Want to Be the master of your Fate and captain of your soul?
Welcome to my series of blogs exploring the well-renowned book “Think and Grow Rich”. by Napoleon Hill
How can we control our fate and become the captain of our soul? It’s simple: Control your thoughts
What distinguishes successful people from ordinary people? Successful individuals have mastered the art of controlling their thoughts.
Thoughts: Ultimate Power
In the introduction, The author shares the inspiring story of Edwin C. Barnes who dreamed of working with Edison. With this story, author signifies the idea that if thoughts are mixed with the definiteness of purpose, persistence, and a burning desire, then they will truly transform into riches or other materialistic successes.
Many people have desires, but why don’t they turn them into reality? the answer is, that desires are not DEFINITE. To convey this author writes:
“ When a man really DESIRES a thing so deeply that he is willing to stake his entire future on a single turn of a wheel in order to get it, he is sure to win”
“When one is truly ready for a thing, it puts in its appearance”
The author emphasizes that regardless of the circumstances, your unwavering thoughts and burning desire should only intensify over time.
The Story of Barnes and Edison is an example of what one can achieve if he knows what he wants and has the determination to stand by that desire until he realizes it. Barnes overcame the most common cause of failure: the habit of quitting due to temporary setbacks.
Temporary Defeats: Steps to the Success
To convey the message of persisting despite temporary defeat, Hill tells the story of “three feet from gold.” This story is about two men: one who sold his mine and machinery thinking there was no more gold, and the other who purchased the same mine and machinery and found gold just three feet deeper. This teaches us to never quit due to temporary defeat; instead, remember the lesson of stickability.
“No” does not necessarily mean no. Hill uses the example of a little girl who persistently demanded fifty cents from a wheat mill owner. Despite his continuous refusals, she did not relent, and eventually, she got her fifty cents.
Hill also shares the story of Henry Ford and his engineers to highlight that:
“Success comes to those who become success-conscious. Failure comes to those who indifferently allow themselves to become failure-conscious.”
Be the Master and Captain of…
Now at the end of the introduction hill uses the idea “You are the master of your fate, the captain of your soul, because….” according to the author, ether, a form of energy moving at an inconceivably high rate of vibration, adapts to the nature of the thoughts we hold in our minds and influences us. This energy does not discriminate between constructive and destructive thoughts; both will manifest in reality, be it poverty or riches.
Our brain acts as a magnet, whether we want to use magnetized energy to attract riches by controlling our thoughts or to attract poverty is up to us. For learning how to use this magnetized energy, Hills teaches us the thirteen principles, explained in the upcoming chapters.
follow me to learn more about the thirteen principles in upcoming blogs.