Conceiving *and* Believing

Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve. – Napoleon Hill

Napoleon Hill is a giant in the self-development canon. He is revered, and oft-quoted, by many.

But many mis-understand – and un-duly dismiss – one of his more famous quotes.

When Hill says anything we can conceive and believe, we can achieve, people scoff and dismiss such as pie-in-the-sky, head-in-the-clouds nonsense.

But they don’t read the quote fully, or properly.

To achieve something they must both conceive of it and believe in it.

Believing in something means:

You will do the work to achieve it.

You’ll continue act in the seeming absence of progress at times.

You’ll keep going when you “fail” and adjust based on what you learn.

You’ll ask for help when you need guidance and support.

When you do those sorts of things, then you’ll achieve it.

But not until.

Similar Posts

  • A View of Leadership

    There is the timeless, changeless core: our humanity — that which we truly ARE, what we have always been (regardless of our (sometimes) behavior to the contrary). And then there is the external: behavior — that which must interact and adapt, this is what leaders DO. The core is who they are, behavior is what they do….

  • What Do You Believe, For You?

    Our aspirations are our possibilities. – Robert Browning I can’t guarantee that you will achieve everything you attempt. In fact, I’m sure you (and I) won’t succeed 100% of the time. But, we almost guarantee that we won’t achieve something, if we don’t believe we can. When we have ideas about what we want and…

  • Why Are We Here, Really?

    The purpose of our lives is to give birth to the best which is within us. – Marianne Williamson What is the purpose of a seed? To germinate and grow into something; a mighty oak for example. What is the purpose of your life? Well, you’ve already germinated, what are you growing into? Are you…

  • Hope v. Expectation

    Here’s a short, but oh so sweet, post from Seth Godin: Hope and expectation Hope is fuel, it moves us forward and it amplifies our best work. Expectation is the killer of joy, the shortest route to disappointment. When we expect that something will happen, we can’t help but be let down… *  *  *…