Think Big “So What”
Part — 1
THINK & GROW RICH!
HOW TO MASTER SUCCESS CONSCIOUSNESS
“This book was written for those who seek the rules which have made others successful, and are willing to stake everything on those rules.”
Introduction
Hill begins his book with the idea that “thoughts are things”, and when combined with purpose, persistence and desire, can translate into riches or other material successes. You become and achieve what you think about all day long.
Principle 1: Desire
This is the first and most important step towards riches. Hill stresses that desire is not just a wish or a hope. It must be a “burning desire”, such that it is a “consuming obsession”, backed by definiteness and persistence.
Hill outlines 6 steps to achieving your desire, to be applied to the other 12 principles:
- Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire.
- Determine exactly what you will offer in return for that money.
- Select a definite date to possess the money.
- Create a definite plan and implement it immediately.
- Summarize steps 1–4 by writing down a clear statement of the amount of money you will acquire, the date for its acquisition, what you will give in return, and your plan for accumulating it.
- Read this statement aloud twice each day, just before going to bed and first thing when you wake up. When reading, you must “see, feel, and believe” that you are already in possession of that money.
Principle 2: Faith
KEY QUOTES
“There is a difference between WISHING for a thing and being READY to receive it. No one is ready for a thing, until he believes he can acquire it. The state of mind must be BELIEF, not just mere hope or wish.”
We are not ready to receive something until we believe that we can acquire it. Faith can be developed, and the way to do so is to repeatedly (and with belief) affirm and visualize the attainment of our desire (see the concept of auto-suggestion).
Have faith that you only thought of your desires because they are meant for you to accomplish, so you can definitely attain them. In addition:
- Emotions help to “magnetize” your thoughts. Once magnetized and mixed with faith, thoughts start to translate into their physical equivalent, i.e. manifest into reality. Hence, we need to affirm or visualize with feeling, as if we were already in possession of what we are asking for.
- The subconscious mind does not differentiate between positive or negative thought impulses and will translate them equally readily into physical equivalents. Hence, if you hold negative beliefs (such as “bad luck”), you can likewise create your own misfortune.
“Thoughts which are mixed with any of the feelings of emotions, constitute a “magnetic” force which attracts, from the vibrations of the ether, other similar, or related thoughts. A thought thus “magnetized” with emotion may be compared to a seed which, when planted in fertile soil, germinates, grows, and multiplies itself over and over again, until that which was originally one small seed, becomes countless millions of seeds of the same brand.”
Principle 3: Auto-Suggestion
Auto-suggestion is where we put the sub-conscious mind to work for us, through repeated self-suggestions that involve the 5 senses. What we affirm has no impact unless it is mixed with emotion. Hence, you should apply auto-suggestion in conjunction with the 6 steps mentioned earlier, including concentration, feeling and faith in each step:
- Find a quiet place (e.g. in bed at night), where you can close your eyes and repeat aloud your statement.
- When reading, concentrate on visualizing the definite amount of money you desire, to the point you can see and feel it in your possession. In the same token, see and feel yourself delivering the intended product or service.
- Place the written statement where you can see it. Read it every night and morning until you have memorized it and can picture clearly the money and the plan you desire. When your subconscious mind accepts it as a fact, it will find ways to bring it to life.
- The plans may appear as flashes of inspiration. Make sure you act on it immediately. “Failure to do this will be fatal to your success.”
Auto-Suggestion
“Your subconscious mind recognizes and acts upon ONLY thoughts which have been well-mixed with emotion or feeling.”
“Your ability to use the principle of auto-suggestion will depend, very largely, upon your capacity to concentrate upon a given desire until that desire becomes a burning obsession.”
Principle 4: Specialized Knowledge
Knowledge
“Knowledge will not attract money unless it is organized, and intelligently directed, through practical plans of action, to the definite end of accumulation of money.”
Knowledge in itself is only potential power and does not generate wealth. It only becomes power if and when it is “organized into definite plans of action, and directed to a definite end.”
You require specialized knowledge of the product, service or niche that you intend to serve, so you can offer something of value in return for riches. Rather than work with what you know, Hill suggests that you identify the specialized knowledge you need, and then seek to acquire it.
Some possible ways to acquire specialized knowledge are:
- Personal experience and education
- Others’ experience and education (through a Master Mind group)
- Colleges and universities
- Public libraries
- Specialized training courses
Principle 5: Imagination
KEY QUOTES
“The desire …is given shape, form, and action through the aid of the imaginative faculty of the mind.”
Imagination is needed to combine specialized knowledge with ideas, to give form to desire, and create the necessary action to bring riches.
There are two forms of imagination — synthetic imagination (arranging concepts, ideas or plans into new forms) and creative imagination (equivalent to “sixth sense”, with hunches and intuition that come through connection with Infinite Intelligence).
The imaginative faculty (both synthetic and creative) are like muscles — they grow stronger with use and weaker with inaction. For converting desire to money, we will rely primarily on synthetic imagination. The greatest leaders in the world leverage creative imagination (see 6th sense).
Principle 6: Organized Planning
Organized Planning
“No individual has sufficient experience, education, native ability, and knowledge to insure the accumulation of a great fortune, without the cooperation of other people.”
You should create your plans with the help of a Master Mind group:
- Form a Master Mind group: connect with as many people as required for the creation and execution of your plan.
- Decide what to offer (monetary or other benefits) to the Master Mind members in return for their cooperation.
- Meet with Master Mind members at least twice a week, until you have jointly perfected the plan(s).
- Maintain total harmony with Master Mind members.
You can create the plans, but the details should be checked by members of the Master Mind group for feedback and approval before implementation. If your current plan fails, you should keep replacing it with a new one until you find a plan which works.
You can create the plans, but the details should be checked by members of the Master Mind group for feedback and approval before implementation. If your current plan fails, you should keep replacing it with a new one until you find a plan which works.
To acquire riches, it is important to become a leader in your field. You may start as an intelligent follower, and can learn efficiently from your leader to develop your own leadership qualities. Hill highlights the changing nature of leadership and explains 11 qualities of leaders of the future:
- Unwavering courage
- 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
He also provided 10 major causes of failures in leadership, a range of tips to position and market yourself in your career, 30 reasons why most people fail, and a self-assessment questionnaire. Hill also shares the “QQS formula” (Quality, Quantity and (positive) Spirit of service) which affects your ability to market yourself effectively.
“Temporary defeat should mean only one thing, the certain knowledge that there is something wrong with your plan….. Build other plans. Start all over again.”
“Decide at the outset whether you intend to become a leader in your chosen calling, or remain a follower. The difference in compensation is vast.”
“The relationship of employer and employee, or of leader and follower, in the future, will be one of mutual cooperation, based upon an equitable division of the profits of business.”
