Self Improvement Information

Did you realize that everything you see in your physical world first started out as something in some one’s imagination?  The computer you are reading this on.  The car you drive.  The clothes you wear.  Even in the world of nature, would it make sense that all of it, including us, was first in the imagination of the divine?

One of my favorite quotes is from Albert Einstein.  He said, “Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.“ That is a powerful statement from a brilliant man with a immense imagination.  I watched a biography on the History Channel about Albert Einstein.  Early in his life, he was considered a “failure”.  He had trouble in school.  His grades were not good.  When he graduated from the University, by the skin of his teeth, his desire in life was to teach at a University.  He was considered unacceptable for a University job because he had trouble with authority figures.  In today’s world, he might have had a label pasted on him such as ADD.

Opportunity often comes dressed as failure or adversity.  In his case, he had to take a job at the Patent Office that his relative owned.  The opportunity for him was that he had time to sit on his stool and use his imagination.  He dreamed of what it would be like to race along side of a beam of light.  When he rode the street car he imagined it racing at the speed of light.  He questioned what traveling at the speed of light would do to the concept of time.  Albert Einstein is now considered one of the most well known and respected geniuses that ever roamed the planet!

What role does imagination play in our life?  Napoleon Hill says, “If you can see it, and believe it, you can achieve it.”  Our imagination resides “outside the box”.  Many of us grow up being taught that we need to stay in the “box”, which stifles the imagination.  Most of our educational systems are not structured for the child who is “outside the box”.

Our imagination will not be denied.  If we don’t take control of this precious asset, it will find a way to emerge in our lives.  It can appear as negative thoughts and scenarios in our minds.  Left to its own devices without proper management, our imagination can fall into the clutches of habitual hypnotic rhythm (see Napoleon Hill – Part 13).  It can paint a rather dismal picture for us.  Our imagination, strengthened by emotions has direct access to our subconscious mind which will set into motion the events to accomplish what our imaginations has pictured.  No questions asked. The subconscious doesn’t have a sense of right or wrong or whether you really want what you have imagined to happen in your life.

What is the harm of imagining what it would be like to race beside a beam of light?  Let’s use visualization to create the life we design.  A good visualization tool can get us on the right track until it becomes our nature to control our thoughts.  Two of the best I have found are, Mind Movies where you actually create your own mind movie to watch on your computer every day.  They give you 6 generic mind movies which you can download to try out for free.  When you purchase the Mind Movie package, the workbook that comes with your Mind Movie package walks you through the process every step of the way and digs deep into what you really want in your life.  If you prefer audio, the Relaxations for Wealth could be a good fit.

For your viewing pleasure and food for thought, I have included this 6 minute clip “The Death of the Imagination”  from the movie “Six Degrees of Separation”. Feel free to pass this blog post on to others.

I have been writing, lately, about the difference in how successful people think.  I have stated over and over again that they are wired differently.  They think differently.  Spending time with Napoleon Hill’s Success Principals has, probably, been more beneficial to me than to you.  I can’t express to you how much I have enjoyed listening to Napoleon Hill’s video series.  Because of this time I have spent listening to him, his writings have come alive for me.  I know his speech patterns, his voice, and the way he looks.  Now, as I am reading his book it is as if he is reading it to me.  It makes it more real for me.  I can see how Bob Proctor has spent his life studying “Think and Grow Rich”.  It never grows old.  I have always been a reader, but I read something and then go on to the next.  I know, now, that the goal of reading and studying “Think and Grow Rich” daily will keep me focused on the proper “Cosmic Habit Force”.

I believe, we all absorb information in our own way and time frame.  We have to fertilize the soil in our minds for it to be ready to accept the seeds of knowledge so it can mature and bear fruit.  What is fertilizer?  Yep, it is crap. Often times, it is the crap in our life that gives us the contrast to know what we want.  It is the crap that gives us the fuel to desire change and to escape the negative things that we attracted into our lives.  I have had many “aha” moments lately.  That is why, I believe, a habit of self improvement is so important to our growth in life.  It can, truly, enrich our life’s journey!

Today’s 10 minute video is the last in this series.  This one brings it all together as Napoleon Hill talks about Cosmic Habit Force. I have had my times of being locked into hypnotic rhythm.  Have you?  It was a prison cell of my own making. But, unlike other prison cells, I have been the one, standing there with the key to mine in my hand the entire time.

We are the only ones that can open those prison cells we create in our lives and fly to the destinations of our choice by using the natural law of Cosmic Habit Force.  It takes self discipline to watch and manage our thoughts.  Only self discipline can keep us out of the clutches of hypnotic rhythm.

I hope you have enjoyed this video series as much as I have.  If you feel so inclined, leave me a comment.  It would be wonderful to hear your feedback.  If you think that your network of “peeps” would enjoy it feel free to pass this blog around! 

There is a deep unrest in our world.  I am sure it has always been a part of our lives, but with 24 hour news coverage, we are subjected to non stop opinions disguised as news.  It is in our faces 24/7/365.  It seems that everyone has an opinion.  Many opinions are not accurate.  They are formed from, what Napoleon Hill calls, inductive reasoning.  In Napoleon Hill’s Success Principals #12, he talks with us about the importance of using accurate thinking on our road to our major purpose in life.

I have listened to many talks from Bob Proctor.  In one, he was talking about how his wife and he are from different areas of North America.  He is from Canada and she is from the southern part of the U.S.A.  He expressed to her, one day, that he would like to get a turnip to eat.  She was amazed by that.  In her part of the country, you don’t eat the turnip root.  That is throw away.  The only edible part of the turnip, in her regionally based viewpoint (opinion), was the green part.  That particular analogy really pointed out to me that we are a product of our upbringing and our culture.  When I contemplated that story, it became easy to see why there is so much unrest in our world.  If we vehemently and emotionally cling to our opinions as facts, anyone else’s opposing opinions can only be rejected.  The more emotionally attached we get to our opinion the harder it is to see  other points of view.  I can understand how someone would be willing to strap bombs to their chest and blow up innocent men, women and children.  Because others don’t embrace their view point, and in their eyes it is the only viewpoint of worth, they are willing to die to punish those that don’t agree.

How can we, as a species, overcome this kind of thinking and get along?  I believe the answer lies in this 9 minute video.  If we could practice the 7 steps in this video there would be more rational thinking.  For many, this would be a complete change in thought processes.  It is easy to form an opinion, using inductive reasoning, and then hold on to it because it is familiar.  If we do that, we don’t have to question that particular opinion again.  We, also, accept so many opinions, almost by osmosis, that are dictated to us by family, cultural, or religion.  No questions asked.

It like the well used story of the little girl who wanted to find out why her Momma cut the ends off of the Christmas ham.  Her mother didn’t know why.  She did it because her mother always did.  The little girl asked her grandmother and she didn’t know why.  She did it because her mother had always done it that way.  Finally, when she asked her great grandmother, her great grandmother said, “I did it because my pan was too short for the ham to fit.  I don’t know why your mother and grandmother still do it.”

As you listen to Napoleon Hill’s video, think of how your life might be different if you practiced what he said?  How would it change the world if we all used more deductive reasoning?  Let’s all set ourselves a goal to ask, more often, that powerful question, “how do you know?”  We could picture Joe Friday from Dragnet in our heads reminding us, “Just the facts, miss/sir, just the facts”.

Life is meant to be shared.  Have you shared with others today?  Feel free to share this blog.