the law of success by Napoleon Hill The Original Classic from the author of Think and Grow Rich Abridged and introduced by Mitch Horowitz preface the science of success you are about to experience Napoleon Hill's first comprehensive exploration of the principles of success Hill began this project when as a young journalist he interviewed industrialist Andrew Carnegie in 1908. Carnegie urged the writer to make an intensive study of leaders across diverse fields to determine whether High Achievers share a set of common traits Hill dedicated himself to this exploration for the next 20 years and in 1928 he published his findings in a series of 16 pamphlets called The Law of success this work became the basis for everything that followed in Hill's career including his Landmark Think and Grow Rich in 1937. that later volume is primarily a digest and refinement of insights he'll first sit down in the law of success but some of Hill's most valuable ideas didn't make it into Think and Grow Rich Hill's chapter here on the golden rule is one of his clearest and most poignant statements on how your thoughts directly shape your experience likewise his chapters on self-control accurate thought and concentration highlight some of his sharpest insights the law of success remains Hills most ambitious and wide-ranging exploration of the principles upon which greatness is built this condensed Edition retains all of the core points and strategies of Hill's original work while technology has obviously undergone radical changes since Hill published this book his insights into human nature and the ingredients of achievement remain strikingly relevant if you are pursuing any personally meaningful aim whether launching a business attaining distinction as an artist or professional or repairing Injustice in the world this book may prove one of the most significant learning experiences of your life returned to it several times memorize its lessons and above all use it Mitch Horowitz introduction The Mastermind this is a course in the fundamentals of success success is largely a matter of adapting to the changing circumstances of life in a Spirit of Harmony and poise Harmony is based on understanding the forces around you this course analyzes those forces and provides a blueprint to success to begin with you can never exercise power and attain success without the type of Personality that influences others to willingly cooperate with you each lesson teaches you how to build a winning personality through the 15 Laws of Success they are one a definite chief aim 2.
self-confidence 3. the habit of saving four initiative and Leadership five imagination six enthusiasm seven self-control eight the habit of doing more than paid for nine pleasing personality 10. accurate thought eleven concentration 12.
cooperation 13. profiting by failure 14. tolerance 15.
the Golden Rule the surest way to advance quickly through these principles and into the fullness of your success is with the aid of a mastermind group a mastermind group consists of several people who coordinate their minds in pursuit of a goal the group May consist of any number from two or higher select the members of your Mastermind group carefully the key ingredient is Harmony and cooperation you may focus on one group goal or each member may have his own personal aims arrange a time to meet regularly to discuss your plans and ideas and to exchange advice and guidance when you're not together hold each member's wishes and needs in your mind this friendly Alliance if carried out with purpose and Harmony will in time yield extraordinary results for example everyone in the group gains the ability to gather Insight through the subconscious minds of all the other members this produces a more Vivid imaginative and mental state in which new ideas flash into your awareness every High achiever I know has employed the power of the Mastermind do not neglect it law one a definite chief aim probably 95 of all people drift aimlessly through life without the slightest conception of the work for which they are best fitted or even the need for a definite objective toward which to strive a person's acts are always in harmony with his dominating thoughts any definite chief aim that is deliberately fixed in the mind with the determination to realize it eventually saturates the subconscious until it influences all aspects of one's being your definite chief aim should be selected with deliberate care and after you select it you should write it out and place it where you will see it when you wake in the morning and retire at night you must write down your aim it is the first step towards its actualization you can impress your definite chief aim upon your subconscious through the principle called Auto suggestion in the simplest terms this is a suggestion that you make to yourself consistently and with deep feeling be certain that your definite purpose is constructive that its attainment will bring hardship and misery to none that it will bring you and your loved ones peace and prosperity then apply the principle of self-suggestion holding this idea constantly in your mind the subconscious is like a magnet and when it has been vitalized and thoroughly saturated with any definite purpose it has a tendency to attract all that is necessary for the attainment of that purpose in ideas resources circumstances and people there is some one thing that you can do better than anyone else search until you find that particular line of endeavor and make it your definite chief aim then direct all of your forces toward it with the belief that you are going to win you will most likely attain the greatest success by finding what work you like best for you generally succeed when you can throw your whole heart and soul into something to be sure of success your definite chief aim should be backed with a burning desire for its achievement merely Desiring Freedom would never release a man from prison if it were not sufficiently strong to cause him to do something to entitle himself to Freedom you must experience your desire with a heartfelt passion singleness of purpose is essential for success law two self-confidence you are now at one of the most unusual chapters in this book because it consists largely of a personal pledge I want you to consider this pledge very carefully and then write it down and sign your name to it repeat this pledge at least once a day until it has become a part of your mental makeup keep a copy of it before you as a daily reminder by doing so you will again be making use of Auto suggestion or self-suggestion to develop the crucial trait of self-confidence never mind what anyone may say about your method outside your Mastermind group you don't have to talk to anyone about it in fact it's probably best not to just remember that it is your business to succeed and this Creed if mastered and applied will take you a long way I believe in myself I believe in my co-workers I believe in my employer I believe in my friends I believe in my family I believe that God will lend me everything I need to succeed if I do my best to earn it through faithful and honest service I believe in prayer and Will Never Close My Eyes in sleep without praying for divine guidance to be patient with others and tolerant of those who do not believe as I do I believe that success is the result of intellectual effort and does not depend upon blind luck or sharp practices or double crossing I believe that I will get from Life what I put into it therefore I will conduct myself toward others as I would want them to act toward me I will not spread or listen to slander and gossip I will not slight my work no matter what I may see others doing I will render the best service possible because I have pledged myself to succeed in life and I know that true success is the result of conscientious and efficient effort finally I will forgive those who offend me because I realize that I shall sometimes offend others and I will need their forgiveness remember write this statement out sign it recite it daily and keep it where you can see it law three the habit of saving saving money is a matter of habit for this reason we begin with a brief analysis of the law of habit the law of habit shapes your personality through repetition any act becomes a habit and the mind May sometimes seem to be nothing more than a mass of motivating forces growing from our daily habits here is how to develop the immensely valuable habit of saving first through your definite chief aim set up in your mind inaccurate and detailed description of what you want including the amount of money you intend to earn your subconscious takes over this picture and uses it as a blueprint to mold your thoughts and actions into practical plans through the law of habit you keep the object of your definite chief aim fixed in your mind until it becomes firmly and permanently implanted there this practice will erode the poverty Consciousness and set up a Prosperity consciousness you will actually begin to demand Prosperity you will begin to expect it you will begin to prepare yourself to receive it and to use it wisely thus Paving the way for the habit of saving second having in this manner increased your earning ability you make further use of the law of habit by committing in the written statement of your definite chief aim to save a fixed percentage of all that you earn as your earnings increase your savings increase in proportion and you will be on the road to financial stability law four initiative and Leadership leadership is essential for attaining Success an initiative is the foundation upon which leadership sits initiative is that exceedingly rare quality that impels a person to do what ought to be done without being told to leadership is found only among those who have acquired the habit of initiative leadership is something you must invite yourself into it will never thrust itself upon you if you carefully analyze all the leaders with which you are familiar you will see that they not only exercised initiative but also went about their work with a definite purpose you will further see that they possessed self-confidence anyone who lacks these traits is not really a leader here is the exact procedure to become a person of initiative and Leadership first you must eliminate all procrastination this habit naws at the soul nothing is possible until you throw it off second you can best develop initiative by making it your business to interest those around you in doing the same you learn best that which you teach third understand that there are two kinds of leadership one is as deadly as the other is helpful the deadly brand belongs to pseudo-leaders who force their will on others the brand we are after was seen in Abraham Lincoln his leadership brought truth justice and understanding those qualities have engraved his name upon the heart of the world emulate them law 5 imagination you will never have a definite purpose in life you will never have self-confidence you will never have initiative and Leadership unless you first create these qualities in your imagination and see them as yours you may see how important imagination is when you stop to realize that it is the only thing in the world over which you have absolute control Others May cheat you or deprive you of material wealth but no one can deny you the control and use of your imagination your imagination is the mirror of your soul and you have every right to stand before that mirror and see yourself as you wish to be you have the right to see in that mirror the Mansion you intend to own the business you plan to manage the station in life you intend to occupy your imagination belongs to you use it the more you use it the more efficiently it will serve you your battle for achievement is already half one when you know definitely what you want the selection of your definite chief aim calls for both imagination and decision the power of decision also grows with use prompt decision in compelling the imagination to create a definite chief aim gives you a more powerful capacity to reach decisions in other matters law six enthusiasm enthusiasm is a state of mind that inspires you to action but it does more it is contagious and it arouses everyone around you enthusiasm is the vital force of life the greatest leaders know how to instill enthusiasm in their followers enthusiasm is the most important factor in salesmanship it is by far the most crucial factor in public speaking mix enthusiasm with your work and it will seem neither hard nor monotonous enthusiasm will so energize your body that you can get along with less than half the usual amount of sleep and perform two to three times as much work as usual without fatigue enthusiasm is no mere figure of speech it is a vital force through which you can recharge your body and develop a dynamic personality some are blessed with natural enthusiasm others must acquire it the procedure through which it may be developed is simple it begins by doing the work that you like best if you cannot for the time being engage in such work that is all the more reason to adopt a definite chief aim and you will begin to move toward it lack of money and many other circumstances May force you to engage in work that you do not like but no one can stop you from determining your definite chief aim nor can anyone stop you from planning Ways and Means for Translating that aim into reality nor can anyone stop you from mixing enthusiasm with your plans when you are enthusiastic over your goods or services or the speech you are delivering your mental state becomes obvious to all who hear you the tone with which you make a statement more than the statement itself carries conviction or fails to convince words are devitalized sounds unless colored with enthusiasm but take note never express through words or acts something that does not harmonize with your beliefs or you will lose the ability to influence others I do not believe that I can afford to deceive anyone about anything but I know that I cannot afford to deceive myself to do so would destroy the power of my pen it is only when I write with the fire of enthusiasm that my writing impresses others it is only when I speak from a heart that is bursting with belief in my message then I can move my audience to accept it law seven self-control self-control is the force through which you direct your enthusiasm to constructive ends without self-control enthusiasm resembles unharnessed lightning it may strike anywhere destroying life and property the balanced person possesses both enthusiasm and self-control the majority of our griefs result from lack of self-control scripture is full of injunctions to self-control it even urges us to love our enemies and to forgive those who injure us the law of non-resistance runs like a golden chord throughout the Bible where does self-control come from consider this very carefully thought is the only thing over which you have total Dominion this is of profound significance it suggests that thought is your nearest approach to Divinity on this Earthly plane this fact carries another vital idea namely that thought is your most important tool the one with which you may shape your destiny Divine Providence did not make thought the sole power over which you have absolute control without associating that power with potentialities which if understood and developed would strain belief self-control is solely a matter of thought control you are searching for the magic key to power and yet you have the key in your hands and may use it the moment you learn to control your thoughts a student once asked how he could control his thoughts in a state of intense anger I replied in exactly the same way that you would change your Manner and tone if you were in a heated argument with a family member and heard the doorbell ring signaling that company was about to visit you would control yourself because you would desire to if you have ever faced a similar predicament where you found it necessary to quickly conceal your feelings and change your facial expression you know that it can be done because you want to back of all achievement back of all self-control back of all thought control is that magic something called desire it is no exaggeration to say that you are limited only by the depth of your desire when your desire is strong enough you will appear to possess superhuman abilities no one has ever explained this phenomenon of the mind and perhaps no one ever will but if you doubt that it exists you have only to experiment don't say it can't be done or that you are different from the thousands of people who have achieved noteworthy success if you are different it is only because they desired the object of their achievement with greater depth and intensity than you the energy that most people dissipate through lack of self-control or Fritter away gossiping would if controlled and directed constructively be sufficient to attain their definite chief aim provided they have one law eight the habit of doing more than paid for here is one of the most important laws of this philosophy a person is most efficient and will more quickly and easily succeed when engaged in work that he loves or work that he performs for someone he loves when the element of Love enters any task the quality of the work improves and the quantity increases when engaged in work that you love it is no hardship to do more and better work than you are paid for this very reason you owe it to yourself to find the work you like best there are many reasons to do more than you are paid for but two stand out first by establishing a reputation as someone who performs more and better work than paid for you benefit by comparison with competitors who rarely show such commitment second suppose you want to develop a strong right arm you could develop such an arm only by giving it the hardest use out of resistance comes strength by performing more and better service than paid for you not only develop your skill and ability but also can command greater remuneration than the majority who do not perform such service try this experiment for the next six months commit to rendering useful service to at least one person every day for which you neither expect nor accept monetary pay go at this experiment with faith that it will prove to you one of the most powerful Laws of Success that you succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed law nine pleasing personality your personality is the sum total of your characteristics and appearance the clothes you wear the lines in your face the Vitality of your body your handshake your tone of voice the thoughts you think the character you have developed by those thoughts all are parts of your personality whether your personality is attractive is another matter by far the most important part of your personality is your character and is therefore the part that is not visible the style of your clothes and their appropriateness also constitute an important part of your personality for it is true that people derive First Impressions from your outward appearance there is one way to express your personality that will always attract taking a heartfelt interest in others study people closely enough to find something about them or their work that you truly admire talk to them about it show genuine interest in it only in this way can you develop a personality that will be irresistibly attractive cheap flattery has the opposite effect it repels instead of attracting it is so shallow that even the ignorant easily detected as noted character is the most important factor in personality how can you build character follow these steps first identify people whose characters have the qualities you wish to emulate and develop these qualities through Auto suggestion second let the dominating thought of your mind be a picture of the person that you are deliberately building third find at least one person each day and more if possible in whom you see some good quality and praise it but remember this praise must be genuine and not insincere flattery I cannot overemphasize the benefits of praising openly and enthusiastically the good qualities in others for this habit will soon reward you with a feeling of self-respect and manifestation of gratitude from others which will modify your entire personality law 10 accurate thought you cannot succeed without accurate thought accurate thought involves two fundamentals first you must separate facts from Mere information much information is not based upon facts second you must divide facts into two classes important and unimportant all facts that Aid your pursuit of your definite chief aim without violating the rights of others are important and relevant all that you cannot use are the opposite if you direct your attention exclusively to the important facts those that contribute to the realization of your aim you will attain a special clarity you must also avoid the vulgar and self-destructive habit of spreading and listening to gossip if you permit yourself to be swayed by all manner of information especially rumors and gossip you will never become an accurate thinker and you will not attain your definite chief aim we will now explore a special form of thought that does much more than gather and organize facts in many ways this form of thought is the keynote of this course we will call it creative thought with a few exceptions man has not yet recognized creative thought as the connecting link to the power of infinite intelligence to understand how this occurs we return to the topic of Auto suggestion the sense Impressions arising from your environment or from the statements and actions of others are mere ordinary suggestions but the sense Impressions that you place in your own mind that you deliberately and confidently dwell upon think of at every opportunity and mentally picture and feel are the product of self-suggestion or Auto suggestion Auto suggestion is the telegraph line over which you register in your subconscious the aim you wish to create in physical form the subconscious is the intermediary between the conscious thinking mind and infinite intelligence you can invoke the aid of infinite intelligence through the subconscious only by giving it clear instructions as to what you want hence the critical need for a definite chief aim the subconscious records the suggestions that you send it through Auto suggestion and invokes the aid of infinite intelligence in translating these suggestions into their natural physical form through natural means which are in no way out of the ordinary first you must select the picture to be recorded your definite chief aim then you fix your conscious mind upon this Purpose with such intensity that it communicates with the subconscious through Auto suggestion and registers that picture you then watch for and expect manifestations of the physical realization of that picture bear in mind that you do not sit down and wait nor go to sleep with the expectation that infinite intelligence has granted your desire no you go right ahead doing your daily work with full faith and confidence that natural ways and means for the attainment of your definite purpose will open to you at the proper time and in a suitable manner infinite intelligence will not build you a home and deliver it ready to enter but infinite intelligence will open the way and provide the necessary means including insights intuitions and ideas which allow you to build your own house do not rely upon miracles for your definite chief aim rely upon the power of infinite intelligence to guide you through natural channels and laws to its attainment law 11 concentration to move safely and accurately toward a Target you must concentrate on it two important laws enter into the act of concentrating on a given desire one is the law of Auto suggestion which we have already reviewed the other is the law of habit which we will now consider in further detail habit grows from environment and repetition from doing and thinking the same thing over and over except for rare occasions when the Mind rises above environment we draw the material out of which thought is Created from our surroundings and habit crystallizes this thought into a permanent fixture to attain success you must develop habits that lead toward constructive thoughts and actions in the direction of your definite chief aim follow this procedure to acquire the habits you need first at the beginning of the formation of a new habit put force and enthusiasm into your expression feel what you think remember that you are taking the first steps toward making a new mental path it is much harder at first than it will be later make the path as clear and as deep as you can at the beginning so that you can readily see it the next time you wish to follow it second keep your attention firmly concentrated on the New Path you are building and keep your mind far away from the Old Paths third travel over your newly made paths as often as possible make opportunities for doing so the more you Traverse these New Paths the sooner they will become familiar and easily traveled fourth resist the temptation to travel over the older easier paths that you have used in the past every time you resist a Temptation you grow stronger fifth be sure that you have mapped out the right path as your definite chief aim and then charge at it without fear or doubt law 12 cooperation success cannot be attained single-handedly it requires Cooperative effort even a Hermit in the wilderness is dependent upon forces outside himself for existence the more he becomes a part of civilization the more he depends upon Cooperative effort if your philosophy is based upon cooperation instead of competition you will not only acquire the necessities and luxuries of life with less effort but you will enjoy an additional reward in happiness fortunes acquired through Cooperative effort inflict no scars upon the hearts of their owners ordinary Cooperative effort produces power but Cooperative effort that is based upon complete Harmony of purpose develops superpower give a person of average ability a sufficiently visualized and passionately felt motive and he will develop superpower men work harder for an ideal than they will for money remember this when searching for a motive to develop group cooperation men generally respond to three major motivating forces one the motive of self-preservation two the motive of sexual contact three the motive of Financial and Social Power regardless of who you are or your definite chief aim if you depend upon others as almost all of us do you must present them with a motive strong enough to ensure their full cooperation law 13. profiting by failure what we typically call failure is in reality temporary defeat moreover this temporary defeat often proves a blessing for adults us and redirects our energies along different and more desirable paths sound character is usually the outcome of reverses setbacks and temporary defeat neither temporary defeat nor adversity Spell failure to one who looks upon such things as a teacher a great and Lasting lesson appears in every reverse and defeat and usually it could be learned in no other way Ralph Waldo Emerson explored this principle in his great essay compensation if you haven't read it do so and reread it every three months I used to hate my enemies but this was before I learned how well they were serving Me by keeping me everlastingly on the alert lest some weak spotted my character provide an opening through which I might be damaged enemies discover your defects and point them out friends even if they see them say nothing I am convinced that failure is Nature's plan through which she hurdle jumps Men of Destiny and prepares them to do their work failure is Nature's great Crucible in which she burns the dross from the human heart and purifies the medal of a man so that it can stand the test of hard usage law 14 tolerance always remember these two facts about intolerance first intolerance makes enemies it disintegrates the organized forces of society it dethrones reason and substitutes mob psychology in its place intolerance is a form of ignorance that must be mastered before enduring success may be attained second intolerance is the chief disintegrating force in the organized religions of the world where it plays havoc with the greatest power for good on Earth by breaking it up into small sects which spend as much time opposing each other as in combating evil anything that impedes the progress of civilization also stands as a barrier to each individual I once encountered intolerance in myself and I vowed to unlearn much that I had previously considered the truth I discovered that I had acquired my views of religion politics economics and many other important subjects simply by picking up what my family believed most of my views were unsupported by even a reasonable hypothesis much less facts imagine suddenly discovering that most of your philosophy had been built on bias and Prejudice I urge you to learn how and where you acquired your philosophy of life in order to trace your prejudices and biases to their original source and to discover as I did the degree to which you are the result of training you received before the age of 15.
