In 1908, a newspaper reporter named Napoleon Hill was offered the opportunity to interview over 500 of the riches men in the world to sketch out a detailed analysis of why some people are able to achieve outstanding success. He interviewed people such as Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Andrew Carnegie, Theodore Roosevelt and many others who are well-known to all of us.
After 20 years of research, he came to the conclusion that there was one determining factor responsible for the success of all of these men. There was one definite reason why some people are able to rise from the depths of poverty to the heights of prosperity. There were many principles of success that he proposed throughout his career but one always stood above the rest: Definiteness of Purpose.
“Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement” – Napoleon Hill
When someone doesn’t set a life purpose for themselves, they are at the mercy of the environment around them. They are like a leaf in the winds of circumstance being blown in either which direction without the willpower to resist. They accept whatever life hands them without setting their own definite terms for life.
It takes resoluteness of the mind to determine your own path in life. Don’t let someone else tell you what to do with your life; that path will lead to a life of unhappiness and regret. The answer lies in your heart. Only you know what you desire most and only you can decide what you are willing to do to deserve it.
How do I find a purpose in life?
The following video is the only known video recording of Napoleon Hill answering this very question:
As Napoleon Hill said, the only thing in life that you have complete and unchallenged control over is the power of your own mind. Your mind attracts what it dwells upon. You have to repeatedly keep your mind focused on what you want most in order to align yourself with the means to acquire it.
Follow these three basic steps:
- On a notepad, write down exact what you want most in life.
- On the next page, write down exactly what you will give in return for what you want and immediately start giving.
- Memorize what you desire and what you will give for it and repeat them at least a dozen times daily.
Your life legacy is determined by the path that you choose to take. If you don’t know what you want to focus your life on, make it your definite purpose to find a definite purpose. Follow what’s in your heart and the answer will come to you.
“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.” – Napoleon Hill
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If you found this article helpful, feel welcome to share your thoughts in the comments.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
I love Napoleon Hill! I’ve read his 16 Laws of Success and Think and Grow Rich. He’s a source of much of my inspiration. This is a great post; thanks for writing.
“It’s all in your state of mind.”
Thank you very much for the reply, John. Those are two very excellent books that I would recommend to anyone who wants a deeper understanding of life. His writings and perspectives on life were by far deeper than anything else I’ve ever come across and I hope to match that level of brilliance in my writing one day.
I like this post, you have developed it from Napoleon Hill’s study and I find it interesting.
Mind&focus, they are a good pair of words.
Tonight (12.25 h now in Spain) I will watch the video.
Hi Tim,
I’ve recently re-read “Think and Grow Rich” – over the winter. And it was a great refresher on Hill’s principles and how timeless they are. Which reminds me, I should really keep the focus of that book in my mind – I’m going to dig it out again and review a couple of the chapters. Great stuff!! And thanks for sharing this post and the video…
Lance´s last blog ..Leading From Within
Thanks, Sergio. A wise person mentioned to me recently that what we focus on is where we are going. That statement has a load of truth in it and I can’t wait to touch on this topic again.
I hope you enjoyed the video.
That means a lot, Lance. And I love you’re website too. There’s so much negativity on the internet that it’s really a fresh breath of air to come across a site that is genuinely meant to lift people up.
I wish you good fortune in all of your endeavors.
Being able to get specific about what you want in life is one step in creating massive wealth. Along side with a positive mental attitude, perseverance, visualization, goal setting, knowledge and effective communication skills. All these together will lead you down the path of success. So lets get going on being successful!!!!! YEah
Nice post!
jonathanfigaro´s last blog ..Power of Positive Thinking
Excellent comment, Jonathan. I noticed that every person I’ve ever known who makes progress in life has most of those traits.
Tim let me ask you a question.
How do you define success personally? Do you believe you currently have achieved some success in your life?
jonathanfigaro´s last blog ..Power of Positive Thinking
Thanks for the reply, Jonathan.
On a personal level, I believe success is having a personal life and a career that is fulfilling emotionally and intellectually.
I’ve achieved some things in my life that I believe were for the better:
- I lost 80 pounds a few years ago
- I quit the habit of smoking a few years ago
- Became at least twice as confident at public speaking over the last year
- Dramatically improved my writing skills over the last year
I think success is also a balance between being happy where you are and satisfying your ambitions. There are many things that I’m thankful for but I don’t want to just stop everything I’m doing right here; there are still plenty of things I want to accomplish in my life.
What I’m basically doing is going in the direction of following my heart and representing what I believe in.