Archives For Napoleon Hill

Advance confidently in the direction of your dreams

February 21, 2013 — Leave a comment

“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours.” Henry David Thoreau

Notice he didn’t say “go sheepishly, fearfully, or timidly.”

You were not born to live life quietly, hoping to get to the end of it without being noticed.

waldenIt may sound crazy but that’s the way many people in our society live their lives.

They’re simply plodding through life, working in a job that’s not what they want, wishing they were someplace else, living, as Thoreau also said, “Lives of quiet desperation.”

Personally, I like the quotation from French writer, Emile Zola, below:

“If you ask me what I came into this life to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud.”

You came here to live your life. Are you living it? Are you living it out loud?

Each one of us was born with abilities and desires. As a matter of fact, many teachings point to to the idea that, if you have a desire to be, do, or have something, you are already in possession of the ability to make it a reality.

If you stop for a moment and think about your own deepest desires, I think you’ll agree that, not only are they well within the realm of possibility but that they are within your present reach.

You’re probably a lot closer to realizing your dreams than you realize.

One problem, especially among creative types, is that you cannot see how what you love to do can be turned into a source of income or, as is frequently the case, you’re blocked, not knowing how to bring your passion to fruition.

This frustration, combined with all the technology and social media activity that seems essential to your success, leaves you feeling overwhelmed.

Yes, as Napoleon Hill wrote in “Think and Grow Rich,” success requires specialized knowledge, however, it does not have to come from you.

You need to have the desire and the willingness to take the first step in faith. Once you’ve done that the next steps will begin to appear.

“and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours.”

If you develop a strong commitment to your success and hold to your vision, taking whatever actions seem appropriate, you’ll soon see the pieces coming together.

You’ll meet the people necessary for you to progress, often in unusual ways. Resources will appear, seemingly out of nowhere.

All sorts of occurrences will take place as the Universe conspires for your success for, as our old friendThoreau taught us,

“he will meet with success unexpected in common hours.”

So here it is in all its simplicity:

  • Advance confidently. Not fearfully.
  • Endeavor to live the life you have imagined. Do your best.
  • You will meet with success. Yes you will.

and create the life you were born to live 

 

In Life, Self-Help, Success, Visions & Goals , , , , ,
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Zig Ziglar passing, a tribute to a great man

December 1, 2012 — Leave a comment

On Wednesday, November 28, 2012, the world lost one of the true giants in the personal development industry. You’ve probably heard by now of the passing of Zig Ziglar, one of the legends of our industry.

Zig was one of the most dynamic and inspiring speakers I’ve ever had the pleasure to have met. He was definitely in a class by himself. No one even comes close to the level of performance he delivered for more than four decades, inspiring people all across the globe.

Zig was one-of-a-kind, with his rapid-fire style of speaking, in his own words, “at eighty miles an hour with gusts up to one hundred and twenty” and, as if that were not enough, the physicality of his performances was like no one else.

Zig Ziglar, Georgia Donovan, Jim Donovan

Zig Ziglar was an American original and will surely be missed. While he will probably be most remembered for his often repeated advice, “You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want,” I will personally remember him most for the powerful lesson I learned the day Georgia and I went to the Philadelphia Convention Center to hear him speak.

He was speaking as part of a Peter Lowe seminar program, along with many other big name speakers including Tom Hopkins, Dan Kennedy, and Bill Cosby, but it was Zig we went to see.

We had obtained VIP tickets which included admission to a more intimate breakfast talk with Zig. Since my wife, Georgia, is such a huge fan of his, it was a very special day. Of course meeting him and having a chance to talk with him briefly was an experience to remember, as you can see from the photo above, but what impacted me most happened at the beginning of our day.

We arrived at the Convention Center at 6:45, well ahead of time for the 7:30 breakfast talk. As we ascended the escalator to the upper level where the breakfast would be served, there was Zig, standing and greeting everyone with his unmistakable energy and charm, sharp looking suit, and diamond stick pin. I’ll always remember the stick pin as it put the finishing touch on his appearance, exuding class in every way.

Being a new author (the original edition of Handbook to a Happier Life had just been published) and aspiring speaker, the lesson I learned was an invaluable one.

If, as a speaker and presenter, you honor and respect the people who came to hear you, it is your obligation to be there to greet them when they arrive. As I said, Zig was a class act. I have done my best, in the years that have followed, to emulate that behavior and am usually the first person at my events.

Later in the day, after his main seminar in the room of 16,000 people, we waited to have our books signed by him and I had the opportunity to give him a copy of my brand new book.

A few weeks later I received a lovely note from him thanking me for the book and wishing me success with it. I can’t begin to tell you how much that meant to this newbie author. Today the letter occupies a special space on my “wall of fame” and it has been a source of inspiration to me on those days when I feel less-than-great.

Yes, Zig will surely be missed but I am thankful I had the opportunity to be in his presence. He now joins that group of motivational giants that includes Napoleon Hill, Norman Vincent Peale, Earl Nightingale, W. Clement Stone, Og Mandino, Charlie Tremendous Jones, and Jim Rohn. Men on whose shoulders I and my colleagues stand as we do what we do.

God bless you, Hilary Hinton (Zig) Ziglar and may you rest in peace.

How did Zig Ziglar’s message affect your life? Please leave your thoughts and comments

 

In Business, Life, Self-Help, Success , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Commit to Your Success

April 26, 2012 — 1 Comment

“Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth – that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves, too.” – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Once you have determined your goals and begin to take action, the one single trait that will keep you going in the face of obstacles is your commitment to what you want to accomplish.

A strong commitment is the single most important characteristic you can develop. With it, you can overcome any obstacle. Without it, you are doomed to fail.

When things do not go the way you want and they certainly will, it is your own level of commitment that is tested. If your commitment is strong, you will get through whatever is happening. Whether you are in a new relationship, starting a business, or wanting to lose a few pounds, the same principle applies. You must be totally committed.

Supposing for a moment you want to start your own business. This is a popular practice right now and many people are facing the challenges and reaping the rewards of self employment.

If you are starting a new business, you must be committed to succeeding. In his classic book, Think and Grow Rich‚ Napoleon Hill talks about “burning all your bridges.”

The reason is that, if you have no other choice, you will use all of your resources to accomplish what you want.

Be careful of the trap of fence sitting. This practice has been the downfall of many well intentioned people. You must be committed.

Thomas Edison tried almost 10,000 times before he succeeded in creating the electric light. If he had given up, you would be reading this by candlelight.

One way to increase your level of commitment is to ask yourself why you are doing this in the first place. What will it mean to you to you reach this goal?

Write down the reasons why you will succeed and why you will not quit.

Commit to your dreams now!

the little book that can change your lifeThis post is excerpt, The Little Book That Can Change Your Life, available now on Amazon Kindle.

Order now at our special introductory price

In Goals, Self-Help, Success , , , , , , , , , ,
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Economic conditions have little to do with your own success and well-being.

November 2, 2011 — Leave a comment

This is an important concept to grasp.

We have a tendency to look at economic conditions as a way of explaining and justifying why we may not be where we want to be. In truth, one has little or nothing to do with the other.

piles of money, stacked highYour ability to succeed is totally within your control and is a result of your own thoughts, words, feelings and actions. Whatever direction the economy is moving in, whether in a downturn as it is at this time, or in an upward spiral, there are always opportunities for the individual who holds true to her vision to her ideal life.

It is this vision that will attract – through the powers of the universe – that which is vividly imagined, as Napoleon Hill would have said.

If you are watching the news and worrying about the current financial problems, while you are engaged in doing this, you are in a similar vibration and are likely to create a similar condition in your own life.

If you must stay informed about what is going on, fine. If you’re going to watch the news, do so without getting emotionally invested.

Just sit back and, as you watch, think to yourself, “that’s interesting.” It is possible to watch the news or read a newspaper and not be emotionally connected to it.

Feeling bad for the people affected by what’s taking place also puts you squarely in the same vibration. If you can do something to help, by all means, do it!

However, if not, get your attention back to your own ideal life’s vision and focus your attention on what you want in your life.

You may wish to see the other people having a better experience than they are having but that’s about all you can do because we each create our own reality and we can only control the circumstances in our own life.

It is crucial that in any circumstance, you’re able to “flip” your attention and therefore, your “point of attraction” to that which you desire and away from that which you do not.

Notice, I did not say to try and fix it or change it, unless you can. Simply turn your attention away, toward whatever you do want.

The fastest way I know to shift your attention and, as a result, your vibration, is to make a list of what you are appreciating, what’s working, or what you are grateful for in your life. This simple practice will immediately raise your vibration as a result of the change in your focus and what your putting your attention on.

It is important, especially in these challenging times, that we are watchful of our thoughts, words and actions. Keep your attention at what you desire and refuse to participate in discussions about what is wrong with our world. If you make a habit of doing this, pretty soon you will start seeing improvements in your own life.

 

 

In Economy, Goals, Goals & Goal Setting, Money, Self-Help, Success, Visions & Goals , , , , , ,
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One Way to Help End the Recession

May 6, 2011 — 2 Comments

In an earlier article, I wrote about, as Franklin Delano Roosevelt essentially said, “we have nothing to fear but fear itself.”

Below is the rest of that statement which warrants further reflection.

“So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.” FDR  - you can read the entire speech here

Think about the last part – “Which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”

This is, in my opinion, one of the big contributors to the current economic difficulty we’re experiencing. At a time when, in order to restart our economy, we need to be moving fearlessly forward, too many people are pulling back or, worse yet, retreating into their cocoons.

Companies, instead of stepping out boldly into the marketplace, are “hunkering down” and hoping the storm blows over before they go out of business.

Individuals, worried about their security, are cutting back on all but essential spending.

Banks, once burned, are reluctant to lend again, thereby cutting off the credit markets and shooting themselves in the foot. .

All of these, while understandable, are compounding the problem and standing in the way of a faster recovery.

Holding this problem in place are the steady stream of negative messages from the media. It’s not my intention to make them the fall guy but, let’s face it, all we hear on the evening news or read in our daily newspapers are more and more stories about how bad things are.

It’s interesting to note that one of the things Roosevelt did to help turn the situation around in the 1930′s was to create a “Mastermind” alliance to start crafting more positive messages and stories of successes rather than failures.

He assembled both houses of Congress, positive thinkers like Napoleon Hill and Norman Vincent Peale, the leading newspaper publishers and radio station owners of the day, and church leaders of every denomination.

Their efforts, combined with the efforts of ordinary citizens, produced a wave of positivity that was powerful enough to start turning the tides of the great depression.

It’s an interesting aside that Hill did not write his, now famous, book, Think and Grow Rich, with the intention of publishing it. He wrote it to keep himself in a positive frame of mind in order to get through these difficult times.

The time has come, once again, for those of us who believe in the power of the mind to start following Hill’s model and begin to spread a positive message of hope and recovery.

You can help

Email, call or write your congressional representatives and ask that they and, yes, President Obama, model the strategy developed by Hill and FDR.

Write emails and letters to the editors of your local newspapers, asking them to start “singing a different song.”

Please share this message with your friends as well as on social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Linkedin, and so on.

In Business, Business Growth , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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