KEYS TO "THINKING AND GROWING RICH"

One of my favorite books of all time Napoleon Hills "Think And Grow Rich" i read this book at least 3 times a month im going to share with you some of the basic of what you need to start on your journey to financial freedom. Im a still on my journey i know my destination. What ever you put your mind to you can do it. You can have what ever you want out of life. You just got to have faith. This is what im using to help me along my path and would like to share it with you

D E S I R E

Desire means, simply, knowing what you want. It is the first principle of success. Your brain becomes magnetized with the dominating thoughts you hold in your mind. These magnets attract forces, people, and circumstances in harmony with the nature of those dominating thoughts. Before you can accumulate riches in great abundance, you must magnetize your mind with an intense desire for those riches. Wishing will not bring riches. But desiring riches with a state of mind that becomes an obsession, then planning definite ways to acquire those riches through goal setting and backing those plans with a persistence that does not recognize failure, will bring you what you desire.

There are six definite, practical steps to follow in order to transform a desire for riches into the
riches themselves.

1) Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire.
2) Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire.
3) Establish a definite date by which you intend to possess the money you desire.
4) 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.
5) Write out clearly and concisely all of the information in Steps 1 to 4 above.
6) Read your statement aloud twice daily and, as you read, see and feel and believe yourself already in possession of the money.

Answer the following questions, based on the six steps detailed above. When you have completed
answering the questions, you will have the basis for your plan to accumulate the wealth you desire.

1) What is the exact amount of money you desire?
2) What exactly will you give in return for this money? Remember, something never comes for
nothing.
3) By what date do you intend to have the money you desire? Be specific.
4) In the following space, create a definite plan for carrying out your desire. Make this plan
something you can put into action immediately. Make the steps specific and achievable in the
time frame you’ve given yourself in Step 3.
5) Combine all of the answers from Steps 1 to 4 and write them in the space below. Although this may seem repetitious, remember that repeating your desires until they become burning
obsessions makes those desires become reality.
6) Read the statement in Step 5 aloud. Do it again. In the space below, write down at what two
times during the course of each day you will repeat this statement aloud to yourself.

FA I T H

A mind dominated by positive emotions becomes a favorable site for the state of mind known as faith. When faith is blended with thought, the subconscious mind instantly picks up the vibration, translates it into its spiritual equivalent, and transmits it to Infinite Intelligence, as in the case of prayer.
Faith is a state of mind that may be induced or created by affirmations or repeated instructions to the subconscious mind through the principle of autosuggestion (see Page 12). It is a state of mind that you may develop voluntarily through application and use of the principles found in this
program.
It is important to remember:
• Faith is the starting point of all accumulation of riches.
• Faith is the basis of all miracles and mysteries that science cannot explain.
• Faith is the only known antidote for failure.

A lack of self-confidence may be the biggest obstacle to maintaining faith in yourself. This handicap can be overcome and timidity translated into courage through the use of positive thoughts stated in writing, memorized, and repeated until they become part of your subconscious mind.
The following is a formula for attaining and strengthening your self-confidence. Commit yourself to genuinly believing of each element of the formula and acting upon each belief.

a) Know you have the ability to achieve the objects of your definite purpose in life; demand of yourself persistent, continuous action toward its attainment, and promise to render such action.
b) Realize that the dominating thoughts of your mind will eventually reproduce themselves in outward, physical action, and will gradually transform themselves into physical reality; concentrate your thoughts for 30 minutes daily upon the task of thinking of the person you intend to become, thereby creating in your mind a clear mental picture.
c) Know that through the principle of autosuggestion any desire that you persistently hold in your mind will eventually seek expression through some practical means of attaining the object you desire. Devote 10 minutes daily to demanding of yourself the development of self-confidence.
d) Write down a clear description of your definite chief aim in life, and never stop trying until you have developed sufficient self-confidence for its attainment.
e) Realize that no wealth or position can long endure unless built upon truth and justice;engage in no transaction which does not benefit all whom it affects. Succeed by attracting to yourself the forces you wish to use and the cooperation of other people. Induce others to serve you because of your willingness to serve others. Eliminate hatred, envy, jealousy, selfishness, and cynicism by developing love for all humanity; know that a negative attitude toward others can never bring success. Cause others to believe in you, because you will believe in them and in yourself.

Sign your name to this formula, commit it to memory, and repeat it aloud once a day with full faith
that it will gradually influence your thoughts and actions so that you will become a self-reliant,
successful person.

Answer the following questions:

1) Write down five beliefs in which you feel you must have faith before you can reach your goals. These beliefs can be about yourself, your family, friends, or colleagues, or about the universe as a whole.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

While working to believe the things you listed in the previous question — by repeating them to
yourself often and using the formula given previously — it’s important to also remember those
things in which you already have deep faith. Below, list five beliefs you currently hold, about
which you have no doubts whatever, preferably beliefs that will help you achieve your goals.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

AUTOSUGGESTION
Autosuggestion is self-suggestion. It is the agency of communication between that part of the mind where conscious thought takes place and the subconscious mind. With it, an individual may voluntarily feed his or her subconscious mind thoughts of a creative nature or, by neglect, permit destructive thoughts to find their way in.
Through the dominating thoughts one permits to remain in the conscious mind (whether these
thoughts are positive or negative, true or false is immaterial), the principle of autosuggestion
voluntarily reaches the subconscious mind and influences it with these thoughts.
Your ability to use the principle of autosuggestion will depend upon your capacity to concentrate upon a given desire until that desire becomes a burning obsession.

1) You have been repeating your course of action aloud two times daily. It is time to add more
autosuggestions to your daily routing.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

SPECIALIZED KNOW L E D G E

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.
Specialized knowledge is organized and intelligently directed through practical plans of action; its definite end is the accumulation of money.
Lack of understanding of this fact has been the source of confusion to millions of people who
falsely believe that knowledge is power. 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 — through the use of specialized knowledge.
Before you can be sure of your ability to transform desire into its monetary equivalent, you will
require specialized knowledge of the service, merchandise, or profession you intend to offer in
return for fortune.
1) Below, list three areas in which you possess specialized knowledge.
a)
b)
c)
Are there any other areas in which, with a little effort, your areas of general knowledge might be
moved toward becoming more specialized knowledge? What are they and how might you help
transform them into specialized knowledge areas?

I M AG I N AT I O N

Ideas, the product of the imagination, are the starting point of all fortunes.
The imagination is literally the workshop in which all man’s plans are created. Desire is given
shape, form, and action with its aid.

The imagination functions in two forms:

1) Synthetic imagination creates nothing; it works with the material of experience — old concepts, ideas, or plans — and recombines them into new shapes.
2) Creative imagination allows the finite mind to have direct communication with Infinite
Intelligence; through hunches, intuition, and inspiration, new ideas are passed on to mankind.
The great leaders of business, industry, finance, and the arts became great because they developed the faculty of creative imagination. Your own imaginative faculty may have become weak through inaction. It can be revived and made alert through use. Think, visualize, fantasize, dream! Get your imagination back into shape.

1) In the space below, imagine what your life would be like if you won a lottery prize of $10 million. Be as specific as possible about what you would do with the money — use a separate sheet of paper if necessary. Don’t be shy about dreaming big!
2) Now imagine your life if all your goals were met. What would your ideal existence be? Don’t limit yourself to only financial aspirations this time. What would your career be like? Your relationships? Your leisure time? Be as detailed as possible and, again, use a separate sheet of paper if necessary.
3) Referring back to question 2, imagine various strategies for making this ideal life become a
reality.

ORGANIZED PLANNING
Your achievement can be no greater than your plans are sound.
When creating and adopting a plan for success, it may be necessary to have several alternatives in reserve. If the first plan you adopt does not work successfully, replace it with a new plan; if this new plan fails to work, replace it in turn with still another, and so on, until you find a plan that does work.
When making plans, keep these facts in mind:

• You are engaged in an undertaking of major importance; to be sure of success, you must
have plans that are faultless.
• You must have the advantage of the experience, education, native ability, and imagination
of other minds; this is in harmony with the methods followed by every person who has
accumulated a great fortune.

Although the Master Mind principle is discussed at greater length in the book it is advantageous to become familiar with the concept in regard to organized planning. The following are steps to take to build practical plans, and they include several tips on using the Master Mind principle.

a)Ally yourself with a group of as many people as you may need for the creation and
carrying out of your plan or plans for the accumulation of money.
b) Before forming your Master Mind alliance, decide what advantages and benefits you may offer the individual members of your group, in return for their cooperation.
c) Arrange to meet with the members of your Master Mind group at least twice a week, and more often if possible, until you have jointly perfected the necessary plan or plans for the accumulation of money.
d) Maintain perfect harmony between yourself and every member of your Master Mind
group. If you fail to carry out this instruction to the letter, you may expect to meet with
failure.

For each of the following important factors of leadership, rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 5, 1
indicating the greatest need for improvement.

1) Unwavering courage
1 2 3 4 5
2) Self-Control
1 2 3 4 5
3) Keen sense of justice
1 2 3 4 5
4) Definiteness of decision
1 2 3 4 5
5) Definiteness of plans
1 2 3 4 5
6) Habit of doing more than paid for
1 2 3 4 5
7) Pleasing personality
1 2 3 4 5
8) Sympathy and understanding
1 2 3 4 5
9) Mastery of detail
1 2 3 4 5
10) Willingness to assume full responsibility
1 2 3 4 5
11) Cooperation
1 2 3 4 5

PLANNING TO SUCCEED

Everyone enjoys doing the kind of work for which he or she is best suited. An artist loves to work with paints, a craftsman with his hands. A writer loves to write. Those with less definite talents have preferences for certain fields of business and industry.
The following are steps that will help lead you to exactly the job that will guarantee your success.
a) Decide exactly what kind of a job you want. If the job doesn’t already exist, perhaps you can create it.
b) Choose the company or individual for whom you wish to work.
c) Study y our prospective employer, e.g., policies, personnel, and chances of advancement.
d) By analyzing yourself, your talents and capabilities, figure out what you can offer this prospective employer. Plan ways of giving advantages, services, developments, ideas that you believe you can deliver successfully.
e) Forget about “a job,” and forget whether or not there is an opening. Concentrate on what you can give.
f) Once you have your plan in mind, arrange with an experienced writer to put it on paper neatly and in detail.
g) Present it to the proper person with authority, and he or she will do the rest. Every
company is looking for men and women who can give something of value — ideas,
services, or connections. Every company has room for the man or woman who has a
definite plan of action advantageous to that company.

The following are 30 major causes of failure. After reading each one and evaluating it in relation to yourself and your own experiences with success or failure, mark either Yes or No for each. Yes means it is something that has occurred in your life, perhaps causing failure. No means it is something that has not been a part of your life, has rarely if ever impeded your path to success.

1) Unfavorable hereditary background
2) Lack of a well-defined purpose in life
3) Lack of ambition to aim above mediocrity
4) Insufficient education
5) Lack of self-discipline
6) Ill health
7) Unfavorable environmental influences during childhood
8) Procrastination
9) Lack of persistence
10) Negative personality
11) Lack of controlled sexual urge
12) Uncontrolled desire for “something for nothing”
13) Lack of a well-defined power of decision
14) One or more of the six basic fears — poverty, criticism, ill health, loss of love, old age, and death
15) Wrong selection of a mate in marriage
16) Over-caution
17) Wrong selection of associates in business
18) Superstition and prejudice
19) Wrong selection of a vocation
20) Lack of concentration of effort
21) The habit of indiscriminate spending
22) Lack of enthusiasm
23) Intolerance
24) Intemperance
25) Inability to cooperate with others
26) Possession of power that wasn’t acquired through your efforts
27) Intentional dishonesty
28) Egotism and vanity
29) Guessing instead of thinking
30) Lack of capital

DECISION MAKING
Studies of people who accumulated large fortunes disclosed that every one of them had the habit of reaching decisions promptly and of changing these decisions slowly, if and when they changed them at all.

People who have failed to accumulate money, without exception, have the habit of reaching
decisions, if at all, very slowly, and of changing these decisions quickly and often.
The majority of people who fail to accumulate money sufficient for their needs are, generally, easily influenced by the opinions of others. Everyone has a flock of opinions ready to be wished upon anyone who will accept them. If you are influenced by opinions when you reach decisions, you will not succeed in any undertaking, much less in that of transforming your own desire into money.
Keep your own counsel. Reach your own decisions and follow them. Take no one into your
confidence except members of your Master Mind group, and be very sure in your
selection of this group that you choose only those who will be in complete sympathy and harmony with your purpose. Even then, don’t make their opinions your own as a matter of course.

Answer the following questions True or False.
1) I make decisions quickly.
True False
2) I am rarely influenced by the opinions of others.
True False
3) I am slow to reverse any decision that I make.
True False
4) I have never lost out on an opportunity because I failed to make a decision.
True False
5) I would rather make my own decisions than rely on the opinions and advice of others.
True False

The more True answers you have, the closer you are to possessing the decision-making skills needed to move you toward attaining the riches you desire and deserve.

P E R S I S T E N C E

Persistence is an essential factor in the process of transforming desire into its monetary equivalent.
Without persistence, you will be defeated even before you start. With persistence you will win.
Persistence is based upon definite causes, among them:
• Definiteness of purpose
• Desire
• Self-reliance
• Definiteness of plans
• Accurate knowledge
• Cooperation
• Will power
• Habit

Lack of persistence is a weakness and one of the major causes of failure. However, it is a weakness that can be overcome by effort.

Constantly keep in mind that the starting point of all achievement is desire. Weak desires bring
weak results, just as a small amount of fire makes a small amount of heat. If you find yourself
lacking in persistence, it can be remedied by building a stronger fire under your desires.
There are four simple steps leading to the habit of persistence:

• A definite purpose backed by 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 people who will encourage you to follow through
with both plan and purpose.

Think about the habit of persistence as it applies to your own life, and answer the following
questions.
1) Below, detail an example for your recent experience in which persistence has paid off for you.
2) Now, recall an experience in which you feel that, had you been more persistent, you would have met with more success.
3) In relation to the above experience, what were the obstacles you faced that caused your
persistence to wane or disappear?
4) In retrospect, what might you have done to overcome those obstacles?

As a parting bit of advice, remember: Life is a game, like checkers or chess, and the player opposite you is time. If you hesitate before moving or neglect to move promptly, your pieces will be wiped off the board. Time is a partner who will not tolerate indecision.
Your struggles with indecision are over. You now hold the master key that unlocks the door to life’s bountiful riches — the privilege of creating in your own mind a burning desire for a definite form of riches.
There is no penalty for the use of this key, but there is a price to be paid if you do not use it. That price is failure. The reward is worthy of your effort. Will you begin to seek that reward today?