Read with Me

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

I've really been trying to make time for reading this book because it is so full of motivation and helps me put things into perspective. The problem for me is that it is so heavy with information that I need to read a few pages and take some time to internalize what I'm reading. However, I've finally gotten through the first two chapters and I'm ready to impart some knowledge onto my readers. So grab a drink, sit tight and get ready to take some notes!

The first part of Think and Grow Rich entailed a narrative about the writer's introduction to Andrew Carnegie, who made a request of Napoleon Hill to compose this book. The idea was to interview a plethora of the world's most successful persons and design a model of attaining that same success and riches. Upon accepting Mr Carnegie's proposal, Napoleon Hill went on to interview over two hundred individuals in pursuit of this highly sought after formula to attaining riches, or anything one desires at that. The discovery was so plain and straightforward that it sounds too simple to be real, but what not many persons may grasp before reading this book is that this "formula" needs to be adopted as one's lifestyle. It is not just a one time, quick fix kind of situation, it does not guarantee instant gratification, nor does it fix all your problems.

What I decided to do is pull out from the chapters the quotes that spoke volumes to me and explain why or what I take from them. I'm not going to summarize the entire book. That won't really fulfill my intention for this "Read With Me" series. Rather, I want to share with you all what I learn from reading this highly recommended and rated book.

"Having created a powerful faith, we need a definite plan to enact what we desire, burning all bridges and making retreat impossible."

There are three things I would like to highlight in this quote from the Introduction, which was written by non-fiction writer, Tom Butler-Bowdon. Creating a powerful faith, having a definite plan and allowing for no retreat are three highly effective practices to implement in the pursuit of what you desire to attain or achieve. When you truly believe something is possible, it is not enough to just keep that belief in mind. When you have a truly powerful faith it is evident in everything that you think, say and do. You develop the skill of auto-suggestion, which is the daily repetition of affirmations that, when "charged with emotion", becomes a subconscious belief that you will become or attain that which you affirm.

However it is made undeniably clear that there is no such thing as "something for nothing". You must then figure out the "How To" for satisfying that burning desire to attain or achieve, by making a definite plan of action. So when you know what you desire, then ask yourself "Now, what are you going to do about it?".

This part made me really ponder, because I was always the avid planner... but I still didn't really experience that which I desire. It made me ask myself what I wasn't doing, or rather what I was doing wrong. The thing about this book, which i believe is also the reason I am still only 5 pages into chapter 3, is that it makes me stop, think and reevaluate literally everything. EVERYTHING.

And alas, I understood. I realized in my self-reflection, after reading the Introduction alone, that I am afraid to invest my energy into something that I might fail at. I realized that in omitting the third important part of this quote, I was setting my entire process off-balance. I was not giving it my all-or-nothing effort. This was a result of past trauma, which I understand would have played on my subconscious because I allowed myself to be subconsciously indifferent towards it. I did not want to let go of the safety nets that make me feel protected, in the case of failure.

So my mission was to work on letting go of these things that subconsciously pose as a "safety net in case of failure"? The concept of "burning all bridges and making retreat impossible" was my missing puzzle piece. And since reading this Introduction, I have been taking those steps to retrain my thought process. This has taught me that putting in less than your greatest effort will not get you that which you desire. But insisting that you are determined to succeed, and believing in yourself so much so that you let go of what you think is the comfort zone of security, it is then that you will start seeing the progress towards your goals.

"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."

From Chapter 1 of the book, I learned that every misfortune or defeat is not a sign of failure. Taking the opportunity out of every downfall is the key to achieving success. This is what I call the ultimate gospel of an optimist. Every success is a win, every failure is an opportunity to learn. The only time you lose is when you fail to let your experiences teach you the necessary lessons. When you give up before you achieve the goal. The stories that were told of those who quit when they came so close to realizing success have sufficiently scared me into actually making the decision to invest all that it takes to achieve my desires.

There have been so many times when I came face to face with a shut door or an unexpected disappointment and, had I allowed myself to quit when I felt like I was on the brink of complete failure, I either pulled up my own socks, or had someone influential in my life remind me of the strength that lies within me. I always knew the person I could be and how strong minded I am in pursuit of my goals. Therefore, I knew that giving up was not the answer. So every downfall became the steps I used to climb above the disappointment and hurt ego, and this is what brought me to a place where I am on the correct path to realizing my dreams.

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

This quote is as straightforward as it is practical. If you are success conscious, you become successful. If you are naturally failure conscious, or pessimistic, and you do not work on changing that mindset, then failure becomes your reality. Being conscious of something refers to what you place your focus on. What do you take notice of in every experience? Is it constructive or is it destructive? Do you recognize your successes, or do you place more emphasis on every mistake that you make?

To be success conscious, it means that you acknowledge what you did right, even in the event where you did not attain the desired outcome. Even in losing a battle, you recognize the things that would have helped and work to sort out the parts that did not work for you. Some people like to call that optimism, positive thinking even. But in fact, it really doesn't matter what you call it. What matters is that you recognize what it can do for you mentally, which would manifest into reality. You let go of the things that were to your detriment and hold onto the things that help you win. Investing that kind of energy into the opposite, namely failure, leaves you in a mindset that traps you into the belief that you have ultimately failed.

I can't remember the last time I failed... I do however remember having experiences that taught me invaluable lessons, which I continue to site when I come across any difficulties in my work. This mindset has saved me so many anxiety attacks and migraines, in addition to helping me make fantastic and well deserved progress towards my goals.

I know these are three very short quotes from two entire chapters, but these are the three that really stood out to me and instantly helped me to make the progress I had been hoping for. I made these small changes in a big way, with a strong conviction, and I held the belief, charged with emotion, that I will achieve that which I desire. I noted what my plan needed to entail, gradually implemented each in my daily activity and I've been seeing the outcome of these changes profoundly in my life.

Stay tuned for my thoughts on Chapter 3 and 4 of Think and Grow Rich. This book keeps getting better. I hope my notes can help to inspire you all in some way.

xo

Gabi