The Secret in Think and Grow Rich?

I'd suggest you read it again... slower. Sounds funny but sometimes that's what it takes.

I used to think I need to get through as many books as I can to make the most progress. But now I try more to get the most out of the books I read, in reasonable time.

And really, I think if there was a flat out, simple "secret" that they just jam down your throat (kinda like the new secret lol) then people wouldn't get that much out of it.

That's what Dan Kennedy said in one of his videos. How in the world did Napolean Hill go broke?

Read the chapters and ponder Grasshopper! After the time of thought, thoughtfully answer the questions. Take time to read the book and find the underlying currents. They you will fins the "secret".

You need to understand that this book will be different each time you read it. Alas, there are many secrets and most are in plain sight.

(was that Zen/Mr Miorgi enough?)

I was going to write my own response but then I saw what Mark put here


In my opinion, this is exactly what the "secret" was. Once you identify a definite purpose, you can essentially organize the rest of your life around fulfilling that purpose. I have used this personally and so far it seems to be working well for me. I am very happy with my results.

The secret in "Think and Grow Rich" is simple but not necessarily easy to accomplish. That's why Napolean Hill spent 20 years of his life creating the book and interviewing hundreds of real successes to verify what he was told by Andrew Carnegie.

Thoughts are things.

That's it. Really!

• If you know you are stupid, you will act stupidly and make bad decisions.
• If you know that you can build a fantastic business, you can and will.
• If you know that you will not stop until you are successful at [fill-in-the-blank] you will be successful.

DarkOneToo
PS: I collect Napolean Hill memorabilia. I have private newsletters from Napolean Hill where he states plainly the message from his premiere book, and his frustration with people who have read it over and over and still don't get it. Rather funny material....

Everyone will have different answer! No one thinks alike. I have read the book TGR several times. Each time you read a chapter, you will get a different idea! Indeed, what matters most is to do your job or work and leave the result to the infinite intelligence. We are the true masters of universe, however, covered with veil of ignorance and weakness. Indeed, we have dedicated a entire forum to discuss the principles outlined in TGR!

You sir, have unlocked the secret.

Zurich,

Napoleon Hill talks about that as well in his book "Think and Grow Rich."

Well Put
THe key to it all is the determination to fail if you must till you succeed. True faith that you will succeed amplifies your efforts 1000%

The Secret was never a secret.

Most of us are too lazy to succeed. Do the hard thing first and it will get easy. Do the easy thing first and it will always get hard.

We spend our lives avoiding the things we know we should do. Take the easy road and except what life will give you. Rather than going and getting what it is we want.

We all have excuses. Some of us solve them and end in success and some of us continue to use the excuses as the crutch for not getting what they want.

Is it failure if we never really ever tried?

Very nice Neo (agreed). The first paragraph reads:

TRULY, "thoughts are things," and powerful things at that, when they are mixed with definiteness of purpose, persistence, and a BURNING DESIRE for their translation into riches, or other material objects.


I like that!

I personally believe that there's more to LOA than Napoleon Hills wrote.

The steps and methods laid out in Think and Grow Rich, as I see, are merely ways to "tune yourself in" with the Universe. They are just the beginning, not the ending, thus shouldn't be overly emphasized on.

Despite scientific approaches does help in understanding LOA, it's more a spiritual thing. You get it, you get it. You don't, you don't. Focus on our mental development, and we will get there naturally.

If I have to put it into words, LOA is simply the manifesto of our minds.

We attract only like-minded people. So turn around and look at your best and most closest friends, are they what you want to become? Are they, in your own term, successful enough?

If not, go hang out with people you want to become, so you can change the way you think and become one of them. Then you'll start to attract more of the same kind of people.

Yea... I know this has been said a zillion times by many others.. but geez.. it does work like a charm.. :rolleyes:

At the end of the say, we are what we believe, that's for sure.

Just my 2 cents.

I think T&GR was written before The Master Key, as in the latter, there are explanations of a couple of point that T&GR suggests are "not known to mankind" (i.e an explanation of the Universal Mind:

Since all mind is as one... that, by default means that our own minds are all part of the whole - and that is how and why we can tap into the infinite mind (or intelligence)

If you read, re-read, and become familiar with T&GR and Master Key, you'll discover otherwise.

Good video too, if anyone's interested.

I got it! Here's the secret: it's passion. If you truly love what you do you will naturally attract every one of Hill's keys to success. Love for for what you do creates unbelievable riches in every way incl. the key to create money. If you read through the examples he cites in his book when he's talking about the secret you'll see that every person loves what they do: his son was passionate about helping other deaf people to talk, Edwin Barnes was passionate about working for Edison, Ford was obsessed with creating advancements in the fledgling motorcar industry. All these people cared deeply about what they were doing. That is why Hill said that when you discover the secret there will be no call for hard work. If you love what you do you'll never work a day in your life. If you love what you do you'll throw everything into to, you'll never quit, you'll have outstanding ideas about how to make it better, how to develop it to serve more people, you'll naturally want to learn every ounce of knowledge on it, you'll want to join forces with other people who are just as passionate about it. And so it goes on. Good luck everyone!

I posted a while back and changed my perspective on the "secret" so wanted to see what people thought. There is the obvious one that we become what we think about. It's becoming well documented by scientists and quantum physicists (read anything by Lynne McTaggart to do your research) that our thoughts alter subatomic matter and in turn our own reality. Hill was spot on there, way before science could back him up. It's a pretty extraordinary discovery and I believe it is the secret but something else strikes me about T&GR.

In each instance that Hill mentions the secret directly (without specifically naming it) eg describing Edwin Barnes' journey to becoming Edison's partner, Ford's invention of the V8 engine, his son's job with the hearing aid manufacturer, there's something these all have in common: they are enriching others. Their motive is to benefit other people and as a result they get rich. Carnegie was the same, he set out to sell the best steel available. No one just gets rich and I believe the point Hill was making was that you must give before you can get. One cannot exist without the other. This is one of the major problems facing society today with celeb culture and consumerism gone mad - people want to be rich without giving anything in return. Given when Hill wrote this in the depths of the American Depression, I wonder whether he felt the same.

Yup, I believe thetruth is speaking the truth here The whole idea of a mastermind group is what I've always understood to be "the secret". But I also agree with others that the secret is a unique "something" in each reader's eyes.

Greetings all,

I see a lot of Warriors have touched on the "secret" in Think and Grow Rich already, so I'll just agree with them and add my 2 cents... or maybe more like 20 or 30 cents.

"Thoughts are things" is definitely a true statement IMO.

I would expand on it by stating that more and more evidence (dare I say proof? Personal experience definitely confirms it) indicates this:

Whether you look at spiritual/metaphysical new-age stuff (Law of Attraction, The Secret, TUT, Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Kristin and David Morelli, Eckhart Tolle, that sort of thing); or middle ground, somewhat spiritual, motivational-type stuff (Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield/Mark Victor Hansen, John Assaraf, NLP, etc.); or even science (at least more forward-thinking sciences like quantum physics); all of them have some things in common...

Without going too deep into this topic, which would take many pages, basically all the folks above, and many more, assert that on greater/deeper levels, everything is connected (including people), and that all things (thoughts included) affect all other things on some level.

Essentially the entire universe (or universes, as some say there is more than one... perhaps an infinite number of them), including people and all other things on this little planet of ours (and maybe elsewhere if you believe in all that X-Files/Roswell-type stuff), is made up of the same "stuff" - physical/material/matter, energy, all the way up through sound, light and on into thought, consciousness, awareness and beyond.

As a self-aware, thinking entity or "being" what you "think" or "perceive" or "envision" or "visualize" immediately springs into existence on some level... maybe not physical/material right away, but apparently as soon as you picture it (become conscious of it), it can become "real" in the physical/experiential realm, sooner or later.

Common attributes of those we call "successful" be it in business, the arts, entertainment, athletics, or whatever, is that they are focused, generally have a very clear vision of what they want to achieve, and they get out there and take focused, immediate, consistent ACTION to get it done. (Tony Robbins is big on this for sure.)

Read the biographies or autobiographies of anyone who is "successful" financially or otherwise (learning from others is something you definitely must do if you want to become "successful" yourself - study those who have made it already, learn what they did/how they did it, and then emulate them), and you'll find this same kind of attitude among all of them in one form or another.

A lot of it comes down to really exploring your inner self, taking full responsibility for where you are now, realizing that YOU are the ONLY PERSON that got you where you are now, and YOU are the ONLY PERSON who can get you where you want to go... and one of the fastest ways "there" is:

1. Determine what you're really passionate about and enjoy doing (think back to what you really dreamed of as a kid, before others came in and told you differently);
2. Look at how you can use your passions, abilities, talents and natural gifts to create value, serve/assist others, and add to the greater good (we ALL have this ability, although most of us have repressed it to some degree);
3. Put it into ACTION as soon as possible, then monitor your results, make adjustments as needed, and keep moving upward and forward with it.
4. Build momentum, and always, always, always create some kind of value and service for others and/or the greater good. Yes, some people have become "rich" and "powerful" (both extremely relative and subjective terms) through cheating, intimidating, dominating or otherwise hurting others and/or the greater good, but this will ALWAYS come around and smack those folks back HARD, sooner or later. Believe it.

Other people, resources, circumstances and other things can and will come into the picture along the way to help you (or hinder you if your focus is on the wrong things), but the truth is that IT ALL COMES DOWN TO YOU and WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR OTHERS.

That's the underlying message I get from just about every good book I've ever read, whether it's a biography/autobiography, motivational/spiritual book, or even a great work of fiction. Also just about every good audio recording/music, movie, website and even *shudder* television (not that there's much good TV though - my recommendation is generally to avoid it). It's also my personal experience in this life.

Another way to look at it is your entire WORLD is basically a reflection of what YOU put "out there" or what you focus on.

This is a tough pill for many of us to swallow, as we have increasingly become a society that both blames anything and everything outside ourselves for "negative" circumstances and results, and also looks for solutions and distractions for our problems outside ourselves.

Not to say that "outside" things cannot or will not come into play as you move through life, but the seed for all of them still comes from within you.

Consciousness and perception is creation... "thoughts are things" and what you "think about" consciously, semi-consciously and subconsciously, becomes what you experience.

I have more to say but will not write a book here. This is my 1st post on WF, though I have been lurking for a while now... purchased a few WSOs too. Time to put my money where my mouth is now, and take my own advice. It's interesting that this first post is in the self-improvement section of the site as opposed to online marketing, offline marketing, WSOs, etc. I actually come from a self-improvement/inspirational/artistic/musical background so it's definitely relevant. But this ain't just about me... it's also about you, and yours, and him, and her, and all of us. So offer feedback or input if you like. It'd be good to hear from ya.

Rob Jammer
Starspire

I just don't know. I would like to take a position of knowing but, alas, I don't.

There have been a lot of wise posts in this thread. That's for sure. And I learned a lot.

Thanks to everyone for their insights in responding to this thread; and of course the poster of it.

LLS

This is the secret hidden within the Think & Grow Rich: "IT WORKS" by RHJ, The Famous Little Red Book that Makes Your Dreams Come True - YouTube

I love the keyboard analogy.

I remember going to a seminar once when they gave a really good analogy.

They said the results in life are like a printout of what's going on in our mind. If there's a spelling mistake in the document, it doesn't matter how many times you print it out, it will always be there. If, however, you changed the document in your mind, the printout will always be correct in the future.

I think that sums it up perfectly. Focus on the computer and the printout will take care of itself!

The secret is simple....."take possession of your mind."

We live in a world where we allow media, politicians, church, friends and family to possess our mind. We allow them to influence us, and tell us what we can and cannot, should and should not do.

Andrew Carnegie said it best: "The man who acquires the ability to take full possession of his own mind may take possession of anything else to which he is justly entitled."

100% agree - looking for the secret is like waiting up to see Santa Claus on Christmas Eve! We want it to exist, but we know deep down that we've got more chance of Steve Jobs coming down the chimney with a brand new MacBook Pro, for us!

I was took the book to be about "Creative Visualization" to achieve success

Great book by the way

I also like "The Magic of Thinking Big" by David J. Schwartz

Thanks athena. But it's really very hard to stop running after money. Even if you have overflowing swiss bank account.

BAM! Exactly I didn't realize how difficult it was for some people to understand this. It is right in the title of the book.

This is EXACTLY the same thing that The Secret says as well as Tony Robins.

Hi Scott.

I think the secret (or at least my understanding of it) is really good. And, definitely something anyone can use to be more successful. I agree with you - much of what it takes to succeed is good old fashioned "hard work." Still I think the secret in TAGR can really help people. (Once they understand it.)

People say there are no "short cuts" (and I understand what they're saying - people want everything to be quick and easy) ... However I think there actually are short cuts. Or put differently, certain ways to speed up the path to "success."

For instance an important discovery for me was understanding how to deal with "failure." Here's some informtation:

http://www.warriorforum.com/blogs/jo...8-failure.html

another way to say it : Work = execution, action, daily tasks...

maybe the real secret is something we don't want to know.

the answer is action (today's culture obfuscates this so we lose sight of action or really what is called "work"), all else can follow from action.

I can have the clearest goals, complete belief, all the financial, psychological, and experiential (experience) capabilities. but if I don't act?

Nothing happens

I can have no experience, little money, low intelligence, lack emotional maturity, no written goals, not even think about Belief....what if I take Action?

Then results happen and I create, develop, and improve upon all the above.

I'm not sure there is one secret in it, you can take from it what you want.

However when read this book for the first time, it changed my life forever... Here's how...

At the end of 2007 I took a sabbatical. A lot in my life changed in that 4 months, however at the end of the trip I still had to come home and return to work... About 6 months later I had this real urge to return to the country I had visited previously. I knew no one there, had no job to go to and it was on the other side of the world... I would be leaving my friends and family , my well paid job and my apartment I had bought.

Basically it seemed like just a fantasy and I'd be really stupid to up and leave and drop everything and risk it all.

It was at this time I got into reading a few books, mainly because I had turned my life around from drinking, smoking slot and got really into exercise. One of the books I was recommended was think and grow rich.

I remember reading it and getting to the point where you write down your goals and a sum of money and what you will do in exchange for that.

I did this, but more importantly I went to my laptop and emailed a few contacts I had about designing their websites if they were looking. Two of them got back within half an hour , and one the following the day. The work done on them gave me enou to buy a ticket and enough to last me 3 months work. Within 3 months I was on my way... 2 years later I'm still here and well... Life is amazing. No regrets.

Now... I'm not saying the book, or any magic made this happen... But that si ple step of getting of my butt there and then and doing something was what caused the chain of events.

That is what I think is the secret, thinking of something and manifesting it through immediate action, no matter how small... That small action makes your idea born into reality. That's the secret I've taken from the book.

I like Tony Robbbins "holy grail"

belief / action / results

this seems to be more inclusive, timeless, and foundational

I think in N Hill's day, work ethic was assumed.

what I think we do today (given the cultural and social conditions)...

is the quick buck, fast results, automation (less work) all the while looking for technology to provide the "secret" to our personal ills.

but I could be wrong.

It IS ideas actually. "Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve." What else does the mind conceive other than the idea that can spawn you a fortune?

The idea can be an original creative idea, or an innovation off of an existing idea, but in the end, without the IDEA to make something happen, then you are skipping the "mind can conceive" part of the secret Hill shares with us.

Yeah, coulda been shorter I guess, LOL. I started typing and that's what came out before I stopped. Thanks for the reply though.

CliffsNotes version:

Thoughts are things... and are just as "real" as any physical thing.

Nowadays, spirituality/self-awareness, forward-thinking sciences (like quantum physics) and more agree - and offer proof - that absolutely everything, physical and non-physical, is made of the same "stuff" - basically energy vibrating at different frequencies, though there is a bit more to it than that.

Being "real things," thoughts can - and do - affect every physical thing, influence its creation and more. The kind of thoughts you put out there, what you focus on, and how you act according to your thoughts, directly impacts what you get back. Put another way...

You get what you focus on, in one form or another. Focus on negatives, scarcity, lack, gaining at the expense of others, etc., and that's what you'll get back. Focus on positives, abundance, creating value and serving others, etc., and that's what you'll get back - in greater and greater amounts as you build momentum.

It's a cumulative thing... and "like attracts like." Yes, there is something to all that "Law of Attraction" stuff and the like.

Hope this version is a bit more digestible, although it leaves out some things!

Rob Jammer
Starspire

ScienceDaily (Oct. 1, 2011) -- "Whether you think you can or think you can't -- you're right," said Henry Ford. A new study, to be published in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that people who think they can learn from their mistakes have a different brain reaction to mistakes than people who think intelligence is fixed.

Reference : How your brain reacts to mistakes depends on your mindset

Sounds interesting. I'll check them out.

You are describing mastering positive emotions which is key to achieving any goal. It's proven science now that thoughts change matter at a subatomic level and eventually on a macro level (if anyone disputes this then read up on the extraordinary research of Robert Jahn and Eizabeth Targ). If you think about something with sufficient intention it will manifest physically. The nature of thought does not judge whether it's something you want or don't want hence why Hill makes it clear you must learn to tune your mind to positive thoughts to get more of what you want and less of what you don't. Part of that process in moving to positive thoughts is taking the focus off yourself and stop thinking in terms of 'me', 'I', 'mine' etc and start thinking 'you'. Again, research has shown that people who think in terms of 'me', I etc live shorter lives. We are all connected, quite literally and by nurturing those connections with others we expand. Think about Hills 13 steps and what they're aimed at. You might think they're aimed at you but they are not. They are aimed at empowering you to deliver service to others.

Hill said in recorded lecture whilst discussing PMA, and I quote "we are now rubbing shoulders with the great master key to success...If ever you should be unfortunate enough to find yourself feeling sorry for yourself stop right there and then and look for someone less fortunate than you and start immediately to help them".

Andrew,

What do you think of this :

your in your car heading to a specific place.

considering you really want to just park quickly ( "law of Attraction") , Quantum Physics (everything is connected atom to atom), you can effect the outside world (with Internal Mental Forecasting - Goals and thinking and feeling what you want )

as you drive, your in tune with all this. you drive naturally at a certain pace, making turns that seem right, with positive thoughts along the way... your "in the flow " , so by the time you arrive a spot is available.

you received and sent somehow that connection?

can you duplicate it so it happens more often? Recent research says happy people are successful, not the other way around!

Maybe it's best to believe that, since being "in flow" has the "living in the present and accepting whatever comes" attitude?

Drill down for me. What is your definition of Model?

I consider it a "feedback loop".
Between the mind and the action.

ever hear of the LED Traffic warnings and how it applies here?

driving on the freeway, see the speed your going, quick feedback to change behavior for good results (no ticket, be safe, etc..,)

Are Goals built for this feedback loop, or are they too far out, to unachievable that we lose the Positive Feedback and beat ourselves up? I wonder

At long last i understand the secret. Remember, it ceases to become a secret when you're ready to receive it. Therefore some may dispute what I'm about to write and that's fine.

The secret begins with having a goal: knowing where you're going. That is the most important part of any achievement. Without direction you go nowwhere and you'll notice it's something that every one of Hill's examples shares in common. His goal was to give his son hearing, Edwin Barnes' goal was to go into business with Edison, Ford's goal was to build the first 8 cylinder engine block, Charles Schwab's was to create US steele. Etc, etc. Second, the secret to riches is about giving. Hill, Carnegie, Ford, Barnes all gave something in return for what they wanted. They served others. No man can get rich unless he enriches others. Unless you're providing something useful to others in return for their money you won't get rich. Third, they absolutely refused to allow external circumstances to stand in the way of their success. Barnes had no money and no credentials to work with Edison but that didnt stop him. Ford was told by his engineers that what he wanted to do was impossible. Doctors told Hill that it shouldnt be possible that his son could hear. The list goes on. Tied into this they were obsessed with their goal. Success was the only option. They poured all their focus, THOUGHT and energy into it. They worked together with other equally motivated men (mastermind principle) to achieve their goal.

The secret in a way is the whole book because it covers a number of principles. But ultimately it comes down to this: people who get rich get rich by having a goal, becoming obsessed with that goal and serving others to get what they want. If you do that you'll become what you've been thinking about faster than you could ever imagine.

Good luck

For me the secret In TAGR is Choice.

Everyone in the book chose to be successful in their endeavours. (More info in the report in my signature.)

When it applies to Internet Marketing anyone can be successful. There’s no innate talent required and much of the "boring" stuff can be outsourced. It becomes a choice then. Simply choose to be successful – and you will be. : )

Man am I in trouble. I didn't even know there was a secret in the book. Why would one write a book about great and abundant success and then wrap it up in a secret that people are still to this day asking about? Holy smoke! I thought he just came right out and said what it was all about; hence the purpose of the book. I ask you. What secret?

LLS

The secret is clearly spelled out in chapter 2… Desire:

Step 1: You must have a definite chief aim or goal.

Step 2: You must reinforce that chief aim or goal with persistent repetition until it becomes a burning desire (a super strong belief that you can accomplish it) the answer rests in what he did with his son.

There is another book called Napoleon Hill's Keys to Success. Compiled from his work by the Napoleon Hill Foundation. You may find it easier to follow. ISBN 0 7499 1486 6.

Oh! and the Secret. The secret is - the book is whatever you make of it. The secret lies within YOU.

Health and Prosperity to you all

Tony

I recommend you start...start with this list:

The Power of Positive Thinking - Norman Vincent Peale

The Secret of the Ages - Robert Collier

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey

Rich Dad Poor Dad - Robert Kiyosaki

Awaken The Giant Within - Tony Robbins

Unlimited Power - Tony Robbins

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion - Robert B Cialdini

Bring Out the Magic in Your Mind - Al Koran

The Magic of Thinking Big - David J. Schwartz

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind - T. Harv Eker

Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill

The Success Principles - Jack Canfield

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind - Joseph Murphy

You'll See It When You Believe It - Wayne W. Dyer

Losing My Virginity - Richard Branson

Pitch Anything - Oren Klaff

How to Master the Art of Selling - Tom Hopkins

The Ultimate Sales Machine - Chet Holmes

The Compound Effect - Darren Hardy

The Irresistible Offer - Mark Joyner

Getting Everything You Can Out Of All You've Got - Jay Abraham

POP! Create the Perfect Pitch, Title, and Tagline for Anything - Sam Horn

The book Think And Grow Rich doesn't have a secret. Saying there was a secret hidden in the book was simply good marketing, a teaser...a reason to buy the book. That claim of a secret, the story of Andrew Carnegie, and the greatest title in the world....made that book a best seller.

The book simply lists the qualities that most wealthy people have. There are no techniques in the book. There are stories of people that possessed these personality traits...and how these traits helped them succeed.

Here is the problem with how we see the book. There is nothing wrong with the book.... but the vast majority of people simply don't possess the traits needed to achieve wealth.

And reading about how the quality of persistence can almost guarantee wealth...does not make us persistent. Reading about the quality of desire...doesn't generate the needed level of desire in us.

For example, Napoleon Hill died penniless. He knew all about the qualities needed to be successful in business, but he didn't have those qualities himself..

So....boys and girls......If you already possess the qualities needed to rise above the rest of the world in business, and you read Think and Grow Rich, you'll think "Yup. That sounds about right".

But actually changing your personality, to acquire permanent personality traits? becoming a different person, one that will ultimately succeed? I've never seen that happen.

If you already posses the traits listed in Think And Grow Rich, you don't need to read the book. It's a great book, but you don't need to read it.

If you aren't that person already? Reading the book won't make you into one.
And the entire reason the title Think And Grow Rich sells so well, is that the title suggests that by merely thinking...which takes no physical effort, you'll automatically get rich.

If the title was "Work Really Hard For Twelve Hours A Day, For A Decade... Become Obsessive, Add A Little Luck, And You Have A Good Chance At Being Successful"....nobody would buy the book.

How To Win Friends And Influence People is another incredibly good book on "What personality traits you need so that people automatically like you and trust you".

It's why no diet book is titled "Just Eat Less And You'll Lose Weight". It has to be positioned as effortless and painless.

And nothing sounds more effortless and painless than Think And Grow Rich.

I'm going to be really honest here - the majority of people who lecture me about "believing" in 'personal development' etc aren't earning much money. They have quotes out the wazoo about 'success' and talk about the various 'secrets'.

When it comes to business and work - the only knowledge I want is how to efficiently earn the money I need to survive. Once that is done, I get on with my life doing things I really enjoy.

Napoleon Hill not only died penniless but had problem getting TAGR published because it was nothing more than a rehash of a previous book. Just as with "The Secret" - the title sold the book....mostly many years after it was published.

If reading 'personal development' and 'belief' books helps you move ahead in business or in life, I think that's great. But if you are in the same place you were last year or the year before...are they really helping? Are you earning more and living better because of reading these books? Sometimes I wonder.

Don't mean to be trite but....

While I agree that adversity builds strength...you have to PLANT those seeds to harvest any results. That means letting go of the 'seeds' of failure and heartache and turning the adversity (can't trust spellcheck) into something that HAS benefit.

Look at me getting all philosophical....don't' worry, won't last long.