Page 109 - Napoleon Hill Think and Grow Rich Full Book | Success Learned

his opportunity to spoil one's chances of success. Most of us go through life as
failures, because we are waiting for the "time to be right" to start doing some-
thing worthwhile. Do not wait. The time will never be "just right." Start where you
stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better
tools will be found as you go along.

9. LACK OF PERSISTENCE. Most of us are good "starters" but poor "finishers" of
everything we begin. Moreover, people are prone to give up at the first signs of de-
feat. There is no substitute for PERSISTENCE. The person who makes PERSIST-
ENCE his watch-word, discovers that "Old Man Failure" finally becomes tired,
and makes his departure. Failure cannot cope with PERSISTENCE.

10. NEGATIVE PERSONALITY. There is no hope of success for the person who
repels people through a negative personality. Success comes through the applica-
tion of POWER, and power is attained through the cooperative efforts of other
people. A negative personality will not induce cooperation.

11. LACK OF CONTROLLED SEXUAL URGE. Sex energy is the most powerful
of all the stimuli which move people into ACTION. Because it is the most power-

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NAPOLEON HILL THINK AND GROW RICH

ful of the emotions, it must be controlled, through transmutation, and converted
into other channels.

12. UNCONTROLLED DESIRE FOR "SOMETHING FOR NOTHING." The gam-
bling instinct drives millions of people to failure. Evidence of this may be found
in a study of the Wall Street crash of " 29, during which millions of people tried to
make money by gambling on stock margins.

13. LACK OF A WELL DEFINED POWER OF DECISION. Men who succeed reach
decisions promptly, and change them, if at all, very slowly. Men who fail, reach
decisions, if at all, very slowly, and change them frequently, and quickly. Indeci-
sion and procrastination are twin brothers. Where one is found, the other may
usually be found also. Kill off this pair before they completely "hog-tie" you to the
treadmill of FAILURE.

14. ONE OR MORE OF THE SIX BASIC FEARS. These fears have been analyzed
for you in a later chapter. They must be mastered before you can market your
services effectively.

15. WRONG SELECTION OF A MATE IN MARRIAGE. This a most common
cause of failure. The relationship of marriage brings people intimately into con-
tact. Unless this relationship is harmonious, failure is likely to follow. Moreover,