Wealth Creation Blog

“Success requires no explanations. Failure permits no alibis.”

This is another jewel of a quote taken from Napoleon Hill’s classic empowerment and wealth creation text, Think and Grow Rich. You can download the free, updated, modernized version at my site—its updated title is Mindset Mastery. Before we get into the meat of this quote, let’s take a quick look at it again:

“Success requires no explanations. Failure permits no alibis.”

I find this quote quite striking and meaningful. What is that meaning?

Success Requires No Explanations

Let’s talk about this first half first. What does it mean that success requires no explanations?

To me it means that success speaks for itself. To me it does not mean that you are not accountable to integrity, ethics, and just being in general a good person, but it does mean that you can disregard all the nay-sayers and negative, cynical people. You can stop worrying about them and what they think and pursue your own dreams and goals. As you begin to enjoy success and achieve those goals, and that success grows to even greater wealth, you will have all the “explanation” you need—in accomplishment and deeds, without wasting any of your precious resources of time and energy.

Failure Permits No Alibis

So then, what does this mean? That failure permits no alibis?

Alibi is just another word for excuse. To me it means that there are no excuses for failure. Failure is a harsh and unforgiving character, and will not care why you think you failed. It will just continue to be. However, you can find the reasons and turn that failure into success by learning and changing and not letting temporary defeat be the end of you. That choice is yours, too.

This is another example of the wisdom Napoleon Hill left to us. Consider it, weigh it, learn from it, and decide what these words mean to you—and what meaning they will have in your life and success.

Sean Rasmussen
Success Communicator
Aussie Internet Marketer © 2004 – 2009

What’s the worst that could happen?

If you’re trying to overcome the fear and unknown of ‘What If‘ this is an essential question to ask yourself. For many of us, it’s the one thing that can finally get you over the hump and finally onto the path of wealth creation and success.

Fearing The Unknown

The only reason that ‘What If’ has any power over us is that it is the unknown element—the unknown factor that drives us down with fear and unpredictability. As I said in one of our recent discussions, that doesn’t make the most sense because there is nothing to say that the unknown is a negative—it could and should be positive as long as it is backed with your positive spirit of success and the mindset that you need to support it. However, good or ‘bad’, temporary setback or great success, you can diminish the power of the unknown factor by expecting it and preparing for it.

Diminishing The Power Of the Unknown

All it really takes to lessen the fear of the unknown is some known elements. Think through your strategy for wealth and your processes. Look at what will be changing in your life, and then figure out this one thing:

What is the worst that could happen?

Usually once you answer this question and devise some secondary plans of action in the event of temporary defeat, you see that even the worst that could happen is not so bad. Guaranteed, it’s nothing that you can’t manage.

In some ways this is a type of ‘disaster’ planning, albeit for a disaster that isn’t really one. If you can see your way through the murk and figure out ways to still come out ahead, you’ll have a new sense of ability and accomplishment, and you’ll have taken the wind right out from under the wings of fear.

Sean Rasmussen
Success Communicator
Aussie Internet Marketer © 2004 – 2009

What if may be holding far too many of us back, but it can actually be quite easily overcome. Primarily, it’s that good old mindset thing that you need.

How You Can Stop What If In Its Tracks

There are a few steps that you can take, and probably more you can add and share, to get over the fear-based notion of ‘what if’ that may be holding you back from wealth creation. Let’s look at a few.

• Stay one step ahead. If you just stay one step ahead of the “unknown” then you will have something to ‘catch’ you on the other side. You may not be able to know the outcome of the whole, but if you just prepare for the next step and then the next, and have in place what you need for each step, you will make steady progress with the confidence not to worry overly much over events far off in the future.

• Build your own empire. The least control you have is in events you place in the control of others—for instance, your job, your financial control. Maximise your outcome by being in the seat of control for your life.

• Accept it. Accept that there is ALWAYS a ‘what if’ factor in life. Know that it is there, but do not let it control your life. Know that you can preempt it with a good plan, attitude, and mindset. Know that you are a smart, confident, capable person who can overcome obstacles that do arrive (because they will) and just know that that is life—life worth living and enjoying! Rise to the challenge!

You can’t always know the unknown, but you can prevent it from controlling your life. Start with these three suggestions and do share your own ideas, either here or at the wealth creation forum. Everything is better when we learn from each other!

Sean Rasmussen
Success Communicator
Aussie Internet Marketer © 2004 – 2009

Did you know you are already independently wealthy? That you already, today, have every single thing that it takes to be wealthy? And as we know from our lessons of be, do, have, from [Name Withheld], once you BE wealthy, all you have to do is take those wealthy actions to HAVE money, success, and wealth.

Your Wealth List

Looking at your bank balance, perhaps you find it tough to believe that you are already wealthy. Let’s look at all the things you have going for you that are creating wealth for you.

• Brains. You have all the brains and intelligence it takes to build wealth. Making money and building wealth is not complex; there are plenty of ways to do it with a little knowledge and the ability to read. I know you’ve got that if you’ve gotten this far.
• Mindset. Building wealth is at least 90% mindset, and probably more. Set your mind to success, and it will be yours.
• Attitude. Very closely related to mindset, and in some people’s mind it is the same. I think of your attitude as your emotional health towards money and wealth and opportunity. See that yours is positive, and success will follow closely on its heals.
• Money. Think you don’t have any? I beg to differ. There is practically always money to start in wealth creation. Building an internet marketing business like mine takes only an internet and computer access—which you obviously have. What you need to do is decide to use at least a portion of your money for your purposes, and stop letting outside creditors have all the control.
• Motivation. You have motivation, you’re here. You are motivated to build wealth and do better. You may need to work a little harder to keep that motivation at first, but stick around and we’ll help you out
• Dedication. Dedicate your actions to your goals and your wealth and success. With a good mindset and dedication to see it through, you are an unstoppable wealth-creating force.

You see the list of necessities for building wealth is not long, and is not at all unattainable. It is also not all about money—you’ll notice money is only one very small factor here. You have everything that it takes to start creating wealth today. What else are you waiting for?

Sean Rasmussen
Success Communicator
Aussie Internet Marketer © 2004 – 2009

You can give your child (children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and others) the greatest educational gift of all. After love and support, this is the most effective thing that you could do to secure the lives of the children in your life.

The Gift

That gift is, of course, the gift of positive mindset and financial attitude. It’s a simple gift to give, but it will set those children up for the most prosperous and free future possible. Imagine if someone had given you such a gift, how much better off you would be.

Giving the gift of positive mindset and financial attitude is easy. There is no formal course necessary, and it costs you nothing but time and meaningful interaction. All you need to do is talk with your children and teach them along the way and during those learning moments of life. You’ll find the opportunities to impart these gifts are many and varied. That simplicity and accessibility does not demean their importance, though; this is the best thing you could do to secure your child’s financial future.

A Better Foot Forward

This is directly related to the last couple of conversations we had, where we talked about how the direct and indirect money lessons and attitudes and opinions towards money have affected your life and your ability to successfully build wealth. Most people are raised thinking that money is ‘evil’ or is not ‘everything’ and that there is essentially no use striving for it—all only because of the justifications we’ve been raised with for not having it. These are the financial attitudes that you have to work to correct now, and we all know that change as an adult is easier said than done.

Imagine, though, how easily you could prevent that sort of attitude and financial mindset for your child or children. Imagine how much better off they would be from the very beginning of their independent lives if you did. Imagine your children living an entire life of wealth creation without any of the mental or emotional roadblocks that you had to come to terms with.

You could give your child the most useful financial gift of all without even spending a dime. Just with your time and attention and positive example, the children who touch your life could prosper each and every day of their lives. What a wonderful world that would be!

Sean Rasmussen
Success Communicator
Aussie Internet Marketer © 2004 – 2009