“Think And Grow Rich”, by Napoleon Hill

Goodmorning Caton,

Up quite early today reading another chapter. Is this a new habit? I wouldn’t mind at all.

On today’s episode of “Think And Grow Rich”, by Napoleon Hill I dissected his second chapter called “Desire”.

Caton, do you know what you want? Reading this chapter got the Ferris wheel in my mind rolling, to an extent. I always had ideas as to ways in which I could make money like owning 100 units of rental real estate, having a no-face channel on YouTube, starting a vending machine business, starting a fruit vending business and so much more but I’m now realizing that I might have been going after my aspirations from a good stand point but not necessarily the complete, systematic way of truly accomplishing whatever thoughts come forth.

Recall from the last chapter when the author spoke about having a burning desire backed by faith, staking everything against the odds with a definite purpose aligned with persistence and never viewing temporary misfortune as a reason to quit but view from the perspective that challenges come with it an equivalent or greater benefit? Remember? Good.

So, that’s good, you have a burning desire: accumulating wealth. Do you have a plan? The book described 6 ways to make your ‘dream’ come to reality (every great fortune started with an imagination. You cannot just wish and hope but have a genuine state of mind of belief.)

Definite purpose/plan: What exactly do you want? Be specific: I want a minimum of $10,000 USD each month.

When: By or before August 12,2024.

What will you have to give in order to receive the $10,000 USD each month by or before August 12,2024? (In this life there is no such reality as ‘something for nothing’): Daily commitment to reading books relating to finance and self-improvement, taking action by investing both time and money developing one of the mentioned business ventures, saving money. (I’m sure there are more but just off the top of my head for now)

Finally, the book recommends reading the written statement out load, twice a day, right as you wake up and just before bed. As you read-see and feel and believe yourself already in possession of the money.

Quick vocab for the day:

recede:(of a quality, feeling, or possibility) gradually diminish.

indelible: not able to be forgotten.

retrospect: a survey or review of a past course of events or period of time.

There are a couple stories in this chapter screaming the possibilities of what desire can really do for a person. From having the burning desire to hear when being born without ears to making it to your deathbed and telling yourself you still have more to give. If you want to remind yourself of the touching stories go read back the chapter. There is a part of the hearing disability story that stood out to me quite a lot. Even though Blair was born without ears his father instilled in his mind the thought that his affliction was not a liability, but an asset of great value. After progressing throughout life for over 17 years without hearing he finally got the opportunity to hear at the end of college. Even before the life-changing moment he never saw his disability as a “disability”. I guess when you are planted into an environment that does nothing but breathe positivity in your life things move more smoothly. Does your environment condone happiness and positivity?

Some lines that stood out to me:

• “I bargained with Life for a penny,

  And Life would pay no more,

  However I begged at evening

  When I counted my scanty store.

  “For Life is a just employer,

  He gives you what you ask,

  But once you have set the wages,

  Why, you must bear the task.

  “I worked for a menial’s hire,

  Only to learn dismayed,

  That any wage I had asked of Life,

  Life would have willingly paid.”

• “Practical dreamers do not quit.”

• “Wishing will not bring riches. 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.”

• “…. definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it.”

• “no one ever is defeated until defeat has been accepted as reality.”

• “There is a difference between wishing for a thing and being ready to receive it. No one is ready for a thing until he believes he can acquire it.”

• “Open-mindedness is essential for belief. Closed minds do not inspire faith, courage, and belief.”

  I hope you learned something today. What’s your heart’s deepest desire?