Lead the Field: How to Build a Millionaire Mindset (Earl Nightingale Series)

by Earl Nightingale

is, while all other creatures are guided by instinct—of which they are unaware, and which they don’t have the capacity to question—each of us, as a human creature, was given the godlike power to create his or her own life.

For some, those ideas and actions lead inevitably to extraordinary achievement and rewards. For most, they tend to lead to a kind of middle ground, in which great numbers

of people take their cues from each other, without question or consideration. And for some, those actions and ideas lead to repeated frustration and problems, and they spend their lives in the bottom layers of the socioeconomic pyramid.

people. The most important single factor that guarantees good results, day in, day out, all the months and years of our lives, is a healthy attitude! Attitude is the magic word.

Attitude is defined as “the position or bearing as

indicating action, feeling...

And it is our actions, feelings, or moods that determine the actions, feelings, or moods of others. Our attitude tells the world what we expect in return. If it’s a cheerful, expectant attitude, it says ...

the best in our dealings with...

expect. Our attitude is something we can control. We can establish our attitude each morning when we start our day—in fact, we do just that, whether or not we realize it. And the people in our family—all the people in our world—will reflect back to us the attitude we present to them.

If we’re cheerful, glad to be experiencing this miracle of life, others will reflect that good cheer back to us. We are the kind of people others enjoy being around.

I remember the time when a man and his wife bought a home across the street from me in Florida. The couple had moved to Florida from their home in Minnesota. They had planned the move for years. They were tired of the Northern winters, and he was an avid fisherman. Several months passed, and one day, I was surprised to see them packing. I walked across the street and asked the man if they were leaving so soon after they had made the move. He nodded. “My wife hates it here,” he said. “We’re going back home.” I asked him how in the world his wife could hate it here, what she didn’t like about the place. After a few questions, the truth came out. “She hasn’t been accepted here,” he said. “The other women of the community have left her strictly alone. She hasn’t made any friends. She hasn’t been asked to participate in any of the community activities.” “Has she let the other women know she’s interested in participating in community activities?” I asked him. He stopped what he was doing and looked at me. “No,” he said. “No, she hasn’t. She’s been waiting for the women to ask her.” “And since she’s stayed in the house, waiting for them to come to her, they’ve thought of her as a recluse, as a person who’s not interested in making friends. So they’ve left her alone.” There was a long silence, and then he began nodding. “Yes, that’s exactly what’s happened,” he said. Yes, the women of the neighborhood should have come to her and introduced themselves, or invited her to a tea or lu...

As soon as a person begins to change, his or her surroundings will change. And it works like this: great attitude, great results; good attitude, good results; fair or average attitude, fair or average results; poor attitude, poor results.

Most people never think about their attitudes at all. For most of them, it’s a matter of beginning each day in neutral. Their attitudes are neither good nor bad; they are poised to react to whatever stimuli they encounter. If the stimulus is good, they will reflect it; if it’s bad, they will reflect that, too. They are chameleons, going through their days reacting to whatever confronts them. And these are the people of our environment. That’s why it’s so important for us to control our attitudes, to make sure they’re excellent or good.

A person with a poor attitude toward learning, for example, isn’t going to learn very much.

“Human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.”

First, I’m grateful for the opportunity to live on this beautiful and astonishing planet Earth. In the morning, I wake up with a sense of gratitude. Second, I expect the best; I expect to reach the goals I establish for myself (we’ll talk a good deal more about this concept later in the book). I find the idea of fulfilling those goals agreeable; hence, the attitude of expectancy. I know the world will give me back what I put out in the way of attitude, so it’s up to me. I’m responsible.

There are millions of human beings who live narrow, darkened, frustrated lives—who live defensively—simply because they take a defensive, doubtful attitude toward themselves and, as a result, toward life in general.

A person with a poor attitude becomes a magnet for unple...

When those experiences come—as they must, because of his attitude—they tend to reinforce his poor attitude, thereby bringing more problems, and so on. The person becomes an example of self-generating, doom-fulfilling prophecy. And it’s all a matter—believe it or not—of attitude. We get what we expect. Our outlook on life is a kind of paintbrush, and with it, we paint our worl...

Sometimes, it’s hard to convince people that the world they experience is a reflection of their attitude. They take the attitude that if only people would be nice to them, they would be nice in return. They’re like the person sitting in front of the cold stove waiting for the heat. Until he puts in the fuel, there won’t be a...

Attitude is the reflection of the person inside. Consider for a moment the people who go sailing through life, from one success to another, and who, when they occasionally fail at ...

They take the attitude that achievement is the natural order of things (and it is). They take the attitude that there’s no good reason on earth why they can’t be as successful, as competent, as anyone else.

They have a healthy attitude toward life and the things they want to accomplish. Because of that, they can accomplish some remarkable things. Others may call them successful, outstanding, brilliant, lucky, and so on. Quite frequently, they are no smarter or more talented than most other people, but they have the right attitude.

They find their accomplishments not too difficult simply because it seems so few others are really trying or really believe in themselves. As to luck, forget it. Luck is what happens when preparedness meets opportunity, and opportunity is there all the time. A person can be very efficient at his or her work, but if the corresponding excellent attitude isn’t present, the person is a failure. A robot can do a great job, but only a human being can ennoble work with a great attitude and, by so doing, ...

Successful people come in all sizes, shapes, ages, and colors, and they have widely varying degrees of intelligence and education. But they have one thing in common: They expect more good out of life than bad. They ex...

There are things you want—worthwhile things. Take the attitude that there are a lot more reasons why you can reach those goals than fail in the attempt. Go after them, work at it, keep your attitude positive, cheerful, and expectant, and you’ll get them. And as you do,...

If we feel that our environment could stand some improvement, we can bring about that change for the better by improving our attitude. The world plays no favorites. It’s impersonal. It doesn’t care who succeeds or who fails. Nor does it care if we change. Our attitude toward life doesn’t affect the world and the people in it nearly as much as it affects us.

It would be impossible to even estimate the number of jobs that have been lost, promotions or good grades missed, sales lost, or marriages ruined by poor attitudes. But you can number in the millions the jobs that are held but hated, the marriages that are tolerated but unhappy, the parents and children who fail to understand and love one another—all because of people who are waiting for the world and others to change them. They don’t understand that what they’re getting is a reflection of themselves. Nothing can change until we do. When we change, our worlds will change. The answer is attitude!

“Life is dull only to dull people.”

that life is successful only for successful people.

We must first become mentally, from the attitude standpoint, the people we wish to become.

Many years ago, a newspaper reporter asked a famous Los Angeles restaurateur, “When did you become successful?”

He replied, “I was successful when I was dead broke. I knew what I wanted to do, and I knew I’d do it. It was only a matter of time.” He had a successful attitude long before the success he sought had become a reality. The great German philosopher and writer, Goethe,...

There’s nothing in the world that men, women, and children want and need more than self-esteem—the feeling that they’re important, that they’re recognized, that they’re needed, that they count and are respected. They will give their love, their respect, and their business to the person who fills this need.

Have you ever noticed that the higher you go in any organization of value, the nicer the people seem to be? It works this way: The bigger the people, the easier it is to talk to them, get along with them, and work with them. So they naturally matriculate to the top. It’s their attitude. The people with great attitudes just naturally gravitate to the top of whatever business or department they’re in. They don’t have great attitudes because of their positions; they have their positions largely because of their great attitudes.

For the purposes of this exercise, act toward others in exactly the same manner that you want them to act toward you. Treat the members of your family as the very important p...

Each morning, carry out into the world the kind of attitude you’d have if you were the most successful person on earth. Notice how quickly it develops into a habit...

Irritations that used to frustrate you will begin to disappear. When some less-informed person gives you a bad time, don’t let his poor attitude infect yours. Keep yours in hand; keep it good; keep cool, above it all; and keep smiling. If you’re driving and someone cuts in front of your car, or if someone i...

Destructive emotions, such as anger, hatred, and jealousy don’t hurt others; they hurt you. They can make your life miserable. They can make you sick. Forgive everyone who ever hurt ...

That’s all past. Stewing over it, exhuming it, can only make you sick. Forgive and forget. Get rid of it. You’ve...

As you develop a great attitude, you’ll probably realize that you’ve already placed yourself on the road to what you seek. You are well on your way. It makes no difference how successful you may have been in the past. You...

Now, in summing up, here are a few points to keep in mind: First, it’s our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will bring about its successful outcome. Secondly, our attitudes toward others determine their attitudes toward us. We’re all interdependent. The success we achieve in life will depend largely on how well we relate to others. Thirdly, before you can achieve the kind of life you want, you must think, act, talk, and conduct yourself in all of your affairs as would the person you wish to become. Keep a mental picture of that person before you as often as you can during the day. Fourthly, remember that the higher you go in any organization of value, the better the attitudes you’ll find. And that great attitudes are not the result of success; success is the result of great attitudes. Finally, the deepest craving of the human being is for recognition and self-esteem—to be needed, to feel important, to be recognized and appreciated. That includes our loved ones and everyone else with whom we come in contact during our days. To make these important principles a habit-knit part of your life, here are some suggestions: Since your mind can hold only one thought at a time, make each thought you hold constructive and positive. Look for the best in people and ideas. Be constantly alert for new ideas you can put to use in your life. Don’t waste time talking about your problems with people who can’t solve them, or about your health unless...

READ IT AGAIN AND AGAIN

1. Evaluate your attitude toward yourself and others, toward success and your career, and toward life in general.

My attitude towards life in general is very negative. I fear of judgment, falling behind and does not deserve to everything I currently have.

2. Outline ways in which your attitude toward your family could be improved.

So far my family is very supportive with every decision that I made. My attitude toward them is pretty good

3. Outline ways in which your attitude toward coworkers and others with whom you frequently come in contact could be improved.

I need to talk to them, hang out and find a common things to discuss/talk/do more often. Listen to them carefully to determine the problem between us and find a way to solve it effectively and efficiently I need to understand they’re constantly under pressure because of school / work / family / personal life so sometimes they’re tired and out of their mind. So I need to listen more with sympathy, be calm and be supportive

4. List other attitude-improvement goals.

Don’t let the fear of judgment interfere with everything that you want to do with your own life. Your Time is a limited supply and it surely does not last long Keep learning to be better and do things that matter efficiently and effectively

Every kind of work has such opportunity lurking within it. The opportunities are there now, clamoring to be noticed. But they cannot speak, or print signs for us to read.

Our part of the bargain is to look at our work with new eyes, with the eyes of creation.

There is just as much opportunity in one business as there is in another, if only we will stop playing copycat with each other and begin thinking creatively—begin thinking in new directions. It’s there, believe me. And it’s our job to find it.

“Unless a person has trained himself for this chance, the chance will only make him ridiculous. A great occasion is worth to a man exactly what his preparation enables him to make of it.”