Truthful Living

by Napoleon Hill

  He said, “My wife got this here fool notion in her head to make me git into this advertising game. It was them confounded advertisements you’ve been running in the papers. Why, man, that woman hasn’t ’lowed me to git a decent night’s sleep for two weeks on account of this.”

  I said, “Never mind, old chap, I understand. I’m married too!”

  But – and then I let him have it! I delivered the old boy a solar-plexus knockout blow that he will never forget.

  I told him that he was the most fortunate man I had ever analyzed, out of over 10,000 cases, and I meant every word of it! Fortunate because he had someone to believe in him and urge him on to success!

  This fellow was about 38 years of age. He had never done anything but manual labor. I found upon further investigation that he had been through high school, although his “jargon” didn’t indicate it.

  He was a bright fellow in many ways, but as a whole he was an “impossible.”

  But what impressed me was the way that faithful little woman was fighting to fire him with ambition.

  Somehow, I couldn’t keep from telling that fellow what I thought of him. He didn’t like it. That was the only encouraging sign that I saw. He showed some signs of anger when I opened up on him and told him what I thought any other man would do under the guidance of that ambitious little wife of his.

  I asked him if he had ever heard that Andrew Johnson was taught by his wife to read and write, and that largely through her influence he became Vice President of the United States.

  “Yep” – he had heard about it!

  We all need a source of inspiration. We need someone to gently urge us to achievement, and when we find the person who is interested in us enough to do this, we ought to stick to that person as a drowning man would cling to a floating straw.

  It is very seldom that we find all the ambition with the “weaker” sex. More often it is the wife who lacks imagination sufficient to build castles in the air. Not because she lacks ambition, in most cases, but because she never stops to think what a wonderful power she can become in her husband’s life, if she will but urge him on and encourage him to be more by undertaking more!

  The richest blessing to which any man can fall heir is an ambitious wife who will encourage him, fill him with hope, faith, ambition, and self-confidence.

  We all need this support. Someone to tell us that we are doing good work. Some men get along without it, but have you ever undertaken to estimate how much better they would get along with it?

  I tell you we need this mental stimulant. We may believe that we are doing good work, but we know we are if a trusted friend tells us so. We all like to have our own opinions corroborated.

  There is absolutely no estimating what a normal man can do with the hearty, loyal cooperation of an enthusiastic, ambitious wife.

  Lucky is the man who has one. With such a life partner you may set your goal as high as you wish and achieve it!

  The greatest blessing any man ever enjoyed is the companionship of a cheerful, serene, ambitious wife who constantly urges him on to greater achievement. She may preside over a humble little household, but there you will find order, harmony, and an inviting environment. A place where ideas will sprout and grow.

  If I live to be a hundred years old, I shall never forget the man who first placed his hand on my shoulder and said –

  “Nap – you’re a bright boy!”

  Those were the sweetest words I had ever heard, perhaps because I had never heard them before.

  That very moment the seed of ambition was sown in my heart and brain. It has never let me rest since.

  That chance remark made, perhaps, in a half-jocular spirit is directly responsible for the splendid time I am having with you who are studying with us. Had they never been spoken, I might have been forever deprived of the sudden development which I am enjoying from my humble efforts to help you and the others who are studying these lessons.

  Let me leave this thought with you: If you are the wife and your husband is taking this course, start today – right now – to supply him with new inspirations and encouragement. Believe in him and let him know it. This is one story that truly never grows old. In a short while you will see a wonderful change in the man who is to build your fortunes.

  Do not allow him to become self-satisfied! That’s the sort of man who still holds down a clerkship when the silvery hairs put in their appearance.

  If you are a wife-to-be (and we have many of them with us), remember this little “visit,” after the partnership has been formed.

  And if you are a man who has not yet selected the life partner, be careful that you pick out one whose aims and ambitions are at least as high as your own, and higher if possible.

  Then, after you get her–or probably before, blue-pencil a few of the sentences in this visit and leave it around where she will “run across it” some time.

  When the big fellow left my office, his face bore a different expression. He looked a bit more business-like than he did when the little woman ushered him in, half an hour before.

  As they left she asked: “Do you believe he will ever become an advertising man?”

  I nodded toward the big fellow and replied, “Ask him what he thinks about it.” I didn’t have the heart to tell the truth.

  As I rang for the elevator I saw her place her handkerchief to her eyes. I felt like doing the same. But that big fellow was one in ten thousand, and that little woman was one in a hundred thousand. Maybe there will be a street car wreck one of these days and then she may have an opportunity to sow the seed of enthusiasm and encouragement where it will take root and grow.

  Who can tell?

  Earnestly your friend,

  Napoleon Hill

  P.S. Mrs. Hill has just finished reading the above. She suggests that this medicine is good for both man and woman. I suspect she is right. Well, anyway, it will not hurt either one to try it.

  GITOMER’S THOUGHTFUL ACTIONS

  HOW TO IMPLEMENT THIS LESSON

  “If you want to be successful, surround yourself with successful positive people.”

  – Jeffrey Gitomer

  The key to putting this lesson into your life is to cultivate great friends and associates who know you well, and want you to succeed. Maybe even help you to succeed. People who are willing to encourage you and speak positively about you in your presence and absence.

  To find and gain favor from people who are willing to bet on you just as much or more as you are willing to bet on yourself. People will bet on you, IF YOU’RE WILLING TO BET ON YOURSELF and YOUR SUCCESS.

  “And you could never guess what I decided upon. It was not wealth! It was not even health! It was not the country estate that we have been planning. No, it was none of these, but something more fundamental than all of them put together. . .”

  – Napoleon Hill

  “Ponder well before you decide, for you may live to realize it!”

  – Napoleon Hill

  Lesson Number

  17

  IF I HAD BUT ONE WISH!

  (An after-the-lesson visit with Mr. Hill)

  GITOMER INSIGHT: Ever wish for something outrageous? Of course you have. The question is: Did the wish come true? The answer is: Rarely, if ever. In this lesson, Hill asks you about the IMPACT your wish coming true would make on your life and the lives of others. You know the expression, “Be careful of what you wish for”. . . Hill says to be CERTAIN of what you wish for, and calculate the outcome when it comes true. Read carefully, Hill’s ONE WISH will surprise and inspire you.

  On Sunday mornings, I usually go out into the parks and mingle with nature. All during the week I must talk to men and women concerning business, but on Sunday mornings I talk to the trees and to the beautiful blue waters of Lake Michigan.

  And you might not believe it, but they talk back to me. I draw from them enough inspiration to tide me over a hard week’s work.

  On these Sunday morning walks – and especially
when I go alone – I plan ways and means of helping you and our other students.

  A few Sundays ago, as I enjoyed my usual ramble among the trees along the lakefront the “small still voice” asked me what would be my wish if I had but one and it could be instantly fulfilled.

  If you believe this is an easy question to decide, stop right now and try it on yourself!

  At first I thought of great wealth, and of all the good I could do if I had Rockefeller’s or Carnegie’s millions. I thought of all the advantages I could give my two boys and my wife. I thought of the sights we might see as we traveled around the world, and of the pleasure it would give me to come home and write all our students about my trip. I thought of the beautiful country home for which we have been planning.

  “Yes,” said I to myself, “wealth is the thing!”

  But somehow this decision didn’t seem to satisfy me. I felt that there must be something more desirable than mere dollars. I sat down on the trunk of a willow tree which had grown out over Lake Michigan, and dangled my feet just above the water’s surface. As I sat there I went back to first causes and analyzed wealth. I carefully studied those who have accumulated vast fortunes as a result of having performed a useful service to mankind. Then I studied those who have come into fortunes by inheritance, without having performed any service of use to mankind.

  I was beginning to get near the basis of my “first wish.”

  And you could never guess what I decided upon. It was not wealth! It was not even health! It was not the country estate that we have been planning. No, it was none of these, but something more fundamental than all of them put together.

  My wish was – THAT I MIGHT BE BLESSED WITH GREATER KNOWLEDGE OF THE HUMAN MIND – MUCH MORE KNOWLEDGE THAN HAS YET BEEN DISCOVERED OR USED

  – THAT I MIGHT UNDERSTAND THE HIDDEN POSSIBILITES OF NATURE’S LAWS WHICH CONTROL THE GREATEST OF ALL WEALTH-PRODUCING MACHINES, THE HUMAN MIND, and particularly MY OWN MIND!

  – THAT I MIGHT LOOK JUST A LITTLE BEYOND THE PRESENT SPHERE OF HUMAN ACCOMPLISHMENT AND UNDERSTAND THE NATURAL FORCES OF THE AIR, SUNSHINE, AND DARKNESS.

  – THAT I MIGHT UNDERSTAND NATURE’S LAW THROUGH AN INTELLIGENT OPERATION OF WHICH WE MIGHT HARNESS AND USE THE FORCES OF GRAVITY MORE EFFECTIVELY – THROUGH WHICH WE MIGHT EASILY UTILIZE THE SURGING ENERGY OF THE ROLLING WAVES OF THE OCEAN – THROUGH WHICH WE MIGHT HEAT OUR HOUSES, COOK OUR MEALS, AND OPERATE OUR INDUSTRIES BY HARNESSING THE SUN’S RAYS IN THE DAYTIME AND THE MOON’S RAYS AT NIGHT.

  IN SHORT, MY WISH IS FOR MORE KNOWLEDGE AND LESS IGNORANCE CONCERNING THE WORKING MATERIALS WHICH GOD HAS PLACED HERE FOR OUR BENEFIT. FOR WITH THIS GREATER KNOWLEDGE WOULD COME ALL THAT WE HUMAN BEINGS NEED ON THIS SIDE OF THE GREAT DIVIDE!

  What would your wish be?

  Ponder well before you decide, for you may live to realize it!

  Very cordially yours,

  Napoleon Hill

  80 East Randolph Street

  Chicago, U.S.A.

  GITOMER’S THOUGHTFUL ACTIONS

  HOW TO IMPLEMENT THIS LESSON

  Try Hill’s idea. Make a wish – not too outlandish – and then work for it to become a reality. Small begets big.

  Think about where Hill was and how inspired his thinking was. Now think about your thoughts and your ONE WISH. Hill was able to have such great thoughts in this moment because he was inspired (by nature), calm, happy, and relaxed. Note: He was also getting some exercise. Think about how and when you get your best thoughts. Only in the shower? If that’s the case then you need more relaxed thinking time.

  On a personal note, I have one wish besides peace, health, wisdom, happiness, and harmony for my family. I wish for the health, strength, and mental faculties to write ten more books before I turn 100.

  But this is about YOU. I challenge you to write down your ONE WISH, then revisit it when you finish the book and put together a plan to accomplish it. Think it. Write it. Take action to achieve it.

  Lesson Number

  18

  THE GREAT MAGIC KEY

  (An after-the-lesson visit with Mr. Hill)

  GITOMER INSIGHT: Hill is going to talk about the magic key to success. What do you think it is? Well, here’s a clue: YOU ALREADY POSSESS IT! It’s just underutilized. Hill will show you in a few short pages how to turn it on and keep it well oiled. WARNING: Do not take this lesson lightly. He’s not just telling you what to do, he’s telling you, “This is how I do it!”

  In presenting to you this “Great Magic Key,” let me first explain that it is no invention of mine.

  It is the same Key that is used in one form or another, by fellow men of Mental Science and New Thought. I have separated it from religion and occultism, and have attached it to plain everyday business procedure.

  This Great Magic Key is a most wonderful power, yet perfectly simple of operation. So simple, that most people have failed to make use of it. We human beings are too prone to look askance at so simple a formula for success, a formula which will open the door for health and wealth; yet, such a formula is the Great Magic Key.

  It will unlock the door to riches! It will unlock the door to fame! And in many cases it will unlock the door to physical health. It will unlock the door to education. It will let you into the storehouse of all your latent ability. It will act as a pass-key to almost any position in life you may choose.

  Through the Great Magic Key we have unlocked the secret doors to all of the world’s great inventions. Through its magic powers all of our great geniuses have been produced.

  We will suppose that you desire a better position in life. The Great Magic Key will help you attain it! Through its use Carnegie, Rockefeller, Hill, Harriman, Morgan, and Guggenheim have accumulated millions of dollars in material wealth.

  It will unlock prison doors and turn human derelicts into useful, trustworthy human beings. Out in the Arizona State Prison at Florence, Arizona, is Louis Victor Eytinge, a “lifer.” When the prison gates closed behind him, he was a concrete specimen of the worst that the human race produces. Tuberculosis had reduced him to a skeleton, physical and moral depravity had reduced him to the bottom of the scale mentally. Then came the touch of the Great Magic Key. Eytinge made use of it. Today he is one of the leading men of the world. He is repaying the debt which he owed. He has grown in both physique and mentality until he is now sound in both. He overcame tuberculosis. He choked off his bad moral tendencies. Now he is ready for a pardon and the world is ready for his useful service, outside of prison walls.

  You ask – “WHAT IS THIS GREAT MAGIC KEY?”

  And I answer with one word: CONCENTRATION!

  To stop here would be insufficient. You must know how to use this Great Magic Key! First let me tell you that AMBITION and DESIRE are the great dynamic powers which you must summon to the aid of CONCENTRATION. Without Ambition and Desire, the GREAT MAGIC KEY is useless. That is why so few people use the Key.

  “DESIRE whatever you may, and if your desire is strong enough, the GREAT MAGIC KEY of CONCENTRATION will help you attain it.”

  – Napoleon Hill

  DESIRE whatever you may, and if your desire is strong enough, the GREAT MAGIC KEY of CONCENTRATION will help you attain it. If the object of your desire is something which is humanly possible to attain.

  Study the great accomplishments of the followers of Mental Science and New Thought. The dominating power back of these is CONCENTRATION plus DESIRE! There are learned men of science who would have us believe that the wonderful powers of prayer itself operate through the principle of CONCENTRATION and a strong DESIRE backed by unyielding faith.

  I am making no attempt to either associate or dissociate the story of the Great Magic Key with occultism or religion. I am treating it from the ordinary everyday layman’s viewpoint. I am dealing with it from actual knowledge I have gained in carefully analyzing and charting over 10,000 people. I am frank to confess that I know little of the origin of the powers back of CONCENTRATION or DESIRE. But I do know a great deal of the ef
fect of those powers. I have seen them demonstrated to my own satisfaction hundreds of times. We will assume that you are skeptical of the powers of CONCENTRATION and DESIRE. Let’s put these to the test, through a concrete example.

  First, you must do away with skepticism and doubt! No unbeliever ever enjoyed the benefits of these great powers. You must believe in the test which I am going to ask you to make. You must let no feeling of unbelief creep in.

  Now we will suppose that you have thought something about becoming a great writer or a great public speaker, or a great business executive, or a great manager. Suppose we take the latter as the subject of this test. But remember that if you expect results, you must follow instructions to the letter.

  Take a plain sheet of paper, ordinary letter size, and write on it in large letters – the largest it will carry – these words:

  I AM GOING TO BECOME A GREAT PERSON!

  BECAUSE THIS WILL ENABLE ME TO RENDER THE WORLD A USEFUL SERVICE AND BECAUSE IT WILL PROVIDE ME WITH THE NECESSARY MATERIAL THINGS OF LIFE!

  I WILL CONCENTRATE ON THIS DESIRE FOR TEN MINUTES DAILY, JUST BEFORE RETURNING AND JUST AFTER RISING.

  ___________________

  (Sign your name)

  If you are not good at lettering, just clip out the foregoing, sign it, and place it where you will see it just before retiring and just after getting up each day; do exactly as you have pledged yourself to do, for at least ten days.

  Now, when you come to do your “CONCENTRATION,” this is the way to go about it: Look ahead three, five, ten, or even fifteen years from now. See yourself in a position paying a big salary. See the happy faces of your loved ones – maybe a wife and babies – maybe a mother with silvery hairs.

  See yourself laying aside a nest egg for a rainy day. See yourself in your motor car which you will be able to afford. See yourself in your own cozy little home that you will own.