The Law of Success. Napoleon Hill
in sensualism, to know
That hour as blest when on his worthless days
The frozen hand of death shall set its seal,
Yet fear the cure, though hating the disease.
The one is man that shall hereafter be,
The other, man as vice has made him now.
—SHELLEY.
Lesson Two. A Definite Chief Aim
“You Can Do It if You Believe You Can!”
You are at the beginning of a course of philosophy which, for the first time in the history of the world, has been organized from the known factors which have been used and must always be used by successful people.
Literary style has been completely subordinated for the sake of stating the principles and laws included in this course in such a manner that they may be quickly and easily assimilated by people in every walk of life.
Some of the principles described in the course are familiar to all who will read the course. Others are here stated for the first time. It should be kept in mind, from the first lesson to the last, that the value of the philosophy lies entirely in the thought stimuli it will produce in the mind of the student, and not merely in the lessons themselves.
Stated in another way, this course is intended as a mind stimulant that will cause the student to organize and direct to a DEFINITE end the forces of his or her mind, thus harnessing the stupendous power which most people waste in spasmodic, purposeless thought.
Singleness of purpose is essential for success, no matter what may be one’s idea of the definition of success. Yet singleness of purpose is a quality which may, and generally does, call for thought on many allied subjects.
Side note: The best rose bush, after all, is not that which has the fewest thorns, but that which bears the finest roses.—HENRY VAN DYKE.
This author traveled a long distance to watch Jack Dempsey train for an oncoming battle. It was observed that he did not rely entirely upon one form of exercise, but resorted to many forms. The punching bag helped him develop one set of muscles, and also trained his eye to be quick. The dumbbells trained still another set of muscles. Running developed the muscles of his legs and hips. A well balanced food ration supplied the materials needed for building muscle without fat. Proper sleep, relaxation and rest habits provided still other qualities which he must have in order to win.
The student of this course is, or should be, engaged in the business of training for success in the battle of life. To win there are many factors which must have attention. A well organized, alert and energetic mind is produced by various and sundry stimuli, all of which are plainly described in these lessons.
It should be remembered, however, that the mind requires, for its development, a variety of exercise, just as the physical body, to be properly developed, calls for many forms of systematic exercise.
Horses are trained to certain gaits by trainers who hurdle-jump them over handicaps which cause them to develop the desired steps, through habit and repetition. The human mind must be trained in a similar manner, by a variety of thought-inspiring stimuli.
You will observe, before you have gone very far into this philosophy, that the reading of these lessons will super-induce a flow of thoughts covering a wide range of subjects. For this reason the student should read the course with a note-book and pencil at hand, and follow the practice of recording these thoughts or “ideas” as they come into the mind.
By following this suggestion the student will have a collection of ideas, by the time the course has been read two or three times, sufficient to transform his or her entire life-plan.
By following this practice it will be noticed, very soon, that the mind has become like a magnet in that it will attract useful ideas right out of the “thin air,” to use the words of a noted scientist who has experimented with this principle for a great number of years.
You will do yourself a great injustice if you undertake this course with even a remote feeling that you do not stand in need of more knowledge than you now possess. In truth, no man knows enough about any worthwhile subject to entitle him to feel that he has the last word on that subject.
In the long, hard task of trying to wipe out some of my own ignorance and make way for some of the useful truths of life, I have often seen, in my imagination, the Great Marker who stands at the gateway entrance of life and writes “Poor Fool” on the brow of those who believe they are wise, and “Poor Sinner” on the brow of those who believe they are saints.
Which, translated into workaday language, means that none of us know very much, and by the very nature of our being can never know as much as we need to know in order to live sanely and enjoy life while we live.
Humility is a forerunner of success!
Until we become humble in our own hearts we are not apt to profit greatly by the experiences and thoughts of others.
Sounds like a preachment on morality? Well, what if it does?
Even “preachments,” as dry and lacking in interest as they generally are, may be beneficial if they serve to reflect the shadow of our real selves so we may get an approximate idea of our smallness and superficiality.
Success in life is largely predicated upon our knowing men!
The best place to study the man-animal is in your own mind, by taking as accurate an inventory as possible of YOURSELF. When you know yourself thoroughly (if you ever do) you will also know much about others.
To know others, not as they seem to be, but as they really are, study them through:
1—The posture of the body, and the way they walk.
2—The tone of the voice, its quality, pitch, volume.
3—The eyes, whether shifty or direct.
4—The use of words, their trend, nature and quality.
Through these open windows you may literally “walk right into a man’s soul” and take a look at the REAL MAN!
Going a step further, if you would know men study them:
When angry
When in love
When money is involved
When eating (alone, and unobserved, as they believe)
When writing
When in trouble
When joyful and triumphant
When downcast and defeated
When facing catastrophe of a hazardous nature
When trying to make a “good impression” on others
When informed of another’s misfortune
When informed of another’s good fortune
When losing in any sort of a game of sport
When winning at sport
When alone, in a meditative mood.
Before you can know any man, as he really is, you must observe him in all the foregoing moods, and perhaps more, which is practically the equivalent of saying that you have no right to judge others at sight.
Appearances count, there can be no doubt of that, but appearances are often deceiving.
This course has been so designed that the student who masters it may take inventory of himself and of others by other than “snap-judgment” methods. The student who masters this philosophy will be able to look through the outer crust of personal adornment, clothes, so-called culture and the like, and down deep into the heart of all about him.
This is a very broad promise!
Side note: No person is “Educated”