Napoleon hill think and grow rich fawcett (1960)

FAWCETTi
CREST

J

2-3504-1 •$ 1.95

This book could be worth
a million dollars to you

IF"

NAPOLEON
HILL
Co-author of

"Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude"
with W. CLEMENT STONE



He Ran $100

into Millions

With only $100, the desire to succeed and by employing the principles in Think and Grow Rich, W.
Clement Stone was able to build an organization
that now produces a gross annual income of over
thirty-six million dollars.

•

As

President of

Combined Insurance Com-

pany of America and its subsidiaries, W.
Clement Stone says: "Ordinary salesman are
motivated to become super-salesmen through
Think and Grow Rich."

As

Publisher and Editor of the inspiramagazine SUCCESS unlimited, he writes:
"More men and women have been motivated
to achieve success because of reading Think
and Grow Rich than by any other book written
by a living author."
•

tional

As co-author

Through a Positive
Mental Attitude, he states: "Wealth, health and
And something more:
happiness are yours.
you can make your world a better world to

live in by employing the thirteen steps in Napoleon Hill's great book Think and Grow Rich.'*
of Success

.

.

.


Fawcett Books
by Napoleon Hill:

THE MASTER-KEY TO RICHES
THINK AND GROW RICH
YOU CAN WORK YOUR OWN MIRACLES
GROW RICH WITH PEACE OF MIND
SUCCEED AND GROW RICH THROUGH
PERSUASION


THINK


THINK AND GROW RICH
THIS

BOOK CONTAINS THE COMPLETE TEXT
OF THE HARDCOVER EDITION.

MCMXXXVn

Copyright
by Napoleon Hill
Revised Edition Copyright
1960 by

©

Combined

Registry

Company.

Copyright under International and Pan-American Copyright
Conventions. All rights reserved and transferred,
January, 1963, to Napoleon Hill Foundation,
a South Carolina Corporation,

Box

437, Charleston, South Carolina.

Printed in the United States of America

59

58

57

56

55

54

53

52

51


Publisher's Preface

Think and
of

all

Grow Rich

is

time in pointing the

financial

one of the most

way

to personal

influential books
achievement to

independence and to riches of the

—

spirit

beyond

measurement in money.
There has never been another book like it, nor ever can be.
It was inspired by Andrew Carnegie who disclosed his
formula of personal achievement to the author, Napoleon

many years ago. Carnegie not only made himself a
multi-millionaire, but he made millionaires of more than a
Hill,

men to whom he taught his secret. Another 500
men revealed the source of their riches to Napoleon
Hill, who has spent a lifetime of research in bringing their
message to people in all walks of life who are willing to

score of

wealthy

give their thoughts, ideas, and organized plans in return for
riches.

Thousands of persons have applied the famous philosophy
of this book for their own enrichment. Its secrets are as
timeless and practical as when the first edition of Think and
Grow Rich was published. In this, the latest edition, the
philosophies and formulas which lead to success are made
available to

all

who

greatly desire to

make money and

to

achievement brings.
Think and Grow Rich is pre-eminently a "what-to-do and
how-to-do-it" book. In it you will find the magic of self-direction, organized planning, auto-suggestion, master-mind association, an amazingly revealing system of self-analysis,
detailed plans for selling your personal services, and a wealth

attain the rich spiritual satisfactions that

of other specific helps from the experience of great men who
their value.
The riches within your grasp cannot always be measured in

have proved

money.
There are great riches in lasting friendships, harmonious
family relationships, sympathy and understanding between
business associates, and inner harmony which brings peace of
mind measurable only in spiritual values.
The philosophy of Think and Grow Rich will prepare you
to attract and enjoy these higher estates which always have
been and always will be denied to all except those who are
ready for them.
Be prepared,

when you begin

Think and Grow Rich

will not only ease the trials

prepare you
abundance.

for

the

to put the philosophy of

into action, for a

and

changed

life

which

stresses of living but will also

accumulation

of

material

The

riches

in

Publisher

.

.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR

13

THOUGHTS ARE THINGS
Man Who "Thought" His Way into

Chapter L

The

Partnership with

Thomas A.

The Inventor and

Edison

"Tramp"

the

19

.

.

.

Three
Feet From Gold ... "I Will Never Stop
Because Men Say No" ... A Fifty-Cent
The Strange
Lesson in Persistence
One Sound Idea
Power of a Child
Sly Disguises of Opportunity

.

.

You Need

Is All

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

The "Impossible"

Why You are
Ford V-8 Motor
Prin"The Master of Your Fate"
ciples That Can Change Your Destiny .
.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Chapter

The

33

DESIRE

II.

Starting Point of

AH Achievement

The Man Who Burned Bridges

.

.

.

The

Spur That Drives to Riches ... Six
Ways to Turn Desire Into Gold

Can You Imagine Yourself a Millionaire?
The Power of Great Dreams
.
How to Get Dreams Off the LaunchingDesire Outwits Mother Nature
Pad
.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

An "Accident" That Changed a Life
a New World with Six
The Little Deaf Boy Who

Cents!

•

.

.

... He won
.

.

Heard
cles

.

Magic

.
.

.

.

.

.

.

Thought That Works Mira"Mental Chemistry" Works
.


Chapter

49

FAITH

III.

Visualization of, and Belief in Attainment
of Desire

How

No One

Develop Faith ...

to

Is

Faith Is a
"Doomed" to Bad Luck

Mind Which May be Induced by
The Magic of SelfAutosuggestion
.

.

.

State of

.

Suggestion
.

.

.

.

.

.

The

.

.

.

.

Self-Confidence Formula

.

Disaster of Negative Thinking

What Genius

Lies Asleep in

Your

How an Idea Built a Fortune
Brain?
Riches Begin with Thought . .
. .
.

.

.

.

.

AUTOSUGGESTION

Chapter IV.

The Medium

for Influencing the

Mind

Subconscious

Money

See and Feel

How

67

to Strengthen

centration

.

.

.

in Your Hands
Your Powers of Con.

Steps to

Six

Your Subconscious Mind
of Mental Power
.

.

.

.

.

.

Stimulate

The

Secret

.

.

Chapter V. SPECIALIZED

KNOWLEDGE

75

Personal Experiences or Observations

The "Ignorant" Man Who Made a Fortune
You Can Get All the Knowledge You Need ... It Pays to Know
How to Purchase Knowledge ... A
Lesson From a Collection Agency
The Road to Specialized Knowledge
.

.

.

.

A

...

A
.

.

.

.

Simple Idea That Paid Off
Tested Plan for Landing the Ideal Job
You Don't Have to Start at the
.

.

.

.

Bottom
For You

.

.

.

Make

.

.

.

Dissatisfaction

Your

Work

Can Be

Associates

Make Your Ideas Pay Off
Through Specialized Knowledge
Priceless

.

.

.

.

.

.

IMAGINATION

Chapter VI.

89

The Workshop of the Mind
Two Forms of Imagination
Give
Your Imagination Some Exercise
.

.

.

.

The Laws That Lead

How

to

tion

.

What

.

.

.

.

Make

Practical Use of ImaginaThe Enchanted Kettle
Would Do If I Had a Million
.

.

I

Dollars

.

.

.

How
.

.

.

.

.

Into Cash

Transmute Ideas

to

.

ORGANIZED PLANNING

Chapter VII.

The

to Fortune

.

101

Crystallization of Desire Into Action

Your

If

First Plan Fails

—Try Another!

Planning the Sale of Personal Services
Most Leaders Begin as Follow.

.

.

.

.

.

The Major Attributes of Leadership
The Ten Major Causes of
Failure in Leadership
Some Fertile
Fields in Which "New Leadership" Will
Be Required
When and How to
ers ..

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Apply For a Position

Be Supplied

to

How

to

Desire

.

.

.

.

.

Information

.

"Brief

in a Written

.

.

.

Get the Exact Position You
The New Way of Market.

Your "QQS"
Rating?
The Capital Value of Your

Services
The Thirty-One Major Causes
of Failure
Do You Know Your
Own Worth?
Take Inventory of
ing Services
.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Is

.

.

Yourself

What

.

.

.

.

.

.

Self-Analysis Questionnaire

for Personal Inventory

.

.

Where and

.

How One May Find Opportunities to Accumulate Riches .... The "Miracle"
That Has Provided These Blessings

The
•

.

Capital Cornerstone of
.

Your Opportunities

.

.

.

.

.

Our Lives
.


Chapter VIIL

DECISION

The Mastery

of Procrastination

139

Tips on Making Your
.

.

.

.

.

.

lows

Own

Decisions

Freedom or Death on a Decision
Fifty-Six
.

.

Who

Risked

Organization

.

A

Mind ...

Decision

the

Gal-

of a Master
That Changed

The Most Momentous DeEver Placed Upon Paper
.
Know What You Want and You'll Generally Get It. . . .

History

.

.

.

cision

Chapter

The

IX.

.

.

PERSISTENCE

151

Sustained Effort Necessary to Induce Faith

Your Test of Persistence
Are You
"Money Conscious" or "Poverty Conscious"?
How to "Snap Out of"
Mental Inertia
Climb Over Your

Failures
You Can Train Yourself
to Be Persistent
Take Your Own
.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Inventory"

"Persistence

—

Fear Criticism
Made to Order

.

Persistence

How

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

...

If

You

"Breaks" Can Be
How to Develop
to Master Dif-

ficulties.

POWER OF THE
MASTER MIND

Chapter X.

The

167

Driving Force

Power Through

Gaining

Mind"
Power

.

.

.

Emotions

How

.

The Power

.

.

.

"Master
to Multiply Your Brain

.

.

the

of

Positive


XL THE MYSTERY OF SEX

Chapter

TRANSMUTATION

175

Relationship of Achievement to Highly

Developed Sex Natures

.

.

The Ten

.

"Genius"

Stimuli of the Mind
Developed Through the Sixth Sense
.

.

Where "Hunches" Come From
veloping the Creative Faculty

An

Is

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

De-

.

Inventor Got His Best Ideas

.

How
.

.

.

Methods Used by Geniuses Are Available

You

to
.

.

.

.

.

The Driving Force

Why Men

.

of Sex

Seldom Succeed Before

The Greatest of All Mind
Stimulants
The Storehouse of Personal Magnetism
False Beliefs About
Sex Harm the Personality
The Fruitful
Your
PowerYears After Forty
Tap
Forty

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

house of Emotions
One Who Loves
Truly Can Never Lose Entirely
Reasons Why a Man's Wife Can Either
.

.

.

.

Make or Break Him
of Wealth Without

Chapter

The Connecting

.

.

.

The Uselessness

Women

Energize

for

.

.

.

The

Make
Emotions Work For You
Effort

.

.

.

Secret of Effective Prayer

.

.

.

THE BRAIN

205

Broadcasting and Receiving Station

For Thought

The
.

.

.

.

.

.

Forces Are Intangible
Dramatic
Story of the Brain
The
Greatest

How

197

Your Subconscious

Creative

Positive

Chapter XIIL

A

.

Link

to

Mind
Your

.

.

THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND

XII,

How

.

.

to Join

Minds

.

.

.


.

THE SIXTH SENSE

Chapter XIV.

The Door

Temple

to the

213

Wisdom

of

Miracles of the Sixth Sense

.

.

Let

.

BuildGreat Men Shape Your Life
Through
Autosuggestion
ing Character
The Startling Power of Imagina.
.
.

.

.

.

Tapping the Source of Inspiration ... A Mighty Force of Slow
tion

.

.

.

Growth

.

.

THE

Chapter XV.

GHOSTS

SIX

OF FEAR
The

221

Six Basic Fears

.

.

.

The Fear

of

The Most Destructive Fear
Symptoms of the Fear of Poverty
Money Talks
The Fear of

Criticism
Symptoms of the Fear of
Criticism
The Fear of 111 Health
Symptoms of the Fear of 111 Health
The Fear of Loss of Love
Symptoms of the Fear of Loss of Love
The Fear of Old Age
Symptoms of the Fear of Old Age
The
Fear of Death
Symptoms of the
Fear of Death
Old Man Worry
The Disaster of Destructive Thinking
The Devil's Workshop
How
Poverty
.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

to

.

.

Influences
.

.

.

.

.

You Have
Five

Yourself
.

.

.

.

.

tions

.

.

.

.

.

Protect

.

.

.

.

.

Against

.

.

Negative

Self-Analysis Test Ques-

The One Thing Over Which

Absolute Control

Famous

Alibis

by Old

.

.

Man

.

Fifty-

IF

.

.

.


A WORD
-FROM THE AUTHOR-

In every chapter of this book, mention has been made
of the* money-making secret which has made fortunes for
hundreds of exceedingly wealthy men whom I have carefully analyzed over a long period of years.
The secret was brought to my attention by Andrew
Carnegie, more than half a century ago. The canny, lovable old Scotsman carelessly tossed it into my mind,
when I was but a boy. Then he sat back in his chair, with
a merry twinkle in his eyes, and watched carefully to see
if I had brains enough to understand the full significance
of what he had said to me.
When he saw that I had grasped the idea, he asked
if I would be willing to spend twenty years or more preparing myself to take it to the world, to men and women
who, without the secret, might go through life as failures.
I said I would, and with Mr. Carnegie's cooperation, I

my promise.
This book contains the secret, after having been put
to a practical test by thousands of people, in almost every
walk of life. It was Mr. Carnegie's idea that the magic
formula, which gave him a stupendous fortune, ought to
be placed within reach of people who do not have time to

have kept

13


THINK AND GROW RICH

14

investigate

how men make money, and

it

was

his

hope

that

might test and demonstrate the soundness of the formula
through the experience of men and women in every calling. He believed the formula should be taught in all public schools and colleges, and expressed the opinion that
if it were properly taught it would so revolutionize the
entire educational system that the time spent in school
could be reduced to less than half.
In the chapter on Faith, you will read the astounding
story of the organization of the giant United States Steel
Corporation, as it was conceived and carried out by one
of the young men through whom Mr. Carnegie proved
that his formula will work for all who are ready for it.
This single application of the secret, by Charles M. Schwab,
made him a huge fortune in both money and opportunity.
I

Roughly speaking, this particular application of the formula was worth six hundred million dollars.
These facts and they are facts well known to almost

everyone who knew Mr. Carnegie give you a fair idea
of what the reading of this book may bring to you, provided you know what it is that you want.
The secret was passed on to thousands of men and

—

women who

have used

—

it

for their personal benefit, as

Mr. Carnegie planned that they should. Some have made
Other have used it successfully in creating
homes. A clergyman used it so effectively
brought him an income of upwards of $75,000 a

fortunes with

harmony
that it
year.

it.

in their

Arthur Nash, a Cincinnati tailor, used his near-bankrupt business as a "guinea pig" on which to test the
formula. The business came to life and made a fortune
for its owners. It is still thriving, although Mr. Nash has
gone. The experiment was so unique that newspapers and
magazines gave it more than a million dollars' worth of
laudatory publicity.
The secret was passed on to Stuart Austin Wier, of
Dallas, Texas. He was ready for it
so ready that he gave
up his profession and studied law. Did he succeed? That

—

story

is

told, too.

While serving as advertising manager of the LaSalle


A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR
Extension University,

when

it

was

little

15

more than a

name, I had the privilege of seeing J. G. Chapline, president of the university, use the formula so effectively that
he made LaSalle one of the great extension schools of the
country.

The

which I refer has been mentioned no
fewer than a hundred times throughout this book. It has
not been directly named, for it seems to work more successfully when it is merely uncovered and left in sight,
where those who are ready, and searching for it, may
pick it up. That is why Mr. Carnegie tossed it to me so
quietly, without giving me its specific name.
If you are ready to put it to use, you will recognize
this secret at least once in every chapter. I wish I might
feel privileged to tell you how you will know if you are
ready, but that would deprive you of much of the benefit
you will receive when you make the discovery in your
own way.
If you have ever been discouraged, if you have had
difficulties to surmount which took the very soul out of
you, if you have tried and failed, if you were ever handicapped by illness or physical affliction, the story of my
son's discovery and use of the Carnegie formula may prove

to be the oasis in the Desert of Lost Hope for which
you have been searching.
This secret was extensively used by President Woodrow
Wilson during World War I. It was passed on to every
soldier who fought in the war, carefully wrapped in the
training

secret to

received before

going to the front.

President

Wilson told me it was a strong factor in raising the funds
needed for the war.
peculiar thing about this secret is that those who once
acquire it and use it, find themselves literally swept on to
success. If you doubt this, study the names of those who
have used it, wherever they have been mentioned; check
their records for yourself, and be convinced.
There is no such thing as something for nothing!
The secret to which I refer cannot be had without

A

a price, although the price is far less than its value. It
cannot be had at any price by those who are not intention-

THINK AND GROW RICH

16

ally searching for it. It cannot be given away, it cannot
be purchased for money, for the reason that it comes in
two parts. One part is already in possession of those

who

are ready for it.
secret serves equally well all who are ready for it.
Education has nothing to do with it. Long before I was
born, the secret had found its way into the possession of
Thomas A. Edison, and he used it so intelligently that he
became the world's leading inventor, although he had but
three months of schooling.
The secret was passed on to Edwin C. Barnes, a business associate of Mr. Edison. He used it so effectively
that, although he was then making only $12,000 a year,
he accumulated a great fortune, and retired from active
business while still a young man. You will find his story
at the beginning of the first chapter. It should convince
you that riches are not beyond your reach, that you can
still be what you wish to be, that money, fame, recognition
and happiness can be had by all who are ready and determined to have these blessings.
How do I know these things? You should have the

The

answer before you
the very

first

book.

finish this

chapter, or

on the

You may

find

it

in

last page.

While I was performing the twenty-year task of rewhich I had undertaken at Mr. Carnegie's request,
I analyzed hundreds of well-known men, many of whom
admitted that they had accumulated their vast fortunes
search,

through the aid of the Carnegie secret;
were:

Henry Ford
William Wrigley Jr.
John Wanamaker
James J. Hill
George S. Parker
E. M. Statler
Henry L. Doherty
Cyrus H. K. Curtis
George Eastman
Charles M. Schwab

among

these

Theodore Roosevelt
John W. Davis
Elbert Hubbard
Wilbur Wright
William Jennings
Bryan
Dr. Davtd Starr
Jordan

Odgen Armour
Arthur Brisbane

J.

men


A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR
Woodrow Wilson
F. Williams

Harris
Dr. Frank Gunsaulus
Daniel Willard
King Gillette

Ralph A. Weeks
Judge Daniel T.

Wright
John D. Rockefeller

Thomas A. Edison
Frank A. Vanderlip
F. W. Woolworth
Col. Robert A.
Dollar

Edward A. Filene
Edwin C. Barnes
Arthur Nash
Clarence Darrow

17

William Howard
Taft
Luther Burbank
Edward W. Bok
Frank A. Munsey
Elbert H. Gary
Dr. Alexander Graham
Bell
John H. Patterson
Julius

Rosenwald

Stuart Austin Wier
Dr. Frank Crane

George M. Alexander
J.

G. Chapline

U.S. Sen. Jennings

Randolph

These names represent but a small fraction of the
hundreds of well-known Americans whose achievements,
financial and otherwise, prove that those who understand and apply the Carnegie secret reach high stations
in life. I have never known anyone who was inspired to

use the secret who did not achieve noteworthy success
in his chosen calling. I have never known any person to
distinguish himself, or to accumulate riches of any consequence, without possession of the secret. From these
facts I draw the conclusion that the secret is more
important, as a part of the knowledge essential for selfdetermination, than any which one receives through what
is popularly known as "education."
What is education, anyway? This has been answered

two

in full detail.

Somewhere, as you read, the secret to which I refer
jump from the page and stand boldly before you,
if you are ready for it! When it appears, you will recognize it. Whether you receive the sign in the first or the
will

last chapter,

stop for a

moment when

it

and turn down a glass, for that occasion
most important turning-point of your life.

presents
will

itself,

mark

the


—
THINK AND GROW RICH

18

Remember, too, as you go through the book, that it
deals with facts and not with fiction, its purpose being
to convey a great universal truth through which all who
are ready may learn what to do and how to do it! They
will also receive the needed stimulus to make a start.
As a final word of preparation, before you begin the
first chapter, may I offer one brief suggestion which may
provide a clue by which the Carnegie secret may be rethis
all achievement, all earned riches,
beginning in an idea! If you are ready for
the secret, you already possess one half of it; therefore,
you will readily recognize the other half the moment it
reaches your mind.

cognized?

have

It is

their

Napoleon Hill


THOUGHTS
ARE THINGS.
THE MAN WHO "THOUGHT' HIS WAY
INTO PARTNERSHIP WITH
THOMAS A. EDISON

Truly, "thoughts are things," and powerful things at that,
they are mixed with definiteness of purpose, persistence, and a burning desire for their translation into

when

riches, or other material objects.

Some

years ago,

men

Edwin C. Barnes discovered how

true

do think and grow rich. His discovery
did not come about at one sitting. It came little by little,
it is

that

really

beginning with a burning desire to become a business
associate of the great Edison.
One of the chief characteristics of Barnes' desire was
that it was definite. He wanted to work with Edison, not
for him. Observe carefully the description of how he
went about translating his desire into reality, and you
will have a better understanding of the principles which
lead to riches.

When

this desire, or

impulse of thought,
19

first

flashed

THINK AND GROW RICH

20
into his

mind he was

in

no position

to act

upon

it.

Two

stood in his way. He did not know Mr. Edison,
and he did not have enough money to pay his railroad
difficulties

fare to Orange,

New

Jersey.

were sufficient to have discouraged

the majority of men from making any attempt to carry
out the desire. But his was no ordinary desire!
These

difficulties

The Inventor and

the "Tramp."

He

presented himself at Mr. Edison's laboratory, and
to go into business with the
inventor. In speaking of the first meeting between Barnes
and Edison, years later, Mr. Edison said:
"He stood there before me, looking like an ordinary
tramp, but there was something in the expression of his
face which conveyed the impression that he was deter-

announced he had come

mined to get what he had come after. I had learned,
from years of experience with men, that when a man
really desires a thing so deeply that he is willing to stake
his entire future on a single turn of the wheel in order
to get it, he is sure to win. I gave him the opportunity he
asked for, because I saw he had made up his mind to
stand by until he succeeded. Subsequent events proved
that no mistake was made."

It could not have been the young man's appearance
which got him his start in the Edison office, for that was
he thought that
definitely against him.
It was what
counted.

Barnes did not get his partnership with Edison on his
interview. He did get a chance to work in the Edison
offices, at a very nominal wage.
Months went by. Apparently nothing happened to
bring nearer the coveted goal which Barnes had set up in
his mind as his definite major purpose. But something
important was happening in Barnes' mind. He was confirst

stantly intensifying his desire to

become

the business as-

sociate of Edison.

Psychologists have correctly said that "when one is
truly ready for a thing, it puts in its appearance." Barnes


THOUGHTS ARE THINGS

21

was ready for a business association with Edison; moreover, he was determined to remain ready until he got
that which he was seeking.

He

"Ah

did not say to himself,

well, what's the use?

change my mind and try for a salesman's
job." But, he did say, "I came here to go into business
with Edison, and I'll accomplish this end if it takes the
remainder of my life." He meant it! What a different
story men would have to tell if only they would adopt a
definite purpose, and stand by that purpose until it had
time to become an all-consuming obsession!
Maybe young Barnes did not know it at the time, but
his bulldog determination, his persistence in standing back
I guess

I'll

of a single desire, was destined to mow
tion, and bring him the opportunity he

down
was

all

opposi-

seeking.

Sly Disguises of Opportunity.

When

the opportunity came,

it

appeared in a different

form and from a different direction than Barnes had
expected. That is one of the tricks of opportunity. It
has a sly habit of slipping in by the back door, and often
it comes disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary
defeat.

Perhaps

this

is

why

so

many

fail

to

recognize

opportunity.
just perfected a new office device,
at that time as the Edison Dictating Machine. His

Mr. Edison had

known

salesmen were not enthusiastic over the machine. They
did not believe it could be sold without great effort.
Barnes saw his opportunity. It had crawled in quietly,
hidden in a queer-looking machine which interested no
one but Barnes and the inventor.
Barnes knew he could sell the Edison Dictating Machine. He suggested this to Edison, and promptly got his
chance. He did sell the machine. In fact, he sold it so
successfully that Edison gave him a contract to distribute
and market it all over the nation. Out of that business
association Barnes made himself rich in money, but he
did something infinitely greater. He proved that one really

may "Think and Grow Rich."


THINK AND GROW RICH

22

How much

actual cash that original desire of Barnes'

was worth to him, I have no way of knowing.
it brought him two or three million dollars, but the
whatever it is, becomes insignificant when it
pared with the greater asset he acquired in the
definite knowledge that an intangible impulse of
can be transmuted into material rewards by the
tion of

known

Barnes

Perhaps
amount,

comform of

is

thought
applica-

principles.

thought himself into a partnership with
He thought himself into a fortune. He
had nothing to start with, except the capacity to know
what he wanted, and the determination to stand by that
desire until he realized it.
literally

the great Edison!

Three Feet From Gold.

One of the most common causes of failure is the habit
of quitting when one is overtaken by temporary defeat.
Every person is guilty of this mistake at one time or
another.
An uncle of R. U. Darby was caught by the "gold
fever" in the gold-rush days, and went west to dig and
grow rich. He had never heard that more gold has been
mined from the thoughts of men than has ever been taken
from the earth. He staked a claim and went to work with
pick and shovel.
After weeks of labor, he was rewarded by the discovery
of the shining ore. He needed machinery to bring the ore
to the surface. Quietly, he covered up the mine, retraced
his footsteps to his home in Williamsburg, Maryland, told

his relatives and a few neighbors of the "strike." They
got together money for the needed machinery, and had it
shipped. The uncle and Darby went back to work the
mine.

The first car of ore was mined and shipped to a
smelter. The returns proved they had one of the richest
few more cars of that ore would
mines in Colorado!
clear the debts. Then would come the big killing in

A

profits.

Down
Uncle!

went the

drills!

Up

went the hopes of Darby and

Then something happened. The

vein of gold ore

THOUGHTS ARE THINGS

23

disappeared! They had come to the end of the rainbow,
and the pot of gold was no longer there. They drilled
all to
on, desperately trying to pick up the vein again

—

no

avail.

Finally, they decided to quit.

sold the machinery to a junk man for a few
and took the train back home. The junk
man called in a mining engineer to look at the mine and
do a little calculating. The engineer advised that the project had failed because the owners were not familiar with
"fault lines." His calculations showed that the vein would
be found just three feet from where the Darbys had
stopped drilling! That is exactly where it was found!
The junk man took millions of dollars in ore from the
mine because he knew enough to seek expert counsel
before giving up.

They

hundred

dollars,

"I Will Never Stop Because

Men Say No."

Long afterward, Mr. Darby recouped his loss many
times over, when he made the discovery that desire can
be transmuted into gold. The discovery came after he
went into the business of selling life insurance.
Remembering that he lost a huge fortune because he
stopped three feet from gold, Darby profited by the experience in his chosen work, by the simple method of
saying to himself, "I stopped three feet from gold, but
I will never stop because men say *no' when I ask them
to buy insurance."
Darby became one of a small group of men who sell
over a million dollars in life insurance annually. He owed
his "stickability" to the lesson he learned from his "quitability" in the gold mining business.
Before success comes in any man's life, he is sure to
meet with much temporary defeat, and, perhaps, some
failure. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and
most logical thing to do is to quit. That is exactly what
the majority of men do.
More than five hundred of the most successful men
this country has ever known told the author their greatest