37The name of the book was The Master Key to Riches
by Napoleon Hill. It sat on my shelf for quite awhile. I
didn’t believe in motivational books or self-help. They
were for weak and gullible fools. I was finally persuaded
to read the book by the word richesin the title. Riches
would be a welcome addition to my life. Riches were
probably what I needed to make me happy and wipe out
my troubles.
What the book actually did was a lot more than in-
crease my earning capacity (although by practicing the
principles in the book, my earnings doubled in less than
a year). Napoleon Hill’s advice ultimately sparked a fire
in me that changed my entire life.
I soon acquired an ability that I would later realize
was self-motivation. After reading that book, I read all
of Napoleon Hill’s books. I also began buying motiva-
tional audiobooks for listening to in my car and for play-
ing by my bed as I went to sleep each night. Everything
I had learned in school, in college, and from my family
and friends was out the window. Without fully under-
standing it, I was engaging in the process of completely
rebuilding my own thinking. I was, thought by thought,
replacing the old cynical and passive orientation to life
with a new optimistic and energetic outlook.
So, what is this master key to riches?
“The great master key to riches,” said Hill, “is noth-
ing more or less than the self-discipline necessary to
help you take full and complete possession of your own
mind. Remember, it is profoundly significant that the
only thing over which you have complete control is your
own mental attitude.”
Taking complete possession of my own mind would
be a lifelong adventure, but it was one that I was ex-
cited about beginning.
Find your master key