Below is the transcript of a talk by Napoleon Hill on the subject of what constitutes true riches. I don’t claim that the list you see below is definitive or that it could not be modified or improved, but the general principle holds true.
Beginning of Transcript
Everyone desires to be rich, but not everyone knows what constitutes enduring riches. And most people beleive that riches consist of only material things that money can buy. Now here is a list of the twelve things that constitute real riches:
Number one: A positive mental attitude. Observe that it heads the list.
And second: Sound physical health.
And third, Harmony in human relations.
And fourth: Freedom from fear.
and fifth: The hope of future achievement.
And sixth: The capacity for applied faith.
And seven: Willingness to share ones blessings with others.
Eight: To be engaged in a labour of love.
Nine: An open mind on all subjects towards all people.
Ten, Complete self discipline.
Eleven, Wisdom with which to understand people.
And twelve: financial security.
Observe if you will, with great benefit, that money comes at the end of the list of the twelve things that make men rich.
End of Transcript
At the beginning of this blog I spoke about the book ‘Think and Grow Rich’ and told how I thought that it was the original source of much of what we hear today in the field of personal growth. It contains the germ of such ideas as ‘manifesting’, ‘affirmations’, and even ‘dream flow’, to name a few. However it is a book of it’s time and when reading it one has to take into account how the world was at that time. In those days most peoples principle concern was to gain financial riches. The world was emerging from the great depression and it was hungry for positive change. The gulf between rich and poor was enormous and people wanted to know how to bridge it.
The interesting thing is that we now seem to be going through a similar experience, but in a compressed time period. Much of what Napoleon Hill says about the banking system and the greed and fear of the financial markets is being echoed today. The book seems to be finding a new relevance. Despite it’s age, in the end, it’s core messages still hold true. One of these is the principle that financial security, number twelve in the list, comes as a result of mastering the other eleven. The pursuit of riches at the expense of all else can never be successful in the long term and will never lead to true happiness but that doesn’t make it bad. We just have to keep it in it’s place. Number 12.
Filed under: Personal Growth Tagged: | challenge, contentment, desire, development, growth, happiness, individual acheivement, knowledge, making money, money, Napoleon Hill, philosophy, riches, think and grow rich, wealth
