Napoleon Hill's Secret in TAGR

[keif]

I've read Think and Grow Rich about four times over the past two years and just recently I think I got what he means by the secret to success. In the preface he says the secret is mentioned over 100 times throughout the book and that when you grasp it you will know it.

I can't find anyone else discussing this online, and wanted to see if I could find some fans of the book to get your interpretations of what he was talking about.

Here's mine:

You can Will emotion in your mind at any time, positive and negative. When you Will positive emotion with high intensity in your mind of a Definite Purpose/Aim in life (Weight loss, Dream Job, Certain Amount of money, etc...) then it becomes impressed on your subconsciousness and within weeks you automatically begin acting on that desire with great energy. But you must learn to cancel out the negative emotions that come into play. If you can do that, you have the Secret.

[erinjoi]

I think you are spot on, Keif. I never realized that people really don't talk about that - but you're right!

I honestly believe the "secret" is controlling your thoughts - and when you master that - the world is your oyster. The problem is it can be very difficult to keep your thoughts positive 100% of the time. Don't get me wrong - it can be done - but have you ever tried it? I get about two weeks in and then something will happen. I spiral, negative thoughts come flooding in, blah blah blah.

I think this is really where hypnosis comes in. Perhaps even meditation, but I always fall asleep when I try to meditate!

Anyway... I think you are right with your interpretation of TAGR. Kudos!

[WarrenG]

I once got really, really high and the "Secret" came to me in a flash of inspiration. It was that it's impossible to keep your mind on something long enough to make it real unless it's something you truly want.

I always fall asleep when I try to meditate!

Even when sitting up straight?

[keif]

Originally Posted by erinjoi

The problem is it can be very difficult to keep your thoughts positive 100% of the time. Don't get me wrong - it can be done - but have you ever tried it? I get about two weeks in and then something will happen. I spiral, negative thoughts come flooding in, blah blah blah.

I know exactly what you mean; I have tried this many times. I don't think it's possible--with your personal Will--to spend whole days deliberately thinking positive emotions and blocking the door to negative emotions. You're only suppressing the negative this way and it will come and snap in your face later.

I DO think it's possible to become positive using your personal Will in small increments (5-10 minutes at a time), as long as you have something specific in mind (A goal). I write a personal mission statement concerning that goal and read it a few times a day. In those readings I focus on the outcome of that goal, deliberately thinking highly charged in emotions about it (Feel it, visualize it, hear it). After a week of this, you don't have to block negative thoughts (Doubt, Fear) concerning that goal, as you have ingrained new conditioning into your mind.

Your energy shoots through the roof and procrastination almost totally dissipates. And all this happens as if on it's own, you don't have to guard yourself against negative emotions concerning this specific goal any more.

I have just recently realized this after a couple years of studying the principals. And my first use of it has proven, just after a couple weeks, to be mind blowing. I'll never be the same. Thanks for replying to the post.

[keif]

Originally Posted by WarrenG

It was that it's impossible to keep your mind on something long enough to make it real unless it's something you truly want.

I couldn't agree more.

The great thing is, NP's method makes it possible for you to deliberately condition something specific into your mind so you will "truly want it". After the conditioning, you find yourself with tons of energy and focus trying to obtain that desire; you don't have to "keep your mind" on anything, as your mind focuses on this desire by default. It's like something awakens inside you.

[MarkBrooks]

Keif,

Have you thought about what you can contribute, instead of what you can gain?

I would imagine that focus comes from how your able to help once you have achieved what you have desired to create and bring into your life

[keif]

Originally Posted by MarkBrooks

Keif,

Have you thought about what you can contribute, instead of what you can gain?

I would imagine that focus comes from how your able to help once you have achieved what you have desired to create and bring into your life

Mark, you are 100% right. As a matter of fact, most of the personal statement I create consists of what I am contributing, rather than what I am gaining. The first sentence declares what I wish to gain and on what date, but the next paragraph consists of what I plan to contribute.

When the mind takes over and starts working towards the desire, you will find yourself doing a LOT of contributing to reach it. It's like Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay "Compensation". If you want something, start contributing and it will surly come.

[Steel]

I believe that the secret in T&GR is not something that can be expressed in words - and that's why Hill didn't write it down. To know the secret you must experience it.

For instance, someone might tell me what Enlightenment is, but until I experience it I'd have no idea of what it really is.

Originally Posted by Bruce Lee

Don't think, feel!
It is like a finger pointing away to the moon.
Don't concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory.

Forget about trying to decypher the secret. It is not a code you can unveil and achieve magical powers from. It's an experience, a state of being, which T&GR points at. Don't get obsessed with the magical words. When you know it, you know it.

[microELVIS]

Fantastic thread!

Absolutley, In order to get what you want then you also must have an idea of what you will give in return, because you must create that action reaction, its a law of the universe.

You can find Earl Nightengale's TGR on youtube or mp3 download somewhere and he mentions this. Writing down or at least knowing what you will give in return for what you want.

[scotthegeek]

Napoleon Hill and Tony Robbins both talked about having a burning desire that you cut off all other options.

Napoleon son was born with no ears and Doctor say there is not way he will ever hear and Napoleon that may well be but he was not going listen to that because give up before starting before try everything humanly possible was just too much to bear. He set the goal that his get his son to hear 100% Because he had seen so many time that with definiteness of purpose and a burning desire couple with faith he has seen the imposable happen.

his son got I forget about 85% of his hearing and later with a hear aid he got the rest and and the Doctor could never figure out how he could hear. To them it was still an impossibility.

Scott

[Robmeister]

Hey gang, new dude here....I'm reading through TAGR a second time and wanted to get some input on the SIX STEPS outlined early in the book.

Hill mentions to get a fixed _SUM_ of money in your thinking to ACCUMULATE by a certain DATE and of course write it down to be revisited and read aloud twice daily...yada...yada.

Wondering what yer thoughts are if it's just as effective to get a fixed _INCOME_ you wish to attain to by a certain date?

Thanks for yer input!!
RM

[scotthegeek]

This forum is great and I have not read think and grow rich in years. I have trouble connecting with people and I remember Napoleon Hill talking about a master mind group I don't know it any one has done it. but getting together with like minded people that understand the material is the first step but you need to taking consistence action. You can't think yourself rich that's only the first step definiteness of purpose.



Scott

[Robmeister]

Originally Posted by scotthegeek

This forum is great and I have not read think and grow rich in years. I have trouble connecting with people and I remember Napoleon Hill talking about a master mind group I don't know it any one has done it. but getting together with like minded people that understand the material is the first step but you need to taking consistence action. You can't think yourself rich that's only the first step definiteness of purpose.



Scott

Ok...thanks Scott....but my question was whether or not you guys think fixing your mind on a specific _SUM_ of money to accomplish by a certain date is critical to the TAGR strategies that Hill teaches.....OR if the strategy can be just as effectively worked by fixing your mind on a specific _INCOME LEVEL_ to strive for.

Thanks
Rob

[SlicK]

I believe that the secret in T&GR is not something that can be expressed in words - and that's why Hill didn't write it down. To know the secret you must experience it.

Yep! It's something you experience, you feel, you know. And once you have it, it's yours forever. Something similar happened to me while I was studying seduction. I have a "secret" now but I can't quite explain it. I could try to express it in words and some may try to understand it. But until they live it, they can't know what that secret is. And it's pretty amazing. Everything, from the way I act, to the way she acts, the way we feel, the "air", changes instantly when I get into a specific vibe I "switch on" when I'm interested.

[gene2009]

Originally Posted by MarkBrooks

Keif,

Have you thought about what you can contribute, instead of what you can gain?

It's the key. All other things are easy to do. And it's why i've not reached my dream

[Strem2]

I believe the secret he mentions over and over is to never give up. The never give up means that you keep at it, like Ford and the opera singer and the little girl looking for 50 cents, and Thomas Edison. You commit yourself and you keep at it. He also calls it Persistence, because persistence induces faith.

He talks about the guide, who tests us to see if we have the necessary persistence. He mentions will power, self reliance and habit. To quote Michael Beckwith, "God doesn't chose the qualified, but qualifies the chosen."

What do you think?

[Robmeister]

All great insights, but does anyone have an input on my question 4 and 6 posts up that has so far been--albeit inadvertantly--overlooked?

Thanks
Rob

[SlicK]

Wondering what yer thoughts are if it's just as effective to get a fixed _INCOME_ you wish to attain to by a certain date?

If the effect of that is that it builds a clear mental picture, a point on a map you're moving towards, then it is good. If it doesn't make you "click" then it is of no use for you. That method is actually reverse engineering decision because what happens when you decide? When you decide, you have a FIXED purpose in your mind that is always in your head. You get a clear picture of something you want to achieve. It is always there in your head, FIXED. So reverse engineering decision? Keep reading and re-reading a fixed purpose until it becomes fixed. For some people it works. For others it's stressful. Stress never does any good.

[Robmeister]

Thanks, SlicK!

[Circle]

Originally Posted by SlicK

Something similar happened to me while I was studying seduction. I have a "secret" now but I can't quite explain it. .

Tell me ! tell me! tell me!

[Strem2]

Originally Posted by Robmeister

Ok...but my question was whether or not you guys think fixing your mind on a specific _SUM_ of money to accomplish by a certain date is critical to the TAGR strategies that Hill teaches.....OR if the strategy can be just as effectively worked by fixing your mind on a specific _INCOME LEVEL_ to strive for.

Thanks
Rob

Hi Rob, You were not responded to. I believe income is just as valid as a fixed sum. However, Brian Tracy, another TAGR fan, warns that in his experience as a coach and business trainer, people could comfortably raise their incomes by 10%, or even 30% but more than that is difficult to believe. Remember, belief is a cornerstone of TAGR and LOA. I have raised my income by 50%, and so I believe this is possible. What is reasonable to you? That is what you can do.

[SlicK]

Hi Rob, You were not responded to. I believe income is just as valid as a fixed sum. However, Brian Tracy, another TAGR fan, warns that in his experience as a coach and business trainer, people could comfortably raise their incomes by 10%, or even 30% but more than that is difficult to believe. Remember, belief is a cornerstone of TAGR and LOA. I have raised my income by 50%, and so I believe this is possible. What is reasonable to you? That is what you can do.

It may seem that I'm contradicting you but I am not. There are 2 schools of thought on this matter (I hope it's the right expression, English not my native language). There's also that group of people that tell you to "think big" and all that. It is said that the goals must be BIG so that they motivate you. Getting a 10% boost on income doesn't motivate most people at all. Because maybe they want a 500% boost and what happens?

10% seems believable but it's like "Why bother?". It's one of those things that you can do but it's not what you really want.

100% seems hard to believe and it's still not what you really want, again, a demotivating combination.

500% "WOAAAAAAAAAAH? Could you imagine? Maaaaaan, I would have exactly the kind of life I want. Seems impossible but fuuuuuuuuuuuuu*k wouldn't it be great? What the hell do I have to lose if I try??? It's a "goal worth failing for" (quote). Let's dooooooooooo whatever can be done because MAAAAAAAAAAn... is this worth a shot! Heck, it's worth 200 shots!!"

Don't know for sure what GENERALLY works better. I'm inclined to believe in the "impossible goals" more because it often worked for me, noticed it worked for others and it gets the juices flowing. Maybe it also depends on what kind of person you are. What I know for sure is that life gets pretty crazy, both with positive and with negative when you set an "impossible goal". It all goes to Hell, in a good or bad way depending on what you make of it.

[Robmeister]

Many Thanks SlicK and Strem2!!!

Finally getting some juices flowing on this topic....and I appreciate it.

Yeah, my field of endeavor is network marketing. I've done quite well thus far having reached decent levels of residual income. Through various surmountable challenges, I lost a lot of participation in my organization, and thus the consequent reduction in my income. So, I'm in a position to visualize a 380% income "come back."

Like I said, I'm on my second read through TAGR but have never specifically utilized his 6 Steps in Chapter 2. That's not to say that I have not utilized written goals, visualizing, verbalizing, etc... Just not Hill's. I've always been curious because he never (to my knowlege) really qualified that to say a _SUM_ of money _OR_ a specific _INCOME LEVEL_ will work equally well.

SlicK made a good point that as long as "it builds a clear mental picture, a point on a map you're moving towards."

Thanks again for your input

[Demonshaker]

Bump!

I just want to say that I just read TAGR and was so inspired that as soon as I finished I went back to the beginning and read it again. Then, I read it twice more, just rereading the parts that I had underlined to further ingrain the messages into my brain. I love the way he talks about giving yourself positive thoughts to work with, and then goes ahead and drills the same points over and over again from start to finish to help try to hammer them into your subconscious. If NLP were around in his time, I think he would have been all over it.

And Rob, personally I don't think it makes any difference if you're talking about a lump sum of money or an income level. As he quoted Edison as saying, this method can be used for any sort of goal. The point is that your goal is well defined. So I don't think it matters.

First thing tomorrow, I will sit down and go through the exercises, and get everything clear into my head regarding what I want. I've already noticed subtle changes, and have been much better at catching and nipping my negative thoughts and instead focusing on the positives in my life.