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The Secret of Success

The Secret of Success is an important motivational book written by author William Walker Atkinson. Atkinson teaches in this work that individuality is inherent in each of us, and which may be developed and brought into activity in each one of us if we go about it right. Individuality is the expression of our Self - that Self which is what we mean when we say "I". Each of us is an Individual - an "I" - differing from every other "I" in the universe, so far as personal expression is concerned. And in the measure that we express and unfold the powers of that "I", so are we great, strong and successful. We all "have it in us" - it depends upon us to get it out into Expression. And, this Individual Expression lies at the heart of the "Secret of Success". And that is why we use the term - and that is what we shall tell you about in this little book. It will pay for you to learn this "Secret".

78 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1996

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About the author

William Walker Atkinson

2,793 books415 followers
Pseudonyms: Theron Q. Dumont, Yogi Ramacharaka, Swami Bhakta Vishita & Swami Panchadasi

William Walker Atkinson (December 5, 1862 – November 22, 1932) was an attorney, merchant, publisher, and author, as well as an occultist and an American pioneer of the New Thought movement. He is also known to have been the author of the pseudonymous works attributed to Theron Q. Dumont, Swami Panchadasi and Yogi Ramacharaka and others.

Due in part to Atkinson's intense personal secrecy and extensive use of pseudonyms, he is now largely forgotten, despite having obtained mention in past editions of Who's Who in America, Religious Leaders of America, and several similar publications—and having written more than 100 books in the last 30 years of his life. His works have remained in print more or less continuously since 1900.

William Walker Atkinson was born in Baltimore, Maryland on December 5, 1862, to William and Emma Atkinson. He began his working life as a grocer at 15 years old, probably helping his father. He married Margret Foster Black of Beverly, New Jersey, in October 1889, and they had two children. The first probably died young. The second later married and had two daughters.

Atkinson pursued a business career from 1882 onwards and in 1894 he was admitted as an attorney to the Bar of Pennsylvania. While he gained much material success in his profession as a lawyer, the stress and over-strain eventually took its toll, and during this time he experienced a complete physical and mental breakdown, and financial disaster. He looked for healing and in the late 1880s he found it with New Thought, later attributing the restoration of his health, mental vigor and material prosperity to the application of the principles of New Thought.

Some time after his healing, Atkinson began to write articles on the truths he felt he had discovered, which were then known as Mental Science. In 1889, an article by him entitled "A Mental Science Catechism," appeared in Charles Fillmore's new periodical, Modern Thought.

By the early 1890s Chicago had become a major centre for New Thought, mainly through the work of Emma Curtis Hopkins, and Atkinson decided to move there. Once in the city, he became an active promoter of the movement as an editor and author. He was responsible for publishing the magazines Suggestion (1900–1901), New Thought (1901–1905) and Advanced Thought (1906–1916).

In 1900 Atkinson worked as an associate editor of Suggestion, a New Thought Journal, and wrote his probable first book, Thought-Force in Business and Everyday Life, being a series of lessons in personal magnetism, psychic influence, thought-force, concentration, will-power, and practical mental science.

He then met Sydney Flower, a well-known New Thought publisher and businessman, and teamed up with him. In December, 1901 he assumed editorship of Flower's popular New Thought magazine, a post which he held until 1905. During these years he built for himself an enduring place in the hearts of its readers. Article after article flowed from his pen. Meanwhile he also founded his own Psychic Club and the so-called "Atkinson School of Mental Science". Both were located in the same building as Flower's Psychic Research and New Thought Publishing Company.

Atkinson was a past president of the International New Thought Alliance.

Throughout his subsequent career, Atkinson wrote and published under his own name and many pseudonyms. It is not known whether he ever acknowledged authorship of these pseudonymous works, but all of the supposedly independent authors whose writings are now credited to Atkinson were linked to one another by virtue of the fact that their works were released by a series of publishing houses with shared addresses and they also wrote for a series of magazines with a shared roster of authors. Atkinson was the editor of a

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5 stars
38 (29%)
4 stars
46 (35%)
3 stars
33 (25%)
2 stars
9 (6%)
1 star
5 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Profile Image for Nex Juice.
274 reviews25 followers
December 18, 2017
FINALLY! An excellent book in the Prosperity Bible. I immediately added this to my wish list so that I can own this book to read again next year. Finally, a book that presents the Law of Attraction in a way that I can accept - using a scientific explanation as opposed to a metaphysical one. My favorite part is that the foundation of success is Individuality. Individualism is something everyone has but it expresses itself differently. This is why you can't have a one-size-fits-all recipe for success. This is also why I recommend people work with life coaches one-on-one for customized strategies for their specific goals, strengths and weaknesses. He also discusses the importance of energetic enthusiasm, which he calls "spiritedness" I loved the concept of using willpower to find your mental second-wind. Work harder than you think you can and you'll unleash a latent, dormant mental power that you never even thought possible. Then, you'll begin to unlock third, fourth and even fifth winds!!! The potential is infinite. Toward the end, he gets into exactly how to develop an attractive personality (AKA being a great listener) which is key to creating synergistic relationships with Master Minds. The concept of Master Minds was really the only thing I thought was missing from this book. A 5 star read worth buying. Yay!

Profile Image for Julio Ayala.
192 reviews
November 10, 2024
Atkinson es de ese tipo de escritores a los que uno se habitúa a leer y encuentra muy pronto que consigue hacer que uno capte un sentido que todavía está vigente a pesar de que han pasado muchos años desde su muerte. Con mucha meticulosidad nos describe lo que en su tiempo lo llevó a sentirse un hombre de éxito y cono trasladar el mismo efecto en nuestras vidas.
Profile Image for larashati.
94 reviews7 followers
February 23, 2022
yuyur ini bukan jenis non-fic yang kusukai, karena berat banget meskipun dia juga tipis banget. berat disini tuh dalam segi bahasa, penulisan, dan pembahasannya. tapi mungkin orang-orang dewasa diatas 30tahunan atau businessman akan suka buku ini.
Profile Image for Fernando Cabezas Astorga.
460 reviews9 followers
June 15, 2022
Una excelente descripción de las leyes que rigen los resultados. Sin intentar dogmatiza, el autor va dandlo los elementos que suveden cuando las personas tienen éxito. Es un libo que trata fundamentalmente de la ley de la atracción. Es el secreto para lograr lo que ese desea y se espera.
Profile Image for Al-hafiz Virani.
21 reviews
March 29, 2024
A nice short book from one of the greatest masters of personal development. This is short and can be listen to over and over again. But you still need to read his other books to get the full benefit of his wisdom.
Profile Image for Chisangu Matome.
4 reviews1 follower
December 25, 2017
The book has some amazing insight and so many quotables. There are a few hints of New Age nonsense and poor logic. I'd still recommend this book though.
Profile Image for Shawn.
9 reviews13 followers
April 21, 2015
"The Caucasians have a favorite proverb that says:

“Heroism is endurance for one moment more. “And that one moment more tells the difference between the “quitter” and the man who has “done his Best.

“No one is dead until his heart has ceased beating – and no one has failed so long as there is one more bit of fight in him. And that “one moment more” often is the moment in which the tide turns – the moment when the enemy relaxes his hold and drops back beaten."

Great read. Highly recommend.

Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews