Als je graag leest over persoonlijke ontwikkeling; voorwaarden voor succes en het realiseren van je doelen of dromen, dan ben je op internet vast tegen de klassieker “Think and Grow Rich” van Napoleon Hill (1938) aangesurfd.

Om je de tijd te besparen om het hele boek zelf te ‘moeten’ lezen, heb ik hieronder een samenvatting gemaakt.
Hill komt in zijn boek herhaaldelijk terug op de verschillende voorwaarden voor succes, waardoor je als lezer alle toelichtingen per succes principe bij elkaar moet sprokkelen. Om het geheel overzichtelijker te maken, heb ik ervoor gekozen om de verschillende succes principes afzonderlijk samen te vatten.

Om je toch het gevoel te geven dat je het originele boek hebt gelezen, heb ik uitsluitend Hill zijn eigen woorden gebruikt. Alleen de subkopjes en de woorden tussen haakjes zijn van mij.

Think and Grow Rich
Observe, carefully, the description of how he (a man named Barnes) went about translating his DESIRE (becoming the business associate of Edison) into reality, and you will have a better understanding of the (…) principles which lead to riches (or success).

Napoleon Hill

Burning desire
He had nothing to start with, except the capacity to KNOW WHAT HE WANTED  (becoming the business associate of Edison), AND THE DETERMINATION TO STAND BY THAT DESIRE UNTIL HE REALIZED IT. He had no money to begin with. He had but little education. He had no influence. But he did have initiative, faith, and the will to win. (…)
He wanted to work with Edison, not for him. (…) He was so determined to find a way to carry out his desire (…) “I came here to go into business with Edison, and I’ll accomplish this end if it takes the remainder of my life.” He meant it!

Visualize
Barnes literally thought himself into a partnership with the great Edison! (…) in his own mind, HE WAS THE PARTNER OF EDISON EVERY MINUTE OF THE TIME, from the very day that he first went to work there. (…) He saw himself standing in Edison’s presence. He heard himself asking Mr.Edison for an opportunity to carry out the one CONSUMING OBSESSION OF HIS LIFE, a BURNING DESIRE to become the business associate of the great inventor.

Create a plan
He created a plan by which to attain that purpose.

Belief /faith
Our only limitations are those we set up in our own minds. (…) The outlook was far from encouraging, but DESIRE BACKED BY FAITH knows no such word as impossible.
The state of mind must be BELIEF, not mere hope or wish. Open-mindedness is essential for belief.

No retreat
Every person who wins in any undertaking must be willing to burn his ships and cut all sources of retreat. Only by so doing can one be sure of maintaining that state of mind known as a BURNING DESIRE TO WIN, essential to success. (…) He did not say, “I will keep my eyes open for another opportunity, in case I fail to get what I want in the Edison organization.” He said, “There is but ONE thing in this world that I am determined to have, and that is a business association with Thomas A. Edison. I will burn all bridges behind me, and stake my ENTIRE FUTURE on my ability to get what I want.”

Take small steps
He was content to start in the most menial work, as long as it provided an opportunity to take even one step toward his cherished goal. (…) He did not say,”I will work there for a few months, and if I get no encouragement, I will quit and get a job somewhere else.” He did say, “I will start anywhere. I will do anything Edison tells me to do, but before I am through, I will be his associate.”

Persistence
Five years passed before the chance he had been seeking made its appearance.

See failures or setbacks as opportunities
(…)  all who succeed in life get off to a bad start, and pass through many heartbreaking struggles before they “arrive.” (…) When the opportunity came, it appeared in a different form, and from a different direction than Barnes had expected. That is one of the tricks of opportunity. (…) often it comes disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat. Perhaps this is why so many fail to recognize opportunity.

Stay away from dream killers
Put your dream across, and never mind what “they” say if you meet with temporary defeat, for “they,” perhaps, do not know that EVERY FAILURE BRINGS WITH IT THE SEED OF AN EQUIVALENT SUCCESS. (…)
If the thing you wish to do is right, and you believe in it, go ahead and do it!

Conclusion
Success comes to those who become SUCCESS CONSCIOUS. (…) Wishing will not bring riches (or success). But desiring riches with a state of mind that becomes an obsession, then planning definite ways and means to acquire riches, and backing those plans with (faith and) persistence which does not recognize failure, will bring riches (or success).

…
Isn’t it great to see that, after all these years, Hill’s success principles still all hold true?

Marlies van der Meer;  Trainer en Coach

PS: I’d like to share one more important success principle, which Hill mentions near the end of his book: the importance of having your own mastermind group.