“Those who make decisions quickly and definitely know what they want and usually get it. Leaders in all walks of life decide quickly and firmly. This is the main reason they are leaders.” Napoleon Hill
As a young man, Napoleon Hill interviewed Andrew Carnegie, who gave him an interesting assignment. He said: “I would like you to interview 500 of the world’s richest men and find out how they achieved their wealth.” Hill was probably thinking, “Wow, that’s pretty amazing.” Carnegie then added two additional caveats: he felt that this task would take Napoleon at least twenty years to accomplish and he would not pay him a penny to do it.
Napoleon had a choice: he could stay comfortable where he was, pursue his career in journalism and support his wife and family in traditional ways, or he could change the world.
What Napoleon did not know was that Carnegie had a timer under his desk set for sixty seconds, after which the offer was off. Carnegie believed that successful people could make decisions quickly and change them slowly. Without hesitation, Hill said “Yes” to his offer and the rest is history. For the next twenty years, Napoleon connected with the most powerful and richest men in the world. He also interviewed many failures in the process. In researching him, Hill ultimately discovered thirteen keys to success, revealing the foundation for the success principles we espouse today.
Can you imagine if Napoleon called his friends to tell them about the deal? “Hey, Andrew Carnegie made me this great offer. He’s going to introduce me to a group of millionaires and I get to interview them for the next twenty years. He won’t even pay me to do it.”
What do you think his friends would have said? “Are you CRAZY? What do you mean he’s not going to pay you? Do you know how much money that man has? You’d have to be an idiot to accept that kind of offer.”
Fortunately, Napoleon listened to his instinct. Think about how you make your decisions. Do you speak and trust the opinions of others? Or are you committed to your cause and let yourself be carried away by your intuition? It makes the difference. When we take the time to enter the silence and listen to our inner guidance, we receive the exact information when we need it. The next step is to act and follow his instincts. I know it has happened to me more than once that I ignored “a feeling” and lived to regret it. On the other hand, when I pay attention, I get rewarded.
When my medical sales position was eliminated, it never crossed my mind to return to the competitive world of sales. I knew I had an opportunity to pursue my own dreams and goals that I wouldn’t have had if I was still working 60-80 hour weeks. Although I was afraid; even when facing financial difficulties due to not having a constant income; Even with the incredible ups and downs of entrepreneurship, I never doubted my decision. More than three years later, I am still strong, loving life and making a difference.
Intuition rules: pay attention to yours today.
