So what is the exact pathway to transforming a desire in the mind into a living breathing physical reality? We have been discussing concepts and principles from the classic book “Think And Grow Rich” written by Napoleon Hill in 1937. In Chapter 2 on pages 17 to 18 Mr. Hill lays out six steps to follow to bridge the thought and idea of wealth into the tangible reality of wealth.
Step One is to fix in your mind an exact and specific amount of money that you want as your goal. This clarity is the opposite of vagueness and generalities. This specificity is razor sharp and crystal clear in it’s single minded focus.
Step Two is to determine what value and service you are willing to exchange in return for your goal, desire or obsession. You can lay out a detailed step by step plan of action outlining the specifics of what you will be doing to reach your objectives.
Step Three is to set a specific date as your deadline. This date will force you to focus your efforts without delay to a specific timeline and create a pressure system to squeeze your goal into a finite time space.
Step Four is to take an immediate physical or mental action to advance you towards your goal. These should be a consistent series of physical actions following the written plan detailing a direct pathway to your organized obsession and your desired goal.
Step Five is to construct a written statement of resolution or declaration officially stating your intention and it’s desired result or your current resolve to produce the physical result of your organized obssession and your organized system of consistent actions carrying you to the achievement of your desired goal.
Step Six is to verbally read your statement aloud twice daily while mentally envisioning and emotionally experiencing yourself in possession of your organized obssession and desired goal. This creates a knowing and positive expectancy of mentally, emotionally and visually owning your organized obssession and desired goal.
These are the steps outlined to turn your desire into a burning desire and then into an obssession and then a mental and visual possession and finally the physical possession of your goal. Steps one to five are pretty much one time steps. The sixth step is a daily ritual until the physical result presents itself to you.
Kevin Jackson aka The Cash Flow DJ is working to build a free network and alliance of entrepreneurs banding together to achieve their financial goals. Join our group on Facebook!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Stoking The Flames Of A Burning Desire To Succeed
The first step toward riches according to Napoleon Hill in his classic book “Think And Grow Rich” is Desire. In Chapter 2 he says desire is the starting point of all achievement. Now desire can be just a hope and a wish sometimes. This desire has to be intense. He spoke about a man named Edwin C. Barnes who had an opportunity to carry out the one consuming obsession of his life, a burning desire to become the business associate of the great inventor Thomas Edison. He goes on to mention that Mr. Barnes succeeded because he chose a definite goal, placed all of his energy, will power, effort and everything into that goal.
He decided to make it a must and not just a ‘want’ or a ‘like’. He had to turn a desire into a burning desire and a burning desire into an obsession. What is obsession? In my opinion obsession is not a ‘want’ or a ‘like’. Obsession is a drive. It’s almost a crazed drive.
So how do you turn a goal or a desire into a must have driving obsession? Well first of all doesn’t this all sound a little scary unhinged or unbalanced? Actually you are scaring yourself with these thoughts. It’s understandable. It’s even natural to react that way. Your rational mind is trying to come up with reasons and excuses to try and talk you out of actually achieving your goal just because of the terminology or verbiage you are now using. Your rational mind is trying to be ‘realistic’.
Let’s shift gears for a moment during this inner conversation on ‘realism’. How long have you been failing, floundering and struggling? That struggle was very ‘realistic’ wasn’t it? What is the exact opposite of a crazed driven obsession? How about apathy? Indifference? How about delusion? How about mediocrity? What is the exact opposite of greatness?
Your problem may be with the image of obsession. The key is balance. A lack of balance is what you have to restrict and keep in check and not obsession. A lack of balance is a lack of self control and self discipline. Do you like TV or movies or collecting butterflies or collecting stamps? These things can become obsessions. This can be true for anything? What about sex or eating or sleeping?
A crazed driving obsession is not horrible. It’s beautiful and crucial for success achievement, peace of mind and happiness in life. It can even be life saving in a life or death situation like drowning or escaping a burning vehicle or something. Then it’s a crazed driving obsession with living. A lack of balance, self control and self discipline is what’s horrible and not a properly channeled positive obsession.
An organized obsession would really be ideal. It has all the force and energy of a crazed driving maniacal obsession but sensibly and practically contained mastered and controlled to burn and enflame your natural desire and your goal and focus. This obsession never gets out of your grasp and wanders or tries to take over in any area that you do not want it to bleed into.
Well gang these are my thoughts on the chapter on desire. There is a part two to this discussion. Mr. Hill goes into some detail on an action plan to pour your organized obsession into. I will dive into that discussion the next time we meet.
Kevin Jackson aka The Cash Flow DJ is working to build a free network and alliance of entrepreneurs banding together to achieve their financial goals. Join our group on Facebook!
He decided to make it a must and not just a ‘want’ or a ‘like’. He had to turn a desire into a burning desire and a burning desire into an obsession. What is obsession? In my opinion obsession is not a ‘want’ or a ‘like’. Obsession is a drive. It’s almost a crazed drive.
So how do you turn a goal or a desire into a must have driving obsession? Well first of all doesn’t this all sound a little scary unhinged or unbalanced? Actually you are scaring yourself with these thoughts. It’s understandable. It’s even natural to react that way. Your rational mind is trying to come up with reasons and excuses to try and talk you out of actually achieving your goal just because of the terminology or verbiage you are now using. Your rational mind is trying to be ‘realistic’.
Let’s shift gears for a moment during this inner conversation on ‘realism’. How long have you been failing, floundering and struggling? That struggle was very ‘realistic’ wasn’t it? What is the exact opposite of a crazed driven obsession? How about apathy? Indifference? How about delusion? How about mediocrity? What is the exact opposite of greatness?
Your problem may be with the image of obsession. The key is balance. A lack of balance is what you have to restrict and keep in check and not obsession. A lack of balance is a lack of self control and self discipline. Do you like TV or movies or collecting butterflies or collecting stamps? These things can become obsessions. This can be true for anything? What about sex or eating or sleeping?
A crazed driving obsession is not horrible. It’s beautiful and crucial for success achievement, peace of mind and happiness in life. It can even be life saving in a life or death situation like drowning or escaping a burning vehicle or something. Then it’s a crazed driving obsession with living. A lack of balance, self control and self discipline is what’s horrible and not a properly channeled positive obsession.
An organized obsession would really be ideal. It has all the force and energy of a crazed driving maniacal obsession but sensibly and practically contained mastered and controlled to burn and enflame your natural desire and your goal and focus. This obsession never gets out of your grasp and wanders or tries to take over in any area that you do not want it to bleed into.
Well gang these are my thoughts on the chapter on desire. There is a part two to this discussion. Mr. Hill goes into some detail on an action plan to pour your organized obsession into. I will dive into that discussion the next time we meet.
Kevin Jackson aka The Cash Flow DJ is working to build a free network and alliance of entrepreneurs banding together to achieve their financial goals. Join our group on Facebook!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Thoughts Become Things When Backed Up By Determination
Determination is a powerful thing when it is in full swing. This discussion is the second entry in a two part review of the introductory chapter called “Thoughts Become Things” from the book “Think And Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill which was originally released in 1937.
The book in my opinion has a general theme of repetitiveness but I don’t think that was by accident. I think he was intentionally trying to get a point across. Each chapter seems to cover multiple subjects and may barely touch on the title topic in some chapters. It revisits those topics repeatedly in other chapters.
This is not a negative criticism but just an observation from a 21st century perspective. I love the book and am currently eating the book for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It doesn’t follow a straight line. It follows a circular repetitive pattern and not a straight linear pattern. The book is designed for regular and repeated study, discussion and digestion. It’s not to be read once in just a sitting or two. It’s like a workbook or a classroom textbook.
So let’s dig in. What is determination defined? I define it as a resolve and a decision and also a refusal to fail or to give up. It’s not like obsession or any kind of flowing current of energy. It’s not an outwardly pulsating energy. Determination is an inner tensile strength. Determination is like steel. It’s not an outwardly expressed energy or power. It has a dense resiliency and is able to endure and withstand great amounts of external pressures.
Remember the movie “Raging Bull”? Robert Deniro was born for the role of boxer Jake La Motta. His famous line at the end of a bloody boxing match was “I never went down.” He lost the match but refused to fall down to the mat. That’s determination.
On page 2 Mr. Hill relates one of his many anecdotal stories. This one is about a man named Mr. Barnes. Mr. Barnes had a definite purpose and was as determined as a bulldog to stand by his definite purpose. He had resolved to let nothing stop him from his definite purpose. This was visibly apparent to others working around him.
Months went by and his determination did not wane. Opportunity decided to present itself but to do so in a sly sneaky disguise. We mentioned prosperity consciousness in our first discussion and Mr. Barnes consciousness was keen and sharp on recognizing disguised opportunities.
Mr. Hill said on page 3 that opportunity was a trickster with a habit of slipping in through the back door covered up under misfortune or some type of temporary failure or defeat. He capitalized on this opportunity and eventually went into partnership with Thomas A. Edison himself. He had thought himself into a fortune. He took an intangible impulse of thought and transmuted it into a material reward by the application of known principles.
The ‘Three Feet from Gold’ story on pages 3 and 4 explains how quitting often seems to be the easy and logical thing to do when faced with temporary defeat and failure. The gold prospectors in the story gave up just three feet away from striking a gold mine. They sold their machinery and the buyer decided to seek some expert counsel and kept mining. He struck gold with very little effort because he was so close to the gold mine.
Studying and analyzing failure can lead to knowledge, success and opportunity. There are golden lessons to be learned from failure and defeat. Page 5 and 6 tells the story of the strange powers of a child’s persistence in the face of failure. The child only wanted fifty cents and was doggedly determined to get her reward. She taught several grown men some valuable lessons that served them years later in bringing them financial rewards of their own.
He told another story on page 8 about Henry Ford and the V-8 engine. Ford’s engineers told him it was impossible to build an 8 cylinder engine. His reply was “Stay on the job until you succeed, no matter how much time is required.” It was a year later but they succeeded in making the impossible possible. They also succeeded in not allowing time to defeat them or to become their enemy.
Well these are my thoughts on the introductory chapter of Mr. Hill’s book. I do want to welcome all of your thoughts in this discussion on thoughts becoming things or the power of a ‘bulldog’ determination to “Think And Grow Rich”.
Kevin Jackson aka The Cash Flow DJ is working to build a free network and alliance of entrepreneurs banding together to achieve their financial goals. Join our group on Facebook!
The book in my opinion has a general theme of repetitiveness but I don’t think that was by accident. I think he was intentionally trying to get a point across. Each chapter seems to cover multiple subjects and may barely touch on the title topic in some chapters. It revisits those topics repeatedly in other chapters.
This is not a negative criticism but just an observation from a 21st century perspective. I love the book and am currently eating the book for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It doesn’t follow a straight line. It follows a circular repetitive pattern and not a straight linear pattern. The book is designed for regular and repeated study, discussion and digestion. It’s not to be read once in just a sitting or two. It’s like a workbook or a classroom textbook.
So let’s dig in. What is determination defined? I define it as a resolve and a decision and also a refusal to fail or to give up. It’s not like obsession or any kind of flowing current of energy. It’s not an outwardly pulsating energy. Determination is an inner tensile strength. Determination is like steel. It’s not an outwardly expressed energy or power. It has a dense resiliency and is able to endure and withstand great amounts of external pressures.
Remember the movie “Raging Bull”? Robert Deniro was born for the role of boxer Jake La Motta. His famous line at the end of a bloody boxing match was “I never went down.” He lost the match but refused to fall down to the mat. That’s determination.
On page 2 Mr. Hill relates one of his many anecdotal stories. This one is about a man named Mr. Barnes. Mr. Barnes had a definite purpose and was as determined as a bulldog to stand by his definite purpose. He had resolved to let nothing stop him from his definite purpose. This was visibly apparent to others working around him.
Months went by and his determination did not wane. Opportunity decided to present itself but to do so in a sly sneaky disguise. We mentioned prosperity consciousness in our first discussion and Mr. Barnes consciousness was keen and sharp on recognizing disguised opportunities.
Mr. Hill said on page 3 that opportunity was a trickster with a habit of slipping in through the back door covered up under misfortune or some type of temporary failure or defeat. He capitalized on this opportunity and eventually went into partnership with Thomas A. Edison himself. He had thought himself into a fortune. He took an intangible impulse of thought and transmuted it into a material reward by the application of known principles.
The ‘Three Feet from Gold’ story on pages 3 and 4 explains how quitting often seems to be the easy and logical thing to do when faced with temporary defeat and failure. The gold prospectors in the story gave up just three feet away from striking a gold mine. They sold their machinery and the buyer decided to seek some expert counsel and kept mining. He struck gold with very little effort because he was so close to the gold mine.
Studying and analyzing failure can lead to knowledge, success and opportunity. There are golden lessons to be learned from failure and defeat. Page 5 and 6 tells the story of the strange powers of a child’s persistence in the face of failure. The child only wanted fifty cents and was doggedly determined to get her reward. She taught several grown men some valuable lessons that served them years later in bringing them financial rewards of their own.
He told another story on page 8 about Henry Ford and the V-8 engine. Ford’s engineers told him it was impossible to build an 8 cylinder engine. His reply was “Stay on the job until you succeed, no matter how much time is required.” It was a year later but they succeeded in making the impossible possible. They also succeeded in not allowing time to defeat them or to become their enemy.
Well these are my thoughts on the introductory chapter of Mr. Hill’s book. I do want to welcome all of your thoughts in this discussion on thoughts becoming things or the power of a ‘bulldog’ determination to “Think And Grow Rich”.
Kevin Jackson aka The Cash Flow DJ is working to build a free network and alliance of entrepreneurs banding together to achieve their financial goals. Join our group on Facebook!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Thoughts Become Things - A “Think And Grow Rich” Discussion
The idea of thoughts becoming things is a novel and ambitious idea isn’t it? What does it mean? Is it a bunch of New Age psycho babble? Is it some wise ancient philosophy from Eastern metaphysics? Is it a fact of modern day science?
Well that’s what we are here to discuss. We are here to open up a can of worms. This is intended to be the first in a series of open and ongoing discussions of time tested or widely known success and personal development principles. We will look at some standard foundational principles in the fields of self improvement and self development.
These principles have been deemed requirements for success in major accomplishments for decades in our modern era. They have really been used and discussed for centuries by the great minds of history and by those who have followed or studied these individuals.
The idea of ‘thoughts becoming things’ is but one of many thoughts that would supposedly lead to great wealth, prosperity and abundance. This is according to the 1937 classic “Think And Grow Rich” written by Napoleon Hill. This is considered required reading for those attempting to amass large sums of wealth or for anyone looking to accomplish any major goal in any area of life.
The format, purpose and structure of these discussions will be open and flexible and available in different formats and mediums. Think of them as reviews of various works. They are sort of like a critique of that work or a personal opinion of it’s style, content, delivery or what have you.
The subject matter will cover a chapter or a topic from that work and open it up as a concept for discussion. Individuals can comment and respond respectfully on various blogs, in social networks or in forums and voice their opinions on the topic discussed.
My first impression of the entire book itself was not particularly flattering but it wasn’t a total pan of the book either. I heard about it for years but procrastinated on actually reading it. I have been reading this book for about a month or so now and it has definitely grown on me.
I downloaded it for free on the Internet but I was reading it so much during the day that I had to get a hard copy paperback edition of the book. The first chapter is entitled “Thoughts Become Things”. It introduces the feel and flavor of the rest of the book. I will split the first chapter up into two different discussions. I’ll explain my reasons why later.
How do thoughts become things? According to Mr. Hill there is a scientific process of natural laws that will allow anything you touch to transmute itself into an asset for your benefit. This could be for your financial benefit or some other type of benefit. You can follow along with me in the paperback to page 9.
Mr. Hill said on page 8 that you will observe as you think and grow rich that riches begin with a state of mind, with definiteness of purpose and with little or no hard work. He said he spent twenty five years researching this. He also said as you master the principles of this thought philosophy and follow the instructions that you will begin to grow wealthy.
He also said on page 9 that those who follow the instructions will become success conscious or develop a success consciousness. The masses who follow the status quo will remain poverty conscious and maintain a poverty consciousness.
My own definition of a success or prosperity consciousness is a conscious and a subconscious acute and sensitive awareness of prosperity in hidden forms and in open and obvious manifestations. It is also a perspective that can see and spot the open or hidden opportunities for success and prosperity when they present themselves. It is largely a reactive quality based on specific principles and concepts rather than a proactive quality. But it can be used proactively as well.
He also spoke on page 11 about how we could ‘magnetize’ our thoughts to the point that they would attract to us the forces, the people, the circumstances of life which harmonize with the nature of our dominating thoughts. He said that we could magnetize our minds with an intense burning desire for our financial goals.
This introductory chapter was predominantly about having an intense determination to achieve our goal. I will delve further into that aspect of this chapter in the second part of our discussion. I wanted to stay on the topic and concept of thoughts becoming things and offer my own thoughts on the subject as well. I want to encourage an open dialogue and an exchange of ideas on each subject of discussion.
Well these are just my thoughts. I look forward to many interesting conversations on the subjects of success, self improvement and self development in the coming days and weeks ahead. Hey it’s Kev The Cash Flow DJ and I’m out. Peace!
Kevin Jackson aka The Cash Flow DJ is working to build a free network and alliance of entrepreneurs banding together to achieve their financial goals. Join our group here on Facebook!
Well that’s what we are here to discuss. We are here to open up a can of worms. This is intended to be the first in a series of open and ongoing discussions of time tested or widely known success and personal development principles. We will look at some standard foundational principles in the fields of self improvement and self development.
These principles have been deemed requirements for success in major accomplishments for decades in our modern era. They have really been used and discussed for centuries by the great minds of history and by those who have followed or studied these individuals.
The idea of ‘thoughts becoming things’ is but one of many thoughts that would supposedly lead to great wealth, prosperity and abundance. This is according to the 1937 classic “Think And Grow Rich” written by Napoleon Hill. This is considered required reading for those attempting to amass large sums of wealth or for anyone looking to accomplish any major goal in any area of life.
The format, purpose and structure of these discussions will be open and flexible and available in different formats and mediums. Think of them as reviews of various works. They are sort of like a critique of that work or a personal opinion of it’s style, content, delivery or what have you.
The subject matter will cover a chapter or a topic from that work and open it up as a concept for discussion. Individuals can comment and respond respectfully on various blogs, in social networks or in forums and voice their opinions on the topic discussed.
My first impression of the entire book itself was not particularly flattering but it wasn’t a total pan of the book either. I heard about it for years but procrastinated on actually reading it. I have been reading this book for about a month or so now and it has definitely grown on me.
I downloaded it for free on the Internet but I was reading it so much during the day that I had to get a hard copy paperback edition of the book. The first chapter is entitled “Thoughts Become Things”. It introduces the feel and flavor of the rest of the book. I will split the first chapter up into two different discussions. I’ll explain my reasons why later.
How do thoughts become things? According to Mr. Hill there is a scientific process of natural laws that will allow anything you touch to transmute itself into an asset for your benefit. This could be for your financial benefit or some other type of benefit. You can follow along with me in the paperback to page 9.
Mr. Hill said on page 8 that you will observe as you think and grow rich that riches begin with a state of mind, with definiteness of purpose and with little or no hard work. He said he spent twenty five years researching this. He also said as you master the principles of this thought philosophy and follow the instructions that you will begin to grow wealthy.
He also said on page 9 that those who follow the instructions will become success conscious or develop a success consciousness. The masses who follow the status quo will remain poverty conscious and maintain a poverty consciousness.
My own definition of a success or prosperity consciousness is a conscious and a subconscious acute and sensitive awareness of prosperity in hidden forms and in open and obvious manifestations. It is also a perspective that can see and spot the open or hidden opportunities for success and prosperity when they present themselves. It is largely a reactive quality based on specific principles and concepts rather than a proactive quality. But it can be used proactively as well.
He also spoke on page 11 about how we could ‘magnetize’ our thoughts to the point that they would attract to us the forces, the people, the circumstances of life which harmonize with the nature of our dominating thoughts. He said that we could magnetize our minds with an intense burning desire for our financial goals.
This introductory chapter was predominantly about having an intense determination to achieve our goal. I will delve further into that aspect of this chapter in the second part of our discussion. I wanted to stay on the topic and concept of thoughts becoming things and offer my own thoughts on the subject as well. I want to encourage an open dialogue and an exchange of ideas on each subject of discussion.
Well these are just my thoughts. I look forward to many interesting conversations on the subjects of success, self improvement and self development in the coming days and weeks ahead. Hey it’s Kev The Cash Flow DJ and I’m out. Peace!
Kevin Jackson aka The Cash Flow DJ is working to build a free network and alliance of entrepreneurs banding together to achieve their financial goals. Join our group here on Facebook!
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