Napoleon Hill on Poverty and Economic Depression

Today I was preparing some new mastermind material for my upcoming webinars on Napoleon Hill’s “Think & Grow Rich’ and I came across some great information that relates to today’s “global economic crisis”.

In the Epilogue, Hill states: “The people of America began to think of poverty following the Wall Street Crash of 1929.  Slowly but surely, that mass thought was crystallized into its physical equivalent, which was known as a depression.  This had to happen.  It is in conformity with the laws of Nature.”

Now let’s take a moment and reflect on what we are being bombarded by the media…”We ate squirrels to survive.”, “71,000 jobs lost in one day”, and the famous “War or Terror”.

Now we have the majority of people that aren’t thinking but are allowing the media to focus their thoughts on all of the negativity that is going on which fuels the fire even more until we create the thing which we feared the most. But don’t worry if you are thinking you will never have to worry no matter what the situation is.

Here is another passage from the Epilogue:

“If you want riches, you must refuse to accept any circumstance that leads toward poverty. (The word “riches” is here used in its broadest sense, meaning financial, spiritual, mental and material estates).”

Here he reinforces my past statement that if you are conscious (in the present moment) and are actually thinking (meaning you can choose to accept, reject or neglect any idea that is thrown your way) then you control your inner emotional state and your physical well-being and you actions. If your actions are only successful and healthy ones then there is nothing else that you can create for yourself except abundance and well-being!

Remember Thoughts manifest themselves as Feelings which dictate the health of your body and the actions you take. Actions produce RESULTS. Work with what you are thinking before trying to change your external world/actions.

Lastly, I wanted to share some more of the Epilogue where Hill discusses The Fear of Poverty and its symptoms. Review the list below and see if you are experiencing any of these.

INDIFFERENCE: Commonly expressed through lack of ambition; willingness to tolerate poverty; acceptance of whatever compensation life may offer without protest; mental and physical laziness; lack of initiative, imagination, enthusiasm and self-control.

INDECISION: The habit of permitting others to do one’s thinking. (i.e. Media and friends) Staying on the fence.

DOUBT: Generally expressed through alibis and excuses designed to cover up, explain away, or apologize for one’s failures, sometimes expressed in the form of envy of those who are successful or criticism of others.

WORRY: Usually expressed by finding fault with others, a tendency to spend beyond one’s income, neglect of personal appearance, scowling and frowning; intemperance in the use of alcohol, sometimes through the use of narcotics; nervousness, lack of poise, self-consciousness and lack of self-reliance.

OVER-CAUTION: The habit of looking for the negative side of every circumstance, thinking and talking of possible failure instead of concentrating upon the means of succeeding. Knowing all the roads to disaster, but never searching for the plans to avoid failure. Waiting for the “right time” to begin putting ideas and plans into action, until the waiting becomes a permanent habit. Remembering those who have failed, and forgetting those who have succeeded. Seeing the hole in the doughnut, but overlooking the doughnut. Pessimism, leading to indigestion, poor elimination, autointoxication, bad breath and bad disposition.

PROCRASTINATION: The habit of putting off until tomorrow that which should have been done last year. Spending enough time in creating alibis and excuses to have done the job. This symptom is closely related to over-caution, doubt and worry. Refusal to accept responsibility when it can be avoided. Willingness to compromise rather than put up a stiff fight. Compromising with difficulties instead of harnessing and using them as steppingstones to advancement. Bargaining with life for a penny, instead of demanding prosperity, opulence, riches contentment, and happiness. Planning what to do IF AND WHEN OVERTAKEN BY FAILURE, INSTEAD OF BURNING ALL BRIDGES AND MAKING RETREAT IMPOSSIBLE. Weakness of, and often total lack of, self-confidence, definiteness of purpose, self-control, initiative, enthusiasm, ambition, thrift, and sound reasoning ability. (As Bob Proctor says “Once fear enters, logic leaves the room.”) EXPECTING POVERTY INSTEAD OF DEMANDING RICHES. Association with those who accept poverty instead of seeking the company of those who demand and receives riches.

If you are not where you want to be in any aspect of your life take a close look at the list above and review it to see which patterns you are using. Remember the first step to change is awareness.

To your success!

Marc Hurtubise

PS. For a free ebook copy of “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill fill out the form below and mention this article.

Preparation and focusing on your goal

“Circumstances may cause interruptions and delays, but never lose sight of your goal. Prepare yourself in every way you can by increasing your knowledge and adding to your experience, so that you can make the most of opportunity when it occurs.’”

Mario Andretti
Auto Racer

This is a great quote from the legendary Mario Andretti because it highlights one of the great lessons in goal achieving. Having a clear picture of your goal gives you focus and as you refine your goal it is like using binoculars. The more you think about it the clearer it becomes in your mind and the more energy and intensity you gain from it. It begins to pick you up when you are down!

Let go of how you are going to get there and be like a stream that never struggles but instead adapts and moves around the obstacles. The key to success is to let go of your rational, linear a-b-c-d-e-f…z plan. Set your goal (Z) go as far as you can go, adapt along the way because the universe will always point you in the direction that is the quickest way for you to achieve success. If you don’t listen and continue to resist because you had it in your mind that it would happen a-b-c-d-e-f… then you will not only take a long time to reach your goal if you ever do, but you will be in a constant mental struggle that will discourage you.

Remember: “What you resist persists and what you fight you strengthen.” Be the stream and let your life flow naturally enjoying the journey along the way.

To your success!

Marc

Celebrate your successes

“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.”

Oprah Winfrey
TV Personality, Producer and Author

I love this quote because what Oprah is really talking about is one of the key 6 Intellectual Faculties that all successful individuals have in any vocation and that is MEMORY. Of course we all have a memory but you will find that the top performers use their memory properly.

Choosing to remember all the times that things have worked out. You closed the sale, graduated high school, got the dance with that girl, manifested a free coffee… By choosing to remember successes and not so called failures (although I don’t believe in failure just lessons) you gain conscious control over your emotional state. To put it in Law of Attraction terms, you gain control of your vibration.

Your vibration is the frequency you are broadcasting. If you want to know what you are broadcasting or attracting ask yourself this simple question: “How do I feel right now”. Your feelings are your guide as to what is coming to you. If you have good vibrations keep those positive thoughts coming, if they are not so positive then congratulate yourself for becoming aware of them and change them!

Remember and celebrate your successes, let the negative ones serve as positive lessons and observe how quickly your life will change!

To your success!

Marc

Success is the little things

“It is not the straining for great things that is most effective; it is the doing of the little things, the common duties, a little better and better.’”

Elizabeth Stuart Phelps
1844-1911, Writer

Focus everyday on how you can be more effective, productive, do your job better and provide more service to your organization and clients and you will catapult yourself into the stratosphere! Remember there is no competition at the top.

Did you know that a 2% monthly improvement in your performance would give you a 24% increase in 1 year and a 100% increase in just 3.25 years! Do you think you could improve your performance by .07%/day? Doesn’t sound that hard to me.

For example: How about answering emails when you are completely focused? Or setting a specific time when you will return calls rather than answering them everytime it rings? Try it out and we’ll see you at the success awards!

Marc

Don’t let the outside world or circumstances control your destiny

“I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death.’”

Thomas Paine
1737-1809, Political Theorist and Writer

Happiness is a state of mind

“I have noticed that folks are generally about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

Abraham Lincoln
1809-1865, Sixteenth President of the United States

Persistence is key

Persistence

Napoleon Hill devoted an entire chapter in Think and Grow Rich to persistence. In that chapter he said, “there may be no heroic connotation to the word persistence, but the character is to the quality of man what carbon is to steel.” Hill also pointed out in another part of the same chapter, that the only thing which separated Thomas Edison or Henry Ford from the rest of the people in the world was persistence. For both of these great men had an image and they would not let anyone or anything dissuade them - they were persistent. One illuminated the world; the other put the world on wheels. Both were, of course, richly rewarded.

Bob Proctor

Evaporate your fears

“Most fears cannot withstand the test of careful scrutiny and analysis. When we expose our fears to the light of thoughtful examination they usually just evaporate.”

Jack Canfield
Speaker and Author

Never give up

Don’t Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won if he’d stuck it out.
Don’t give up, though the pace seems slow -
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man;
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out -
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are -
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit -
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.

Author Unknown

Dare to be successful

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

Theodore Roosevelt
1859-1919, 26th President of the United States