The book, Think and Grow Rich, has sold over 80 million copies since its original release by the late Napoleon Hill back in 1937. The book has and continues to influence hundreds of thousands of people across the globe decades after its original release. That to me says a lot about it’s value and staying power.
I know that personally I’ve read the book at least 10 or 15 times over the years and I also read it again a couple of weeks ago on a long flight from Chicago to Phoenix in route to an event I was speaking at.
What really jumped out to me as I read Think and Grow Rich again was the last chapter in the book titled, The Six Ghosts of Fear. Not only is it spot on, but Hill comes out swinging with what he calls the Fifty-five Famous Alibi’s by Old Man IF. Here’s a partial excerpt including the first 15 alibis. I hope it serves as a reminder and wake-up call for each of us to watch our thoughts, words, and actions carefully.
Fifty-five Famous Alibi’s by Old Man IF.
People who do not succeed have one distinguishing trait in common. They know all the reasons for failure, and have what they believe to be air-tight alibis to explain away their own lack of achievement.
Some of these alibis are clever, and a few of them are justifiable by the facts. But alibis cannot be used for money. The world wants to know only one thing -have you achieved success? A character analyst compiled a list of the most commonly used alibis. As you read the list, examine yourself carefully, and determine how many of these alibis, if any, are your own property. Remember, too, the philosophy presented in this book makes every one of these alibis obsolete.
IF I didn’t have a wife and family…
IF I had enough “pull”…
IF I had enough money…
IF I had a good education…
IF I could get a job…
IF I had good health…
IF I only had time…
IF times were better…
IF other people understood me…
IF conditions around me were only different…
IF I could live my life over again…
IF I did not fear what “they” would say…
IF I had been given a chance…
IF I now had a chance…
IF other people didn’t “have it in for me”…
Grab your copy of Think and Grow Rich to see the entire list of 55 Famous Alibi’s and review and benefit from, the timeless wisdom of Napoleon Hill’s classic Think and Grow Rich.
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