The government and the ruling party never tired of reminding Kenyan citizens of the president’s philosophy. Songs and poems were composed about this philosophy. Even school children had to pledge their loyalty to the president and his “Nyayo philosophy” of PEACE, LOVE and UNITY.

Years went by without me having the word “philosophy” drummed into my brain incessantly. Then one day a friend gave me a tape that changed my philosophy and life. When I say changed my life, I mean exactly that. This blog would likely never have been launched without the voice in that tape. The voice belonged to Jim Rohn. A giant on whose everlasting shoulders I now stand.

Why I love Jim Rohn

Just before Christmas last year (2009), I logged on to Facebook and saw someone post a status update “Rest In Peace Jim Rohn”. A cold shiver ran through my spine. I was at that moment in time listening to one of Jim Rohn’s audio programs. I quickly left Facebook and Googled Jim Rohn. Sadly, Jim Rohn had left this world. It was a sad day for me. A few tears freely fell on my desk. I was momentarily in shock that I was crying over someone I had never met. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how much of an impact Jim had had  on my life. I felt a strong sense of loss. I had lost a friend, a father, a mentor and a source of inspiration.

When I started writing this series, I knew that I was going to write about Jim Rohn. It is with a heavy heart that I write this post.  I will not be able to share with you all that I have learned from Jim, but you can be assured that his teachings will continue to find their way in this blog one way or another.

There are two types of people in the world – givers and takers. Jim Rohn was a giver. He gave his best ideas on successful living. He inspired me to give my best on this blog and in life. He can still inspire you even though he is gone.

He left an impressive body of works including 17 books on business and personal development. He inspired the modern generation of personal development mavens including Anthony Robins, Brian Tracy and Jack Canfield.

The Jim Rohn Story

Many people fell in love with the Jim Rohn’s rags to riches story. And he never got tired of telling that inspiring story. It went a little something like this…

Jim started out as a farm boy from Idaho and rose to become on of the most sought after motivational speakers in the world. By the age of 25, he was deeply in debt and with a young family to feed. He did not have much money in the bank and the creditors were calling.

Then he had the good fortune of meeting Earl Shoaf who was a successful entrepreneur with charisma and a great philosophy. Earl Shoaf taught Jim that his life would continue being as it was unless he changed his (Jim’s) philosophy. He started working on himself , reading books on personal development and interacting with successful people. By the age of 31, Jim had made his first million.

He went on to become an acclaimed speaker, author and businessman for four decades. I love his teachings because they focus on the fundamentals of success. In fact, Jim Rohn once said “There are no new fundamentals. Truth is not new, it’s old. You’ve got to be a little suspicious of the guy who says, ‘come over here, I want to show you my manufactured antiques!’ No, you can’t manufacture antiques.”

Classic Jim Rohn Quotes

• “Asking is the beginning of receiving. Make sure you don’t go to the ocean with a teaspoon. At least take a bucket so the kids won’t laugh at you.”

• “Character isn’t something you were born with and can’t change, like your fingerprints. It’s something you weren’t born with and must take responsibility for forming. “

• “Failure is not a single, cataclysmic event. You don’t fail overnight. Instead, failure is a few errors in judgment, repeated every day. “

• “Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune. “

• “Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else’s hands, but not you. “

Learn More About Jim Rohn

As I said at the beginning of this series, I will not spoon feed you with every nugget about these inspiring legends. Do a bit of homework by following the links below to learn more. You will be pleasantly surprised by the good stuff that will come out of the links I am sharing with you.

Jim Rohn on Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Rohn

Jim Rohn’s Official Website – http://www.jimrohn.com/

Quotes By Jim Rohn – http://www.personal-development-training.com/2010/02/jim-rohn-quotes.html

Jim Rohn – How to have Your Best Year Ever (YouTube Videos) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfA-qNWLBHo

Summary

Jim Rohn was a great teacher who encouraged his listeners to change their philosophy. Take a moment to learn more about this great man and think through your life’s philosophy. Change your philosophy, change your life.

I would love to hear from you about this series and especially about Jim Rohn.

If you have ever heard me say that you can be anything you set your mind to, I learned that from Napoleon Hill. He would often say “What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve“. Millions of people around the world have learned the success philosophy from Napoleon Hill. His book “Think and Grow Rich” has sold over 30 million copies.

A Young Napoleon Hill

Napoleon Hill had the misfortune of losing his mother at the tender age of eight. He grew up in financial difficulties and even dropped out of college due to lack of school fees.

He started writing for small-town newspapers in the area of Wise County, Virginia. His employer commissioned him to write a series on successful men. His first interview became a life changer. He was to interview Andrew Carnegie, the richest man in America at the time.

A three hour interview turned out to be a three day talk with the great Andrew Carnegie. It then went on to become a twenty year research project.

Andrew Carnegie could sense potential in people. Within three hours of meeting Napoleon Hill, he knew that he had the right man for the job of researching and putting together a new success philosophy.

Imagine going to interview the richest man in the world and after the interview, he asks you if you would be willing to work for him for 20 years without pay. That was the decision Napoleon Hill had to make on his feet that day. Saying yes proved to be his best decision yet.

The Formula for Success

Andrew Carnegie paved the way for Napoleon Hill by giving him letters of introduction to the rich and famous men. He did not pay Napoleon throughout the twenty year project apart from some expenses in the early years of their relationship.

Napoleon Hill’s first task was to listen to and analyze over 500 powerful men and women to learn the secrets of their success. Andrew Carnegie believed that any man or woman could be successful by following a simple formula and it was Hill’s job to find that formula. When I tell you that I am standing on the shoulders of giants, these are the giants.

As part of his research, Hill interviewed and drew out the best from success giants such as Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, George Eastman, Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller, Theodore Roosevelt and Jennings Randolph.

Napoleon Hill later became an adviser to two presidents of the United States of America, Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

What can we learn from Napoleon Hill?

Thoughts are things. Thoughts are physical.

Whatever your mind thinks about becomes your reality. Success or failure is all in the mind. You are the architect of your life.

“There is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it”, said Napoleon Hill.

Napoleon Hill believed that action is the true measure of intelligence. The scales of success are tipped on the side of action takers.

Learn More about Napoleon Hill

Many people have written about Napoleon Hill and his philosophy of achievement. I will not repeat it all in this blog post.

In this series of articles on inspiring legends, I will be introducing each legend and giving the motivated readers links to find out more about the legend.

To read his book “Think and Grow Rich” for free, please visit http://www.sacred-texts.com/nth/tgr/index.htm

To watch a TV interview of Napoleon Hill talking about his first meeting with Andrew Carnegie, check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GCaEZscfvA

To download (free) his monumental success masterpiece “The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons (1928)”, please visit http://www.archive.org/details/Law_Of_Success_in_16_Lessons

Summary

Napoleon Hill is the father of positive thinking. This blog is based on his teachings as seen through my eyes, experiences and thinking. I will be exposing more of my sources of inspiration in this series. Take time to follow the links and to learn from these masters. Even you know about Napoleon Hill and his teachings, going back to them again will lift your spirit and expose you to new ideas.

Stay tuned for the next inspiring legend, coming soon.

6. People love stories

I experienced the power of stories when I launched this blog. I saw patterns in what people were responding to. The more stories I shared, the more readers would respond. One friend told me that my stories helped to better articulate the problems we all face.

The greatest book of all time (the bible), is a collection of stories. People love stories. We connect and learn better through stories.

Learning the power of stories had a powerful impact on my life and this site’s future direction. I will transform this website to a community of people sharing stories. Each of us has a story.

The new site will also feature stories about people who have made it in life. We shall zoom in on the lives of famous people such us Nelson Mandela, Jim Rohn, Richard Branson etc.

7. Two heads are better than one

I collaborate with a few friends on aspects of running the site. Some times it having someone share with me a new perspective, or a good topic. I also have people encouraging me to keep the fire burning. All in all, I could not have done it without the support of this group of incredible people.

Many people think that they can make it alone. I am here to say that yes you can make progress alone (to some extent). But to really get ahead in life, you need others.

One of the books I partially serialized in 2009 was “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. He had this to say about collaborating with others…

“Economic advantages may be created by any person who surrounds himself with the advice, counsel, and personal cooperation of a group of men who are willing to lend him wholehearted aid, in a spirit of PERFECT HARMONY. This form of cooperative alliance has been the basis of nearly every great fortune. Your understanding of this great truth may definitely determine your financial status.”

Everyone is gifted or experienced in their own area. Knowing how to tap into the unique talents and experiences of people can transform your success from zero to a million and beyond.

There is a limit of how far a website can grow when it is based on the thoughts and ideas of one man. Transforming this site into a community will hopefully, increase its reach and impact.

8. I don’t know it all

2009 exposed me to the $US14 Billion Personal Development industry. I thought I knew it all but the more I researched, the more I realized just how little I knew.

It is like when someone goes to university for the first time, they feel “clever” at first, but as they dig deeper, and specialize, they realize just how huge the human body of really knowledge is.

For this reason, I am going to dedicate 2010 to learning and bringing to your attention, resources and ideas from others better than me. Together we shall study successful people, apply their tried and tested success principles and ideas; instead of re-inventing the wheel.

We shall study the work of people like Robert Kiyosaki (Rich Dad, Poor Dad), Stephen Covey (7 Habits of Highly Effective Habits) and many more.

9. I know enough to make a difference

I was humbled by my discovery that a lot of people are better than me. Many are better than I can ever hope to become. However, my unique experiences, lessons, ideas and actions can still make a difference.

My writing style, experiences, skills and passion touches a particular audience. Your experiences, skills and passion will touch a different group of people. If we can all come together to a personal development melting pot, we can learn from each other, help each other grow and avoid repeating mistakes that each of us has already made.

I will use my contacts, marketing and programming skills to bring together many of us on one website. That I can do. That I will do.

I may not be the world expert on personal development, but my unique talents, passion, and experiences will form the backbone of a community of friends inspiring friends.

10. Networking is Magical

It is good to have one or two contacts. But the more contacts you have the more likely you are to find a contact to meet your needs.

Your needs may vary from getting a new job, having someone to meet you in a new city, or someone to make you laugh.

The people you surround yourself with determine your destiny. How much you earn is likely to be the average of your closest 5 friends. Your hobbies, activities and thoughts are all influenced by people around you. The bible says “show me your friends, and I will tell you what kind of person you are”.

2009 allowed me to network, to make new friends from around the world. I saw the power of surrounding myself with positive people even when they are miles away from me.

2010 is going to be an even bigger year for me as far as networking goes. The more positive friends you have on speed dial, the more likely you are to be positive.

As you can see, my 2009 lessons all seem to point to the need of reaching out to people, developing better relationships, and collectively getting ahead. I am really looking forward to launching this community.

When is this community going live? We are not too far off, but I will not give an ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) as yet. When the time comes, I hope you will be part of the group of positive friends who will join the site, get to know each other and share experiences.

Thank you.

P/s – I would love to hear your comments, and ideas that you would like incorporated in the new community site.

The emotion of sex contains the secret of creative ability.

CHAPTER 11 ( Think and Grow Rich Book – Napoleon Hill)

THE MYSTERY OF SEX TRANSMUTATION

The Tenth Step toward Riches

WHY MEN SELDOM SUCCEED BEFORE FORTY

I discovered, from the analysis of over 25,000 people, that men who succeed in an outstanding way, seldom do so before the age of forty, and more often they do not strike their real pace until they are well beyond the age of fifty. This fact was so

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astounding that it prompted me to go into the study of its cause most carefully, carrying the investigation over a period of more than twelve years.

This study disclosed the fact that the major reason why the majority of men who succeed do not begin to do so before the age of forty to fifty, is their tendency to DISSIPATE their energies through over indulgence in physical expression of the emotion of sex. The majority of men never learn that the urge of sex has other possibilities, which far transcend in importance, that of mere physical expression. The majority of those who make this discovery, do so after having wasted many years at a period when the sex energy is at its height, prior to the age of forty-five to fifty. This usually is followed by noteworthy achievement.

The lives of many men up to, and sometimes well past the age of forty, reflect a continued dissipation of energies, which could have been more profitably turned into better channels. Their finer and more powerful emotions are sown wildly to the four winds. Out of this habit of the male, grew the term, “sowing his wild oats.”

The desire for sexual expression is by far the strongest and most impelling of all the human emotions, and for this very reason this desire, when harnessed and transmuted into action, other than that of physical expression, may raise one to the status of a genius.

One of America’s most able business men frankly admitted that his attractive secretary was responsible for most of the plans he created. He admitted that her presence lifted him to heights of creative

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imagination, such as he could experience under no other stimulus.

One of the most successful men in America owes most of his success to the influence of a very charming young woman, who has served as his source of inspiration for more than twelve years. Everyone knows the man to whom this reference is made, but not everyone knows the REAL SOURCE of his achievements.

History is not lacking in examples of men who attained to the status of genii, as the result of the use of artificial mind stimulants in the form of alcohol and narcotics. Edgar Allen Poe wrote the “Raven” while under the influence of liquor, “dreaming dreams that mortal never dared to dream before.” James Whitcomb Riley did his best writing while under the influence of alcohol. Perhaps it was thus he saw “the ordered intermingling of the real and the dream, the mill above the river, and the mist above the stream.” Robert Burns wrote best when intoxicated, “For Auld Lang Syne, my dear, we’ll take a cup of kindness yet, for Auld Lang Syne.”

But let it be remembered that many such men have destroyed themselves in the end. Nature has prepared her own potions with which men may safely stimulate their minds so they vibrate on a plane that enables them to tune in to fine and rare thoughts which come from–no man knows where! No satisfactory substitute for Nature’s stimulants has ever been found.

It is a fact well known to psychologists that there is a very close relationship between sex desires and

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spiritual urges–a fact which accounts for the peculiar behavior of people who participate in the orgies known as religious “revivals,” common among the primitive types.

The world is ruled, and the destiny of civilization is established, by the human emotions. People are influenced in their actions, not by reason so much as by “feelings.” The creative faculty of the mind is set into action entirely by emotions, and not by cold reason. The most powerful of all human emotions is that of sex. There are other mind stimulants, some of which have been listed, but no one of them, nor all of them combined, can equal the driving power of sex.

A mind stimulant is any influence which will either temporarily, or permanently, increase the vibrations of thought. The ten major stimulants, described, are those most commonly resorted to. Through these sources one may commune with Infinite Intelligence, or enter, at will, the storehouse of the subconscious mind, either one’s own, or that of another person, a procedure which is all there is of genius.

A teacher, who has trained and directed the efforts of more than 30,000 sales people, made the astounding discovery that highly sexed men are the most efficient salesmen. The explanation is, that the factor of personality known as “personal magnetism” is nothing more nor less than sex energy. Highly sexed people always have a plentiful supply of magnetism. Through cultivation and understanding, this vital force may be drawn upon and used to great advantage in the relationships between

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people. This energy may be communicated to others through the following media:

When employing salesmen, the more capable sales manager looks for the quality of personal magnetism as the first requirement of a salesman. People who lack sex energy will never become enthusiastic nor inspire others with enthusiasm, and enthusiasm is one of the most important requisites in salesmanship, no matter what one is selling.

The public speaker, orator, preacher, lawyer, or salesman who is lacking in sex energy is a “flop,” as far as being able to influence others is concerned. Couple with this the fact, that most people can be influenced only through an appeal to their emotions,

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and you will understand the importance of sex energy as a part of the salesman’s native ability. Master salesmen attain the status of mastery in selling, because they, either consciously, or unconsciously, transmute the energy of sex into SALES ENTHUSIASM! In this statement may be found a very practical suggestion as to the actual meaning of sex transmutation.

The salesman who knows how to take his mind off the subject of sex, and direct it in sales effort with as much enthusiasm and determination as he would apply to its original purpose, has acquired the art of sex transmutation, whether he knows it or not. The majority of salesmen who transmute their sex energy do so without being in the least aware of what they are doing, or how they are doing it.

Transmutation of sex energy calls for more will power than the average person cares to use for this purpose. Those who find it difficult to summon will-power sufficient for transmutation, may gradually acquire this ability. Though this requires will-power, the reward for the practice is more than worth the effort.

The entire subject of sex is one with which the majority of people appear to be unpardonably ignorant. The urge of sex has been grossly misunderstood, slandered, and burlesqued by the ignorant and the evil minded, for so long that the very word sex is seldom used in polite society. Men and women who are known to be blessed–yes, BLESSED–with highly sexed natures, are usually looked upon as being people who will bear watching.

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Instead of being called blessed, they are usually called cursed.

Millions of people, even in this age of enlightenment, have inferiority complexes which they developed because of this false belief that a highly sexed nature is a curse. These statements, of the virtue of sex energy, should not be construed as justification for the libertine. The emotion of sex is a virtue ONLY when used intelligently, and with discrimination. It may be misused, and often is, to such an extent that it debases, instead of enriches, both body and mind. The better use of this power is the burden of this chapter.

It seemed quite significant to the author, when he made the discovery that practically every great leader, whom he had the privilege of analyzing, was a man whose achievements were largely inspired by a woman. In many instances, the “woman in the case” was a modest, self-denying wife, of whom the public had heard but little or nothing. In a few instances, the source of inspiration has been traced to the “other woman.” Perhaps such cases may not be entirely unknown to you.

Intemperance in sex habits is just as detrimental as intemperance in habits of drinking and eating. In this age in which we live, an age which began with the world war, intemperance in habits of sex is common. This orgy of indulgence may account for the shortage of great leaders. No man can avail himself of the forces of his creative imagination, while dissipating them. Man is the only creature on earth which violates Nature’s purpose in this connection. Every other animal indulges its sex

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nature in moderation, and with purpose which harmonizes with the laws of nature. Every other animal responds to the call of sex only in “season.” Man’s inclination is to declare “open season.”

Every intelligent person knows that stimulation in excess, through alcoholic drink and narcotics, is a form of intemperance which destroys the vital organs of the body, including the brain. Not every person knows, however, that over indulgence in sex expression may become a habit as destructive and as detrimental to creative effort as narcotics or liquor.

A sex-mad man is not essentially different than a dope-mad man! Both have lost control over their faculties of reason and will-power. Sexual overindulgence may not only destroy reason and willpower, but it may also lead to either temporary, or permanent insanity. Many cases of hypochondria (imaginary illness) grow out of habits developed in ignorance of the true function of sex.

From these brief references to the subject, it may be readily seen that ignorance on the subject of sex transmutation, forces stupendous penalties upon the ignorant on the one hand, and withholds from them equally stupendous benefits, on the other.

Widespread ignorance on the subject of sex is due to the fact that the subject has been surrounded with mystery and beclouded by dark silence. The conspiracy of mystery and silence has had the same effect upon the minds of young people that the psychology of prohibition had. The result has been increased curiosity, and desire to acquire more

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knowledge on this “verboten” subject; and to the shame of all lawmakers, and most physicians–by training best qualified to educate youth on that subject–information has not been easily available.

Seldom does an individual enter upon highly creative effort in any field of endeavor before the age of forty. The average man reaches the period of his greatest capacity to create between forty and sixty. These statements are based upon analysis of thousands of men and women who have been carefully observed. They should be encouraging to those who fail to arrive before the age of forty, and to those who become frightened at the approach of “old age,” around the forty-year mark. The years between forty and fifty are, as a rule, the most fruitful. Man should approach this age, not with fear and trembling, but with hope and eager anticipation.

If you want evidence that most men do not begin to do their best work before the age of forty, study the records of the most successful men known to the American people, and you will find it. Henry Ford had not “hit his pace” of achievement until he had passed the age of forty. Andrew Carnegie was well past forty before he began to reap the reward of his efforts. James J. Hill was still running a telegraph key at the age of forty. His stupendous achievements took place after that age. Biographies of American industrialists and financiers are filled with evidence that the period from forty to sixty is the most productive age of man.

Between the ages of thirty and forty, man begins to learn (if he ever learns), the art of sex transmutation.

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This discovery is generally accidental, and more often than otherwise, the man who makes it is totally unconscious of his discovery. He may observe that his powers of achievement have increased around the age of thirty-five to forty, but in most cases, he is not familiar with the cause of this change; that Nature begins to harmonize the emotions of love and sex in the individual, between the ages of thirty and forty, so that he may draw upon these great forces, and apply them jointly as stimuli to action.

Sex, alone, is a mighty urge to action, but its forces are like a cyclone–they are often uncontrollable. When the emotion of love begins to mix itself with the emotion of sex, the result is calmness of purpose, poise, accuracy of judgment, and balance. What person, who has attained to the age of forty, is so unfortunate as to be unable to analyze these statements, and to corroborate them by his own experience?

When driven by his desire to please a woman, based solely upon the emotion of sex, a man may be, and usually is, capable of great achievement, but his actions may be disorganized, distorted, and totally destructive. When driven by his desire to please a woman, based upon the motive of sex alone, a man may steal, cheat, and even commit murder. But when the emotion of LOVE is mixed with the emotion of sex, that same man will guide his actions with more sanity, balance, and reason.

Criminologists have discovered that the most hardened criminals can be reformed through the influence of a woman’s love. There is no record of

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a criminal having been reformed solely through the sex influence. These facts are well known, but their cause is not. Reformation comes, if at all, through the heart, or the emotional side of man, not through his head, or reasoning side. Reformation means, “a change of heart.” It does not mean a “change of head.” A man may, because of reason, make certain changes in his personal conduct to avoid the consequences of undesirable effects, but GENUINE REFORMATION comes only through a change of heart–through a DESIRE to change.

Love, Romance, and Sex are all emotions capable of driving men to heights of super achievement. Love is the emotion which serves as a safety valve, and insures balance, poise, and constructive effort. When combined, these three emotions may lift one to an altitude of a genius. There are genii, however, who know but little of the emotion of love. Most of them may be found engaged in some form of action which is destructive, or at least, not based upon justice and fairness toward others. If good taste would permit, a dozen genii could be named in the field of industry and finance, who ride ruthlessly over the rights of their fellow men. They seem totally lacking in conscience. The reader can easily supply his own list of such men.

The emotions are states of mind. Nature has provided man with a “chemistry of the mind” which operates in a manner similar to the principles of chemistry of matter. It is a well known fact that, through the aid of chemistry of matter, a chemist may create a deadly poison by mixing certain elements, none of which are–in themselves–

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harmful in the right proportions. The emotions may, likewise, be combined so as to create a deadly poison. The emotions of sex and jealousy, when mixed, may turn a person into an insane beast.

The presence of any one or more of the destructive emotions in the human mind, through the chemistry of the mind, sets up a poison which may destroy one’s sense of justice and fairness. In extreme cases, the presence of any combination of these emotions in the mind may destroy one’s reason.

The road to genius consists of the development, control, and use of sex, love, and romance. Briefly, the process may be stated as follows:

Encourage the presence of these emotions as the dominating thoughts in one’s mind, and discourage the presence of all the destructive emotions. The mind is a creature of habit. It thrives upon the dominating thoughts fed it. Through the faculty of will-power, one may discourage the presence of any emotion, and encourage the presence of any other. Control of the mind, through the power of will, is not difficult. Control comes from persistence, and habit. The secret of control lies in understanding the process of transmutation. When any negative emotion presents itself in one’s mind, it can be transmuted into a positive, or constructive emotion, by the simple procedure of changing one’s thoughts.

THERE IS NO OTHER ROAD TO GENIUS THAN THROUGH VOLUNTARY SELF EFFORT! A man may attain to great heights of financial or business achievement, solely by the

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driving force of sex energy, but history is filled with evidence that he may, and usually does, carry with him certain traits of character which rob him of the ability to either hold, or enjoy his fortune. This is worthy of analysis, thought, and meditation, for it states a truth, the knowledge of which may be helpful to women as well as men. Ignorance of this has cost thousands of people their privilege of HAPPINESS, even though they possessed riches.

The emotions of love and sex leave their unmistakable marks upon the features. Moreover, these signs are so visible, that all who wish may read them. The man who is driven by the storm of passion, based upon sex desires alone, plainly advertises that fact to the entire world, by the expression of his eyes, and the lines of his face. The emotion of love, when mixed with the emotion of sex, softens, modifies, and beautifies the facial expression. No character analyst is needed to tell you this–you may observe it for yourself.

The emotion of love brings out, and develops, the artistic and the aesthetic nature of man. It leaves its impress upon one’s very soul, even after the fire has been subdued by time and circumstance.

Memories of love never pass. They linger, guide, and influence long after the source of stimulation has faded. There is nothing new in this. Every person, who has been moved by GENUINE LOVE, knows that it leaves enduring traces upon the human heart. The effect of love endures, because love is spiritual in nature. The man who cannot be stimulated to great heights of achievement by love,

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is hopeless–he is dead, though he may seem to live.

Even the memories of love are sufficient to lift one to a higher plane of creative effort. The major force of love may spend itself and pass away, like a fire which has burned itself out, but it leaves behind indelible marks as evidence that it passed that way. Its departure often prepares the human heart for a still greater love.

Go back into your yesterdays, at times, and bathe your mind in the beautiful memories of past love. It will soften the influence of the present worries and annoyances. It will give you a source of escape from the unpleasant realities of life, and maybe–who knows?–your mind will yield to you, during this temporary retreat into the world of fantasy, ideas, or plans which may change the entire financial or spiritual status of your life.

If you believe yourself unfortunate, because you have “loved and lost,” perish the thought. One who has loved truly, can never lose entirely. Love is whimsical and temperamental. Its nature is ephemeral, and transitory. It comes when it pleases, and goes away without warning. Accept and enjoy it while it remains, but spend no time worrying about its departure. Worry will never bring it back.

Dismiss, also, the thought that love never comes but once. Love may come and go, times without number, but there are no two love experiences which affect one in just the same way. There may be, and there usually is, one love experience which leaves a deeper imprint on the heart than all the others, but all love experiences are beneficial, except

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to the person who becomes resentful and cynical when love makes its departure.

There should be no disappointment over love, and there would be none if people understood the difference between the emotions of love and sex. The major difference is that love is spiritual, while sex is biological. No experience, which touches the human heart with a spiritual force, can possibly be harmful, except through ignorance, or jealousy.

Love is, without question, life’s greatest experience. It brings one into communion with Infinite Intelligence. When mixed with the emotions of romance and sex, it may lead one far up the ladder of creative effort. The emotions of love, sex, and romance, are sides of the eternal triangle of achievement-building genius. Nature creates genii through no other force.

Love is an emotion with many sides, shades, and colors. The love which one feels for parents, or children is quite different from that which one feels for one’s sweetheart. The one is mixed with the emotion of sex, while the other is not.

The love which one feels in true friendship is not the same as that felt for one’s sweetheart, parents, or children, but it, too, is a form of love.

Then, there is the emotion of love for things inanimate, such as the love of Nature’s handiwork. But the most intense and burning of all these various kinds of love, is that experienced in the blending of the emotions of love and sex. Marriages, not blessed with the eternal affinity of love, properly balanced and proportioned, with sex, cannot be happy ones–and seldom endure. Love, alone, will

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not bring happiness in marriage, nor will sex alone. When these two beautiful emotions are blended, marriage may bring about a state of mind, closest to the spiritual that one may ever know on this earthly plane.

When the emotion of romance is added to those of love and sex, the obstructions between the finite mind of man and Infinite Intelligence are removed. Then a genius has been born!

What a different story is this, than those usually associated with the emotion of sex. Here is an interpretation of the emotion which lifts it out of the commonplace, and makes of it potter’s clay in the hands of God, from which He fashions all that is beautiful and inspiring. It is an interpretation which would, when properly understood, bring harmony out of the chaos which exists in too many marriages. The disharmonies often expressed in the form of nagging, may usually be traced to lack of knowledge on the subject of sex. Where love, romance and the proper understanding of the emotion and function of sex abide, there is no disharmony between married people.

Fortunate is the husband whose wife understands the true relationship between the emotions of love, sex, and romance. When motivated by this holy triumvirate, no form of labor is burdensome, because even the most lowly form of effort takes on the nature of a labor of love.

It is a very old saying that “a man’s wife may either make him or break him,” but the reason is not always understood. The “making” and “breaking” is the result of the wife’s understanding, or

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lack of understanding of the emotions of love, sex, and romance.

Despite the fact that men are polygamous, by the very nature of their biological inheritance, it is true that no woman has as great an influence on a man as his wife, unless he is married to a woman totally unsuited to his nature. If a woman permits her husband to lose interest in her, and become more interested in other women, it is usually because of her ignorance, or indifference toward the subjects of sex, love, and romance. This statement presupposes, of course, that genuine love once existed between a man and his wife. The facts are equally applicable to a man who permits his wife’s interest in him to die.

Married people often bicker over a multitude of trivialities. If these are analyzed accurately, the real cause of the trouble will often be found to be indifference, or ignorance on these subjects.

Man’s greatest motivating force is his desire to please woman! The hunter who excelled during prehistoric days, before the dawn of civilization, did so, because of his desire to appear great in the eyes of woman. Man’s nature has not changed in this respect. The “hunter” of today brings home no skins of wild animals, but he indicates his desire for her favor by supplying fine clothes, motor cars, and wealth. Man has the same desire to please woman that he had before the dawn of civilization. The only thing that has changed, is his method of pleasing. Men who accumulate large fortunes, and attain to great heights of power and fame, do so, mainly, to satisfy their desire to please women.

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Take women out of their lives, and great wealth would be useless to most men. It is this inherent desire of man to please woman, which gives woman the power to make or break a man.

The woman who understands man’s nature and tactfully caters to it, need have no fear of competition from other women. Men may be “giants” with indomitable will-power when dealing with other men, but they are easily managed by the women of their choice.

Most men will not admit that they are easily influenced by the women they prefer, because it is in the nature of the male to want to be recognized as the stronger of the species. Moreover, the intelligent woman recognizes this “manly trait” and very wisely makes no issue of it.

Some men know that they are being influenced by the women of their choice–their wives, sweethearts, mothers or sisters–but they tactfully refrain from rebelling against the influence because they are intelligent enough to know that NO MAN IS HAPPY OR COMPLETE WITHOUT THE MODIFYING INFLUENCE OF THE RIGHT WOMAN. The man who does not recognize this important truth deprives himself of the power which has done more to help men achieve success than all other forces combined.

Let us here it from Napoleon Hill himself. Brace yourself, it is a long chapter, but I hope you will read it all and be truly inspired to unleash the genius within you. If you can, please print this blog post.

CHAPTER 11 ( Think and Grow Rich Book)

THE MYSTERY OF SEX TRANSMUTATION

The Tenth Step toward Riches

ANYBODY can WISH for riches, and most people do, but only a few know that a definite plan, plus a BURNING DESIRE for wealth, are the only dependable means of accumulating wealth.

THE meaning of the word “transmute” is, in simple language, “the changing, or transferring of one element, or form of energy, into another.”

The emotion of sex brings into being a state of mind.

Because of ignorance on the subject, this state of mind is generally associated with the physical, and because of improper influences, to which most people have been subjected, in acquiring knowledge of sex, things essentially physical have highly biased the mind.

The emotion of sex has back of it the possibility of three constructive potentialities, they are:–

Sex transmutation is simple and easily explained. It means the switching of the mind from thoughts of physical expression, to thoughts of some other nature.

Sex desire is the most powerful of human desires.

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When driven by this desire, men develop keenness of imagination, courage, will-power, persistence, and creative ability unknown to them at other times. So strong and impelling is the desire for sexual contact that men freely run the risk of life and reputation to indulge it. When harnessed, and redirected along other lines, this motivating force maintains all of its attributes of keenness of imagination, courage, etc., which may be used as powerful creative forces in literature, art, or in any other profession or calling, including, of course, the accumulation of riches.

The transmutation of sex energy calls for the exercise of will-power, to be sure, but the reward is worth the effort. The desire for sexual expression is inborn and natural. The desire cannot, and should not be submerged or eliminated. But it should be given an outlet through forms of expression which enrich the body, mind, and spirit of man. If not given this form of outlet, through transmutation, it will seek outlets through purely physical channels.

A river may be dammed, and its water controlled for a time, but eventually, it will force an outlet. The same is true of the emotion of sex. It may be submerged and controlled for a time, but its very nature causes it to be ever seeking means of expression. If it is not transmuted into some creative effort it will find a less worthy outlet.

Fortunate, indeed, is the person who has discovered how to give sex emotion an outlet through some form of creative effort, for he has, by that discovery, lifted himself to the status of a genius.

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Scientific research has disclosed these significant facts:

The research from which these astounding discoveries were made, went back through the pages of biography and history for more than two thousand years. Wherever there was evidence available in connection with the lives of men and women of great achievement, it indicated most convincingly that they possessed highly developed sex natures.

The emotion of sex is an “irresistible force,” against which there can be no such opposition as an “immovable body.” When driven by this emotion, men become gifted with a super power for action. Understand this truth, and you will catch the significance of the statement that sex transmutation will lift one to the status of a genius.

The emotion of sex contains the secret of creative ability.

Destroy the sex glands, whether in man or beast, and you have removed the major source of action. For proof of this, observe what happens to any animal after it has been castrated. A bull becomes as docile as a cow after it has been altered sexually. Sex alteration takes out of the male, whether man

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or beast, all the FIGHT that was in him. Sex alteration of the female has the same effect.

THE TEN MIND STIMULI

The human mind responds to stimuli, through which it may be “keyed up” to high rates of vibration, known as enthusiasm, creative imagination, intense desire, etc. The stimuli to which the mind responds most freely are:–

The desire for sex expression comes at the head of the list of stimuli, which most effectively “step-up” the vibrations of the mind and start the “wheels” of physical action. Eight of these stimuli are natural and constructive. Two are destructive. The list is here presented for the purpose of enabling

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you to make a comparative study of the major sources of mind stimulation. From this study, it will be readily seen that the emotion of sex is, by great odds, the most intense and powerful of all mind stimuli.

This comparison is necessary as a foundation for proof of the statement that transmutation of sex energy may lift one to the status of a genius. Let us find out what constitutes a genius.

Some wiseacre has said that a genius is a man who “wears long hair, eats queer food, lives alone, and serves as a target for the joke makers.” A better definition of a genius is, “a man who has discovered how to increase the vibrations of thought to the point where he can freely communicate with sources of knowledge not available through the ordinary rate of vibration of thought.”

The person who thinks will want to ask some questions concerning this definition of genius. The first question will be, “How may one communicate with sources of knowledge which are not available through the ORDINARY rate of vibration of thought?”

The next question will be, “Are there known sources of knowledge which are available only to genii, and if so, WHAT ARE THESE SOURCES, and exactly how may they be reached?”

We shall offer proof of the soundness of some of the more important statements made in this book–or at least we shall offer evidence through which you may secure your own proof through experimentation, and in doing so, we shall answer both of these questions.

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“GENIUS” IS DEVELOPED THROUGH THE SIXTH SENSE

The reality of a “sixth sense” has been fairly well established. This sixth sense is “Creative Imagination.” The faculty of creative imagination is one which the majority of people never use during an entire lifetime, and if used at all, it usually happens by mere accident. A relatively small number of people use, WITH DELIBERATION AND PURPOSE AFORETHOUGHT, the faculty of creative imagination. Those who use this faculty voluntarily, and with understanding of its functions, are GENII.

The faculty of creative imagination is the direct link between the finite mind of man and Infinite Intelligence. All so-called revelations, referred to in the realm of religion, and all discoveries of basic or new principles in the field of invention, take place through the faculty of creative imagination.

When ideas or concepts flash into one’s mind, through what is popularly called a “hunch,” they come from one or more of the following sources:–

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There are no other KNOWN sources from which “inspired” ideas or “hunches” may be received.

The creative imagination functions best when the mind is vibrating (due to some form of mind stimulation) at an exceedingly high rate. That is, when the mind is functioning at a rate of vibration higher than that of ordinary, normal thought.

When brain action has been stimulated, through one or more of the ten mind stimulants, it has the effect of lifting the individual far above the horizon of ordinary thought, and permits him to envision distance, scope, and quality of THOUGHTS not available on the lower plane, such as that occupied while one is engaged in the solution of the problems of business and professional routine.

When lifted to this higher level of thought, through any form of mind stimulation, an individual occupies, relatively, the same position as one who has ascended in an airplane to a height from which he may see over and beyond the horizon line which limits his vision, while on the ground. Moreover, while on this higher level of thought, the individual is not hampered or bound by any of the stimuli which circumscribe and limit his vision while wrestling with the problems of gaining the three basic necessities of food, clothing, and shelter. He is in a world of thought in which the ORDINARY, work-a-day thoughts have been as effectively removed as are the hills and valleys and other limitations of physical vision, when he rises in an airplane.

While on this exalted plane of THOUGHT, the creative faculty of the mind is given freedom for

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action. The way has been cleared for the sixth sense to function, it becomes receptive to ideas which could not reach the individual under any other circumstances. The “sixth sense” is the faculty which marks the difference between a genius and an ordinary individual.

The creative faculty becomes more alert and receptive to vibrations, originating outside the individual’s subconscious mind, the more this faculty is used, and the more the individual relies upon it, and makes demands upon it for thought impulses. This faculty can be cultivated and developed only through use.

That which is known as one’s “conscience” operates entirely through the faculty of the sixth sense.

The great artists, writers, musicians, and poets become great, because they acquire the habit of relying upon the “still small voice” which speaks from within, through the faculty of creative imagination. It is a fact well known to people who have “keen” imaginations that their best ideas come through so-called “hunches.”

There is a great orator who does not attain to greatness, until he closes his eyes and begins to rely entirely upon the faculty of Creative Imagination. When asked why he closed his eyes just before the climaxes of his oratory, he replied, “I do it, because, then I speak through ideas which come to me from within.”

One of America’s most successful and best known financiers followed the habit of closing his eyes for two or three minutes before making a decision.

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When asked why he did this, he replied, “With my eyes closed, I am able to draw upon a source of superior intelligence.”

The late Dr. Elmer R. Gates, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, created more than 200 useful patents, many of them basic, through the process of cultivating and using the creative faculty. His method is both significant and interesting to one interested in attaining to the status of genius, in which category Dr. Gates, unquestionably belonged. Dr. Gates was one of the really great, though less publicized scientists of the world.

In his laboratory, he had what he called his “personal communication room.” It was practically sound proof, and so arranged that all light could be shut out. It was equipped with a small table, on which he kept a pad of writing paper. In front of the table, on the wall, was an electric pushbutton, which controlled the lights. When Dr. Gates desired to draw upon the forces available to him through his Creative Imagination, he would go into this room, seat himself at the table, shut off the lights, and CONCENTRATE upon the KNOWN factors of the invention on which he was working, remaining in that position until ideas began to “flash” into his mind in connection with the UNKNOWN factors of the invention.

On one occasion, ideas came through so fast that he was forced to write for almost three hours. When the thoughts stopped flowing, and he examined his notes, he found they contained a minute description of principles which had not a parallel among the known data of the scientific world.

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Moreover, the answer to his problem was intelligently presented in those notes. In this manner Dr. Gates completed over 200 patents, which had been begun, but not completed, by “half-baked” brains. Evidence of the truth of this statement is in the United States Patent Office.

Dr. Gates earned his living by “sitting for ideas” for individuals and corporations. Some of the largest corporations in America paid him substantial fees, by the hour, for “sitting for ideas.”

The reasoning faculty is often faulty, because it is largely guided by one’s accumulated experience. Not all knowledge, which one accumulates through “experience,” is accurate. Ideas received through the creative faculty are much more reliable, for the reason that they come from sources more reliable than any which are available to the reasoning faculty of the mind.

The major difference between the genius and the ordinary “crank” inventor, may be found in the fact that the genius works through his faculty of creative imagination, while the “crank” knows nothing of this faculty. The scientific inventor (such as Mr. Edison, and Dr. Gates), makes use of both the synthetic and the creative faculties of imagination.

For example, the scientific inventor, or “genius,” begins an invention by organizing and combining the known ideas, or principles accumulated through experience, through the synthetic faculty (the reasoning faculty). If he finds this accumulated knowledge to be insufficient for the completion of his invention, he then draws upon the sources of

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knowledge available to him through his creative faculty. The method by which he does this varies with the individual, but this is the sum and substance of his procedure:

Sometimes the results are both definite and immediate. At other times, the results are negative, depending upon the state of development of the “sixth sense,” or creative faculty.

Mr. Edison tried out more than 10,000 different combinations of ideas through the synthetic faculty of his imagination before he “tuned in” through the creative faculty, and got the answer which perfected the incandescent light. His experience was similar when he produced the talking machine.

There is plenty of reliable evidence that the faculty of creative imagination exists. This evidence is available through accurate analysis of men who have become leaders in their respective callings, without having had extensive educations. Lincoln was a notable example of a great leader

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who achieved greatness, through the discovery, and use of his faculty of creative imagination. He discovered, and began to use this faculty as the result of the stimulation of love which he experienced after he met Anne Rutledge, a statement of the highest significance, in connection with the study of the source of genius.

The pages of history are filled with the records of great leaders whose achievements may be traced directly to the influence of women who aroused the creative faculties of their minds, through the stimulation of sex desire. Napoleon Bonaparte was one of these. When inspired by his first wife, Josephine, he was irresistible and invincible. When his “better judgment” or reasoning faculty prompted him to put Josephine aside, he began to decline. His defeat and St. Helena were not far distant.

If good taste would permit, we might easily mention scores of men, well known to the American people, who climbed to great heights of achievement under the stimulating influence of their wives, only to drop back to destruction AFTER money and power went to their heads, and they put aside the old wife for a new one. Napoleon was not the only man to discover that sex influence, from the right source, is more powerful than any substitute of expediency, which may be created by mere reason.

The human mind responds to stimulation!

Among the greatest, and most powerful of these stimuli is the urge of sex. When harnessed and transmuted, this driving force is capable of lifting men into that higher sphere of thought which enables

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them to master the sources of worry and petty annoyance which beset their pathway on the lower plane.

Unfortunately, only the genii have made the discovery. Others have accepted the experience of sex urge, without discovering one of its major potentialities–a fact which accounts for the great number of “others” as compared to the limited number of genii.

For the purpose of refreshing the memory, in connection with the facts available from the biographies of certain men, we here present the names of a few men of outstanding achievement, each of whom was known to have been of a highly sexed nature. The genius which was their’s, undoubtedly found its source of power in transmuted sex energy:

Your own knowledge of biography will enable you to add to this list. Find, if you can, a single man, in all history of civilization, who achieved outstanding success in any calling, who was not driven by a well developed sex nature.

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If you do not wish to rely upon biographies of men not now living, take inventory of those whom you know to be men of great achievement, and see if you can find one among them who is not highly sexed.

Sex energy is the creative energy of all genii. There never has been, and never will be a great leader, builder, or artist lacking in this driving force of sex.

Surely no one will misunderstand these statements to mean that ALL who are highly sexed are genii! Man attains to the status of a genius ONLY when, and IF, he stimulates his mind so that it draws upon the forces available, through the creative faculty of the imagination. Chief among the stimuli with which this “stepping up” of the vibrations may be produced is sex energy. The mere possession of this energy is not sufficient to produce a genius. The energy must be transmuted from desire for physical contact, into some other form of desire and action, before it will lift one to the status of a genius.

Far from becoming genii, because of great sex desires, the majority of men lower themselves, through misunderstanding and misuse of this great force, to the status of the lower animals.

Continued on Part 2. Please Read On.

Take Action

It does not matter how much you know if you never take action. You will rarely get that dream job unless you place the right job applications. You will not get that lean and fit body unless you exercise and eat right.

Do not just sit there and think of all the things you are capable of. Instead, a have a bias for action. Get out there and do something. You may be thinking of starting a business or a relationship. That will only materialize if you take action. Fantasizing about your potential will only leave you feeling unfulfilled in the end, if you do not take action.

Use Other People’s Resources

I first heard of the term OPM (Other People’s Money) ten years ago. I got fascinated by the concept and read up on it, and discovered it goes further than that. It extends to other resources, not just money.

You can use other people money to amplify your potential. Banks and insurance companies reap huge benefits by using our money. People take their savings to the bank and are rewarded with a negligible interest rate. The bank then takes the money and lends it to the next guy for a fortune. Listed companies use shareholders money to run their operations.

Are you working long hours trying to make a living or is other people’s money working for you? It is not too late to start thinking of how you can take advantage of other people’s money, just like the banks do.

Using other peoples money wisely and profitably WILL amplify your success. On the other hand, losing other people money in a failed venture can leave you with a deep hole in your pocket. The trick is to do your homework on how to profit from other people’s money.

People and banks will lend you an umbrella when it is raining and ask for it when it starts drizzling. It happens all the time especially in the stock market. Many investors will quickly withdraw their money from your venture at the first sign of trouble. Be careful with other people’s money, but do not underestimate its potential.

You can also tap onto other people’s resources; experiences, time, passions and expertise to turbo charge your success. First you need to align your intentions to make sure you are pulling in the same direction. Create a win-win situation and you will laugh all the way to the bank.

Focused Effort

My mind is constantly coming up with ideas of what I need to do. I end up with a plethora of unfinished projects. I consider myself a man of great potential, but am quickly realizing that there are only 24 hours in a day. Not everything that passes through my mind can be done, unfortunately. I am learning to prioritize and saying NO to good opportunities that I would not have let slide a few years ago.

Do you find yourself trying to juggle more than a few projects or ideas? If you get nothing else from today’s posting, get this: Be Focused!

It is an area of life that I admittedly fall short in but I am trying. Why? I think it makes a lot of sense. Why do 10 mediocre things when you can do one thing very well? The more focused you are on something, the greater your success rate. Do not be a jack of all trades and end up as a master of none.

Have a Mastermind Group

In his timeless classic book, “Think and Grow Rich”, Napoleon Hill said “When a group of individual brains are coordinated and function in harmony, the increased energy created through the alliance, becomes available to every individual in the group”.

Very few fortunes (if any) are made by people who work in isolation. That is the precise reason why companies have boards of directors. The directors brainstorm and use their collective experiences, contacts and expertise for the betterment of the company.

You can assemble your own “board of directors” in your life. Identify people you can connect with in harmony, for a definite purpose, and that will surely amplify your potential.

Napoleon Hill also said:  “Men take on the nature and habits and the power of thought of those with whom they associate in a spirit of sympathy and harmony”.

Think of the 5 people closest to you. Chances are they think like you, talk like you and enjoy the same things as you. If you dig deeper, you will realize just how much impact they have in your life. The bible says “show me your friends, and I will tell you what kind of person you are”. They say that birds of a feather flock together.

Consciously assembling a mastermind group could turn out to be on of your best time investments. How do you become a millionaire if all your friends all earn 15,000 per year? How do you live a healthy life if you and your friends are always at the pub till the wee hours of the morning? How do you get ahead in life without a single encouraging voice in the vicinity? A mastermind group is the master key to unlocking potential.