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IN SIXTEEN LESSONS

Teaching, for the First Time in the
History of the World, the True Philos-
ophy upon which all Personal Success
is Built.



BY
NAPOLEON HILL



1 9 2 8

PUBLISHED BY
The RALSTON UNIVERSITY PRESS
MERIDEN, CONN.
Ebook version Minding the Future Ltd, 2003, All Rights Reserved
N No o t t e e F F r r o o m m G Ga a r r y y V Vu ur r n nu um m

Hi, I hope that you are as excited as I am about this brand new ebook release
of the amazing The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons, written by
Napoleon Hill, the author of the world-famous Think & Grow Rich.

I literally stumbled upon it by accidentand boy, am I certainly glad that I
did!

If you have never read Think & Grow Richthen you will be amazed at
how Napoleon Hill manages to write so clearly, and with such obvious
enthusiasm, that you cannot help yourself from getting caught up in how you
CAN make more of your life.

If you have already read Think & Grow Richthen you will understand
what makes Napoleon Hills writing so special. The Law of Success has
for many years been hidden behind Think & Grow Rich, yet almost every
successful person I have ever spoken to has a copy of it somewhere on their
bookshelf.

Because I had to go through the entire 1,170 page book at least ten timesI
can honestly say that The Law of Success is THE most important book
that you have probably never read!

This ebook is a sample of excerpts from the first four Lessons from the main
courseand will give you a flavor of the wonderful and useful content that
is contained inside.

All sixteen Lessons are available from http://www.law-of-success.com for
an investment of only $97which also includes over 20 amazing additional
tools and resources that complete what has been called the Holy Grail of
Self-Improvement.

Enjoy this sampleand rememberyou can only achieve success by
putting into action what you have learnedand The Law of Success
course will certainly help you do just that.

To Our Success!

Gary Vurnum, gary@law-of-success.com
- 2 -











Excerpts from the first
Four Lessons of the
LAW OF SUCCESS
COURSE
By Napoleon Hill
















- 3 -
A PERSONAL STATEMENT BY THE
AUTHOR

Some thirty years ago a young clergyman by the
name of Gunsaulus announced in the newspapers of
Chicago that he would preach a sermon the
following Sunday morning entitled:

"WHAT I WOULD DO IF I HAD A MILLION
DOLLARS!"

The announcement caught the eye of Philip D.
Armour, the wealthy packing-house king, who
decided to hear the sermon.
In his sermon Dr. Gunsaulus pictured a great
school of technology where young men and young
women could be taught how to succeed in life by
developing the ability to THINK in practical rather
than in theoretical terms; where they would be
taught to "learn by doing." "If I had a million
dollars," said the young preacher, "I would start
such a school."
After the sermon was over Mr. Armour walked
down the aisle to the pulpit, introduced himself, and
said, "Young man, I believe you could do all you
said you could, and if you will come down to my
office tomorrow morning I will give you the million
dollars you need."
There is always plenty of capital for those who
can create practical plans for using it.
That was the beginning of the Armour Institute of
Technology, one of the very practical schools of the
country. The school was born in the "imagination"
of a young man who never would have been heard of
outside of the community in which he preached had
it not been for the "imagination," plus the capital, of
Philip D. Armour.
Every great railroad, and every outstanding
financial institution and every mammoth business
- 4 -
enterprise, and every great invention, began in the
imagination of some one person.
F. W. Woolworth created the Five and Ten Cent
Store Plan in his "imagination" before it became a
reality and made him a multimillionaire.
Thomas A. Edison created the talking machine
and the moving picture machine and the
incandescent electric light bulb and scores of other
useful inventions, in his own "imagination," before
they became a reality.
During the Chicago fire scores of merchants
whose stores went up in smoke stood near the
smoldering embers of their former places of
business, grieving over their loss. Many of them
decided to go away into other cities and start over
again. In the group was Marshall Field, who saw, in
his own "imagination," the world' s greatest retail
store, standing on the selfsame spot where his
former store had stood, which was then but a ruined
mass of smoking timbers. That store became a
reality.
Fortunate is the young man or young woman who
learns, early in life, to use imagination, and doubly
so in this age of greater opportunity.
Imagination is a faculty of the mind which can be
cultivated, developed, extended and broadened by
use. If this were not true, this course on the Fifteen
Laws of Success never would have been created,
because it was first conceived in the author' s
"imagination," from the mere seed of an idea which
was sown by a chance remark of the late Andrew
Carnegie.
Wherever you are, whoever you are, whatever you
may be following as an occupation, there is room
for you to make yourself more useful, and in that
manner more productive, by developing and using
your "imagination."
Success in this world is always a matter of
individual effort, yet you will only be deceiving
yourself if you believe that you can succeed without
- 5 -
the co-operation of other people. Success is a matter
of individual effort only to the extent that each
person must decide, in his or her own mind, what is
wanted. This involves the use of "imagination."
From this point on, achieving success is a matter of
skillfully and tactfully inducing others to co-
operate.
Before you can secure co-operation from others;
nay, before you have the right to ask for or expect
co-operation from other people, you must first show
a willingness to co-operate with them. For this
reason the eighth lesson of this course, THE HABIT
OF DOING MORE THAN PAID FOR, is one which
should have your serious and thoughtful attention.
The law upon which this lesson is based, would,
of itself, practically insure success to all who
practice it in all they do.
In the back pages of this Introduction you will
observe a Personal Analysis Chart in which ten well
known men have been analyzed for your study and
comparison. Observe this chart carefully and note
the "danger points" which mean failure to those who
do not observe these signals. Of the ten men
analyzed eight are known to be successful, while
two may be considered failures. Study, carefully,
the reason why these two men failed.
Then, study yourself. In the two columns which
have been left blank for that purpose, give yourself
a rating on each of the Fifteen Laws of Success at
the beginning of this course; at the end of the course
rate yourself again and observe the improvements
you have made.
The purpose of the Law of Success course is to
enable you to find out how you may become more
capable in your chosen field of work. To this end
you will be analyzed and all of your qualities
classified so you may organize them and make the
best possible use of them.
You may not like the work in which you are now
engaged.
- 6 -
There are two ways of getting out of that work.
One way is to take but little interest in what you are
doing, aiming merely to do enough with which to
"get by." Very soon you will find a way out,
because the demand for your services will cease.
The other and better way is by making yourself so
useful and efficient in what you are now doing that
you will attract the favorable attention of those who
have the power to promote you into more
responsible work that is more to your liking.
It is your privilege to take your choice as to
which way you will proceed.
Again you are reminded of the importance of
Lesson Nine of this course, through the aid of which
you may avail yourself of this "better way" of
promoting yourself.
Thousands of people walked over the great
Calumet Copper Mine without discovering it. Just
one lone man used his "imagination," dug down into
the earth a few feet, investigated, and discovered
the richest copper deposit on earth.
You and every other person walk, at one time or
another, over your "Calumet Mine." Discovery is a
matter of investigation and use of "imagination."
This course on the Fifteen Laws of Success may
lead the way to your "Calumet," and you may be
surprised when you discover that you were standing
right over this rich mine, in the work in which you
are now engaged. In his lecture on "Acres of
Diamonds," Russell Conwell tells us that we need
not seek opportunity in the distance; that we may
find it right where we stand! THIS IS A TRUTH
WELL WORTH REMEMBERING!

NAPOLEON HILL,
Author of the Law of Success.

- 7 -


THE LAW OF SUCCESS
Excerpt from Lesson One
THE MASTER MIND



"You Can Do It i f You Bel i eve You Can!"

THIS i s a course on t he fundament al s of Success.
Success i s very l argel y a mat t er of adj ust i ng one' s
sel f t o t he ever-varyi ng and changi ng envi ronment s of
l i fe, i n a spi ri t of harmony and poi se. Harmony i s
based upon underst andi ng of t he forces const i t ut i ng
one' s envi ronment ; t herefore, t hi s course i s i n real i t y
a bl uepri nt t hat may be fol lowed st rai ght t o success,
because i t hel ps t he st udent t o i nt erpret , underst and
and make t he most of t hese envi ronment al forces of
l i fe.
Before you begi n readi ng t he Law of Success
l essons you shoul d know somet hi ng of t he hi st ory of
t he course. You shoul d know exact l y what t he course
promi ses t o t hose who fol l ow i t unt i l t hey have
assi mi l at ed t he l aws and pri nci pl es upon whi ch i t i s
based. You shoul d know i t s l i mi t at i ons as wel l as i t s
possi bi l i t i es as an ai d i n your fi ght for a pl ace i n t he
worl d.
From t he vi ewpoi nt of ent ert ai nment t he Law of
Success course woul d be a poor second for most any
- 8 -
of t he mont hl y peri odi cal s of t he "Snappy St ory"
vari et y whi ch may be found upon t he news st ands of
t oday.
The course has been creat ed for t he seri ous-
mi nded person who devot es at l east a port i on of hi s or
her t i me t o t he busi ness of succeedi ng i n l i fe. The
aut hor of t he Law of Success course has not i nt ended
t o compet e wi t h t hose who wri t e purel y for t he
purpose of ent ert ai ni ng.
The aut hor' s ai m, i n prepari ng t hi s course, has
been of a t wo-fol d nat ure, namel y, fi rst -t o hel p t he
earnest st udent fi nd out what are hi s or her
weaknesses, and, secondl y-t o hel p creat e a DEFINITE
PLAN for bri dgi ng t hose weaknesses.
The most successful men and women on eart h
have had t o correct cert ai n weak spot s i n t hei r
personal i t i es before t hey began t o succeed. The most
out st andi ng of t hese weaknesses whi ch st and bet ween
men and women and success are INTOLERANCE,
CUPIDITY, GREED, JEALOUSY, SUSPICION,
REVENGE, EGOTISM, CONCEIT, THE TENDENCY
TO REAP WHERE THEY HAVE NOT SOWN, and t he
HABIT OF SPENDING MORE THAN THEY EARN.
Al l of t hese common enemi es of manki nd, and
many more not here ment i oned, are covered by t he
Law of Success course i n such a manner t hat any
person of reasonabl e i nt el l i gence may mast er t hem
wi t h but l i t t l e effort or i nconveni ence.
You shoul d know, at t he very out set , t hat t he Law
of Success course has l ong si nce passed t hrough t he
experi ment al st at e; t hat i t al ready has t o i t s credi t a
record of achi evement t hat i s wort hy of seri ous
- 9 -
t hought and anal ysi s. You shoul d know, al so, t hat t he
Law of Success course has been exami ned and
endorsed by some of t he most pract i cal mi nds of t hi s
generat i on.
The Law of Success course was fi rst used as a
l ect ure, and was del i vered by i t s aut hor i n pract i cal l y
every ci t y and i n many of t he smal l er l ocal i t i es,
t hroughout t he Uni t ed St at es, over a peri od of more
t han seven years. Perhaps you were one of t he many
hundreds of t housands of peopl e who heard t hi s
l ect ure.
Duri ng t hese l ect ures t he aut hor had assi st ant s
l ocat ed i n t he audi ences for t he purpose of
i nt erpret i ng t he react i on of t hose who heard t he
l ect ure, and i n t hi s manner he l earned exact l y what
effect i t had upon peopl e. As a resul t of t hi s st udy and
anal ysi s many changes were made.
The fi rst bi g vi ct ory was gai ned for t he Law of
Success phi l osophy when i t was used by t he aut hor as
t he basi s of a course wi t h whi ch 3, 000 men and
women were t rai ned as a sal es army. The maj ori t y of
t hese peopl e were wi t hout previ ous experi ence, of any
sort , i n t he fi el d of sel l i ng. Through t hi s t rai ni ng t hey
were enabl ed t o earn more t han One Mi l l i on Dol l ars
($1, 000, 000. 00) for t hemsel ves and pai d t he aut hor
$30, 000. 00 for hi s servi ces, coveri ng a peri od of
approxi mat el y si x mont hs.
The i ndi vi dual s and smal l groups of sal espeopl e
who have found success t hrough t he ai d of t hi s course
are t oo numerous t o be ment i oned i n t hi s Int roduct i on,
but t he number i s l arge and t he benefi t s t hey deri ved
from t he course were defi ni t e.
The Law of Success phi l osophy was brought t o
- 10 -
t he at t ent i on of t he l at e Don R. Mel l et t , former
publ i sher of t he Cant on (Ohi o) Dai l y News, who
formed a part nershi p wi t h t he aut hor of t he course and
was prepari ng t o resi gn as publ i sher of t he Cant on
Dai l y News and t ake up t he busi ness management of
t he aut hor' s affai rs when he was assassi nat ed on Jul y
16, 1926.
Pri or t o hi s deat h Mr. Mel l et t had made
arrangement s wi t h j udge El bert H. Gary, who was t hen
Chai rman of t he Board of t he Uni t ed St at es St eel
Corporat i on, t o present t he Law of Success course t o
every empl oyee of t he St eel Corporat i on, at a t ot al
cost of somet hi ng l i ke $150, 000. 00. Thi s pl an was
hal t ed because of j udge Gary' s deat h, but i t proves
t hat t he aut hor of t he Law of Success has produced an
educat i onal pl an of an enduri ng nat ure. Judge Gary
was emi nent l y prepared t o j udge t he val ue of such a
course, and t he fact t hat he anal yzed t he Law of
Success phi l osophy and was prepari ng t o i nvest t he
huge sum of $150, 000. 00 i n i t i s proof of t he
soundness of al l t hat i s sai d i n behal f of t he course.
You wi l l observe, i n t hi s General Int roduct i on t o
t he course, a few t echni cal t erms whi ch may not be
pl ai n t o you. Do not al l ow t hi s t o bot her you. Make no
at t empt at fi rst readi ng t o underst and t hese t erms.
They wi l l be pl ai n t o you aft er you read t he remai nder
of t he course. Thi s ent i re Int roduct i on i s i nt ended
onl y as a background for t he ot her fi ft een l essons of
t he course, and you shoul d read i t as such. You wi l l
not be exami ned on t hi s Int roduct i on, but you shoul d
read i t many t i mes, as you wi l l get from i t at each
readi ng a t hought or an i dea whi ch you di d not get on
previ ous readi ngs.
- 11 -
In t hi s Int roduct i on you wi l l fi nd a descri pt i on of
a newl y di scovered l aw of psychol ogy whi ch i s t he
very foundat i on st one of al l out st andi ng personal
achi evement s. Thi s l aw has been referred t o by t he
aut hor as t he "Mast er Mi nd, " meani ng a mi nd t hat i s
devel oped t hrough t he harmoni ous co-operat i on of t wo
or more peopl e who al l y t hemsel ves for t he purpose of
accompl i shi ng any gi ven t ask.
If you are engaged i n t he busi ness of sel l i ng you
may profi t abl y experi ment wi t h t hi s l aw of t he
"Mast er Mi nd" i n your dai l y work. It has been found
t hat a group of si x or seven sal espeopl e may use t he
l aw so effect i vel y t hat t hei r sal es may be i ncreased t o
unbel i evabl e proport i ons.
Li fe Insurance i s supposed t o be t he hardest t hi ng
on eart h t o sel l . Thi s ought not t o be t rue, wi t h an
est abl i shed necessi t y such as l i fe i nsurance, but i t i s.
Despi t e t hi s fact , a smal l group of men worki ng for
t he Prudent i al Li fe Insurance Company, whose sal es
are most l y smal l pol i ci es, formed a l i t t l e fri endl y
group for t he purpose of experi ment i ng wi t h t he l aw
of t he "Mast er Mi nd, " wi t h t he resul t t hat every man
i n t he group wrot e more i nsurance duri ng t he fi rst
t hree mont hs of t he experi ment t han he had ever
wri t t en i n an ent i re year before.
What may be accompl i shed t hrough t he ai d of t hi s
pri nci pl e, by any smal l group of i nt el l i gent l i fe-
i nsurance sal esmen who have l earned how t o appl y t he
l aw of t he "Mast er Mi nd" wi l l st agger t he i magi nat i on
of t he most hi ghl y opt i mi st i c and i magi nat i ve person.
The same may be sai d of ot her groups of
sal espeopl e who are engaged i n sel l i ng merchandi se
- 12 -




NO MAN HAS A
CHANCE TO ENJOY
PERMANENT SUCCESS
UNTIL HE BEGINS TO
LOOK IN A MIRROR
FOR THE REAL CAUSE
OF ALL HIS
MISTAKES.
- Napoleon Hill.


- 13 -
and ot her more t angi bl e forms of servi ce t han l i fe
i nsurance. Bear t hi s i n mi nd as you read t hi s
Int roduct i on t o t he Law of Success course and i t i s not
unreasonabl e t o expect t hat t hi s Int roduct i on, al one,
may gi ve you suffi ci ent underst andi ng of t he l aw t o
change t he ent i re course of your l i fe.
It i s t he personal i t i es back of a busi ness whi ch
det ermi ne t he measure of success t he busi ness wi l l
enj oy. Modi fy t hose personal i t i es so t hey are more
pl easi ng and more at t ract i ve t o t he pat rons of t he
busi ness and t he busi ness wi l l t hri ve. In any of t he
great ci t i es of t he Uni t ed St at es one may purchase
merchandi se of si mi l ar nat ure and pri ce i n scores of
st ores, yet you wi l l fi nd t here i s al ways one
out st andi ng st ore whi ch does more busi ness t han any
of t he ot hers, and t he reason for t hi s i s t hat back of
t hat st ore i s a man, or men, who has at t ended t o t he
personal i t i es of t hose who come i n cont act wi t h t he
publ i c. Peopl e buy personal i t i es as much as
merchandi se, and i t i s a quest i on i f t hey are not
i nfl uenced more by t he personal i t i es wi t h whi ch t hey
come i n cont act t han t hey are by t he merchandi se.
Li fe i nsurance has been reduced t o such a
sci ent i fi c basi s t hat t he cost of i nsurance does not
vary t o any great ext ent , regardl ess of t he company
from whi ch one purchases i t , yet out of t he hundreds
of l i fe i nsurance compani es doi ng busi ness l ess t han a
dozen compani es do t he bul k of t he busi ness of t he
Uni t ed St at es.
Why? Personal i t i es! Ni net y-ni ne peopl e out of
every hundred who purchase l i fe i nsurance pol i ci es do
not know what i s i n t hei r pol i ci es and, what seems
more st art l i ng, do not seem t o care. What t hey real l y
- 14 -
purchase i s t he pl easi ng personal i t y of some man or
woman who knows t he val ue of cul t i vat i ng such a
personal i t y.
Your busi ness i n l i fe, or at l east t he most
i mport ant part of i t , i s t o achi eve success. Success,
wi t hi n t he meani ng of t hat t erm as covered by t hi s
course on t he Fi ft een Laws of Success, i s "t he
at t ai nment of your Defi ni t e Chi ef Ai m wi t hout
vi ol at i ng t he ri ght s of ot her peopl e. " Regardl ess of
what your maj or ai m i n l i fe may be, you wi l l at t ai n i t
wi t h much l ess di ffi cul t y aft er you l earn how t o
cul t i vat e a pl easi ng personal i t y and aft er you have
l earned t he del i cat e art of al l yi ng yoursel f wi t h ot hers
i n a gi ven undert aki ng wi t hout fri ct i on or envy.
One of t he great est probl ems of l i fe, i f not , i n
fact , t he great est , i s t hat of l earni ng t he art of
harmoni ous negot i at i on wi t h ot hers. Thi s course was
creat ed for t he purpose of t eachi ng peopl e how t o
negot i at e t hei r way t hrough l i fe wi t h harmony and
poi se, free from t he dest ruct i ve effect s of
di sagreement and fri ct i on whi ch bri ng mi l l i ons of
peopl e t o mi sery, want and fai l ure every year.
Wi t h t hi s st at ement of t he purpose of t he course
you shoul d be abl e t o approach t he l essons wi t h t he
feel i ng t hat a compl et e t ransformat i on i s about t o t ake
pl ace i n your personal i t y.
You cannot enj oy out st andi ng success i n l i fe
wi t hout power, and you can never enj oy power wi t hout
suf f i ci ent personal i t y t o i nf l uence ot her peopl e t o
cooperat e wi t h you i n a spi ri t of harmony. Thi s course
shows you st ep by st ep how t o devel op such a
personal i t y.
- 15 -


THE LAW OF SUCCESS
Excerpt from Lesson Two
A Definite Chief Aim


The key-not e of t hi s ent i re l esson may be found
i n t he word "defi ni t e. "
It i s most appal l i ng t o know t hat ni net y-fi ve per
cent of t he peopl e of t he worl d are dri ft i ng ai ml essl y
t hrough l i fe, wi t hout t he sl i ght est concept i on of t he
work for whi ch t hey are best fi t t ed, and wi t h no
concept i on what soever of even t he need of such a
t hi ng as a def i ni t e obj ect i ve t oward whi ch t o st ri ve.
There i s a psychol ogi cal as wel l as an economi c
reason for t he sel ect i on of a def i ni t e chi ef ai m i n l i fe.
Any def i ni t e chi ef ai m t hat i s del i berat el y fi xed i n
t he mi nd and hel d t here, wi t h t he det ermi nat i on t o
real i ze i t , fi nal l y sat urat es t he ent i re subconsci ous
mi nd unt i l i t aut omat i cal l y i nfl uences t he physi cal
act i on of t he body t oward t he at t ai nment of t hat
purpose.
Your def i ni t e chi ef ai m i n l i fe shoul d be sel ect ed
wi t h del i berat e care, and aft er i t has been sel ect ed i t
shoul d be wri t t en out and pl aced where you wi l l see i t
at l east once a day, t he psychol ogi cal effect of whi ch
i s t o i mpress t hi s purpose upon your subconsci ous
mi nd so st rongl y t hat i t accept s t hat purpose as a
pat t ern or bl uepri nt t hat wi l l event ual l y domi nat e your
act i vi t i es i n l i fe and l ead you, st ep by st ep, t oward t he
at t ai nment of t he obj ect back of t hat purpose.
- 16 -
The pri nci pl e of psychol ogy t hrough whi ch you
can i mpress your def i ni t e chi ef ai m upon your
subconsci ous mi nd i s cal l ed Aut o-suggest i on, or
suggest i on whi ch you repeat edl y make t o yoursel f. It
i s a degree of sel f-hypnot i sm, but do not be afrai d of
i t on t hat account , for i t was t hi s same pri nci pl e
t hrough t he ai d of whi ch Napol eon l i ft ed hi msel f from
t he l owl y st at i on of povert y-st ri cken Corsi can t o t he
di ct at orshi p of France. It was t hrough t he ai d of t hi s
same pri nci pl e t hat Thomas A. Edi son has ri sen from
t he l owl y begi nni ng of a news but cher t o where he i s
accept ed as t he l eadi ng i nvent or of t he worl d. It was
t hrough t he ai d of t hi s same pri nci pl e t hat Li ncol n
bri dged t he mi ght y chasm bet ween hi s l owl y bi rt h, i n
a l og cabi n i n t he mount ai ns of Kent ucky, and t he
presi dency of t he great est nat i on on eart h. It was
t hrough t he ai d of t hi s same pri nci pl e t hat Theodore
Roosevel t became one of t he most aggressi ve l eaders
t hat ever reached t he presi dency of t he Uni t ed St at es.
You need have no fear of t he pri nci pl e of
Aut osuggest i on as l ong as you are sure t hat t he
obj ect i ve for whi ch you are st ri vi ng i s one t hat wi l l
bri ng you happi ness of an enduri ng nat ure. Be sure
t hat your def i ni t e purpose i s const ruct i ve; t hat i t s
at t ai nment wi l l bri ng hardshi p and mi sery t o no one;
t hat i t wi l l bri ng you peace and prosperi t y, t hen appl y,
t o t he l i mi t of your underst andi ng, t he pri nci pl e of
sel f-suggest i on for t he speedy at t ai nment of t hi s
purpose.
On t he st reet corner, j ust opposi t e t he room i n
whi ch I am wri t i ng, I see a man who st ands t here al l
day l ong and sel l s peanut s. He i s busy every mi nut e.
When not act ual l y engaged i n maki ng a sal e he i s
roast i ng and packi ng t he peanut s i n l i t t l e bags. He i s
- 17 -
one of t hat great army const i t ut i ng t he ni net y-fi ve per
cent who have no def i ni t e purpose i n l i fe. He i s
sel l i ng peanut s, not because he l i kes t hat work bet t er
t han anyt hi ng el se he mi ght do, but because he never
sat down and t hought out a def i ni t e purpose t hat
woul d bri ng hi m great er ret urns for hi s l abor. He i s
sel l i ng peanut s because he i s a dri ft er on t he sea of
l i fe, and one of t he t ragedi es of hi s work i s t he fact
t hat t he same amount of effort t hat he put s i nt o i t , i f
di rect ed al ong ot her l i nes, woul d bri ng hi m much
great er ret urns.
Anot her one of t he t ragedi es of t hi s man' s work i s
t he fact t hat he i s unconsci ousl y maki ng use of t he
pri nci pl e of sel f-suggest i on, but he i s doi ng i t t o hi s
own di sadvant age. No doubt , i f a pi ct ure coul d be
made of hi s t hought s, t here woul d be not hi ng i n t hat
pi ct ure except a peanut roast er, some l i t t l e paper bags
and a crowd of peopl e buying peanut s. Thi s man coul d
get out of t he peanut busi ness i f he had t he vi si on and
t he ambi t i on fi rst t o i magi ne hi msel f i n a more
profi t abl e cal l i ng, and t he perseverance t o hol d t hat
pi ct ure before hi s mi nd unt i l i t i nfl uenced hi m t o t ake
t he necessary st eps t o ent er a more profi t abl e cal l i ng.
He put s suffi ci ent l abor i nt o hi s work t o bri ng hi m a
subst ant i al ret urn i f t hat l abor were di rect ed t oward
t he at t ai nment of a def i ni t e purpose t hat offered
bi gger ret urns.
One of my cl osest personal fri ends i s one of t he
best known wri t ers and publ i c speakers of t hi s
count ry. About t en years ago he caught si ght of t he
possi bi l i t i es of t hi s pri nci pl e of sel f-suggest i on and
began, i mmedi at el y, t o harness i t and put i t t o work.
He worked out a pl an for i t s appl i cat i on t hat proved t o
- 18 -
be very effect i ve. At t hat t i me he was nei t her a wri t er
nor a speaker.
Each ni ght , j ust before goi ng t o sl eep, he woul d
shut hi s eyes and see, i n hi s i magi nat i on, a l ong
counci l t abl e at whi ch he pl aced (i n hi s i magi nat i on)
cert ai n wel l known men whose charact eri st i cs he
wi shed t o absorb i nt o hi s own personal i t y. At t he end
of t he t abl e he pl aced Li ncol n, and on ei t her si de of
t he t abl e he pl aced Napol eon, Washi ngt on, Emerson
and El bert Hubbard. He t hen proceeded t o t al k t o
t hese i magi nary fi gures t hat he had seat ed at hi s
i magi nary counci l t abl e, somet hi ng aft er t hi s manner:
Mr. Li ncol n: I desi re t o bui l d i n my own
charact er t hose qual i t i es of pat i ence and fai rness
t oward al l manki nd and t he keen sense of humor whi ch
were your out st andi ng charact eri st i cs. I need t hese
qual i t i es and I shal l not be cont ent ed unt i l I have
devel oped t hem.
Mr. Washi ngt on: I desi re t o bui l d i n my own
charact er t hose qual i t i es of pat ri ot i sm and sel f-
sacri fi ce and l eadershi p whi ch were your out st andi ng
charact eri st i cs.
Mr. Emerson: I desi re t o bui l d i n my own
charact er t hose qual i t i es of vi si on and t he abi l i t y t o
i nt erpret t he l aws of Nat ure as wri t t en i n t he rocks of
pri son wal l s and growi ng t rees and fl owi ng brooks and
growi ng fl owers and t he faces of l i t t l e chi l dren, whi ch
were your out st andi ng charact eri st i cs.
Napol eon: I desi re t o bui l d i n my own charact er
t hose qual i t i es of sel f-rel i ance and t he st rat egi c
abi l i t y t o mast er obst acl es and profi t by mi st akes and
devel op st rengt h out of defeat , whi ch were your
out st andi ng charact eri st i cs.
- 19 -
Mr. Hubbard: I desi re t o devel op t he abi l i t y t o
equal and even t o excel t he abi l i t y t hat you possessed
wi t h whi ch t o express yoursel f i n cl ear, conci se and
forceful l anguage.
Ni ght aft er ni ght , for many mont hs, t hi s man saw
t hese men seat ed around t hat i magi nary counci l t abl e
unt i l fi nal l y he had i mpri nt ed t hei r out st andi ng
charact eri st i cs upon hi s own subconsci ous mi nd so
cl earl y t hat he began t o devel op a personal i t y whi ch
was a composi t e of t hei r personal i t i es.
The subconsci ous mi nd may be l i kened t o a
magnet , and when i t has been vi t al i zed and t horoughl y
sat urat ed wi t h any def i ni t e purpose i t has a deci ded
t endency t o at t ract al l t hat i s necessary for t he
ful fi l l ment of t hat purpose. Li ke at t ract s l i ke, and you
may see evi dence of t hi s l aw i n every bl ade of grass
and every growi ng t ree. The acorn at t ract s from t he
soi l and t he ai r t he necessary mat eri al s out of whi ch
t o grow an oak t ree. It never grows a t ree t hat i s part
oak and part popl ar. Every grai n of wheat t hat i s
pl ant ed i n t he soi l at t ract s t he mat eri al s out of whi ch
t o grow a st al k of wheat .
It never makes a mi st ake and grows bot h oat s and
wheat on t he same st al k.
And men are subj ect , al so, t o t hi s same Law of
At t ract i on. Go i nt o any cheap boardi ng house di st ri ct
i n any ci t y and t here you wi l l fi nd peopl e of t he same
general t rend of mi nd associ at ed t oget her. On t he
ot her hand, go i nt o any prosperous communi t y and
t here you wi l l fi nd peopl e of t he same general
t endenci es associ at ed t oget her. Men who are
successful al ways seek t he company of ot hers who are
successful , whi l e men who are on t he ragged si de of
- 20 -



DO NOT TELL
THE WORLD
WHAT YOU CAN
DO
SHOW IT!


- 21 -
l i fe al ways seek t he company of t hose who are i n
si mi l ar ci rcumst ances. "Mi sery l oves company. "
Wat er seeks i t s l evel wi t h no fi ner cert ai nt y t han
man seeks t he company of t hose who occupy hi s own
general st at us fi nanci al l y and ment al l y. A professor of
Yal e Uni versi t y and an i l l i t erat e hobo have not hi ng i n
common. They woul d be mi serabl e i f t hrown t oget her
for any great l engt h of t i me. Oi l and wat er wi l l mi x as
readi l y as wi l l men who have not hi ng i n common.
Al l of whi ch l eads up t o t hi s st at ement :
That you wi l l at t ract t o you peopl e who
harmoni ze wi t h your own phi l osophy of l i fe, whet her
you wi sh i t or not . Thi s bei ng t rue, can you not see
t he i mport ance of vi t al i zi ng your mi nd wi t h a def i ni t e
chi ef ai m t hat wi l l at t ract t o you peopl e who wi l l be of
hel p t o you and not a hi ndrance? Suppose your
def i ni t e chi ef ai m i s far above your present st at i on i n
l i fe. What of i t ? It i s your pri vi l ege - nay, your
DUTY, t o ai m hi gh i n l i fe. You owe i t t o yoursel f and
t o t he communi t y i n whi ch you l i ve t o set a hi gh
st andard for yoursel f.
There i s much evi dence t o j ust i fy t he bel i ef t hat
not hi ng wi t hi n reason i s beyond t he possi bi l i t y of
at t ai nment by t he man whose def i ni t e chi ef ai m has
been wel l devel oped. Some years ago Loui s Vi ct or
Eyt i nge was gi ven a l i fe sent ence i n t he Ari zona
peni t ent i ary. At t he t i me of hi s i mpri sonment he was
an al l -around "bad man, " accordi ng t o hi s own
admi ssi ons. In addi t i on t o t hi s i t was bel i eved t hat he
woul d di e of t ubercul osi s wi t hi n a year.
Eyt i nge had reason t o feel di scouraged, i f anyone
ever had. Publ i c feel i ng agai nst hi m was i nt ense and
- 22 -
he di d not have a si ngl e fri end i n t he worl d who came
fort h and offered hi m encouragement or hel p. Then
somet hi ng happened i n hi s own mi nd t hat gave hi m
back hi s heal t h, put t he dreaded "whi t e pl ague" t o rout
and fi nal l y unl ocked t he pri son gat es and gave hi m hi s
freedom.
What was t hat "somet hi ng"?
Just t hi s: He made up hi s mi nd t o whi p t he whi t e
pl ague and regai n hi s heal t h. That was a very def i ni t e
chi ef ai m. In l ess t han a year from t he t i me t he
deci si on was made he had won. Then he ext ended t hat
def i ni t e chi ef ai m by maki ng up hi s mi nd t o gai n hi s
freedom. Soon t he pri son wal l s mel t ed from around
hi m.
No undesi rabl e envi ronment i s st rong enough t o
hol d t he man or woman who underst ands how t o appl y
t he pri nci pl e of Aut o-suggest i on i n t he creat i on of a
def i ni t e chi ef ai m. Such a person can t hrow off t he
shackl es of povert y; dest roy t he most deadl y di sease
germs; ri se from a l owl y st at i on i n l i fe t o power and
pl ent y.
Al l great l eaders base t hei r l eadershi p upon a
def i ni t e chi ef ai m. Fol l owers are wi l l i ng fol l owers
when t hey know t hat t hei r l eader i s a person wi t h a
defi ni t e chi ef ai m who has t he courage t o back up t hat
purpose wi t h act i on. Even a bal ky horse knows when a
dri ver wi t h a def i ni t e chi ef ai m t akes hol d of t he rei ns;
and yi el ds t o t hat dri ver. When a man wi t h a def i ni t e
chi ef ai m st art s t hrough a crowd everybody st ands
asi de and makes a way for him, but l et a man hesi t at e
and show by hi s act i ons t hat he i s not sure whi ch way
he want s t o go and t he crowd wi l l st ep al l over hi s
t oes and refuse t o budge an i nch out of hi s way.
- 23 -

THE LAW OF SUCCESS
Excerpt from Lesson Three
SELF-CONFIDENCE


You l earned i n Lesson Two t hat any i dea you
fi rml y fi x i n your subconsci ous mi nd, by repeat ed
affi rmat i on, aut omat i cal l y becomes a pl an or bl uepri nt
whi ch an unseen power uses i n di rect i ng your effort s
t oward t he at t ai nment of t he obj ect i ve named - i n t he
pl an.
You have al so l earned t hat t he pri nci pl e t hrough
whi ch you may fi x any i dea you choose i n your mi nd
i s cal l ed Aut o-suggest i on, whi ch si mpl y means a
suggest i on t hat you gi ve t o your own mi nd.
You mi ght wel l remember t hat Not hi ng can bri ng
you success but yoursel f . Of course you wi l l need t he
co-operat i on of ot hers i f you ai m t o at t ai n success of a
far-reachi ng nat ure, but you wi l l never get t hat
cooperat i on unl ess you vi t al i ze your mi nd wi t h t he
posi t i ve at t i t ude of sel f-confi dence.
Perhaps you have wondered why a few men
advance t o hi ghl y pai d posi t i ons whi l e ot hers al l
around t hem, who have as much t rai ni ng and who
seemi ngl y perform as much work, do not get ahead.
Sel ect any t wo peopl e of t hese t wo t ypes t hat you
choose, and st udy t hem, and t he reason why one
advances and t he ot her st ands st i l l wi l l be qui t e
obvi ous t o you. You wi l l fi nd t hat t he one who
advances bel i eves i n hi msel f. You wi l l fi nd t hat he
backs t hi s bel i ef wi t h such dynami c, aggressi ve act i on
t hat he l et s ot hers know t hat he bel i eves i n hi msel f.
- 24 -

IF you want a thing
done well, call on
some busy person to
do it. Busy people are
generally the most
painstaking and
thorough in all they
do.
- 25 -
You wi l l al so fi nd t hat t he one who does not
advance shows cl earl y, by t he l ook on hi s face, by t he
post ure of hi s body, by t he l ack of bri skness i n hi s
st ep, by t he uncert ai nt y wi t h whi ch he speaks, t hat he
l acks Sel f-confi dence. No one i s goi ng t o pay much
at t ent i on t o t he person who has no confi dence i n
hi msel f.
He does not at t ract ot hers because hi s mi nd i s a
negat i ve force t hat repel s rat her t han at t ract s.
In no ot her fi el d of endeavor does Sel f-
confi dence or t he l ack of i t pl ay such an i mport ant
part as i n t he fi el d of sal esmanshi p, and you do not
need t o be a charact er anal yst t o det ermi ne, t he
moment you meet hi m, whet her a sal esman possesses
t hi s qual i t y of Sel f-confi dence. If he has i t t he si gns
of i t s i nfl uence are wri t t en al l over hi m. He i nspi res
you wi t h confi dence i n him and i n t he goods he i s
sel l i ng t he moment he speaks.
We come, now, t o t he poi nt at , whi ch you are
ready t o t ake hol d of t he pri nci pl e of Aut o-suggest i on
and make di rect use of i t i n devel opi ng yoursel f i nt o a
posi t i ve and dynami c and sel f-rel i ant person. You are
i nst ruct ed t o copy t he fol l owi ng formul a, si gn i t and
commi t i t t o memory:

SELF-CONFIDENCE FORMULA

Fi rst : I know t hat I have t he abi l i t y t o achi eve t he
obj ect of my def i ni t e purpose, t herefore I demand
of mysel f persi st ent , aggressi ve and cont i nuous
act i on t oward i t s at t ai nment .
Second: I real i ze t hat t he domi nat i ng t hought s of my
mi nd event ual l y reproduce t hemsel ves i n out ward,
bodi l y act i on, and gradual l y t ransform t hemsel ves
i nt o physi cal real i t y, t herefore I wi l l concent rat e
- 26 -
My mi nd for t hi rt y mi nut es dai l y upon t he t ask of
t hi nki ng of t he person I i nt end t o be, by creat i ng
a ment al pi ct ure of t hi s person and t hen
t ransformi ng t hat pi ct ure i nt o real i t y t hrough
pract i cal servi ce.
Thi rd: I know t hat t hrough t he pri nci pl e of Aut o-
suggest i on, any desi re t hat I persi st ent l y hol d i n
my mi nd wi l l event ual l y seek expressi on t hrough
some pract i cal means of real i zi ng i t , t herefore I
shal l devot e t en mi nut es dai l y t o demandi ng of
mysel f t he devel opment of t he fact ors named i n
t he si xt een l essons of t hi s Readi ng Course on t he
Law of Success.
Fourt h: I have cl earl y mapped out and wri t t en down a
descri pt i on of my def i ni t e purpose i n l i fe, for t he
comi ng fi ve years. I have set a pri ce on my
servi ces for each of t hese fi ve years; a pri ce t hat
I i nt end t o earn and recei ve, t hrough st ri ct
appl i cat i on of t he pri nci pl e of effi ci ent ,
sat i sfact ory servi ce whi ch I wi l l render i n
advance.
Fi f t h: I ful l y real i ze t hat no weal t h or posi t i on can
l ong endure unl ess bui l t upon t rut h and j ust i ce,
t herefore I wi l l engage i n no t ransact i on whi ch
does not benef i t al l whom i t af f ect s. 1 wi l l
succeed by at t ract i ng t o me t he forces I wi sh t o
use, and t he co-operat i on of ot her peopl e. I wi l l
i nduce ot hers t o serve me because I wi l l fi rst
serve t hem. I wi l l el i mi nat e hat red, envy,
j eal ousy, sel fi shness and cyni ci sm by devel opi ng
l ove for al l humani t y, because I know t hat a
negat i ve at t i t ude t oward ot hers can never bri ng
me success. I wi l l cause ot hers t o bel i eve i n me
because I wi l l bel i eve i n t hem and i n mysel f.
- 27 -
I wi l l si gn my name t o t hi s formul a, commi t i t t o
memory and repeat i t al oud once a day wi t h ful l
f ai t h t hat i t wi l l gradual l y i nfl uence my ent i re
l i fe so t hat I wi l l become a successful and happy
worker i n my chosen fi el d of endeavor.

Si gned.


Before you si gn your name t o t hi s formul a make
sure t hat you i nt end t o carry out i t s i nst ruct i ons. Back
of t hi s formul a l i es a l aw t hat no man can expl ai n. The
psychol ogi st s refer t o t hi s l aw as Aut o-suggest i on and
l et i t go at t hat , but you shoul d bear i n mi nd one poi nt
about whi ch t here i s no uncert ai nt y, and t hat i s t he
fact t hat what ever t hi s l aw i s i t act ual l y works!
Anot her poi nt t o be kept i n mi nd i s t he fact t hat ,
j ust as el ect ri ci t y wi l l t urn t he wheel s of i ndust ry and
serve manki nd i n a mi l l i on ot her ways, or snuff out
l i fe i f wrongl y appl i ed, so wi l l t hi s pri nci pl e of Aut o-
suggest i on l ead you up t he mount ai n-si de of peace and
prosperi t y, or down i nt o t he val l ey of mi sery and
povert y, accordi ng t o t he appl i cat i on you make of i t .
If you fi l l your mi nd wi t h doubt and unbel i ef i n your
abi l i t y t o achi eve, t hen t he pri nci pl e of Aut o-
suggest i on t akes t hi s spi ri t of unbel i ef and set s i t up
i n your subconsci ous mi nd as your domi nat i ng t hought
and sl owl y but surel y draws you i nt o t he whi rl pool of
f ai l ure. But , i f you fi l l your mi nd wi t h radi ant Sel f-
confi dence, t he pri nci pl e of Aut o-suggest i on t akes t hi s
bel i ef and set s i t up as your domi nat i ng t hought and
hel ps you mast er t he obst acl es t hat fal l i n your way
unt i l you reach t he mount ai n-t op of success.
- 28 -

THE LAW OF SUCCESS
Excerpt from Lesson Four
THE HABIT OF SAVING


We are t he vi ct i ms of our habi t s, no mat t er who
we are or what may be our l i fe-cal l i ng. Any i dea t hat
i s del i berat el y fi xed i n t he mi nd, or any i dea t hat i s
permi t t ed t o set i t sel f up i n t he mi nd, as t he resul t of
suggest i on, envi ronment , t he i nfl uence of associ at es,
et c. , i s sure t o cause us t o i ndul ge i n act s whi ch
conform t o t he nat ure of t he i dea.
Form t he habi t of t hi nki ng and t al ki ng of
prosperi t y and abundance, and very soon mat eri al
evi dence of t hese wi l l begi n t o mani fest i t sel f i n t he
nat ure of wi der opport uni t y and new and unexpect ed
opport uni t y.
Li ke at t ract s l i ke! If you are i n busi ness and have
formed t he habi t of t al ki ng and t hi nki ng about
"busi ness bei ng bad" busi ness wi l l be bad. One
pessi mi st , provi di ng he i s permi t t ed t o cont i nue hi s
dest ruct i ve i nfl uence l ong enough, can dest roy t he
work of hal f a dozen compet ent men, and he wi l l do i t
by set t i ng adri ft i n t he mi nds of hi s associ at es t he
t hought of povert y and fai l ure.
Don' t be t hi s t ype of man or woman.
One of t he most successful bankers i n t he st at e of
Il l i noi s has t hi s si gn hangi ng i n hi s pri vat e offi ce:
- 29 -



YOU are a human
magnet and you are
constantly attracting to
you people whose
characters harmonize
with your own.


- 30 -
"WE TALK AND THINK ONLY OF
ABUNDANCE HERE. IF YOU HAVE A TALE OF
WOE PLEASE KEEP IT, AS WE DO NOT WANT IT. "
No busi ness fi rm want s t he servi ces of a
pessi mi st , and t hose who underst and t he Law of
At t ract i on and t he Law of Habi t wi l l no more t ol erat e
t he pessi mi st t han t hey woul d permi t a burgl ar t o roam
around t hei r pl ace of busi ness, for t he reason t hat one
such person wi l l dest roy t he useful ness of t hose
around hi m.
In t ens of t housands of homes t he general t opi c of
conversat i on i s povert y and want , and t hat i s j ust what
t hey are get t i ng. They t hi nk of povert y, t hey t al k of
povert y, t hey accept povert y as t hei r l ot i n l i fe. They
reason t hat because t hei r ancest ors were poor before
t hem t hey, al so, must remai n poor.
The povert y consci ousness i s formed as t he resul t
of t he habi t of t hi nki ng of and feari ng povert y. "Lo!
t he t hi ng I had feared has come upon me. "

THE SLAVERY OF DEBT

Debt i s a merci l ess mast er, a fat al enemy of t he
savi ngs habi t .
Povert y, al one, i s suffi ci ent t o ki l l off ambi t i on,
dest roy sel f-confi dence and dest roy hope, but add t o i t
t he burden of debt and al l who are vi ct i ms of t hese
t wo cruel t ask-mast ers are pract i cal l y doomed t o
fai l ure.
No man can do hi s best work, no man can express
hi msel f i n t erms t hat command respect , no man can
ei t her creat e or carry out a defi ni t e purpose i n l i fe,
wi t h heavy debt hangi ng over hi s head. The man who
i s bound i n t he sl avery of debt i s j ust as hel pl ess as
- 31 -
t he sl ave who i s bound by i gnorance, or by act ual
chai ns.
The aut hor has a very cl ose fri end whose i ncome
i s $1, 000 a mont h. Hi s wi fe l oves "soci et y" and t ri es
t o make a $20, 000 showi ng on a $12, 000 i ncome, wi t h
t he resul t t hat t hi s poor fel l ow i s usual l y about $8, 000
i n debt . Every member of hi s fami l y has t he "spendi ng
habi t , " havi ng acqui red t hi s from t he mot her. The
chi l dren, t wo gi rl s and one boy, are now of t he age
when t hey are t hi nki ng of goi ng t o col l ege, but t hi s i s
i mpossi bl e because of t he fat her' s debt s. The resul t i s
di ssensi on bet ween t he fat her and hi s chi l dren whi ch
makes t he ent i re fami l y unhappy and mi serabl e.
It i s a t erri bl e t hi ng even t o t hi nk of goi ng
t hrough l i fe l i ke a pri soner i n chai ns, bound down and
owned by somebody el se on account of debt s. The
accumul at i on of debt s i s a habi t . It st art s i n a smal l
way and grows t o enormous proport i ons sl owl y, st ep
by st ep, unt i l fi nal l y i t t akes charge of one' s very
soul .
Thousands of young men st art t hei r marri ed l i ves
wi t h unnecessary debt s hangi ng over t hei r heads and
never manage t o get out from under t he l oad. Aft er t he
novel t y of marri age begi ns t o wear off (as i t usual l y
does) t he marri ed coupl e begi n t o feel t he
embarrassment of want , and t hi s feel i ng grows unt i l i t
l eads, oft ent i mes, t o open di ssat i sfact i on wi t h one
anot her, and event ual l y t o t he di vorce court .
A man who i s bound by t he sl avery of debt has no
t i me or i ncl i nat i on t o set up or work out i deal s, wi t h
t he resul t t hat he dri ft s downward wi t h t i me unt i l he
event ual l y begi ns t o set up l i mi t at i ons i n hi s own
mi nd, and by t hese he hedges hi msel f behi nd pri son
- 32 -
wal l s of FEAR and doubt from whi ch he never
escapes.
No sacri fi ce i s t oo great t o avoi d t he mi sery of
debt !
"Thi nk of what you owe yoursel f and t hose who
are dependent upon you and resol ve t o be no man' s
debt or, " i s t he advi ce of one very successful man
whose earl y chances were dest royed by debt . Thi s man
came t o hi msel f soon enough t o t hrow off t he habi t of
buyi ng t hat whi ch he di d not need and event ual l y
worked hi s way out of sl avery.
Most men who devel op t he habi t of debt wi l l not
be so fort unat e as t o come t o t hei r senses i n t i me t o
save t hemsel ves, because debt i s somet hi ng l i ke
qui cksand i n t hat i t has a t endency t o draw i t s vi ct i m
deeper and deeper i nt o t he mi re.
The Fear of Povert y i s one of t he most dest ruct i ve
of t he si x basi c fears descri bed i n Lesson Three. The
man who becomes hopel essl y i n debt i s sei zed wi t h
t hi s povert y fear, hi s ambi t i on and sel f-confi dence
become paral yzed, and he si nks gradual l y i nt o
obl i vi on.
There are t wo cl asses of debt s, and t hese are so
di fferent i n nat ure t hat t hey deserve t o be here
descri bed, as fol l ows:
1. There are debt s i ncurred for l uxuri es whi ch
become a dead l oss.
2. There are debt s i ncurred i n t he course of
professi onal or busi ness t radi ng whi ch represent
servi ce or merchandi se t hat can be convert ed back i nt o
asset s.
The fi rst cl ass of debt s i s t he one t o be avoi ded.
The second cl ass may be i ndul ged i n, provi di ng t he
one i ncurri ng t he debt s uses j udgment and does not go
- 33 -
beyond t he bounds of reasonabl e l i mi t at i on. The
moment one buys beyond hi s l i mi t at i ons he ent ers t he
real m of specul at i on, and specul at i on swal l ows more
of i t s vi ct i ms t han i t enri ches.
Pract i cal l y al l peopl e who l i ve beyond t hei r
means are t empt ed t o specul at e wi t h t he hope t hat t hey
may recoup, at a si ngl e t urn of t he wheel of fort une,
so t o speak, t hei r ent i re i ndebt edness. The wheel
general l y st ops at t he wrong pl ace and, far from
fi ndi ng t hemsel ves out of debt , such peopl e as i ndul ge
i n specul at i on are bound more cl osel y as sl aves of
debt .
The Fear of Povert y breaks down t he wi l l -power
of i t s vi ct i ms, and t hey t hen fi nd t hemsel ves unabl e t o
rest ore t hei r l ost fort unes, and, what i s st i l l more sad,
t hey l ose al l ambi t i on t o ext ri cat e t hemsel ves from.
t he sl avery of debt .
Hardl y a day passes t hat one may not see an
account i n t he newspapers of at l east one sui ci de as
t he resul t of worry over debt s. The sl avery of debt
causes more sui ci des every year t han al l ot her causes
combi ned, whi ch i s a sl i ght i ndi cat i on of t he cruel t y
of t he povert y fear.
Duri ng t he war mi l l i ons of men faced t he front -
l i ne t renches wi t hout fl i nchi ng, knowi ng t hat deat h
mi ght overt ake t hem any moment . Those same men,
when faci ng t he Fear of Povert y, oft en cri nge and out
of sheer desperat i on, whi ch paral yzes t hei r reason,
somet i mes commi t sui ci de.
The person who i s free from debt may whi p
povert y and achi eve out st andi ng fi nanci al success,
but , i f he i s bound by debt , such achi evement i s but a
remot e possi bi l i t y, and never a probabi l i t y.
Fear of Povert y i s a negat i ve, dest ruct i ve st at e of
- 34 -
mi nd. Moreover, one negat i ve st at e of mi nd has a
t endency t o at t ract ot her si mi l ar st at es of mi nd. For
exampl e, t he Fear of Povert y may at t ract t he fear of
Il l Heal t h, and t hese t wo may at t ract t he Fear of Ol d
Age, so t hat t he vi ct i m fi nds hi msel f povert y-st ri cken,
i n i l l heal t h and act ual l y growi ng ol d l ong before t he
t i me when he shoul d begi n t o show t he si gns of ol d
age.
Mi l l i ons of unt i mel y, namel ess graves have been
fi l l ed by t hi s cruel st at e of mi nd known as t he Fear of
Povert y!
Less t han a dozen years ago a young man hel d a
responsi bl e posi t i on wi t h t he Ci t y Nat i onal Bank, of
New York Ci t y. Through l i vi ng beyond hi s i ncome he
cont ract ed a l arge amount of debt s whi ch caused hi m
t o worry unt i l t hi s dest ruct i ve habi t began t o show up
i n hi s work and he was di smi ssed from t he bank' s
servi ce.
He secured anot her posi t i on, at l ess money, but
hi s credi t ors embarrassed hi m so t hat he deci ded t o
resi gn and go away i nt o anot her ci t y, where he hoped
t o escape t hem unt i l he had accumul at ed enough
money t o pay off hi s i ndebt edness. Credi t ors have a
way of t raci ng debt ors, so very soon t hey were cl ose
on t he heel s of t hi s young man, whose empl oyer found
out about hi s i ndebt edness and di smi ssed hi m from hi s
posi t i on.
He t hen searched i n vai n for empl oyment for t wo
mont hs. One col d ni ght he went t o t he t op of one of
t he t al l bui l di ngs on Broadway and j umped off. Debt
had cl ai med anot her vi ct i m.
- 35 -


WHO told you it
couldn't be done? and,
what great achievement
has he to his credit that
entitles him to use the
word "impossible" so
freely?

- 36 -
HOW TO MASTER THE FEAR OF POVERTY

To whi p t he Fear of Povert y one must t ake t wo
very defi ni t e st eps, provi di ng one i s i n debt . Fi rst ,
qui t t he habi t of buyi ng on credi t , and fol l ow t hi s by
gradual l y payi ng off t he debt s t hat you have al ready
i ncurred.
Bei ng free from t he worry of i ndebt edness you
are ready t o revamp t he habi t s of your mi nd and re-
di rect your course t oward prosperi t y. Adopt , as a part
of your Defi ni t e Chi ef Ai m, t he habi t of savi ng a
regul ar proport i on of your i ncome, even i f t hi s be no
more t han a penny a day. Very soon t hi s habi t wi l l
begi n t o l ay hol d of your mi nd and you wi l l act ual l y
get j oy out of savi ng.
Any habi t may be di scont i nued by bui l di ng i n i t s
pl ace some ot her and more desi rabl e habi t . The
"spendi ng" habi t must be repl aced by t he "savi ng"
habi t by al l who at t ai n fi nanci al i ndependence.
Merel y t o di scont i nue an undesi rabl e habi t i s not
enough, as such habi t s have a t endency t o reappear
unl ess t he pl ace t hey formerl y occupi ed i n t he mi nd i s
fi l l ed by some ot her habi t of a di fferent nat ure.
The di scont i nuance of a habi t l eaves a "hol e" i n
t he mi nd, and t hi s hol e must be fi l l ed up wi t h some
ot her form of habi t or t he ol d one wi l l ret urn and
cl ai m i t s pl ace.
Throughout t hi s course many psychol ogi cal
formul as, whi ch t he st udent has been request ed t o
memori ze and pract i ce, have been descri bed. You wi l l
fi nd such a formul a i n Lesson Three, t he obj ect of
whi ch i s t o devel op Sel f-confi dence.
- 37 -
These formul as may be assi mi l at ed so t hey
become a part of your ment al machi nery, t hrough t he
Law of Habi t , i f you wi l l fol l ow t he i nst ruct i ons for
t hei r use whi ch accompany each of t hem.
It i s assumed t hat you are st ri vi ng t o at t ai n
fi nanci al i ndependence. The accumul at i on of money i s
not di ffi cul t aft er you have once mast ered t he Fear of
Povert y and devel oped i n i t s pl ace t he Habi t of
Savi ng.
The aut hor of t hi s course woul d be great l y
di sappoi nt ed t o know t hat any st udent of t he course
got t he i mpressi on from anyt hi ng i n t hi s or any of t he
ot her: l essons t hat Success i s measured by dol l ars
al one.
However, money does represent an i mport ant
fact or i n success, and i t must be gi ven i t s proper val ue
i n any phi l osophy i nt ended t o hel p peopl e i n becomi ng
useful , happy and prosperous.
The col d, cruel , rel ent l ess t rut h i s t hat i n t hi s
age, of mat eri al i sm a man i s no more t han so many
grai ns of sand, whi ch may be bl own hel t er-skel t er by
every^ st ray wi nd of ci rcumst ance, unl ess he i s
ent renched behi nd t he power of money!
Geni us may offer many rewards t o t hose who
possess i t , but t he fact st i l l remai ns t hat geni us
wi t hout money wi t h whi ch t o gi ve i t expressi on i s but
an empt y, skel et on-l i ke honor.
The man wi t hout money i s at t he mercy of t he
man who has i t !
And t hi s goes, regardl ess of t he amount of abi l i t y
he may possess, t he t rai ni ng he has had or t he nat i ve
geni us wi t h whi ch he was gi ft ed by nat ure.
There i s no escape from t he fact t hat peopl e wi l l
wei gh you very l argel y i n t he l i ght of bank bal ances,
- 38 -
no mat t er who you are or what you can do. The fi rst
quest i on t hat ari ses, i n t he mi nds of most peopl e,
when t hey meet a st ranger, i s, "How much money has
he?" If he has money he i s wel comed i nt o homes and
busi ness opport uni t i es are t hrown hi s way. Al l sort s of
at t ent i on are l avi shed upon hi m. He i s a pri nce, and as
such i s ent i t l ed t o t he best of t he l and.
But i f hi s shoes are run down at t he heel s, hi s
cl ot hes are not pressed, hi s col l ar i s di rt y, and he
shows pl ai nl y t he si gns of i mpoveri shed fi nances, woe
be hi s l ot , for t he passi ng crowd wi l l st ep on hi s t oes
and bl ow t he smoke of di srespect i n hi s face.
These are not pret t y st at ement s, but t hey have one
vi rt ue - THEY ARE TRUE!
Thi s t endency t o j udge peopl e by t he money t hey
have, or t hei r power t o cont rol money, i s not confi ned
t o any one cl ass of peopl e. We al l have a t ouch of i t ,
whet her we recogni ze t he fact or not .
Thomas A. Edi son i s one of t he best known and
most respect ed i nvent ors i n t he worl d, yet i t i s no
mi sst at ement of fact s t o say t hat he woul d have
remai ned a pract i cal l y unknown, obscure personage
had he not fol l owed t he habi t of conservi ng hi s
resources and shown hi s abi l i t y t o save money.
Henry Ford never woul d have got t o fi rst base
wi t h hi s "horsel ess carri age" had he not devel oped,
qui t e earl y i n l i fe, t he habi t of savi ng. Moreover, had
Mr. Ford not conserved hi s resources and hedged
hi msel f behi nd t hei r power he woul d have been
"swal l owed up" by hi s compet i t ors or t hose who
covet ousl y desi red t o t ake hi s busi ness away from
hi m, l ong, l ong years ago.
Many a man has gone a very l ong way t oward
- 39 -
success, onl y t o st umbl e and fal l , never agai n t o ri se,
because of l ack of money i n t i mes of emergency. The
mort al i t y rat e i n busi ness each year, due t o l ack of
reserve capi t al for emergenci es, i s st upendous. To t hi s
one cause are due more of t he busi ness fai l ures t han t o
al l ot her causes combi ned!
Reserve Funds are essent i al i n t he successful
operat i on of busi ness!
Li kewi se, Savi ngs Account s are essent i al t o
success on t he part of i ndi vi dual s. Wi t hout a savi ngs
fund t he i ndi vi dual suffers i n t wo ways: fi rst , by
i nabi l i t y t o sei ze opport uni t i es t hat come onl y t o t he
person wi t h some ready cash, and, second, by
embarrassment due t o some unexpect ed emergency
cal l i ng for cash.
It mi ght be sai d, al so, t hat t he i ndi vi dual suffers
i n st i l l a t hi rd respect by not devel opi ng t he Habi t of
Savi ng, t hrough l ack of cert ai n ot her qual i t i es
essent i al for success whi ch grow out of t he pract i ce of
t he Habi t of Savi ng.
The ni ckel s, di mes and penni es whi ch t he average
person al l ows t o sl i p t hrough hi s fi ngers woul d, i f
syst emat i cal l y saved and properl y put t o work,
event ual l y bri ng fi nanci al i ndependence.
- 40 -
F F i i n na a l l l l y y

Thank you for reading this exclusive online preview of Napoleon Hills
amazing Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons.

I hope that you have found it both valuable and useful.

If you enjoyed the contents of this free sample of the first four Lessons of
The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessonsthen you will LOVE what you
find in the complete course.

Here are just a few of the things that you will learn from each Lesson:

Lesson 1 - The Master Mind (128 pages)

- The ten weaknesses that block your success.
- The ONE thing without which you will never enjoy outstanding success.
- The two classes of thought...and why listening to one of them will
guarantee your success.
- The principle of Organized Knowledge - and how you can use its power to
your advantage.
- The truth about your education...and why it makes no difference to your
success.
- What you need to influence other people to co-operate with you.
- The six qualities that are essential for you to become a leader.
- The secret of turning your knowledge into power.


Lesson 2 - A Definite Chief Aim (68 pages)

- The simple nightly routine that will change your life...without any effort on
your part.
- The three steps that are essential to insuring your success.
- What you are constantly making use of...to your disadvantage.
- The reasons why you literally attract what you wish for.
- The four-step formula that will focus you on what's really important in
your life.
- The one statement that another person MUST tell YOU every day.
- Why you need to change your friends regularly.
- 41 -
- The one word that you should remind yourself every single day without
fail.
- The desire that you definitely have...yet is completely the opposite of what
you should have.


Lesson 3 - Self Confidence (77 pages)

- The deadly enemy of your progress...which I guarantee that you are feeling
right now.
- Your six basic fears...and how you can extinguish them from your life for
good.
- The two Laws of your heredity...and how they affect your confidence.
- Why you have no grounds whatsoever for fearing poverty.
- How your life will be plagued by uncertainty if you let these two things
'die'.
- Why the worst thing you can do for your children is give them an 'easy'
life.
- The amazing five-point confidence formula that will guarantee you
unbreakable self-confidence.
- The hidden force inside you that, once unleashed, will give you unlimited
belief in your abilities.
- The law of mental telepathy...and how you can use it to your advantage.


Lesson 4 - The Habit of Saving (68 pages)

- The Law of Habit...and how you automatically apply it.
- The simple two-step process to increase your earning power.
- How to think and talk your way to success.
- The two classes of debt...and which one you should avoid like the plague.
- Why a poverty consciousness will affect your health.
- The two-step process that will get rid of poverty for good.
- Why you think the wrong way around when you have some money.
- How saving can lead to success in other areas of your life.
- The shocking truth about the savings of 98% of people.
- How to assure your financial independence.


- 42 -
Lesson 5 - Initiative and Leadership (76 pages)

- The three assets that all great leaders possess.
- A surprising way that you can get ideas off of the ground when you don't
have any money.
- The three keys to banishing procrastination from your life for good.
- The secret of why you remain underpaid...no matter what you do.
- The two brands of leadership...and which one leads to absolute failure.
- The most important word in the English language.
- How a great soldier's amazing 17-page analysis will change your views on
how to become a leader.
- The only way for you to achieve lasting happiness.
- The chief reason why you don't reach decisions.
- The four Laws that will allow you to build plans for anything that will
guarantee their success.


Lesson 6 - Imagination (82 pages)

- The greatest and most profitable thing that you can do with your
imagination.
- Why you need imagination to guarantee your success.
- The two natures of imagination and how you can use them to create your
future.
- Why your thoughts 'give you away'...and what you can do about it.
- The two main causes of failure.
- "Mob psychology"...and why you should be aware of it.
- Why being an employee can be more profitable than being a leader.
- Why you will never sell yourself to others unless you do this one thing.
- How to use the power of "planting the seed" to your advantage.
- How you can turn your great ideas into reality.
- The secret of getting what you want from other people.
- Why the battle for your success is only half-won unless you do this.


Lesson 7 - Enthusiasm (74 pages)

- The simple procedure that will guarantee you unlimited enthusiasm.
- How you can harness your enthusiasm...and use it for profit.
- The principle of Suggestion...and how you can use it to your advantage.
- 43 -
- Why how you say something is more important than what you say.
- The three things that you need to harmonize in order to influence
somebody.
- How the dangerous law of association can make matters worse for you than
they really are.
- The one thing in the world that gives you real and enduring power.
- A simple three-step process to develop your enthusiasm.
- Why knowledge alone is not enough for you to be a success.
- How the secret of what you wear has a dramatic impact on your success.
- Why your day-to-day routine can doom you to failure.
- The seven deadly enemies inside your head...and why your success is
measured by how well you do battle with them.


Lesson 8 - Self-Control (76 pages)

- The reason why opportunities pass 9 out of 10 people by.
- The signs of a lack of self-control...and how you can defeat them.
- Why self-sacrifice is the worse thing you can do for yourself.
- The spending habit prophecy from 1928 - and why it has come true.
- The most essential factor in the development of your personal power.
- The simple response you can use against criticism.
- The secret of your dominating thoughts.
- The ability that is the outstanding quality of all successful people.
- An amazingly simple method of controlling your anger.
- The Law of Retaliation...and the correct way to apply it.
- Why you are really a salesman...and how to use it to propel your success.
- The secret of converting your enemies into friends.


Lesson 9 - Habit of Doing More Than Paid For (73 pages)

- The two astonishing reasons why you should do more than you are paid
for.
- The secret of being able to work better and longer.
- How the power of the Law of Increasing Returns can literally explode your
success.
- Why the element of love is crucial to your success.
- The two rewards that come directly from doing unselfish work.
- The secret of establishing an outstanding reputation.
- 44 -
- The surprising truth about being indispensable.
- The amazing Law of Compensation...and how you can use it to your
advantage.
- The secret of the 'Pyramiding of Gains'.


Lesson 10 - Pleasing Personality (60 pages)

- The secret to using your personality to attract the right people into your
life.
- The two most important aspects of your personality.
- Why human nature all wants what it is always difficult to get.
- Why you should always make sure that your words fit the frame of mind of
the listener.
- The amazing value of 'you'...and the fatality of 'I'.
- The seven major factors to developing an attractive personality.
- Your most important step in building your character.
- The two staggering benefits to self-suggestion.
- The single thing that you need to express your true personality.
- Why you can never hope to become a prominent leader...unless you have
this one thing.


Lesson 11 - Accurate Thought (80 pages)

- The Law of Evidence...and how you can use it to propel yourself forward.
- Why going against your own interest can work to your advantage.
- Why a temporary penalty will turn into a greater reward.
- Why it is crucial to know which facts are important and relevant to your
success.
- The secret of the power of creative thought.
- The two outstanding characteristics of your subconscious mind.
- How you can tap into 'infinite intelligence'...and use it to change your life.
- The four major factors that will shape how successful you are.
- The secret of six key steps you can use to focus your thinking.
- The secret passageway to true knowledge...and how you can reach into it.
- How your thoughts magnetize your entire personality.


Lesson 12 - Concentration (78 pages)
- 45 -

- The two important Laws that will enable you to fully concentrate your
mind.
- The stunning effect that a change in environment can have on your success.
- The 'radio principle'...and how you can use it to tap into abundance.
- The door to your success...and how to find "The Magic Key" to unlock it.
- The staggeringly simple pledge that will enable you to spend only ten
minutes a day focusing on your future.
- Why thought is organized energy...and how you use its amazing potential.
- The secret of concentrated attention...and how to use it to manage your
time more effectively.
- The simple visualization technique that trains your mind to concentrate.
- The startling hypnotic truth behind the psychology of crowds.


Lesson 13 - Co-operation (68 pages)

- How you can use the two forms of co-operation to propel yourself to
unbelievable new heights.
- Why you should aim for success through co-operation rather than
competition.
- Why the curse of procrastination drives you towards failure...and how you
can get out of it.
- Why the 'psychology of inaction' is the chief reason of failure.
- Your six states of mind that are fatal to continuing action.
- The two forms of action...and why you are only doing one of them.
- Why you should put as much effort into preparation as execution.
- The three most important factors that give you personal power.
- The four-step process to extinguish your procrastination for good.
- The three major motivating forces that compel you to act.


Lesson 14 - Failure (52 pages)

- Why failure is only really temporary defeat...and is usually a blessing in
disguise.
- The seven shocking turning points in Napoleon Hill's life...and the
surprising lessons that you can learn from them.
- The entire amazing six page introduction to "Hill's Golden Rule" magazine.
- Why your failures are just stepping stones on the road to finding what you
- 46 -
- 47 -
truly love.
- Why defeat is a destructive force only when you accept it as failure.
- Why you should love your enemies instead of hating them...by seeing the
value of what they are doing for you.


Lesson 15 - Tolerance (42 pages)

- Why you should be aware of the two significant features of intolerance.
- Why your life is built upon bias and prejudice...and how you need to re-
learn what you previously thought was the truth.
- Why children are more important to business than you think.
- The two things that are the foundation of enduring success.
- Why you don't have the time to allow intolerance into your life.
- The lessons from a war built upon a lack of tolerance...and how you can
profit from them.


Lesson 16 - The Golden Rule (68 pages)

- The secret of the Golden Rule...and why it is widely misunderstood.
- The amazing power of your thoughts...and how they affect your life.
- Why you are undoubtedly using your thoughts in a way that is completely
the opposite way you need for success.
- Why you are wrong to believe that the success of a person should be
measured by money alone.
- The amazing 12-step 'Code of Ethics', which if you live by...will guarantee
your success.
- Why you can never achieve success without happiness.
- The reason why it is essential that you 'guard your thoughts'.
- Why it is critical for you not to hate or be jealous of someone else.
- Why it is impossible for you to be negative without having a corresponding
effect on your success.
- How you can directly benefit from the Law of Retaliation.
- The outstanding weakness of the vast majority of people...and how you can
overcome it.
- Why the Law of Compensation will change your luck overnight.

For more information about the complete courseand the excellent
resources that come with it, just go to http://www.law-of-success.com