I'm riveted by the biography of Napoleon Hill, the
author of the classic book "Think and Grow Rich."
Not only did this man struggle for 20 years to
write the definitive guide to success, but he
experienced poverty, his life was threatened, his
backers were murdered, he suffered from bouts
of hopelessness, and his family suffered beyond
all understanding.
His was not an overnight success.
One thing that stood out in Hill's life story was
his ability to turn the negative into the positive. He
always looked for what some people call that silver
lining in the dark cloud. As I thought about Hill's
life, I realized I've been noticing this ability to see
the good in the bad practiced by others, too.
I was at a meeting with my friend Mark Joyner,
Internet pioneer and bestselling author. I overheard
Mark talking to a man who had just gone through hell
due to the FTC. Mark listened to the man's sad story
and then said, "Turn it into something good."
This was remarkable advice. It's the kind of thing
Napoleon Hill would have said. It goes against what
most people ever even attempt to try. The whole idea of
taking whatever happens to you and turning it into
something good seems, at first glance, preposterous.
But this also seems to be a key to success. I
remember P.T. Barnum offering a to buy a rival's
elephant. He sent a telegram stating his offer. His
competitors took Barnum's telegram and ran it as an ad,
saying, "Here's what Barnum thinks of our elephant."
Instead of being upset, Barnum decided to join with
those competitors. That gave birth to the famous Barnum
& Bailey Circus. Barnum took the experience and turned
it into something good.
The other day Nerissa, my love, released her first
e-book at www.freevideoediting.com. She had a
small mistake on her site. When I went to promote
her site, I used the mistake as a way to get attention
for her e-book. I could have said, "Correct your site."
Instead I sent out an email that said, "There is a
mistake on her site. If you can spot it, I'll give you
a gift." This caused people to be curious, a powerful
motivator. It drove traffic to her site. Sales jumped.
What I, Barnum, Joyner, and Hill are doing is one
thing: Taking the so-called negative experiences in
life and turning them into something good. I call this
TIISG. It stands for Turn It Into Something Good.
You have the ability to do this. It's a choice. No
matter what happens, take a breath and ask, "How
can I turn this into something good?"
The question redirects your mind. Instead of
looking at the problem, you are now looking for
solutions. This is a brilliant way to learn how to
operate your own brain. You become the master,
not the slave, of your life.
Andrew Carnegie -- that tycoon who challenged
Napoleon Hill to undertake his 20 year quest to
uncover the secrets of success -- confessed that
the principle key to his own staggering success
was the ability to operate his own mind.
He told Hill, "I am no longer cursed by poverty
because I took possession of my own mind, and that mind
has yielded me every material thing I want, and much
more than I need. But this power of mind is a universal
one, available to the humblest person as it is to the
greatest."
It all begins with the basic TIISG question: "How
can I turn this into something good?"
The answer will bring you new choices, happiness,
and may lead to wealth you never dreamed of before.
Just remember TIISG.
Try it and see.
**************
Dr. Joe Vitale is President of Hypnotic Marketing,
Inc., and author of way too many books to list here,
including the #1 best-selling book "Spiritual
Marketing," the best-selling e-book "Hypnotic Writing,"
and the best-selling Nightingale-Conant audioprogram,
"The Power of Outrageous Marketing." His latest books
are the best-selling "The Greatest Money-Making Secret
in History" and "Adventures Within." Sign up for his
monthly newsletter, view his online catalog of books
and tapes, and browse other articles by him at
http://www.mrfire.com
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