The Classic Self-Help Book

As cheesy as the title or the writing might sound, the book has been a perennial best-seller since it was first published in 1937 for a reason.

I have not followed Hill\’s exact advice in the book because I have not cared that much about money or getting rich, but a lot of it can still be applied to becoming more focused and confident in whatever you are doing.

For years, Napoleon Hill interviewed the world\’s richest people, including Andrew Carnegie. There are controversies over if he actually met with Carnegie, who passed in 1919, but whether or not it\’s true, I still recommend this book to everyone and especially to entrepreneurs and artists.

Here are my notes from the book: you can assume everything is a quote.

Desire for Riches

1.) Fix in your mind the exact money you desire

2.) Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money

3.) Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money

4.) Create a definite for carrying out desire

5.) Write a concise statement of the last four steps

6.) Read statement out loud, twice daily once just before bed, in morning

Visualize yourself already in possession of the money you desire

With faith backed desire nothing is impossible!

All thoughts that have been emotionalized and mixed with faith translate themselves into their physical counterpart

Each of us is what we are because of the dominating thoughts we permit to occupy our mind

Knowledge is not power, the application of knowledge is power

Educate comes from the Latin word “educo”, meaning to develop from within

The Major Attributes of Leadership

1.) Unwavering courage

2.) Self-control

3.) A keen sense of justice

4.) Definiteness of decision

5.) Definiteness of plans

6.) Doing more than paid for

7.) Pleasing personality

8.) Sympathy and understanding

9.) Mastery of Detail

10.) Willingness to assume full responsibility

11.) Cooperation

Don’t be easily influenced by the influence of others

Those who talk too much do little else

Tell the world what you intend to do, but first show it

Riches do not respond to wishes, they respond only to definite plans, backed by definite desires, through constant persistence

Sexual energy/desire — most powerful of all human emotions

– use this energy in another outlet to reach genius status

men of greatest achievement have highly developed sexual natures

“Personal Magnetism”

– conscious of good handshake, eye contact, tone of voice, posture

careful about personal appearance

Life is energy which can not be created or destroyed, merely transformed, death is a transition

How much time out of every 24 hours do you devote to

A.) your occupation

B.) sleep

C.) play and relaxation

D.) acquiring useful knowledge

E.) plain waste