Think and Grow Rich

Written By Imelda J

Author: Napoleon Hill, 1937

It’s incredible that this book was written in 1937 and some of the key takeaways still apply today.

  • This book isn’t just about money

  • Money is the byproduct, not the point

  • This book is about:

    • how desire forms

    • how belief shapes behaviour

    • how persistence rewires identity

    • how thinking patterns become material results

Napoleon Hill’s premise

  • Success follows laws, not luck

  • These laws work whether you believe in them or not

  • Most people fail because they:

    • don’t know what they want (Oprah Winfrey mentioned this a lot)

    • want it weakly (half heartedly)

    • quit when discomfort appears

The central claim

  • Thoughts mixed with strong emotion become reality

  • Desire + belief + action = results

  • Weak desire produces weak outcomes

  • Scattered thinking produces scattered lives ꩜

The difference between wishing and desiring

  • Wishing is passive

  • Desire is active, specific, emotional

  • Desire reorganises behaviour without force

Why most people never get rich (or fulfilled)

  • Fear

  • Indecision (overthinking) - a whole psychology to unpack here (I often talk about this on my IG)

  • Lack of persistence

  • Dependence on opinions of others

  • Comfort addiction

  • Drifting through life without a self-chosen aim

THE FIRST 6 PRINCIPLES (FOUNDATION)

1. Desire: the starting point of all achievement

  • You must want something intensely

  • Vague goals produce vague results

  • Desire must become an obsession

  • Casual wanting does nothing

(he emphasised about having a concrete, solid plan; I however think we need to co-create with nature and observe what’s in the present. this is where planning (structure) + intuition becomes your gameplan. the way I play in life: my yang side of the brain provides structure, and yin provides awareness and flow)

2. Faith: belief in yourself and your vision

  • Faith is self-confidence trained through repetition

  • You become what you repeatedly tell yourself

  • Autosuggestion is used to:

    • replace doubt with conviction

    • override fear patterns

    • condition the subconscious mind

Important distinction:

  • Faith is not hope

  • Faith is decision backed by expectation

(I think you can positivity mindset all you want, but nothing beats understanding the connection within and with nature, both emotionally and energetically. I teach this in my retreat and I see life changing outcomes beyond mindset.)

3. Autosuggestion: programming the subconscious

  • The subconscious accepts emotion, not logic

  • Repetition + feeling = belief

  • This is why affirmations only work when emotionally charged

Hill’s suggestions:

  • Read your desire statement aloud daily

  • Visualise it as already achieved

  • Feel gratitude before evidence appears

(I am still in awe that he wrote these in 1937, way before the instagram manifestation gurus 😂)

4. Specialised Knowledge: not knowing everything

  • General knowledge is useless without application

  • Specialists earn more than generalists

  • Knowledge becomes power only when:

    • organised

    • directed toward a goal

    • applied consistently

Frankly,

  • You don’t need more information

  • You need focused skill + execution

5. Imagination: the workshop of the mind

  • All achievements begin as ideas

  • Imagination creates the blueprint

  • There are two forms:

    • synthetic imagination (rearranging existing ideas)

    • creative imagination (intuition, insight, flashes) - yes, we all have this superpower

  • KEY: Money follows expressed ideas, not effort (think about this one)

6. Organised Planning: turning desire into action

  • Dreams without plans won’t work

  • Plans must be:

    • flexible

    • revised when failing

    • acted on immediately

  • Start before you feel ready

  • Learn by doing

  • Failure is feedback, not a verdict

THE NEXT 7 PRINCIPLES (EXECUTION & MINDSET)

7. Decision: the habit of clarity

  • Successful people decide quickly

  • They change decisions slowly

  • Unsuccessful people do the opposite

Root problem:

  • Indecision leads to self-doubt

  • Self-doubt invites influence (easily swayed by life situations or crisis)

  • Influence leads to drifting

8. Persistence: sustained effort over time

  • Persistence is a state of mind

  • It is built through:

    • clarity of purpose

    • intensity of desire

    • self-reliance

    • habit

  • Most people quit one step before success

9. Power of the Mastermind

  • Success rarely happens alone

  • A mastermind group is:

    • two or more minds aligned toward one goal

    • cooperation without ego

    • mutual accountability

10. The Mystery of Sexual Energy

  • Creative energy is the strongest human force

  • When redirected, it becomes:

    • ambition

    • creativity

    • drive

    • leadership

  • Channel energy upward instead of dissipating it

  • Focus creates power

(for my yogi buddies, yup, he’s referring to kundalini 😳)

11. The Subconscious Mind

  • The subconscious does not judge

  • It accepts whatever is impressed upon it

  • Fear, doubt, and scarcity get stored here

You program it through:

  • repetition

  • emotion

  • environment

  • people you associate with

12. The Brain: a broadcasting station

  • The brain transmits and receives thought

  • Thoughts are contagious

  • Emotional states spread between people

Meaning:

  • Your environment shapes your outcomes

  • Choose rooms carefully

13. The Sixth Sense

  • This is intuition developed through discipline

  • It emerges after the other principles are applied

  • It feels like:

    • gut knowing

    • clarity without logic

    • inner guidance

Hill’s view:

  • This is earned, not given

FEAR, DRIFTING, AND FINAL LESSONS

The 6 basic fears (the real enemies)

  • Fear of poverty

  • Fear of criticism

  • Fear of ill health

  • Fear of loss of love

  • Fear of old age

  • Fear of death

Important:

  • These fears are learned

  • They are mental habits

  • They can be unlearned

The habit of drifting

  • Drifters:

    • avoid responsibility

    • follow moods

    • react instead of decide

  • Non-drifters:

    • choose a direction

    • accept discipline

    • act despite discomfort

Hill’s warning:

  • Life rewards direction

  • Life punishes drift

Why most people never achieve their desires

  • They stop too soon

  • They fear criticism more than regret

  • They rely on motivation instead of systems

  • They wait for certainty before acting

The real definition of “rich”

  • Rich in purpose

  • Rich in self-trust

  • Rich in discipline

  • Rich in contribution

*Money follows alignment*

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Decide what you want

  • Want it intensely

  • Believe it’s possible

  • Act daily without drama

  • Persist longer than others

  • Guard your mind fiercely

  • Choose your environment carefully

  • Do not drift

Will leave you with food for thought / journal prompt:

“What are you willing to become in order to have what you want?”

Imelda J https://www.imeldayoga.com