WELCOME

WELCOME!—to a great new world of achievement, wealth and happiness! You are going into action—action that makes big money—action that leads from success to success, onward and upward to the golden goal of your dearest dreams!

First of all, you are going to read THINK AND GROW RICH, one of the best-selling books of all time. You are going to see why more than seven million men and women have read this amazing, inspiring book. You are going to discover why W. Clement Stone, President of Combined Insurance Company of America, has this to say about THINK AND GROW RICH: "More men and women have been motivated to achieve success because of reading THINK AND GROW RICH than by any other book written by a living author." And you will see why letters have poured in from all over the world to thank and bless its author, Dr. Napoleon Hill, for revealing a method that can pour riches into any life as though from a bottomless treasure chest.

Or, if you already have read THINK AND GROW RICH, you are going to reread this great book with a new technique that displays riches you did not see before!

Also, while you explore Napoleon Hill's straightforward method for getting rich by applying the powers of your mind, you will be making this method personally yours. You see, the book itself— THINK AND GROW RICH—is a sure guide to great riches for any man who believes in his own ability. But the ACTION MANUAL you now hold in your hand makes the book into a personal guide for you. Every step of the way, this ACTION MANUAL keys Napoleon Hill's great method to YOUR hopes, YOUR dreams, YOUR fortune, YOUR far-reaching ambitions. The ACTION MANUAL is keyed page by page to THINK AND GROW RICH.

TOP

297

Some Reminders Before We Begin

Your success is based on your motivation for success.

All the reading in the world will not make you successful unless you want success and think success. Above all, it is necessary to think. No one else can think about your success as well as you can. No one else can think for YOU!

Specifically, you must question, consider and reflect on what you read . . . you must make inferences and use your judgment . . . you must use your imagination and your visualizing power, and see yourself when you are reading about great success that came to another man.

You, and only you, must conceive ideas and make plans as you read and think . . . must seek the means to win specific ends . . . and never forget that the improbable is always possible, and more and more possible as you wish to make it so!

Also remember: you don't act on the basis of reason alone . . . you have feelings, emotions, instincts, habits and other personal forces that you take in hand, direct and control with mighty power when all your motivations are working for you and never against you.

As Napoleon Hill says: "Riches begin with a state of mind." Are you ready for riches? Then we are ready to begin. Your steady progress toward a richer life, a happier life, a far more successful life begins right now.

First of all, equip yourself for this grand adventure into your own mind and this grand unfolding of your own mighty hidden success forces. In addition to the book itself, THINK AND GROW RICH, and this ACTION MANUAL, be sure you always have a pen or pencil ready at hand, and a package of 3 x 5 file cards.

Make sure you have a quiet spot where you can sit alone with THINK AND GROW RICH and this ACTION MANUAL at the same time every day. Half an hour a day will do it. Four or five days a week will suffice—but make it the same time every day. Let your family know this is your time for applying yourself to building the sturdy foundations of your success—for your own sake and for theirs. And do not merely tell them; show them you mean it as well. Everyone who shares your life must realize that you take this matter seriously, that you aren't "kidding around" in your drive toward success.

298

Each day, before you begin work on a new success principle, take a few minutes to review and inspect the points you have already covered to make sure you have completely absorbed and understood what has gone before. In other words, you must not only expect to make progress toward achieving desired results, you must also inspect to make sure you are on the right road to that achievement.

As W. Clement Stone has said, using this method you can "... work yourself into a white heat of desire for the achievement of the goals that will help you attain wealth and the true riches of life." When this happens to you, then, quickly and surely, watch your desires and dreams turn into solid reality.

TOP

Your First ACTION

You want to give yourself a kind of mental road map—a preview of where you are going and a firm indication of the "landmarks" on your journey.

Turn to the THINK AND GROW RICH Table of Contents, beginning on page 1. (All page numbers and similar references are keyed to the INSTANT-AID edition.)

Pick up your pen or pencil, and go through the entire Table of Contents. Underline any word or phrase that seems to touch you "where you live." This not only helps to set a "mental road map" of the book in your mind, but also it begins to give you priceless insight into yourself. No two men will be equally attracted or challenged by the same words or phrases.

Here is how one man underlined the first section of the Contents —Thoughts Are Things:

        Edison Looked into His Face . . .
        Opportunity Came by the Back Door . . .
        The Man Who Quit Too Soon . . .
               Success with One Step Beyond Defeat . . .
        The Child Who Mastered a Man . . .
        The "Yes" Behind the "No" . . .
        With One Sound Idea You Achieve Success . . .
        "I Want It and I'll Have It" . . .
        A Poet Saw the Truth . . .
        A Young Man Sees His Destiny

Here is how another man underlined his own choice in the same section.

299

        Edison Looked into His Face . . . Opportunity
        Came by the Back Door . . . The Man Who Quit Too
     Soon . . . Success with One Step Beyond Defeat ...
     The Child Who Mastered a Man . . . The "Yes"
        Behind the "No" . . . With One Sound Idea You
        Achieve Success ... '7 Want It and I'll Have It"...
     A Poet Saw the Truth . . . A Young Man Sees His
     Destiny

After you have done this, go through the book, just flipping pages. Read the chapter titles and the subheads (in bold-face type). If you feel impelled to check or underline any chapter title or any subhead, do so without hesitation. Many of us have been brought up with the idea that one should not make marks in books—but this is no ordinary book! It is strongly and personally yours to keep as a lifelong guide, and the more marks you make in it, the more notes you make in the margins, the more powerfully will it do its great work for you.

TOP

Your Second ACTION

Read "A Word from the Publisher" on page 6 and the Preface on page 9. Keep your pen in your hand and keep on underlining and checking.

Now Pause and Think

Already you know a good deal about THINK AND GROW RICH. You know why its title fits it so well. You understand that THINK AND GROW RICH is based on one great idea, a secret that will seem to jump from the pages and stand boldly before you when you are ready for it.

You saw clearly that Napoleon Hill presents 13 steps toward riches and that every one of these steps is connected with every other . . . just as every part of a man's life is connected with every other part.

And you realize that the cost of THINK AND GROW RICH and this ACTION MANUAL together may be a thousandth or a ten-thousandth part of the extra riches they can bring you within the space of one year!

TOP

Your Third ACTION

Read THINK AND GROW RICH. This, however, will be a very special kind of reading.

300

Chapter by chapter, this ACTION MANUAL is to be your guide. It will give you tested directions—directions that have proved over and over they bring results.

Chapter by chapter, then, read according to the directions in this ACTION MANUAL. And take specific action, here and there, according to the directions in the ACTION MANUAL.

Underline

All through the book, underline (or check) any words or sentences or passages that are especially significant to you.

Many men add extra slips of paper to the book, taped or stapled in at the pages where they apply. Thus you are able to add your own extended comments, your own stories that prove a point, anything that YOU know is useful to YOU.

At the same time, you will be making notes in the ACTION MANUAL itself. Space has been left at the back of the Manual for your notes, and you will find suggestions as to the kind of personalized (and confidential) notes to make.

Now you are ready to dig in. Take as much time as necessary. Think as you read. Read as you think.

TOP

Read Thoughts Are Things, beginning on page 16 in THINK AND GROW RICH.

Read the chapter up through the two paragraphs at the top of page 31, but do not read "Points to Pin Down" on that page—we'll come back to it. Underline, check, annotate as you read, and add extra sheets of notes if you wish. Don't "let the book do all the talking." You can and should set down, right in the book, what you think, how you react to this material.

As you read, you notice the several subheads you underlined before, in your pre-reading. Now, as you see these subheads a second time around, you may change your mind about the ones you wish to emphasize. Change your mind if you wish. It is really your point of view that is changing. You may want to use a red pencil for the second-time-around underlining. And you are now also underlining within the text itself—any word, any phrase, any section that hits home to YOU.

Now you know that "thoughts are things" in that they are inseparably connected with definite, constructive action; and thought

301

must precede action. You saw how the thought of success-^success in a very special area that appealed to him—took hold of Edwin C. Barnes, so that even his lack of money and his tramp like appearance did not stop him. You saw how the opposite kind of thought—a thought of failure—made a man named Darby lose untold riches in solid gold. And again, you now understand and appreciate that great little story about the child who conquered a man and got her fifty cents. You are beginning to understand what it really means to concentrate on a single goal.

You stopped reading partway down page 31. Good. Before you read the rest of page 31—right now—use one of the note pages in this manual and write a short summary of the main points in the chapter. Don't try to outguess the book's author. Write what YOU consider to be the main points in this chapter, but be brief; do it in a hundred words or so. Do it neatly, and label it plainly: My Points to Pin Down—See Page 31.

Bear in mind that there is no right and no wrong to be considered when you underline parts of THINK AND GROW RICH, when you add your own notes, or when you write your own Points to Pin Down. For example, one man wrote in regard to the Darby story: Mining is a risky venture. Another wrote: When you need expert advice, get it, so that any decision you make can be based on expert knowledge. Both are right. To compare the different points of view, however, is very interesting. To compare your own interpretation with these other interpretations of the Darby story (if you included it as a main point) also should be very interesting.

When you have finished your own Points to Pin Down, and only then, read Dr. Hill's Points on page 31. Notice where you agreed with him and where you disagreed. Notice what you put in that he left out, and vice versa. If you disagreed flatly with any statement, think about it. Do not consider that you are wrong, but think about it.

Now set aside your own Points to Pin Down and take up Dr. Hill's Points. Basing yourself on those points, go through a very interesting and rewarding procedure: turn each point into a question addressed to yourself.

In order to do this, make full use of those ancient servants of the inquiring mind, the question-words WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, and HOW. For example, you could ask yourself:

WHEN and WHERE did / overcome a great obstacle because I had a burning desire to reach a goal?

302

HOW did it turn out? WHAT was the eventual outcome? Or—

WHO has benefited from my ability to transmit my faith to others?

These may not be the right questions for you. Find your own. As you search for questions to ask, questions keyed to specific points of success, you search within yourself and stir up old memories of success, reward, coordinate effort.

Most of us win more victories in our lives than we generally remember. That is because the victories are often scattered, and they may have no long-term effects to help us remember them. But when you search back in your life, you begin to stir up all kinds of success-memories. You realize there have been many times when you exerted power over yourself, over your career, over events, over the minds and hearts of other people. Well, sir, you are still the same person! You are now proceeding to focus the forces that make men rich.

Now take special notice of Napoleon Hill's key thought: When you begin to think and grow rich, you will observe that riches themselves begin with the feeling that barriers have been swept aside, the inward surety that you are ON YOUR WAY toward being rich.

When you are ready to go back to the book. . . .

TOP

Read Step I Toward Riches: Desire, page 32.

Read through the top lines of page 49, but do not read the Points to Pin Down section for the time being. Underline as you read, and make copious notes in the margins or separate sheets you attach to the book.

Again, as you read, you will notice the subheads you underlined in your pre-reading, and you may change some of the points you now wish to emphasize.

You have read that Edwin C. Barnes gave himself no way to retreat, so he had to go forward. You have read six steps that turn desires into gold, and you have read of many men who put desire behind their dreams and made those dreams magnificently come true. You realize that many who succeed get off to a bad start, but they keep going.

303

You have read a twelve-line poem that it will pay you to read again, and yet again, and think about. And you have read the story of Napoleon Hill's son, who "could not hear," until desire and persistence broke through the barrier.

Now, without looking back at the book, take this little test on Dr. Hill's famous Six Steps That Turn Desire into Gold. The test requires you to fill in the missing letters so that you complete the missing word or words. Fill it in right here:

SIX STEPS THAT TURN DESIRE INTO GOLD

1. Fix in your mind the et at of money you desire.

2. Determine exactly what you intend to g in return for the
m you desire.

3. Establish a definite d by which you intend to possess that
amount of m.

4. Create a definite pfor carrying out your desire, and begin
a o.

5. Write out a stt of the amount of m
   you intend to acquire, name the t 1,
   state what you intend to g in return for the money,
   and describe clearly the pthrough which you intend to
   accumulate the m.

6. Read your written statement aloud te dy,
   once just before retiring at night, and once after arising in
   the morning. As you read, s and f yourself
   already in possession of the m.

The sixth point brings up a question: What should you do when you are given instructions in the book itself, in THINK AND GROW RICH rather than in the ACTION MANUAL?

In such a case, follow Dr. Hill's instructions unless the ACTION MANUAL says otherwise. So, by all means, follow the instructions given at step 6, page 36 in THINK AND GROW RICH. The instructions given at step 6, page 36, lead you to perform one of the most important actions of your life.

Here again is the poem you read on page 41.

I bargained with Life for a penny,
And Life would pay no more,
However I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty store.

For Life is a just employer,
He gives you what you ask,
But once you have set the wages,
Why, you must bear the task.

I worked for a menial's hire,
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life,
Life would have willingly paid.

304

The next step is to prepare your own Points to Pin Down for this chapter, as you did for the chapter before. Be brief. See how much "meat" you can crowd into a few words. It is good practice! Remember, do not attempt to choose important points as you believe Dr. Hill would choose them. Choose points that are important to YOU. Say them in your own words. Write your Points to Pin Down on the note pages.

When you are finished with your own Points, read Dr. Hill's Points for the same chapter on page 49. Consider, as you did before, where you agreed, where you disagreed, what you left out as compared with what Dr. Hill put in. Think about this.

Then take those useful words that lead you into questions, WHO, WHY, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, and HOW. Transform the points on page 49 into questions you ask of yourself; questions that you will try your darnest to answer. You will notice some overlap with points made in the previous chapter; this is purposely done to reinforce your knowledge and to help you search all the more strongly and confidently within the maze of memories and abilities and submerged talents that is YOU.

Make at least two questions bear on the Six Steps. Make at least one question bear on the twelve-line poem that has stirred many a man to set a high price upon his services, deliver what he promises and live joyously, handsomely.

"Tune yourself in" to that poem. Many times in your life, however briefly, you have acted as though you expected life to treat you like a prince. Remember those times. Know that was YOU and this still is the same YOU. The feeling will return, and with it, first in flashes, then in periods of hours, then continuing through weeks and years, will return the confidence that goes with the feeling.

Take special notice of this key thought: Nobody is ready to receive wealth until he BELIEVES he can acquire it and he IS acquiring it. The state of mind must be BELIEF, not mere hope or wishful thinking.

305

When you have done justice to this chapter, when you know you have its mighty lesson well in hand, go back to the book. . . .

TOP

Read Step 2 Toward Riches: Faith, page 50.

Read at your own pace, read with attention, read with a pencil in your hand to the end of page 70. Do not yet read "Points to Pin Down" on page 71. Underline words, phrases. Bracket whole paragraphs boldly when you feel they are talking to YOU. Change any emphasis you applied in your pre-reading, if you take a different viewpoint now.

You have read about faith, the head chemist of the mind that blends your thoughts with a powerful spiritual catalyst that gives them many times their former power. Faith merely waits for you to find it; it is not a gift that is available only to a fortunate few. A method of giving orders to your subconscious mind, which you will learn soon, is a tested way to develop faith, and a way to use faith to translate your thoughts into their physical counterparts.

To transform thoughts of wealth into solid wealth—to transform thoughts of a fully rewarding life into the actual thrill of living that life—cast aside any belief in luck. Do not believe in "good" luck— it is only the manifestation of rewards well earned. Do not believe in "bad" luck—it is poverty and failure attracted by negative belief, attracted often because the subconscious mind really wants it.

In this chapter you went on to discover the magnetic force of the emotions; how they attract similar or related thoughts (of vast aid in making plans and forming campaigns of action). You read five steps to self-confidence, and I am sure you noted how the fourth step reminds you again of the importance of writing your description of your definite chief aim in life.

Now head a Note Page: Five Steps to Self-confidence, told in my own words. Go through Dr. Hill's five steps, beginning on page 56 in THINK AND GROW RICH. Write each point in your own words. Write for yourself; nobody else ever has to see this ACTION MANUAL—nor your own personalized, annotated copy of THINK AND GROW RICH.

This chapter contains another short poem you should have in your ACTION MANUAL. Here it is:

306

If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you like to win, but you think you can't,
It is almost certain you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you're lost,
For out of the world we find,
Success begins with a fellow's will—
It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed,
you are, You've got to think high to rise,
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

Life's battles don't always go To the stronger or faster man, But soon or late the man who wins Is the man WHO THINKS HE CAN!

Also in this chapter you read the great story of Abraham Lincoln, who was "a failure at everything he tried," yet gloriously succeeded. Yes, in this book about riches, you read about the power of love . . . and I hope you realized there is a strong connection. And finally there was the story of Charles M. Schwab, and the far-reaching results of an after-dinner speech, to show you that a man's riches begin inside the man.

Now write your own Points to Pin Down for this chapter. You need not choose any points from the Charles Schwab story. Take time to be brief!

When you have written your own Points, compare them to Dr. Hill's on page 71.

Compare. Think.

Use WHO, WHY, WHEN, WHERE, WHAT and HOW to turn Dr. Hill's Points into questions. Pin at least two pointed, personal questions on the Five Steps to Self-confidence. Self-confidence with WHOM, self-confidence WHY, self-confidence WHERE and WHEN and HOW.

Take note of this key statement: Whatever one repeats to one's self, whether it be true or false, is what you come to believe and what you come to be. Also remember it in Ralph Waldo Emerson's words: A man is what he thinks of all day.

307

TOP

Read Step 3 Toward Riches: Autosuggestion,

When you understand Step 2 Toward Riches, go back to the book. . . .
Read this chapter through to the end of page 80, and save "Points to Pin Down," on page 81, till later. You know the processes by which you stir up your own hidden powers while you make the book yours:

underline

check

bracket

add your own notes

Any or all of these! And change any emphasis that seems to need changing.

As you have read, the subconscious mind resembles a fertile garden. But weeds will grow in a fertile garden unless you take care to sow the seeds of more desirable crops. You sow thought-seeds through the power of autosuggestion.

The subconscious mind takes any orders given it in a spirit of absolute faith and acts upon those orders. But the orders must be made to sink in—to take root—by being repeated over and over.

Make your subconscious mind believe that you must have the amount of money you have visualized, that this money is already awaiting your claim. Soon you get rid of all self-consciousness. (Some men don't get rich because they never form the subconscious belief that money belongs in their pockets.) See yourself making money, rendering the service or delivering the merchandise that gets you the money.

You read the three steps of autosuggestion that help you give invincible orders to your own subconscious mind. You see how they blend with the six steps given in the second chapter. Without looking back at the three steps of autosuggestion, take this short quiz; check Yes or No for each question.

308

Should your written statement give you an "out," that is, should it say you will have the amount of money you desire only if "all goes well" or something of the sort?	()Yes ()No
Should your written statement include a definite date by which you are going to have your money?	()Yes ()No
In order to obtain the money you want, will you depend on winning a lottery?	()Yes ()No
Will you obtain your sum of money by giving service or merchandise to your fellowmen?	()Yes ()No
Should you refrain from writing down your statement if you are sure you can memorize it?	()Yes ()No

TOP

The correct answers are, in order: No—Yes—No—Yes—No. If you had any answer wrong, read this chapter and Chapter Two once more.

Now write your own Points to Pin Down for this short but significant chapter. Then read Dr. Hill's Points on page 81, and compare yours with his. Take time to think. Take time to read back if necessary.

Ask WHAT? WHERE? WHY? WHEN? WHO? HOW? Most especially, think back on times you missed opportunities because you waited too long to get going. And—MUCH MORE IMPORTANT—think back on times when you got going without a quibble and achieved a breakthrough.

Read carefully, understand, remember this main point: Nature has so built man that he has absolute control over the commands which reach his subconscious mind.

When you have given this chapter its full due, go back to the book. . . .

TOP

Read Step 4 Toward Riches: Specialized Knowledge, page 82.

Read with a pencil in your hand, annotating and checking with an eye toward what seems significant to YOU. The process should be clear by now. Also you should be aware of certain patterns in your choice of what is significant. Of course there are patterns; the pattern is part of YOU.

309

In this chapter you master a point that many men miss; all knowledge is potential power but general knowledge has to be organized, backed up with specialized knowledge and definite plans of action.

You see once and for all that school learning is only one source of education. Probably you got a chuckle out of Dr. Hill's own story of the lesson he learned when he wanted to drop a correspondence course he had begun. You have an idea of the pains that can be taken in finding the right job.

Answer Yes or No:

Will a self-made man, who has had little formal education, always make more money than a well-educated man? ( )Yes ( )No

If you answered Yes, read the chapter again. The point of this chapter is not that it is better to be educated nor that it is better not to be educated. The point is that you should get the knowledge you need and use it with definite direction.

Long after a man has stopped going to school as a part of compulsory public education, he can educate himself privately and effectively. The self-discipline one receives from a definite program of specialized study makes up to some extent for the knowledge you did not appreciate when you got it without cost. You may be better off in the end because you are learning as an adult and you are learning exactly what you want to learn—as part of your written plan to make a definite amount of money in a definite way.

Read again the five sources of knowledge listed by Dr. Hill on page 86. Ask yourself how many you have used, or are using. The blueprint given in this chapter can start you ten years ahead in any job.

Write your own brief Points to Pin Down.

Compare your Points with Dr. Hill's, page 99. And think.

Ask yourself insistent questions based on page 99. Now you can branch out from the strictly personal question. For example, instead of asking only: WHEN did I profit from education I gained from experience, you may ask: WHO among my friends has profited by education gained from experience, and HOW? You branch out from your own life-experience and look for lessons in the lives of others.

310

Bear strongly in mind this key statement: The "missing link" in education often is the failure of teachers to show students how to organize and use their knowledge.

When you feel you are ready, go back to the book. . . .

TOP

Read Step 5 Toward Riches: Imagination,

page 100.

With your pencil in your hand, read this chapter through to the middle of page 113.

Imagination, you now understand, can be synthetic or it can be creative. Both kinds work for you, each in its own way. Man's only limitation, within reason, lies in his development and use of his imagination. And through our imagination, through our thought-impulses sparked with imagination, we connect our own minds with the energy that moves the universe; we make it possible for ourselves to go right along with universal, immutable laws that are of incalculable aid in building a worthy life and a fortune.

The story of Coca-Cola—from a mixture stirred in an iron kettle to a vast world-ranging enterprise—showed you what can happen when Idea meets Desire and a man goes into action. The story of the philosopher-preacher who asked for—and got—a million dollars is further proof of the mighty power of visualization. You see in this chapter and in many other places in THINK AND GROW RICH that behind every "good break" lies something more; and that the mind of every man is capable of commanding that same ineluctable force; that omnipresent something.

When you have read this chapter—when you have emphasized parts of it that seem to you to stand out above the others—write your own Points to Pin Down.

Compare your Points with Dr. Hill's on page 113.

Have you any serious conflict with Dr. Hill's opinion? Always pause to think about this, and to know the conflict, if any—which involves knowing yourself.

Use Dr. Hill's Points to spark questions. Let your questions range widely, let them be anything that the points suggest, as long as you find an answer for each question.

Hold this thought: All the "breaks" you need in life wait within your imagination.

311

When you have absorbed all the ideas in this chapter—it's a short chapter packed with ideas—and have taken note of the important directions it gives, you are ready for the next chapter. Go back to the book. . . .

TOP

Read Step 6 Toward Riches: Organized Planning,

page 114.

This is a long chapter, it was planned that way, to nail down much that has been discussed so far. We will proceed somewhat differently in learning the vital lessons of this chapter on Organized Planning.

Again with a pencil in your hand, underlining and checking and annotating as you go, read to the beginning of the quiz on page 144. You glanced at this in pre-reading; do not read the quiz now, but skip it and continue to the bottom of page 154. Stop there.

The chapter began by explaining the principle of the Master-Mind alliance. This highly important principle will be dealt with again when you reach Step 9 Toward Riches. Meanwhile you are assured that "No individual has sufficient experience, education, native ability, and knowledge to assure the accumulation of a great fortune without the cooperation of other people."

This statement takes nothing away from the essential independence of the individual in finding his own best way toward wealth. But it does recognize that we all share the world.

Defeat? What is it? Make it a means of becoming stronger. Defeat is a signal to try again, not to give up. If your conception of defeat is that of a signal that says The End, you are not making correct use of experience. A quitter never wins. A winner never quits.

On page 119 you read the "Eleven Secrets of Leadership." Pause at this page, read each secret again, carefully. Think. Then rate yourself right here on each of those eleven vital factors that make a man a leader. Rate yourself from 1 to 5. If you rated yourself "1" on self-control, for example, that would mean you have practically no self-control. A rating of "5" would mean your self-control is just about perfect. Make each rating carefully; remember, you are building here a very personal picture of yourself and a very personal guide toward YOUR success. Remember that in future years you will be checking back on your notes and ratings again and again.

312

TOP

UNWAVERING COURAGE	1 2 3 4 5
SELF-CONTROL
A KEEN SENSE OF JUSTICE
DEFINITENESS OF DECISION
DEFINITENESS OF PLANS
THE HABIT OF DOING MORE THAN PAID FOR
A PLEASING PERSONALITY SYMPATHY AND UNDERSTANDING MASTERY OF DETAIL
WILLINGNESS TO ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY
COOPERATION

You also read the remarks listed under ten categories beginning on page 121: "Why Leaders Fail." Now go through each of those items again, reading both the item (such as Inability to Organize Details) and the comments made by Dr. Hill. Then, in each case, stop and think. Ask yourself: Does this apply to me? Get an answer before you read the next item. Get a coldly honest answer—personal, private, confidential—drawn from your deepest being.

Then when you have finished the list, come back to the first item again. This time, item by item, change every negative into a positive. Thus, inability to organize details becomes—firmly stated in your own mind—"I can and I do take the time and effort needed in order to classify and arrange duties or objects or time or whatever else needs to be organized."

Use your own words; speak for YOURSELF.

The material beginning on page 125, "Five Ways to Get a Good Job," may not apply to you. Scan it nevertheless, since a man who has qualities of leadership often helps others find jobs. For the same reason, the directions on preparing a resume should be read with care.

313

The same applies to the seven steps outlined on page 131, on finding a job you like to do. You may have the job you like to do, but you always can help someone else find his own best job. Or you can see—by applying the criteria of those seven points—that someone you work with needs the advice—or someone you work for is making it impossible for you to make your job the right job. The right job for YOU is a vastly important factor in your life. Everyone who works, everyone who employs others should take special note of item 5: Concentrate on what you can give. This factor alone has been a major key to success for many a man.

Tie this in with the "QQS" formula, page 134. Note, just below it, the mention of Andrew Carnegie's insistence on working with men who worked in a spirit of harmony. Henry Ford also—among many other successful men who employed thousands of others— saw the value of harmonious personal relations. He said he would pay more for the ability to handle men than he would pay for any other ability. Charles M. Schwab was famous for his ability to command.

Beginning on page 136, you read Dr. Hill's list of Thirty-one Ways to Fail. Dr. Hill recommends: "As you go over the list, check yourself by it point by point for the purpose of discovering how many of these causes of failure stand between you and success." Do this. And do more: Take each of those headings—Unfavorable Hereditary Background, Lack of a Well-Defined Purpose in Life, and so forth—and write it where it belongs, under one of the two following headings. Make two lists. Do it here.

Applies to me Does not apply to me

314

Applies to me Does not apply to me

Do this thoughtfully. When you have finished, take each of the items you wrote under Applies to me, and break down that list into two smaller lists, as follows:

can do something about it I cannot do anything about it

But—before you set down any item under / cannot do anything about it, challenge yourself. Say: "Now, I've simply got to do something about this," and your former resignation can change in that moment to resolution. As with many another man, when you are about to write a feature of YOURSELF under / cannot do anything about it, the statement "sticks in your craw." And suddenly you bang your fist on the table and say, "Who says I can't!" As Dr. Hill points out, there are very, very few insurmountable obstacles. Life is filled with roads to success that bypass obstacles, rise and soar over obstacles, crash through obstacles.

315

Page 144 begins a list of Twenty-eight Very Personal Questions. Some of them can be answered with a Yes or a No. Number 28 takes a bit of work—but every minute you spend in answering that question rightly may be worth a thousand dollars to you. (This question was purposely made rather broad; for example, it forces you to isolate the fundamental principles of success, and you may even go through the entire volume again in order to make sure you know them.)

Answer every one of the twenty-eight questions. Jot your short answers right there in the margins. Where you may have a long answer, write it out separately and staple or tape it into the book.

Make sure you read and digest the text of this chapter as well as its lists and its questionnaire. Since in "processing" this chapter you certainly dwelt on its main points, you need not, in this case, write any Points to Pin Down. Read Dr. Hill's on page 155 and make sure you see their significance.

Hold hard to this key thought: Money cannot move, think or talk; but it can "hear" when a man who desires it calls it to come!

Now go back to the book. . . .

TOP

Read Step 7 Toward Riches: Decision, page 156.

Since we are now midway through the 13 steps toward riches, you know the process used in finding the key points of any chapter in THINK AND GROW RICH and burning those points into your own mind. From now on I shall only remind you to process a chapter, and shall use other brief instructions you have learned how to extend.

The heart of this short chapter is the story of the Declaration of Independence. Read this story with care. It is a far more deep-reaching, psychologically significant true story than many men ever know.

Note especially, on page 167, how this story reflects at least six of the principles you master in THINK AND GROW RICH.

What does Decision mean to you? Can you recognize decision in yourself? Can you recognize it in others? Can you see and remember the lessons you learn in observing others as well as yourself?

Make a list down the left-hand side of this page, of ten people you know who are either notably decisive or notably indecisive.

316

	Names	Decisive	Indecisive	Successful	Unsuccessful
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

After you have made the list, go back and check each person as being either successful or unsuccessful. Apply the terms within their particularized context; that is, a successful housewife is a successful person, whereas an unsuccessful man who may handle more money in a day than she does in a year is still unsuccessful.

You will certainly see how often DECISIVE coincides with SUCCESSFUL. You can't help but find it. That is the way it is!

Now process the Points to Pin Down—your own—Dr. Hill's— questions you yourself create—as you have done before.

Bear firmly and vividly in mind this key thought: Every powerful man has within himself his own power.

When you are ready, go back to the book. . . .

TOP

Read Step 8 Toward Riches: Persistence,

page 170.

Process the main points in this chapter, as far as the top paragraph on page 189.

You can see that persistence and decision go hand in hand; the decision is inherently weak if the decider does not persist, follow through, even to the extent of finding out absolutely he is wrong; but even then the mind has been strong and the ways of decision remain clear and firm, to be found again.

317

Several times in THINK AND GROW RICH you come back to a consideration of money consciousness. Note that poverty is attracted to the one whose mind is favorable for it, as money is attracted to him whose mind has been deliberately prepared to attract it And: Poverty consciousness will develop without conscious application of habits favorable to it. And remember always; you are governed by your SUBconscious; your conscious is only the effectuating agent for your subconscious "boss," but, consciously, you can send commands down to your subconscious mind till they take hold and "feed back."

The story of Fannie Hurst and the story of Kate Smith are grand lessons in persistence. On page 177, you must have rioted eight major attitudes that stand behind persistence. Read them again, then come back to this page and fill in the missing words or letters in the short quiz below:

Persistence is based largely upon:

Des of pse

Sf-re

Ate ke

W-pr

Dee

De of ns

Con

The Persistence Inventory, which begins on page 178, should present you with nothing you have not read before. Read it carefully, again. If any point does seem new or unfamiliar, go back and re-read Chapters One, Two, Six, and Seven. Make sure you have absorbed every item in THINK AND GROW RICH; let the checklist help you,

Read the story of Mohammed carefully. Like the story of the Declaration of Independence, it is filled with hidden meanings. Take hold of its mystical elements and reduce them to practical terms; find parallels in your own life, if possible, although those parallels may have to do with workaday problems, the opposition of businessmen,, and suchlike familiar events. Then go back and

318

ask yourself: Where has FAITH entered MY life? Don't think of religion as such; think of FAITH in its overall meaning.

Then take note of the content of the third paragraph on page 186: "As one makes an impartial study of the prophets, philosophers, miracle men, and religious leaders of the past, one is drawn to the inevitable conclusion that persistence, concentration of effort, and definiteness of purpose were the major sources of their achievements."

Now write out at least five instances in which you have shown money consciousness; or, if you can find none, write, out instances of money consciousness in people you know, And in doing this, bold hard to a definition of money consciousness that is rooted m fakh in one's self.

You see, the term "money consciousness'' is easily misunderstood. You are not looking for miserliness—an overwhelming consciousness of little more than hoarded money. You are not looking, either, for the kind of outlook that measures everything, every value of human existence, in terms of money. You are looking for —and, I hope, finding—money consciousness of a kind ih&i bespeaks your inward faith in yourself as a man who can earn substantial amounts of money, who will earn that money, who^w earning that money,

Take care of Points !.o Fin Down. Do it well. You may consider your instances of money consciousness as part of your Points.

Remember: Weak desires bring weak results, and Anyone can learn persistence.

When you have done all this well and truly, go back to tfae book., . . ..

TOP

Read Step 9 Toward Riches: Power of the Master Mind, page 190.

With your pencil, in hastd (as though i have to remind you!) process this chapter through page 198.

This chapter refreshes and strengthens your knowledge as to the wonderful ways m which one mind can hejp another. Now you see the almost-limitless extension of this principle that has been so profitable for so many.

You see that a man in Andrew Carnegie's position had a eon-suiting staff of about fifty. You yourself may work wonders of

319

transformation in your own life with the aid of hah^{5 a
dozen friends, or even just three or four.}

We have planned the ACTION MANUAL to include further details of using the Master-Mind principle. Here is your blueprint:

1. Begin with just two or three others whom you know well. Make sure of their harmony with you and with each other. Agree all around that the major purpose of the alliance is mutual growth in mind and in spirit.

2. Stay clear of such matters as politics, religion, and any other topic that is "touchy." You aim to aid each other with knowledge based on your collected experience. Each of you naturally will have had experiences the others have not had. Do not introduce any controversial matters that may weaken the cordial, cooperative spirit of the entire enterprise.

3. Your group acts as one mind in holding its tongue. Everything you say to each other must be treated as a confidence. Freedom of expression must always be encouraged, never discouraged.

4. Upon the unanimous consent of all members, another member may from time to time be invited to join the group. Do not let the group grow so big as to be unwieldy. Also, offer new members a trial membership for some short period, to make sure they are in harmony with the others.

5. While each member of the Master-Mind group may take a different approach, depending on his own experience and his own personality, you all should agree on general principles of life-success. The principles in THINK AND GROW RICH have served so rewardingly for so many men that they can be recommended without reservation.

6. Give each member a chance to serve as chairman, rotating the chairmanship from time to time. One of the chairman's major duties will be to enforce a time limit on speaking, to keep the more talkative members in line. He also should encourage each member to say what he really thinks.

7. Some successful Master-Mind groups have been formed within the personnel employed by a single business. In such a case it should include members of management; this plan has resulted in cooperation and profit all around.

8. Every Master-Mind group should have a purpose outside its immediate purpose. It should aim to bring specific benefit to persons outside the group. You may, for example, run a Problem Clinic, or sponsor some youth club or similar organization.

320

A Master-Mind group both reminds you and constantly proves to you how well it pays to use brains other than your own—while, of course, you offer the "lend" of your own mind to the others.

Again, in this chapter, we came back to that very important point: Poverty needs no plan. See in your mind's eye the great "stream of power." Realize how a PLAN backed with FAITH IN YOURSELF, a faith that includes firm MONEY CONSCIOUSNESS, can swing you to the side of the unseen river that flows upward toward achievement and enjoyment and bountiful wealth.

Process Points to Pin Down. I hope you are continuing to put all matters of this kind very carefully into the notes pages.

In asking questions of yourself, hinge them on Dr. Hill's statement: Staying poor is very easy; poverty needs no plart.

Take note of people who prove this point. You will see that an inward willingness to stay poor often takes hold of a man when he has lifted himself a little, so that with a great flurry of so-called effort he lets himself sink down again. Then he can turn to everyone he knows and say: "See? It's no use."

Remember: You can use more brains than your own.

When you have done full justice to this important chapter, go on to the next one. . . .

TOP

Read Step 10 Toward Riches: The Mystery of Sex Transmutation, page 200.

Read this chapter and process it for important points. Read to the bottom of page 224.

Do you agree with this chapter's general premise?

Have you noticed the sex magnetism of successful men? Can you think of a successful man in public life, right now, who radiates sex magnetism?

You have seen that the emotion of sex has three purposes in our lives. The obvious one is the perpetuation of mankind. But there are two others of great importance. Without looking back into the chapter, name them here; then check.

321

1.
2.

Sexual emotion, when properly harnessed and redirected, is a motivating force that maintains all its attributes of keenness of imagination, courage, persistence, and creative ability. All the powerful forces that accompany the sex drive now are available for tremendous creation in literature, in art, in business, in political affairs, in any profession or calling. Men who accumulate great fortunes and achieve outstanding recognition are invariably motivated by the influence of a woman.

Sex expression stands foremost on any list of the stimuli to which the mind responds. Here is a double list of such stimuli. Cross out the one you believe is not a stimulus; when you are finished, check your answers with the list beginning on page 203 in THINK AND GROW RICH.

Mind Stimuli—Good and Bad

Sex frustration
A burning desire to
reach your goal
Friendship
Complete absence of any
mental or physical distress
Fear
Abstinence
No attempt to reach the
subconscious
Never asking advice
Music
Hatred

Sex expression
A "don't care" attitude

Friendless lonesomeness
Mutual suffering, such as that ex-
perienced by a persecuted group
Courage
Narcotics and alcohol
Autosuggestion

Using a Master-Mind alliance
No appreciation of music
Love

Take note that some mind stimuli may be harmful in the end. And take special note of how many mind stimuli are available that are wholesome and sustaining.

The stimulated mind is lifted above the horizon of ordinary thought. Working along with creative imagination—the Sixth Sense —this source of genius is available to anyone. And behind this limitless reservoir of directed energy lies the magic of sex transmutation.

322

Does sex transmutation mean sex starvation? Never. It means only the correct use of sex as opposed to its abuse. Consider why most men enter their greatest period of achievement after they are forty. Experience has much to do with it; but also, and unknown to most men, the control of the physical side of sex expands the mind and the imagination, lends mighty power to the creative faculties. Admit, and be glad, that man's greatest motivating force is his desire to please women!

Where may hunches come from? Read and ponder the four sources detailed on page 205. In considering the Points to Pin Down in this chapter, question yourself as to any pattern you may find in your hunches. Do you tend to have hunches before you retire? When you awaken? While you shave? Pinning down that point may be of great value. The time when you get your hunches is probably the time when you are best "in tune" for making important decisions.

Question yourself, too, as to what happened when you followed hunches. Try to see, in your experiences, the difference between following a real hunch and following the dictates of wishful thinking—some mind-picture of what you would like to happen.

Having built this advance questioning, proceed to Points to Pin Down.

The key thought is: The source of all genius is available to YOU.

When you have mastered this chapter, go ahead to the next Step. . . .

TOP

Read Step I I Toward Riches: The Subconscious Mind, page 226.

Process for thoughts that make you think.

You read—and I hope you underlined—a vital statement on page 226: You may voluntarily plant in your subconscious mind any plan, thought or purpose which you desire to transplant into its physical or monetary equivalent.

This is not intended to be a novel thought. Its purpose is to remind you of this great universal truth, now to be emphasized to a strong degree.

The subconscious mind works day and night. If you fail to plant desires within it, it will feed upon the negative thoughts that reach it as a result of your neglect.

323

Everything begins with an impulse of thought. The subconscious mind is especially susceptible to influence by thought mixed with emotion. Your emotions may be among the seven positive emotions. (Fill in the missing letters.)

He (See page 231.)

Rce

Or you may victimize yourself by falling prey to impulses fed into the subconscious by the seven major negative emotions. (Fill in the missing letters.)

Ree

Sun

(See page 232.)

Positive and negative emotions cannot occupy the mind at the same time. Let the positive predominate; the effect will be felt in your subconscious too, and fed back into all your affairs. You also will find your subconscious mind is the intermediary that translates one's prayers into terms which Infinite Intelligence can recognize, and through which you may be supplied with plans and ideas that truly answer your prayers.

Repeat the key thought: You may voluntarily plant in your subconscious mind any plan, thought or purpose which you desire to translate into its physical or monetary equivalent.

324

Now go through the highly important Points to Pin Down produre.
Stay with every chapter till you have made it part of you. When
you are ready—when you really KNOW this chapter—go on reading,

TOP

Read Step 12 Toward Riches: The Brain, page 236.

Process through page 244.

This "pin down" chapter gives you some idea of the magnitude of the forces at work within your brain, where some ten billion to fourteen billion nerve cells are capable of almost infinite combination into circuits. Your brain has a potential capacity for thought, memory, conditioning and self-improvement vastly beyond that of any computer, which, after all, only remembers and processes what it is told. Do not forget: A computer cannot, as you can, add creative imagination to the data in its memory banks. It cannot soar into undiscovered realms of thought and achievement. This privilege belongs to man.

The subconscious mind is the "sending station" of the brain. It broadcasts vibrations of thought to the "receiving set" of the creative imagination. From careful scientific tests at Duke University, it seems enormously probable that telepathy and clairvoyance do exist, providing a natural means with which one brain may communicate directly with another. All of us appear to be controlled by forces that are unseen and intangible; yet these are perfectly natural forces.

This chapter may seem at first to have little to do with getting rich—in everything that "getting rich" means. Read it carefully, process it carefully, and your attention will be drawn to its focal thought on page 239: . . . the intangible force (and intelligence) wrapped up in the soil of the earth—the force which provides him with every morsel of food he eats, every article of clothing he wears, every dollar he carries in his pockets.

You may then connect this thought with the key thought, the great motif of THINK AND GROW RICH. Surely you have noticed it, though you may have expressed it inwardly in your own words. This is the key thought and golden core of the entire book:

325

WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, THE MIND CAN ACHIEVE, '

Thus your success^ your happiness, your health, your life in its entirety is not .merely a-matter of work, play, and sleep. It is always a matter of mind', and the concept of mind includes realms far beyond ordinary, conscious thinking,

In handling Points to Pin Down for this chapter, do not formaliie them. Simply try to rephrase the chapter. Tell the heart of the chapter back to-yourself in one or two hundred words,

Move on, when you are ready, to the 13th Step toward...

TOP

Step 13 Toward Riches: The Sixth Sense,

page 246.

Read this climactic chapter up to the top of page 255, Underline as you go, but only to the bottom of page 248, Read, but do not underline. Dr. Hill's much-discussed account of his "invisible counselors/' Begin again to underline at the top of page 253—'How to Inspire the Sixth Sense:"

Note that Dr. Hill's '"imaginary cabinet" m purely the creation of creative imagination. Yet, as he says, the imagined members of that cabinet have led him into glorious paths of adventure, rekindled an appreciation of true greatness, encouraged creative endeavor, and emboldened the expression of honest thought.

The difficulty has been that people of small imagination tend to misunderstand such an experience. Anyone who really reads and thinks about THINK AND GROW RICH, however, will understand how the creative imagination can reach out to form a partnership even with minds long dead. The partnership is not literal, but it is vastly effective just the same. Long-dead minds help to move our present world with the thoughts they left behind (in words) and the vast, overall impression of their personalities, Jet alone their accomplishments that always will affect us.

Do you want to form your own imaginary cabinet of great minds who visit you? Not every man can do it. It involves first of ail—as mentioned early in this ACTION MANUAL—your inner ability to take yourself seriously as a person who can improve his inward sell. The inan who can and docs summon his own imaginary cabinet puts himself several long steps ahead of bis fellows. Choose

326

your own cabinet members. They may be statesmen. They may be masters of finance or industry or invention or art. Choose them carefully. Your continued searching of yourself, your new vision of your goals and deep desires, will help you choose "cabinet members'* who cam aid you most.

The Sixth Sense cannot be pinned down as we can pin down and limit the other five senses—sight, taste, touch, smell and hearing. With practice and with faith, the Sixth Sense becomes a kind of guardian angel who opens the door to the temple of wisdom,

The key thought of this chapter appears in Dr. Hill's Points to Pin Down: Now you are in touch with the unknown "something" which has stood steadfast jor all great men of all time.

In forming your own Points to Pin Down, concentrate on the principle of guidance. Find instances in your life when you have felt an invisible guidance; a hunch, a Sixth Sense. You did this before. Your subconscious has been working on it meanwhile, so that now, when you seek again for such instances, dozens more will come thronging,

When you have seen the great root-power of your own Sixth Sense, you have finished reading and annotating the 13 Steps Toward Riches. The final chapter will present important, all-embracing information about FEAR and how to get rid of it. In this final chapter you also will take several short tests in preparation for the Examination Section which completes this booklet. Are you ready?

TOP

Read The Sfx Ghosts of Fear, page 256.

Reading and underlining, proceed to the bottom of page 292, but do not answer the questionnaire beginning on page 283.

You took inventory of yourself, saw that fears are nothing more than states of mind which, of course, are subject to your own direction and control Nature has endowed man with absolute control over but one tiling: thought, Few men exercise this control, but with practice and faith behind it it is vastly effective.

What are the six basic fears? Write them here, with no hints:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

TOP

Now check on page 258 to see if you remembered them correctly.

In analyzing your own fears, you may discover you hold a fear of POVERTY, a highly destructive fear. We tend to "eat" each other financially, so that the fear feeds upon itself. What are the characteristic symptoms that show fear of poverty? Fill in the missing letters:

lnde

Inon

Ovn

Prn

Check the symptoms in the book, beginning on page 262. You read the short discussions of the symptoms a little while ago. Now read them again.

Do you fear CRITICISM? This one fear can rob a man of his initiative, destroy his power of imagination, do him damage in a hundred ways. It is really a crime for any parent to build inferiority into a child's mind through unnecessary criticism. You may be suffering from childhood influences, but you can overcome them. Set down the seven symptoms that show fear of criticism. As you fill in the missing letters, look these fears in the face:

S-cp s

Lk of p

Wk py

Iny cx

Exe

L of ine

L of amn

328

Check these inward-eating fears on page 268. Go ahead immediately (when you have reread the comments) to see how well you remember the seven symptoms that show fear of ILL HEALTH:

Negative aun

Hya

Ine

Susy

S -cog

Ine

Check, beginning on page 271. By now you see how certain symptoms overlap; how one such symptom as worry can rear its ugly head in half a dozen different areas of life.
What are the three major symptoms that show fear of LOSS OF LOVE?

Ft fg

Gag

Check these, on page 274. Proceeding: What four symptoms show FEAR OF OLD AGE?

Pre sln

Ay for

Kig off in

Mag as a yr pn

Check on page 275. Proceeding: What three symptoms show FEAR OF DEATH?

Thg about dg

Assowithofy

Assowith is or im.

329

Check the list beginning on page 277. Now take six of your 3x5 file cards and copy the lists onto the cards, one to each card. Put those cards on a table, push them around in varying relation to each other, Once again notice the patterns of fear that can ran through a life and how certain fears overlap each other, You will notice that a basic fear can have more than one name, or more than one approach. See this for yourself. Look at the lists till you see it. Tape or staple those six cards into your notebook.

Worry is fear—a state of mind based on fear. Once you reach a decision, you free yourself of worry. You also can reach a general, blanket decision that nothing life has to offer you is worth the price of worry.

Another great evil is susceptibility to negative influences, You should make careful analysis to see if yon are too susceptible. The material in the Examination Section will aid you in this. As Dr. IBB says: "Without doubt, the most common weakness of all human beings is the habit of leaving their minds open to the negative influence of other people.'*

Before you answer the questionnaire on page 283, write your own Points to Pin Down. Go to Dr. Hill's points. Create half a dozen questions, all based on the list of alibis that begins on page 289. Guide yourself especially by the alibis you underlined.

Now sit down with the questionnaire that begins on page 2H3, Handle this weiy important questionnaire in a very special way. Answer it first in the book. Wait three days; then answer it here, in the ACTION MANUAL, where it Is reprinted. Then compare jour answers with Ae answers you gave in the book, Probably some will be different. Ask yourself why. Ask yourself what mood, or state of mind, has in varying dej^ee affected your answers,

So, for the time being, skip the questionnaire as it is printed below. Answer it first Id the book; come back to this one in three days.

TOP

Think about your Answer PDF

Do you complain often of "feeing bad,** and if so, what is fixe cause?

Do you find fault with other people at the slightest proocatioa? Do you frequently make mistakes in yonr work, and if so* why? Are you sarcastic and offensive is your conversation? Do 3�3a deliberately mmd the assoeiatlQi of anyout, and if so,

Do you suffer frequently with indigestion? If so, what is the eause?

Does Me seem futile and the future hopeless to you?

Do you like your occupation? If not, why?

Do you often feel self-pity, and if so, why?

Are you envious of those who excel you?

To which do you devote most time, thinking of success, or of failure?

Are you gaining or losing self-confidence as you grow older?

Do you team something of value from all mistakes?

Are you permitting some relative or acquaintance to worry you? If so,
why?

Are you sometimes "in the clouds" and at other times in die depths
of despondency?

Who has the most inspiring influence upon you? What is the cause?

Do you tolerate negative or discouraging influences which you can
avoid?

Are you careless of your personal appearance? If so, when and why?

Have you learned how to "4rown your troubles^{8* by being too busy to}
^{be annoyed by them?}

Would you call yourself a "spineless weakling** if you permitted
others to do your flunking for you?

How many preventable disturbances annoy you, and why do you tolerate
them?

Do you resort to iquor, narcotics, or cigarettes to "quiet your
nerves"? If so, why do you not try will-power instead?

Does anyone **nag* you, and if so, for what reason?

Do you have a definite major purpose, and if so, what Is it, and
what plan have you for achievmg it?

Do you suffer from any of the six basic fears? If so, which oaes?

Have you a method by which you can shield yourself against fee
negative influence of others?

Do you make deliberate use of autosuggestion to make yom mind
positive?

Which do you value most, yonr material possessions, or your piivHege
of controlling your own thoughts?

Are yon easily infiaeaced hj oAers against yowr owa judgment?

Has today added anything of value to your stock of knowledge or
state of mind?

Do you face squarely the circumstances which make you unhappy, or
side-step the responsibility?

Do you analyze all mistakes and failures and try to profit by them,
or do you take the attitude that this is not your duty?

Can you name three of your most damaging weaknesses? What are you
doing to correct them?

Do you encourage other people to bring their worries to you for
sympathy?

Do you choose, from your daily experiences, lessons or influences
which aid in your personal advancement?

Does your presence have a negative influence on other people as a
rule?

What habits of other people annoy you most?

Do you form your own opinions or permit yourself to be influenced
by other people?

Have you learned how to create a mental state of mind with which
you can shield yourself against all discouraging influences?

Does your occupation inspire you with faith and hope?

Are you conscious of possessing spiritual forces of sufficient power
to enable you to keep your mind free from all forms of fear?

Does your religion help to keep your mind positive?

Do you feel it your duty to share other people's worries? If so, why?

If you believe that "birds of a feather flock together," what have
you learned about yourself by studying the friends whom you attract?

What connection, if any, do you see between the people with whom
you associate most closely, and any unhappiness you may experience?

Could it be possible that some person whom you consider to be a
friend is, in reality, your worst enemy, because of his negative
influence on your mind?

By what rules do you judge who is helpful and who is damaging to
you?

Are your intimate associates mentally superior or inferior to you?

How much time out of every twenty-four hours do you devote to:

a. your occupation
b. sleep
c. play and relaxation
d. acquiring useful knowledge
e. plain waste?

Who among your acquaintances:

a. encourages you most
b. cautions you most
c. discourages you most?

What is your greatest worry? Why do you tolerate it?

When others offer you free, unsolicited advice, do you accept it
without question or analyze their motive?

What, above all else, do you most desire? Do you intend to acquire
it? Are you willing to subordinate all other desires for this one?
How much time daily do you devote to acquiring it?

Do you change your mind often? If so, why?

Do you usually finish everything you begin?

Are you easily impressed by other people's business or professional
titles, college degrees, or wealth?

Are you easily influenced by what other people think or say of you?

Do you cater to people because of their social or financial status?

Whom do you believe to be the greatest person living? In what respect
is this person superior to yourself?

How much time have you devoted to studying and answering these
questions? (At least one day is necessary for the analysis and
the answering of the entire list.)

TOP 331 - 332

If you have answered all these questions truthfully, you know more about yourself than the majority of people. Study the questions carefully, come back to them once each week for several months, and be astounded at the amount of additional knowledge of great value to yourself you will have gained by the simple method of answering the questions truthfully. If you are not certain concerning the answers to some of the questions, seek the counsel of those who know you well, especially those who have no motive in flattering you, and see yourself through their eyes. The experience will be astonishing.

EXAMINATION SECTION
Score your own get-rich power

333

The tests and procedures you find in Tins section are to be undertaken when you are well prepared. This involves:

1. Pre-reading THINK AND GROW RICH, as explained in this ACTION MANUAL, then

2. Reading, annotating and otherwise "processing" THINK AND GROW RICH, as explained in this ACTION MANUAL.

When you have done this conscientiously, you are ready to proceed with this section.

Take the questionnaires and other material in order, as they are given. In some cases you will see the material draws upon THINK AND GROW RICH or closely parallels material in the book. This is done deliberately, and follows proved learning patterns. Answer each question as though you never had seen it before. Follow all directions. Rate yourself as instructed.

Examination One

Go through every page of THINK AND GROW RICH. Wherever you underlined a subhead, write that subhead separately on a file card.

Lay out the cards on a table. Inspect them, and look for patterns you may have shown in your choice. Other men have found patterns toward instant action, patterns toward inward-looking thought, patterns toward planning, and others. Do not be guided or influenced by anyone else. Look for a pattern that YOU show. If, after an hour, you can find no discernible pattern, put away the cards and try again three days later.

If you find no discernible pattern, search through the many un-derlinings you made in the body of the text. You are almost certain to find a pattern.

When you find a pattern, write it carefully into your notes. Keep the cards for future reference.

Examination Two	(TWO)
Examination Three	(THREE)
Examination Four	(FOUR)
Examination Five	(FIVE)
Examination Six	(SIX)

TOP

334

Score for Significance

You have just completed five examinations of ten items each. How did you score? Maximum score for any examination is 50; total maximum is 250; average for any examination is 25; total average is 125.

While your total score is significant, it is more important to note and consider your score on each examination. Then correlate the score with your rating (sometimes informal) in any similar quiz in THINK AND GROW RICH. Do not mark yourself Passed or Failed. It is far more important to SEE YOURSELF.

Graph for Significance

In Step 6 Toward Riches you took a short examination on your qualities of leadership, rating yourself from 1 to 5 on various qualities. Go back to this table and draw lines connecting the check marks you made so that you form a vertical graph. Here is an example:

Graph.jpg (91173 bytes)

Now draw a similar graph for each of the five examinations you just completed. If you rated yourself on the 1V4 or 2Vi lines in any instance, put a dot on the line. For a rating of 1, 2 or 3, put a dot in the middle of the column. Draw lines connecting the dots. You will come out with very jagged, dramatic graphs—and if you tended to rate yourself right down the middle, the very lack of

340

drama in your graph will be significant. Question it! To call one's self average in just about everything is to indicate an unwillingness to know one's self.

Come back to all six graphs at intervals of a month, for six months. Reexamine yourself in each case. Undoubtedly you will change some ratings. Draw a new graph each time. Use different-colored pens or pencils; or, if you run out of colors, use dotted lines, dashed lines or dashed-and-dotted lines. Six graphs is about all you should make on one page. Also make a key to show you the date of each graph. Many men are so fascinated by this process, and feel so much aid in building their own ability to get rich, that they duplicate the examinations and go on graphing after the six months are up.

You need not score yourself formally after giving yourself the first, "familiarization" score. Rely on the graphs. They are pictures of you.

How Will You Shift Each Graph Toward the Right?

You certainly noticed that the positive, profitable, healthful, wealth-building indications for each graph lie toward the right. As you redraw each graph, month by month, you will see your progress by the swings of your lines toward the right.

What will you be doing meanwhile to assure those swings toward the right—those definite indications that you are mastering the SELF who alone is responsible for bringing you riches?

The following list, culled from hundreds of items, is purposely not keyed to any particular trait of character, physical aspect or ability. It is intended to make you think, with each item: Is this for me? Why?

For any item you check, make half a check, just the downward stroke, like this: /. Later, after you have definitely embarked on the indicated course of action, complete the check, like this: V-Thus, in referring back to the list (as you should, every time you refer back to your progress graphs), any incomplete check mark will catch your eye.

TOP

341

Now go through the list carefully and thoughtfully, making only half-checks:

Graph-Swinging Actions

I will analyze my fears.

I will enlist aid from someon who can handle situations that trouble me, and learn from him.

I will go to a wise counselor.

I will stop brooding and go into action.

I will accept the possibility of things going wrong and plan beyond that point.

I will insist to myself that I be patient.

I will stop all gossip, backbiting and slander.

I will make friends among those with whom I disagree.

I will control my temper; laugh at it.

I will get rid of resentful brooding.

I will no longer covet what others have.

I will overcome jealousy.

I will Stop hating and try to substitute love, or at least understanding, for hatred.

I will learn how to relax.

I will practice forgiveness.

I will indulge in enough physical activity to keep my body in good condition.

I will pray in the way set forth in THINK AND GROW RICH.

I will get periodic medical examinations.

I will not exaggerate any physical faults, and will remember how many have overcome these faults and worse.

I will read in my field, and also read for pleasure.

I will take courses to fill in gaps in my education toward success and my education toward enjoyment.

I will also take any special course of general value that I may need; say a course in public speaking.

I will pay more attention to my dress and grooming.

I will participate in discussion groups and in other group activities.

I will, in such activities, make sure I speak up.

I will look for (and I know I will find, as have so many others) energies and abilities that come from a cosmic source.

I will develop my imagination and use it further as a tuning-in power toward other minds.

I will get things done when they should be done.

I will get things well done.

I will put up no bluffs, and thus find no further reasons to be ashamed of my bluffs.

I will aid rather can afflict others, avoid cruelty in word or deed or attitude.

I will not boast, no matter how tempted I may be.

I will not browbeat anyone else with my own opinion.

I will finish what I start.

I will respect myself.

I will respect others.

I will have firm goals and firm plans for reaching those goals.

I will get rid of guilt feelings about sex.

I will get rid of all unwarranted guilt feelings.

I will consistently see myself as worthy of the best in life.

TOP

342

A Special Checklist: General Skills That Wait to Aid You

Many a man stops far short of the top because he lacks some skill he could have acquired. One of the items in the foregoing list called your attention to general skills you may need. Among such skills is the ability to read rapidly and retain what you read. This skill is of inestimable value because knowledge is power. As with all the general skills to be mentioned shortly, rapid reading may have no immediate application. You never know when it will go to work for you and provide a significant, indispensable ////.

Here are hints on rapid reading. They represent core methods taken from several different rapid-reading courses; but you may also wish to take such a course.

Pre-read: You already have had some instruction in pre-reading. It amounts to looking for the sign posts an author sets up in his book—table of contents, foreword, subheads, index, and so forth.

Annotate: Underlinings and similar devices help you come back and pick up needed information very quickly. You also fix facts in your mind when you underline them.

Do not move your head, fingers or lips when you read: Move only your eyes. Let your eyes scan each line, not your head and not your finger. Your eyes can move as rapidly as you can think, but your head, fingers and lips cannot, so they will slow your reading if you let them go into motion.

Scan down the middle: Depending on how thoroughly you wish to absorb what you are reading, you can read down the middle of any printed column, not really looking at the inch of print to the right and to the left. Try this; you'll be surprised at how well you understand.

Read in phrases: This takes practice. You will find, however, that a great deal of what you read is made up of familiar phrases such as this takes practice. You don't have to read such phrases; you know them. Extend the phrase-flashing process gradually and you soon pick up four or five words as a unit.

Read "firsts and lasts": Use your judgment. Realize, however,

343

that the first paragraph and the last paragraph of a letter or report often tell you what you really need to know. The first paragraph or the first two paragraphs of the average newspaper story contain the "meat" of that story, and answer the questions raised by our old friends WHO, WHY, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE and HOW. The first paragraph of a newspaper editorial states what it is about; the last paragraph gives the stand the editor takes.

Ask questions; look for the answers: When you have pre-read a book, or have read the first paragraph and last of a newspaper story or a report or magazine article, your mind will come up with questions. Then, scanning in the body of the printed matter, look for the answer to those questions. You need not actually skip anything if you do not wish to; but you will not really read till you come to a part that answers one of your questions.

Naturally, rapid reading takes practice. As with many another skill, it responds quickly to your knowing you can do it.

Other skills that can "come in handy"—sometimes to the tune of a million dollars worth of handiness—are:

Typewriting
Basic accounting
Basic psychology
Basic finance and banking
Current news
Knowledge of government
Public speaking
Foreign language ability
Some knowledge of art

Some knowledge of music
Knowledge of trade customs and
papers
Technical trends and processes
knowledge
Memory training
Knowing how to use reference
works and libraries

TOP

One Last Instruction: REVIEW

You have read THINK AND GROW RICH according to directions given in this ACTION MANUAL. You have followed all directions conscientiously. You have taken all the examinations. Now—review!

It is in review that the great lessons of success take hold of the deep, inner self and become a part of the personality.

Some men will neglect to review, will not check back on their questionnaires, will not refresh their memories by going through the examinations again. Such men do not give a wonder-working process a chance to work its full wonders. Other men will review, and count every hour of review in thousands of dollars and every other form of life-reward.

344

You Are the Master of Your Fate.
YOUR Motivations Must Move YOU Forward.

Nobody can think for you, nobody can act for you, nobody can succeed for you—but yourself. Be glad of that!

Remember: What the mind can believe, the mind can achieve.

THINK AND GROW RICH has motivated more men and women to achieve success than any other book written by a living author.

Every secret you need in order to THINK AND GROW RICH is now abundantly in your hands.

TOP

345