If you have ever wondered about how to use the potential of your subconscious mind, this book might be it. It is all about how a person can retrain its own mind and focus all its energy into becoming successful. The book is all about the thirteen principles which can change the course of one’s mindset. By applying these thirteen steps, one can begin to notice positive changes. The author writes about successful people and their stories to inspire his readers. He talks about the value of persistence, constant efforts, and recognizing opportunities. He talks about the need for a "Burning Desire" within a person to achieve something.
Every person deals with fear, doubt, etcetera as obstacles to achieving success. The book also talks about how to deal with failure and emotions which cause a person to give up. People who want to achieve their financial dreams should read this book.
Napoleon Hill researched and wrote about the mindset of millionaires and billionaires. It took him twenty to twenty-five years to build this masterpiece.
About the Author: Napoleon Hill
Napoleon is the author of one of the best selling self-help books of all time. He is also known as a conman for a lot of reasons. He has had allegations of fraud. There is also a dispute about the authenticity of many of Hill's claims. Napoleon Hill's collaboration with Andrew Carnegie was never confirmed. Hill allegedly started making claims of interviewing Carnegie after he had died. Aside from Hill's writings, there are no accounts of the meeting taking place.
The evidence is lacking for many of Hill's other claims of meeting other famous men. He claims the photos and endorsement letters from famous men were all lost in a fire.
Napoleon Hill's other claims are also called into question. He said that he helped President Wilson to negotiate Germany's surrender in World War I. But there is no known evidence of any such incidence. He claimed he helped F.D.R. write his fireside chats with no known evidence. There are no records of Hill interviewing famous men such as Theodore Roosevelt, etc.
Other Works by the Author:
· The Law of Success [1928]
· The Magic Ladder to Success [1930]
· Outwitting the Devil [1938]
· How to Sell Your Way Through Life [1939]
· Grow Rich!: With Peace of Mind [1967]
· Succeed and Grow Rich Through Persuasion [1970]
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill:
Being one of the best-sold books of all time from the self-help and psychology genre, it certainly meets the talk. This book talks about various subjects including how our own subconscious mind works against us. A lot of people say it is inspiring, and even life-changing. It is a blueprint of all the characteristics and qualities Hill found in all his subjects.
There was one fact that called out to me the most about the book. Not only did Napoleon observe these great people but he also implemented all these ideas and principles. Only after seeing the results, he wrote about them. He inspires his readers not to accept their situational reality but to make their aspirational desires. Readers often try to find one secret from beginning to end but Napoleon doesn’t talk about it. Instead, he talks about mastering the thirteen principles and once that happens, he guarantees success.
Napoleon also talks about how one of the core things we are cursed and conditioned with is Indecisiveness. He tells us how taking action is better than inaction which is a very important lesson. There are many such great lessons throughout the book which are delightful to read.
How Think And Grow Rich is the ultimate guide to success:
The fact that books can alter the course of one’s mind is undisputed but this particular book talks about how if we don’t plant deliberately chosen thoughts in our subconscious mind, then it will work on the thoughts it is receiving as a result of neglect. This is usually negative.
This book is all about how we should have a definite purpose. It tells us about we can use the power of autosuggestion. Sometimes we already know things and it comes to us automatically. We only have to channel our focus on recognizing it. The author asks us to mix thoughts with feelings. He says positive thoughts attract positive actions. He also tells us about the power and benefits of visualization. This book basically teaches us to train and program our subconscious mind to achieve our goals and ambitions.
One of the best things about this book which makes it an “ultimate guide to success” is that it talks about the kind of passion you will need in order to reach your destination. It also talks about being crystal clear on what you will have to sacrifice to get what you want. Hence it is one of the firsts books that are usually recommended by a lot of people who are trying to grow or become rich.
Reasons why you might not pick this book:
Napoleon wrote this book in the era of Depression. So a lot of people believe that it might be a little old fashioned. People believe that finances have got more complex over the years. And thus they might not choose this book.
Another reason which clouds the minds of people is that a lot of other self-help books and financial help books cover topics similar to this one like personal growth, how to manage and increase your finances, etc. This book does not contain any plans or ideas as to how to start something in a specific manner. It just focuses on your mind and being positive.
The first few chapters are slow-paced. Some people may find it repetitive which may discourage the readers as well. But, this book is still relevant to the complicated finances of growing times. The principles there are sound, accurate, and everlasting. Once the book engages the reader, it cannot be put down. The book picks up the pace from the fifth chapter. The narration is fluid and smooth and the author explains his point very well. Overall, this book is a must-read for people who need a pep-talk, someone who wants a casual read, and someone who learns from other people’s success stories.
The Thirteen Principles:
Hill has divided the book into chapters each based on a certain principle he wants to convey. He talks about how you should pursue something you love to do and have a burning desire for. The basic reason for this is widely known and eliminates the excuse for mediocrity.
Hill also advises being around people who inspire you because you are the result of the five people you surround yourself with and they are the ones who influence you the most. He also speaks about how writing and reading things that drive you. They impact your determination and strengthen your will to achieve. Napoleon questions the reader. He asks what value are we providing to the people and how do we apply the knowledge we gain to bring more value to society. The author also makes a point to recall the old saying “Jack of all trades and master of none.” He specifies that specialized knowledge is far better than general knowledge.
The Main Message of the book:
This book is a masterpiece and all points in this book should be considered with great detail. The book is also very subjective, the message may vary from reader to reader. However, the basic message of the book is the cycle that is created using these principles. It creates a pyramid of Desire- Faith- Action [Decisions]. All this continues because of Persistence. The author claims that once a person has a crystal clear vision of where he wants to be, that produces a burning desire within him. This desire should be backed by Faith and Specialized Knowledge, creating some Action or leading to certain decisions.
It also makes the reader realize that there will be a lot of obstacles that one will have to face while achieving something. These obstacles are not only external but internal as well. Feelings and emotions such as fear, anxiety, indecisiveness, etc are the main hurdles one may face.
Other than this, the book talks about the stories of many successful people and aims at making his audience understand how these principles actually work when applied. Taking into account the real-life situations and incidences, Napoleon makes his book interesting, authentic, and proof-based. This not only motivates the reader but also prevents him from thinking about it as baseless preaching.
What I like the most:
I absolutely loved the fact that this book has success stories of other people which made me interested in knowing more. They told me about the adversaries and triumphs of these people whether they were famous or not. This book is so easy to read that it fulfilled its aim to reach out to maximum readers, accurately conveying its message.
According to me, the best chapters were Desire, Organized Planning, and Devil’s Workshop. These chapters deal with the aforementioned principles and obstacles.
The Devil’s Workshop deals with how we should not let our sad thoughts affect us. Thoughts like “I wish I was born rich” or “If only I could catch a lucky break.” Organized planning is all about how to form a plan that will do well. It also includes the attributes of an effective leader. Desire also tells us about having ambition and constantly working for achieving it. This chapter asks us to remind ourselves that anything else is not sufficient.
I enjoyed reading the last principle of Sixth sense which cannot be questioned, disputed, or practiced. It’s a part of the universal truth that Napoleon Hill talks about.
Some of the famous quotes from the book:
“The starting point of all achievement is DESIRE. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat.”
“Before success comes in any man’s life, he is sure to meet with much temporary defeat, and, perhaps, some failure. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and most logical thing to do is to quit. That is exactly what the majority of men do. More than five hundred of the most successful men this country has ever known told the author their greatest success came just one step beyond the point at which defeat had overtaken them.”
“An educated man is not, necessarily, one who has an abundance of general or specialized knowledge. An educated man is one who has so developed the faculties of his mind that he may acquire anything he wants, or its equivalent, without violating the rights of others.”
“Opinions are the cheapest commodities on earth. Everyone has a flock of opinions ready to be wished upon anyone who will accept them. If you are influenced by "opinions" when you reach DECISIONS, you will not succeed in any undertaking.”
“To win the big stakes in this changed world, you must catch the spirit of the great pioneers of the past, whose dreams have given to civilization all that it has of value, the spirit that serves as the life-blood of our own country – your opportunity and mine, to develop and market our talents.”
What is the main point of Think and Grow Rich?
The author states that by focusing on a passionate desire, having faith in oneself, training the subconscious to believe in success, and developing a detailed plan, anyone can grow rich.
Why is Think and Grow Rich so good?
Beyond the key principles, there's a defining aspect that sets 'Think and Grow Rich' apart – its ability to instigate change. It doesn't merely tell you what to do; instead, it encourages you to change the way you think, urging a shift from a scarcity mindset to one of abundance.
What is the message in Think and Grow Rich?
The main message of Think And Grow Rich is to achieve wealth, success, and personal growth through the power of the mind.
What is the main lesson of Think and Grow Rich?
In order to succeed, there should be an unwavering quality to remain persistent to the desire you want. If you really want something out of life, you got to work hard, and expect to get knocked down/fail but show persistence until you reach your goals.