Napoleon Hill Thought of the Day

Our universe is characterized by order and harmony, yet we human beings must constantly struggle to achieve the same characteristics in our relationships. In fact, human beings seem to find it unnatural to cooperate with others. Successful individuals are those who have learned to swim against the current, to do the things that others refuse to do. They have learned how to work together for the benefit of the entire group. Achieving harmony in any relationship-business, personal, or professional-requires work. Take comfort in the fact that you’ll accomplish far more working with others than working against them.trate that you care about all the members of your team.

Napoleon Hill Thought of the Day

Theoretical knowledge without practical experience might be compared to a large mass of undirected energy. Until it is focused, it is difficult to direct the energy to a useful end. Practical experience is the lens through which the energy of knowledge may be focused and directed toward activities that will provide the greatest benefit. When you learn new concepts or have an idea that has not yet been tested, make it a practice to think through its application carefully before implementation. When you have considered the possibilities, and it still seems to be a good idea-get into action. The only way to get practical experience is to get to work executing your idea.

Napoleon Hill Thought of the Day

Napoleon Hill liked to tell a story about his grandfather, a wagon builder in North Carolina. When the old man cleared the land for cultivation, he always left a few oak trees in the middle of the field at the mercy of the elements, unsheltered by other trees in the forest. It was from those trees that his grandfather made the wagon’s wheels. Because they were forced to struggle against the fury of nature, they grew strong enough to bear the heaviest load. Welcome difficult challenges, for the greatest opportunities will come from challenges that force you to expand your mind as you search for creative solutions. During life’s bleakest hours, take solace in the face that you are strengthening yourself through struggle so that in the future you will be prepared to take on even greater challenges. Like the old oak tree, you grow strong only when you are forced to struggle.

Napoleon Hill Thought of the Day

To the untrained eye, a geode looks pretty much like an ordinary rock. But a trained geologist knows that inside the geode there is a beautiful crystal lining. The story is the same for those who refuse to examine new possibilities because their minds are closed. Life’s greatest opportunities, like the geode, often come in ordinary packaging. Do not allow yourself to become such a creature of habit that you simply go through the motions and let life happen to you. Just taking a new route to work, putting together a jigsaw puzzle, reading a newspaper instead of watching television, or visiting a museum at lunchtime will stimulate your thought processes and may help you open your mind to new possibilities.

Napoleon Hill Thought of the Day

Cookie mogul Wally Amos is fond of quoting the saying, "The mind is like a parachute. It functions best when opened." When you open your mind to the possibilities, objectively analyze information and refuse to allow your personal preferences and biases to influence your judgment, you will be able to perceive great truths that have been overlooked by others. A closed mind, though, will cause you to miss out on some of life’s greatest offerings. If you find yourself disputing the facts, or if you keep attempting to revise them to support your beliefs, ask yourself, Why am I so unwilling to accept this information? Am I being logical, or am I simply allowing my emotions to cloud my judgment? The worst mistake you may ever make is trying to persuade yourself to accept a false truth. It is inappropriate to try to fool others, but when you fool yourself, disaster is sure to follow.

Napoleon Hill Thought of the Day

Just as the physical body becomes strong through regular exercise, so does the mind require regular use to remain strong. Make sure that your personal development plan includes plenty of mental stimulation. One of the best ways to develop your imagination and visualization skills is through reading. As you read, your mind translates the words into images that help you better understand the concepts about which you are reading. Become a voracious reader. Read newspapers, trade magazines, self-help books, and novels; all will contribute to your store of knowledge and to your ability to visualize and more effectively use your imagination.

Napoleon Hill Thought of the Day

In any type of business, the most valuable ideas are those that make money, save money, save time, or improve the way things are done. Every improvement, however slight, is a step in the right direction. Being alert for opportunities to improve things is a function of a positive attitude. It is virtually impossible to think creatively about opportunities when your thoughts are concentrated on the downside risk instead of the upside potential. As you search for ways to improve your performance, or to find a better, faster, or more economical way to perform a task or build a product, by all means analyze and minimize the risks but focus on the possibilities.

Napoleon Hill Thought of the Day

Daniel Burnham, the turn-of-the-century architect and civic planner whose plan for the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair had an enormous influence on contemporary civic design, was quoted as saying, "Make no little plans." He knew that to achieve great things we must have grand ideas. If you can imagine it, you can create it. And if you can create in your imagination the job that you would like to have, it is possible to create it in the real world.

Napoleon Hill Thought of the Day

When you take the initiative, you become a de facto leader whose success will depend in large measure upon your ability to inspire others to work with you. They will follow your lead when they have confidence in you and when they know they will share in your success. Few of us are good enough or lucky enough to achieve great success completely on our own. We need others to help us. When we give more in return than we ever ask of our friends and associates, not only will be able to accomplish much more in life, but it will also make the entire experience much more enjoyable.

Napoleon Hill Thought of the Day

If you carefully study your own life and those of achievers whom you admire, it is an absolute certainty you will discover that your greatest opportunities often occurred during times of adversity. It is only when faced with the possibility of failure that we are willing to deal with radical change and take the risks that lead to great success. When you experience temporary failure and you know that it is temporary, you can capitalize on the opportunities adversity always brings.