition
Recommended Reading
If you like Think and Grow Rich , you may also enjoy the following books:
- Awaken the Giant Within by Anthony Robbins
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
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A Quick Guide to Think and Grow Rich
Inspiration behind the book.
Napoleon Hill, then a young special investigator for a nationally known business magazine, was sent to interview Andrew Carnegie. During that interview, Carnegie slyly dropped a hint of a certain master power he used—a magic law of the human mind, a little-known psychological principle—that was amazing in its power. Carnegie suggested to Hill that upon that principle he could build the philosophy of all personal success—whether it be measured in terms of money, power, position, prestige, influence, or the accumulation of wealth. That part of the interview never made it into Hill’s magazine, but it did launch the young author on a research journey that lasted twenty years. Think and Grow Rich is the result of Hill’s study of over five hundred self-made millionaires—a condensed, accessible explanation of his Law of Success philosophy, which includes thirteen steps to riches (financial, emotional, and spiritual).
Chapter Summaries
Desire: The Starting Point of All Achievement
Wishing your desires will materialize will not bring you riches. To attain any goal, you must have a burning desire, combined with belief you will possess it, backed by definiteness of purpose—the firm knowledge of what one wants. Hill details six steps for turning your desires into reality.
Faith: Visualization of, and Belief in the Attainment of Desire
Through affirmations or repeated suggestions to the subconscious, you can develop the emotion of faith, which is necessary to transmuting your desires into their physical or monetary equivalent.
Auto-suggestion: The Medium for Influencing the Subconscious Mind
Auto-suggestion refers to the use of self-directed communication and self-administered stimuli to channel thoughts from the conscious mind to the seat of the subconscious. Because the conscious mind often acts as a barrier to sensory impressions, auto-suggestion must be used to create thought patterns conducive to translating your desires into their physical equivalent.
Specialized Knowledge: Personal Experiences or Observations
General knowledge, or that typically taught in schools, will not help you accumulate riches, nor will specialized knowledge on its own. Rather, you must learn how to organize and use knowledge after you acquire it. If you lack the specialized knowledge necessary to build your business or attain your goals, you can supplement your own knowledge with that of other individuals by forming a “Master Mind” group.
Imagination: The Workshop of the Mind
The imagination is the unique faculty of humankind that shapes, forms, and gives action to desire. Hill distinguishes between two modes by which the imagination functions: the synthetic imagination , which does not create but rather arranges old concepts, ideas, or plans into new combinations; and the creative imagination , which, when stimulated by strong desire, picks up thought vibrations from other humans and from the ether, connects with Infinite Intelligence, and develops new ideas.
Organized Planning: The Crystallization of Desire into Action
In order to translate desire into its physical or monetary equivalent, you must form a definite, practical plan and put it into action. This chapter details how to build plans and ensure they are functioning to your advantage.
Decision: The Mastery of Procrastination
Procrastination and indecisiveness are major causes of failure. Men and women of great wealth, on the other hand, share in common the ability to reach definite decisions quickly and change their minds slowly. This chapter teaches you how not to be swayed by the opinions of others but instead to keep your own counsel (and that of your Master Mind group) so that you make firm, productive decisions that ensure your success.
Persistence: The Sustained Effort Necessary to Induce Faith
Most people will throw in the towel at the first sign of opposition. However, willpower, combined with desire, is necessary to ensure that one’s objectives are reached. Hill provides four steps for cultivating the habit of persistence, your insurance against failure.
Power of the Master Mind: The Driving Force
Individuals can attain and apply power through the formation of a Master Mind group, an alliance of individuals with different strengths and perspectives who coordinate their knowledge and efforts to attain a definite purpose. Master Mind groups bring both economic advantages (riches) as well as psychic benefits (a cosmic harmony that generates a “third mind,” or spiritual unit of energy operating at a higher frequency).
The Mystery of Sex Transmutation
Sex transmutation entails the channeling of carnal desires and their corresponding energies into other outlets than those that are purely physical—namely, creative ones. A correlative to this principle is the importance of selecting a compatible partner.
The Subconscious Mind: The Connecting Link
Hill describes the subconscious mind as the intermediary between the finite mind of man and Infinite Intelligence that enables humans to tap into the forces of the Universal Mind. He emphasizes that it alone is the medium for translating mental impulses into their spiritual and physical equivalents.
The Brain: A Broadcasting and Receiving Station for Thought
Hill writes, “Through the medium of the ether, in a fashion similar to that employed by the radio broadcasting principle, every human brain is capable of picking up vibrations of thought which are being released by other brains.” In this chapter, he explains the process by which the mind is stimulated by external vibrations and supplies a method for using emotions to increase the mind’s receptivity to these sensory stimuli.
The Sixth Sense: The Door to the Temple of Wisdom
The Sixth Sense refers to the faculty of the subconscious also termed the Creative Imagination by which humans, through no effort of their own, receive communications from Infinite Intelligence. Hill calls this principle the “apex” of his Law of Success philosophy, for it can be comprehended and applied only after mastering the first twelve principles.
How to Outwit the Six Ghosts of Fear
In order to implement these thirteen success principles, you have to prepare your mind to receive the philosophy. The first step to prime your psyche is to study, analyze, and understand the three enemies you’ll have to defeat: indecision, doubt, and fear. This chapter outlines and explains the cure to the six basic fears that, although often hidden in the subconscious, hold humans back in their pursuit of riches: the fear of poverty, the fear of criticism, the fear of ill health, the fear of loss of love, the fear of old age, and the fear of death.
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Think and Grow Rich
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3 Sentence Summary
After an interview with America’s steel industrialist Andrew Carnegie, Napoleon Hill was inspired to investigate the psychology of success. 20 years later, the result of that quest was this literary classic that kickstarted a boom in the genre of self-help. If you can look past some of the anachronistic language and examples, this book is still a sure source of inspiration that deserves to be revisited time and again.
5 Key Takeaways
- Every major achievement begins with the intense belief in one’s ability to accomplish it.
- You are who you think you are. Encourage positive thoughts and eliminate fear and doubt.
- Knowledge is only as good as the plans you have to use it.
- Persistence is insurance against failure.
- Make decisions quickly and do not be easily swayed by the negative opinions of other people.
Think and Grow Rich Summary
Please Note
The following book summary is a collection of my notes and highlights taken straight from the book. Most of them are direct quotes. Some are paraphrases. Very few are my own words.
These notes are informal. I try to organize them by chapter. But I pick and choose ideas to include at my discretion.
Introduction
- “Thoughts are things,” and powerful things at that, when they are mixed with definiteness of purpose, persistence, and burning desire.
- When one is truly ready for a thing, it puts in its appearance.
- Opportunity has a sly habit of slipping in by the back door, and often it comes disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat. Perhaps this is why so many fail to recognize opportunity.
- You don’t need anything more than to know what you want and the determination to stand by that desire until you realize it.
- One of the most common causes of failure is the habit of quitting when one is overtaken by temporary defeat.
- Failure takes great delight in tripping on when success is almost within reach.
- The better portion of all sales I have made were made after people had said, “No.”
- When you begin to think and grow rich, you will observe that riches begin with a state of mind, with definiteness of purpose, with little or no hard work.
- Success comes to those who become success conscious.
- Failure comes to those who indifferently allow themselves to become failure conscious.
- A common weakness is the habit of measuring everything, and everyone, by your own impressions and beliefs.
1) Desire: The Starting Point of All Achievement
- Leave yourself no possible way of retreat. Make it a do or die situation.
- Every person who wins in any undertaking must be willing to burn his ships and cut all sources of retreat. Only by so doing can one be sure of maintaining that state of mind known as a burning desire to win, essential to success.
- Wishing will not bring riches. 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.
- If you do not see great riches in your imagination, you will never see them in your bank balance.
- Those who are afraid of new ideas are doomed before they start.
- A burning desire to be, and to be is the starting point from which the dreamer must take off.
- There is a difference between wishing for a thing and being ready to receive it. No one is ready for a thing, until he believes he can acquire it. The state of mind must be belief, not mere hope or wish. Open-mindedness is essential for belief. Closed minds do not inspire faith, courage, and belief.
- All achievement, no matter what may be its nature, or its purpose, must begin with an intense, burning desire for something definite.
6 Steps to Turn Desire Into Riches (Or Accomplish Any Goal)
- Define the exact amount of money you desire.
- Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire.
- Establish a definite day when you intend to possess the money you desire.
- Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire. Begin at once, whether you are ready or not.
- Write out a clear, concise statement of your plans for #1-4 above.
- Read your written statement aloud, twice daily.
2) Faith: Visualization Of, and Belief in Attainment of Desire
- Repetition of affirmation of orders to your subconscious mind is the only known method of voluntary development of the emotion of faith.
- You may benefit, by passing on to your subconscious mind, any desire which you wish translated into its physical, or monetary equivalent, in a state of expectancy or belief that the transmutation will actually take place.
- The mind comes to take on the nature of the influences which dominate it.
- It is essential to encourage positive emotions and eliminate the negative.
- Faith is the “eternal elixir” which gives life, power, and action to the impulse of thought.
- Faith is the antidote for failure.
- Every man is what he is, because of the dominating thoughts which he permits to occupy his mind.
- Be careful of your thoughts. The subconscious mind will turn into reality a thought driven by fear just as readily as it will translate a thought driven by courage, or faith.
Self-Confidence Formula
- Believe in your ability to achieve your goal. Therefore, demand persistent, continuous action toward its attainment.
- Realize that your thoughts generate action. Concentrate 30 minutes each day on the task of thinking of the person you intend to become. Create a clear mental picture of achieving your goal.
- Any desire that you persistently hold in your mind will eventually seek expression through some practical means. Therefore, devote ten minutes daily to demanding of yourself the development of self-confidence.
- Clearly write down a description of your goal.
- Realize that no wealth or position can long endure, unless built upon truth and justice. Therefore, I will work for the good of others. Others will believe in me because I believe in myself.
3) Auto-Suggestion: The Medium for Influencing the Subconscious Mind
- Plain, unemotional words do not influence the subconscious mind.
- The subconscious mind takes any orders given it in a spirit of absolute faith, and acts upon those orders, although the orders often have to be repeated over and over again.
4) Specialized Knowledge: Personal Experiences of Observations
- General knowledge is little use in the accumulation of money.
- Knowledge is not power. Knowledge is potential power. It becomes power only when, and if, it is organized into definite plans of action, and directed to a definite end.
- The accumulation of great fortunes calls for power, and power is acquired through highly organized and intelligently directed specialized knowledge, but that knowledge does not, necessarily have to be in the possession of the man who accumulates the fortune.
- As knowledge is acquired it must be organized and put into use, for a definite purpose, through practical plans.
- Those who are not successful usually make the mistake of believe that the knowledge acquiring period ends when one finishes school.
- School merely paves the way to learning how to acquire practical knowledge.
- The person who stops studying merely because he has finished school is forever hopelessly doomed to mediocrity, no matter what may be his calling. The way of success is the way of continuous pursuit of knowledge.
- Both success and failure are largely the results of habit.
5) Imagination: The Workshop of the Mind
- Man’s only limitation, within reason, lies in his development and use of his imagination.
- Your imagination improves the more you use it.
- Plans of action must be formed with the aid of imagination.
- Riches do not come by hard work and honesty alone. They come in response to definite demands, based upon the application of definite principles, and not by chance or luck.
- An idea is an impulse of thought that impels action, by an appeal to the imagination.
- The story of practically every great fortune starts with the day when a creator of ideas and a seller of ideas got together and worked in harmony.
6) Organized Planning: The Crystallization of Desire Into Action
- No individual has sufficient experience, education, native ability, and knowledge to insure the accumulation of a great fortune, without the cooperation of other people.
- Keep reworking your plan until you find something that works. Be persistent.
- Temporary defeat is not permanent failure. It may only mean that your plans have not been sound. Build other plans. Start all over again.
- No man is ever whipped, until he quits—in his own mind.
- A quitter never wins—and—a winner never quits.
- Most men become great leaders because they were first intelligent followers.
- The man who can follow a leader most efficiently is usually the man who develops into leadership most rapidly.
How to Build Practical Plans
- Ally yourself with a group of as many people as you need to create and carry out your plans.
- Decide what advantages, and benefits, you may offer the individual members of your group, in return for their cooperation.
- Arrange to meet with this group at least twice a week, and more often if possible, until you have created your plan.
- Maintain perfect harmony between yourself and every member of your group.
Important Factors 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 detail.
- Willingness to assume full responsibility.
- Cooperation.
10 Causes of Failure in Leadership
- Inability to organize details.
- Unwillingness to render humble service.
- Expectation of pay for what they “know” instead of what they do with that which they know.
- Fear of competition from followers.
- Lack of imagination.
- Selfishness.
- Intemperance.
- Disloyalty.
- Emphasis of the “authority” of leadership.
- Emphasis of title.
8 Elements of A Good Job Application
- Level of education
- Relevant experience
- Former employers, teachers, or other prominent people
- Picture of yourself
- Apply for a specific position
- State your unique qualifications for that position
- Your confidence in your ability to fill the position
- Your confidence in your prospective employer’s decision to employ you after the trial period
- Your determination to have the position you seek
- Knowledge of your prospective employer’s business
How to Get the Exact Position You Desire
- Decide exactly what kind of job you want. If it doesn’t exist, maybe you can create it.
- Choose the company, or individual for whom you wish to work.
- Study your prospective employer, as to policies, personnel, and chances of advancement.
- Figure out what you can offer and plan ways and means of giving these advantages.
- Forget about “a job.” Concentrate on what you can give.
- Put you plan to provide value on paper.
- Present your plan to the proper person with authority. Every company has room for the man who has a definite plan of action which is to the advantage of that company.
30 Major Causes of Failure
- Unfavorable hereditary background.
- Lack of a well-defined purpose in life.
- Lack of ambition to aim above mediocrity.
- Insufficient education.
- Lack of self-discipline.
- Bad health.
- Unfavorable environmental influences during childhood.
- Procrastination.
- Lack of persistence.
- Negative personality.
- Lack of controlled sexual urge.
- Uncontrolled desire for “something for nothing.”
- Lack of a well defined power of decision.
- One or more of the six basic fears.
- Wrong selection of a mate in marriage.
- Over-caution.
- Wrong selection of associates in business.
- Superstition and prejudice.
- Wrong selection of a vocation.
- Lack o concentration of effort.
- The habit of indiscriminate spending.
- Lack of enthusiasm.
- Intolerance.
- Inability to cooperate with others.
- Possession of power that was not acquired through self effort.
- Intentional dishonesty.
- Egotism and vanity.
- Guessing instead of thinking.
- Lack of capital.
28 Questions You Should Answer Each Year
- Have I reached any of my goals?
- Have I done my best work?
- Have I done the most that I could do?
- Have I been cooperative and fun to work with?
- Have I procrastinated?
- Have I improved my personality?
- Have I been persistent in following my plans to completion?
- Have I been a good decision maker?
- Have I permitted any one or more of the six basic fears to decrease my efficiency?
- Have I taken appropriate risks?
- Has my relationships with my associates been pleasant, or unpleasant?
- Have I lost focused?
- Have I been open minded and tolerant of others and new ideas?
- In what ways have I improved my skills?
- Have I shown lack of self control?
- Have I lost check of my ego?
- Has my conduct towards others lost respect?
- Have I based my opinions on facts or guesses?
- Have I budgeted my time and expenses appropriately?
- How much time do I waste that could be put to better use?
- How can I re-budget my time and focus my work more efficiently in the coming year?
- Have I done anything wrong?
- In what ways have I exceeded expectations?
- Have I been unfair to anyone?
- Would I be excited to work with me if I was somebody else?
- Am I in the right vocation?
- Have people been happy with my services?
- What is my present rating on the fundamental principles of success?
7) Decision: The Mastery of Procrastination
- Reach decisions promptly. Then be slow to change your mind.
- If you are influenced by the opinions of others, you will have no desire of your own.
- Keep you eyes and ears wide open—and your mouth closed—if you wish to acquire the habit of prompt decision.
- Genuine wisdom is usually conspicuous through modesty and silence.
- Tell the world what you intend to do, but first show it.
- People who know what they want generally get it.
- 98% of people are working where they are today because they lacked a decision to plan a definite position and the knowledge of how to choose an employer.
8) Persistence: The Sustained Effort Necessary to Induce Faith
- Will-power and desire, when properly combined, make an irresistible pair.
- Persistence is to character what carbon is to steel.
- The starting point of all achievement is desire. Weak desire brings weak results.
- There is no substitute for persistence.
- You will never achieve noteworthy success in any calling without persistence.
- The only “break” anyone can afford to rely upon is a self-made “break.”
- Riches do not respond to wishes. They respond to definite plans, backed by definite desires, through constant persistence.
Symptoms of Lack of Persistence
- Failure to recognize and clearly define exactly what you want
- Procrastination
- Lack of interest in learning new things
- The habit of relying on excuses instead of actually trying to solve the problem
- Self-satisfaction
- Indifference
- Blaming others for one’s mistakes
- Weakness of desire
- Willingness to quit at the first sign of defeat
- Lack of organized plans
- Neglecting to move on ideas or grasp opportunity
- Wishing instead of willing
- Compromising with poverty instead of aiming for riches
- Searching for shortcuts and cheap bargains
- Fear of criticism
How to Develop Persistence
- A definite purpose backed by a burning desire for its fulfillment.
- A definite plan, expressed in continuous action.
- A mind closed tightly against all negative and discouraging influences, including negative suggestions of relatives, friends and acquaintances.
- A friendly alliance with one or more persons who will encourage you to follow through with both plan and purpose.
9) Power of the Master Mind: The Driving Force
- A “Master Mind” is the coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.
- There are obvious economic advantages to surrounding yourself with a group who is ready and willing to lend you whole-hearted aid.
- No two minds ever come together without, thereby, creating a third, invisible, intangible force which may be likened to a third mind.
- Great power is accumulated through the principle of the Master Mind.
10) The Mystery of Sex: Transmutation
- Sex is the most powerful of human desires.
- The men of greatest achievement are men with highly developed sex natures.
- The men who have accumulated great fortunes and achieved outstanding recognition were motivated by the influence of a woman.
- The emotion of sex contains the secret of creative ability.
- Remove the sex gland and you will have removed the major source of action.
- Men attains to the status of a genius only when, and if, he stimulates his mind so that it draws upon the forces available, through the creative faculty of the imagination.
- The world is ruled, and the destiny of civilization is established, by the human emotions. People are influenced in their actions, not by reason so much as by “feelings.”
- A mind stimulant is any influence which will either temporarily, or permanently, increase the vibrations of thought.
- The average man reaches the period of his greatest capacity to create between forty and sixty.
- Love alone will not bring happiness in marriage, nor will sex alone. When these two beautiful emotions are blended, marriage may bring about a state of mind, closest to the spiritual that one may ever know on this earthly plane.
- Take women out of their lives, and great wealth would be useless to most men.
The 10 Stimuli of the Mind
- Fame, power, and money
- A Master Mind alliance
- Mutual suffering
- Auto-suggestion
- Narcotics and alcohol
How to Reach Your Creative Faculty
- Stimulate your mind so that it vibrates on a higher-than-average-plane using one or more of the 10 sources (above).
- Concentrate first upon the known factors of your invention, and then create in your mind a perfect picture of the unknown factors of your invention.
- Let your subconscious mind takeover.
- Relax by clearing your mind of all thought, and wait for the answer to “flash” into your mind.
11) The Subconscious Mind: The Connecting Link
- The subconscious mind is the connecting link between the finite mind of man and Infinite Intelligence.
- It is the medium through which prayer may be transmitted to the source capable of answering prayer. (Like a radio that converts language into a wavelength that can traverse large distances)
- Your subconscious mind functions voluntarily, whether you make any effort to influence it or not. This is why it’s so important to master negative impulses and actively feed it desirable food.
- Man creates nothing which he does not first conceive in thought.
- Your subconscious mind responds best to the language of emotion or feeling.
- Fill your mind with positive emotions.
- The presence of a single negative in your conscious mind is sufficient to destroy all chances of constructive aid from your subconscious mind.
The 7 Major Positive Emotions
The 7 major negative emotions.
- Superstition
12) The Brain: A Broadcasting and Receiving Station for Thought
- The subconscious mind is the “sending section” of the brain, through which vibrations of thought are broadcast.
- The Creative Imagination is the “receiving set,” through which the vibrations of thought are picked up from the ether.
- We know little to nothing of the intangible force of thought.
13) The Sixth Sense: The Door to the Temple of Wisdom
- Only attained after mastering the previous 12 principles.
- Understanding of the sixth sense comes only by meditation through mind development from within.
- Through the aid of the sixth sense, you will be warned of impending dangers in time to avoid them, and notified of opportunities in time to embrace them.
How to Outwit the Six Ghosts of Fear
- Indecision crystalizes into doubt, the two blend and become fear.
- Fear is nothing more than a state of mind.
- Our state of mind is subject to control and direction. We have absolute control over our thoughts.
- All thought has the tendency to clothe itself in its physical equivalent.
- Thoughts of fear and poverty cannot be translated into terms of courage and financial gain.
- Criticism is the one form of service, of which everyone has to much.
- Kill the habit of worry by reaching a general , blanket decision that nothing which life has to offer is worth the price of worry. With this decision will come poise, peace of mind, and calmness of thought which will bring happiness.
- The most common weakness of all human beings is the habit of leaving their minds open to the negative influence of other people.
- Mind control is the result of self-discipline and habit.
- You either control your mind or it controls you.
- The most practical of all methods for controlling the mind is the habit of keeping it busy with a definite purpose, backed by a definite plan.
The 6 Basic Fears
- Loss of love of someone
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Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill Summary
In the Autumn of 1908, 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. A couple of decades and thousands of pages of research later, Think and Grow Rich became an international bestseller.
Post Contents
What Is Think and Grow Rich About?
- What Are the 13 Principles of Think and Grow Rich?
Desire: The Starting Point of All Achievement
Faith: visualization of and belief in attainment of desire, auto-suggestion: the medium for influencing the subconscious mind, specialized knowledge: personal experiences or observations, imagination: the workshop of the mind, organized planning: the crystallization of desire into action, decision: the mastery of procrastination, persistence: the sustained effort necessary to induce faith, power of the master mind: the driving force, the mystery of sex transmutation: the tenth step towards riches, the subconscious mind: the connecting link, the brain: a broadcasting and receiving station for thought, the sixth sense: the door to the temple of wisdom, how to outwit the six ghosts of fear.
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Think and Grow Rich is the combined wisdom from more than 500 of America’s most successful individuals. Their insights were then narrowed down into 13 principles and contribute to what Hill refers to as an overall “Philosophy of Achievement.”
However, refusing to let Think and Grow Rich be defined purely as a method or system for success, Hill stated that the goals of his book were:
- To help the reader become self-aware.
- To help the reader understand how to become more effective amidst the immutable laws of the universe.
What Are the 13 Principles of Think and Grow Rich ?
Napoleon Hill’s 13 principles of success present a philosophy of achievement that is intended to be mulled over. This Think and Grow Rich summary will look at each of the 13 principles in turn. They are as follows:
- Auto-suggestion
- Specialized Knowledge
- Imagination
- Organized Planning
- Persistence
- The Power of the Master Mind
- Sex Transmutation
- The Subconscious Mind
- The Sixth Sense
Uniquely philosophical and, at times, veering on spiritual, Think and Grow Rich has become a seminal book for entrepreneurs, CEOs, and individual thinkers alike. By reading the key points from this Think and Grow Rich chapter summary, you’ll learn how to master your subconscious and command your destiny.
Hill states that the key to success is to define a goal and to pour all of your energy, power, and effort into achieving it. It may take many years before you are successful, but if you hold onto your desire, you will eventually attain what you seek.
Merely wishing for money will get you nowhere. However, to desire riches by way of an obsessive goal, a meticulous plan, and not accepting failure as an option, you’ll become rich. To help you do so, Hill presents the Think and Grow Rich six6 steps:
- Decide exactly how much money you wish to make, to the dollar.
- Determine what you are willing to give to receive this amount of money.
- Choose a date by which you want to have amassed this amount of money.
- Create a plan of how to achieve your goal and begin at once, whether you feel ready or not.
- Write all of the above down in a clear statement.
- Read this written statement aloud, twice a day – first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Visualize your life as if you already own this amount of money.
While being able to visualize yourself as rich may seem challenging at first, it’s only those individuals who are “money conscious” that become successful. To be money conscious is to see yourself in possession of great wealth before you attain it. You will only become rich if you possess a deep desire for money, and you stop at nothing to get it.
Faith is a state of mind that you must learn to cultivate. Through repeating affirmations and instructions, a state of faith is created in the subconscious thanks to the process of auto-suggestion. Any impulse of thought that is continuously repeated and entered into the subconscious mind eventually becomes a continuous loop of thought.
However, this can also have negative consequences. In addition to positive thought patterns, we can also enforce negative ones that can result in us believing that we are unworthy, doomed, or a failure. Hill, therefore, argues that it’s our beliefs alone that determine the nature of our subconscious. By repeating affirmations, you can reprogram your mind to visualize and, thus, to feel and believe that your success is guaranteed.
The mind takes on the nature of the influences that guide it. A positive mind is more fertile to faith, and faith is the starting point for all success. The greatest factor holding you back from success? A lack of self-confidence. Hill suggests this five-fold Think and Grow Rich affirmation exercise to repeat in writing and then learn by memory to increase your self-confidence:
- Know that you are capable of achieving your goal, and you must promise to be persistent in pursuit of this endeavor.
- The dominating thoughts of your mind will result in physical action and change your reality. You must, therefore, spend 30 minutes each day thinking about the type of person you want to become.
- For ten minutes each day, focus on increasing your sense of self-confidence.
- Write down a description of your goal, and don’t stop reaching for it until it’s attained.
- Come to realize that you cannot have enduring success if you attained it through immoral means. Therefore, make a promise to only engage in a transaction if it benefits all that are involved. A negative attitude towards humanity will never bring you success.
Commit this method to memory, and repeat it aloud once a day to become successful.
Auto-suggestion is synonymous with self-suggestion. It’s the bridge between the conscious and the subconscious mind. Merely reading words aloud will have no impact. You have to attach emotion to the words. When reciting your affirmations, as laid out in the previous chapter, you must encourage your desire to consume you. Your subconscious will only act upon thoughts that are felt.
Therefore, Hill recommends adding the following to the Think and Grow Rich six steps previously laid out in the chapter on desire:
- Find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed, and repeat aloud your written statement. As you do so, visualize having that money.
- Repeat this morning and night until you have a clear image in your mind of all the money you wish to make.
- Place this written statement where you can see it first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Read it until you have committed it to memory.
There are two types of knowledge: Specialized and general. General knowledge is of little use when attempting to accumulate wealth. Knowledge only generates money when organized and specifically directed to a definite end. To become successful, you must require specific knowledge in the area in which you intend to make your fortune.
If the amount of knowledge required exceeds your capacities, Hill recommends creating a “Master Mind” group. This group should consist of individuals who have the knowledge you seek and who you can manage to help attain your goal.
Within your imagination is where all plans are created and formed. The only limitation you face depends on how much you develop your imagination. According to Hill, there are two types of imagination: synthetic and creative.
Through synthetic imagination, you reformulate existing concepts, ideas, and plans into new forms. Nothing is created in this form of imagination because it works with existing mental material. Creative imagination is what springs forth from hunches and inspiration. Within it, new ideas are formed. This type of imagination can only be reached when your conscious mind is being stimulated through desire. It’s a muscle that must be trained.
Ideas are the starting point for all fortunes, and they are the product of the imagination. It can be useful to look at some of the most successful companies of all time, such as Coca-Cola, and remind yourself that it once began as a single idea. Indeed, a truly wise salesperson will know that ideas can be traded where tangible merchandise cannot. Nearly all considerable fortunes begin when an individual with a great idea meets an individual who sells ideas. When matched with desire, ideas are unstoppable forces. They are more powerful than the brains that created them. Thus, you must listen, cultivate, and develop a desire to see them through.
To put your plan into action, Hill recommends following these four Think and Grow Rich steps:
- Ally yourself with a Master Mind group that consists of people who will help you carry out your plan.
- However, before assembling the group, be sure to ascertain what it is you can offer each of the members in return for their work.
- Meet with the group at least twice a week, or more if possible, until a solid plan has been created.
- Maintain good relations between you and the group at all times.
To obtain your fortune, you will need to collaborate with others. No individual can make it entirely on their own. If your plans fail, go back to the drawing board and keep trying until a plan works. Thomas Edison made 10,000 failed plans before he perfected the incandescent light bulb. His key to success was that he never gave up and kept formulating new plans when the previous ones had failed. To plan intelligently is the key to securing your fortune.
After analyzing the data accrued from interviewing more than 25,000 men and women, Hill came to the conclusion that a lack of decision, e.g., procrastination, was one of the leading causes for failure. The most successful people make decisions quickly and definitely. Those who struggle to make a decision are often easily persuaded by the opinions of others.
However, Hill states that to be easily persuadable means that you lack desire and, therefore, will not reach your goals. Learn to trust yourself, and if you need information, only get it from trusted sources. Those who make decisions quickly know what they want and how to get it. The world bends to those whose actions and words indicate that they know where they are going. To decide requires courage. It’s only the bold who go on to achieve great fortunes.
Persistence is built upon strength of will. When desire is combined with willpower, little can stop you from reaching your goals. Most give up the minute things get too challenging. To persist in the face of adversity is the only way to advance.
If you find yourself struggling with a lack of persistence, by putting in some concerted effort, you can overcome this hurdle. How easily you’ll be able to persist depends exclusively on how intense your desire to reach your goals is. Here, Hill suggests reminding yourself of your daily affirmations. Further, if you have carefully assembled your Master Mind group, they can prove beneficial in encouraging you to stay on track.
Hill puts forward an eight-stage Think and Grow Rich action plan to cultivate persistence. It goes as follows:
- Definiteness of purpose: Knowing exactly what you want.
- Desire: Becoming obsessed with amassing your monetary fortune.
- Self-reliance: Belief that you can follow your plan increases your persistence.
- Definiteness of plans: Organized, thorough plans guide you forward.
- Accurate knowledge: Ensuring that your plans are based on fact.
- Co-operation: Members of your Master Mind can encourage you to persist.
- Willpower: Concentrating your attention on seeing your plans through to completion.
- Habit: Persistence is the direct result of habit. What you do daily becomes who you are. By repeatedly acting courageously, fear can be overcome.
To accumulate money, you must have power. Without power, you cannot put your plans into action. Hill states there are three ways of accumulating power, and they are:
- Infinite intelligence
- Accumulated experience
- Experiment and research
Knowledge is converted into power by organizing it into definite plans. However, knowledge cannot be acquired alone. If your plans are thorough, then they will require the knowledge of others. By using the knowledge of the members of your Master Mind group, you can generate power. Cooperative alliances underpin nearly every great fortune ever amassed. A collection of minds produces results far greater than the sum of their parts.
The word to “transmute” means to transform one element or form of energy into another. Hill argues that sex is our most primal and powerful drive. So strong is this desire that individuals often put their life and reputation on the line to indulge in it. However, Hill argues that, when this sexual energy is redirected into other pursuits, it can have a far more potent effect. While this takes a significant amount of willpower, he maintains that the effort is worth it.
Nonetheless, Hill is quick to point out that he isn’t advocating that the sexual drive be repressed, it should simply be given alternative outlets that can enrich the mind, body, and soul. A transmuted sexual drive results in phenomenal creative ability. Creative imagination, Hill states, is humankind’s sixth sense. Creativity originates within us, but it isn’t guided by us. All of the best artists become great because they are adept at listening to the “still small voice” that speaks from within. The same can be said of all successful people, artists, and CEOs alike.
While you cannot control your subconscious mind, you can suggest it mulls over specific plans, desires, or goals that you wish to achieve. However, the subconscious can only be voluntarily directed through the process of habit. As your subconscious functions 24/7, you must be wary of the types of negative thought patterns and unproductive habits you are feeding into it. You must act to move away from such negative influences and move towards cultivating more positive, desire-driven states of mind.
The subconscious is more receptive to thoughts that come accompanied by an emotion. Hill states that it’s only emotionalized thoughts that translate into action. It is, therefore, worthwhile familiarizing yourself with what constitutes as a negative or a positive emotion. Hill uses the metaphor that emotions attached to thought are like yeast in a loaf of bread; they encourage action, e.g., they make the bread rise. Depending on whether the emotion is positive or negative will result in either a remarkable or disastrous loaf of bread.
Hill firmly believed that the brain was capable of picking up the thought vibrations of other brains. However, he put forward that it’s only thoughts that have been “stepped up” to an exceedingly high rate of vibration that carry between minds. Hill argues that if one is engaging in sex transmutation, then their thoughts will vibrate with a greater frequency.
To operate your mental “broadcasting” abilities to the optimum, Hill suggests that you focus on cultivating your subconscious and your creative imagination thanks to the art of auto-suggestion.
Hill believed in an “Infinite Intelligence” that could be tapped into when the subconscious was vibrating at a particularly high, positive frequency. However, he also states that it is possible for the Infinite Intelligence to communicate to an individual without them having cultivated a suitable mental state beforehand. Hill refers to the creative imagination as the sixth sense. What people call “flashes of inspiration,” or “hunches,” Hill believed were messages from the Infinite Intelligence. The sixth sense is, therefore, a combination of the mental and the spiritual.
When you learn to listen to the messages of your sixth sense, you will know when to avoid dangers and when to seize opportunities. It acts as a guardian angel of sorts. Hill argues that if you have accepted the previous chapters of his book, you will now be ready to accept this notion of the sixth sense without skepticism. The ability to listen to this power happens gradually while the other principles are being realized.
Before you are ready to integrate the philosophy laid out in this book, Hill states that you must ensure that you aren’t being held back by any of what he refers to as “the six basic fears.” The six fears are as follows:
- The fear of poverty, embodied by indifference, indecision, doubt, worry, over-caution, and procrastination.
- The fear of criticism, embodied by self-consciousness, lack of poise, an inferiority complex, extravagance, lack of initiative, and lack of ambition.
- The fear of ill health, embodied by hypochondria, poor exercise, susceptibility, self-coddling, and intemperance.
- The fear of the loss of someone’s love, embodied by jealousy, fault finding, and gambling.
- The fear of old age, embodied by slowing down and developing an inferiority complex around the age of 40, referring to oneself apologetically as “being old,” and killing off the habits of initiative, imagination, and self-reliance.
- The fear of death, embodied by focusing on dying rather than living, lack of purpose, and lack of suitable occupation.
Hill states that all fears can be grouped into one of these headings. As all emotionalized thoughts translate into physical action, all thoughts attached to fear can never result in acts of significant financial gain. However, fear is nothing but a state of mind, and the mind can be directed. Therefore, you can control your fate by controlling your mind and, thus, overcome fear and accumulate all of your desired riches.
You can buy Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill on Amazon
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Think And Grow Rich Summary: 5 Key Takeaways
This Think and Grow Rich Summary post contains affiliate links from Amazon. Affiliate links help us grow Clever Girl Finance! Please see our disclosures for more information.
There are many self-help and inspirational books on the market, but some stand the test of time more than others. One such book is Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill . Although the original text was in more complex terms, in this article, I will share my personal Think and Grow Rich summary and takeaways in simple terms that still give accurate knowledge.
For a bit of background before the summary, Think and Grow Rich was first published in 1937. Andrew Carnegie inspired the author (Napoleon Hill) with his success, and Hill included that inspiration in his book. There is plenty to learn, so let's get started.
5 Think And Grow Rich summary takeaways
The Think and Grow Rich principles are for anyone looking to improve their life. While the text is specific to financial success , the principles outlined in the book can be used to achieve success in all aspects of life. In short, it’s a book for anyone striving to improve.
Think and Grow Rich is divided into separate chapters, each one covering one of the 13 Think and Grow Rich secrets that Hill advises to pursue.
I've come up with these 5 top takeaways based on Napoleon Hill's writing! Let's get into them.
1. All achievement is based on desire
Hill states that desire is the fundamental building block of success . With a weak desire to achieve, you'll get weak results. And you need to be steadfast in your desire to achieve your goal , as it's the starting point of all achievement.
It can’t be just a passing thought, but rather, you should have definiteness of plans. Your desire to reach your goal must be paramount.
Hill outlines the 6 steps he recommends to fuel your desire.
- Write down the exact amount of money you want.
- Determine what you’re willing to sacrifice to get it.
- Pick a date to achieve your goal.
- Create a written plan to achieve your goal .
- Write down your plan and date.
- Read the written statement aloud once each morning and again each night until you have it memorized. Once memorized, continue reading it twice daily, morning and night.
2. Failure happens when you quit too soon (key lessons from our Think And Grow Rich summary)
So, according to the principles in the book, there are certain factors that tie into failure . I list them out below as well as key tips to help you counter them:
Procrastination
Indecisiveness causes many failures. Hill advocates making decisions quickly and decisively.
The most successful people have the ability to make decisions quickly and change their minds slowly. They aren’t wishy-washy; once they make a decision, they stick to it.
In other words, they have mastery of procrastination.
A lack of faith
So, according to Hill, our beliefs determine our desires. He recommends incorporating faithful affirmations as a way to program our minds to visualize and believe in our success. Today there are still many proponents of the art of visualization - because it works.
Hill advises the use of affirmations to help form the mind into believing in yourself and to deepen your faith.
As it relates to affirmations, he specifically suggests the following:
- Know you are capable of achieving your goal. Promise to be persistent in pursuing this goal.
- Spend 30 minutes a day thinking about the type of person you want to be. Your thoughts will change your reality.
- Spend 10 minutes each day focusing on increasing your self-confidence.
- Write down your goal and don’t stop until you achieve it. It’s super important to actually write down your goal!
- Be positive and generous with all those you encounter. Good things don’t come to those who have ill intentions.
One of the most important key takeaways from our Think and Grow Rich summary is to utilize positive affirmations to change your mindset!
Indecision, doubt, and fear
According to Hill, before you can use any of the strategies in this book, your mind must be open to receiving wisdom. In order to have an open mind, the human brain must be free from the enemies of indecision, doubt, and fear that are driven by the six basic fears.
Furthermore, he says the sixth sense will never function if you have these 3 behaviors in your mindset. He describes the six basic fears as:
The fear of poverty
Poverty is tied to suffering, and suffering is something many are fearful of. It's embodied by indifference, indecision, doubt, worry, over-caution, and procrastination when it comes to your belief about being wealthy.
To counter this fear, you need to develop a strong desire to build wealth.
The fear of criticism is a painful one, and people usually exhibit it through self-consciousness, lack of poise, an inferiority complex, extravagance, lack of initiative, and lack of ambition. It, in turn, instills resentment in people.
Instead of taking criticism negatively, look at truly honest criticism as an opportunity to improve. When criticism doesn't control you, it gives you great power to become even better.
A fear that's tied to the fear of death that results from illness. It can result in hypochondria, susceptibility, self-coddling, and intemperance.
To counter the fear of ill health, you need to prioritize your physical and mental well-being through exercise, healthy eating, rest, and other healthy activities.
The loss of love
Fear of losing someone's love makes people less likely to trust others and is driven by jealousy and fault finding. Human nature is hard to control, and the loss of love is inevitable.
However, taking your time to get to know people and developing your self-confidence can help.
The fear of old age
Embodied by slowing down and developing an inferiority complex around the age of 40, referring to oneself apologetically as “being old,” and killing off the habits of initiative, imagination, and self-reliance.
The truth is, your age does not determine your success, and you are only limited by what you believe you cannot do .
The fear of death
Fear of death leads to focusing on dying rather than living, lack of purpose, and lack of suitable occupation.
However, death is inevitable, so it's important to focus on living and appreciating the life you have now instead.
3. Success starts with believing in yourself (Our top takeaway from this Think And Grow Rich Summary)
A big part of the Think and Grow Rich secrets have to do with believing in yourself without fail. Once you decide on a goal, there should be nothing that stops you from believing that you can achieve that goal.
Hill’s way of furthering your intent to make your desires happen is through clear focus. He recommends these Think and Grow Rich principles:
- Find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed, and repeat aloud your written statement based on what you want to achieve. As you do so, visualize having that money.
- Repeating this morning and night until you have a clear image in your mind of all the money you wish to make.
- Placing this written statement where you can see it first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Read it until you have committed it to memory.
Hill also goes into detail about leveraging your sixth sense and training your subconscious mind. These are my takeaways about this for the Think And Grow Rich summary:
Leverage your sixth sense as you make decisions
Hill thinks that when people say they have a ‘gut feeling’ or a particular “hunch,” this is actually your sixth sense - or infinite intelligence- at work.
The sixth sense is Hill’s belief in an “Infinite Intelligence” that could be tapped into from positive emotions.
Train your subconscious mind
According to Hill, it’s important to train your subconscious mind to focus on positive emotions and avoid negative ones. Some of the major positive emotions include desire, faith, love, enthusiasm, and hope.
On the other hand, fear, jealousy, hatred, revenge, greed, superstition, and anger are some of the major negative emotions. These should not be the emotions you spend time on, but rather focus on positive ones.
4. You must take action to achieve success
As one of the Think And Grow Rich principles, Hill discusses his belief that you can’t simply hope for the outcome that you want. You must have the desire, and you must have a plan to achieve your desire and take action on that plan.
He suggests the following steps of organized planning to reach your goal.
- Join a mastermind group
- Decide what you can offer each group member of the mastermind
- Meet often: 2 times per week or more
- Maintain good relationships with all in the group
Collaboration is key to achieving your desires. I’m pretty sure mastermind groups were a novel idea when this book was written, but today, mastermind groups are very popular .
Don't forget persistence
Willpower and desire, when properly combined, are irresistible and are almost sure to fulfill their desires. Henry Ford was known for his persistence, as were the Carnegies.
People who want to achieve success will do well to take note of their unyielding persistence and incorporate it into their own lives as part of the Think and Grow Rich principles. Hill views lack of persistence as a weakness that can definitely be overcome.
5. Don't isolate yoursel f; People will help you win
Hill is a big proponent of not isolating yourself by leveraging mastermind groups. A mastermind group is a group of individuals who collectively work towards a definite end in a spirit of harmony.
You can create success much easier through your mastermind group than you could on your own. In fact, Hill advocates that it’s not possible to be powerful without the help of a mastermind group.
That said, other people can't create your success for you. So it’s also important to have specialized knowledge in the field that you intend to make money in.
Does this mean you have to be an expert in your field to succeed?
According to the Think and Grow Rich secrets, no, you don’t. But you do have to actively learn about your area of interest and surround yourself with experts.
Where to get a Think and Grow Rich free download
The principles in this book can help you throughout your life , and fortunately, it's not difficult to find. You can get a Think and Grow Rich free download from your local library, or purchase a copy from many places online.
Apply the tips from this Think And Grow Rich summary to your life today!
Overall, the Think and Grow Rich book describes many concepts that are as appropriate today as they were back in the 1930s. It’s interesting, considering how much the world has changed since then, that the principles and philosophies Hill outlines in Think and Grow Rich are still so meaningful.
Whether you read a Think and Grow Rich free download or buy a paperback copy to keep on your bookshelf, you'll benefit from this. If you read this book and put even a few of its suggestions into action , you will see great results and creative energy. I hope this Think And Grow Rich summary helps you get off to a great start.
As you progress, follow Clever Girl Finance on Instagram , Facebook , and YouTube . You'll get great financial tips, more book summaries , and the motivation to achieve your money goals!
Sarah Morgensen
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Think And Grow Rich Book Summary, Review, Notes
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill is a 13-step process on how to achieve success and riches. Hill interviewed over 25,000 successful businessmen and their responses became the book. Considering it was written in 1937, the principles in the book still hold water.
Book Title : Think and Grow Rich Author : Napoleon Hill Date of Reading : December 2016 Rating : 7/10
Table of Contents
What is being said in detail:.
Think and Grow Rich is a 13-part plan on how to think, act, and grow yourself into wealth . The book has 15 chapters, with the first and last chapter serving as an intro and conclusion. The book has the following chapters:
- GENERAL INTRODUCTION (intro, not part of the 13-step plan).
- DESIRE. Don’t wish, but desire for your goal and make a plan on how to achieve it.
- FAITH. Whatever you have to do, you need to believe in yourself and the process.
- AUTO-SUGGESTION. It can’t hurt to use affirmations to prime your subconscious mind.
- SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE. When school stops, education begins. Always be learning.
- IMAGINATION. Limit your thinking to a single industry and you will come up with ideas.
- ORGANIZED PLANNING. Start with the intention of finishing. Follow through.
- DECISION. Be decisive and once it’s set, don’t think about it anymore.
- PERSISTENCE. Overcome failure through persistence.
- POWER OF THE MASTER MIND. Surround yourself with great people.
- THE MYSTERY OF SEX TRANSMUTATION. Find a partner who will uplift you.
- THE SUB-CONSCIOUS MIND. Become a beacon of positivity and remove negativity from life.
- THE BRAIN. Learn from people who are smarter than you. Talk less, listen more.
- THE SIXTH SENSE. Trust your gut.
- HOW TO OUTWIT THE SIX GHOSTS OF FEAR (conclusion, not part of the 13-step plan).
Most Important Keywords, Sentences, Quotes:
“Thoughts are things,” and powerful things at that, when they are mixed with definiteness of purpose, persistence, and a BURNING DESIRE for their translation into riches, or other material objects.
The better portion of all sales I have made, were made after people had said ‘NO’.”
When you begin to THINK AND GROW RICH, you will observe that riches begin with a state of mind, with definiteness of purpose, with little or no hard work. You, and every other person, ought to be interested in knowing how to acquire that state of mind which will attract riches. I spent twenty five years in research, analyzing more than 25,000 people, because I, too, wanted to know “how wealthy men become that way.”
They cannot think in terms of riches, because their thought habits have been steeped in poverty, want, misery, failure, and defeat.
“You see the boats going up in smoke. That means that we cannot leave these shores alive unless we win! We now have no choice—we win, or we perish! They won.
Every human being who reaches the age of understanding of the purpose of money, wishes for it. Wishing will not bring riches. 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.
Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire. (There is no such reality as “something for nothing.)
“SUCCESS REQUIRES NO APOLOGIES, FAILURE PERMITS NO ALIBIS.”
FAITH is a state of mind which may be induced, or created, by affirmation or repeated instructions to the subconscious mind, through the principle of auto-suggestion.
By following the instructions laid down in the chapters on auto suggestion, and the subconscious mind, as summarized in the chapter on auto-suggestion, you may CONVINCE the subconscious mind that you believe you will receive that for which you ask, and it will act upon that belief, which your subconscious mind passes back to you in the form of “FAITH,” followed by definite plans for procuring that which you desire.
A mind dominated by positive emotions, becomes a favorable abode for the state of mind known as faith. A mind so dominated may, at will, give the subconscious mind instructions, which it will accept and act upon immediately.
It is a well known fact that one comes, finally, to BELIEVE whatever one repeats to one’s self, whether the statement be true or false. If a man repeats a lie over and over, he will eventually accept the lie as truth . Moreover, he will BELIEVE it to be the truth.
DO NOT WAIT for a definite plan, through which you intend to exchange services or merchandise in return for the money you are visualizing, but begin at once to see yourself in possession of the money, DEMANDING and EXPECTING meanwhile, that your subconscious mind will hand over the plan, or plans you need. Be on the alert for these plans, and when they appear, put them into ACTION IMMEDIATELY. When the plans appear, they will probably “flash” into your mind through the sixth sense, in the form of an “inspiration.” This inspiration may be considered a direct “telegram,” or message from Infinite Intelligence. Treat it with respect, and act upon it as soon as you receive it. Failure to do this will be FATAL to your success.
Lack of understanding of this fact has been the source of confusion to millions of people who falsely believe that “knowledge is power.” It is nothing of the sort! Knowledge is only potential power. It becomes power only when, and if, it is organized into definite plans of action, and directed to a definite end.
Knowledge has no value except that which can be gained from its application toward some worthy end . This is one reason why college degrees are not valued more highly. They represent nothing but miscellaneous knowledge.
The SELF-DISCIPLINE one receives from a definite programme of specialized study makes up to some extent, for the wasted opportunity when knowledge was available without cost.
The person who stops studying merely because he has finished school is forever hopelessly doomed to mediocrity, no matter what may be his calling.
Intelligence. It is the faculty through which “hunches” and “inspirations” are received. It is by this faculty that all basic, or new ideas are handed over to man.
alliance, decide what advantages, and benefits, you may offer the individual members of your group, in return for their cooperation.
No man is ever whipped, until he QUITS— in his own mind.
When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal. If you give up before your goal has been reached, you are a “quitter. ”
Broadly speaking, there are two types of people in the world. One type is known as LEADERS, and the other as FOLLOWERS. Decide at the outset whether you intend to become a leader in your chosen calling, or remain a follower. The difference in compensation is vast. The follower cannot reasonably expect the compensation to which a leader is entitled, although many followers make the mistake of expecting such pay.
Education consists, not so much of knowledge, but of knowledge effectively and persistently APPLIED. Men are paid, not merely for what they know, but more particularly for WHAT THEY DO WITH IT .
If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self.
We emulate those with whom we associate most closely. Pick an employer who is worth emulating.
The most damaging forms of intolerance are those connected with religious, racial, and political differences of opinion.
Most people cannot see themselves as others see them. You may be one who cannot.
If you are influenced by “opinions” when you reach DECISIONS, you will not succeed in any undertaking, much less in that of transmuting YOUR OWN DESIRE into money.
Remember, also, that every time you open your mouth in the presence of a person who has an abundance of knowledge, you display to that person, your exact stock of knowledge, or your LACK of it! Genuine wisdom is usually conspicuous through modesty and silence.
The value of decisions depends upon the courage required to render them.
Socrates’ decision to drink the cup of poison, rather than compromise in his personal belief, was a decision of courage.
Your subconscious mind works continuously, while you are awake, and while you are asleep.
THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR PERSISTENCE ! It cannot be supplanted by any other quality! Remember this, and it will hearten you, in the beginning, when the going may seem difficult and slow.
Fear, the worst of all enemies, can be effectively cured by forced repetition of acts of courage.
Countless numbers of men and women, both young and old, permit relatives to wreck their lives in the name of DUTY, because they fear criticism.
Too many people refuse to set high goals for themselves, or even neglect selecting a career, because they fear the criticism of relatives and “friends” who may say “Don’t aim so high, people will think you are crazy.
Chapter 10
The “Master Mind” may be defined as: “Coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.”
ANYBODY can WISH for riches, and most people do, but only a few know that a definite plan, plus a BURNING DESIRE for wealth, are the only dependable means of accumulating wealth.
Chapter 11
A river may be dammed, and its water controlled for a time, but eventually, it will force an outlet. The same is true ofthe emotion of sex. It may be submerged and controlled for a time, but its very nature causes it to be ever seeking means of expression. If it is not transmuted into some creative effort it will find a less worthy outlet.
The creative imagination functions best when the mind is vibrating (due to some form of mind stimulation) at an exceedingly high rate. That is, when the mind is functioning at a rate of vibration higher than that of ordinary, normal thought.
The great artists , writers, musicians, and poets become great, because they acquire the habit of relying upon the “still small voice” which speaks from within, through the faculty of creative imagination. It is a fact well known to people who have “keen” imaginations that their best ideas come through so-called “hunches.”
Chapter 12
You cannot entirely control your subconscious mind, but you can voluntarily hand over to it any plan, desire, or purpose which you wish transformed into concrete form. Read, again, instructions for using the subconscious mind, in the chapter on autosuggestion.
These emotions, or feeling impulses, may be likened to yeast in a loaf of bread, because they constitute the ACTION element, which transforms thought impulses from the passive to the active state. Thus may one understand why thought impulses, which have been well mixed with emotion, are acted upon more readily than thought impulses originating in “cold reason.”
The subconscious mind is the intermediary, which translates one’s prayers into terms which Infinite Intelligence can recognize, presents the message, and brings back the answer in the form of a definite plan or idea for procuring the object of the prayer.
Chapter 13
Through the medium of the ether, in a fashion similar to that employed by the radio broadcasting principle, every human brain is capable of picking up vibrations of thought which are being released by other brains.
The result of sex transmutation, is the increase of the rate of vibration of thoughts to such a pitch that the Creative Imagination becomes highly receptive to ideas, which it picks up from the ether. On the other hand, when the brain is vibrating at a rapid rate, it not only attracts thoughts and ideas released by other brains through the medium of the ether, but it gives to one’s own thoughts that “feeling” which is essential before those thoughts will be picked up and acted upon by one’s subconscious mind.
Chapter 14
The SIXTH SENSE is that portion of the subconscious mind which has been referred to as the Creative Imagination. It has also been referred to as the “receiving set” through which ideas, plans, and thoughts flash into the mind. The “flashes” are sometimes called “hunches” or “inspirations.”
Anyone who has experienced a near accident while driving, knows that on such occasions, the sixth sense often comes to one’s rescue, and aids, by split seconds, in avoiding the accident.
Nearly all great leaders, such as Napoleon, Bismark, Joan of Arc, Christ, Buddha, Confucius, and Mohammed, understood, and probably made use of the sixth sense almost continuously. The major portion of their greatness consisted of their knowledge of this principle.
Chapter 15
Before we can master an enemy, we must know its name, its habits, and its place of abode .
There can be no compromise between POVERTY and RICHES! The two roads that lead to poverty and riches travel in opposite directions.
You have been given a road map which, if followed, will keep you on that road. If you neglect to make the start, or stop before you arrive, no one will be to blame, but YOU. This responsibility is yours. No alibi will save you from accepting the responsibility if you now fail or refuse to demand riches of Life, because the acceptance calls for but one thing—incidentally, the only thing you can control—and that is a STATE OF MIND. A state of mind is something that one assumes. It cannot be purchased, it must be created.
Nothing brings man so much suffering and humility as POVERTY! Only those who have experienced poverty understand the full meaning of this.
PROCRASTINATION. The habit of putting off until tomorrow that which should have been done last year.
We do not worry over conditions, once we have reached a decision to follow a definite line of action.
One is never through with a thought, merely by releasing it. When a thought is released, it spreads in every direction, through the medium of the ether, but it also plants itself permanently in the subconscious mind of the person releasing it.
If you are not certain concerning the answers to some of the questions, seek the counsel of those who know you well,especially those who have no motive in flattering you, and see yourself through their eyes. The experience will be astonishing.
Book Review (Personal Opinion):
This was the first book I read when I started my 20-pages-a-day book reading habit. Nonetheless, it’s noticeable that this was book was written almost a hundred years ago. A lot of principles still hold water, but the examples no longer do. Pick it up just for principles and ignore the rest.
Rating : 7/10
This Book Is For (Recommend):
- A college freshman who wants to understand what it takes to be successful
- A starting entrepreneur who wants to build a business
- Anyone who has a big dream and wants to know how to make it happen
If You Want To Learn More
Here’s a great article in Business Insider on the book: Business Insider
How I’ve Implemented The Ideas From The Book
The chapter titled Specialized Knowledge was a great one for me. It talks about the application of knowledge and how you need to use knowledge for it to become effective. And the more of it you have, the more potential it has to bring you success. I did exactly that with my freelance writing business. Since I was the head of HR, I used my knowledge to build an HR writing business .
One Small Actionable Step You Can Do
Hill mentions the value of auto-suggestion. So one thing you can start doing is adopting your goals as a part of your identity. So you’re not going for a run, you’re a runner; you’re not going to start a business, you’re a businessman/entrepreneur; you’re not going to write a novel, you’re a writer .
Bruno Boksic
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Think and Grow Rich Summary and Review | Napoleon Hill
posted on April 30, 2021
Life gets busy. Has Think and Grow Rich been gathering dust on your bookshelf? Instead, pick up the key ideas now.
We’re scratching the surface here. If you don’t already have the book, order the book or get the audiobook for free to learn the juicy details.
Napoleon Hill’s Perspective
Napoleon Hill was an American self-help author. His books focused on specific principles for personal and financial success. He began his career as a journalist before becoming an advisor to President Franklin D Roosevelt. It was a meeting with Andrew Carnegie that inspired his self-help career. He used his knowledge from this interview to write books on business success and making money. Many of his self-help books remain as relevant now as they were before his death, in 1970.
Introduction
Think and Grow Rich examines the psychological power of positive thought. Napoleon Hill delves into the importance of our thought patterns for our success. Successful people from the past combined positive thoughts with persistence and education. They surrounded themselves with supportive colleagues. We will all fail when seeking our life goals, but those willing to keep trying will become successful.
Published during the Great Depression, Think and Grow Rich was highly successful. To date, it has sold more than 15 million copies. This makes it one of the top ten best-selling self-help books of all time. In 2007, Businessweek ranked the book as the sixth best-selling business paperback.
StoryShot #1: Achievements Need Detailed Planning and Attainable Goals
“Set your mind on a definite goal and observe how quickly the world stands aside to let you pass.” — Napoleon Hill.
The way to become successful is to know what you want to achieve. Without clear goals, we cannot start our journey toward success. Define your personal goals as precisely as possible. If you hope to become rich, you should define how much money you wish to earn by a certain age. These goals will help you understand how much you will have to invest to reach your main goal.
After identifying a goal and giving it a timeframe, you will want to outline a plan. This plan should incorporate a step-by-step approach to attaining your final goal. Once you have this plan, you need to act. Start immediately.
These recommendations will help keep you motivated and focused on the next milestone. Eventually, you will achieve your final goal.
StoryShot #2: Desire is the Starting Point of All Achievement
You can get what you seek as long as you hold on to your desires. Yet, this does not mean you should desire the outcome. For example, merely wishing for money will get you nowhere. Instead, you must become obsessive about making effective plans and goals.
The following steps will help you plan your way to becoming wealthy:
- Decide how much money you want to earn. This should be precise (even to the exact dollar).
- Determine what you are willing to give to receive this amount of money.
- Choose a date by which you aim to have obtained all this money.
- Create a detailed plan of how you will reach this goal and consider what you can do right now.
- Write the above in a clear statement.
- Finally, make sure you read this statement aloud twice a day.
StoryShot #3: Successful People Have Faith in Their Abilities
“There is a difference between WISHING for a thing and being READY to receive it. No one is ready for a thing, until he believes he can acquire it. The state of mind must be BELIEF, not mere hope or wish. Open-mindedness is essential for belief.” — Napoleon Hill.
Unwavering faith is a fantastic asset. Individuals with unwavering faith will do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. This is because you cannot achieve success without self-confidence.
Mahatma Gandhi is an example of the power of faith and self-confidence. Gandhi did not have access to the typical instruments of power: money and the military. Instead, he had an unwavering belief that he could lead his country, India, to freedom. This belief allowed him to influence his fellow citizens and spark a change.
We are no different from Gandhi. If we can harness an unwavering belief in ourselves and our ability to attain our goals, we can achieve anything.
StoryShot #4: You Cannot Have Faith Alongside Fear
Faith cannot coexist with fear. So, once we have mastered all fears, we can have an unwavering faith to grow rich. There are six subtypes of fear:
- The fear of poverty embodies indifference, indecision, doubt, worry, over-caution, and procrastination.
- The fear of criticism embodies self-consciousness and insufficient poise. A person might have an inferiority complex, low initiative, and a lack of ambition. They may be overly extravagant.
- The fear of ill health triggers hypochondria, poor exercise, susceptibility, self-coddling, and intemperance.
- The fear of losing someone’s love causes jealousy, fault-finding, and gambling.
- The fear of old age makes us slow down and develop an inferiority complex around the age of 40. This is associated with a loss of initiative, imagination, and self-reliance.
- The fear of death leads to a focus on dying rather than living. They may have a lack of purpose and insufficient suitable occupation.
All fears fall under one of these bullet points. All fearful thoughts can never result in acts of significant financial gain. But, we can redirect our minds away from fearful thoughts.
Fear is a state of mind. As we control our state of mind, our fears no longer control us.
StoryShot #5: Our Subconscious Can Influence Our Behavior
Unwavering faith is not something we are all born with. But we can learn to develop this faith over time. Auto-suggestion is the most effective way of developing one’s self-confidence. It involves considering particular and purposeful thoughts to influence your behaviors.
Auto-suggestion works by fueling your subconscious with positive goals and thoughts. As your subconscious impacts your reality, these positive messages will increase your self-belief. You will start to accept that you can reach your goals. Auto-suggestion is synonymous with self-suggestion. It is the bridge between the conscious and subconscious mind. So, as well as reading important goals aloud, you also need to attach emotions to these words. When reciting affirmations, you should encourage your desire to consume you. Your subconscious mind will only instigate action when it includes emotions and thoughts.
Use auto-suggestion as often as you can. The more often you use auto-suggestion, the more likely you are to achieve success.
The following steps will help you become rich:
- Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed. Repeat your written statement aloud. Then, visualize having that money.
- Repeat this action every morning and night until you have a clear image in mind of all the money you wish to make.
- Keep visualizing these desires until you have memorized them.
StoryShot #6: Knowledge Is Power
“An educated man is not, necessarily, one who has an abundance of general or specialized knowledge. An educated man is one who has so developed the faculties of his mind that he may acquire anything he wants, or its equivalent, without violating the rights of others.” — Napoleon Hill.
Knowledge is one of the most critical skills for achieving your life goals. But, you should throw out your preconceived ideas of how important education is. Being knowledgeable isn’t tied to the degree you have. Henry Ford is an example of someone who lacked education but had lots of valuable knowledge.
Being successful doesn’t require too many facts. Instead, it is more critical to get the right experiences and knowledge. Combining experience, knowledge, and strengths will help you develop. Although experience is more important, we should always be willing to learn. It is easy to believe we already know enough. Still, those who continue to expand their knowledge and experiences are most successful. You can do this by seeking new experiences or going to university. You might attend evening courses or acquire practical experiences.
You should always surround yourself with people who are knowledgeable and experienced. We want to avoid being the most knowledgeable person in our professional and friendship groups. Instead, we want to surround ourselves with people who can help us learn new skills and ideas.
StoryShot #7: Imagination Will Turn Your Dreams into a Reality
The importance of imagination.
Every success story begins with an idea. These ideas spawn from people’s imaginations, the creative workshops of our minds. We can use this to turn dreams from ideas into reality. Within your imagination is where all plans form. The only limitation you face depends on how much you develop your imagination. There are two types of imagination: synthetic and creative.
Types of Imagination
- Creative Imagination: This type of imagination helps us develop new ideas. It starts from nothing and creates something unique. You can only reach creative imagination when desire stimulates your conscious mind. It’s a muscle you must train.
- Synthetic Imagination: This type of imagination uses old ideas to create new concepts. For example, Sony used the technology from Dictaphones to make the first Walkman. There is no creation here because it works with existing mental material.
These two types of imagination complement each other. Ideas are the starting point for all fortunes, and they are the product of imagination. For example, Asa Candler, the founder of Coca-Cola, used headache medication approximately 140 years ago to make the drink. Candler took the recipe from a pharmacist and turned the product into a massive success. Indeed, ideas can be traded where tangible merchandise cannot. Most fortunes begin when someone with an excellent idea meets someone who sells ideas. When matched with desire, ideas are unstoppable forces. They are more powerful than the brains that created them. Thus, you must listen, cultivate, and develop a desire to see them through.
StoryShot #8: Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Understanding your strengths and weaknesses is all about self-awareness. If we know our weaknesses, we can challenge them and prevent them from impacting our goals. Some of the most common themes include vague goals, a lack of ambition, procrastination, and poor resolve. Once we understand our weaknesses, we can improve our skills. Or we can account for these weaknesses through our strengths.
A thorough and honest self-analysis helps you understand your strengths and weaknesses. To achieve this, you can set up a checklist of questions:
- Have I achieved my goals for this year?
- Was I always friendly, courteous, and cooperative?
- Did I make all decisions promptly and firmly?
You should then compare your subjective self-analysis with somebody’s objective evaluation of you. Ask somebody who knows you well to discuss your strengths and weaknesses candidly.
StoryShot #9: Reinforce Your Positive Emotions
Our subconscious can shape us positively by providing us with strength and resilience. But, it can also shape us negatively by making us pessimistic. We must train our subconscious to identify our desires and goals. We can do this by feeding our subconscious with positive and constructive feedback. Hence, we should always adopt a positive mentality irrespective of our current circumstances. We can reinforce this by surrounding ourselves with optimistic people.
StoryShot #10: Successful People Are Resilient
Stick to your plans.
If you consider those who fail, it is often due to insufficient determination. Successful people are often resilient. Multimillionaires are individuals who can make split-second decisions. Still, they can also back these decisions until they come true. They are not scared of losing money and take losses with a pinch of salt.
Successful people stick to their original plans despite the obstacles that arise. They give their dreams the space to blossom into reality. Despite this, you should still make corrections where needed. For example, if an easy price correction will have a massive impact, you should make this change. As long as you keep your overall goal in sight, you will make the right changes at the right time.
How to Develop Persistence and Endurance
Abide by these rules to make persistence and endurance habits in your life:
- Produce a concrete goal that you are passionate about.
- Create a detailed plan to achieve smaller goals to help you towards your concrete goal.
- Do not let negative opinions impact your thoughts or behaviors.
- Develop strong relationships with those who can support you through difficult times. They should also celebrate your success with you.
Strength of will is integral to persistence. Once you can combine desire and willpower, you are likely to achieve your goals. How easily you can persist depends solely on how much passion you have to reach your goal. Your Mastermind group can encourage you to persevere through difficult times.
The Eight-Stage Approach for Persistence
Here’s an eight-stage approach for cultivating persistence:
- Definiteness of purpose: You need to know exactly what you want as your ultimate goal.
- Be obsessive: Having a genuine desire for your goal means obsessing over building a fortune.
- Self-reliance: You must believe you can follow your plan and achieve each of your goals.
- Definiteness of Plans: Your plans should be organized and thorough so that they are clear when things get tough.
- Accurate Knowledge: Your plans and the corresponding goals should always be factual.
- Co-operation: You should be persistent when things get tough. Call on your mastermind and others around you to encourage you.
- Willpower: You should always focus your attention on seeing your plans through to completion.
- Persistence: Your daily behavior will become a habit and then it becomes who you are. So, by making courage a habit, you can overcome fear.
StoryShot #11: The Mastermind as a Driving Force
Accumulating money requires power. Without power, it is impossible to put your plans into action.
There are three ways to accumulate power:
- Infinite intelligence
- Accumulated experience
- Experiment and research
Your Mastermind group is formed of members who have the knowledge that you do not. It is impossible to get enough knowledge alone. Convert this knowledge into power by organizing it into definite plans. Throughout history, cooperative alliances have been essential for every great fortune. A collection of minds produces results greater than the sum of the parts.
StoryShot #12: The Mystery of Sex Transmutation
Transmutation relates to transforming one element of energy into another. Sex is our most primal and powerful drive. It is the most influential energy. Sex is such a powerful desire that individuals often put their livelihoods and reputation on the line for it. But sex can be helpful if you redirect this energy into other pursuits. This may take significant willpower, but it will have a positive impact.
This does not mean we should repress our sexual drives. Instead, we need to give this sexual energy an alternative outlet. For example, use this energy to complement your creative abilities.
StoryShot #13: Surround Yourself with Smart People
To become successful on a large scale, you will need smart people who can support you. The Brain Trust is a peer group of like-minded, intelligent people. They should have a common goal and be willing to develop their competencies. There should be a system of checks to keep each other accountable. They are your peer group.
For Brain Trust to work, you will need to develop a synergistic effect. This effect occurs when two people’s skills combine to accomplish a shared goal. The results are better than the sum of the Brain Trust’s parts.
Meet these people at least twice a week. You must also maintain harmony with each individual in the group. The individuals within your group must be equally persistent, and they must be happy for you to lead them.
Final Summary and Review of Think and Grow Rich
This book is a bestseller for good reason – it clearly outlines some simple tips and tricks that will help you become rich. The theories are easy to implement and well explained. Adopting the proper mindset and putting achievable plans in place are ways to achieve your goals. You should also have the right people around you to help boost morale and motivation.
The theories are basic, and how you implement them will depend on your own personal goals. However, this book offers great advice for anyone with big dreams.
Think and Grow Rich PDF, Free Audiobook, Infographic and Animated Book Summary
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December 5, 2022 at 3:10 pm
As obras de Napoleon Hill, são exatamente o que todo mundo precisa ler.
Foram escritas há muitos anos atrás mas continua actualizado.
Obrigada por agregar-nos tanto conhecimento.
February 12, 2023 at 12:01 pm
Não podemos estar mais de acordo. Temos o prazer de ler que StoryShots é útil para si, Carla. Obrigado pelo seu comentário!
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Think and Grow Rich: Chapter Wise Book Summary
Chapter 1: The Power of Thought
Chapter 2: desire, chapter 3: faith, chapter 4: autosuggestion, chapter 5: specialized knowledge, chapter 6: imagination, chapter 7: organized planning, chapter 8: decision, chapter 9: persistence, chapter 10: power of the mastermind, chapter 11: the mystery of sex transmutation, chapter 12: the subconscious mind, chapter 13: the brain, chapter 14: the sixth sense, chapter 15: how to outwit the six ghosts of fear, chapter 16: the devil’s workshop.
Napoleon Hill was known for his principles to improving one’s life. When he received the assignment to interview Andrew Carnegie, one the richest and influential men at that time, Carnegie challenged Hill to interview other wealthy and successful people to discover a simple formula for success. And the result was this book, Think and Grow Rich.
Not only did this book become the best-seller in personal development books of all time, the book also went on to inspire many other successful people including Tony Robbins, John Maxwell, Brian Tracy, Bob Proctor, and many others, and is highly recommended by them.
There are 13 principles shared by Napoleon Hill in the book. And today, we will talk about the summary of these 13 principles from the book for those who do not have the time to go through the book but want to benefit from the amazing principles shared by Hill.
In this first chapter, Hill demonstrates the power of your thought and how it has the power to shape your life. Hill writes that Edwin Barnes, a man who had an immense desire to partner and work with the famous inventor, Thomas Edison. Although Barnes did not know Edison in person and has no idea how he can partner with him, somehow, he kept a positive perspective on it. Of course, Barnes went through a lot of obstacles in his journey, but he never gave up. Eventually, he did manage to meet with Edison and became the major distributor of Edison’s dictating machine. Edwin Barnes became a rich man from his hard work and his labor paid off handsomely.
Besides Edwin Barnes, Hill also writes about Darby, the guy quit because he failed to mine gold. The story of Darby has become a famous inspirational story that often shared in the self-help industry. Darby quit his job and bought machinery to mine gold. After several unsuccessful attempts, he gave up and sold all his machinery to a man who collected junk. The man who bought the equipment from Darby then continued to dig the same place where Darby left off. And he found gold only after about 3 feet deeper into the ground.
A lot of people quit and give up the moment they face defeats and temporary failure. And through Darby’s story, Hill writes that one should be determined and tried harder, no matter how many times he or she experiences adversities.
According to Napoleon Hill, desire is the starting point of all achievement. Anyone can achieve anything they want if they have a strong enough burning desire. And desire is not the same as a wish or a hope, it is definite and insatiable.
Hill writes, “The most practical of all methods for controlling the mind is the habit of keeping it busy with a definite purpose.” So what is a definite purpose? A definite purpose can be a goal or anything you desire to achieve with two distinctions. First, it should be one major definite purpose and not many. Second, it should be definite.
In the book, Hill shares a six-step method how anyone can achieve what they desire in life, such as to amass wealth.
First, he says, is to fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire to achieve. Second, determine exactly what you are willing to commit to receiving this amount of money. Next, specify an exact date by when you want to achieve it. Fourth, create a plan and take the first step immediately. And then describe your desire in a clear and concise sentence. Finally, read the state aloud twice daily.
These six steps are a part of the transformation of what you desire in your mind into the physical equivalent. It is the beginning of the key principle of the book, which is to tap into the power of your subconscious mind to accomplish what it is directed to do.
In the third chapter, Hill writes about the important to have unshakable faith. He admits that it is difficult and challenging to be faithful when everything else around you is falling apart, but Hill states that faith is absolutely essential especially during tough times.
Hill suggests his readers build faith by spending 30 minutes on their thoughts every day to inch closer to success because the positive thoughts in your mind are extremely powerful and can influence you to move in the right direction even during tough times.
The author both the good and bad to the practice of visualization. When someone sees himself in a negative way and communicate negative beliefs to his subconscious mind, he will end up living a negative life. On the other hand, someone who is positive, always see himself as successful and visualize his desire being fulfilled, will eventually lead a success and wealthy life.
One of the famous quotes from Napoleon Hill is this, “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” Hill believes that if you want to achieve whatever you want in life, you must first see it in your mind and then absolutely believe in it. You need to have faith and to realize that you can do it. Whether you believe you can or you cannot, you are right.
If you have followed the six-step method outlines by Hill in the previous chapter, you will have a statement and are working on a plan to achieve your desire. What you need to do next, according to Hill, is to train your subconscious mind to attain the success you want.
Auto-suggestion is a technique of teaching yourself to believe that you can achieve whatever you want. Hill writes that in order to do that, just sit in a peaceful and quiet area, and read your statement while visualizing and believing that you have already achieved your desire.
What you want to do is to condition your desire into your subconscious mind. And Hill writes that when you reach your own subconscious by channeling your thoughts, success will not be such an enigma anymore. Auto-suggestion will create an unfaltering faith in you that will steer you in the right direction that you want to travel.
Just like driving a car, you do not need to focus on doing it because you have trained your brain and body to act on it automatically, like your second nature. And when you have convinced yourself about the desire you want to achieve through auto-suggestion, you will work on the success you desire and gain desirable results effortlessly.
In this chapter, Hill states that knowledge is power and if you want to achieve outstanding success, you must use your specialized knowledge. Hill gives the example to differentiate between education and knowledge. He writes that professors and teachers are highly knowledgeable, but some of them are struggling with their finances because they fail to organize their knowledge with practical plans. It is the application of the knowledge that is important. Knowledge itself is just a form of potential power.
And thus, Hill suggests readers to always seek knowledge through public libraries, training courses, universities, colleges, practical experiences, and often read books in the related industry to gain more specialized knowledge that will give you an edge. You do not necessarily need to have the specialized knowledge in your own head; you can rely on and make use of those who do.
Hill also says that education system may not be the best system because it does not share with students how they can organize and apply the information they have learned. If knowledge itself is power, then every teacher in the school will be the most successful people and are living wealthy right now. However, this is often not the case. It is the implementation of the ideas and knowledge that you have acquired that make the difference.
Many years ago, a clerk from a drug store used all of his life savings, about $500 to buy an old kettle, a wooden spoon and a secret formula from a doctor. It was a good deal for the doctor who wanted to retire, but little did the doctor know that it turned out to be a life-changing deal for the clerk, Asa Candler.
Asa Candler knew that he did not really purchase the kettle and the wooden spoon, but an idea. Candler then mixed the ingredient with the secret formula through his own imagination and created Coca-Cola. Candler aggressively marketed the new drink and became super successful with it. And Coca-Cola has created thousands of jobs and business opportunities to people all across the world, and it all starts with an idea.
Hill says that imagination is one the most important steps to success that everyone must use. And he explains that there are two types of imagination, one is the synthetic imagination, which simple rearrange the existing ideas into new concepts. And another type of imagination is the creative imagination, which creates something from nothing.
Most people thought that richest come from hard work, which according to Hill, is only partially true. Hill writes that riches come “in response to definite demands, based upon the application of definite principles… when a creator of ideas and a seller of ideas got together and worked in harmony.” The ideas that come from imagination are the forces that cause things to come into reality. And so you must add imagination to your specialized knowledge to grow rich.
In the previous chapter, Hill already touches about the importance of organized information to gain riches. And in this chapter, Hill discusses how one can achieve extraordinary success through organized planning. He shares with the readers a couple of steps that can be taken to construct a practical plan to accomplish what people desire.
First, Hill says, you must associate yourself with other people to create a direction and put your plan into action. And he calls this group of people, the ‘mastermind’, which he also dedicates a whole chapter to this subject. And before you form alliances with this group of people, you need to determine what you can offer them in return for their help and cooperation. Besides that, you must make sure you meet with your mastermind group at least twice every week to perfect your plan and strategize your action. And make sure to always maintain harmony with your group to achieve better results.
Hill also says that the process of planning must be continuous and persistent. Even when you face difficulties and failures, never give up and continue to work on your idea and tweak your plans.
Hill dedicates a lot to this chapter. He even lists the 11 qualities of a leader and his 10 major causes of a leadership failure. He also writes the 30 causes of failure in life and the 28 questions you should ask yourself annually to gauge your progress.
According to Napoleon Hill, one of the most common reasons people fail is because of procrastination. He says that it is important to avoid procrastination and take immediate action. Most people will wait and refuse to do things immediately, which causes them to lose motivation and eventually, fail in their venture.
Hill gives the example of Henry Ford, who was known to make quick decisions and once he made those decisions, he changed them very slowly and deliberately. Ford was famous as an obstinate person who created the ‘Model T’, where a lot of customers and advisors said that the car was ugly, but Ford did not sway from his decision. And of course, Ford’s persistence paid off handsomely and making Ford one of the largest mass car producers in the world.
The ability to decide quickly with determination comes from having a definite purpose and understanding exactly what you want. And this ability defines leaders. As Hill writes, “The world has the habit of making room for the man whose words and actions show that he knows where he is going.”
Apart from that, Hill also says that if you are easily influenced by others and take a long time to make a decision because you need to listen to advice from others, you will rarely succeed. This is because it means that you do not have a strong burning desire for what you want. You must use your own brain, thoughts, body, and soul to make your decisions and stand by them.
Persistence is an extremely important factor that will determine your success and riches in life. Hill says that it is an important habit or practice you need to develop to build faith and succeed in your endeavors. There are a couple of examples given by Hill to show their will and determination in handling difficult moments. One is none other than Thomas Edison, the famous inventor who invented light-bulb.
Hill says that Thomas Edison failed more than 10,000 times in his attempts, but Edison continues to persist and work on his experiment despite all the failures. Most people will quit after failing a few times, let alone 10,000 times like Edison. And this is exactly why most people fail to amass wealth or success in life. They simply jump to conclusion that things will not work out and they give up way too soon. Remember the story of Darby? He was just 3 feet away from striking gold, but he quit way too soon.
Persistence is a state of mind that can be cultivated by having the definiteness of purpose, self-reliance, desire, accurate knowledge, willpower, definiteness of plans, and also a habit.
Hill writes that mastermind is perhaps the most important principles to success. As what he already explains in the earlier chapter, you need to leverage both the economic and “psychic” features of having such a group of individuals to support you in your journey.
In a simple term, the combination of experience and brainpower has a serious economic advantage. For instance, when you are surrounded by like-minded people who are always striving for higher success and better results, you will think the same and act the same. You will then be influenced by the people around you and become like them. On the other hand, when you surround yourself with lazy and negative people, you will follow the same pattern and become lazy and negative.
A mastermind group is a group of like-minded people who meet regularly to push themselves toward their goals, hold each other accountable, and tackle challenges and solve problems together. Andrew Carnegie, the industrialist who encouraged Hill to write this book, had his own mastermind group. The same goes for Henry Ford. Ford builds a group and meets regularly with Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone, and other brilliant minds in a group they held at their winter mansions in Florida.
Napoleon Hill is the person who popularized the concept of the mastermind. He believes that one cannot be successful without the help of others. And he refers to help, he is not referring to any help, but specific help from other successful people who can support and grow you to greater heights.
Hill describes the power of sex transmutation in this chapter. He says that sexual urge is a very powerful force and oftentimes, men lose their focus and risk their lives, career and also money to quench their desires. And if this sexual energy can be transformed into a creative energy, it has tremendous power and ability to help boost your willpower.
What Hill is trying to say is that sexual desires are insatiable and they can be converted into something that is very productive. As he writes it, “When driven by this desire, men develop keenness of imagination, courage, will-power, persistence, and creative ability unknown to them at other times.”
This chapter may sound awkward, but the concept and idea that Hill trying to share is quite simple. He wants his readers to understand that sexual desire is one of the strongest human desires, and if this willpower can be channeled into your productive and creative faculty, it can be life-changing.
This book is all about harnessing the power of your subconscious mind. And though Hill has covered some of the most important ideas and the concept of your subconscious mind works in the earlier chapter, Hill dedicates a full chapter to remind his readers about the importance of understanding and connecting their subconscious mind with richest and success.
According to Hill, we can voluntarily plant any idea we desire in our subconscious mind to use its power to achieve what we want in life. Of course, it is not really possible that we can control everything in our subconscious mind, but it is possible to achieve what you want when you believe in it.
Our subconscious mind works 24/7, even when we are sleeping our subconscious mind does not. Therefore, our habits, desires, and actions are a large part of our subconscious conditioning. And if you can condition the success and richness you want into your subconscious, you develop creativity, faith, beliefs, and actions that will automatically bring you the results you want.
One good way to condition your desire to your subconscious is through meditation and visualization. Quiet your mind through meditation, and then consciously visualize what you want to instill the pictures of your desire into your subconscious mind.
Napoleon Hill explains that our brain is a remarkable machine and it works just like a broadcasting and receiving station for thoughts. With more than 14 million nerve cells, the brain works like a factor that guides and controls our day-to-day life. He also says that thoughts are things and the greater the vibration our brain receives, the higher the chances we can achieve our goals.
This is why a mastermind group works. Your mind is a broadcasting and receiving station, when you talk with others and join them regularly, their thoughts will influence you and think like they do. This is what often calls “Like attracts like”, just like the concept of “Yin and Yang” too.
Plus, the vibrations in your brain can be increased through emotions. When people are emotionally attracted to what they desire in life, they tend to work more tirelessly and seem to have the energy to the breakthrough difficult situation and produce success more easily. This is what Hill means when he says to have a “burning” desire. He means a strong and emotional desire that will help you breakthrough all the failures, rejections and setbacks in your journey.
Some people refer sixth sense to their gut feeling or intuition, and Hill says that it is crucial to believe and tap into one’s sixth sense when it comes to making a decision and accumulates wealth.
Hill defines sixth sense as “that portion of the subconscious mind which has been referred to as the Creative Imagination,” through which “you will be warned of impending dangers in time to avoid them, and notified of opportunities in time to embrace them.”
Hill continues to say that it is not possible to explain how the sixth sense works, but it can only be understood once you have experienced it. This is why some successful people have the hunches or inner feelings that guide them and tell them what to do. They follow their instinct, and most of the time, their instinct will lead them somewhere better.
In this book, Hill writes that sixth sense has the ability to access our infinite intelligence, and it can provide a combination of spiritual and mental thoughts that guide and connect you with the Universal Mind. Sometimes, people do things out of their gut feeling, and as it turns out, they are right.
Napoleon Hill declares that he does not believe in miracles, but somehow, there seems to be a higher power that can transform things beyond our wildest imagination.
In this chapter, Hill addresses that there are six fears that stop us in life. They are poverty, old age, criticism, illness, love, and death. And because faith cannot co-exist with fear, you must learn to master your fear in order to grow your faith and to achieve the success you want in life. When you are fearful, you will never have faith, and when you are faithful, you will never be fearful.
For example, most people are afraid of losing their money especially during tough times like a recession. And they allow the fear of poverty stops them from moving forward. Some people are afraid to venture into a business because they are afraid of their age or criticism from others if they fail. These fears will limit your potential and spread doubt, indecision, and procrastination in your life.
And Hill writes that fear is a state of mind, and because you can control your state of mind, you can overcome your fears. Therefore, choose to exercise your willpower to banish your fear, your worry, your doubts, and the negative thinking in your head.
This is the final chapter in Think and Grow Rich. And in this section, Hill talks about another important factor that may prevent you from getting what you want and becoming rich. Hill states that this evil is even stronger and dangerous than the previous six fears that you have learned from the last chapter.
According to Hill, this evil is your susceptibility to negative influences. And if you did not take immediate action to analyze yourself to figure out if you are under negative influences, it will grow so strong that becomes very difficult to eliminate.
In order to get rid of this dangerous evil, Hill suggests his readers to first understand that human beings are lazy and indifferent by nature. People are easily influenced by negativity around them and the destructive thoughts will ruin their future if they are not aware of it. So once you understood this, you can set up habits and protective bunkers to prevent yourself from being influenced and attack by the negativity around you.
For instance, if you discover that you are easily swayed and influenced by negative people around you, you can either build a “wall” to block your mind against such influences or better yet, stay away from the negative people.
On the contrary, create your own mastermind group and always surround yourself with people who will inspire and uplift you. Get along with people who have the ability to support your dreams and put a positive influence on you.
Napoleon Hill believes that success is possible and anyone can achieve what they desire as long as they learn to overcome their fears and make good use of their mind.
Think and Grow Rich is a book written based on over 500 interviews of the greatest men in the early 20th century, including Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, John Rockefeller, Alexander Graham Bell, and more. The author, Napoleon Hill has compiled all the wisdom from these remarkable people into the book and there are 13 main principles of how one can change his thinking and become rich.
This book is about how one can change their lives and achieve the success they desire through the changing of their thoughts. It shows you how you must think to become money conscious and how developing the right mindset is the starting and ending point for all riches.
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1-Sentence-Summary: Think And Grow Rich is a curation of the 13 most common habits of wealthy and successful people, distilled from studying
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill examines the psychological power of thought and the brain in the process of furthering your career for
Napoleon Hill researched more than forty millionaires to find out what made them the men that they were. In Think and Grow Rich, he imparts that knowledge to
Think and Grow Rich is the result of Hill's study of over five hundred self-made millionaires—a condensed, accessible explanation of his Law of Success
Think and Grow Rich · Every major achievement begins with the intense belief in one's ability to accomplish it. · Define the exact amount of money you desire.
In the Autumn of 1908, steel magnate Andrew Carnegie gave the young journalist Napoleon Hill a challenge. He asked him to create a concrete
The Think and Grow Rich principles are for anyone looking to improve their life. While the text is specific to financial success, the principles
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill is a 13-step process on how to achieve success and riches. Hill interviewed over 25,000 successful businessmen and
Think and Grow Rich examines the psychological power of positive thought. Napoleon Hill delves into the importance of our thought patterns for
Think and Grow Rich: Chapter Wise Book Summary · Chapter 1: The Power of Thought · Chapter 2: Desire · Chapter 3: Faith · Chapter 4: Autosuggestion · Chapter 5: