The Law of Success

 I am just finishing up reading this gem. I thought it would be a good time to share what I am into as far as my mental fitness goes. I have stressed a number of times throughout my posts that adopting a healthier lifestyle included mind, body and soul. I recently mentioned it in my post “The only limits you have are the limits you believe.” In that post I shared that I was reading Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich for the second time. I was introduced to Napoleon Hill when I was about 14 years old. I understood his philosophy quite well back then, I just wasn’t prepared to put it into proper action till recently. 

 Napoleon Hill's philosophy is a formula for personal achievement and financial success based on the premise that thoughts are things and that intense desire, combined with a definite purpose and persistent action, can manifest reality. Centered on principles like the Master Mind, faith, and subconscious reprogramming, his teachings emphasize mindset over circumstances. Reading Think and Grow Rich for the second time really hit home. I had been studying similar philosophies so it was all coming together for me. I ended up purchasing a few more books by Napoleon and The Law of Success is the first one I cracked open. It’s a short read, but it is jam packed full of gems. 

 I am pretty open and honest about my past. I made a lot of horrible decisions and paid dearly for each and every one of them. I am very fortunate I was blessed with the opportunity to turn things around. Before finding my way I tried everything. I tried the whole going back to school thing to which I did finally get my high school diploma. I then went to college for two years where I maintained a 4.0 GPA. I left college after being diagnosed with Ménière's Disease. I tried religion. I’m talking multiple different faiths. I did AA and NA, group therapy, one on one therapy just to name a few things. At the end of the day what finally saved me from the destructive life I had been living, was me. No person, no religion, no amount of prayer, no groups or organizations could save me. Only I could. I had a deep desire to change. I had the same deep desire when I chose to adopt a healthy lifestyle. To change my life, I had to first change me, that’s the bottom line. 

 I have read a lot of books. I own hundreds of books that I have read. Of all the books, there are about a dozen that were game changers for me. I have to write a post in the near future highlighting these dozen or so books. Think and Grow Rich is definitely in the top three of the dozen. Though Think and Grow Rich has a focus on becoming financially fit, the philosophy can be used to achieve whatever you want your life to become. You want to get fit and healthy? Become wealthy and financially free? Want to become successful in business or in a sport? Whatever it is you desire without a doubt you can achieve it. First you have to choose what it is you want. Sounds simple enough, yet a majority of people can’t seem to choose that one thing. Once you have made your choice it takes discipline, hard work, sacrifice and consistency. No, it’s not easy. What I do on a daily is not easy at all. But I can say this with full confidence, it is all worth it. The discipline it has taken to achieve what I have as far as getting fit, has spilled over into every aspect of my life. Sure life still hands me a heavy load to deal with from time to time. The big difference now, from years ago is that can handle it, no problem. 

 Napoleon Hill may not be your cup of tea. But he is definitely worth checking out. There are hundreds of other authors out there teaching the same philosophy. I just rather choose to learn it from the original master. Below I will post some core principles of Hill’s philosophy. Something may just strike a chord and help you find your way. I will leave you with this quote: "While a strong mind can sometimes carry a weak body, a weak mind often cannot support a strong body." Thank you for reading. 

Core Principles of Hill's Philosophy

Based on his research into successful individuals like Andrew Carnegie and Henry Ford, Hill outlined 13 core principles for success in Think and Grow Rich: 

Definiteness of Purpose: Knowing exactly what you want is the starting point of all achievement.

The Master Mind: Surrounding oneself with a group of like-minded individuals to create a synergy of knowledge and energy.

Desire: A burning desire is the motivation required to achieve goals.

Faith: Believing in your goal's attainment, making it a "disciplined habit".

Autosuggestion: Utilizing affirmations to feed positive, goal-oriented thoughts into the subconscious mind.

Specialized Knowledge: Acquiring specific knowledge geared toward your, purpose, rather than general knowledge.

Imagination: Visualizing the goal and planning the steps to achieve it.

Organized Planning: Creating concrete, actionable plans to achieve your purpose.

Decision: Making firm decisions quickly and changing them slowly, if at all.

Persistence: The willpower and stamina to continue despite obstacles.

The Subconscious Mind: Reprogramming the mind to align with success goals.

The Sixth Sense: The culmination of the other principles, allowing for creative flashes.

Sex Transmutation: Channeling sexual energy into creative, productive pursuits.