The central theme of this principle may be stated in a simple sentence: While the circumstances of life are such that everyone must undergo a certain amount of temporary defeat, you can find hope in the knowledge that every such defeat carries with it the seed of an equivalent or a greater benefit.
At first blush you may find it difficult to accept this statement, but let us examine the evidence before we pass judgment on its soundness.
Everyone knows that failure and physical pain are the language in which nature speaks to all men and every living creature. This language makes men humble so they may acquire wisdom and understanding. And it is remarkable but true that the turning-point at which a person begins to attain success usually is definitely marked by some form of defeat or failure.
Recognition of this fact may mark the most important turning point of your life, since it may lead you to the astounding discovery that defeat need not be accepted as failure, and that so-called failures represent only temporary defeats which may prove to be blessings in disguise.
Everyone who has been accepted by the world as a success has undergone defeat comparable with the scope of his success. From this fact it may be discerned that defeat should be accepted merely as a testing factor which permits you to discover the source and the nature of your inner power of thought.
Don’t fear defeat. It may reveal to you powers
You didn’t know you possessed.
Knowing this can modify your mental reaction to defeat and cause you to search for the seed of equivalent benefit which it carries. Remember: defeat is never the same as failure unless and until it has been accepted as such.
“Our strength,” said Emerson, “grows out of our weakness. Not until we are pricked and stung and sorely shot at, awakens the indignation which arms itself with secret forces. A great man is always willing to be little. Whilst he sits on the cushion of advantages he goes to sleep. When he is pushed, tormented, defeated, he has a chance to learn something: he has been put on his wits; on his manhood; he has gained facts; learned his ignorance; been cured of the insanity of conceit; has got moderation and real skill.”
Defeat, however, does not premise the full blown flower of benefits, but only the seed from which some benefit, equivalent in scope to the defeat, may be attained. The seed must be recognized, nurtured and cultivated by definiteness of purpose. It will not germinate except by theses means. For here, as everywhere, nature looks with disfavor on any endeavor to obtain something for nothing.
Thus we shall see, as we come into a better understanding of the benefits of adversity and defeat, that the law which provides these benefits is not a man-made law. It is a part of that great system of natural laws designed by an all-wise Creator to protect man against his own follies, save him from his mistakes, and insure him against self-destruction through interference with the overall plan of the universe.
And, it is true, as Emerson said, that “every man in his lifetime needs to thank his faults. As no man understands a truth until he has contended against it, so no man has a thorough acquaintance with the hindrances or talents of men until he has suffered from the one and seen the triumph of the other over his own want of the same. Thereby he is driven to entertain himself and acquire habits of self-help; and thus, like the wounded oyster, he mends his shell with a pearl.”
There is a wheel on which the affairs of men revolve and its very nature is such that while it prevents any man from being always fortunate, it also prevents any man from being always unfortunate.
This wheel may be likened to a great river, one half of which flows in one direction and carries all who enter it to success, while the other half flows in the opposite direction and carries all who enter it to failure an defeat. It might well be called the River of Life, and it exists in the power of human thought.
The success side of the River of Life is attainable through definiteness of purpose, applied faith, the mastermind alliance and a willing to go the extra mile – the big four of the seventeen principles of individual achievement. Recognize this truth and you will understand why some men go through life on the failure side of the stream, while others who seem to have lees, or at least no greater ability, move on to success with apparent ease.
The seventeen principles of this philosophy provide the means by which you may cross from the failure side of the stream to the success side. Banks may fail and sweep away your material fortune. Friends and loved ones may pass away. Ill health may make its appearance. Cheaters may steal and liars may destroy your reputation and deprive you of favorable opportunities. Unfavorable seasons may destroy the fruits of your labor. Business depressions may deprive you of continued employment.
All of these and many more circumstances which are unavoidable may, and often do, overtake men – circumstances which are beyond their immediate control. Yet if the principles of this philosophy are applied, you will find that each and every adversity will carry with it the seed of an equivalent benefit.
Source: PMA Science of Success by Napoleon Hill
________________________________
Don’t Quit
by Edgar Guest
When Things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and debts are high,
And you want to Smile but have to sigh.
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won if he’d stuck it out,
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow,
You might succeed with another blow.
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might captured the victor’s cup.
And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown,
Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit,
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.
Source: Poems That Inspire You to Think and Grow Rich, The Napoleon Hill Foundation
__________________________________________________________
Think and Grow Rich Challenge. Don’t Miss Out!
Tick tock, tick tock…
www.ThinkandGrowRichChallenge.com
And time is running out to claim your spot!
Are you ready to learn the secrets that skyrocketed folks like Conor McGregor, Tony Robbins, and Henry Ford to the top… straight from Napoleon Hill himself?!
Are you pumped to have your mind blown by the all-star lineup of guest speakers (each one a master of Hill’s life-changing principles)?!
You better be…
‘Cause if you’re serious about unleashing your own success and living a life of abundance…
Then you don’t have long to hop on board this train!
www.ThinkandGrowRichChallenge.com
This is your shot to grab the wheel and steer your life in the direction YOU want it to go…
To create the future you’ve always dreamed of!
So smash the link below – and lock down your spot in the Think & Grow Rich Challenge now:
Join The Think & Grow Rich Challenge Before It’s Too Late
www.ThinkandGrowRichChallenge.com
_______________________________________________________
Do you have a poem that goes well with one of the Principles of Success?
Do you have a list of books that go well with each Principle of Success? Send your suggested selections to Uriel at um17pma@gmail.com
Uriel Martinez
Director of Distance Learning
The Napoleon Hill Foundation
um17pma@gmail.com |
