THINK AND GROW RICH / Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I

NTRODUCTION

—

THE MAN WHO “THOUGHT” HIS WAY INTO PARTNERSHIP WITH

THOMAS A. EDISON

TRULY, “thoughts are things,” and powerful things at that, when they are mixed

with definiteness of purpose, persistence, and a BURNING DESIRE for their

translation into riches, or other material objects.

A little more than thirty years ago, Edwin C. Barnes discovered how true it is that

men really do THINK AND GROW RICH. His discovery did not come about at

one sitting. It came little by little, beginning with a BURNING DESIRE to become

a business associate of the great Edison.

One of the chief characteristics of Barnes’ Desire was that it was definite. He

wanted to work with Edison, not for him. Observe, carefully, the description of

how he went about translating his DESIRE into reality, and you will have a better

understanding of the thirteen principles which lead to riches. When this DESIRE,

or impulse of thought, first flashed into his mind he was in no position to act upon

it. Two difficulties stood in his way. He did not know Mr. Edison, and he did not

have enough money to pay his railroad fare to Orange, New Jersey. These diffi-

culties were sufficient to have discouraged the majority of men from making any

attempt to carry out the desire.

But his was no ordinary desire! He was so determined to find a way to carry out

his desire that he finally decided to travel by “blind baggage,” rather than be defeated.

(To the uninitiated, this means that he went to East Orange on a freight

train). He presented himself at Mr. Edison’s laboratory, and announced he had

come to go into business with the inventor. In speaking of the first meeting between

Barnes and Edison, years later, Mr. Edison said, “He stood there before

me, looking like an ordinary tramp, but there was something in the expression

of his face which conveyed the impression that he was determined to get what he

had come after. I had learned, from years of experience with men, that when a

man really DESIRES a thing so deeply that he is willing to stake his entire future

on a single turn of the wheel in order to get it, he is sure to win. I gave him the opportunity

he asked for, because I saw he had made up his mind to stand by until

he succeeded. Subsequent events proved that no mistake was made.”

 

Just what young Barnes said to Mr. Edison on that occasion was far less important

than that which he thought. Edison, himself, said so! It could not have been

the young man’s appearance which got him his start in the Edison office, for that

was definitely against him. It was what he THOUGHT that counted. If the significance

of this statement could be conveyed to every person who reads it, there

would be no need for the remainder of this book.

Barnes did not get his partnership with Edison on his first interview. He did get

a chance to work in the Edison offices, at a very nominal wage, doing work that

was unimportant to Edison, but most important to Barnes, because it gave him

an opportunity to display his “merchandise” where his intended “partner” could

see it. Months went by. Apparently nothing happened to bring the coveted goal

which Barnes had set up in his mind as his DEFINITE MAJOR PURPOSE. But

something important was happening in Barnes’ mind. He was constantly intensifying

his DESIRE to become the business associate of Edison.

Psychologists have correctly said that “when one is truly ready for a thing, it puts

in its appearance.” Barnes was ready for a business association with Edison,

moreover, he was DETERMINED TO REMAIN READY UNTIL HE GOT THAT

WHICH HE WAS SEEKING.

He did not say to himself, “Ah well, what’s the use? I guess I’ll change my mind

and try for a salesman’s job.” But, he did say, “I came here to go into business

with Edison, and I’ll accomplish this end if it takes the remainder of my life.” He

meant it! What a different story men would have to tell if only they would adopt a

DEFINITE PURPOSE, and stand by that purpose until it had time to become an

all-consuming obsession!

Maybe young Barnes did not know it at the time, but his bulldog determination,

his persistence in standing back of a single DESIRE, was destined to mow down

all opposition, and bring him the opportunity he was seeking.

When the opportunity came, it appeared in a different form, and from a different

direction than Barnes had expected. That is one of the tricks of opportunity. It has

a sly habit of slipping in by the back door, and often it comes disguised in the form

of misfortune, or temporary defeat. Perhaps this is why so many fail to recognize

opportunity. Mr. Edison had just perfected a new office device, known at that

time, as the Edison Dictating Machine (now the Ediphone). His salesmen were

not enthusiastic over the machine. They did not believe it could be sold without

great effort. Barnes saw his opportunity. It had crawled in quietly, hidden in a

queer looking machine which interested no one but Barnes and the inventor.

 

Barnes knew he could sell the Edison Dictating Machine. He suggested this to

Edison, and promptly got his chance. He did sell the machine. In fact, he sold it

so successfully that Edison gave him a contract to distribute and market it all over

the nation. Out of that business association grew the slogan, “Made by Edison

and installed by Barnes.”

The business alliance has been in operation for more than thirty years. Out of

it Barnes has made himself rich in money, but he has done something infinitely

greater, he has proved that one really may “Think and Grow Rich.”

How much actual cash that original DESIRE of Barnes’ has been worth to him,

I have no way of knowing. Perhaps it has brought him two or three million dollars,

but the amount, whatever it is, becomes insignificant when compared with

the greater asset he acquired in the form of definite knowledge that an intangible

impulse of thought can be transmuted into its physical counterpart by the application

of known principles.

Barnes literally thought himself into a partnership with the great Edison! He

thought himself into a fortune. He had nothing to start with, except the capacity

to KNOW WHAT HE WANTED, AND THE DETERMINATION TO STAND BY

THAT DESIRE UNTIL HE REALIZED IT. He had no money to begin with. He

had but little education. He had no influence. But he did have initiative, faith, and

the will to win. With these intangible forces he made himself number one man

with the greatest inventor who ever lived.

Now, let us look at a different situation, and study a man who had plenty of tangible

evidence of riches, but lost it, because he stopped three feet short of the goal

he was seeking.

THREE FEET FROM GOLD

One of the most common causes of failure is the habit of quitting when one is

overtaken by temporary defeat. Every person is guilty of this mistake at one time

or another. An uncle of R. U. Darby was caught by the “gold fever” in the goldrush

days, and went west to DIG AND GROW RICH. He had never heard that

more gold has been mined from the brains of men than has ever been taken from

the earth. He staked a claim and went to work with pick and shovel. The going

was hard, but his lust for gold was definite.

After weeks of labor, he was rewarded by the discovery of the shining ore. He

needed machinery to bring the ore to the surface. Quietly, he covered up the mine,

retraced his footsteps to his home in Williamsburg, Maryland, told his relatives

and a few neighbors of the “strike.” They got together money for the needed machinery,

had it shipped. The uncle and Darby went back to work the mine.

The first car of ore was mined, and shipped to a smelter. The returns proved they

had one of the richest mines in Colorado! A few more cars of that ore would clear

the debts. Then would come the big killing in profits.

Down went the drills! Up went the hopes of Darby and Uncle! Then something

happened! The vein of gold ore disappeared! They had come to the end of the

rainbow, and the pot of gold was no longer there! They drilled on, desperately

trying to pick up the vein again-all to no avail.

Finally, they decided to QUIT. They sold the machinery to a junk man for a few

hundred dollars, and took the train back home. Some “junk” men are dumb, but

not this one! He called in a mining engineer to look at the mine and do a little

calculating. The engineer advised that the project had failed, because the owners

were not familiar with “fault lines.” His calculations showed that the vein would

be found JUST THREE FEET FROM WHERE THE DARBYS HAD STOPPED

DRILLING! That is exactly where it was found!

The “Junk” man took millions of dollars in ore from the mine, because he knew

enough to seek expert counsel before giving up. Most of the money which went

into the machinery was procured through the efforts of R. U. Darby, who was

then a very young man. The money came from his relatives and neighbors, because

of their faith in him. He paid back every dollar of it, although he was years

in doing so.

Long afterward, Mr. Darby recouped his loss many times over, when he made the

discovery that DESIRE can be transmuted into gold. The discovery came after he

went into the business of selling life insurance.

Remembering that he lost a huge fortune, because he STOPPED three feet from

gold, Darby profited by the experience in his chosen work, by the simple method

of saying to himself, “I stopped three feet from gold, but I will never stop because

men say `no’ when I ask them to buy insurance.”

Darby is one of a small group of fewer than fifty men who sell more than a million

dollars in life insurance annually. He owes his “stickability” to the lesson he

learned from his “quitability” in the gold mining business.

 

Before success comes in any man’s life, he is sure to meet with much temporary

defeat, and, perhaps, some failure. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and

most logical thing to do is to QUIT. That is exactly what the majority of men do.

More than five hundred of the most successful men this country has ever known,

told the author their greatest success came just one step beyond the point at which

defeat had overtaken them. Failure is a trickster with a keen sense of irony and

cunning.

It takes great delight in tripping one when success is almost within reach.

A FIFTY-CENT LESSON IN PERSISTENCE

Shortly after Mr. Darby received his degree from the “University of Hard Knocks,”

and had decided to profit by his experience in the gold mining business, he had

the good fortune to be present on an occasion that proved to him that “No”

does not necessarily mean no.

One afternoon he was helping his uncle grind wheat in an old fashioned mill.

The uncle operated a large farm on which a number of colored sharecrop farmers

lived. Quietly, the door was opened, and a small colored child, the daughter of a

tenant, walked in and took her place near the door.

The uncle looked up, saw the child, and barked at her roughly, “what do you

want?” Meekly, the child replied, “My mammy say send her fifty cents.” “I’ll not

do it,” the uncle retorted, “Now you run on home.” “Yas sah,” the child replied.

But she did not move. The uncle went ahead with his work, so busily engaged that

he did not pay enough attention to the child to observe that she did not leave.

When he looked up and saw her still standing there, he yelled at her, “I told you

to go on home! Now go, or I’ll take a switch to you.” The little girl said “yas sah,”

but she did not budge an inch. The uncle dropped a sack of grain he was about to

pour into the mill hopper, picked up a barrel stave, and started toward the child

with an expression on his face that indicated trouble.

Darby held his breath. He was certain he was about to witness a murder. He knew

his uncle had a fierce temper. He knew that colored children were not supposed

to defy white people in that part of the country.

When the uncle reached the spot where the child was standing, she quickly

stepped forward one step, looked up into his eyes, and screamed at the top of her

shrill voice, “MY MAMMY’S GOTTA HAVE THAT FIFTY CENTS!”

 

The uncle stopped, looked at her for a minute, then slowly laid the barrel stave on

the floor, put his hand in his pocket, took out half a dollar, and gave it to her. The

child took the money and slowly backed toward the door, never taking her eyes

off the man whom she had just conquered.

After she had gone, the uncle sat down on a box and looked out the window into

space for more than ten minutes. He was pondering, with awe, over the whipping

he had just taken. Mr. Darby, too, was doing some thinking. That was the first

time in all his experience that he had seen a colored child deliberately master an

adult white person. How did she do it? What happened to his uncle that caused

him to lose his fierceness and become as docile as a lamb? What strange power

did this child use that made her master over her superior? These and other similar

questions flashed into Darby’s mind, but he did not find the answer until years

later, when he told me the story.

Strangely, the story of this unusual experience was told to the author in the old

mill, on the very spot where the uncle took his whipping. Strangely, too, I had

devoted nearly a quarter of a century to the study of the power which enabled an

ignorant, illiterate colored child to conquer an intelligent man.

As we stood there in that musty old mill, Mr. Darby repeated the story of the unusual

conquest, and finished by asking, “What can you make of it? What strange

power did that child use, that so completely whipped my uncle?”

The answer to his question will be found in the principles described in this book.

The answer is full and complete. It contains details and instructions sufficient to

enable anyone to understand, and apply the same force which the little child accidentally

stumbled upon.

Keep your mind alert, and you will observe exactly what strange power came to

the rescue of the child, you will catch a glimpse of this power in the next chapter.

Somewhere in the book you will find an idea that will quicken your receptive

powers, and place at your command, for your own benefit, this same irresistible

power. The awareness of this power may come to you in the first chapter, or it

may flash into your mind in some subsequent chapter. It may come in the form of

a single idea. Or, it may come in the nature of a plan, or a purpose. Again, it may

cause you to go back into your past experiences of failure or defeat, and bring to

the surface some lesson by which you can regain all that you lost through defeat.

After I had described to Mr. Darby the power unwittingly used by the little colored

child, he quickly retraced his thirty years of experience as a life insurance sales

man, and frankly acknowledged that his success in that field was due, in no small

degree, to the lesson he had learned from the child.

Mr. Darby pointed out: “every time a prospect tried to bow me out, without buying,

I saw that child standing there in the old mill, her big eyes glaring in defiance,

and I said to myself, `I’ve gotta make this sale.’ The better portion of all sales I

have made, were made after people had said `NO’.”

He recalled, too, his mistake in having stopped only three feet from gold, “but,”

he said, “that experience was a blessing in disguise. It taught me to keep on keeping

on, no matter how hard the going may be, a lesson I needed to learn before I

could succeed in anything.”

This story of Mr. Darby and his uncle, the colored child and the gold mine, doubtless

will be read by hundreds of men who make their living by selling life insurance,

and to all of these, the author wishes to offer the suggestion that Darby

owes to these two experiences his ability to sell more than a million dollars of life

insurance every year.

Life is strange, and often imponderable! Both the successes and the failures have

their roots in simple experiences. Mr. Darby’s experiences were commonplace

and simple enough, yet they held the answer to his destiny in life, therefore they

were as important (to him) as life itself. He profited by these two dramatic experiences,

because he analyzed them, and found the lesson they taught. But what of

the man who has neither the time, nor the inclination to study failure in search of

knowledge that may lead to success?

Where, and how is he to learn the art of converting defeat into stepping stones to

opportunity?

In answer to these questions, this book was written. The answer called for a description

of thirteen principles, but remember, as you read, the answer you may

be seeking, to the questions which have caused you to ponder over the strangeness

of life, may be found in your own mind, through some idea, plan, or purpose

which may spring into your mind as you read.

One sound idea is all that one needs to achieve success. The principles described

in this book, contain the best, and the most practical of all that is known, concerning

ways and means of creating useful ideas.

Before we go any further in our approach to the description of these principles,

we believe you are entitled to receive this important suggestion....WHEN RICHES

BEGIN TO COME THEY COME SO QUICKLY, IN SUCH GREAT ABUNDANCE,

THAT ONE WONDERS WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN HIDING DURING ALL

THOSE LEAN YEARS.

This is an astounding statement, and all the more so, when we take into consideration

the popular belief, that riches come only to those who work hard and long.

When you begin to THINK AND GROW RICH, you will observe that riches begin

with a state of mind, with definiteness of purpose, with little or no hard work.

You, and every other person, ought to be interested in knowing how to acquire

that state of mind which will attract riches. I spent twenty-five years in research,

analyzing more than 25,000 people, because I, too, wanted to know “how wealthy

men become that way.

Without that research, this book could not have been written. Here take notice of

a very significant truth, viz:

The business depression started in 1929, and continued on to an all time record of

destruction, until sometime after President Roosevelt entered office. Then the depression

began to fade into nothingness. Just as an electrician in a theatre raises

the lights so gradually that darkness is transmuted into light before you realize it,

so did the spell of fear in the minds of the people gradually fade away and become

faith.

Observe very closely, as soon as you master the principles of this philosophy, and

begin to follow the instructions for applying those principles, your financial status

will begin to improve, and everything you touch will begin to transmute itself

into an asset for your benefit. Impossible? Not at all!

One of the main weaknesses of mankind is the average man’s familiarity with the

word “impossible.” He knows all the rules which will NOT work. He knows all

the things which CANNOT be done. This book was written for those who seek the

rules which have made others successful, and are willing to stake everything on

those rules. A great many years ago I purchased a fine dictionary. The first thing I

did with it was to turn to the word “impossible,” and neatly clip it out of the book.

That would not be an unwise thing for you to do. Success comes to those who

become SUCCESS CONSCIOUS.

Failure comes to those who indifferently allow themselves to become FAILURE

CONSCIOUS.

The object of this book is to help all who seek it, to learn the art of changing their

minds from FAILURE CONSCIOUSNESS to SUCCESS CONSCIOUSNESS.

Another weakness found in altogether too many people, is the habit of measuring

everything, and everyone, by their own impressions and beliefs. Some who will

read this, will believe that no one can THINK AND GROW RICH. They cannot

think in terms of riches, because their thought habits have been steeped in poverty,

want, misery, failure, and defeat.

These unfortunate people remind me of a prominent Chinese, who came to America

to be educated in American ways. He attended the University of Chicago. One

day President Harper met this young Oriental on the campus, stopped to chat

with him for a few minutes, and asked what had impressed him as being the most

noticeable characteristic of the American people.

“Why,” the Chinaman exclaimed, “the queer slant of your eyes. Your eyes are off

slant!” What do we say about the Chinese? We refuse to believe that which we do

not understand. We foolishly believe that our own limitations are the proper measure

of limitations. Sure, the other fellow’s eyes are “off slant,” BECAUSE THEY

ARE NOT THE SAME AS OUR OWN. Millions of people look at the achievements

of Henry Ford, after he has arrived, and envy him, because of his good fortune, or

luck, or genius, or whatever it is that they credit for Ford’s fortune. Perhaps one

person in every hundred thousand knows the secret of Ford’s success, and those

who do know are too modest, or too reluctant, to speak of it, because of its simplicity.

A single transaction will illustrate the “secret” perfectly.

A few years back, Ford decided to produce his now famous V-8 motor. He chose

to build an engine with the entire eight cylinders cast in one block, and instructed

his engineers to produce a design for the engine. The design was placed on paper,

but the engineers agreed, to a man, that it was simply impossible to cast an eightcylinder

gas engine block in one piece.

Ford said, “Produce it anyway.” “But,” they replied, “it’s impossible!” “Go ahead,”

Ford commanded, “and stay on the job until you succeed no matter how much

time is required.”

The engineers went ahead. There was nothing else for them to do, if they were

to remain on the Ford staff. Six months went by, nothing happened. Another six

months passed, and still nothing happened. The engineers tried every conceivable

plan to carry out the orders, but the thing seemed out of the question; “impossible!”

 

At the end of the year Ford checked with his engineers, and again they informed

him they had found no way to carry out his orders.

“Go right ahead,” said Ford, “I want it, and I’ll have it.” They went ahead, and

then, as if by a stroke of magic, the secret was discovered.

The Ford DETERMINATION had won once more!

This story may not be described with minute accuracy, but the sum and substance

of it is correct. Deduce from it, you who wish to THINK AND GROW RICH, the

secret of the Ford millions, if you can. You’ll not have to look very far. Henry Ford

is a success, because he understands, and applies the principles of success. One

of these is DESIRE: knowing what one wants. Remember this Ford story as you

read, and pick out the lines in which the secret of his stupendous achievement

have been described. If you can do this, if you can lay your finger on the particular

group of principles which made Henry Ford rich, you can equal his achievements

in almost any calling for which you are suited.

YOU ARE “THE MASTER OF YOUR FATE, THE CAPTAIN OF YOUR

SOUL,” BECAUSE...

When Henley wrote the prophetic lines, “I am the Master of my Fate, I am the Captain

of my Soul,” he should have informed us that we are the Masters of our Fate,

the Captains of our Souls, because we have the power to control our thoughts.

He should have told us that the ether in which this little earth floats, in which we

move and have our being, is a form of energy moving at an inconceivably high

rate of vibration, and that the ether is filled with a form of universal power which

ADAPTS itself to the nature of the thoughts we hold in our minds; and INFLUENCES

us, in natural ways, to transmute our thoughts into their physical equivalent.

If the poet had told us of this great truth, we would know WHY IT IS that we are

the Masters of our Fate, the Captains of our Souls. He should have told us, with

great emphasis, that this power makes no attempt to discriminate between destructive

thoughts and constructive thoughts, that it will urge us to translate into

physical reality thoughts of poverty, just as quickly as it will influence us to act

upon thoughts of riches.

He should have told us, too, that our brains become magnetized with the dominating

thoughts which we hold in our minds, and, by means with which no man

is familiar, these “magnets” attract to us the forces, the people, the circumstances

of life which harmonize with the nature of our dominating thoughts.

He should have told us, that before we can accumulate riches in great abundance,

we must magnetize our minds with intense DESIRE for riches, that we must become

“money conscious until the DESIRE for money drives us to create definite

plans for acquiring it.

But, being a poet, and not a philosopher, Henley contented himself by stating a

great truth in poetic form, leaving those who followed him to interpret the philosophical

meaning of his lines.

Little by little, the truth has unfolded itself, until it now appears certain that the

principles described in this book, hold the secret of mastery over our economic

fate.

We are now ready to examine the first of these principles. Maintain a spirit of

open-mindedness, and remember as you read, they are the invention of no one

man. The principles were gathered from the life experiences of more than 500

men who actually accumulated riches in huge amounts; men who began in poverty,

with but little education, without influence. The principles worked for these

men. You can put them to work for your own enduring benefit.

You will find it easy, not hard, to do.

Before you read the next chapter, I want you to know that it conveys factual information

which might easily change your entire financial destiny, as it has so

definitely brought changes of stupendous proportions to two people described.

I want you to know, also, that the relationship between these two men and myself,

is such that I could have taken no liberties with the facts, even if I had wished to

do so. One of them has been my closest personal friend for almost twenty-five

years, the other is my own son. The unusual success of these two men, success

which they generously accredit to the principle described in the next chapter,

more than justifies this personal reference as a means of emphasizing the far-

flung power of this principle.

Almost fifteen years ago, I delivered the Commencement Address at Salem College,

Salem, West Virginia. I emphasized the principle described in the next chapter,

with so much intensity that one of the members of the graduating class defi-

nitely appropriated it, and made it a part of his own philosophy. The young man

is now a Member of Congress, and an important factor in the present administra-

tion. Just before this book went to the publisher, he wrote me a letter in which

he so clearly stated his opinion of the principle outlined in the next chapter, that

I have chosen to publish his letter as an introduction to that chapter. It gives you

an idea of the rewards to come.

“My dear Napoleon:

“My service as a Member of Congress having given me an insight into the problems of men and

women, I am writing to offer a suggestion which may become helpful to thousands of worthy

people.

“With apologies, I must state that the suggestion, if acted upon, will mean several years of

labor and responsibility for you, but I am en-heartened to make the suggestion, because I know

your great love for rendering useful service.

“In 1922, you delivered the Commencement address at Salem College, when I was a member’

of the graduating class. In that address, you planted in my mind an idea which has been responsible

for the opportunity I now have to serve the people of my State, and will be responsible, in

a very large measure, for whatever success I may have in the future.

“The suggestion I have in mind is, that you put into a book the sum and substance of the address

you delivered at Salem College, and in that way give the people of America an opportunity to

profit by your many years of experience and association with the men who, by their greatness,

have made America the richest nation on earth.

“I recall, as though it were yesterday, the marvelous description you gave of the method by

which Henry Ford, with but little schooling, without a dollar, with no influential friends, rose to

great heights. I made up my mind then, even before you had finished your speech, that I would

make a place for myself, no matter how many difficulties I had to surmount.

“Thousands of young people will finish their schooling this year, and within the next few years.

Every one of them will be seeking just such a message of practical encouragement as the one I

received from you. They will want to know where to turn, what to do, to get started in life. You

can tell them, because you have helped to solve the problems of so many, many people.

“If there is any possible way that you can afford to render so great a service, may I offer the

suggestion that you include with every book, one of your Personal Analysis Charts, in order that

the purchaser of the book may have the benefit of a complete self-inventory, indicating, as you

indicated to me years ago, exactly what is standing in the way of success.

“Such a service as this, providing the readers of your book with a complete, unbiased picture of

their faults and their virtues, would mean to them the difference between success and failure.

The service would be priceless.

“Millions of people are now facing the problem of staging a come-back, because of the depression,

and I speak from personal experience when I say, I know these earnest people would welcome

the opportunity to tell you their problems, and to receive your suggestions for the solution.

“You know the problems of those who face the necessity of beginning all over again. There are

thousands of people in America today who would like to know how they can convert ideas into

money, people who must start at scratch, without finances, and recoup their losses. If anyone

can help them, you can.

 

“If you publish the book, I would like to own the first copy that comes from the press, personally

autographed by you. “With best wishes, believe me

,

“Cordially yours,

“JENNINGS RANDOLPH”

Think and Grow Rich (preface)

FORWARD

Over the next few weeks I will be reading the book by Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich, and because it is in the public domain I have decided to share it with you as I read through the chapters.
If you have never read this book let me warn you, it is probably like nothing you have ever read before. It will CHALLENGE you greatly. It will tempt you to dream LARGELY. It will make you THINK in ways you have never thought before.
This book is full of stories of others successes, and how you might achieve the same levels of success.
I have read this book on two different occasions, and listened to the audio version a few times. Every time I go through this book I take away something new. Just read through the Author's preface before you decide whether or not you will read the book.
You may take issue with parts of the message, and even disagree with some parts, but approach its teachings as if it were a buffet. Take only what you find pleasurable and leave the rest and you will still find it nourishing.
I hope you enjoy. Please feel free to discuss your likes and dislikes of the book.

Yours Truly,
BRADY VAUGHN

THINK

AND

GROW RICH

by

Napoleon Hill

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Author’s Preface ...................................................................................................................... p. 3

Chapter 1 — Introduction ....................................................................................................... p. 9

Chapter 2 — Desire: The Turning Point of All Achievement ................................................. p. 22

Chapter 3 — Faith Visualization of, and Belief in Attainment of Desire ............................... p. 40

Chapter 4 — Auto-Suggestion the Medium for Influencing the Subconscious Mind .............. p. 58

Chapter 5 — Specialized Knowledge, Personal Experiences or Observations ...................... p. 64

Chapter 6 — Imagination: the Workshop of the Mind .......................................................... p. 77

Chapter 7 — Organized Planning, the Crystallization of Desire into Action ........................ p. 90

Chapter 8 — Decision: the Mastery of Procrastination ......................................................... p. 128

Chapter 9 — Persistence: the Sustained Effort Necessary to Induce Faith ........................... p. 138

Chapter 10 — Power of the Master Mind: the Driving Force ................................................. p. 153

Chapter 11 — The Mystery of Sex Transmutation .................................................................. p. 160

Chapter 12 — The Subconscious Mind: The Connecting Link ............................................... p. 180

Chapter 13 — The Brain: A Broadcasting and Receiving Station for Thought ...................... p. 187

Chapter 14 — The Sixth Sense: The Door to the Temple of Wisdom .................................... p. 193

Chapter 15 — How to Outwit the Six Ghosts of Fear ............................................................. p. 203

 

A

UTHOR’S PREFACE

—

     IN EVERY chapter of this book, mention has been made of the wealth-making

secret which has made fortunes for more than five hundred exceedingly wealthy

men whom I have carefully analyzed over a long period of years.

     The secret was brought to my attention by Andrew Carnegie, more than a quarter

of a century ago. The canny, lovable old Scotsman carelessly tossed it into my

mind, when I was but a boy. Then he sat back in his chair, with a merry twinkle

in his eyes, and watched carefully to see if I had brains enough to understand the

full significance of what he had said to me.

     When he saw that I had grasped the idea, he asked if I would be willing to spend

twenty years or more, preparing myself to take it to the world, to men and women

who, without the secret, might go through life as failures. I said I would, and with

Mr. Carnegie’s cooperation, I have kept my promise.

     This book contains the secret, after having been put to a practical test by thousands

of people, in almost every walk of life. It was Mr. Carnegie’s idea that the

magic formula, which gave him a stupendous fortune, ought to be placed within

reach of people who do not have time to investigate how men create wealth, and

it was his hope that I might test and demonstrate the soundness of the formula

through the experience of men and women in every calling.

     He believed the formula should be taught in all public schools and colleges, and

expressed the opinion that if it were properly taught it would so revolutionize the

entire educational system that the time spent in school could be reduced to less

than half.

     His experience with Charles M. Schwab, and other young men of Mr. Schwab’s

type, convinced Mr. Carnegie that much of that which is taught in the schools is

of no value whatsoever in connection with the business of earning a living or accumulating

riches. He had arrived at this decision, because he had taken into his

business one young man after another, many of them with but little schooling,

and by coaching them in the use of this formula, developed in them rare leadership.

     Moreover, his coaching made fortunes for everyone of them who followed

his instructions. In the chapter on Faith, you will read the astounding story of

the organization of the giant United States Steel Corporation, as it was conceived

and carried out by one of the young men through whom Mr. Carnegie proved that

his formula will work for all who are ready for it. This single application of the

secret, by that young man-Charles M. Schwab-made him a huge fortune in both

money and OPPORTUNITY. Roughly speaking, this particular application of the

formula was worth six hundred million dollars. These facts-and they are facts

well known to almost everyone who knew Mr. Carnegie-give you a fair idea of

what the reading of this book may bring to you, provided you KNOW WHAT IT

IS THAT YOU WANT.

     Even before it had undergone twenty years of practical testing, the secret was

passed on to more than one hundred thousand men and women who have used it

for their personal benefit, as Mr. Carnegie planned that they should. Some have

made fortunes with it. Others have used it successfully in creating harmony in

their homes. A clergyman used it so effectively that it brought him an income of

upwards of $75,000.00 a year.

     Arthur Nash, a Cincinnati tailor, used his near-bankrupt business as a “guinea

pig” on which to test the formula. The business came to life and made a fortune

for its owners. It is still thriving, although Mr. Nash has gone. The experiment

was so unique that newspapers and magazines, gave it more than a million dollars’

worth of laudatory publicity.

    

     The secret was passed on to Stuart Austin Wier, of Dallas, Texas. He was ready for

it-so ready that he gave up his profession and studied law. Did he succeed? That

story is told too.

     I gave the secret to Jennings Randolph, the day he graduated from College, and

he has used it so successfully that he is now serving his third term as a Member

of Congress, with an excellent opportunity to keep on using it until it carries him

to the White House.

     While serving as Advertising Manager of the La-Salle Extension University, when

it was little more than a name, I had the privilege of seeing J. G. Chapline, President

of the University, use the formula so effectively that he has since made the

LaSalle one of the great extension schools of the country.

     The secret to which I refer has been mentioned no fewer than a hundred times,

throughout this book. It has not been directly named, for it seems to work more

successfully when it is merely uncovered and left in sight, where THOSE WHO

ARE READY, and SEARCHING FOR IT, may pick it up. That is why Mr. Carnegie

tossed it to me so quietly, without giving me its specific name.

 

      If you are READY to put it to use, you will recognize this secret at least once in

every chapter. I wish I might feel privileged to tell you how you will know if you

are ready, but that would deprive you of much of the benefit you will receive when

you make the discovery in your own way.

      While this book was being written, my own son, who was then finishing the last

year of his college work, picked up the manuscript of chapter two, read it, and discovered

the secret for himself. He used the information so effectively that he went

directly into a responsible position at a beginning salary greater than the average

man ever earns. His story has been briefly described in chapter two.

     When you read it, perhaps you will dismiss any feeling you may have had, at the

beginning of the book, that it promised too much. And, too, if you have ever been

discouraged, if you have had difficulties to surmount which took the very soul

out of you, if you have tried and failed, if you were ever handicapped by illness

or physical affliction, this story of my son’s discovery and use of the Carnegie

formula may prove to be the oasis in the Desert of Lost Hope, for which you have

been searching.

     This secret was extensively used by President Woodrow Wilson, during the World

War. It was passed on to every soldier who fought in the war, carefully wrapped

in the training received before going to the front. President Wilson told me it was

a strong factor in raising the funds needed for the war.

     More than twenty years ago, Hon. Manuel L. Quezon (then Resident Commissioner

of the Philippine Islands), was inspired by the secret to gain freedom for

his people. He has gained freedom for the Philippines, and is the first President

of the free state. A peculiar thing about this secret is that those who once acquire

it and use it, find themselves literally swept on to success, with but little effort,

and they never again submit to failure! If you doubt this, study the names of those

who have used it, wherever they have been mentioned, check their records for

yourself, and be convinced.

     There is no such thing as SOMETHING FOR NOTHING!

     The secret to which I refer cannot be had without a price, although the price is far

less than its value. It cannot be had at any price by those who are not intentionally

searching for it. It cannot be given away, it cannot be purchased for money, for

the reason that it comes in two parts. One part is already in possession of those

who are ready for it. The secret serves equally well, all who are ready for it.

 

     Education has nothing to do with it. Long before I was born, the secret had found

its way into the possession of Thomas A. Edison, and he used it so intelligently

that he became the world’s leading inventor, although he had but three months

of schooling. The secret was passed on to a business associate of Mr. Edison. He

used it so effectively that, although he was then making only $12,000 a year, he

accumulated a great fortune, and retired from active business while still a young

man. You will find his story at the beginning of the first chapter. It should convince

you that riches are not beyond your reach, that you can still be what you

wish to be, that money, fame, recognition and happiness can be had by all who

are ready and determined to have these blessings.

     How do I know these things? You should have the answer before you finish this

book. You may find it in the very first chapter, or on the last page.

     While I was performing the twenty year task of research, which I had undertaken

at Mr. Carnegie’s request, I analyzed hundreds of well known men, many of

whom admitted that they had accumulated their vast fortunes through the aid of

the Carnegie secret; among these men were: -

HENRY FORD

WILLIAM WRIGLEY JR.

JOHN WANAMAKER

JAMES J. HILL

GEORGE S. PARKER

E. M. STATLER

HENRY L. DOHERTY

CYRUS H. K. CURTIS

GEORGE EASTMAN

THEODORE ROOSEVELT

JOHN W. DAVIS

ELBERT HUBBARD

WILBUR WRIGHT

WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN

DR. DMTID STARR JORDAN

J. ODGEN ARMOUR

CHARLES M. SCHWAB

HARRIS F. WILLIAMS

DR. FRANK GUNSAULUS

DANIEL WILLARD

KING GILLETTE

RALPH A. WEEKS

JUDGE DANIEL T. WRIGHT

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER

THOMAS A. EDISON

FRANK A. VANDERLIP

F. W. WOOLWORTH

COL. ROBERT A. DOLLAR

EDWARD A. FILENE

EDWIN C. BARNES

ARTHUR BRISBANE

WOODROW WILSON

WM. HOWARD TAFT

LUTHER BURBANK

EDWARD W. BOK

FRANK A. MUNSEY

ELBERT H. GARY

DR. ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL

JOHN H. PATTERSON

JULIUS ROSENWALD

STUART AUSTIN WIER

DR. FRANK CRANE

GEORGE M. ALEXANDER

J. G. CHAPPLINE

HON. JENNINGS RANDOLPH

ARTHUR NASH

CLARENCE DARROW

 

     These names represent but a small fraction of the hundreds of well known Americans

whose achievements, financially and otherwise, prove that those who understand

and apply the Carnegie secret, reach high stations in life. I have never

known anyone who was inspired to use the secret, who did not achieve noteworthy

success in his chosen calling. I have never known any person to distinguish

himself, or to accumulate riches of any consequence, without possession of the

secret.

     From these two facts I draw the conclusion that the secret is more important, as

a part of the knowledge essential for self-determination, than any which one receives

through what is popularly known as “education.”

     What is EDUCATION, anyway? This has been answered in full detail. As far as

schooling is concerned, many of these men had very little. John Wanamaker once

told me that what little schooling he had, he acquired in very much the same

manner as a modern locomotive takes on water, by “scooping it up as it runs.”

Henry Ford never reached high school, let alone college. I am not attempting

to minimize the value of schooling, but I am trying to express my earnest belief

that those who master and apply the secret will reach high stations, accumulate

riches, and bargain with life on their own terms, even if their schooling has been

meager.

     Somewhere, as you read, the secret to which I refer will jump from the page and

stand boldly before you, IF YOU ARE READY FOR IT! When it appears, you will

recognize it. Whether you receive the sign in the first or the last chapter, stop for a

moment when it presents itself, and turn down a glass, for that occasion will mark

the most important turning-point of your life.

     We pass now, to Chapter One, and to the story of my very dear friend, who has generously

acknowledged having seen the mystic sign, and whose business achievements

are evidence enough that he turned down a glass. As you read his story,

and the others, remember that they deal with the important problems of life, such

as all men experience. The problems arising from one’s endeavor to earn a living,

to find hope, courage, contentment and peace of mind; to accumulate riches and

to enjoy freedom of body and spirit.

     Remember, too, as you go through the book, that it deals with facts and not with

fiction, its purpose being to convey a great universal truth through which all who

are READY may learn, not only WHAT TO DO, BUT ALSO HOW TO DO IT! and

receive, as well, THE NEEDED STIMULUS TO MAKE A START.

 

     As a final word of preparation, before you begin the first chapter, may I offer

one brief suggestion which may provide a clue by which the Carnegie secret may

be recognized? It is this-ALL ACHIEVEMENT, ALL EARNED RICHES, HAVE

THEIR BEGINNING IN AN IDEA!

     If you are ready for the secret, you already possess one half of it, therefore, you

will readily recognize the other half the moment it reaches your mind.

THE AUTHOR

You May Already Have Roadside Assistance And Don't Even Know It

Most people will at sometime need assistance on the side of the road, in a parking lot, or even in their own driveway. When that day comes you will be glad that you have roadside assistance.
What's that? You say you don't have roadside assistance? There is a good chance that you do and don't even realize it. For some, that will be great news, while for those reading this that needed a tow truck, a battery boost, locked their keys in their car, or had a flat tire yesterday, well those folks will wish they had read this a few days ago.
You see, many of the things that you pay for on a monthly basis may already include FREE roadside assistance. That's right....FREE! Companies will add this on as a free service just for using their product or service. They can do this because roadside assistance policies, especially when purchased in bulk, are very affordable, and the payoff when used is extraordinary!
Let me give you a couple of examples of the payoff:

A few days ago I received a call from a roadside assistance company to tow a car to a nearby repair shop. The customer told the dispatcher that she was having transmission trouble and that she needed a tow to the repair shop. When I arrived the customer asked me to try to give her a jump and maybe she could drive it to the shop. So I hooked up the jumper cables on her Toyota Prius only to find out that the car was already running. Not having any experience with a hybrid, I found this intriguing because there was no evidence in the engine compartment that this car was running. As I looked in the car at the instrument panel I noticed a warning on the computer screen reading that the transmission needed to be checked on level ground. This is the warning that prompted the customer to call for a tow. She then suggested that she would check it by putting the transmission in gear. The instant she did this the warning went away. She decided that the warning was a result of the several days of rain that we had had, and the fact that she had parked it on an uneven surface. She then informed me that she would drive it home instead of driving it to the shop.
This mistake would have possibly cost her over $100 had she not had roadside assistance. That is a fairly costly mistake, but because she had roadside assistance as a free benefit with another service she was paying for, it only cost her a signature on my invoice, and maybe a little bit of embarrassment.
The following is a story told to me by an acquaintance:
I own a wreck of a car that breaks down all the time. A couple of weeks ago, I turned the key, and it made no noise. After an hour of trying to start it I gave up. Another hour later, I was riding in a tow truck, looking at my broken car in the rearview mirror.
Two hours of car trouble was bad enough, but then the tow truck driver told me it would cost extra to cross county lines. It was also going to cost extra since my problem was “probably related to the key” – whatever that means. In the end, I paid $400 to have my car towed 20 miles home.

Don't let this happen to you! You may have your towing and roadside assistance covered! Many insurance policies, automobile makers, and credit cards already have this kind of service built-in and you may not be aware of it. Even your cellphone provider could have made it a free add-on to your service and either didn't tell you or just glossed over it when explaining everything you are getting with the service.
Truth is, most of us never think about needing this kind of service because we may go years without actually having a problem with our cars. But eventually it will happen.
So here are a few places to check to see if you have roadside services. Check to see if you have these services available to you, save the contact information in your cellphone, and have every family member do the same. YOU WILL NEED IT!

1. Car manufacturers
Whether your car is new or used, if it has a warranty on it, it could have roadside assistance coverage as well. Read the fine print. Depending on the company this coverage can vary greatly. You may just have to call when you have a problem and see if they cover it. Run out of gas, give them a call. Many roadside policies cover that. Lock your keys in your car? That too. Just call if you need help. They'll usually cover you. Keep in mind that their towing may only tow you to the nearest repair shop or dealer. You can check out www.edmunds.com for warranties by dealers to see if you could possibly have coverage, or just read you warranty.

2. Credit Card Companies
Many credit cards will offer this as a freebie. Limits will apply on the services. Read your terms.

3. Auto Insurance
They all offer it. Towing and roadside assistance. Very low cost add-on to your policy. I am going to add something more on a personal note to consider. If you have an actual towing policy through your insurance company you can call any towing company of your choosing to come tow you, pay the tow truck driver and then submit the invoice to your insurance company to get reimbursed. Doing this will insure prompter service from the towing company, just trust me on that. As owner of a towing company let me just take this opportunity to say that if you are ever in or near Leesville, LA and you need a tow just call me at 337-789-7925 25 hours a day and I'll come help you out:)

4. Cellphone Service Providers
Though I don't think any of them do it anymore, years ago some of the providers attached a roadside plan to their contracts. If you haven't renewed your contract in years you may still have free roadside assistance. If not though, they all offer it as an inexpensive add-on. Usually from $3-$4 per month. Just call them and find out.

5. Motor Clubs
AAA – The granddaddy of auto clubs, the American Automobile Association has three membership tiers. Basic membership gets roadside and short-distance towing. As an AAA Plus member, you can tow up to 100 miles and receive lock-out assistance. Premier members get up to 200 miles of free towing and 24-hour concierge service. The cost of each plan varies depending on where you live, but they range from under $50 to more than $130.
Better World Club – The BWC is an auto club with an environmentally friendly concept: You can purchase roadside assistance for your bicycle and get discounts for renting hybrids – but you’ll have to pay more if you own a gas guzzler like a Hummer. Basic membership costs $55.95 per year. Premium membership costs $89.95.
Good Hands Roadside Assistance – Not really an auto club, but Allstate’s program is open to everyone. There are no annual fees, but you’ll pay per use. Towing costs $75 for the first 10 miles and $3 per mile after that. If you need another service (like a tire change), it costs $50.
Finding the best plan

Roadside assistance programs come with restrictions, and sometimes the cheapest plans aren’t worth the limitations. Before you sign up, ask these questions:

Does the plan cover the car or the driver? If your spouse or teenage driver takes your car, you need them to be covered under the roadside assistance plan. Making sure the car is covered no matter who is driving is the easiest way to do this.
Am I covered in other vehicles? If you have a rental or borrow a friend’s car, you want to know you’re covered when the tire blows.
What are the signup fees? Most auto clubs have them. For example, the Better World Club charges a one-time $12 signup fee.
How many tows are allowed per year? If you only get one tow, it may be cheaper just to pay for it outright and skip the membership.
How far can I tow? This is the biggest restriction I found. For example, with a basic AAA membership, you can have your car towed 3 miles max. Any further and you’ll pay extra. Personally, I’ve never been lucky enough to break down within 3 miles of my house or my mechanic.







- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

My Testimony (true story)

Look at the business card above. The moment that I snapped that picture with my phone, December 12, 2012 at 8:30am was a defining moment in my life. I want you to look closely at the date that is written in my dad's handwriting on the card. It is April 21, 1992, which arguably could be the real defining moment in my life. This card has traveled across time, twenty years, seven months, and twenty-one days to mark the end of time in my life that I will forever be grateful for, and to issue in the next great move of God in my life.
Though I was raised in a born-again Christian home, at some point I decided not to believe the stuff they were selling me in church. I still held a belief in God, but doubted the sovereignty of Jesus Christ. At times I even struggled with the existence of God, but never really went all the way with that belief. I continued to attend church on occasion, but mostly just for my family's benefit, NOT MINE! Needless to say, my faith was nearly non-existent, and my belief was disappearing quickly. As a result there was little joy in my life. Little did I know, but God was about to use circumstances that I created through bad decisions in my life combined with illness that happens to us naturally to bring me back asking for mercy and seeking His grace.
Let me take you back five months to July 2012. We are going to call July 2012 the start of this story, though I believe it goes back much farther than that, but I am going to try to give you the Readers Digest version.
In July 2012 I owned an 18 wheeler and had been going through some struggles with my business for a few months. From mechanical problems to family situations at home, I was really going through the wringer. In July I came down with walking pneumonia and the absolute worst and longest lasting case of gout I had ever had, all at the same time. The gout was so bad I was literally tempted to saw my foot off with a chainsaw. No Joke! For those of you who have had gout you know that I'm telling the truth, but to have it along with walking pneumonia was almost more than I could bare. While these illnesses were going on and me ending up in the ER once and a couple of visits to 24 clinics trying to get relief (and zero insurance) I was also battling truck repairs to the tune of $10000+ and had other problems mounting.
All of these problems metastasized to a point that I just snapped. I had maxed out every credit card on truck repairs and doctor bills. I had no money. I was, in my mind, BANKRUPT!
My beautiful wife Sylvia, who has never lost her faith in God and has always been there by my side no matter how much of a jerk I was, sat down with me and basically convinced me that everything was going to be okay because God had a plan in all of this. My attitude at this point was less than enthusiastic about 'letting go, and letting God' , but I really had no other way to turn. I was thinking that in 90 days I'd be going through bankruptcy court and we'd just start over. So I agreed to let it all go and give God a chance to work some miracles in our lives, though I still was doubting he was gonna do anything.
About a week after making this decision we were at this little country church called The Church House that she had been dragging me to for a few weeks and things started to happen. No one knew our situation because I was rather embarrassed about the whole thing, but we were given a gift of money by someone at The Church House. A rather large gift of money. It was actually given to my wife because I would have never taken it because of my pride. She didn't tell me until I got home. I was angry, embarrassed, grateful, and confused all at the same time. How's that for some mixed up emotions? I won't say how much it was but it was enough to meet our needs for awhile. Sylvia looked at me and said, "God is going to supply all of our needs. Just trust Him."
I'm not too proud to say that I got teary-eyed, and I do think a little bit of faith moved into my heart.
Over the next few days an acquaintance I had met at The Church House had suggested that I look into buying a tow truck and get into the towing business. You see I had told a few folks at The Church House that I was no longer interested in driving a truck or being gone from my family. This guy knew the business in and out, but the only problem was that my credit was maxed to the hilt, and I didn't see anyway anyone would give me a loan for the amount of money I was seeing tow trucks listed for. He told me that I just needed to pray about it and trust God. Inside I may have chuckled a little but told him I would and went home to tell Sylvia about our conversation.
In telling her about what this acquaintance had said to me, she asked me how I felt about it. I told her my thoughts and said I'd like to go for it. She said we needed to pray about it. Reluctantly I agreed. Funny thing was that after we prayed I really started having a good feeling about it and felt like things were starting to turn around.
I started making phone calls and researching all I could about the towing business. I found out that I would need to invest in an impound yard and that was going to cost some money. I didn't have money to do something like that. Sylvia said lets pray about it. Are you seeing the pattern here? I doubt, she wants to pray! I agreed to pray, and God showed me a couple of things that I could sell to come up with the funds to pay for the fence and signs for the impound yard. I already had the land, I only needed to fence which was gonna cost around $600. By this time I was willing to do whatever because my faith was growing little by little, but I still had the attitude of 'what the heck, I got nothing more to lose!'
Let me back up just a little and kind of explain where we are at in the whole scheme of things. The fence was going up around the early part of October. We had already run out of money a few times and God provided for every need in miraculous ways. Whether it was through people at The Church House (you would be amazed at how giving those people are...ALL OF THEM), family members (and I'm talking about some who had no idea we were in need), or checks that would come in the mail from sources unknown to us. I am very serious! We had one check from a very unexpected source for over $700. The more this happened the more my faith was being built. Sylvia would pray and tell me to just trust God and He would supply. This happened over a dozen times in the last five months. At some point in October I just gave in and admitted that God is God. I started to enjoy going to church, learning more about this God that was providing all my needs. I started having a family night with my wife and two girls, Faith and Emma. We would turn off the tv, read the bible to each other, play games, write down on paper what blessings God had supplied us with (you must do this. So much power in this), and just talk about Jesus. Through this family night I started to really grow my faith. I was becoming invincible! Then something happened.
All of this growing I was doing was about to be put to the test. It became evident that I was not going to be able to get a tow truck. Credit was a looming problem, high cost of tow trucks and equipment, unavailability of used tow trucks, and the list goes on. I got angry, and Sylvia said lets pray and trust.
We did, and I was still angry for a couple of days. Then something moved in me. Years ago before I started doubting Gods existence and had a slight relationship with Him, He had laid on my heart a ministry. It was simply giving food to the needy. After my second day of being angry God stirred this ministry in my heart again. I sent Sylvia a text message and told her we were going to start a ministry. She replied with 'Oh REALLY?!' I said yes and Feeding Hope Ministries named after a daughter (Hope) we lost due to being born premature, was conceived. We began work on December 1, 2012. To find out what this ministry is all about just check it out at www.FeedingHopeMinistries.org.
We quickly got busy trying to get canned food donations for our Christmas food drive and I was completely focused on that knowing now that God is going to provide ALL of our needs. Then on the night of December 5, 2012 around midnight a longtime close friend sent me a message on Facebook and said, "if you're still up and it's not too late, call me."
I got up from the computer, grabbed my phone and walked out on the front porch to call him. He told me that he had a friend who was getting out of the towing business because of some personal problems and that he had his truck for sale and priced extremely well! He gave me his number and the next day I called the guy.
He told me that he did have a truck for sale, but he had already promised it to someone else, but is that guy had not brought him the money by Friday he would let me buy it. I agreed and waited until Friday night to call him back.
I called him and he said the guy hasn't brought him the money and that he wanted to give him more time because he was a really good friend. I said ok and called him the next day which was Sunday. SAME STORY! He then said I'll just call you when I'm ready to sell it.
Well, I didn't get mad this time, but I said to God that if it was to be it was gonna be all Him that would make it happen.
I gave up and stopped pushing. I knew it wasn't meant to be and moved on.
Still working in the ministry, food donations coming in, volunteers volunteering and things in general are moving in a positive direction. Tuesday comes and my buddy that told me about the tow truck calls again and says that I can get in the repo business with him by making a few adjustment to my pick up truck. This sounded like something I could do, and keep committed to moving our ministry forward at the same time. So after praying about it and discussing it with Sylvia, she and I decided to do it. Then 15 minutes later the phone rings. It's the guy that wouldn't let me buy his tow truck, and now he wants to sell it to me. I told him that I was no longer interested because I was going a different direction now. I hung up and was so confused.
You see, the night before we had paid bills, and when we got done paying bills we were down to our last $100 again and still no regular income. Even though God was still providing our needs, it was easy to get nervous at that last few dollars.
I felt like we had been trusting God in everything and that I knew how he was leading in this new direction, but now this?! I was torn in an incredible way. Sylvia and I prayed again. I asked God to make it incredibly obvious that it was meant for me to buy the tow truck. I said that I would go look at it in the morning and that if my name was on it I would know that I was to buy it. This is called putting a fleece before The Lord and it is scriptural. Gideon did it. It is nothing more than asking God for some help with big decisions.
I get to the guys house around 8:25 and knock on the door. He is not there so I began looking over the truck. I want you to keep in mind that I do not know this man, and my family has never had any dealings with him. Also he lives over thirty miles from me. But as I walk around to the front of his truck I notice something under the grass that catches my eye and stuns me. It is my last name Vaughn. I kick a little grass off of the rest of what I now see to be a business card and it says Gardner! It was the business card in the picture at the top of this story. Folks my name is Brady GARDNER VAUGHN! My dad used to tune pianos in the area back in the eighties and nineties. When he would finish tuning one he would write the date on his business card and drop it into the piano so that the next guy to tune it would know how long it had been since the last tuning. Although my name wasn't exactly on the truck it was three feet in front of it. The hair stood up on my neck for the rest of the day. Later on while paying the guy for the tow truck I asked him if he owned a piano and he said yes. He had bought it from a church 9 years ago, and it has been in his house since then. God knew 20 years ago that I was gonna need His help today and He made a way!
It is only a God thing that that card got from their piano to the front of that truck and just happened to be there on the day I asked God for a little business advice. All I can say is that over the last five months He has been drawing me nearer and nearer to Him and helping me to learn to lean on Him for everything, and by learning to lean on Him I was able to recognize Him talking to me in a physical way with my dad's card. I am humbled and overwhelmed that the creator of the entire universe thought enough of me to bring me to such an awareness of Him.
These past five months have not happened just to bring me to this one moment that took place today, but they have happened to prepare me for a lifetime of moments like this, and my friends, this is only the first of many more testimonies of this nature because He has taught me to lean on Him. I encourage you to do the same. I am so excited that this is merely the beginning of His light shining through me.
AIN'T GOD GREAT!?!


-Brady Vaughn

Blonde Joke:-D

Thanks Ruthie!

 

 

 

A blonde, wanting to earn some money, decided to hire herself out as a handyman-type and started canvassing a wealthy neighborhood. She went to the front door of the first house and asked the owner if he had any jobs for her to do.

"Well, you can paint my porch. How much will you charge?"
The blonde said, "How about 50 dollars?" The man agreed and told her that the paint and ladders that she might need were in the garage. The man's wife, inside the house, heard the conversation and said to her husband, "Does she realize that the porch goes all the way around the house?"
The man replied, "She should. She was standing on the porch."
...

A short time later, the blonde came to the door to collect her money.
"You're finished already?" he asked. "Yes," the blonde answered, "and I had paint left over, so I gave it two coats. "Impressed, the man reached in his pocket for the $50. "And by the way," the blonde added, "that's not a Porch, it's a Ferrari."

Dear Conservative Politicians......

AND NOW IN OUR WHITE HOUSE







Dear Conservative Politicians,

Where have you all gone? Why are you believing the lies and the manipulations that the communist are telling you?
You may ask "what communist?"
The communist that are hiding behind the mask of liberal democrats, socialist(this term really puts a nice face on communism), and many other disguises designed to make you feel good when you say it.
You conservatives have lost your spines, you have become weak and have lost your ability to stand against communism effectively. This is a growing problem with the GOP. We have lost two presidential elections to a communist because conservatives have lost their way.
Republican voters are tired of the garbage that you keep nominating for Presidential Candidates. We are disgusted with your inability to debate properly because you have bought the LIE of political correctness. The only correctness that you should be worried with is BIBLICAL CORRECTNESS! Ronald Reagan was the last president this country had that did as the Bible tells us to do, and that is to CALL EVIL, EVIL! Quit worrying about what man thinks of you and your campaign and start worrying about what God Almighty thinks about you and your morals then maybe we can start trusting you and stop thinking of you as a bunch of weasels!
Communist have made it to the White House and have won it again. You republicans have sold out because you do not take a stand on the issues, and thinking conservatives and passionate christian conservatives will not throw away their vote on men who are intimidated by popular opinion.
The communist have almost accomplished everything in the Communist Manifesto. READ IT! Knowledge is power! Here is an excerpt from section II as it plainly details what is happening in our country today:

1. Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes.

2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax.

3. Abolition of all right of inheritance.

4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels.

5. Centralization of credit in the hands of the State, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly.

6. Centralization of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the State.

7. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the State; the bringing into cultivation of waste-lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan.

8. Equal liability of all to labour. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture.

9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries; gradual abolition of the distinction between town and country, by a more equitable distribution of the population over the country.

10. Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children's factory labour in its present form and combination of education with industrial production.

Is this list not indicative of everything Communist Party Leader Barrack Obama stands for? Is this what America is becoming? YES!! Wake up! Grow a spine, Republicans, or lose my support! Send us Godly Christian men and women to vote for. The only Christian Conservative that was on the ballot had to run as a third party candidate because the GOP is afraid to make a Godly stand. And no, Mormons do not follow Christ as God, but as a man. This takes the main ingredient out of Christianity.
Republican Party, you had better get back to basics or you will only exists in history. What are the basics? I'll give you a list of a few in order of importance:

     1. GOD. Not Allah, nor Buddha, or any other worshipped being. GOD! The
     God of Israel. The God of Christianity. His name is Jehovah!
     2. COUNTRY. The USA. Not Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Mexico, or anyone else. AMERICA! We must be a Superpower again, and be proud to be one!
      3. FAMILY. One male husband and father, one female wife and mother,
      their children.
     4. Relentlessly attack the issues destroying the moral fiber of this country.
           a. Stop calling murder anything but what it is, MURDER! It is
           not abortion. It is murder! It is also Genocide, because we are
          murdering our own young! INSANE!!
          b. Homosexuality is a perversion of God's natural laws and
          cannot be allowed to pervert the sanctity of marriage or
         family(of which God created both).
         c. Stop the relentless attack on God in this nation. Put prayer
         back in our schools and fight fight fight for God, even if you
         can't win!

I make no apologies for offending women who have had someone murder their babies. It is murder! Even through rape that child deserves to live, but the man that raped must be brought to justice, if not death then unanesthetized castration. Brutal, but very effective. I make no other apologies either. I know what the word of God says, and there is healing and forgiveness if you ask.
It is vital that our leaders fear God, but they also need to ask Him for guidance. It seems that part of being a politician is having a huge ego. Conservatives, you MUST humble yourself and ask God for guidance. Pray that He guides your mouth, and your footsteps. Cry out to Him! Start leading this country having faith that The Creator is leading you because you ask Him for help. Quit trying to be politically correct and strive to be SPIRITUALLY CORRECT! Do this for GOD AND COUNTRY!
We have lost another presidential election to a communist because God is being ignored. He will bring this nation to its knees one way or another! Praise Him on your country's behalf. America needs leaders who are unafraid to lead Godly lives. Call evil, EVIL. Stand up against our enemies. Be strong! Be AMERICAN!!

God Bless America

Location:Mayo, LA

The Story of Balaam's Donkey

Does your donkey have to break your foot, then speak to you before you will open your eyes and ears to what God is trying to show you? Have ears to hear, eyes to see, and a silent donkey!

And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho. And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me: Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed. And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak. And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the Lord shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam. And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee? And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying, Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out. And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed. And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you. And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us. And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they. And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me: For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people. And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more. Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more. And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do. And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab. And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way. But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side. And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again. And the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff. And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee. And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay. Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face. And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me: And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive. And Balaam said unto the angel of the Lord, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again. And the angel of the Lord said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him unto a city of Moab, which is in the border of Arnon, which is in the utmost coast. And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? wherefore camest thou not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honour? And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to say any thing? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak. And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kirjath–huzoth. And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him. And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal, that thence he might see the utmost part of the people. (Numbers 22:1-41 KJV)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

To Christians....Before You Vote

If you walked into the voting booth today and there were no names to vote for, you knew nothing of the media bias for the candidates, and the only options were MUSLIM, MORMON, and BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN, which would you vote for?
Please pray for Gods guidance on Tuesday, and remember that your voice of a vote is never wasted when you vote for the person that best represents you. Constitution Party candidate Virgil Goode is a born again Christian and is on the ballot. Www.constitutionparty.com

Homeless Savior

Homeless
Written by S Benner




“Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple, and each evening He went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives, and all the people came early in the morning to hear Him at the temple.” (Luke 21:37-38)

Have you ever contemplated the homelessness of Jesus?

“Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.’” (Matthew 8:20)

This is more than just a metaphorical picture. Jesus didn’t have a home. The Bible doesn’t mention Him owning anything. In the midst of recording Jesus’ teaching, Luke casually mentions that Jesus spent each night on the Mount of Olives, the hill outside Jerusalem.

Though the gospel writers give little attention to this fact, we dare not romanticize it. Surely Jesus did experience beautiful evenings in the olive grove, away from the crowds, with the stars shining overhead. But other nights it rained or even snowed. Sometimes cold winds blew. Jesus endured hard ground, darkness and loneliness.

How does Jesus’ homelessness impact us? Though not a command that we must follow, it does require us to pause and think. Too often the desire for comfort drives me. Luxury and convenience become needs rather than wants. Material possessions clutter my focus and prevent me from seeking God. I stress about many things. Jesus owned nothing, yet He didn’t worry about His next meal. He trusted God for everything He needed.

I also need to consider my attitudes toward others. Though Jesus likely trained as a carpenter, during the three years of His ministry He didn’t work to provide for Himself or for His mother. Did people look at Him and say, “Get a job”? Jesus can help me see differently, because He knows what it’s like to be homeless.

Holy God, open my eyes to what you want to teach me through these verses. I want to trust You and not worry, to seek You instead of my own comfort, to see every person through Your eyes. Amen

Questions: Does knowing Jesus was homeless change your perspective toward the homeless in your city? What is God nudging you to change as you consider Jesus’ homelessness?

Location:Alexandria Hwy,Leesville,United States