Enchanted Makeovers

I love my family and my friends. My love for them is deep and sincere. I would do anything within my power to add to their comfort and welfare . . . but, I also love to get away from the crowds, away from everybody and visit with myself. This may seem rather selfish, but it isn't. My mental development demands it.

I love to think, to look ahead and anticipate the experiences yet to come in my life, to figure out why I am here and what to do to fulfill my read mission in life. I love to go just a step further in imagination than I have ever gone in realization. In other words, I love to do what many call "dreaming.”

Contrary to what some may believe, dreaming is not harmful. In fact, quite the reverse is true. Getting away from others to dream allows you to rise above commonplace thoughts and things.

Milton did his best work after blindness forced him to turn to solitude for realization.
Francis Scott Key wrote the "Star Spangled Banner" while being held as a prisoner of war on a British ship.

When we are with others, we must be polite and discuss with them whatever subject they may happen to bring up. When we are with ourselves, we can direct our thoughts along any line we choose and concentrate upon those thoughts, impress them upon our minds and keep them where we may get them when we want them.

This is constructive dreaming!

No one ever becomes a "doer" without first becoming a "dreamer." The architect first draws the picture of a building in his mind and then places it on paper. And so we must all see the object of our labors in our minds before we can see them in reality.

Source: Adapted from the March 1919 issue of Napoleon Hill’s Golden Rule magazine as appearing in the April, 1994, Volume 6, Number 4 issue of Think and Grow Rich Newsletter. Pg. 5.

One of the most outstanding master mind alliances you will ever read about was that which existed between Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ford. It had its beginning in the kitchen of their home, in the days when Mr. Ford was experimenting with his first internal combustion engine. It was then that he found out the important part that a wife’s love and devotion play in her husband’s plans. She had a sincere interest in sustaining him through the trying period of inventing and perfecting a mechanical device in order to realize his purpose in life.

The mutual appreciation of each other, and the harmony that bound theme together in the months of patient effort required to make the engine run, were to last a lifetime. Although the world heard little of Mrs. Ford, who preferred to remain inconspicuous, those who know realize that she was largely responsible for the achievements of her famous husband. It was to her that he turned in moments of crisis, for her encouraging smile, her understanding admiration, her ever-fresh hope of achievement, the comfort and care that tided him over.

Their master mind alliance, based on the definiteness of purpose of two people who were willing to work in the spirit of harmony for the fulfillment of that purpose, is an inspiration to all who would achieve greatness. It is needless to elaborate on the tremendous power which grew out of this alliance, and brought into being one of the greatest industrial empires the world has ever seen. Power was generated in the minds of two humble people who knew what they wanted to do, who rendered service on the basis of going the extra mile, and who blended all their forces and concentrated their attention on their major purposes until success was achieved.

Thomas A. Edison used this master mind principle as the basis of his entire career. He did this to bridge the gaps in his own educational back ground by utilizing the special skills and knowledge of his associates. In this way he created the physical invention of his great laboratory. But there was another master mind alliance which was in reality far more important to him than those involving the use of physics, chemistry, and mechanics. That was the alliance with his wife. He had the good fortune to have a wife with a sympathetic understanding of his problems. She always backed him up completely in any undertaking. No matter how late at night Mr. Edison would come home from his laboratory, she was up and ready with a cheerful greeting and an eager anticipation for the recounting of the day’s activities.

Mrs. Edison’s confidence and faith in her husband’s ability and her sustaining love encouraged him over many tough spots and inspired him to carry on against what were sometimes almost overwhelming odds.

In these last two examples you have some very important hints. Perhaps the greatest alliance any man can ever make is with his wife. If you have complete singleness of purpose with the woman you marry, there is nothing in which you cannot succeed. If you lack this harmony in your home, you might as well face the fact that you have a few strikes against you. And this works both ways. Ladies, you must have the harmony and cooperation of your husband, to lighten the burden of your work in life. It must be a two-way arrangement.

Source: PMA Science of Success course. Educational Edition. Pgs. 66, 67, & 68

Every person with whom you come in contact is a mental mirror in which you may see a perfect reflection of your own mental attitude.  I recently had an experience with my two small boys, Blair and James, which illustrated this point.

We were on our way to the park to feed the birds and squirrels.  Blair had bought a bag of peanuts and James had popcorn.  James took a notion to sample the peanuts.  Without asking permission, he reached over and made a grab for the bag.  He missed and Blair retaliated with a left jab.

I said to James:  “Now, see here, son, you didn’t go about getting those peanuts in the right manner.  Let me show you how to get them.”  When I spoke, I hadn’t the slightest idea what I was going to do, I only hoped that stalling would allow me time to analyze the occurrence and work out a better way than his.

Then I recalled the law of retaliation that says people will always respond in kind, even in greater measure that which is deliver to them, so I said to James:  “Open you box of popcorn and offer your little brother some and see what happens.”

After considerable coaxing, I persuaded him to do this.  Then a remarkable thing happened, out of which I learned my greatest lesson in salesmanship.  Before Blair would touch the popcorn, he insisted on pouring some of his peanuts in James’s overcoat pocket.  He retaliated in kind!

Out of this simple experiment with two small boys, I learned more about the art of managing than I could have learned in any other manner.   None of us have advanced far beyond Blair and James as far as the operation and influence of the Law of Retaliation is concerned.  We are all just grown-up children and easily influenced by this principle. 

The habit of “retaliating in kind” is so universally practiced that we can properly call this habit the Law of Retaliation.  If a person presents us with a gift, we never feel satisfied until we have “retaliated” with something as good or better than that which we received.  If a person  speaks well of us, we increase our admiration for that person, and we “retaliate” in return!

Through the principle of retaliation, we can actually convert our enemies into loyal friends.  If you have an enemy whom you wish to convert into a friend, you can prove the truth of this statement if you will forget that dangerous millstone handing around your neck which we call pride.

Make a habit of speaking to this enemy with unusual cordiality.  Go out of your way to favor him in every manner possible.  He may seem immovable at first, but gradually he will give way to your influence and “retaliate in kind!”

The hottest coals of fire ever heaped upon the head of one who has wronged you are the coals of human kindness.

Source: Source:  The following is adapted from the March 1919 issue of Napoleon Hill’s Golden Rule magazine.  Printed in the above version March, 1994, Volume 6, Number 3, Page 4 in the Think and Grow Rich Newsletter.