Think and Grow Rich

Andrew Carnegie & Napoleon Hill

In 1908, the worlds wealthiest man, Andrew Carnegie, commissioned Napoleon Hill to interview 500 successful people. Napoleons mission was to discover and publish a formula for success. A method that the average person could not only understand but also duplicate. Hill researched for more than 20 years. His 1937 book, still in print, has sold more than 30 million copies.

Though the book appears small, 230 pages, and the language antiquated the message and philosophy are timeless. Hill’s words resonate as deeply as the day he wrote them. The key principles are stated in his book, interwoven amongst fascinating anecdotes taken from some of the great industrial icons of the day, including Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell and Henry Ford. The book has been required reading for such esteemed institutions as Harvard and Duke.

An interesting fact about the book is actually found in the title. It serves as a master key to the formula, think and grow rich.

Hill was one of the earliest American authors of motivational, personal development, working to inspire during one of our nation’s most challenging eras, the Great Depression. Here is a brief outline of the principles you will find in the book. I hope you check it out!

1. Desire.

Hill believes that a burning desire is the starting point for all achievement. Do you have a burning desire? Have you ever had one? I believe the most successful people live their lives as a series of desires, passions and accomplishments.

2. Faith.

In this context, faith is about visualizing your desire and believing you will attain it.

3. Auto suggestion.

Today we call this concept “affirmation.” This is the practice of repeating positive thoughts to influence your subconscious mind. An affirmation should be in the present, even if you don’t have it yet. So if your goal is to create a multimillion-dollar business, your affirmation would be, “I am in the process of building a multimillion-dollar business.” As your plan becomes clearer you would say, “I own a multimillion-dollar business.”

4. Specialized knowledge.

Those who pursue knowledge and professional competence are more confident, more competent and more likely to succeed. How do you continue your professional education?

5. Imagination.

As you go about your day, think about ways to do things better.

6. Organized planning.

Every goal needs a plan. When you have a plan in place, you always know what to do next.

7. Decision.

Hill finds that successful people are able to make decisions promptly and change their decisions slowly. I believe it is not the outcome that makes a decision good or bad, but the process used to reach that decision. Hill sees the decision-making process as a way to tame procrastination.

8. Persistence.

Don’t quit. And don’t take no for an answer. Instead, find a way around your obstacles. This takes us back to imagination.

9. Mastermind.

According to Hill, a Mastermind team is a small group of people who come together with dedication to a shared goal. Masterminding is engaging in focused conversation and brainstorming with others. Typically, the issue at hand is business-related, but the mastermind process could be used to solve almost any dilemma, project or experience. Masterminding works because five heads are better than one. The process allows us to share our knowledge and experience.

10. The mystery of sex transmutation.

This is the ability to switch the mind from thoughts of physical expression to thoughts of some other nature. Additionally, Hill finds that almost every successful person has a supportive person (a love interest) to count on.

11. The subconscious mind.

Hill talks about using your mind to visualize your future as you want it to be. And he talks about following your hunches–the messages you get from your subconscious mind.

12. The brain.

How much of your brain’s potential do you use? Maximizing your brain power means thinking through your problems instead of reacting emotionally.

13. The sixth sense.

According to Hill, when you master the first 12 principles, you can go through the door to the Temple of Wisdom and tap into your sixth sense: the infinite intelligence.

You can download the book for free here: http://freepdfs.org/pdf/think-grow-rich