Page 90 - Napoleon Hill Think and Grow Rich Full Book | Success Learned

Temporary defeat should mean only one thing, the certain knowledge that there
is something wrong with your plan. Millions of men go through life in misery and
poverty, because they lack a sound plan through which to accumulate a fortune.

Henry Ford accumulated a fortune, not because of his superior mind, but because
he adopted and followed a PLAN which proved to be sound. A thousand men
could be pointed out, each with a better education than Ford's, yet each of whom
lives in poverty, because he does not possess the RIGHT plan for the accumula-
tion of money.

91

NAPOLEON HILL THINK AND GROW RICH

Your achievement can be no greater than your PLANS are sound. That may seem
to be an axiomatic statement, but it is true. Samuel Insull lost his fortune of over
one hundred million dollars.

The Insull fortune was built on plans which were sound. The business depression
forced Mr. Insull to CHANGE HIS PLANS; and the CHANGE brought "tempo-
rary defeat," because his new plans were NOT SOUND. Mr. Insull is now an old
man, he may, consequently, accept "failure" instead of "temporary defeat," but if
his experience turns out to be FAILURE, it will be for the reason that he lacks the
fire of PERSISTENCE to rebuild his plans.

No man is ever whipped, until he QUITS-in his own mind. This fact will be re-
peated many times, because it is so easy to "take the count" at the first sign of
defeat.

James J. Hill met with temporary defeat when he first endeavored to raise the
necessary capital to build a railroad from the East to the West, but he, too turned
defeat into victory through new plans.

Henry Ford met with temporary defeat, not only at the beginning of his automo-
bile career, but after he had gone far toward the top. He created new plans, and
went marching on to financial victory.

We see men who have accumulated great fortunes, but we often recognize only
their triumph, overlooking the temporary defeats which they had to surmount
before "arriving".

NO FOLLOWER OF THIS PHILOSOPHY CAN REASONABLY EXPECT TO AC-
CUMULATE A FORTUNE WITHOUT EXPERIENCING "TEMPORARY DE-
FEAT." When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound,
rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal. If you give