I owe my positive attitude to Napoleon Hill. During one year of daily four-hour sessions of intensive sales and positive attitude training back in 1972, I was fortunate enough to expose myself to his success principles.

Each day, one of the eight guys on my team had to give a book report on a chapter from “Think and Grow Rich.” Because there were only 15 chapters in the book, we reviewed it in its entirety every three weeks. We went through the book more than 15 times in one year.

Somewhere during that year, something clicked. I realized that by adopting Hill’s fundamental principles and adapting them to my life and family, I could achieve and maintain a positive mental attitude. I became an achiever and a believer – and have never lost that belief.

I identified with Hill’s philosophy. It became part of the fabric of my thoughts, my outlook on life and my expressions to others – both written and verbal.

Whom do you identify with?

What do you identify with?

Whose principles do you follow?

How dedicated to achieving and maintaining a positive attitude are you?

Hill’s success principles are timeless, and there’s a reason. Actually there are 11.5 reasons, and all of them create an atmosphere and environment conducive to learning and succeeding:

1. He’s gentle, and his words are gentle.

2. He’s insightful, and his principles are sound and time-tested.

3. His writing is easy to read, understand and apply.

4. He’s on target with what’s wrong and what’s weak.

5. He’s on target with how to make it right and strong.

6. His wisdom is right on the money.

7. His ethics ring true and genuine.

8. He reinforces his advice with real-world examples.

9. He encourages you to do it.

10. He has faith that you can achieve.

11. He warns you of outside influences that will be envious of your endeavors.

11.5. He has a track record that includes tens of millions of success stories.

Here are a few selected quotations to get you started:

• All achievements, all earned riches, have their beginning in an idea.

• Any idea, plan or purpose may be placed in the mind through repetition of thought.

• Before success comes in any man’s life, he’s sure to meet with much temporary defeat and perhaps some failures. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and most logical thing to do is to quit. That’s exactly what the majority of men do.

• Big pay and little responsibility are circumstances seldom found together.

• Cherish your visions and your dreams, as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.

• Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once, whether you’re ready or not, to put this plan into action.

• Desire is the starting point of all achievement; not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire that transcends everything.

• Education comes from within; you get it by struggle, effort and thought.

• Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.

• Everyone enjoys doing the kind of work for which he is best suited.

• Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice and is never the result of selfishness.

• Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.

Hill’s book is a gift. You give it to yourself FIRST. Become a believer by taking action and seeing the results. THEN begin to share the gift with others.

Jeffrey Gitomer can be reached by phone at (704) 333-1112 or by e-mail at salesman@gitomer.com. © 2011 Jeffrey H. Gitomer