"The Path to Riches" by Judith Williamson & Contributing Authors

Dear Readers Seeking Inspiration and Success,

Sometimes we get to ourightly marvel in the chance to share something that is what I like to call "over-the-top." I got the term from my husband when he said to me one day that I was a little over the top. Whether he intended the compliment or not, I was grateful for it.

Today, with gratitude for every challenge and triumph that has patterned my being, my spirits are lifted a little beyond over the top. I am thankful to Judith Williamson and the Napoleon Hill Foundation and all my fellow contributing authors. I am beyond delighted and honoured to share here my chapter in the recently published book, The Path to Riches in Think and Grow Rich, as follows:

The Secret for Everyone
By Kathleen Betts
Toronto, Canada

“It is one of the most beautiful compensations in life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.” -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

As seekers of success and happiness, many of us have had the good fortune to stumble on Dr. Napoleon Hill’s lifework or to have it shared with us by someone we knew who learned and profited from the philosophy and instructions he outlined in his flagship book, Think and Grow Rich. Dr. Hill invitingly scattered clues throughout the chapters and assured us that, “Somewhere, as you read, the secret to which I refer will 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 last chapter, stop for a moment when it presents itself, and turn down a glass, for that occasion will mark the most important turning-point of your life.” If this eye-opening moment is so momentous as to justly cause pause for thought as the life-altering revelation Dr. Hill touts it to be, how can some of us read all the way through the book, possibly more than once, and still not have it jump out at us?

As an enthusiast of Dr. Hill’s lifework, this writer is honored to contribute to these testimonials with ardent hope of helping readers find their answer. Having thought I saw the secret first on page 40 of my copy, in the words, “by giving before you try to get,” I finally pronounced a celebratory “Aha!” and I turned down my glass at page 115, when I read “giving in return an equivalent value of one form or another.” What I had been looking for appeared to jump off the page. If uncovering the secret could be done by simply referring others to the pages where we found it, there would be no purpose or substance for the book you have in hand. Dr. Hill’s instructions helped me clarify my objective and espouse the principles vital to achieving it. It was when my own idea of what exactly I wanted to have and to do became clear to me that I was able to understand and see what Dr. Hill’s secret was.

As cosmic habit force, I begin any discussion on success with my primary achievement of being the luckiest mother in the world to my four precious children and hoping that all other parents share the same sense for themselves. Another extraordinary achievement I wouldn’t miss incorporating in this discussion is that of having this chance and honor to hopefully inspire others who are on their journey to succeed. It has become one of my greatest passions to share Dr. Hill’s philosophy, especially with those who are ready to Think and Grow Rich, or are preparing to be ready, as is presumably the case with readers of this very material. I am ever grateful for your interest and hopeful that what you’re reading will permit you to turn down your glass soon too in recognition of marking the most important turning point in your life.

Piquing our eager curiosity, in his introductory pages, Dr. Hill stated “The secret to which I refer has been mentioned no fewer than a hundred times throughout this book.” With the answer before us no fewer than one hundred times, surely finding it should be easier than the needle-in-the-haystack search it feels like as we pore over every word with anticipation. Dr. Hill further counseled: “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.” Through the course of our read-to-reap-fortune venture, at times, we suppose we have cracked the mystery only to find it either zaps or fades slowly from the catch of our mind’s eye. The “secret” can seem to be an enigma-wrapped-in-a-puzzle conundrum. Maybe what’s happening is a subconscious lost-in-the-woods feeling is leaving us unable to see the trees for the forest.

Ironically, the secret is so obvious, our grasp of it can be tenuous because of a that-can’t-really-be-all-there-is-to-it skepticism we summon when we have flickering thoughts of “maybe that’s it.”
Some of the perplexity is attributable to the term “secret.” If instead of calling it a secret, we called it “what is blatantly obvious,” we may find it easier to understand. Our very thoughts create the shroud we think up in our minds by calling it a secret. One of the clues that Dr. Hill offered in the “Imagination” chapter was that, “Strange and paradoxical as it may seem, the ‘secret’ is not a secret.” He further counseled in his next paragraph: “Above all, do not stop, nor hesitate in your study of these principles until you have read the book at least three times, for then, you will not want to stop.”

Paradoxically or intrinsically, our challenge in conclusively seizing the secret is conjoined to the constantly changing ideas, thoughts and beliefs that pass through our minds. Adding to the complexity is the combined element of our personal experiences, burning desires, goals, objectives, dreams, and temporary defeats all being inextricably linked to what we believe qualifies as or defines success. These constantly changing factors create a moving target effect with the result of our stronghold on the “secret” waxing and waning. This morphing in our minds, as it turns out, is a robust clue. Once we have a clear picture in our minds of a static objective and a lucid personal definition of success, we are more likely ready to see the secret jump from the pages.

It’s helpful to consider tips from other greats who either influenced or were influenced by Dr. Hill. One of particular note and unmatched in his eloquence, was Ralph Waldo Emerson who penned countless insightful and inspiring essays and poems on the subject.

What is Success?
To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better,
whether by a child,
a garden patch,
or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.

Earl Nightingale told us "Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal. Or in some cases the pursuit of a worthy ideal." His definition leads us to understand that anyone who's on course toward the fulfillment of a goal is already enjoying success, if they will allow themselves the liberty to accept the concept. Reinforcing his definition, Mr. Nightingale elaborated, “Now, success doesn't lie in the achievement of a goal, although that's what the world considers success; it lies in the journey toward the goal. We're successful as long as we're working toward something we want to bring about in our lives. That's when the human being is at his or her best. That's what Cervantes meant when he wrote, ‘The road is better than the inn.’ We're at our best when we're climbing, thinking, planning, working. When we're on the road toward something we want to bring about.”

More recently, Jack Canfield tells us that “Life is not about achievement, it's about learning and growth, and developing qualities like compassion, patience, perseverance, love, and joy, and so forth.” Consider that "learning and growth, and developing qualities like compassion, patience, perseverance, love, and joy" are at once achievements in and of themselves while also being the means to other ends of more tangible or measurable goals. What a wonderful world to live in if in years to come, we could all make that stretch.

Recalling that success is subjective wherein what one considers meager, another considers opulent, what we’re really after here is the secret to what most of us consider to be extraordinary success. It’s worth noting nonetheless that giving ourselves credit for these salt-of-the-earth simpler successes puts us in good stead to be ready for extraordinary success. The secret to success of any magnitude is what one believes it to be. The complexity stems from the simplicity. It only seems difficult to grasp because we think there must be more to it. I would suggest that the evasiveness of what we think we should easily see emanates from within each one of us. It’s personal and subjective to a much greater degree than it is objective. What the secret is may differ as much for each of us as the point in time of reading at which our “aha moment of thought” might occur to us. Steadying one of the targets, by clarifying in our minds what success means to us and accepting that it is a process and not a destination, makes it easier to think our way through what the secret is. Burning desire was a key that Dr. Hill repeated emphatically. In setting the goals we will use to measure our success, we have to think in terms of our true burning desires.

As a point to ponder on burning desire, I recall a day about twenty years ago when I was visiting with friends and ogling over luxurious boats at a yacht club in British Columbia. One had a particular allure for me and I snapped a shot of it, thinking when I’m ready for a boat, that’s the one I want. I’ve often thought about that boat over the years and felt a little twinge of disappointment in myself over not having met my goal to acquire it. It dawned on me one day that mingled in with that sense of disappointment were some other stronger sentiments like “What would I do with it? Where would we keep it? How often would we get a chance to use it? How much does a boat like that pollute the environment?”

I still love boats and anything that gets me closer to the water and don’t begrudge anyone else the enjoyment they get from theirs. What a relief it was though one day when I realized my sense of disappointment at not having the boat was so irrational. I had never had a true burning desire to have that boat. It was more of a mixture of emotions wherein the doubtful thoughts I had actually outweighed my desire to have the boat. I relate this experience now as the realization serves as a useful tool for me and I hope it will for others too in differentiating between true burning desires with associated goals and whims of fancy based on what might popularly be considered a symbol of success.

There's no measure of failure in not owning a yacht for anyone who doesn’t have a burning desire to own a yacht. Does that make sense? It works with anything you can think of. It doesn't have to be a yacht. It can be a career or professional objective, a financial goal, a relationship, material possessions, etc… It’s likely we have less trouble figuring out what the secret is and more trouble figuring out what our goals are and what metrics to use to measure our success.

Dr. Hill instructed us to attune ourselves to our truest desires and to rigorously incorporate the principles he developed to help us find ways to turn our thoughts into reality. All of the elements of the philosophy are entwined to each other and end up having an inter-dependence or reinforcing effect on each other. While it may be far-fetched to expect that commonly they can all be mastered, it is evident in the analysis of those who have achieved remarkable success, omitting any one of them even temporarily will weaken our endeavors. Focusing on some more than others is not the same as omitting any. It’s natural and advisable to gravitate to the principles that come more easily to us. There is a trick though to not letting those that require more effort go by the wayside entirely. Dr. Hill provided us examples of how the individuals he researched over the years had different strengths and adhered more strictly to some principles than others.

The principles that resonate most with me are those in the category of personal integrity, including the golden rule. Part of the secret to success is to figure out which elements of the principles resonate most with individual characters and goals. One of the examples of extraordinary successes that Dr. Hill referenced was the story of Arthur Nash, a tailor from Cincinnati who used his nearly bankrupt business to test the success formula. Having researched Mr. Nash myself in preparing this chapter, I was astonished to find how salient the message was of his clear understanding of the secret as I see it. Anyone looking for ideas or inspiration to help them uncover the secret might find it useful to study his story.

Once we have our clear idea of what our goals are, we must pursue them relentlessly without compromising our morals or integrity, always with consideration to the impact our actions and decisions will have on others affected by our words and our thoughts or by what we do or what we fail to do. By weighing our decisions on a scale of “What’s in it for everyone?” we find the guidance we need to stay the course of integrity in all our transactions. When we meet goals resulting in net gains for all who are effected, our success is multiplied exponentially. It makes perfect sense by business and or humanitarian standards. The more people are served by our goals, the more likely we are to succeed.

If we compromise integrity or ideals or if the adverse effects of any steps one takes to achieve his or her goals outweigh the overall benefits, then failure rather than success is what the attainment of those riches amounts to. When we predicate our actions and decisions on the inspiration and driving force of the fifth element of Napoleon Hill’s Self-Confidence Formula, we are guided to progress toward our goals in manners that are reflective of the composite of principles Dr. Hill promoted as necessary constituents to the secret of success. The powerful message enveloped in his words can be used as a personal barometer, compass, map, communicator and propeller all wrapped up in one handy implement more versatile than the most recent electronic gadgetry of the day.

For those who don’t have it committed to memory, the wording is as follows:

“I fully realize that no wealth or position will long endure, unless built upon truth and justice; therefore, I will engage in no transaction that does not benefit all whom it affects. I will succeed by attracting to myself the forces I wish to use and the cooperation of other people. I will induce others to serve me because of my willingness to serve others. I will eliminate hatred, envy, jealousy, selfishness, and cynicism, by developing love for all humanity, because I know that a negative attitude toward others can never bring me success.”

Following Dr. Hill’s prescription for success does not mean that we will not encounter obstacles along the way. Having challenges and adversities in our life of course does not equate to failure. In his book entitled Set Yourself on Fire, Phil Taylor who is my dear friend and an emerging force in the field of self-development, included a chapter on “The Gift of Adversity.” In his words, “I look back and delight in my difficulties, for they have been my teachers, and have been the very motivation that spurs me forward in the pursuit of these two life-enhancing principles.” If we are looking for seeds of opportunity in our challenges, our prospects for success are enhanced. Considering every adversity carries with it a seed of equal or greater opportunity, instead of lamenting we should be clicking our heels to the count of our blessings when we react to our challenges. What goes wrong is the kick-start to almost all the products and services that have turned lucrative dividends for those who react by seizing the opportunity to find a solution through a “what’s-in-it-for-everyone?” mentality.

That’s not to say either that it’s easy to overcome every challenge we’ll meet. As early readers, we may have learned from Dr. Seuss in Oh the Places You’ll Go, that there will be slumps we’ll have to go through. We then have to find the courage and conviction to do what Dr. Seuss brilliantly termed “unslumping ourselves.” As an aside, that might well be the most useful information the good fortune of contributing to this book will allow me to share with readers, Dr. Seuss is an exceptional motivator who clearly must have grasped Dr. Hill’s secret. The tremendous collection of children’s stories he created reminds me of the lessons from Malcolm Hillgartner and Robert Fulghum who both have inspired us to think about how all and everything we need to know, we learned in Kindergarten. Not to slight the value of commitment to lifelong learning, those early years set the foundation for our success.

Thinking back to how to get “unslumped,” when you take everything you have in life and put it on a scale, if what you love and wouldn’t change for the world outweighs what needs improvement, count those blessings as successes and draw from that powerful place the strength to get out of the rut and back on the path to achieving goals. If the scale tips the other way, it will require even greater effort and would be a good idea to draw strength from the examples of others. An element of the secret is that we are all successful until we quit. We are learning from our adversities and finding in them the opportunities that exist to make the world a better place for ourselves and for others.

We can still live the dreams we envisioned even when some days don’t go the way we would like them to. We’re exactly where we are as a result of the complement of decisions we’ve made along the way. By choosing to surround ourselves with people we admire and who inspire us to want to improve ourselves, we fortify our means to progress toward our goals. We have surround ourselves with sufficient positive influence to make a greater impact on us that whatever negative influences might be in our midst. By dosing ourselves with a daily fortifier of inspiration, we can find the strength we need to propel ourselves toward our goals and not only ward off negative influences but equip ourselves to instead have a positive influence on others who will likely appreciate the leadership. If in good conscience we can look in the mirror and smile at that person with pride, we’re on the right path to finding the secret and to whatever extraordinary success we truly believe we can achieve.

Truth be known, the secret might appear before us on any page in the book because it resides in our own thoughts and ideas, to be projected onto something before our eyes. There is definitely an increased likelihood that the realization will “jump out” at us while we’re reading Think and Grow Rich because Dr. Hill’s systematized principles are an excellent tool to evoke whatsoever we believe to be the secret and howsoever we define success, both of which come from within each one of us. Once the idea crystallizes in our minds, success is inevitable when we adhere to the principles. The secret is in keeping the idea crystal clear and maintaining the personal rigor and constitution it requires to consistently adhere to the principles.

Reading Think and Grow Rich at least three times, as suggested by the author, helps us to the open our minds sufficiently and establish or instill in ourselves the habits and strength of conviction we need to relentlessly pursue success. By immersing our mental attitude in positive influences, adhering to the credo that “A quitter never wins and a winner never quits” and committing ourselves to lifelong engagement to transactions that benefit all whom they affect, the so-called secret to success will become so naturally unshrouded, we’ll be left wondering instead how we could ever have thought there were any obstacles that were not in fact stepping stones to the extraordinary successes we see in the achievements of others we admire. In what we do to try to make the world better for everyone, we can’t help but to make it better for ourselves too.

The very essence of success is the relentless pursuit of it. So to speak, we have to let success go to our heads, although not in the figurative sense. Perhaps more accurately, we have to let it come from our heads in the form of ideas we believe will be helpful to the world we live in. After all, as Dr. Hill mentioned in some words or another in every chapter of Think and Grow Rich, “Whatever the mind can conceive, and believe, it can achieve.” It’s beautiful. Shall we turn down a glass?

This excerpt is reprinted with permission from the The Path to Riches in Think and Grow Rich, published by the
Napoleon Hill Foundation, March 2011, pp 141-49. The book is available through Amazon at: www.amazon.com/Path-Riches-Think-Grow-Rich/dp/0983000816/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305654144&sr=8-1