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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