It all starts in the mind
Napoleon Hill lists DESIRE as the starting point of all achievement. The desire should not be just a wish, or a hope. The desire should be definite! It will then guide you to place all your energy, all your will power, and all your effort to bring the desire to reality.
The state of mind must be belief, not mere hope, or wish.
Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill
Six ways to Turn Desires into Gold
In Chapter 2, Hill provided six definite, practical steps to turn desire into gold
FIRST: Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire.
SECOND: Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire.
THIRD: Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money you desire.
FOURTH: Create a definite plan to carry out your desire, and begin at once.
FIFTH: Write out a clear, concise statement of the first to fourth steps.
SIXTH: Read your written statement from the fifth step aloud, twice daily.
Hill mentions that the steps above were given a stamp of approval from Thomas A. Edison, “not only the steps essential for the accumulation of money, but for the attainment of any goal.”
Hill therefore argues that to start getting rich or to start attaining any goal is very easy. The first step of many successful people is having a dream, a hope, a wish, or a desire. The first step requires no hard labor, no sacrifice, even no educational attainment. Thus, anyone can start getting rich.
The Power of the Mind
The title of the book starts with the word Think. Napoleon Hill would emphasize the power of the mind several times in the book. The starting point is desire and the next steps occur in the mind to keep the desire burning.
Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.
Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill
After desire, you need FAITH (Chapter 3). Faith is the believing that you can achieve what you have desired. This occurs in the mind, as well.
Next is AUTOSUGGESTION (Chapter 4). This step influences the subconscious mind so that the conscious mind will act upon your desires. Again, this occurs in the mind.
The other steps are SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE (Chapter 5) and IMAGINATION (Chapter 6). These are still happening in the mind.
Having Specialized Knowledge may mean having good education. But Hill doesn’t agree to the notion that “Knowledge is Power.” According to Hill, “knowledge is only potential power. It becomes power only when, and if, it is organized into define plans of action and directed to a definite end.”
Therefore, it doesn’t mean that if you have no education or if you are not intelligent, you can never become rich.
Most professors have but little money. They specialize in teaching knowledge, but they do not specialize on the organization, or the use of knowledge.
Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill
If getting rich starts as easy as having a desire and other faculties of the mind, how come not all people become rich? In Part 3, we will talk about why people fail to attain their goals and desires.
Think and Grow Rich Book Summary
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
