Think and Grow Rich (English)

by Napoleon Hill

Truly, “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.

One of the chief characteristics of Barnes’ Desire was that it was definite.

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.

“when one is truly ready for a thing, it puts in its appearance.”

That is one of the tricks of opportunity. It 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.

Mr. Edison had just perfected a new office device, known at that time, as the Edison Dictating Machine (now the Ediphone).

an intangible impulse of thought can be transmuted into its physical counterpart by the application of known principles.

He had nothing to start with, except the capacity to know what he wanted, and the determination to stand by that desire until he realized it.

He had no money to begin with. He had but little education. He had no influence. But he did have initiative, faith, and the will to win. With these intangible forces he made himself the right-hand man of the greatest inventor who ever lived.

One of the most common causes of failure is the habit of quitting when one is overtaken by temporary defeat. Every person is guilty of this mistake at one time or another.

“I stopped three feet from gold, but I will never stop because men say 'no’ when I ask them to buy insurance.”

Failure is a trickster with a keen sense of irony and cunning. It takes great delight in tripping one when success is almost within reach.

when riches begin to come they come so quickly, in such great abundance, that one wonders where they have been hiding during all those lean years.

One of the main weaknesses of mankind is the average man’s familiarity with the word “impossible.”

Success comes to those who become success conscious.

Failure comes to those who indifferently allow themselves to become failure conscious.

“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.

Before you read the next chapter, I want you to know that it conveys factual information which might easily change your entire financial destiny, as it has so definitely brought changes of stupendous proportions to two people described.

To everyone except himself, he appeared to be just another cog in the Edison business wheel, but in his own mind, he was the partner of Edison every minute of the time, from the very first day that he worked there.

He created a plan by which to attain that purpose. But he burned all bridges behind him.

When he went to Orange, he did not say to himself, “I will try to induce Edison to give me a job of some sort.” He said, “I will see Edison, and put him on notice that I have come to go into business with him.”

He did not say, “I will work there for a few months, and if I get no encouragement, I will quit and get a job somewhere else.” He did say, “I will start anywhere. I will do anything Edison tells me to do, but before I am through, I will be his associate.”

He did not say, “I will keep my eyes open for another opportunity, in case I fail to get what I want in the Edison organization.” He said, “There is but one thing in this world that I am determined to have, and that is a business association with Thomas A. Edison. I will burn all brid...

He left himself no possible way of retreat. He had ...

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.

Only those who become “money conscious” ever accumulate great riches. “Money consciousness” means that the mind has become so thoroughly saturated with the desire for money that one can see one’s self already in possession of it.

Remember, too, that all who succeed in life get off to a bad start, and pass through many heartbreaking struggles before they “arrive.” The turning point in the lives of those who succeed, usually comes at the moment of some crisis, through which they are introduced to their “other selves.”

Edison, the world’s greatest inventor and scientist, was a “tramp” telegraph operator, he failed innumerable times before he was driven, finally, to the discovery of the genius which slept within his brain.

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.

no more effort is required to aim high in life, to demand abundance and prosperity, than is required to accept misery and poverty.

“When men first come into contact with crime, they abhor it. If they remain in contact with crime for a time, they become accustomed to it, and endure it. If they remain in contact with it long enough, they finally embrace it, and become influenced by it.”

From this statement, you will understand that the subconscious mind will translate into its physical equivalent a thought impulse of a negative or destructive nature, just as readily as it will act upon thought impulses of a positive or constructive nature.

Your belief, or faith, is the element which determines the action of your subconscious mind.

If it is true that one may become a criminal by association with crime (and this is a known fact), it is equally true that one may develop faith by voluntarily suggesting to the subconscious mind that one has faith.

Faith is the “eternal elixir” which gives life, power, and action to the impulse of thought!

Faith is the element, the “chemical” which, when mixed with prayer, gives one direct communication with Infinite Intelligence.

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.

Thoughts which are mixed with any of the feelings of emotions, constitute a “magnetic” force which attracts, from the vibrations of the ether, other similar, or related thoughts.

The information is easily conveyed: any idea, plan, or purpose may be placed in the mind through repetition of thought.

Resolve to throw off the influences of any unfortunate environment, and to build your own life to order. Taking inventory of mental assets and liabilities, you will discover that your greatest weakness is lack of self-confidence.

I will eliminate hatred, envy, jealousy, selfishness, and cynicism, by developing love for all humanity, because I know that a negative attitude toward others can never bring me success.

The cause may be found in the fact that all impulses of thought have a tendency to clothe themselves in their physical equivalent.

If you fill your mind with fear, doubt and unbelief in your ability to connect with, and use the forces of Infinite Intelligence, the law of autosuggestion will take this spirit of unbelief and use it as a pattern by which your subconscious mind will translate it into its physical equivalent.

Like the wind which carries one ship East, and another West, the law of autosuggestion will lift you up or pull you down, according to the way you set your sails of thought.

First, the huge United States Steel Corporation was born in the mind of Charles M. Schwab, in the form of an idea he created through his imagination! Second, he mixed faith with his idea. Third, he formulated a plan for the transformation of his idea into physical and financial reality. Fourth, he put his plan into action with his famous speech at the University Club. Fifth, he applied, and followed through on his plan with persistence, and backed it with firm decision until it had been fully carried out. Sixth, he prepared the way for success by a burning desire for success.

Autosuggestion is a term which applies to all suggestions and all self-administered stimuli which reach one’s mind through the five senses. Stated in another way, autosuggestion is self-suggestion.

Nature has so built man that he has absolute control over the material which reaches his subconscious mind, through his five senses, although this is not meant to be construed as a statement that man always exercises this control. In the great majority of instances, he does not exercise it, which explains why so many people go through life in poverty.

Autosuggestion is the agency of control through which an individual may voluntarily feed his subconscious mind on thoughts of a creative nature, or, by neglect, permit thoughts of a destructive nature to find their way into this rich garden of the mind.

Remember, therefore, when reading aloud the statement of your desire (through which you are endeavoring to develop a “money consciousness”), that the mere reading of the words is of no consequence unless you mix emotion, or feeling with your words.