Book Summary - The Master-Key to Riches - Written by Napoleon Hill

This book in a nutshell is a must read for anybody wanted to improve their lives. Regardless of what area you want to improve, Napoleon Hill shows the Master-Key works. Napoleon Hill died in 1970 at 87 years old. Thus the research he did was way ahead of his time. He profiled Andrew Carnegie who created U.S. Steel and mentored Charles Schwab. Andrew Carnegie commissioned Napoleon Hill to profile successful people to see if there was a pattern. This book along with Think and Grow Rich is a combination of that research.

Why is this important to me?

If I was spending my precious time listening to this video then the first question I would ask is - Why is this important to me?

This is important because Mr. Hill explains the 12 riches of life and how to achieve them. Are you where you want to be or do you need help defining true happiness? The study of the 12 riches and the Master-Key defined in this book will give you the blueprint for happiness.

The 12 Riches of Life are: 1. Positive Mental Attitude, 2. Sound Physical Health, 3. Harmony in Human Relationships, 4. Freedom from Fears, 5. The Hope of Achievements, 6. The Capacity of Faith, 7. Willingness to Share One's Blessings, 8. A labor of Loves, 9. An Open Mind on All Subjects, 10, Self-discipline, 11. The capacity to Understand People, 12. Economic Security.

All 12 riches are important but for the sake of time we will dig into three of them in this summary.

1. Positive Mental Attitude - Mental attitude is important because it converts the brain into the equivalent of an electro-magnet which attracts the counterpart of one's dominating thoughts, aims and purposes. It also attracts the counterpart of one's fears, worries and doubts. This basically means that you will manifest in your life that which you focus on regardless if it is positive or negative.

2. Sound Physical Health - This one is self-evident and should be number one. In my humble opinion, without health, you cannot create anything. Health is the ultimate gift because with it, everything else is possible. This can easily be taken for granted but once it is taken from you then life changes instantly. This needs to be a priority for everybody.

3. The Capacity to Understand People: The person who truly understands people knows that we all come from the same core. The nine emotions common, according to the book are: love, sex, desire of material gain, self-preservation, freedom from body and mind, self-expression, desire for perpetuation of life and death, anger and fear. The capacity to understand others eliminates many of the common causes of friction among men.

The Master-Key is a combination of 17 principles when used in combination will allow you to achieve the 12 Riches of Life.

The Master-Key consists of:

1) Habit of going the extra mile
2) Definiteness of Purpose
3) The Master mind
4) Applied Faith
5) Pleasing Personality
6) Habit of learning from defeat
7) Creative Vision
8) Personal Initiative
9) Accurate Thinking
10) Self-Discipline
11) Concentration of Endeavor
12) Co-operation
13) Enthusiasm
14) The Habit of Health
15) Budgeting Time and Money
16) Golden Rule Applied 17) Cosmic habit force.

For the sake of time we will profile three of the seventeen.

1. Definiteness of Purpose - Highly successful people have a defined purpose. Mother Teresa dedicated her life in helping the poor of Calcutta and through her definite purpose became world renowned and helped millions of people.

2. The Master Mind - is a group of people that have expertise that can be leveraged toward your defined purpose. Leveraging the combined OPE (Other People's expertise) gives a compound effect to the desired result.

3. Habit going the Extra Mile - I like this one because the 12 Riches of Life can NOT be attained without hard, smart and right work. You have to do the thing to have the power!!!! Notice this is the HABIT of going the extra mile. Ingrain this in your mind and you will not be disappointed with the results.

I hope you have found this short summary useful. The key to any new idea is to work it into your daily routine until it becomes habit.

Habits form in as little as 21 days. I highly recommend you read this book and put the principles in place. To take one thing away from the summary and make it habit will be the "Habit of Going the Extra Mile". Put this front and center and it will help you in everything you do.

According to Mr. Hill, Going the extra mile by doing more than one is paid for - "It is the strange influence which it has on the person who does it. The greatest benefit from this habit does not come to those to whom the service is rendered. It comes to the one who renders the service, in the form of a changed "mental attitude," which gives him more influence with other people, more self-reliance, greater initiative, more enthusiasm, more vision and definiteness of purpose. Do the thing and you shall have the power!!!!

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Start Over Finish Rich Audio by David Bach

In the Start Over Finish Rich Audio by David Bach, the term "recession" is given a totally new meaning. In recent years, jobs have been lost and along with those losses, the people in general have fallen into poverty. It doesn't take a genius to figure out why this has happened. Obviously yes, the loss of jobs and a failing economy have contributed much to the misfortune that has fallen upon millions of US citizens, but more than anything else, the way people have perceived the recession has had a much more negative affect than the actual recession itself.

In the Start Over Finish Rich Audio, David Bach explains how to turn the recession around so that it can work for you. You don't have to perceive the recession as something negative. It's perfectly understandable why someone would be upset after losing their job. After all, without a job, you're out of money. Without money, you can't pay your bills or afford to maintain your nice home. Ultimately, without cash, you're broke and out on your own - if not out on the streets or living off of your relatives and friends until you can "get back up on your feet".

The feeling of inadequacy that not having a job creates is indescribable. Your self-esteem sinks to an all-time low and consequently, you'll end up feeling worthless because you don't have a job. Not to mention, the feeling that you get from others when they find out you're unemployed and living with others because you've lost your home and have no money to get a new one. There is also the feeling you get when you see someone who is successful and wonder how they do it. What most people don't realize is that it is their thinking that determines their fate. How you perceive the recession will ultimately determine what happens next. Will you assume that you have fallen into complete and utter poverty, or will you take advantage of the supposed "loss" and start a new life, one that you've always wanted?

With the Start Over Finish Rich Audio by David Bach, you'll quickly find out that not all is lost. You will be taught to understand exactly how you can rebuild your future so that it never falls through again. You'll also discover how to update your real estate plan so that there are no worries as to whether or not you will lose your home - obviously as so many others have due to the recent recession. It's quite possible you've lost yours as well. Another thing you'll discover how to get out of debt, take smart risks, change how you think about money, and find out how to create a mastermind retirement plan.

The Start Over Finish Rich Audio by David Bach provides all the tools and skills needed to come up with the best plan for your financial future you'll ever come across. There is no point in worrying about the future. Just like the old saying goes - "When life gives you lemons, make lemon aide". With this bestselling audio, that's exactly what you'll learn how to do.

Please visit The Personal Development Company if you would like to learn more about Start Over Finish Rich Audio by David Bach

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Start Late, Finish Rich - Part Five

Are you wondering if it's too late for you to enjoy your retirement? In "Start Late, Finish Rich" David Bach explains how you can not just finish rich, but live rich. His suggestion in the final part of his book may seem counter-intuitive. In part five he recommends that you give more. But, if you're trying to save as much as possible, how can giving more possibly help?

Part Five: Give More, Live More

David Bach ends his book with his take on the familiar saying: money isn't everything. When it comes right down to it, while money is important, it can't buy everything-especially happiness. Bach insists that happiness comes from living a life of meaning and encourages his readers to have a higher purpose than money.

If you are a Christian (and maybe even if you aren't) you are probably familiar with the concept of tithing. Here Bach moves this concept out of Christianity and applies the idea of tithing to the rest of the world, calling it a law of nature; the more you give to others, the more comes back to you. He expands this concept to go beyond giving money, to include giving your time, energy and talent.

We tend to believe that the United States is fairly insulated from the problems other nations experience. We are, after all, one of the most prosperous countries in the world. But, did you know that 33 million people in the U.S. don't know when or where their next meal will be and that 8 million people regularly go hungry? Did you know that 3.5 million Americans have no place to live? And this is a wealthy country! Worldwide 1 in 5 people are malnourished and 6 million children die each year from hunger and malnutrition.

Bach's remedy not only for the world but for your happiness is to donate a portion of your income to charity. Technically, a tithe is 10%. But Bach stretches the envelope on this as well saying any percentage is fine, just give. He states that most people who achieve great wealth give and that their giving becomes a magnet for abundance in their lives.

In case you're wondering, Bach is true to form in this area as well and encourages you to make your giving automatic. Don't allow yourself the opportunity to back out, change your mind, lower the amount, or decide to "make it up next month." Find a reputable charity and arrange to have your donation automatically deducted from your bank account each month.

He provides a lot of excellent resources on-line to help you find a reputable charity to donate your time and money to.

Giving isn't his only advice. He also encourages his readers to live more, or live rich. Most people plan to really start enjoying life when they retire. Think about it. That's a pretty sad plan. Why would you want to spend most of your life with your nose to the grindstone in the hopes that someday when you retire, you will finally be able to relax and enjoy life? The fact is you can enjoy life now. There is no "do over" button, this is it!

Bach leads you through a series of questions and exercises to determine what living rich means to you. Then he encourages you to start incorporating that richness into your daily living now. He asks simple questions like: What makes you happy? What isn't working in your life? What is working in your life?

Bach believes that the purpose of your life is joy and provides four principles to help you experience a rich life now.

Become connected with your truthStop judging yourselfStop judging othersPursue fun with a vengeance

Finally, Bach closes his book by saying that just because you started late doesn't mean your kids have to do the same thing. He discusses eleven lessons to teach your kids (or someone else's) to live and finish rich. These lessons include being a business owner instead of an employee; the miracle of compound interest; buying a home vs. renting; credit card debt; tithing; and dreaming big.

In short, I think David Bach has written a valuable book. You may not agree with everything he says, but you will be hard-pressed to not find something you can take to heart and use to improve your circumstances. I give "Start Late, Finish Rich" 4 out of 5 stars and plan to loan my copy out to others who I think will benefit from his advice.

My name is Cheree Miller. I'm not a financial counselor or legal advisor. In fact, I've made some poor choices in my life. I've been broke, with creditors calling, writing, and sending court summons. I've had my bank account garnished and wondered how I was going to feed my family. But, I can tell you that you can learn to make good choices where your money is concerned. You can get out of debt if you remain focused on the end goal instead of wallowing around in a pity pool feeling sorry for yourself. Better yet, you can retire rich if you start saving for your retirement now!

Life was meant to be enjoyed. For more resources on getting out of debt and living debt free, visit http://www.imdebtfree.net/. While you're there, sign up for my free newsletter with more tips on how to get and stay debt free, and receive my free report "101 Powerful Tips for Legally Improving Your Credit Score".

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