5 Never-Before-Read Lessons From Napoleon Hill!

Yesterday I promised to share some lessons from Napoleon Hill’s never-before-published (until now!) book, The Hand of Destiny.

So I’d thought we’d kick things off with 5 quotes pulled straight from the manuscript… as well as my own interpretation of what that means and how we can apply it. 🙂

Here you go!

“I am sure that no effort which we extend to those who are in distress can go without some form of adequate reward. Not always does the reward come from those to whom the service is rendered, but it will come from one source or another.”

The act of serving others, especially those in need, is rewarding. You may not always see the rewards immediately, or even from the people you have helped, but rest assured, they will manifest. So, take every opportunity you get to extend a helping hand.

“The procedure was this: Just before going to sleep at night, I would shut my eyes and see, in my imagination, this group of men seated with me around my Council Table. Here I had not only an opportunity to sit among those whom I considered to be great, but I actually dominated the group by serving as the chairman and leader.”

We might not be able to take counsel directly from successful giants… but even visualizing their council can have a huge impact. Spending a bit of time before bed every night speaking in our mind’s eye to those we admire and respect — and asking for their help to acquire the qualities we want — can be hugely impactful.

“Somewhere in the cell structure of man is located an organ which receives vibrations of thought ordinarily called ‘hunches.’ So far, science has not discovered where this organ of the sixth sense is located, but that is not important. The fact remains that human beings do receive accurate knowledge through someplace other than the five physical senses. Such knowledge generally is received when the mind is under the influence of some form of extraordinary stimulation.”

Hill is nudging us to trust our intuition or 'hunches'. This 'sixth sense' often gets activated under extraordinary mental stimulation and can offer you unique insights. So, the next time you feel a strong hunch, consider giving it more attention. It doesn’t do you any good to ignore your gut instincts.

“I am not a prophet, but I can, with all due modesty, predict that every individual has the power to change his or her material or financial status by first changing the nature of his or her BELIEFS.”

Hill emphasizes the transformative power of your beliefs. If you aspire to change your financial or material status, it all starts by altering the nature of your beliefs. Work on cultivating positive and empowering beliefs!

“Do not confuse the word belief with the word wish. The two are not the same! Everyone is capable of “wishing” for financial, material, or spiritual advantages, but the element of FAITH is the only sure power by which a wish may be translated into a belief, and a belief into reality.”

This serves as a reminder that mere wishing is not enough. Everyone can wish for wealth or success, but it's your firm faith or belief in that wish that can translate it into reality. Be determined, reinforce your faith, and watch your wishes turn into realities.

Amazing stuff, right?

On that last point, Napoleon Hill talks a lot about the role of faith in success — and how fear must diminish for faith to shine through.

We’ll talk more about that tomorrow!

- Russell Brunson