Think and Grow Rich Takeaways

I did it! I finished this Napoleon Hill classic! I never saw this day coming because this was a read and a half. Though the chapters were long and the font was rather small, I must say this book is filled with so many nuggets, not only focusing on money but on everything you wish to acquire in life. With the correct thoughts and action plans of integrity, all you want is attainable. Enjoy below my key takeaways from this book.

Chapter 1 - The Power of Thought?

Riches begin with a state of mind, with definiteness of purpose. Success comes to those who become success conscious. The thoughts we entertain and keep in our minds are extremely powerful. Our brains become magnetized with the dominating thoughts we hold in our minds meaning that those magnets attract to us circumstances of life which harmonize with the nature of our dominating thoughts.?

Chapter 2 - Desire: The Starting Point of All Achievement?

Profound lesson from Barnes: He stood by his desire until it became the dominating obsession of his life and, finally, a fact. Wishing will not bring riches. We all have our different wishes. But desiring riches with a state of mind that becomes an obsession, then planning definite ways and means to acquire riches and backing those plans with persistence which does not recognize failure, will bring riches. If you do not see great riches in your imagination, you will never see them in your bank balance. Every success is proof that you are capable of achieving more successes. Celebrate each success. Respond positively to life! The mind is a powerful instrument. Faith, desire and belief will make things happen in your life.?

Chapter 3 - Faith: Visualising and Believing in the Attainment of Desire

Fake it till you become it! Conduct yourself just as you would if you were already in possession of the material thing which you are demanding when you call upon your subconscious mind. Each of us is what we are because of the dominating thoughts we permit to occupy our minds hence why mental health matters. We are what we are because of the vibrations of thought that we pick up and register through the stimuli of our daily environment. Both poverty and riches are the offspring of thought. What are the current dominating thoughts in my mind??

Chapter 4 - Auto-suggestion: the Medium for Influencing the Subconscious Mind

Your ability to use the principle of auto suggestion will depend, very largely, upon your capacity to concentrate upon a given desire until that desire becomes a burning obsession. Believe it, see it first, then hand it over to your imagination to create practical plans so you can acquire it. Don’t ignore the voice of “inspiration”. Treat it with respect and act upon it as soon you receive it.?

Chapter 5 - Specialised Knowledge?

Knowledge is only potential power. It becomes power only and when, and if, it is organized into definite plans of action and directed to a definite end. Knowledge has no value unless it’s applied. Successful people are always learning. Mediocrity will come upon you if you do not invest in continuous learning. Don’t underestimate the power of imagination. Don’t sit on it.?

Chapter 6 - Imagination: The Workshop of the Mind?

We can create anything we can imagine. You have to build a plan to transform your desire into money. Advice from Herb Kelleher:

• Stick to your ideas
• Think of what the customers want and give it to them?
• Take positive steps to break down your obstacles?
• Keep open to new opportunities?

Chapter 7 - Organized Planning: The Crystallisation of Desire into Action?

You need to create a plan with the accountability and support of your master mind crew. “No individual has sufficient experience, education and natural ability and knowledge to ensure the accumulation of a great fortune without the cooperation of other people”. You need to be persistent in creating new plans when you meet failure.?

A quitter never wins and a winner never quits. Traits of leadership that I need to work on:

• unwavering courage?
• a pleasing personality?
• mastery of detail

Traits of leadership that can threaten me:

• inability to organize detail
• fear of competition?

QQS - In what ever you do, you need to provide service in the proper spirit. You need to work in harmony, to have a pleasing personality. Quality x Quantity x Spirit

The 30 causes of failure are real. Those that target me:

• procrastination?
• lack of persistence?
• over caution?

Chapter 8 - Decision: the Mastery of Procrastination?

Tell the world what you intend to do, but show it first. Everyone wants ideas and money. So think “who am I speaking with” before publicizing your ideas lest you see someone has beaten you to it. The 6 principles used by America:

1. Desire
2. Decision?
3. Faith
4. Persistence?
5. The Master Mind
6. Organized Planning

All 6 are essential for a leader. Those who reach decisions promptly and definitely know what they want, and generally get it. Leaders decide quickly and firmly.?

Chapter 9 - Persistence: the Sustained Effort Necessary to Induce Faith?

Will power and desire make an irresistible pair. Lack of persistence is one of the major causes of failure. The majority of people permit relatives, friends and the public at large to influence them that they cannot live their own lives because they fear criticism. Riches do not respond to wishes. They respond only to definite plans, backed by define desires, through constant pressure.?

Chapter 10 - Power of the Master Mind: the driving force?

Power is organized and intelligently directed knowledge. A group of brains coordinated in a spirit of harmony will provide more thought energy than a single brain. Poverty needs no plan; it is bold and ruthless. Riches are shy and timid. They have to be ‘attracted’. Who is in your mastermind? People take on the nature and the habits and the power of thought of those with whom they associate in a spirit of sympathy and harmony. Who is on your team??

Chapter 11 - The Mystery of Sex Transmutation?

The human mind responds to stimulation. Among the greatest and most powerful of these stimuli is the urge of sex. The desire for sexual expression is by far the strongest and most impelling of all the human emotions. For this very reason this desire, when harnessed and transmuted into action other than that of the physical expression, may raise one to the status of a genius. Highly sexed people always have a plentiful supply of magnetism. Overindulgence in sex expression may become a habit as destructive and as detrimental to creative effort as narcotics or alcohol. The emotion of love brings out and develops the artistic and aesthetic nature of a person. Love is life’s greatest experience.?

Chapter 12 - The Subconscious Mind: the connecting link?

Everything that is created begins in the form of a thought impulse. Nothing can be created that not first conceived in thought. The 7 major positive emotions: desire, faith, love, sex, enthusiasm, romance, hope. The seven major negative emotions: fear, jealousy, hatred, revenge, greed, superstition, anger.?

Positive and negative emotions cannot occupy the mind at the same time. One or the other must dominate. It is your responsibility to make sure that positive emotions constitute the dominating influence of your mind. Form the habit of applying and using positive emotions. Faith and fear cannot co-exist. Where one is found, the other cannot exist.?

Chapter 13 - The Brain: a Broadcasting and Receiving Station for Thought

Every human brain is capable of picking up vibrations of thought released by other brains. The creative imagination is the receiving set of the brain which receives thoughts released by the brains of others. The subconscious mind is the sending station of the brain, through which vibrations of thought are broadcast.

Chapter 14 - The Sixth Sense: the Door to the Temple of Wisdom?

The sixth sense is the “hunch” that we sometimes get. The gut feeling that helps us to make decisions. Aid of the sixth sense: you can be warned of impending dangers in time to avoid them and notified of opportunities in time to embrace them. You need to be able to develop an awareness of the sixth sense when navigating through life’s experiences.?

Chapter 15 - How To Outwit The Six Ghosts of Fear

Fears are nothing more than states of mind. One’s state of mind is subject to control and direction. The more you embrace a fear, the more it becomes your reality. The 6 basic fears:

1. The fear of poverty?
2. The fear of criticism?
3. The fear of ill health?
4. The fear of loss of love of someone?
5. The fear of old age?
6. The fear of death?

Kill the habit of worry in all its forms as best as you can. With this decision comes poise, peace of mind and calmness of thought that will bring happiness. To be successful, you must find peace of mind, acquire the material needs of life and attain happiness.?

Chapter 16 - The Devil’s Workshop?

You have absolute control over but one thing, and that is your thoughts. If you fail to control your mind, you may be sure to control nothing else. What alibis in life are pity partying with? Excuses will always be there and waiting to be entertained by you. All the while time is moving.?

Just rereading these takeaways is reminding me that I should probably reread the book itself. So many lessons packed in these pages of wisdom. Thank you Napoleon Hill! Now here comes my part; implementation!