A Lesson from Nature

by Napoleon Hill

Everything, animate or inanimate, starts out as a nucleus – a whirling bit of energy which, although so small as to defy the lens of the microscope, has the power to attract to itself whatever of a like nature it requires for its sustenance and growth.

Remember the acorn and the handful of earth. Locked up within that acorn is the germ of life, the nucleus which is capable of drawing from its surrounding elements of soil, air, water, and sunlight, the materials to build an oak tree.
Take a seed of corn or wheat; plant it in the ground and it will create a center of activity which attracts from its environment the precise balance of chemical constituents which will produce a cornstalk, or a stalk of wheat, and bring forth a reproduction of itself, according to the law of growth and increased returns.

These analogies help us to get a true picture of the power of the mind through self-suggestion. You can see how it is possible to sow a seed of desire with the subconscious mind through conscious expressed repetition of this desire . . . to feed and nourish this seed by the stimulus of high emotion . . . to germinate it by the sunshine of faith, and thus to attract to yourself from the bounteous supply of life energy in Infinite Intelligence the practical plans whereby that original seed of desire may be developed into its physical counterpart.

The law of attraction is based upon the principle of growth from the vitality which is inherent in the seed (idea or desire) itself. Every seed has, in itself, a potentially perfect plant. Every worthy desire has in it the potential power for its perfect fulfillment. If a seed is to germinate and produce a crop after its own kind, it must be planted in fertile soil, it must have nourishment, and it must have sunshine to ripen it for harvest.

Your subconscious mind can be compared to a fertile garden spot wherein may be planted the seed of your definite purpose, by means of a burning desire which imparts the initial energy into the nucleus of your definite purpose, and causes it to enlarge and grow. Now we have explained how the seed may be nourished and cultivated by persistent action according to your plans and through repeated instructions to your subconscious. Also how you may attract the vitalizing influence of Infinite Intelligence and focus it on the object of your desire. Here you have the whole process laid before you. It is a process which is going on all around you in countless forms of life. It is not a matter of theory. It is a demonstrated fact. You have only to adapt it to y our own definite purpose.

Source: PMA Science of Success Course. Pgs. 106 & 107.

Peace of Mind Can Be Attained Only By a Positive Mental Attitude

by Napoleon Hill 

Peace of mind is one of the most sought after blessings in life. As is true of everything of value, you must pay a price to obtain it. And the price required is the continual and consistent maintenance of a positive mental attitude. If you will pay this price, you will receive the following blessings, all of which result in peace of mind:

• Freedom from want.
• Freedom from superstition.
• Freedom from fear in all of its forms.
• Freedom from the common weakness of seeking something for nothing.
• The habit of doing your own thinking.
• The habit of frequent self-inspection from within, to determine what changes of character are necessary.
• The habit of developing sufficient courage and inherent honesty with yourself to look at life as a realist.
• The habit of discouraging both greed and the desire for power at the expense of others.
• The habit of helping others to help themselves.
• Recognition of the truth that the universal power of Infinite Intelligence is available to all who will learn how to use it.
• Freedom from anxiety over what may happen to you after death.
• Freedom from all desire for revenge.
• The habit of going the extra mile in all human relationships.
• Knowledge of yourself – the you which cannot be seen in a mirror; an understanding of who you are and what your virtues and abilities are.
• Freedom from discouragement.
• The habit of thinking in terms of your highest and noblest objectives.
• The habit of looking for the seed of equivalent benefit in every adversity.
• The habit of taking life in your stride, neither shrinking from the disagreeable nor over-indulging in the pleasant.
• The habit of starting where you stand to accomplish your goals.
• The habit of conquering petty misfortunes rather than being mastered by them.
• The joy of doing, rather than merely possessing.
• The habit of making life pay off on your terms, in values of your choosing.
• The habit of giving before trying to get.
• The privilege of engaging in a labor of love of your own choice.

These are some of the joys which one receives from peace of mind by exercising a positive mental attitude. A review of this list will also convince you that men with positive mental attitudes are never found in a rut. And it will also be evident to you that another blessing which can be achieved by maintaining a positive mental attitude is the attainment of success in your chosen field of endeavor.

Source: PMA Science of Success. Pgs. 235 & 236.

Stone Walls

by: Napoleon Hill

  You are an unusual person if you never came to what seemed to be a stone wall that stood between you and achievement.

Lately I have been studying the lives of Lincoln, Socrates, Plato, Napoleon and some of the more modern men of achievement, and it encourages me to discover that every one of these men found not one, but many such stone walls between him and his goal.

In my own somewhat commonplace career I have encountered many of these stone walls. When I see one of them in front of me I walk up to it and test it was a hammer to make sure that it is not made of mere clay. If I find it to be real stone I then bring up a step-ladder and proceed to climb over it. If I find a spiked fence on top I climb down again and proceed to the right, believing that the wall cannot possibly extend around the earth. If I find the way blocked I turn to the left, hoping to find a passage-way in that direction. If I find the road blocked in that direction I then begin to dig a tunnel under the wall, for it blocks my pathway to achievement and I have to pass!

If I find the wall built on solid rock and no tunnel is possible I then resort to the last means of disposing of the wall, by applying a strong charge of TNT and blowing the thing out of the way. The TNT is also known under another name--Persistence, the twelfth rung of the Magic Ladder to Success.

Source: Napoleon Hill's Magazine. May-June, 1923. Pg. 12. 

Positive Mental Attitude Attributes

by: Napoleon Hill

  Form the habit of tolerance and keep an open mind on all subjects, toward people of all races and creeds. Learn to like people just as they are, instead of demanding of them that they be as you wish them to be.

Recognize that love and affection constitute the finest medicines for both your body and your soul. Love changes the entire chemistry of the body and conditions it for the expression of a positive mental attitude. And love also extends the space you may occupy in the hearts of your fellowmen. And in this connection it is important to remember that while love is free, the best way to receive it is to give it.

Keep a daily diary of your good deeds in behalf of others, and never let the sun set on a single day without recording some act of human kindness. The benefits of this habit will be cumulative and eventually it will give you domain over great spaces in the hearts of your fellowmen. And remember: One good deed each day will keep old man gloom away.

For every favor or benefit you receive give an equal benefit to others. The law of increasing returns will operate in your favor and eventually . . . perhaps very soon . . . it will give you the capacity to get everything you are entitled to receive. A positive mental attitude must have a two-way highway on which to travel, or it will cease to function.

Avoid the fear of old age by remembering that the Creator so blessed man that nothing is ever taken from him without something of equal or greater value is given in return. Through the operation of this profound plan, youth is replaced by wisdom. It may help you to accept and appreciate this truth if you are reminded that the greatest achievements of men usually take place after they are well beyond the age of fifty.

Let your motto be: Deeds, not mere words.

Source: PMA: Science of Success. Pgs. 228 & 229.

Take Time To Be Alone

Take time to be alone

And listen to the earth,

For it has music

For those who listen.

Give to Receive

by Napoleon Hill

Things you give to others, through expression, are the only things you are able to retain, remember, or keep for yourself. Any gems of thought or wisdom which you are anxious to remember, you must repeatedly give to others, or they will elude your grasp at the critical moment. Here is a simple way to test the truth of what has been said. Listen to a good story someone tells you, one worth remembering, one you would like to tell others. Do you know that if you do not tell it to someone right away you will forget it yourself? And do you know that if you do tell it, not only to one person, but to many persons, you will never forget it?

You have heard of the saying, It's better to give than to receive. Here is one place where this is literally and particularly true, because in order to retain the understanding of this or any other subject you are studying, you must give it away to someone else. That is, share it, explain it, pass it along to another person. If you try to hoard it to yourself, you will forget some of the subtle points which may be important at a certain place in your career. Share these principles with others, not the details of your purpose or plan. These details you are cautioned to share only with the greatest discretion and to keep strictly to yourself at certain times.

Giving is a form of expression and giving is living. Let us read a story which perfectly illustrates this point. The story has been adapted from a book by Bruce Barton.

There are two seas in Palestine. One, the Sea of Galilee, is fresh and fish live in it. Trees spread their branches over it and stretch out their thirsty roots to sip of its nourishing water. Christ loved this spot. He looked out across its silver surface when He spoke. And on a rolling plain not far away, He fed 5,000 on loaves and fish from this very sea. The river Jordan fills this sea with sparkling water from the hills and then flows on south into another sea. Here is no splash of fish, no fluttering leaf, no song of bird, no children's laughter. Travelers choose another route unless they are on urgent business. The air hangs heavy above its waters, and neither man nor beast nor fowl will drink of them.

What makes this mighty difference in these neighboring seas? Not the river Jordan. It empties the same good water into both. Not the soil on which they lie; nor the country about. No, none of these; but there is a difference. The Sea of Galilee receives, but does not keep the Jordan. For every drop that flows into it, another drop flows out. The giving and receiving are in equal measure. The other sea is selfish, hoarding its income jealously. Every drop it gets, it keeps. The Sea of Galilee gives and lives. The Dead Sea gives nothing. It is indeed dead. There are two kinds of people in this world – just as there are two seas in Palestine.

In this business of becoming successful, you will find you will need both hands. One hand will be stretched upward, to receive the blessing of Infinite Intelligence, with the other extended down and outward, sharing and giving to others who are helping you in the climb. No one ever achieved outstanding success without the cooperation of others; and you realize, of course, that you must give something in return for this cooperation.

Source: PMA Science of Success Educational Edition. Pgs. 23 & 24.

Look on the Bright Side

By Brian Tracy

The most important application of the law of cause and effect in your life is this: thoughts are causes, and conditions are effects. What this means is that your thought is creative. You create your world by the way you think. Nothing in your world has any meaning except for the meaning you give by how you think about it and talk about it. If you don't care about something, it has no effect on your emotions and actions.

How to be Happy
Many thousands of people have been interviewed over the years to find out what they think about most of the time. Can you guess what the most successful and happy people think about all day long? The answer is simple. Happy healthy people think about what they want, and how to get it, most of the time. When you think and talk about what you want, and how to get it, you feel happier and in greater control of your life.

How to be Unhappy
What do unhappy people think and talk about most of the time? Unfortunately, they think and talk about things they don't want. They think and talk about their problems and pains, and the people they don't like. Sometimes, their whole lives revolve around their complaints and criticisms. And the more they think and talk about what they don't want, the unhappier they become.

The Most Important Quality
Based on many psychological tests, the happiest people seem to have a special quality that enables them to live a better life than average. Can you guess what it is? It is the quality of optimism! The best news about optimism is that it is a learnable quality. You can learn to be a more positive, confident, and optimistic person by thinking the way optimists do—most of the time.


Look for the Good
Optimists seem to have different ways of dealing with the world that set them apart from the average. First, as we mentioned, they keep their minds on what they want, and keep looking for ways to get it. They are clear about their goals and they are confident that they will accomplish them, sooner or later. Second, optimists look for the good in every problem or difficulty. When things go wrong, as they often do, they say, "That's good!" and then set about finding something positive about the situation.

Seek the Valuable Lesson
The third quality of optimists is that they seek the valuable lesson in every setback or reversal. Rather than getting upset and blaming someone else for what has happened, they take control over their emotions by saying, "What can I learn from this experience?" Fully 95% of everything you do is determined by your habits, good or bad. When you repeatedly look for the good and seek the valuable lesson in every obstacle or disappointment, you very soon develop the habit of thinking like an optimist. As a result, you feel happier, healthier, and more in control of your world.

The Body-Mind Connection
More and more doctors are coming to the conclusion that 80% or more of all diseases and ailments are psychosomatic in origin. This means that "psycho," the mind, makes "soma," the body, sick. You do not get sick from what you are eating, but from what is eating you.

Action Exercise
Resolve from now on to see your glass of life half full rather than half empty. Give thanks for your many blessings in life rather than worrying or complaining about the things you do not have. Assume the best of intentions on the part of everyone around you.

Know Your Own Mind, Live Your Own Life

by Dr. Napoleon Hill

Somewhere along the path of life, every successful man finds out how to live his own life as he wishes to live it.

The younger you are when you discover this mighty power, the more likely you are to live successfully and happily. Yet even in later years, many make the great change—from letting others make them what they are, to making sure that they make their lives to their own liking.

The Creator gave man the prerogative of power over his own mind. It must have been the Creator's purpose to encourage man to live his own life, think his own thoughts, find his own goals and achieve them. Simply by exercising this profound prerogative you can bring abundance into your life, and with it know the greatest wealth of all, peace of mind, without which there can be no real happiness.

You live in a world filled with outside influences which impinge upon you. You are influenced by other people's acts and wishes, by law and custom, by your duties and your responsibilities. Everything you do has some effect upon others, as do their actions upon you. And yet you must find out how to live your own life, use your own mind, go on toward the dream you wish to make real and solid. Know thyself, said the ancient Greek philosophers, and this remains key advice for the man who would be in all ways wealthy. Without knowing yourself and being yourself, you cannot truly use the one Great Secret which gives you power to mold your future and make life carry you the way you want to go.

Let us then take off on our trip to Happy Valley!

Do not think of me as a back-seat driver. Rather, you are at the wheel and I merely call your attention to a trustworthy road map whereon the main highway is marked beyond questions. On your journey to riches and peace of mind, the road grows smoother and straighter as you travel.



Source: Napoleon Hill. Grow Rich! With Peace of Mind. Fawcett Edition. 1967. Pg. 9 & 10.