I know that there must be something I should do to acquire success. And I know that involves a lot of work. But I need to know if I’m heading in the right direction or if I am doing things right.
So I started with reading books that I hope will guide me right to where I wanted. I followed Success.com on Facebook and I came across an article “25 Books for Success” which greatly interest me because first, I want to achieve success not just in the financial aspect but in life in general and second, I love books. And since I came across that article I’ve been trying to read the books mentioned there. So far, I have only read Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill twice and is starting on How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
Now, you may be asking why I read the book twice. I admit, it took some time for me to read the book. I find it hard to grasp it at first and really understand it. And when I finally finished the book for the first time after like a month of reading, I confessed I was a little dazed. I thought to myself that I have already read the book slowly as to digest it but I am still not understanding it all. I used to read every book in sight and understand them at first read but maybe all those medical jargons have filled all my neurons and they can’t take in any more. They are all stressed-out I think. HAHA. But seriously, I feel really stupid when I finished the book and realized I don’t get it. If you understand it the first time you read it, well, that’s awesome. But I didn’t. 🙁 So I went on to read it again.
Maybe, I wasn’t just having enough focus the first time or I don’t really know what’s wrong with me. But thankfully during the second reading, I finally get a good grasp of the ideas of the book. Maybe most of you have read the book already and may understand it at a deeper level than I do. So I won’t bore you with a summary of the book. I will just like to highlight ideas and quote passages in the book that really struck me and made me think.
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.
Upon reading the introduction the second time around, the very first line really spoke to me in regards to this book. Persistence. There, I persist with this book! But definiteness of purpose made me stop and think. Do I have that? And I realized, of course, I have my purpose. I then reflected how definite my purpose is and if I have a burning desire to achieve it. Yes, I definitely desire to be back home, spend more time with my family and not worry about money. I take care of other people but I wasn’t able to care for my loved ones when they are sick because I’m miles away. But I also realize that my financial state won’t give me that luxury so I need to work it out. I have my WHY. And I cling onto that.
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.
Yep, I’m one of those guilty people.
Sometimes, it’s just my laziness and sometimes, it is because I felt discouraged already. And as the story in the book about Darby who stopped digging three feet from gold and eventually learned his lessons, I say that I too learned from his story. Failures come so we could learn and that persistence despite the failures is the only way to success. It is also very productive to seek help from people who are more knowledgeable than you or the experts if you say. Like the “junk” man who found the gold three feet from where Darby stopped digging, he succeeded in finding the gold because he sought expert counsel from a mining engineer before he considered the project a failure. Smart move I should say! I learned from this junk man too. 😀
One that struck me too, is a poem mentioned in the book which was written by Jessie B. Rittenhouse (1869–1948) with the title My Wage.
“I bargained with Life for a penny,
And Life would pay no more,
However I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty store.
“For Life is a just employer,
He gives you what you ask,
But once you have set the wages,
Why, you must bear the task.
“I worked for a menial’s hire,
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life,
Life would have willingly paid.”
It made me realize that yes, I shouldn’t have settled for less than I deserve before. This is not just about finances or salary but about how I asked so little for myself when in fact I could have what I really want. I could have pursued my dreams instead of settling down with the norms. This has become some sort of enlightenment for me and I have come to promise myself to be who I really want instead of what people expect me to become.
And then there’s the Self-Confidence Formula. Let me just post it here because I really found this very helpful to me because I am one of those shy, timid types who really needs some ounce of confidence. Sure, I am a little more confident than I used to but I still lack it sometimes. So here it goes:
SELF-CONFIDENCE FORMULA
First. I know that I have the ability to achieve the object of my Definite Purpose in life, therefore, I DEMAND of myself persistent, continuous action toward its attainment, and I here and now promise to render such action.
Second. I realize the dominating thoughts of my mind will eventually reproduce themselves in outward, physical action, and gradually transform themselves into physical reality, therefore, I will concentrate my thoughts for thirty minutes daily, upon the task of thinking of the person I intend to become, thereby creating in my mind a clear mental picture of that person.
Third. I know through the principle of auto-suggestion, any desire that I persistently hold in my mind will eventually seek expression through some practical means of attaining the object back of it, therefore, I will devote ten minutes daily to demanding of myself the development of SELF-CONFIDENCE.
Fourth. I have clearly written down a description of my DEFINITE CHIEF AIM in life, and I will never stop trying, until I shall have developed sufficient self-confidence for its attainment.
Fifth. I fully realize that no wealth or position can long endure, unless built upon truth and justice, therefore, I will engage in no transaction which does not benefit all whom it affects. I will succeed by attracting to myself the forces I wish to use, and the cooperation of other people. I will induce others to serve me, because of my willingness to serve others. 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. I will cause others to believe in me, because I will believe in them, and in myself.
I will sign my name to this formula, commit it to memory, and repeat it aloud once a day, with full FAITH that it will gradually influence my THOUGHTS and ACTIONS so that I will become a self-reliant, and successful person.
It’s my favorite part of the book really. And I love what it emphasizes in the fifth part and that wealth and riches won’t serve you well unless it’s accumulated through truthful means and that it really isn’t about just striving to be rich but also serving others and love.
In Chapter 5 of the book, Hill discussed Specialized knowledge as the fourth step to riches. As he said, knowledge in itself is not powerful but only when it is organized into a plan of action and directed to a definite end. I think, there is so much we can ponder about in here. We go to school to acquire knowledge but how well do we use that knowledge in everyday life. Unless we use that knowledge we gained to create our strategy and plans resulting to the achievement of our goals, we can then say our knowledge has served us well.
Inspired by this, I’ve written down my goals(the definite end) and using what I have learned from past experiences and from what I’ve read, I organized them into plans of actions to take. I tried to be very specific so I can visualize it better, too. I felt motivated and inspired and I feel more confident in doing all this. It may not go all as planned but I am not quitting.
The sixth step towards riches is Organized Planning and what impressed me so much was the emphasis on giving back and that we should not always try to get without giving. Procuring riches may mean that you get the life you want but it also entails giving back to the community in the form of service or charity. All the riches will not serve one good if it can’t be used for good.
This chapter also tackles the 30 causes of failures that include the lack of a well-defined purpose which really stood out as a reminder for me that now, I have my purpose and I have done well. Cheering myself on! 😀 Another failure discussed that hit me hard is Procrastination. I procrastinate not as much now but I still do and I have to really improve on ditching this bad habit. And then there’s the Habit of Indiscriminate Spending which I’m guilty but I am happy to say, I have somehow curb it.
There is also a Self-Analysis Questionnaire in this chapter which helps one to reflect if one has those 30 causes of failures and to take inventory of one’s self. And I think it really helps to know oneself and the 28 questions will make you really think about your actions and thoughts.
I could say that Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill has given me some great insights about success in life as a whole. It may look like it is about accumulating riches but it is really more than that.
How about you? What did you learn from reading the book? Please share with us in the comments below. 🙂
Cheers to your success!
