Think and Grow Rich Analysis
by Napoleon Hill
Written by Napoleon Hill with commentaries from Earl Nightingale and Bob Proctor… Notes & Quotes are in the process and this Essay Section will follow. Please check back or sign up for our Newsletter for updates.
Think and Grow Rich: Research
Research & Brainstorming Below
Below are YouTube “videos” that have the entire audio presentations. You can speed up the video by clicking on the settings “Cog Wheel” and “Playback Speed”; try listening to the 1.5x speed then 1.25x speed… then adjust to your liking!
NOTES – QUOTES
Bob Proctor: The Secret to Think and Grow Rich Revealed
13:39 So the fear, don’t let fear control you. Fear is a negative emotion. By following these principles, you’re going to be on the other side of fear where there’s faith.
There’s a law of the universe called polarity. That law decrees everything has an opposite. Every negative has a positive. The truth is it’s neither positive or negative… the first person that helped me, Ray Stanford. He said, “Do exactly what I tell you.” And for some reason I decided I would. I didn’t question him, I just did it. He said, “Do it until you find out I’m lying or I don’t know what I’m talking about.” And he said, “I don’t lie and I do know what I’m talking about.” So I’m going to say that to you and hopefully you’ll grasp it the same as I did… you’re going to find these 13 principles will change your life like night and day. …become a conscious competent …it all starts with our own thinking. vibration is a law of the universe, everything vibrates, nothing rests. We live in an ocean of motion, every level of vibration is referred to as a frequency… we think on frequencies… we become what we think about. we got to make a paradigm shift. We got to shift our thinking... many of the beliefs and the ideas that are controlling your decision-making right now were established by some great-grandparent who lived in a different time. But all that stuff is passed down in the genes. It’s called genetic conditioning. We got to change that. Now, we’re going to talk about your sixth sense, your intuitive mind because that’s how it comes to you. You’re tapping into universal intelligence… This video is inspirational, but is only a precursor to an offer… I will most likely delete this after completion. That’s research!
Earl Nightingale: Think and Grow Rich (Condensed)
Think and Grow Rich (Condensed)
Earl Nightingale orates this condensed version of Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich.” He starts off by emphasizing the fact that many people (millions) have become successful through the use of this book. Nightingale picked up his first copy of this book in 1949, and it has greatly helped him decide on how to accomplish his goals. What’s the Secret? Knowing Hill, he had the mannerisms to tackle problems involving personal success with similar techniques as Thomas Edison did in creating the lightbulb (it is mentioned later that Edison was one of the many that read this book) … he persisted until he was shown the light (truth). Hill also had the uncanny ability to write in a way that was understood both through the intellect and emotion. Turning dreams into reality… thoughts into things.
Build upon truth… with the foundation of everything begins with an idea. State of mind. Mind is like a muscle that can be strengthened. Control your mind. Nightingale emphasized that this record (audio) was created for personal use; it will benefit and be understood differently by each individual listening to it.
The 13 Principles
DESIRE. We all have a built-in governor. Picture what you want. Burn the bridges behind you. Make mistakes. Have a definite quantity of what you want and what you will give in return. Set a date. Make a Plan. Write down a statement with scope. Read the statement daily; morning and night. Feel and Believe that have already attained your desire. Nature can see your desire and will provide.
FAITH. State of mind through affirmations. Conscious Autosuggestions. Repeat-Repeat. Take the first step. You were meant to Accomplish. Achieve-Demand. Dominant Thoughts become Things. Autosuggestion. Chief Aim in Life. Truth, Justice, Positive Attitude.
AUTOSUGGESTION. Subconscious Mind accepts as facts. Repeat out loud reaffirmations of statement/scope as already accomplished goal. Repetition. Write it down.
SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE. Must be knowledgeable in the service being provided for the returned desire. Mastermind Group. Associates.
IMAGINATION. The workshop of the mind. Impulses. What you can conceive and believe, you will achieve. Self-motivation. Limitation can be your friend.
ORGANIZED PLANNING. Plans for transformation. Mastermind; advantages/benefits you offer group. Meet twice per week. Maintain Harmony in the group. Complete the Plan. Leadership traits include; courage, self-control, justice, decide, plan, do more than expected, personality, understanding, detail, responsible, cooperative.
DECISION. Master procrastination (opposite of decision). Decide quick, Change slow. Stay with it. Think for yourself. Considerations from mastermind.
PERSISTENCE. Will. Will-Power. Don’t Fold. Effort. Go the extra-mile. Courage. State of mind… Causes; purpose, desire, self-reliance, plans, knowledge, cooperation, will, Habit.
MASTERMIND. Two or more persons sympathetic with your desires. Group creates a Third-Mind. Association stimulates your own mind. Common purpose. Respect.
ENTHUSIASM. Most of the successful men (of the day) had a woman behind their success that provided them the inspiration needed to succeed. Find real joy. Find an influencer. Motivator. Something that keeps you moving up the path. Purpose.
SUBCONSCIOUS. Plant any seed and it will grow here (positive or negative). Unknown. Infinite Mind. Voluntary or Involuntary loading. Powerful. Think of goal already accomplished; repeat as often as possible. Will Lead you. Follow hunches. Ideas flow from here. It is never idle and feeds on thoughts (positive and negative). Increase positive desires. Direct the Power towards Desire. Unconsciously.
BRAIN. Use it. Understand its Powers. Its division of the conscious and unconscious. With its potentiality, it must have a greater purpose. Give it the Job and observe it completed.
SIXTH SENSE. Flows from somewhere within the Subconscious. Must master the first 12 principles before finding. Application to Master. Spiritual Forces. Through Self-Examination. Impulse Thought. Keep Fear Out.
This book has been endorsed by many legendary people… it is insurance against failure. Chart your course and become the captain instead of the crew. Napoleon Hill actually speaks at the end of this audio. He speaks on the Spell of the 13 Principles. Suggests, each night before bed write down what you will accomplish tomorrow (let subconscious work on while sleeping). Through Space and Time, he shakes your hand. Look for the opportunities, not in the future, Now.
Think and Grow Rich: Summary
Notes below were taken from the public domain version of the book
THINK AND GROW RICH
TEACHING, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE FAMOUS ANDREW
CARNEGIE FORMULA FOR MONEY-MAKING, BASED UPON THE
THIRTEEN PROVEN STEPS TO RICHES.
ORGANIZED THROUGH 25 YEARS OF RESEARCH, IN
COLLABORATION WITH MORE THAN 500 DISTINGUISHED
MEN OF GREAT WEALTH, WHO PROVED BY THEIR OWN
ACHIEVEMENTS THAT THIS PHILOSOPHY IS PRACTICAL.
BY
NAPOLEON HILL
1938
Thomas A. Edison, said–
“This is not a novel. It is a textbook on individual achievement that came directly from the experiences of hundreds of America’s most successful men. It should be studied, digested, and meditated upon. No more than one chapter should be read in a single night. The reader should underline the sentences which impress him most. Later, he should go back to these marked lines and read them again. A real student will not merely read this book, he will absorb its contents and make them his own. This book should be adopted by all high schools and no boy or girl should be permitted to graduate without having satisfactorily passed an examination on it. This philosophy will not take the place of the subjects taught in schools, but it will enable one to organize and apply the knowledge acquired, and convert it into useful service and adequate compensation without waste of time.”
Chapter 1. Introduction
- …thoughts are things; mix with definiteness of purpose, persistence, and a burning desire…
- The object of this book is to help all who seek it, to learn the art of changing their minds from FAILURE CONSCIOUSNESS to SUCCESS CONSCIOUSNESS. Another weakness found in altogether too many people, is the habit of measuring everything, and everyone, by their own impressions and beliefs. Some who will read this, will believe that no one can THINK AND GROW RICH. They cannot think in terms of riches, because their thought habits have been steeped in poverty, want, misery, failure, and defeat.
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When Henley wrote the prophetic lines, “I am the Master of my Fate, I am the Captain of my Soul,” he should have informed us that we are the Masters of our Fate, the Captains of our Souls, because we have the power to control our thoughts.
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our brains become magnetized with the dominating thoughts which we hold in our minds, and, by means with which no man is familiar, these “magnets” attract to us the forces, the people, the circumstances of life which harmonize with the nature of our dominating thoughts.
Chapter 2. Desire
- …The starting point of all achievement
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Every person who wins in any undertaking must be willing to burn his ships and cut all sources of retreat. Only by so doing can one be sure of maintaining that state of mind known as a BURNING DESIRE TO WIN, essential to success.
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The method by which DESIRE for riches can be transmuted into its financial equivalent, consists of six definite, practical steps, viz:
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First. Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire. It is not sufficient merely to say “I want plenty of money.” Be definite as to the amount. (There is a psychological reason for definiteness which will be described in a subsequent chapter).
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Second. Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire. (There is no such reality as “something for nothing.)
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Third. Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money you desire.
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Fourth. Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire, and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action.
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Fifth. Write out a clear, concise statement of the amount of money you intend to acquire, name the time limit for its acquisition, state what you intend to give in return for the money, and describe clearly the plan through which you intend to accumulate it.
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Sixth. Read your written statement aloud, twice daily, once just before retiring at night, and once after arising in the morning. AS YOU READ– SEE AND FEEL AND BELIEVE YOURSELF ALREADY IN POSSESSION OF THE MONEY
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It may be of further help to know that the six steps here recommended were carefully scrutinized by the late Thomas A. Edison, who placed his stamp of approval upon them as being, not only the steps essential for the accumulation of money, but necessary for the attainment of any definite goal.
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EVERY FAILURE BRINGS WITH IT THE SEED OF AN EQUIVALENT SUCCESS.
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“The oak sleeps in the acorn. The bird waits in the egg, and in the highest vision of the soul, a waking angel stirs. DREAMS ARE THE SEEDLINGS OF REALITY.”
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Let Emerson state the thought in these words, “Every proverb, every book, every byword that belongs to thee for aid and comfort shall surely come home through open or winding passages. Every friend whom not thy fantastic will, but the great and tender soul in thee craveth, shall lock thee in his embrace.”
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Through some strange and powerful principle of “mental chemistry” which she has never divulged, Nature wraps up in the impulse of STRONG DESIRE “that something” which recognizes no such word as impossible, and accepts no such reality as failure.
Chapter 3. Faith
- Visualization of, and belief in the attainment of Desire
- the head chemist of the mind…
- Faith, Love, and Sex are the top three positive emotions
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When the three are blended, they have the effect of “coloring” the vibration of thought in such a way that it instantly reaches the subconscious mind, where it is changed into its spiritual equivalent, the only form that induces a response from Infinite Intelligence.
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Love and faith are psychic; related to the spiritual side of man. Sex is purely biological, and related only to the physical. The mixing, or blending, of these three emotions has the effect of opening a direct line of communication between the finite, thinking mind of man, and Infinite Intelligence.
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FAITH is a state of mind which may be induced, or created, by affirmation or repeated instructions to the subconscious mind, through the principle of auto-suggestion… you may CONVINCE the subconscious mind that you believe you will receive that for which you ask, and it will act upon that belief, which your subconscious mind passes back to you in the form of “FAITH,” followed by definite plans for procuring that which you desire.
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FAITH is the “eternal elixir” which gives life, power, and action to the impulse of thought!
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From the great storehouse of the ether, the human mind is constantly attracting vibrations which harmonize with that which DOMINATES the human mind.
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any idea, plan, or purpose may be placed in the mind through repetition of thought.
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First. I know that I have the ability to achieve the object of my Definite Purpose in life, therefore, I DEMAND of myself persistent, continuous action toward its attainment, and I here and now promise to render such action.
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Second. I realize the dominating thoughts of my mind will eventually reproduce themselves in outward, physical action, and gradually transform themselves into physical reality, therefore, I will concentrate my thoughts for thirty minutes daily, upon the task of thinking of the person I intend to become, thereby creating in my mind a clear mental picture of that person.
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Third. I know through the principle of auto-suggestion, any desire that I persistently hold in my mind will eventually seek expression through some practical means of attaining the object back of it, therefore, I will devote ten minutes daily to demanding of myself the development of SELF-CONFIDENCE.
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Fourth. I have clearly written down a description of my DEFINITE CHIEF AIM in life, and I will never stop trying, until I shall have developed sufficient self-confidence for its attainment.
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Fifth. I fully realize that no wealth or position can long endure, unless built upon truth and justice, therefore, I will engage in no transaction which does not benefit all whom it affects. I will succeed by attracting to myself the forces I wish to use, and the cooperation of other people. I will induce others to serve me, because of my willingness to serve others. I will eliminate hatred, envy, jealousy, selfishness, and cynicism, by developing love for all humanity, because I know that a negative attitude toward others can never bring me success. I will cause others to believe in me, because I will believe in them, and in myself.
Chapter 4. Auto-Suggestion
- …The Medium for Influencing the Subconscious mind
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AUTO-SUGGESTION is a term which applies to all suggestions and all self-administered stimuli which reach one’s mind through the five senses. Stated in another way, auto-suggestion is self-suggestion. It is the agency of communication between that part of the mind where conscious thought takes place, and that which serves as the seat of action for the subconscious mind.
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all sense impressions which are perceived through the five senses, are stopped by the CONSCIOUS thinking mind, and may be either passed on to the subconscious mind, or rejected, at will. The conscious faculty serves, therefore, as an outer-guard to the approach of the subconscious.
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Your ability to use the principle of auto-suggestion will depend, very largely, upon your capacity to CONCENTRATE upon a given DESIRE until that desire becomes a BURNING OBSESSION.
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Hand over the thought suggested in the preceding paragraph to your IMAGINATION, and see what your imagination can, or will do, to create practical plans for the accumulation of money through transmutation of your desire.
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When the plans appear, they will probably “flash” into your mind through the sixth sense, in the form of an “inspiration.” This inspiration may be considered a direct “telegram,” or message from Infinite Intelligence.
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Remember, also, that your subconscious mind will act ONLY upon instructions which are emotionalized, and handed over to it with “feeling.” FAITH is the strongest, and most productive of the emotions. Follow the instructions given in the chapter on FAITH.
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The time will soon come, if you do as you have been instructed, in spirit as well as in act, when a whole new universe of power will unfold to you.
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may truly say, “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul!”
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Man may become the master of himself, and of his environment, because he has the POWER TO INFLUENCE HIS OWN SUBCONSCIOUS MIND, and through it, gain the cooperation of Infinite Intelligence.
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Chapter 5. Specialized Knowledge
- Personal experiences or observations
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Knowledge is only potential power. It becomes power only when, and if, it is organized into definite plans of action, and directed to a definite end.
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Any man is educated who knows where to get knowledge when he needs it, and how to organize that knowledge into definite plans of action.
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The accumulation of great fortunes calls for POWER, and power is acquired through highly organized and intelligently directed specialized knowledge, but that knowledge does not, necessarily, have to be in the possession of the man who accumulates the fortune.
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As knowledge is acquired it must be organized and put into use, for a definite purpose, through practical plans.
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Successful men, in all callings, never stop acquiring specialized knowledge related to their major purpose, business, or profession.
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The way of success is the way of continuous pursuit of knowledge.
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Back of all IDEAS is specialized knowledge. Unfortunately, for those who do not find riches in abundance, specialized knowledge is more abundant and more easily acquired than IDEAS.
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Capability means IMAGINATION, the one quality needed to combine specialized knowledge with IDEAS, in the form of ORGANIZED PLANS designed to yield riches.
Chapter 6. Imagination
…
- THE imagination is literally the workshop wherein are fashioned all plans created by man. The impulse, the DESIRE, is given shape, form, and ACTION through the aid of the imaginative faculty of the mind.
- The imaginative faculty functions in two forms. One is known as “synthetic imagination,” and the other as “creative imagination.”
- SYNTHETIC IMAGINATION:–Through this faculty, one may arrange old concepts, ideas, or plans into new combinations.
- CREATIVE IMAGINATION:–Through the faculty of creative imagination, the finite mind of man has direct communication with Infinite Intelligence. …hunches and inspirations, …vibrations received, …tune in to subconscious minds of others…
- ONLY when the conscious mind is vibrating at an exceedingly rapid rate, as for example, when the conscious mind is stimulated through the emotion of a strong desire.
- As far as science has been able to determine, the entire universe consists of but two elements–matter and energy.
Chapter 7. Organized Planning
- THE CRYSTALLIZATION OF DESIRE INTO ACTION
- …everything man creates or acquires, begins in the form of DESIRE… then into the workshop of the IMAGINATION… where PLANS for its transition are created and organized.
- …PERSISTENCE in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail.
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Temporary defeat should mean only one thing, the certain knowledge that there is something wrong with your plan.
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Your achievement can be no greater than your PLANS are sound.
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…if his experience turns out to be FAILURE, it will be for the reason that he lacks the fire of PERSISTENCE to rebuild his plans.
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If you give up before your goal has been reached, you are a “quitter.” A QUITTER NEVER WINS–AND–A WINNER NEVER QUITS.
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Some people foolishly believe that only MONEY can make money. This is not true! DESIRE, transmuted into its monetary equivalent, through the principles laid down here, is the agency through which money is “made.” Money, of itself, is nothing but inert matter. It cannot move, think, or talk, but it can “hear” when a man who DESIRES it, calls it to come!
- … How to market personal services…
Chapter 8. Decision
- …PROCRASTINATION, the opposite of DECISION, is a common enemy which practically every man must conquer.
- …If you are influenced by the opinions of others, you will have no DESIRE of your own.
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Keep your eyes and ears wide open–and your mouth CLOSED, if you wish to acquire the habit of prompt DECISION.
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Genuine wisdom is usually conspicuous through modesty and silence.
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“TELL THE WORLD WHAT YOU INTEND TO DO, BUT FIRST SHOW IT.”
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thought, backed by strong DESIRE, has a tendency to transmute itself into its physical equivalent.
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…
Chapter 9. Persistence
THE SUSTAINED EFFORT NECESSARY TO INDUCE FAITH
- PERSISTENCE is an essential factor in the procedure of transmuting DESIRE into its monetary equivalent. The basis of persistence is the POWER OF WILL. Will-power and desire, when properly combined, make an irresistible pair.
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If you find you are weak in PERSISTENCE, center your attention upon the instructions contained in the chapter on “Power”;
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Your subconscious mind works continuously, while you are awake, and while you are asleep.
Chapter 10. Power Of The Master Mind
- POWER is essential for success in the accumulation of money. PLANS are inert and useless, without sufficient POWER to translate them into ACTION. This chapter will describe the method by which an individual may attain and apply POWER.
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Chapter 11. The Mystery Of Sex Transmutation
- THE meaning of the word “transmute” is, in simple language, “the changing, or transferring of one element, or form of energy, into another.” The emotion of sex brings into being a state of mind.
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Chapter 12. The Subconscious Mind
- THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND consists of a field of consciousness, in which every impulse of thought that reaches the objective mind through any of the five senses, is classified and recorded, and from which thoughts may be recalled or withdrawn as letters may be taken from a filing cabinet.
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There is plenty of evidence to support the belief that the subconscious mind is the connecting link between the finite mind of man and Infinite Intelligence. It is the intermediary through which one may draw upon the forces of Infinite Intelligence at will. It, alone, contains the secret process by which mental impulses are modified and changed into their spiritual equivalent. It, alone, is the medium through which prayer may be transmitted to the source capable of answering prayer.
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Chapter 13. The Brain
- every human brain is both a broadcasting and receiving station for the vibration of thought.
- Through the medium of the ether… every human brain is capable of picking up vibrations of thought which are being released by other brains.
- …compare, and consider the description of the Creative Imagination, as outlined in the chapter on Imagination.
- The Creative Imagination is the “receiving set” of the brain, which receives thoughts, released by the brains of others.
- It is the agency of communication between one’s conscious, or reasoning mind, and the four sources from which one may receive thought stimuli.
- emotions. Through the emotions, the vibrations of thought may be increased.
- The subconscious mind is the “sending station” of the brain, through which vibrations of thought are broadcast. The Creative Imagination is the “receiving set,” through which the vibrations of thought are picked up from the ether.
- machinery, consider now the principle of auto-suggestion, which is the medium by which you may put into operation your “broadcasting” station.
- You have but three principles to bear in mind, and to apply, when you wish to use your broadcasting station–the SUBCONSCIOUS MIND, CREATIVE IMAGINATION, and AUTOSUGGESTION…
Chapter 14. The Sixth Sense
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THE DOOR TO THE TEMPLE OF WISDOM
- THE “thirteenth” principle is known as the SIXTH SENSE, through which Infinite Intelligence may, and will communicate voluntarily, without any effort from, or demands by, the individual. This principle is the apex of the philosophy. It can be assimilated, understood, and applied ONLY by first mastering the other twelve principles.
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Chapter 15. How To Outwit The Six Ghosts Of Fear
- Take Inventory of Yourself, As You Read This Closing Chapter, and Find out How Many of the “Ghosts” Are Standing in Your Way
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BEFORE you can put any portion of this philosophy into successful use, your mind must be prepared to receive it. The preparation is not difficult. It begins with study, analysis, and understanding of three enemies which you shall have to clear out. These are INDECISION, DOUBT, and FEAR!
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This Standing Army
- Observe the emphasis on the word POWERFUL. This army is standing at attention, ready to do the bidding of any person who will command it. It is YOUR army if you will take charge of it. These soldiers are labelled: DEFINITE CHIEF AIM; HABIT OF SAVING; SELF CONFIDENCE; IMAGINATION; INITIATIVE; LEADERSHIP; ENTHUSIASM; SELF CONTROL; DOING MORE THAN PAID FOR; PLEASING PERSONALITY; ACCURATE THOUGHT; CONCENTRATION; CO-OPERATION; FAILURE; TOLERANCE; GOLDEN RULE; THE MASTER MIND.
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Think & Grow Rich: Books
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