“If we are related, we have, through these pages, met.” I read out loud.
I closed the book. The hand that placed that book down was not the same hand it was before. I was not the same man. I was forever changed.
“Does he speak the truth?” I asked myself. “Is Napoleon Hill right? Can I truly think my way into becoming whatever it is I wish to be. Must I change what is inside of me before I change the outside?”
I was not too sure what to believe. I thought all my life I was to live the way others around me have lived. Everyone else around me was doing the same thing. They were going to school to get a job. Everyone that I saw that already had a job was doing the same thing. They woke up early to get to work and then came home only to watch TV, fall asleep and repeat. The most exciting times for both groups were the weekends. They celebrated their dull lives. Tried to fill it with excitement only to return back to the 9-5 lifestyle. Is that the way I truly wanted to live? I was unsure. There was a decision to be made. I could follow what everyone around me was doing or I could stick out like a sore thumb and listen to Napoleon Hill.
I called my dad. He loves me more than the world itself. Even though he was poor he always made sure I had what I wanted to have. He would give me the last dollar in his pocket and starve for a week. Truly if anyone wanted the best for me it was him. If I asked him for advice no doubt would he tell me to do what is best for me.
“Hello”
"Hey dad. What are you doing”
"Drinking. I’m at Joe’s. He’s got some steaks on the grill. You want me to bring you home one?”
“That would be awesome” Listen I have a question.”
"What’s that?”
"I’m thinking about quitting teaching karate to enroll in that real estate class and pursue that full time.”
“What?! You have been doing karate for 13 years now! You’re not quitting!”
“I’m not quitting karate. I’m still going to train. I just don’t want to have to be there so I can focus on other things that I think will financially benefit me for.”
“You’re not quitting your job!”
“Why?”
“Cause I fucking said so. That’s why. That shit is a scam. They just want your money.”
Click. I just hung up the phone. I did not want to here him yell. Deep down I knew he was going to freak out. Deep down I already knew what I wanted to do. There was a sense of fear inside of me. Fear is good though that means I’m growing. I knew what I had to do.
My only obstacle was the money. It would cost me $12,000 to enroll in this course. I knew I need a mentor as well. I could not do this alone. That is another $6,000. I only made $5,000 last year and had just enough in the bank to pay for my car insurance. It was going to take a miracle to pay the $18,000.
Napoleon told me through his writing that we can think money into our lives. I remember the story of the preacher who needed $1,000,000 to start a school and for an entire year thought about receiving that million dollars. Once he made the decision to obtain it he made a speech and someone gave him the million. I wanted to see if I could attract $18,000 into my life.
I quickly abolished any thought that I could not receive the money. And saw the $18,000 check on the screen of my mind. I then began to ask myself how. For several minutes I had no good ideas. I just kept assuring myself the I already had the money. Then the idea struck me like a lightning bolt from the heavens. There was only one person who had that amount of money saved up.
I thought to myself “If my grandfather says yes then wonderful, it is meant to be. If he says no then wonderful, I don’t lose anything.”
I called him up.
“Hey pop”
“Yea”
“Can I stop by?”
“Yea”
“Cool, I’ll be there in like 15-20 minutes”
I left immediately and took the 15 minute ride over. I kept that check on the screen of my mind.
I walked into his house. “Hey Pop.”
“Hi”
My grandfather is a man of few words.
“How are you doing?” I asked.
“Good.”
I felt nervous. The question I wanted to ask him was on the back of my mind. I felt like if I asked to soon he would think I just came for the money. That is why I came though. He’s going to know I only came for the money. I love my grandfather and would do anything for him. I felt almost guilty about asking for $18,000. That is a lot of money. I had to stall with more questions.
“Where is mommom at?”
“I think she went food shopping.”
That’s cool. What did you do for dinner?”
“Pizza, there’s some in there if you want it”
“Yea, I’ll grab a slice.”
I walked into the kitchen and got a slice of pizza. I thought to myself that I just have to suck it up and ask him as soon as I enter the living room.
I walked back in.
“Hey Pop. So you remember that free real estate seminar I went to?”
“Yea”
“Well they have an elite training program that teaches people how to make money in real estate. I want to take the wholesale class. So I would be putting properties under contract for little or no money down and then just assigning them to another investor. That investor would make anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000 or even more and I would just charge them an assignment fee of $2,000 to $15,000. I asked one of the people there if I borrowed the money from someone how fast I would be able to pay them back. She told me I should be able to pay them back in 6 months but to tell them 12 months just to be safe. Do you think you would be able to pay my tuition for me and I will pay you back by the end of the year?
“Yea”
I smiled and felt so joyous I wanted to jump of the couch through the roof and yell at the top of my lungs. My grandfather’s dull stature made me think otherwise.
“So how do you want to pay?”
“I don’t know.” he said with a shrug of the shoulders.
“How about you right me a check and I will have them electronically just take it out of my account.”
‘“Okay”
And just like that he signed my check to financial freedom. I wonder what my choice would have been if I had not chosen to read Think and Grow Rich.
I closed the book. The hand that placed that book down was not the same hand it was before. I was not the same man. I was forever changed.
“Does he speak the truth?” I asked myself. “Is Napoleon Hill right? Can I truly think my way into becoming whatever it is I wish to be. Must I change what is inside of me before I change the outside?”
I was not too sure what to believe. I thought all my life I was to live the way others around me have lived. Everyone else around me was doing the same thing. They were going to school to get a job. Everyone that I saw that already had a job was doing the same thing. They woke up early to get to work and then came home only to watch TV, fall asleep and repeat. The most exciting times for both groups were the weekends. They celebrated their dull lives. Tried to fill it with excitement only to return back to the 9-5 lifestyle. Is that the way I truly wanted to live? I was unsure. There was a decision to be made. I could follow what everyone around me was doing or I could stick out like a sore thumb and listen to Napoleon Hill.
I called my dad. He loves me more than the world itself. Even though he was poor he always made sure I had what I wanted to have. He would give me the last dollar in his pocket and starve for a week. Truly if anyone wanted the best for me it was him. If I asked him for advice no doubt would he tell me to do what is best for me.
“Hello”
"Hey dad. What are you doing”
"Drinking. I’m at Joe’s. He’s got some steaks on the grill. You want me to bring you home one?”
“That would be awesome” Listen I have a question.”
"What’s that?”
"I’m thinking about quitting teaching karate to enroll in that real estate class and pursue that full time.”
“What?! You have been doing karate for 13 years now! You’re not quitting!”
“I’m not quitting karate. I’m still going to train. I just don’t want to have to be there so I can focus on other things that I think will financially benefit me for.”
“You’re not quitting your job!”
“Why?”
“Cause I fucking said so. That’s why. That shit is a scam. They just want your money.”
Click. I just hung up the phone. I did not want to here him yell. Deep down I knew he was going to freak out. Deep down I already knew what I wanted to do. There was a sense of fear inside of me. Fear is good though that means I’m growing. I knew what I had to do.
My only obstacle was the money. It would cost me $12,000 to enroll in this course. I knew I need a mentor as well. I could not do this alone. That is another $6,000. I only made $5,000 last year and had just enough in the bank to pay for my car insurance. It was going to take a miracle to pay the $18,000.
Napoleon told me through his writing that we can think money into our lives. I remember the story of the preacher who needed $1,000,000 to start a school and for an entire year thought about receiving that million dollars. Once he made the decision to obtain it he made a speech and someone gave him the million. I wanted to see if I could attract $18,000 into my life.
I quickly abolished any thought that I could not receive the money. And saw the $18,000 check on the screen of my mind. I then began to ask myself how. For several minutes I had no good ideas. I just kept assuring myself the I already had the money. Then the idea struck me like a lightning bolt from the heavens. There was only one person who had that amount of money saved up.
I thought to myself “If my grandfather says yes then wonderful, it is meant to be. If he says no then wonderful, I don’t lose anything.”
I called him up.
“Hey pop”
“Yea”
“Can I stop by?”
“Yea”
“Cool, I’ll be there in like 15-20 minutes”
I left immediately and took the 15 minute ride over. I kept that check on the screen of my mind.
I walked into his house. “Hey Pop.”
“Hi”
My grandfather is a man of few words.
“How are you doing?” I asked.
“Good.”
I felt nervous. The question I wanted to ask him was on the back of my mind. I felt like if I asked to soon he would think I just came for the money. That is why I came though. He’s going to know I only came for the money. I love my grandfather and would do anything for him. I felt almost guilty about asking for $18,000. That is a lot of money. I had to stall with more questions.
“Where is mommom at?”
“I think she went food shopping.”
That’s cool. What did you do for dinner?”
“Pizza, there’s some in there if you want it”
“Yea, I’ll grab a slice.”
I walked into the kitchen and got a slice of pizza. I thought to myself that I just have to suck it up and ask him as soon as I enter the living room.
I walked back in.
“Hey Pop. So you remember that free real estate seminar I went to?”
“Yea”
“Well they have an elite training program that teaches people how to make money in real estate. I want to take the wholesale class. So I would be putting properties under contract for little or no money down and then just assigning them to another investor. That investor would make anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000 or even more and I would just charge them an assignment fee of $2,000 to $15,000. I asked one of the people there if I borrowed the money from someone how fast I would be able to pay them back. She told me I should be able to pay them back in 6 months but to tell them 12 months just to be safe. Do you think you would be able to pay my tuition for me and I will pay you back by the end of the year?
“Yea”
I smiled and felt so joyous I wanted to jump of the couch through the roof and yell at the top of my lungs. My grandfather’s dull stature made me think otherwise.
“So how do you want to pay?”
“I don’t know.” he said with a shrug of the shoulders.
“How about you right me a check and I will have them electronically just take it out of my account.”
‘“Okay”
And just like that he signed my check to financial freedom. I wonder what my choice would have been if I had not chosen to read Think and Grow Rich.