Napoleon Hill Is on the Air!: The Five Foundations for Success

by Napoleon Hill

The four big musts that need to be under control at all times to maintain self-discipline are: The Appetite for Food and Drink The Mental Attitude The Budgeting of Time Definiteness of Purpose

Self-discipline cannot be attained overnight; it must be developed step by step, by the formation of definite habits of thought and action. It is surprising what you can do with your mind if you take possession of it and use it the way the Creator intended you should use it, and that is to project your mind to the object of the things you want most in life and to keep your mind fixed upon that and not on the things you don’t want.

One is to keep cool when other people get hot. I know you can agree with that one,

Number two in my rules of self-discipline: remember, there are three sides to all arguments.

Number three: never give directives to a subordinate when you are angry.

Number four: treat all people as if they were rich relatives from whom you expect to inherit something after their death.

Number five: look for the seed of an equivalent benefit in every unpleasant circumstance you meet, no matter what the unpleasant circumstance is.

Number six: learn the almost forgotten art of asking questions and listening to the answers, instead of getting the other person told off.

never say or do anything that may influence another person without first asking yourself, “Will it benefit him or hurt him?” And if it will hurt him, don’t do it. Don’t say anything or do anything that will hurt another person under any circumstances, no matter how much he may deserve it.

Number eight: learn the difference between friendly analysis and unfriendly criticism;

Number nine: remember that a good leader in any calling is one who can take orders as cheerfully as he can give them. Number ten: last but not the least, remember that tolerance in human relations is just as important as any other rule of self-discipline.

white heat

“It also saves me from having to listen to a lot of idle chatter from people who have nothing to say and say it too often and too loudly.”