Napoleon hill quotes come from a man who was taught the lessons of success from Andrew Carnegie (a self made multi-billionaire by today’s standards) and dedicated his life to sharing these lessons with the world. If you ever get a chance to read his legendary book, “Think and Grow Rich” it will really open your eyes and give you a stepping stone to success in the world.
So let us look at some of the Napoleon Hill quotes which are filled with infinite wisdom on what it takes to accomplish your goals in life.
“A goal is a dream with a deadline.”
Explained
We all have dreams, but not everyone takes the time to write their dreams down and turn it into a goal with a deadline. When you have a deadline you force yourself to take action as the deadline gets closer. You can no longer just tell yourself it is in the distant future if you have to get it done in the next 6 months.
“The world does not pay men for that which they “know”. It pays them for what they do, or induce others to do.”
Explained
In my article Why You Should Put Down That Book I argue that you need to take action to get things done. While it is always a good idea to learn new things, at some point you are going to have to take action and go after your dreams otherwise all that knowledge will just go to waste.
“If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self.”
Explained
As humans we love to waste time. We love to watch T.V. or sit by the river or just relax. At times that is actually healthy and helps us to cool down after a day of working. But if you let your inner laziness conquer you and control you all of the time then you may end up looking back at your life and realizing you never really lived.
“You might well remember that nothing can bring you success but yourself.”
Explained
More than anything else in life you are the one who is responsible for your success. It all comes down to what you dream of doing and how much of it you take action to complete. Sure there are other factors and situations that arise in life, but nothing can stop a person who is determined to follow their dreams.
“Before success comes in any man’s life, he’s sure to meet with much temporary defeat and, perhaps some failures. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and the most logical thing to do is to quit. That’s exactly what the majority of men do.”
Explained
Most people decide to quit when they hit a bump in the road. The problem is that life is filled with bumps in the road. The larger your dreams are the more bumps you will come across and the bigger those bumps will be.
Regardless of how gifted someone is they are going to run into problems. The ones who succeed aren’t the ones who are smarter, but the ones who find a way around their problems and keep marching forward with the same amount of determination.
“One of the main weaknesses of mankind is the average man’s familiarity with the word “impossible.””
Explained
Did you know it was once thought that a “heavier then air machines” could not fly thanks to the laws of physics? It took a couple innovators called the Write Brothers to go after such a bizarre dream and eventually change science entirely. In reality very few things are actually impossible, and most of the things that are have ways to get around them.
“Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.”
Explained
If you wait for everything to be just right before you start then you will never get started. Heck if Microsoft waited for their softwares to be perfect before launched them the company would not even exist today. You’ll never find perfection. At some point you have to charge ahead with what you’ve got and hope it all works out.
“Hold a picture of yourself long and steadily enough in your mind’s eye, and you will be drawn toward it.”
Explained
We become what we think about. If we see ourselves as rich as successful that is who we become. If we see ourselves as greedy and lonely then that is who we will become. Visualize yourself becoming the person you want to be and you will eventually get there.
“All achievements, all earned riches, have their beginning in an idea.”
Explained
The light bulb was just an idea at one point. So was toilet paper, cell phones, iPods, and every other invention that mankind has created. Everything starts as an idea and a powerful idea can lead to great things.
”Quick riches are often more dangerous than poverty”
Explained
You have to understand how the world works before you can wield great success. Why do you think most people who win the lottery end up declaring bankruptcy just a few years later? If you don’t know how to grow it and expand it then you only know how to spend it until it is all gone.
That is why people who follow one path and get rich slowly tend to stay rich while those who get rich quick tend to lose it all just as quick as they got it. This means if you weren’t born into a wealth family then you still have a chance of being wealthy and keeping that wealth. It also means if you were born into a wealth family you’re going to have a lot to learn how to invest it if you don’t want to lose all of your family’s money someday.
“Happiness is found in doing, not merely possessing.”
Explained
Having money and lots of possessions does not lead to happiness. Instead happiness comes from your heart and from finding your path in life. The easiest way of becoming happy is to make other people happy and get a sense of accomplishment in knowing you are important to them. That is why friends and family are so important. It is also the main reason why I stress the importance of finding your passion in life and working for something you believe in.
Fighting for your dreams gives your life a sense of purpose and makes things a lot more entertaining.
Those are just some of the Napoleon Hill quotes that I find inspirational. Do you have any Napoleon Hill quotes you’d like to share? Comment below
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Thanks Shaun for expanding upon the wisdom of this great man….Think & Grow Rich is on the top of my list of life changing books.