In this chapter of Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill goes to great lengths to make the distinction between generalized knowledge and specialized knowledge; and between formal education and practical information. By citing examples of the lives of certain individuals in an offhand manner, Hill alludes to the most important thing about knowledge. Here it is plainly spoken: Knowledge, by and of itself, has little, if any, value. You may find that shocking or, at least contrary to everything you’ve been taught, but it is true. Knowledge only becomes valuable in its application. You may have heard that knowledge is power. Wrong. It is applied knowledge that begets power, wealth and the advancement of humanity. The secret is in the application, not in the knowledge itself. For years, I considered myself to be highly educated about success. I willfully ignored the evidence of my own lack of success, considering it a temporary aberration. Once, I really got that it is the application, not the possession, of knowledge that produces results, I went from average to highly successful in a matter of months. To quote one of the wisest of teachers, Confucius: “The essence of knowledge is, having it, to apply it; not having it, to confess your ignorance.” Hill does point out, in the first paragraph of this chapter, that although universities possess perhaps all of the aggregate knowledge of humankind, professors, for the most part, although surrounded by all this knowledge and though very knowledgeable, have themselves little or no money; while many people of little formal education go on to produce great wealth and great material advancements for all humanity. He also alludes to, but does not spell out plainly, that the very best form of specialized knowledge, that a person who desires success and wealth can obtain, is the knowledge of how to become successful. How sad it is to teach our children to aspire to success but not teach them how to get it. We teach them that an education will bring them success and happiness, but neglect to tell them what specific education that is and further neglect to say that it is the application of the specific education that will bring success and happiness. Hill makes great use of the story of Henry Ford proving, in the courtroom, that although he was uneducated, he was not ignorant, because, as he said it, “any time I should wish to know something specific, I can simply push a button on my desk and some person who knows the answer will come to provide it to me.” These days, with the accumulation of information and training being as easy as the ‘click of a mouse’, there is no excuse for not being successful in any field, except that you are ignorant of the principles of success, or for some personal perversity, refuse to apply them to your life.

IMAGINATION

In this chapter, Hill not only points out the role of imagination in human development, but also makes the clear distinction between the two main types of imagination, which he calls ’synthetic imagination’ and ‘creative imagination’. This distinction is a critical understanding. I, or others, may haven chosen to label and explain, in our own writings, these distinctions in different ways, but the labels do not matter. Most people, who claim to use their imagination, are using the type Hill called ’synthetic imagination’. It is of little use, save for personal entertainment. The great humanistic psychologist, William James, had this to say about the same subject: “Many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.” Synthetic imagination is the manipulation of effects. Creative imagination is causal that creates effects. All things, from the invention of writing to the invention of the Internet came about because of the use of creative imagination. Synthetic imagination merely, at best, can improve upon what already exists. The bringing of new things into existence requires the use of creative imagination. The creation of wealth can be obtained, with diligence, through the informed and practical use of synthetic imagination (e.g. creating a better mouse trap), but most wealth and most advancement in human technology comes about through the use of creative imagination. Succinctly put, your imagination is the workshop in which you, mostly without conscious recognition, create the results that show up in your life. What you hold as an image in your mind is what shows up in your life. If what you are imagining is simply a rehash of what has already occurred or been created by others, then your results shall be limited to what has been, not what can be. The sad, sad, sad thing that we inflict upon our children and ourselves is the dampening of imagination. ‘It is only in your imagination,’ is the common refrain. We neglect tell them or reinforce that all great and wonderful things that exist in our world had their genesis ‘only in imagination’. What is not recognized, honored and amplified is that it is the dreamers, the imaginers, who go on to produce the new, the wonderful, the unique advancements that end up creating, not only personal wealth, but greater wealth and well-being for all humankind. Know this: that which you imagine, expect and visualize in your internal world is that which gets produced in your external world. This is now been proven by the science of quantum mechanics. As has been so expertly described by the scientific genius, David Bohm, the explicate (or external physical reality) is, not only best understood by, but is brought into being by, the implicate (or internal reality) of pure consciousness and its imaginings of what is and what can be.

ORGANIZED PLANNING

This, in my opinion, is the weakest chapter of Hill’s book. He speaks of the need for organized planning, but skirts around the issue; instead offering suggestions about how to get a job and writes some useless paragraphs extolling the American way, which, in any case, no longer exists as he describes it. Every noteworthy or great accomplishment came about because there was a plan. What Hill should have done (and does do in other chapters) is point out the need to have concrete written goals that are in harmony with one’s chosen purpose and/or ideals. Goals are not vague aspirations like, ‘I want to be rich.’ They are concrete, defined steps in the fulfillment of your personal vision or purpose. They are a specific plan. I am always amazed by how many people continue to refuse (through laziness or a lack of belief in the necessity) to have clear, concise, written goals, despite being presented again and again with the evidence that those who do have written goals succeed and those who do not…do not. There have been many studies about the effectiveness of having written goals. They invariably show the same results. 95% of people who have (and daily refer to) written goals end up accomplishing them. 95% of people who do not have written goals, do not accomplish much of anything. If you can read this paragraph and not have begun the process of having written goals by the time you go to bed tonight, you should know that you are choosing failure. Businesses that succeed have a business plan. The business of life also requires a plan. When you have a plan, you know what you are about; you know when you are on (or off) track; you can measure your progress; you can tell others who might enroll in your vision what it is that needs doing; you can provide leadership to all those who enroll in your plan; and most

DECISION

Decision is another one of the ten ‘Ds’ of super-success that I describe in the Library. Napoleon Hill says this, “Analysis of several hundred people who had accumulated fortunes well beyond the million dollar mark, disclosed the fact that every one of them had the habit of reaching decisions promptly, and changing these decisions slowly, if and when they were changed at all. People who fail to accumulate money, without exception, have the habit of reaching decisions, if at all, very slowly, and of changing these decisions quickly and often.” Another Napoleon, Bonaparte, says this: “Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide.” The ability to make clear, firm resolute decisions is as precious a gift as life itself. It is what enables human beings to take control of their lives, to rise above chance and circumstance and to chart a destiny. Those who fail to make conscious choices may as well not have any free will, for they squander the gift of decisiveness. The successful and happy human being is the one in whom choice is intentional and purposeful. Decision produces results. It can, also be said that the failure to decide is, in itself, a decision, a decision to let your life be governed by event and circumstance. Decision can be called choice by design. Lack of decisiveness is choice by default. It is also a choice. It is the decision to choose unhappiness, mediocrity and commonality. “There is no more miserable human being than one in whom nothing is habitual but indecision.” – William James Those who make decisions are the masters of their fate. Those who don’t are the servants of fate. Those who decide to become, to enact and to have, according to their own design, are assisted by the laws of creation. There is enormous power unleashed by a simple decision. “Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson Unfortunately, many people miss the importance of the last phrase in Napoleon Hill’s first sentence in the second paragraph above, and they treat their decisions like men treat a TV remote control, constantly changing from one expectation to another. Decisions should be firm; as in the following example: “I resolve this date of (day, month, year) ________________ to do such and such and to stay the course until it is done.” Which brings us to Hill’s eighth secret of success… persistence.

On almost every page of my Prosperity Paradigm eZine, you will find a very succinct formula that I like to shorten to p3=P. It is this: purpose + passion + persistence = Prosperity. Hill says this, “Persistence is an essential factor in transmuting desire into its monetary equivalent.” He goes on to explain that desire (passion) plus the power of will (persistence) make an irresistible pair and almost always end up producing wealth. A long attention span, combined with determination, is an attribute shared by all successful people. These days most people don’t have the attention span of a gnat. They channel surf. Their opinions change from day to day. They cannot read anything longer than a USA Today article. They move from fad to fad. They change from one business opportunity to the next without ever waiting for their work to bear fruit. Thomas Edison commented that 90% of people quit 90% of the way to accomplishing their goals. These days it is 99% who quit a mere 20% of the way. Those who persist, win. Those who do not, lose. That is as true today as it was 60 years ago when Hill wrote Think and Grow Rich. It seems that the only thing that most people have the capacity to persist with is their bad habits of thinking and believing. Despite the overwhelming evidence that the way they think and what they believe is not producing the results they desire, they persist in hanging on to what does not work. Define your ideals, plan their enactment and persist in your plan and you will produce results. Desire and faith (belief) are the fuel that produces persistence. Persistence turns stumbling blocks into stepping-stones on your pathway to success. The many perceive a molehill as an insurmountable mountain blocking their path; the few choose to see a mountain in their path as an opportunity to gain a vaster perspective of their pathway forward. It is simply a matter of attitude. Purpose plus passion plus persistence equals prosperity. Calvin Coolidge said it clearly: “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” This is as succinct as I can say it… If you fail to persist, you will persist in failing.

POWER OF THE MASTER MIND

This is my favorite chapter of the entire Think and Grow Rich book. Not just because Hill stresses the importance of having a mastermind group of like-minded people, but also because he clearly explains the value of specific knowledge and that power is derived only from the direct and purposeful application of knowledge. The importance of brainstorming with like-minded individuals cannot be overstated. Work groups, executive teams, board members are all the direct recognition that the collective power of several minds working and planning together can accomplish much more than one mind alone. Two or more minds, working in harmony, produce a synergistic energy that weaves a concrete reality out of purpose, vision and determination. Harmony is not just some nicey-nice, feel-good environment. All creation is comprised of vibration. Harmonious vibrations are creative. Discordant vibrations are destructive. When you intentionally place yourself into a harmonious position, you are acting in concert with the natural laws of universal creation. The people you hang around with are a part of your mastermind team. Play close attention to the quality of thinking that your associates have. Most people prefer to hang out with those who do NOT challenge them. It is more comfortable. What do you, your friends and associates talk about? Below average people talk about other people, read People magazine and, in so doing, affirm that the activities and successes of other people are more real and more valuable than their own. Average people talk about things, events and circumstances, watch the nightly, network, nightmare news and, in so doing, affirm that the conditions of the world control their success. Above average people talk about ideas and concepts, read good books and, in so doing, affirm that their own success is dependent upon learning and applying the right ideas. Super successful people talk about their own ideals and visions, communicate about them with other super successful people, and in so doing, affirm that their success derives from their personal power to think, desire, believe and act with intent/purpose. If you had the opportunity to have a group of super successful people as your personal advisors, coaching you to become all that you were capable of becoming, and mentoring you to achieve the fulfillment of your potential, would you take it? Would you follow the advice of the people who have achieved huge levels of success, personal fulfillment and happiness in place of those who are mired in mediocrity? Would you like to have self-made millionaires on your mastermind team?