Think And Grow Rich: Chatper 1

I have just completed the first chapter of Think and Grow Rich. I had barely finished the first page when I got up from my seat to get a pen and a notebook. I immediately began to take notes, writing certain phrases that struck a chord, my thoughts or analysis of certain paragraphs, and so on. Even as I sit to write this blog entry, more thoughts and ideas come to mind about what I've just read. I find this first chapter to be uplifting, motivating and empowering.

The following are quotes and excerpts from the book and my thoughts and interpretations:

"That is one of the tricks of opportunity. It has a sly habit of slipping in by the back door and often it comes disguised in the form of misfortune or temporary defeat. Perhaps this is why so many fail to recognize opportunity"

This is what triggered my need to take notes. Though we often hear the old sayings "when one door closes another one opens", the way Napoleon Hill expressed his idea on opportunity felt more action oriented and stuck me more as a positive affirmation. I also like the use of the word "temporary" to describe defeat, as no one is ever permanently defeated, not even in death.

An example of opportunity found in defeat comes from a story he writes about a Mr. Darby, who gave up on one of his endeavors when things started to go sour. Without going into too much detail about that particular situation, all Mr. Darby needed to do was consult experts and seek their help and he would have found great success. He says that mistake "taught me to keep on keeping on, no mater how hard the going may be, a lesson I needed to learn before I could succeed in anything." If you really want to achieve your goal, to get what you are going after, you must be ready to keep at it even when faced with adversity. Just because you push through one difficulty, doesn't mean you won't be faced with anymore troubles, it also not a matter of worth, it's a matter of importance. How important is that goal to you? How badly do you want it? Whether your goal is financial, health or fitness related, family oriented, it has to be important to you and you have to accord importance to it. People have to know that this is something that matters to you and you will not deter from it. If you are less than 100% dedicated, you are wasting your energy and efforts on something you don't really want.

"Success comes to those who are success conscious.
Failure comes to those who indifferently allow themselves to become failure conscious"

I identified "failure conscious" with self-doubt, indifference, lack of dedication, fear and other feelings of insecurity. Being "success conscious" isn't just thinking to yourself "I am or will be successful" it's also knowing your strengths and your capabilities and being confident about them. It's acknowledging your accomplishments and not shying away from them. It's not just stating I AM but also saying and believing in I CAN and I WILL.

There's so much more I could write, but I'll give myself a bit more time to think about this chapter and to absorb the information I've read. It will also give you time to read the chapter, if you haven't already, and to come up with your own interpretations!

I look foward to reading your thoughts in the comments below!

Read. Think. Grow.