HOW TO OUTWIT THE SIX GHOSTS OF FEAR
FORD SAID, “I’LL BELT THE EARTH WITH DEPENDABLE MOTOR CARS,” AND HE DID!
His
decision to trust his own judgment has already piled up a fortune far
greater than the next five generations of his descendents can squander.
For the benefit of those seeking vast riches, let it be remembered that
practically the sole difference between Henry Ford and a majority of
the more than one hundred thousand men who work for him, is this-FORD
HAS A MIND AND CONTROLS IT, THE OTHERS HAVE MINDS WHICH THEY DO NOT TRY
TO CONTROL.
Henry Ford has been repeatedly mentioned, because
he is an astounding example of what a man with a mind of his own, and a
will to control it, can accomplish. His record knocks the foundation
from under that time-worn alibi, “I never had a chance.” Ford never had
a chance, either, but he CREATED AN OPPORTUNITY AND BACKED IT WITH
PERSISTENCE UNTIL IT MADE HIM RICHER THAN CROESUS.
Mind control
is the result of self-discipline and habit. You either control your
mind or it controls you. There is no hall-way compromise. The most
practical of all methods for controlling the mind is the habit of
keeping it busy with a definite purpose, backed by a definite plan.
Study the record of any man who achieves noteworthy success, and you
will observe that he has control over his own mind, moreover, that he
exercises that control and directs it toward the attainment of definite
objectives. Without this control, success is not possible.
“FIFTY-SEVEN” FAMOUS ALIBIS
By Old Man IF
People
who do not succeed have one distinguishing trait in common. They know
all the reasons for failure, and have what they believe to be air-tight
alibis to explain away their own lack of achievement.
Some of
these alibis are clever, and a few of them are justifiable by the facts.
But alibis cannot be used for money. The world wants to kno w only one
thing—HAVE YOU ACHIEVED SUCCESS?
A character analyst compiled a
list of the most commonly used alibis. As you read the list, examine
yourself carefully, and determine how many of these alibis, if any, are
your own property. Remember, too, the philosophy presented in this
book makes every one of these alibis obsolete.
IF I didn’t have a wife and family . . .
IF I had enough “pull” . . .
IF I had money . . .
IF I had a good education . . .
IF I could get a job . . .
IF I had good health . . .
IF I only had time . . .
IF times were better . . .
IF other people understood me . . .
IF conditions around me were only different . . .
IF I could live my life over again . . .
IF I did not fear what “THEY” would say . . .
IF I had been given a chance . . .
IF I now had a chance . . .
IF other people didn’t “have it in for me” . . .
IF nothing happens to stop me . . .
IF I were only younger . . .
IF I could only do what I want . . .
IF I had been born rich . . . IF I could meet “the right people” . . .
IF I had the talent that some people have . . .
IF I dared assert myself . . .
IF I only had embraced past opportunities . . .
IF people didn’t get on my nerves . . .
IF I didn’t have to keep house and look after the children . . .
IF I could save some money . . .
IF the boss only appreciated me . . .
IF I only had somebody to help me . . .
IF my family understood me . . .
IF I lived in a big city . . .
IF I could just get started . . .
IF I were only free . . .
IF I had the personality of some people . . .
IF I were not so fat . . .
IF my talents were known . . .
IF I could just get a “break” . . .
IF I could only get out of debt . . .
IF I hadn’t failed . . .
IF I only knew how . . .
IF everybody didn’t oppose me . . .
IF I didn’t have so many worries . . .
IF I could marry the right person . . .
IF people weren’t so dumb . . .
IF my family were not so extravagant . . .
IF I were sure of myself . . .
IF luck were not against me . . .
IF I had not been born under the wrong star . . .
IF it were not true that “wha t is to be will be” . . .
IF I did not have to work so hard . . .
IF I hadn’t lost my money . . .
IF I lived in a different neighborhood . . .
IF I didn’t have a “past” . . .
IF I only had a business of my own . . .
IF other people would only listen to me . . .
IF
* * * and this is the greatest of them all * * * I had the courage to
see myself as I really am, I would find out what is wrong with me, and
correct it, then I might have a chance to profit by my mistakes and
learn something from the experience of others, for I know that there is
something WRONG with me, or I would now be where I WOULD HAVE BEEN IF I
had spent more time analyzing my weaknesses, and less time building
alibis to cover them.
Building alibis with which to explain
away failure is a national pastime. The habit is as old as the human
race, and is fatal to success! Why do people cling to their pet alibis?
The answer is obvious. They defend their alibis because THEY CREATE
them! A man’s alibi is the child of his own imagination. It is human
nature to defend one’s own brainchild.
Building alibis is a
deeply rooted habit. Habits are difficult to break, especially when they
provide justification for something we do. Plato had this truth in mind
when he said, “The first and best victory is to conquer self. To be
conquered by self is, of all things, the most shameful and vile.”
Another philosopher had the same thought in mind when he said, “It
was a great surprise to me when I discovered that most of the ugliness I
saw in others, was but a reflection of my own nature.” “It has always
been a mystery to me,” said Elbert Hubbard, “why people spend so much
time deliberately fooling themselves by creating alibis to cover their
weaknesses. If used differently, this same time would be sufficient to
cure the weakness, then no alibis would be needed.”
In parting, I
would remind you that “Life is a checkerboard, and the player opposite
you is TIME. If you hesitate before moving, or neglect to move promptly,
your men will be wiped off the board by TIME. You are playing against a
partner who will not tolerate INDECISION!”
Previously you may
have had a logical excuse for not having forced Life to come through
with whatever you asked, but that alibi is now obsolete, because you
are in possession of the Master Key that unlocks the door to Life’s
bountiful riches.
The Master Key is intangible, but it is
powerful! It is the privilege of creating, in your own mind, a BURNING
DESIRE for a definite form of riches. There is no penalty for the use
of the Key, but there is a price you must pay if you do not use it. The
price is FAILURE. There is a reward of stupendous proportions if you
put the Key to use. It is the satisfaction that comes to all who conquer
self and force Life to pay whatever is asked.
The reward is
worthy of your effort. Will you make the start and be convinced? “If we
are related,” said the immortal Emerson, “we shall meet.” In closing,
may I borrow his thought, and say, “If we are related, we have, through
these pages, met.”
THE END
Napoleon Hill
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