Think And Grow Rich Is The Secret
75Think And Grow Rich, The Secret, The Law Of Attraction, Unlimited Power, prayer circles, creative visualisation, and even traditional witchcraft all have one thing in common - they tap in to the power of the human subconscious.
I have been thinking about this for a long time. In fact, I have said it several times.
I was just in the process of starting another Hub - for parents who are wrestling with their own money anxieties to such an extent that they find it hard to teach their kids the basics about money - when I realised that someone needs to explain this stuff, publicly, and really simply, without all the hype and superstition that usually surrounds it.
I looked around, and there wasn't any other volunteer ...
I can tell already that it's going to be long enough for several Hubs! But here goes.
We Don't Get Taught How A Human Being Functions
There's no manual when you get your human being.
Even if there was one, it wouldn't help much, because you don't learn to read for five or six years after you start operating your human being!
Imagine waking up one day at the wheel of a high-powered sports car - and you never learned to drive. You don't know what the dials mean, you don't know how to interpret the flood of images you see through the windscreen, and in fact it takes you a while to work out that you are in a moving object. Let alone that you are IN a moving object. Many of us go our entire lifetimes thinking we ARE the moving object.
The Human Mind
Skipping ahead to the next chapter (there is a whole book in that previous concept alone), your human being comes with a body and a mind.
The two are not independent. They are so intertwined that the workings of one intimately affect the other. I have my own piece of evidence for this - in my late 30s I discovered that I had a deep down, lifelong, mortal terror as a result of some very scary things which happened during my first three years of life, things I didn't consciously remember, and my parents never told me about until I started asking questions, thirty years later.
I attacked the fears with everything at my disposal - NLP, meditation, spiritual practices, cognitive behaviour therapy, psychotherapy, inner child work, creative visualisation, and lots of emotional exploration with close, supportive friends and family. I had some miraculous breakthroughs.
And within 18 months I was two inches taller.
Hold your fingers two inches apart (that's 5cm for you metric residents) - it's quite a lot!
It's not that my bones got bigger. At least I don't think so.
The fear I had been holding in my body had been locked in my core muscles, along my spine, pulling me downward and inward. I was literally trying to "make myself a smaller target" and "keep my head down".
I have probably saved myself a collapsed disc or something equally horrible in the future, by releasing all that tension now!
So anyway, my point is, the human mind can do things which we would consider impossible - like making a fully-grown adult two inches taller.
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So Where Does Think And Grow Rich Come In?
The fundamental truths about how to use the human mind are around in all the wisdom literature. The problem has been that the wisdom literature tends to be cluttered up with religious trappings and superstitions, and it can be hard to pick out the unvarnished truths.
Enter Napoleon Hill. In the early 20th century, he was commissioned by Anrew Carnegie to interview hundreds of the most successful businesspeople of his time, and distill the secrets of their success, so that it could be preserved for posterity. The ultimate result was the book Think And Grow Rich, and twenty years later the sequel, Masterkey To Riches.
Because the environment was business, not religion, and because the scientific attitudes of the post-Rennaisance Western world had taken hold by then, the truths about how to make things happen were less laden with baggage in Think and Grow Rich than earlier documents had been.
Not completely free of baggage, mind you - the cultural baggage of the time still rings through, particularly in the way he talks about the role of women, and in his assumptions that the social rules of his time were lasting facts of human nature.
However, the book Think and Grow Rich is still credited by more millionaires as the catalyst for their success than any other book.
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And The Secret?
Talks about the same stuff!
More culturally relevant for the 21st century, available in multimedia format, but otherwise articulating the same, time honoured wisdom that can be found in the Bible, Vedic literature, and pagan witchcraft. (The bits that actually work, the bits they have in common.)
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. (Mark 11:24-25 King James Bible)
Every human being who reaches the age of understanding of the purpose of money, wishes for it. Wishing will not bring riches. But desiring riches with a state of mind that becomes an obsession, then planning definite ways and means to acquire riches, and backing those plans with persistence which does not recognize failure, will bring riches. (Think And Grow Rich ch2)
Most authors associate the Law of Attraction with a theory that "like attracts like", usually as applied to the mental life of human beings: that individuals experience physical and mental manifestations corresponding to their predominant thoughts, feelings, words, and actions; and that they thereby have the ability to control the reality of their lives through thought alone. The principle is based on the concept that a person's thoughts (conscious and unconscious), emotions, beliefs and actions attract corresponding positive or negative experiences. This process has been described as "harmonious vibrations of the law of attraction", or "you get what you think about; your thoughts determine your experience." The phrase is closely associated with New Thought beliefs, and practices, from which its most common definition arises, but it also has a long standing (and more complex development) in other esoteric fields such as Hermeticism and Theosophy. Recently, the New Thought version was popularized (in slightly simplified form) by the 2006 film The Secret. (Wikipedia)
All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become. - Buddha
So, What Are They All Saying, Exactly?
Your mind shapes reality to a much greater extent that most of believe is possible. You can learn to harness that power and direct the creation of your own reality, manifesting into existence the things you desire.
You can also leave the power to flow where it will, in the direction of your strongest emotions, and thus manifest into existence some of what you desire, and a goodly chunk of what you fear.
The choice is yours, except nobody explains very clearly how to choose.
At least not for free.
Stay tuned to this Hub group, and I'll give it a go!
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Comments
Yes, John, the answers will not come from blindly following what someone else says, whether that someone else is a self-help guru, a minister of religion, or a daytime talk show host.
The problem with the self-help gurus is not the unproven elements of their teachings - those fall by the wayside pretty quickly when the charismatic leader gets caught with his pants down, as most of them inevitably do.
The problem is that some of what they say is actually the wisdom of the ages, proven over and over, just expressed in some fancy language. And that is the part that is actually effective.
If everything they said was hogwash they would find it much harder to gather followers.
The trick is to filter the gems from the junk heap, and you're right - the way to do that is to keep thinking for yourself and to reject anything that feels like it doesn't fit. If it sounds strange, and you can't see how it fits with other things you know to be true, then don't just give up your free will and roll along with it!
True teachers don't mind being challenged. The enlightened feel no need to convert anyone. If you are feeling pressured to conform, that's a big red flag, no matter how nice the people otherwise seem.
The Secret is based on two books, or at least that is my understanding. Think and Grow Rich (which is definately Bob Proctor's standby) and The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D Wattles. I had fun recently reading both of those books and mentally pulling them apart to see which parts were used for The Secret. It was fun to do actually. It was also very informative to go back and read the source material and make up my own mind.
I do agree on one point that both books stress, what is uppermost in your mind is what you will act on, one way or another. What both books don't really cover is the thoughts lurking in your subconsious, which are the ones that will trip you up. In a way they advocate obsessive behaviour as well.
Personally I've come to the point where I'll re-read them both and start cherry picking ideas. My main problem with The Secret is that it is so highly commerical and hyped. It's very, very smooth. It's very easy to switch off your mind and just follow and not really know what or why you're doing it, but I suppose that's the whole point of these types of presentations.
I think the ideas in Think and Grow Rich and The Science of Getting Rich can be found in many places, because human motivation has worked on the same principles for hundreds of thousands of years.
You're right that the success books of that era tend to be unbalanced - very yangy! All push and no flow. Well, it's there, if you know what to look for and you hunt for it, because the real long-term successes do access the non-rational, intuitive processes. It's just not pointed out or explained well in TAGR. Masterkey to Riches (written 20 years later, after Hill had married and had a family) does a better job.
The problem with just relying on common sense is it rarely results in greatness. If that were the case we'd all be rich, happy, emotionally fulfilled, and in great relationships. The fact is, that's normally not the case.
Can people achieve greatness without self-help gurus, sure. But learning from other's experiences and knowledge is the best way to fast track our own personal growth.
Am I saying we should blindly follow them, no. We've been given a mind and we should be using it at all times. I have many role models in my life and I take from each of them what makes sense to me.
In the end, we need these age old principles repackaged by gurus because we're obvoiusly not getting them the first time around. Repetition is the way to master a skill so if you hear the same information 5 times, all with slightly different perspectives, it may finally sink in.
Another great hub Jenny, looking forward to the series,
Craig
I agree with you, Craig, most people emerge from childhood with faulty programming, and spend the rest of their lives trying to recover! Or not.
But to break out of that trap definitely requires outside input in some form.
We are so good at staying the same, otherwise!
Jenny
Most people nowadays just want someone to solve their problems for them. We live in an era of laziness...
That seems to be the case, although I'm not sure it's any worse now than it ever has been.
Sloth wouldn't have made the Top 7 Deadly Sins List unless it was a problem at the time ... :)
Excellent Hub! Think and Grow Rich is one of my favorite books of all time.
Mine too - although I have to say I like the sequel, Masterkey To Riches, even better.
Inspirepub, this is a great hub!
I know from personal experience that these methods and philosophies work miracles. I use lessons from these constantly.
Many say that The Secret does not mention taking inspired action, but it does. You just have to listen, it's there, they say it. You didn't imply otherwise, just wanted to get that off my chest.
Jack Canfield does have some information that is step-by-step, and you can get some of his information for free. If you are interested, just let me know and I'll give you the links.
Thx for writing this, Inspirepub.
Shirley :)
Thanks for the offer, Shirley - I will never say "no" to any information in this realm! Please email me the links.
I'm with you - The Secret doesn't say "just sit there and emanate without moving and a Mack truck will arrive with your dream life aboard". Apparently there is a sequel under construction, which is all about action, coming out later this year.
This is great - as are the related hubs. I will definitely link to them in my Insight Into You series! I think it's great to explore this from all angles so people can start thinking about it and how it affects their life. To me, the law of attraction is always working... I can see that clearly now, but at first it was not very easy :o)
Yes, I think you're right, RainbowRecogniser - the more voices giving their own perspective, the better chance of any given individual finding one they can grok.
Great and informative hub. Thanks for sharing.
People are always looking at things that dont work. Saying this is a scam or that is a scam. Often people want something that will work instantly with minimal time investment.
The secret is that anything that you trully want takes work.
About a year ago I met Ryan from mindmovies and he told me what he was up to. I didn't have a look for several months as I was flat chat. When I did I was amazed at how simple it was.
It was a great way for me to put the law of attraction to work and get my team to identify a shared vision.
I have also used this myself to great success. You can see my personal mindmovie at freemindmovies.wordpress.com.
I am working on releasing a new version of think and grow rich by the end of September, which incorporates techniques such as audio and video creation exercises for people to tap into these simple secrets.
Good luck to all of you on your journey to happiness.
I think people can be too quick to say that things don't work for them, and it's just a load of rubbish. Often people are waiting to be rescued by some divine intervention but without puting any effort in themselves. The wonderful thing about practising the law of attraction is that you learn to become aware of, and grateful for relatively small things in life, not just winning the lottery.
Indeed, Kitty - it's all about where you focus your attention.
Oh man, when I saw this topic, I thought, "Wow! Somebody chose the perfect title!" You got all the keywords in there, you're going to be a popular gal. ;)
Then, I read the hub, thought it seemed familiar. Then, I read my comment from a year ago and realized why!
I am so sorry, Jenny! I don't think I sent you the links. Boy, I hope I can remember where they were. I'm going to look for them over the weekend. I've written myself a note. Sheesh!
Actually, considering how much time has passed, do you still want them? I promise, I'll come back and check for your answer! This is so embarrassing.
There is a lot more behind the law of attraction than first meets the eye. I am glad that you recognize that. "The Secret" movie put things too simplistically. I've been working on helping others clear their negative beliefs. Negative beliefs in the subconscious can hinder the manifestation of intents.
Sure, Shirley, post the links here - I'm sure others will be interested, too.
Yes, Evelyn, this stuff takes a lifetime of study and practice - but then, who'd want to spend their life doing anything else, anyway?
Will do, Jenny! It's on my list (finding them, I mean) this weekend!
I just realized that the very first comment here is from a man named John Curtis. The same Dr. John Curtis made similar remarks on a blog of mine, only with a bit more anger. Hope he's okay, that's a lot of resistance. :)
Free LOA stuff
Bob Proctor's Daily Insights: http://www.bobproctor.com/insights.asp?CID=-1
Free copy of Think and Grow Rich: http://think-and-grow-rich-ebook.com/
Free copy of As A Man Thinketh: http://www.asamanthinketh.net/download.htm
Steve Martile's Blog - this young man has a great LOA blog. Ignore the marketing stuff if you want, but I recommend the post regarding the Appreciation Sob (Accelerating the Law of Attraction) http://www.freedomeducation.ca/2007/08/16/accelera
Sorry Jenny, but I can't even remember what links that I intended to share a year ago. I have a copy of Think & Grow Rich, and had As A Man Thinketh. I don't remember where I got them from, so I just did a search and found these.
Hope they help.
Shirley
This 'game' is played daily. You are given an increasing amount of virtual money that you HAVE to spend. It helps you release your resistence.
The Prosperity Game: http://www.choosingprosperity.com/game/
Thanks for all the great links, Shirley. I love "As A Man Thinketh" - the use of language makes the message sound almost Biblical. It's a tiny litte book that can sustain months of study and reflection.
Great stuff Inspirehub and really enjoyed reading your experiences.
It's a shame to see some take issue with what you say. From my perspective I think the problem is we have become and instant gratification society. Therefore, everyone expects an instant solution. A $37 eBook and to be a millionaire next week.
As has been pointed out it takes effort and too many people are not prepared to put in that effort becaus ethey expect the "free lunch".
Think and Grow Rich was my starting point, but I had to read it a good few times before I got the message! I then had to research further and understand the psycology behind it. The bottom line is the drive comes from within with the adoption of a goal driven benevolent philosophy!
Regards the understanding money side of things, can I suggest "The Richest Man in Babylon" by George C Classon, full review on my Hub "Do You Have the Millionaire Mentality", which is here http://hubpages.com/hub/Millionaire-Mentality
I hope I didn't break any rules there :>)
Thanks again for a great hub
Cheers
Derek
John Curtis says:
2 years ago
The Secret is the latest and by far the worst example of a HIGHLY profitable trend where self-help gurus with fabricated new age titles and little relevant education, credentials or legitimate expertise brainwash us into believing that they know what is best for us, our marriages and our families. Often their only contribution to society is introducing some exotic sounding, new age philosophy. However, they often cleverly form an incestuous group of like-minded “experts” who cross-promote each other by swearing their success is due to following the beliefs of another member of their “cult!” All the while, they ply the airwaves jockeying for an ever-larger audience by appearing in the national media to garner third-party endorsements. The Self-Help Movement has become the Self-Destruct Movement by diminishing or destroying our critical thinking skills to choose and evolve on our own. We have given up the freedom to build healthy lives, marriages and families based on our unique history and life experience. Instead many victims, blinded to the value of their own life experiences, are attracted to the latest secret in self-help, in an attempt to find out what they should think, feel and how they should act... this is the definition of a cult.The solution is a return to our (common) senses! The best way out of this learned “self-helplessness” is to go cold turkey. Stop following ALL self-help gurus now. Begin, instead, to reclaim your natural, God-given ability to think for yourself. The common sense that was once readily available to all of us is still there free of charge and waiting to be applied to just about any challenge we might face in life… all you have to do is use it.Please, let's all work together to stop the flock of "sheepeople" who blindly move from one UNPROVEN concept to the next, looking for the answers to life's challenges that you already possess and that is the OBVIOUS!