Executive Summary: “Think and Grow Rich,” by Napoleon Hill
In the book “Think and Grow Rich,” the author, Napoleon Hill, provides a set of principles that he calls the key to financial success. The idea at the center of these principles is that one becomes what he or she frequently thinks about, in this case success (i.e. rich). Hill lays out a method he created to translate one’s thoughts into reality, creating an insatiable hunger and drive within an individual to succeed. Using the examples of his son and some of America’s legendary iconic business leaders, of which Hill studied and interviewed, including Edwin C. Barnes, he demonstrates that anything one puts his or her mind to can be produced and conceived.
“…[All] who have accumulated great fortunes, first did a certain amount of dreaming, hoping wishing, desiring, and planning before they acquired the money” (pg.26). Every success starts with a goal, and the first step towards achieving ones goal is to have a burning desire. The characteristics of a burning desire is that it is definite and that one thinks and dreams about it, thus eventually becoming a positive, healthy consuming obsession in life required for motivation. Definite, meaning that a person has a specific goal in mind while putting all his or her energy toward it and not giving up until it is attained. A major pitfall is that most people only see “becoming rich” as a hope or a wish. When an obstacle comes along, instead of trying really hard to overcome it, people give up, taking the easy way out. People fail to realize that success comes as a result of overcoming some crisis through persistence. Any idea can come true if one truly believes in it. Take Edwin C. Barnes, for example.
Barnes had a burning des...
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...hes to achieve. Confidence and desire are the two main feelings that initiate sexual desire and action, and can be applied to other areas in life.
Whatever one thinks about all the time tends to happen, hence the title “Think and Grow Rich.” Using the examples of past success, such as his son and Edwin C. Barnes, Hill shows how a burning desire, persistence and other principles, if done effectively, can be combined to create favorable conditions towards success. This book is written to guide anybody, in any occupation, with everyday endeavors, because new inspirations can always be found. Hill stresses principles, methods that have to deal with the mind because it is a powerful weapon. This book was written during the Era of the Great depression, and it could still be used for modern day situations because the techniques, teachings and instructions do not get old.
The quests for gold at the end of the rainbow, the hopes of thousands to one day live the fabled American Dream. Worldwide, everyone who is capable looks for their chance to strike it rich. Some of the most successful people today, such as Apple’s Steve Jobs and OK! Magazine’s Richard Desmond, have risen from tough backgrounds (Serafina). Growing up in abject poverty, these individuals found ways to push past the glass ceiling in their respective fields. Interestingly, many of them share similar obstacles on their way to the top.
The pool of opportunity has grown smaller from what it once was, and it seems that opportunity parallels the wealth in capitalist America—a small number of individuals are successful in their endeavors, and the rest must settle for less with disappointment and disillusionment. While hard work and perseverance may push individuals to new heights, the power of optimism and positive thinking can only take a person so far. The great American dream and frontier is only available to those with certain circumstances, and those circumstances are becoming less available to the new generation coming into the
... that these powerful businessmen ruined the attractive ideology that America had envisioned for itself, these men paradoxically created jobs for thousands of families and laid the foundation for the economy of America. By paving the ways for inventive, modern day companies such as Apple, Google, and Microsoft, the emerging American economy has expanded beyond its geographical boundaries. Other countries have sought to emulate the dominant businesses in America in an attempt to obtain wealth and an increased quality of life for their countries and their workers. The American Dream is a combination of many varied dreams, and it is not limited nor defined by one’s wealth. So, listen up all you aspiring businessmen and businesswomen: Rockefeller and Carnegie have set a standard in showing you a way to create businesses and philosophical practices that will help us all.
Not all people can be rich. According to the article “The Treadmill of Consumption”, Robert says that “Life is a game. Money is how we keep score”. That is what some people think about real life, and that is wrong, because real life isn’t a game. It is a world where you need to work and earn your money to buy things you need. Not everyone can have a big house and many cars. Everyone is different and have different jobs and salaries. Somebody is born rich, and they easily get money from their parents, but others work hard to get the place where they are now and the money that they are earning. People never know who works hard and get it easy, but in any way they want to be like them. Moreover, people forget what they have, and they just want more. In the article “All That Glitters Is Not Gold”, it says that everyone should be equal. It is true that being equal would be an easy solution for people. Most of the people earn enough money to live good and simple lives, but that is not enough for them. They look at rich people and forget about themselves. Maybe, the money that they have is plenty for them, and they don’t need to be
The Millionaire Next Door written by William Danko and Thomas J. Stanley illustrates the misconception of high luxury spenders in wealthy neighborhoods are considered wealthy. This clarifies that American’s who drive expensive cars, and live in lavish homes are not millionaires and financially independent. The authors show the typical millionaire are one that is frugal, and disciplined. Their cars are used, and their suits were purchased at a discount. As we read the book from cover to cover are misconceptions start to fade. The typical millionaire is very frugal in all endeavors and finds the best discounts possible. A budget is implemented daily, monthly, and annually for a typical millionaire. They live by the budget and are goal oriented. Living well below their means is crucial for a millionaire, and discovering ways to allocate time and money more efficiently. The typical millionaire next door is different than the majority of America presumes. Let’s first off mention what it is not. The typical millionaire is surprisingly not the individual with the lavish house worth a million dollars, owning multiple expensive cars, a boat, expensive clothes, and ultimately living lavishly. The individual is frugal and often looks for discounts for consumable goods. The book illustrates the typical millionaire in one simple word: frugal. It is shocking to believe that this is true, but it does make sense. To achieve financial independence is inherently more satisfying and important than accumulating wealth. According to the book the majority of these millionaires portray characteristics of being sacrificial, disciplined, persistent and frugal. In the book it states, “Being frugal is the cornerstone of wealth-building. Yet far too often th...
To begin, wealth could drive someone to achieve their goal. During the Klondike Gold Rush period, Pearce went in stampede through the harsh, cold lands of the Klondike region. Many had died, however Pearce was able to push himself forward and not let his body give up. He was driven by how he had a chance of striking it rich and bringing gold back to his town. “At least six men had their feet frozen, and two men died in the hospital from pneumonia.” (Pearce, Paragraph 12) Even though Pearce did not find gold, his strong wanting of being wealthy kept him moving forward and alive.
Money constitutes the American Dream, because in America, to be successful in life means being wealthy. We live in an industrialized nation, in which money controls our very own existence. The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara establishes an argument about society’s injustice that entails financial opportunities by revealing the differences in living conditions between upper class and lower class. Another important point Stephen Cruz, a successful business person and a Professor at the University of Wisconsin at Platteville, makes in his speech is that the American Dream is getting progressively ambiguous, because the vision of success is being controlled by power and fear which only benefit 1 percent of Americans. For most people, the American Dream is to be financially stable to the point of content; however, realistically the accomplishment of the American Dream is often obstructed by society’s limitations and influences from higher power.
For some, simply having infinite wealth and popularity is enough for them to be happy. For others, they need something that money can’t buy. Two books that express these qualities are: The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Both of these books describe the life of a wealthy man but each of them have different ideas of the American dream. Examples from these books will show how the American dream differs from person to person.
Moreover, this concept of free will and becoming financially self-reliant is still prevalent in modern society. The mid-twentieth (20th) to the early twenty-first (21st) century has become the age of entrepreneurship, where peoples from all nations no longer desire to work “for the man” but create their own legacy of prosperity. Likewise, it is a period in time that has redefined the way in which those from all walks of life can obtain success and wealth. Hence, the evolution of reality TV stars, YouTube sensations and rappers from being ordinary individuals to becoming fashion designers, actors and CEOs. However, our definition of success is not only defined by wealth it also includes having a life of meaning that is similar to that of Dr. Martin Luther king Jr. and Malcolm X. Certainly, I am speaking of a life that encompasses the ability to change our world for the better.
Thomas J. Stanley, Ph.D. and William D. Danko, Ph.D. wrote The Millionaire Next Door, which is a highly informative book about what it takes to become wealthy. Some of the information I knew, such as the obvious fact that you need money to be a millionaire, but some information, such as millionaires not owning big luxury items, surprised me. People become wealthy by saving money, not by living in a huge house or driving an expensive car. Most households generate a lot of money, but, because people love buying things, they live from paycheck to paycheck. Stanley and Danko say, “Building wealth requires discipline, sacrifice, and hard work” (5). There are not too many millionaires because people are not willing to change their lifestyles to accumulate
It is the habit of working hard and not wasting time as much as possible. Success comes with hard work, not through money and power. According to a national survey, just 6% percent of the people in America defined wealth as their American dream (Michael). Michael also wrote that most people defined their American dream as having a family with comfortable and enjoyable life, financial security, liberty, happiness, and opportunity. How much money is enough? Even though a person can be a billionaire, he/she can only buy things. Money can’t buy everything, such as freedom and family. Gates came from an upper-middle-class family, but he accomplished all his incredible achievements by doing his best on everything, and being industrious. Bill Gates is a co-founder of arguably the biggest computer
When we think of successful people, many names come to mind: President Obama, Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, etc. They're all very well established and have achieved what many call the American Dream. Another name among those that many may think of is Bill Gates, the multi-billionaire and founder of Microsoft. Who hasn't heard of his story? A college dropout reaches great fame and wealth as he pursues his lifelong dream of computer programming. How amazing! If Gates can become so rich and famous despite dropping out of college, anyone can, right? Everywhere around the world people work hard day and night. They work in hopes of achieving something grand. Almost everyone believes that the harder you work, the more you will earn, and therefore the
Who does not wish to be rich? The first thing that might come to mind when thinking about having a lot of money is owning luxurious cars, living in a prodigious residency, having expensive items to wear, or anything of that nature. A rich person has the ability to buy anything to please his or her desires, and he or she can visit any place at any time without having to think about it twice. Many people perceive that happiness comes within how much money they have. People confuse being wealthy with being happy. Wealth does not necessarily bring happiness; however, it is obvious that it can help to bring happiness for some and sorrow for others.
This passing of inheritance creates a legacy of wealth that continues from generation to generation. When a legacy is formed, children with that tradition are born into financial security. This heritage of prosperity leads to the nation’s well-off population being filled with trust-fund babies. These lucky individuals skip the jump from “working-class [member] to middle-class citizen” (Decker 6). With the bulk of rich Americans holding onto the country’s revenue, how does an average hard working man expect to get a piece of the pie? As money is passed down a straight path from parent to child, the remaining riches are few and far between. With this in mind, it’s obvious that practically no one has the opportunity to reap the benefits of fortune. With mediocrity as the only outcome in one’s life, Happy announces in Act I, “I don’t know what the hell I’m workin’ for” (Miller 1008). On the contrary, there are those who have shown that wealth is not limited to a select few, but open to all, if one is determined enough to earn it. These extraordinary people are known as self-made millionaires. Everyone has a chance to achieve their goals, no matter how unobtainable they may seem at the time. Self-made millionaires prove to the world that financial success is not bound to those who have received it from their parents. There is plenty of money in the world for people to become wealthy off of as long as one has “virtues of thrift and hard work” (Decker 13). All that matters is if one is willing enough to give everything they have to attain it. Therefore, fortune is available to everyone who is passionate enough to go after
Robert Kiyosaki said “You’re only poor if you give up. The most important thing is that you did something. Most people only talk and dream of getting rich. You’ve done something” There is no way of becoming successful in life if you aren’t driven and don’t have determination in what you believe in. The main point of this book was that you need to make money work for you and not the other way around. It is tough trying to put your wants and fears to the side in order to get rich and stay rich. One tip given was that you need to stop what your doing if what your doing isn’t working for you. Robert Kiyosaki did a great job of taking us into his life and his journey into becoming successful.