Think and Grow Rich

A person can “Think and Grow Rich” if they have the strong desire to reach their specific goals. As we enter a New Year, many new opportunities await us, but only if we look for them and follow through. They are all around us, but without focus and direction we won’t see them. Finances and health are the focus of most New Year’s resolutions, but a few months into the year many people get off track and fall back to their old habits.

I believe that if we want something bad enough, we can get it, but only with planning, determination and desire. I can only speak from personal experience because everyone has their own journey they embark on.

Student loans are an issue, but there is so much more to think about. There will be many financial experiences ahead that we need to prepare for, but we want to make sure that a young person’s professional life does not start with debt as soon as they get out of college.

I am a high school dropout because of life circumstances, but lucky for me the G.I. Bill came into my life and I went back to college after I got out of the service. In my younger days’ college was not in my plans, but life has a way of working things out for the better.

College for me was a wonderful experience, but there were many stumbling blocks that I had to overcome. It took me a few years to get on the right track and figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up, but the best thing was that I did not have a student loan when I graduated.

I do not wish that on anyone, my son included. We talked about this and we have decided that his first year will start at the local community college to help get him on track so he can figure out what he is interested in and what he wants to major in.

By doing this we will save some money, if he gets some scholarships or other types of financial help. The youth of today are very different when I grew up, but I can’t judge them because I am not in their shoes. What I can say is that they have it a lot easier than my generation did. They also have technology available to them we didn’t have, and that is a blessing but can also be a curse.

In my case, I majored in Economics and minored in Psychology. Both topics interested me than, as they still do today. Within a year after my graduation I had the job I wanted, only to realize a year later that I was not interested in doing that for the rest of my life.

I was always interested in sales and marketing and again got hired by a company that helped me achieve one of my life goals. My goals for a long time was to live in California, and I had my company move me there at their expense.

The secret to my success was a seminar they organized for all the salespeople in the company at the end of the year, just before Christmas. We were told that at the end of the training each of us would be told where we would move to.

On the first day of training we met to our instructor, Mr. Lizardi. He seemed like a nice person and his teaching style kept me interested from the beginning. The very first day he introduced us to a book by Napoleon Hill titled “Think and Grow Rich.” From that moment on he had my attention, and for the next three days he dissected that book.

The timing must have been just right for me because I purchased a copy of the book when the seminar was over, and in the following years I purchased a hundred copies and gave them to my customers as my business card. To this day I still read the book and listed to a Think and Grow Rich podcast that still helps me navigate hurdles in my life.

When the training ended, everyone was saying their goodbyes and getting ready to go home for the holidays. I went over to my boss; his name was Peer (he was Danish) and I asked him where he would have me move to.

He looked at me and smiled and said, “this is not the time to discuss this. Go home to your family, enjoy the holidays and we’ll discuss this at our next sales meeting at the beginning of the year.”

I looked at him and said, “Peer, you said that at the end of the meeting you would tell us where we would go.” He looked at me again, and still smiling said, “OK Steve, where do you want to go?” I said California. Now he smiled even more and said, “more than half the salesmen want to go to California, what’s your second choice?”

I thought for a second and said “Los Angeles.” Peer started to laugh and said, “and what’s your third choice?” My answer to him was “San Diego.” As Peer was laughing, I told him that if he sent me to California, and I was unsuccessful in three months, he could send me anywhere in the country and I would move there with no hesitation.

Peer looked in my eyes, smiled and said, “go home and enjoy the holidays, and I’ll tell you where you will go at our next sales meeting.” With that said, I shook Peer’s hands, wished him a Merry Christmas and went home for the holidays.

A week later the New Year was upon us, and all the salespeople were in the office waiting for the word on where each of us would move to. They divided the country into twelve territories, and I was the thirteenth salesperson hired.

One by one each of us went into Peers office, had a short discussion about our goals and responsibilities in the coming year and were told where we were going. These meetings started early in the morning and it was around four o’clock in the afternoon when it was my turn. I was the last person to go in, and when I came out thirty minutes later everyone wanted to know what my territory would be.

I responded with a big smile that my location was Southern California, Arizona, Nevada and Hawaii. Some people were angry and even jealous because I was the newest person hired, in fact one person even quit that day. But I was happy.

I share this story with you because there is a lesson here. The first lesson is that I had the desire to move to California for the past ten years and that was on my mind almost every day. I did not understand how or when I would get there but deep down inside, I always knew that I would. But we find the biggest lesson in the book “Think and Grow Rich.”

At the seminar I attended my instructor Mr. Lizardi introduced the book to me in such a way that he ignited my interest so much so that once I got the book, I couldn’t put it down. The book changed my life, as it has many others lives. But in my case the timing could not have been any better.

To this day I cherish that book and today a copy sits on my dresser next to my bed. I share this with you because it can also change your life… if you are open and ready for it. I recommend that you buy a copy and read it. I’ve read it many times, and every time I read it, I get a different message because my life is in a different situation, so my thoughts are different regarding certain topics.

You can purchase the book online at Amazon here, or you can listen to the Think and Grow Rich podcast. You can also get a free pdf copy of Think and Grow Rich here if you want to get started. I do however recommend that if the interest is there, get a paperback copy that you can carry with you everywhere. This way, whenever you must wait somewhere, or stand in line, or perhaps you are riding the bus or train… pull it out and read a chapter. Feed your mind and put some positive thoughts into it.

It worked for me and it can also work for you. You Can Do It, if You So Desire. Remember that our main goal here is to get our finances organized and to avoid student loans. Think and Grow Rich as you work towards achieving your goals.

Have a great year!

Goulash