Think and Grow Rich is the best selling self help book of all time with over 100 million sales. Napoleon Hill was the original self help guru with a focus on the psychology of financial success. Mr. Hill studied and interviewed some of the most successful people of his time before publishing the first edition of his book in 1937. Financial success starts first with the right mindset and requires a continual management of your thoughts, emotions, and beliefs on the journey to wealth. This book laid the foundation for developing the psychology to empower its readers to connect the dots from where they are now to where they want to be in the future.
Here is my Think and Grow Rich summary based on the ten best 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.” – Napoleon Hill
Desire is the motivation that energizes you and fuels the work needed to accomplish your goals.
“You are the master of your destiny. You can influence, direct and control your own environment. You can make your life what you want it to be.” – Napoleon Hill
Your decisions today determine your future not your past. You can choose where to live, how you want to make a living, and who your friends will be.
“When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.” – Napoleon Hill
Every loss carries a lesson, accept the new information and adjust your path. The journey to success is not a direct one but you have to keep moving toward your goals.
“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.” – Napoleon Hill
Many of the most successful people in history also had the biggest failures. Failure is the cost and risk of trying to achieve great things. Many times it takes several attempts to win the biggest prizes.
“Set your mind on a definite goal and observe how quickly the world stands aside to let you pass.” – Napoleon Hill
One of the most important things you can ever do is write down your goals. It is amazing the paths your subconscious finds when it is looking for ways to accomplish what you want.
“The way of success is the way of continuous pursuit of knowledge.” – Napoleon Hill
Knowledge is an edge, learning how to achieve your goals is half the battle that you must win.
“Happiness is found in doing, not merely possessing.” – Napoleon Hill
You must enjoy your journey to your goals because if you don’t you are likely to quit. Doing what you love to do can be an edge.
“A quitter never wins-and-a winner never quits.” – Napoleon Hill
Winners don’t quit when they are tired or after set backs, they don’t stop even after they win. Perseverance is an edge over all the quitters.
“Every adversity, every failure, every heartbreak, carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” – Napoleon Hill
Everything can work together for your good if you are flexible and open-minded on how and when you will achieve your goals.
“More gold had been mined from the mind of men than the earth it self” – Napoleon Hill
Wealth is primarily created from the ideas, inventions, technologies, and businesses that emerge from an entrepreneurs mind. The power to create wealth is primarily in monetizing good ideas into reality.
While the right mindset alone is not enough to enable you to achieve all your goals it is a necessary first step. Other steps that are required like research, study, hard work, working smart, people skills, and perseverance. All the general principles of the psychology of financial success are found in this book. A must read for anyone serious about opening their mind to the possibilities that life can hold.
