Oh, the Changes!

I mentioned yesterday that there where some interesting developments in the lives of my family and myself. I figure I should explain. I talked about what had happened in the past few months in an earlier blog, but I’ll talk about it again.

Back at the end of September, I was laid off from my job in Lancaster PA. I used the philosophies I learned from Napoleon Hill and Charles Haanel and applied massive action to my problem. I decided that I would start work on the following Monday. My wife thought I was nuts, but I went head long into making that come true.

Ultimately, I did miss my goal; however, I did accept a job the following Thursday and started work that Monday. This being laid off has turned out to be a great blessing. I now have a job that pays more and that I really enjoy doing. In the past, whenever I started a new job, the honeymoon was over after about two weeks but here it is, nearing six months at this job in Lititz Pennsylvania, and I still am exited about going to work.

Some other things that have developed are, I realized I have some experience that may be useful to other people. Besides the last two jobs, I also held positions at three other companies. I have a bit more experience at job searching then the average person, so I began putting together a presentation on the subject. I have a rough draft together now and am doing a little more research before going forward with it.

Then, of course, there is the reason for this blog. LeCount Holmes came to me with the idea of Fortune Hi-Tech back in the beginning of the summer. Although, I was not interested at the time, I have since decided that I should get another stream of income.

In this case, I decided on Fortune Hi-Tech because, I’m comfortable with the product and I have three successful mentors to refer to right off the bat. The fact that one of those mentors is in Reading Pennsylvania area is not too shabby either.

Here’s my point today. I know the power of what Napoleon Hill wrote about in Think and Grow Rich. I have felt it and seen it in my own life throughout the past few months. It is amazing how anyone can change their lives just by following the thirteen steps that Napoleon Hill outlined in his book.

Thinking about this gets me more excited about writing about his book. I’d like to start right away, but I believe I need to wait until my view numbers are a little hire so I can help more people experience what I have.

I’m taking off for the weekend. I’m spending a little time with my wife and four boys. Have fun with your own family and see you Monday!

Fortune Hi-Tech Decision

I want to tell you a little about my decision to join Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing. I had never heard of it until my friend, LeCount, told me about it. At that time, I could not really see myself doing any kind of marketing business, but I guess it was the combination of listening to Chuck Bartok, Sam Cam' and friends talking about it as well as some very interesting developments in my family and my life that got me thinking about it.

Weather I am successful at it or not is entirely dependent upon who I surrounded myself with. I thought seriously about joining with Chuck, Sam and the others until I realized a part of - a big part of - Lecount's team was right here in Reading, Pennsylvania. Matt Barrat is a very big guy in Fortune Hi-Tech and very successful.

Well, when it came down to it, I had a choice to make. Do I join with a team of very highly successful people in the Network Marketing industry who are on the left coast, or do I join with a very successful team whom I can meet with, face to face.

The decision was pretty much made up for me. Unfortunately, I won't be joining forces with Chuck and Sam at the moment, but that does not mean that some kind of alliance won't be possible in the future.

At this point, I don't know a lot about the network marketing industry, so the future is not clear. However; I'm optimistic. I am working on surrounding myself with some brilliant and successful people. People who know how to make one of these businesses work. My only problem may by that I've always had a little trouble taking advice.

That's my Southern side coming out. My dad used to call me "Rebel", partly because I was born in South Carolina, while the rest of my family was born in Shamokin PA. But, the biggest reason he called me that was because I always wanted to do things my way, weather it was right or not.

This is one of the things I'm going to have to work on. And like everything else in this opportunity, I have to learn to do it in a hurry.

Getting Back to It

It's good to get back to talking about Napoleon Hill's great book Think and Grow Rich. I've always enjoyed writing and what better subject to write about then Think and Grow Rich. It's a way to help people to better themselves, while bettering myself. Especially at this time. I have a lot of learning to do in a very short time; and I think this would be a great way to do exactly that.

So, you may be wondering, exactly what is it I plan to do with the blog. Since there has been a long hiatus, I don't think I'd be doing anyone any favors by picking up where I left off. So, what I plan to do is to start over, more or less. I'll bring back the writings I've already done but add things that make it more pertinent in my life, now.

I've undergone a lot of changes in the past few months. Changes that may have not been possible without the writings of Napoleon Hill and an appreciation for the law of attraction.

Another issue I have is having to keep the blog moving a little faster. So, what I may do is, break up those articles into smaller ones so, I can post more often; therefor get more attention from the search engines. After all, as you may have noticed, I now have two advertisements. One for the Fortune Hi-Tech shopping site and one for my business opportunity. That's right, I'm blogging for dollars now!

When I plan to start is a bit of a mystery to me. I was thinking of starting tomorrow, but then I thought, (yes, my brain still works despite the many years of drinking and banging my head against walls!) If I just blog some of my thoughts on Napoleon Hill and Fortune Hi-Tech first, that may get some of the attention of people who had been visiting before. I believe this will lead to some very good discussions.

So, My tentative day for starting is on this Monday. It could change, depending on the increase of traffic, or the lack there of.

See you tomorrow from your Wednesday Night Wiener, Michael Donlan

I'm ... Back?

Well, this is my first post since I promised ... over a month ago ... that I was back.

Well, those of you who are familiar with this blog may have noticed a significant change. Yes, I have joined a network marketing company. It was only a matter of time, really. reading and studying Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich" is bound to make a guy reach for the stars. Will this opportunity actually take me to the stars? Well, that isn't the reason I joined. I told one of the guys I joined up with that I was looking for some "beer money". You know, that extra cash, I can spend on silly nonsense, such as paying down debt, keeping a roof over my wife and four boys' heads, and keeping everyone warm and fed.

I started looking around and investigating several options, but a friend of mine showed me Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing, and I was intrigued. With FHTM I have the opportunity to sell products that most people are already familiar with. Products from companies such as GE, Cingular, BP and on and on.

I was worried I'd end up selling Bubu's Energy elixir or something. No offence to Bubu. I'm sure his elixir is great stuff, but no one has ever heard of it.

So I'm happy to be a part of this company, especially since I have direct access to three gentlemen who have been with FHTM for an average of two years. I have a lot of experience to tap into, plus I trust the guy who brought me in to this.

The only problem I have at the moment is, now I have to prove to my wife that I didn't wast 300 dollars in joining FHTM.

Next time I'll let you know about my plans for this blog and the study of Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich"

I'm Baaaaaaack!

As some of you have noticed, I had to take an emergency hiatus. Back on September 24th, I was called into the conference room at my work and was given the old lead handshake. Yes, I lost my job.

But, all did turn out well. I used Napoleon Hill's philosophy of concentrating on your goal and adding massive effort and I ended up turning a bad situation into a very good one. Exactly two weeks to the day I walked out the door of my former employer, I walked into the door of my new employer; and that's not all. This new job pays more and I actually enjoy this job more then I ever enjoyed any job I ever had.

"Well, if it only took two weeks for you to find a job, where the hell have you been?!"

Good question.

In my house, the time between the beginning of October and January 1st of every year is usually a time of getting up in the morning, running around like a chicken with it's head cut off for around 12 to 18 hours and then going to bed. This year, we had to add in my loss of job, starting and getting acclimated to a new job, my father-in-law having, not one, but two heart attacks and my mother-in-law having dementia, my sister-in-law getting cleaned out in a robbery ... Look, your just going to have to take my word for it, I was way too busy to write.

During this same period of time, I have been going through a wonderful journey, where I learned so much. The experiences that I had in the past three and a half months have been incredible and they will more then likely take years to sort them all out.

I also have changed my perspective of things a little bit. I have decided to undertake some endeavors.

One thing I was able to do with my time off is put together a rough draft of a presentation on a quick way to find a job. It uses the theories of Napoleon Hill and shows one practical example of how to put the Law of Attraction into action. Once I get it cleaned up and have a couple of friends in Toastmasters and a couple of friends who are public speakers review it, I hope to be able to market the presentation to some of the local schools and employment organizations.

I have also begun to look into MLM programs as a second stream of income. My friends at the focus society want to be helpful; however, I haven't been able to spend any time with them either. I hope you can forgive me Chuck and Sam!

My Journey has taught me much. More then I can understand at the moment. I hope that continuing this blog will help me pull together the peaces. Although I have a feeling that after I get all of these pieces together, I'll just have more questions then I ever had.

Chapter V - Specialized Knowledge

Chapter 5 has reminded me of a fact that has been becoming clear in recent months. The fact is if you study the life story of some of the most successful people in the world, most of them had a few things in common. These commonalities are, to name a few, they where underachievers. i.e. they where counted out early in their lives and had to fight for every little bit they got. They had a parent or mentor push them to learn. Most of these successful people hated school, but the authority figure in their lives forced them to learn. One very important thing many successful people had in common was they loved to read, research and experiment on their own, on the road to self-enlightenment. Indeed, when their schooling was done, they didn't stop their education.

This is precisely the point of the chapter on specialized knowledge.

Napoleon Hill wrote "Back of all ideas is specialized knowledge". His point was, when you gain sufficient knowledge and mix it with imagination, which we will study in the following chapter, you will begin to develop the ideas needed to create your road to success.

Dr. Hill also gave us a warning. He wrote, "Unfortunately for those who do not find riches in abundants, specialized knowledge is more abundant and more easily acquired than ideas." For those people, he said, there is an ever increasing demand for people who can use ideas to help sell their services. This may be the first referance to the mastermind, which is another important chapter.

So, how can you acquire the knowledge necessary to be a success in your endeavor?

If you listen to the common knowledge of society, you may be lead to believe that you need to enter into a course of study at some college or university, where you will be asked to invest a large amount of time and money.

There was a line in a movie from a few years ago that puts everything in perspective. The movie was "Good Will Hunting" and the line was something like, "You spent 150 thousand dollars on an education that you could have had for a dollar fifty in late fees at the local library."

Dr. Hill referred to the library in 1937 and even today the library is a powerful tool of education. The membership is free and if a particular library doesn't have the book you need, they can get it for you.

You may be thinking of many different reasons to not go to the library, but remember; the books are free, they won't clutter up your house (because you bring them back), you can find any book you want (if they don't have it, they'll find it) and if your late bringing back the books, the fine is cheep (unlike your local Blockbuster).

The fact is the local library provides the cheapest education in the world.

There are areas of expertise where it is best to have an instructor to get your education. But before you plunk down your $150 thousand consider a few other options.

Do you want to be a writer? Writers Digest offers full writing courses, taught by real and sometimes famous writers. These courses coast anywhere from $130 to about $450.

Another source of knowledge is professional clubs and organizations. Many organizations offer free and cheep courses of study. For example, the local National Speakers Association offers an eight week course on how to start a speaking business for less than $100.00. The local Chamber of Commerce offers an 8 week course on how to start a business for $100.00

Let's not forget about Dr. Hill's suggestion of correspondent's courses. Yes, they're still around and they're cheep. Correspondence Courses teach many different subjects which are very useful. This is one thing you and I need to check out. And then there is the modern version of the correspondence course which is the on-line or the distance learning course which most colleges and universities participate in.

For the areas of study which can not be covered in any of the above courses, they can usually be found at your local Community College. Community Colleges get a bad rap, but it is not where you get your education that matters. What really matters is how well you learn it and what you do with it. The fact is college students tend to learn more in the years following college than while their in classes. In other words, no matter where you go to college, you still will learn on the job.

Regardless of where you acquire your specialized knowledge, Dr. Hill's main points in this chapter are:
First: learning and self development doesn't stop when schooling does. School only gets you ready for learning. The rest is up to you.

Second: Contrary to popular belief, knowledge is not power. Knowledge - in action - is power.

Chapter 4 - Autosuggestion

This chapter is one of the shortest in Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich. But, that does not mean it is less important. On the contrary, I believe it could be one of the most important, if not the most important chapter in the book.

In this chapter, we see the corner stone of the theories in Think and Grow Rich. This is where Napoleon Hill tells us how to get started on our road to success.

As you read through this chapter, it seems too easy. You may say, "Is that it". The answer is yes. I have experienced some of what Mr. Hill talks about already. When we go back to Chapter 2 and do what the Six Steps to Turn Desire into Gold tell us to do, we will not only work ourselves into a white hot desire for success, we will open a door in our mind. This door leads to the room where our plans for success are.

This is the point where I have been for the past few weeks. I have a though that comes to me in the form of a soft warm feeling of confidence, and I act on it. I don't stop to reason the plan out. Mr. Hill said, "Do not trust your 'reason' when creating your plan for accumulating money through the transmutation of desire. Your reasoning faculty may be lazy, and, if you depend entirely upon it to serve you, it may disappoint you."

This is certainly the case for me. I have used reason to keep out of trouble and to keep anything from happening to me. But, to paraphrase a line in Disney's Finding Nemo, "If you never let anything happen to you, nothing will ever happen to you."

I believe my desire is beginning to transmute itself although my plan is still not yet clear. This goes along with something else Mr. Hill Wrote.

"Do not wait for a definite plan, through which you intend to exchange services or merchandise in return for the money you are visualizing, but begin at once to see yourself in possession of the money, demanding and expecting meanwhile, that your subconscious mind will hand over the plan, or plans you need. Be on the alert for these plans, and when they appear, put them into action immediately. When the plans appear, they will probably 'flash' into your mind through the sixth sense, in the form of an 'inspiration.' Treat it with respect, and act upon it as soon as you receive it."

I am acting on plans as they come to me. At the moment they seem very disorganized and abstract, but as more pieces appear, the more sense it makes.

What is happening is, I am getting more and more in touch with my subconscious mind. In my subconscious is the plan which was made up of little bitts of information which I was a witness to or things I have done throughout my entire life. My subconscious mind is slowly putting those things together and feeding the pieces to me as they become available.

This chapter is closely related to the second chapter,(Chapter 2 Part 1 and Part 2) because Autosuggestion is the tool which is used to turn desire into success. If a desire is strong enough, you may not need to use autosuggestion ... at first. But, if you're anything like me, the longer you don't use autosuggestion to reinforce your desire, the longer your reasoning faculties have to blow holes in your theories and make up stories, giving you reasons to rethink your dreams.

This chapter is also very closely related to the chapter on Faith (Part 1 and Part 2). Without faith, true passionate and emotional faith, autosuggestion is worthless. Mr. Hill suggests to begin using autosuggestion weather you have faith in it or not. He tells us not to worry if we don't feel a strong passion toward what we want at first. He clamed that will come with time.

I am starting to use this autosuggestion with strong faith in it already. The fact that I already had a strong desire is also a big help. The reason I have a strong faith in it, is because, as I mentioned before, I used it already. In the beginning of the year, I used it to help me with my new year's resolution to get in shape by the end of 2007. I'm at about the halfway point and still going strong. Besides that, I am expecting a big few months and to reach my desired goals on time.

Chapter III - Faith - Part 2

Those of you who have not read Part 1 may want to do that before reading this post.

"When [Jesus] was going back to the city in the morning, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went over to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. And he said to it, 'May no fruit ever come from you again.' An immediately the fig tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed and said, "How was it that the fig tree withered immediately?' Jesus said to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, if you have faith and don't waver, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' it will be done.' Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive."

Matthew 21: 18-22

"Faith is the 'eternal elixir' which gives life, power, and action to the impulse of thought!" "Faith is the only known antidote for failure!"

Napoleon Hill ~ Think and Grow Rich

Jesus was very serious about Faith. Now, did he want us to use faith to slake our greedy hearts? No, he wants us to use our faith to help others. That is why there is a law of nature in place to help us carry out what the desires placed in our hearts, by the Holy Spirit (Or the universe, or what ever you want to call it), leads us to do. If we follow those desires, we will be truly happy with the wealth that follows.

Immediately after the "Self-Confidence Formula" Mr. Hill makes this statement. "Back of this formula is a law of nature which no man has yet been able to explain. The name by which one calls this law is of little importance. The important fact about it is- it WORKS for the glory and success of mankind, IF it is used constructively. On the other hand, if used destructively, it will destroy just as readily." Now those of you who read the first post in this analysis of "Think and Grow Rich" should here bells going off everywhere. Does anyone want to name the secret?

One note which must be mentioned about the Self-Confidence Formula as well as the six steps to develop desire is when repeated each day, you must say them to your self with passion and conviction, because faith is what happens when desire meets emotion.

Emotion is extremely important. Mr. Hill uses the example of Abraham Lincoln, who was a nobody until he met Ann Rutledge. Ann was his true love and love is the strongest emotion one can feel. When Lincoln mixed his strong emotion with his desires, he became unstoppable.

Mr. Hill then brought up a though which I have pondered many times. He stated it in a declarative statement, but I have declared it in a question. Can you name one man, outside of religion, who had wild success in his chosen field who did not have a significant other? I don't know of one; however I am willing to listen if anyone out there has any names.

Now with the power of faith and the power of the secret, which Mr. Hill comes closest to mentioning here in this chapter, there is a warning. It sounds like a line from a Spiderman Movie, but it's true. "With great power comes great responsibility".

By affirming positive thoughts and positive language you can literally turn your whole life around. However, if you use negative thoughts or negative language you can, not only destroy your own life, you can destroy the lives of others. Be careful of, not only of what you think, but of what you say.

Let's end this post with another poem Mr. Hill chose which does a wonderful job of explaining his points in this chapter.

"If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don't
If you like to win, but you think you can't
It is almost certain you won't

"If you think you'll lose, you're lost,
For out in the world we find,
Success begins with a fellow's will-
It's all in the sate of mind.

"If you think you are outclassed, you are,
You've got to think high to rise,
You've got to be sure of yourself before
you can ever win a prize.

"Life's battles don't always go
to the stronger or faster man,
But soon or late the man who wins
is the man WHO THINKS HE CAN!"


http://littleengineblog.blogspot.com/2007/07/think-grow-rich-before-we-begin.html

http://littleengineblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/chapter-iii-faith.html

Chapter III - Faith

"Faith is the Chief Chemist of the mind"

Faith is so very important, not just in the world's religions, but in every day life. Think about it for a moment. If you woke up one morning and had no faith you would make it to work, would you go!

There are so many people in the world today who say, "One day, I'll start a business". But, they never do. The reason they don't is because they have no faith. Their desire is there, but they need to have the faith.

How do we develop the faith necessary to bring our dreams to fruition?

Mr. Hill tells us, "Repetition of affirmation of orders to your subconscious mind is the only known method of voluntary development of the emotion of faith". So, if we where to take the lesson Mr. Hill taught us in chapter two, we see where he tells us to read our desires and the plan to attain them every day. This exercise was obviously not just to build desire, it was to build faith as well.

Now, as an aside, I do believe Mr. Hill is correct in saying repetition develops faith. However, I believe there is a second way to build faith. In many cases, faith is only a mixture of a strong desire and planning.

Let's go back to the example of a person with the desire to start a business. This person may not have the faith to start it because he lacks a plan. As a result, he may think it is too hard to start the business. If he where to sit down and do some research, he will find there are a lot of people who are willing to teach him and give him advice for very little or no money. People like the local Chamber of Commerce, the local Rotary Club, the Small Business Association, and the list goes on.

After finding all of this information this same person may well find himself filled to the brim with faith. As a result, six months after finding the information, he will be running a successful business!

The use of repetition in order to develop faith is nothing more than deceiving your subconscious mind into allowing you to do anything you desire. This action is called autosuggestion. Although, the next chapter is all about autosuggestion, this chapter deals with it as well. Faith and autosuggestion are tightly intertwined.

Since the subconscious mind can be fooled into believing an alternate faith, special care must be taken because it "[M]akes no distinction between constructive and destructive though impulses". In other words, if you're constantly putting yourself down, that will work in the same way as repeating your desires day after day.

For example: If you constantly tell yourself you're stupid, you will manifest that part of you and you will be stupid. However, if you tell yourself, you're extremely bright and creative, you and everyone around you will see an incredible increase in your intellect and creativity.

In order to help build your intellectual and creative side, Mr. Hill suggests a self-confidence formula. Read this formula carefully and do exactly as it says. write it out in a contract form adapting it to your own situation and sign it. Then be sure to read it every day.

FIRST: I know that I have the ability to achieve the object of my definite purpose in life; therefore, I demand of myself persistent, continuous action toward its attainment, and I here and now promise to render such action.

SECOND: I realize the dominating thoughts of my mind will eventually reproduce themselves in outward, physical action, and gradually transform themselves into physical reality; therefore, I will concentrate my thoughts for thirty minutes daily, upon the task of thinking of the person I intend to become, thereby creating in my mind a clear mental picture.

THIRD: I know through the principle of autosuggestion, any desire that I persistently hold in my mind will eventually seek expression though some practical means of attaining the object back of it; therefore, I will devote tem minutes daily to demanding of myself the development of self-confidence.

FOURTH: I have clearly written down a description of my definite chief aim in life, and I will never stop trying, until I shall have developed sufficient self-confidence for its attainment.

FIFTH: I fully realize that no wealth or position can long endure, unless built upon truth and justice; therefore, I will engage in no transaction which does not benefit all whom it affects. I will succeed by attracting to myself the forces I wish to use, and the cooperation of other people. I will induce others to serve me, because of my willingness to serve others. I will eliminate hatred, envy, jealousy, selfishness and cynicism, by developing live for all humanity, because I know that a negative attitude toward others can never bring me success, I will cause others to believe in me, because I will believe in them, and in myself. I will sign my name to this formula, commit it to memory, and repeat it aloud once a day, with full faith that it will gradually influence my thoughts and actions so that I will become a self-reliant, and successful person.

As we get deeper into this book the more, it seems, needs to be said. So instead of continuing on, I will break this post off hear and continue with a second post later.

See you then!

Chapter II - Desire - Part 2

Although desire is the first step toward success, it can also be the ruin of a person. When mixed with greed, or fear, desire can turn into lust. In Galatians 5:16, 17 and 24 and Ephesians 2:3 St. Paul called this the rebellion of the flesh against the spirit. This rebellion will cause one to make choices which may not be the correct choices for your life.

There are other extremely important pearls of wisdom from the bible which will help us control the incredible power of desire. Two appear in Exodus 20. Thou Shall not covet your neighbors goods and thou shall not covet your neighbors wife.

These commandments ask us not to use our lust for money to attempt piling up an infinite amount of treasures and to respect others property and the members of their families. This doesn't mean we shouldn't collect money and become rich. It simply means that we shouldn't forget to share our gifts.

The third piece of advice comes in Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the poor in heart, for they shall see God. This means to go about our lives without a lust for money. It is not the money that will make us happy. It is what the spirit leads us to do, doing what we love, which will make us happy. And ultimately, if we are doing what we love, we will be successful beyond our wildest dreams

The point is, if we use desire while controlling our greed and fear, we will be able to use our natural gift of discernment much easier. Our minds are not clouded if we follow this advice.

I believe when most of us made a choice as to the path we would follow, the amount of money we could earn may have been the biggest, if not the only factor in our decisions. I believe it was a huge factor in my choice for a life path.

I chose engineering, because I liked technology and I liked using numbers, but the biggest reason was, I thought it was the best chance I had to living a comfortable lifestyle.

Desire is a little like dynamite. It can be used to blast holes in the side of a mountain or to remove bedrock from where a building is supposed to go. But if used incorrectly, it can kill you.

However, in the physical world you would only get one chance to do it right with dynamite. In life, there is always another gift which you can use if you misuse desire. This gift is also very powerful but, I don't know how it can be misused.

The gift is called redemption.

It is okay if you make the wrong choice, because greed or fear got mixed in with desire. As a wise old man I overheard once said, "I don't care what you did, I just want to know what you're doing about it".