"The Ghosts of Fear"

Well... I've made it. I started reading Napoleon Hill's book, Think and Grow Rich about 4 months ago. It was my "breakfast book".

When I'm home (which doesn't seem to be very often these days), during my ritualistic bowl of cereal, I read 2-3 pages of a personal improvement book. I've been doing it for years. (Note: For those who know, or care, I've switched from my beloved Frosted Mini Wheats to the gluten free, Cinnamon Flavored Rice Chex. Hey, I'm counting calories!)

The last chapter is called, "The Six Ghosts of Fear". I've enjoyed this chapter. So much so, that I find myself only finishing 1-2 pages each day. There have been so many discovered nuggets that I've purposefully re-read many paragraphs.

I thought I'd share some of those nuggets with you:

• "Indecision is the seedling of fear! Indecision crystallizes into doubt, the two blend and become fear. The blending process often is slow. This is one reason why these three enemies (indecision, doubt, and fear) are so dangerous. They germinate and grow without their presence being observed".

• "There are six basic fears, with some combination of which every human suffers at one time or another... Named in the order of there most common appearance, they are: POVERTY, CRITICISM, ILL HEALTH, LOST LOVE, OLD AGE, and DEATH

• "Fears are nothing more than states of mind. One's state of mind is subject to control and direction"

• "Nature has endowed man with absolute control over but one thing, and that is thought"

• "Self-analysis may disclose weaknesses which one does not like to acknowledge. This form of examination is essential to all who demand of life more than mediocrity and poverty"

• "Worry is a state of mind based upon fear. It works slowly but persistently. It is insidious and subtle"

• "Worry is a form of sustained fear caused by indecision: therefore it is a state of mind which can be controlled"

• "Kill the habit of worry, in all its forms, by reaching a general, blanket decision that nothing which life has to offer is worth the price of worry"

• "You have absolute control over but one thing, and this is your thoughts. This is the most significant and inspiring of all facts known to man!... If you fail to control your own mind, you may be sure you will control nothing else."

Here are those Six Fears once again:

• Poverty
• Criticism
• Ill Health
• Lost Love
• Old Age
• Death

Hill proceeds to offer symptoms of each fear. These sections of the chapter are the best reading!

My encouragement to you: Buy the book. You can buy by clicking the name of the book here: Think and Grow Rich

Once you've read it, start over. That's what I'm doing. Feed your mind with positive knowledge every day