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

In his book, Napoleon Hill did not leave us dangling and not explaining his previous quote (of yesterday’s post). The man was always careful to offer a full explanation.

When Wealth Arrives

“Wealth, when it comes in huge quantities, is never the result of hard work! Wealth comes, if at all, in response to definite demands, based on the application of definite principles, and not by chance or luck.”

If I could teach you one thing about building wealth (in addition to the vital importance of the wealth mindset), it would probably be what is encompassed in that sentence. While I am all for people being self made, and while action is required of each and every one of us in order to build wealth, it is important to understand that it takes so much more than just working hard to get anywhere. You have to focus that hard work and effort in ways that can create wealth, and also mold your efforts with the principles that create wealth—the principles that are common to all wealthy people, the guidebook by which wealthy people operate and build wealth (the principles that you’ll find in Hill’s Mindset Mastery book).

To build wealth and achieve financial freedom you cannot leave your life to chance or some stroke of luck. So do what I did; stop buying up lottery tickets and hoping to strike it big, and instead put your energy into believing in yourself. Demand that life give you wealth. Learn and apply the principles for building wealth. Work hard if you like to, but accompany that work with effective planning and actions, and positive mindset. We waste a lot of our mental and physical energy in ineffective methods of obtaining money—many that were always next to hopeless. Free your energy and direct it toward wealth, and it will certainly follow.

Sean Rasmussen
Success Communicator
Aussie Internet Marketer © 2004 - 2009

Hard work and honesty—we’re raised to believe they are the two keys to anything that you want in life. But is this really the magic combination that equates to wealth? Or is there something missing in this formula?

Napoleon Hill On Hard Work + Honesty

“If you are one of those who believe that hard work and honesty alone will bring riches, banish the thought!”

Chalk this up as another post inspired by the great Napoleon Hill. It was this one single quote from his updated version of Think and Grow Rich, re-titled Mindset Mastery, that inspired me today.

These are strong, but meaningful words that he writes. Banish the idea that you can simply work hard, be honest, and magically be wealthy. But why? Isn’t it moral to work hard and be honest? Is there something wrong with these noble traits?

Certainly not. If you read carefully, Hill says nothing of the sort. What he does say is that these two characteristics ALONE will not bring riches. There is most definitely something missing from this equation. Unfortunately, the traditional education and upbringing does not enter anything else into your life’s equation. We are taught to work hard and be honest, and that success will follow. But I think it’s easy to see where just these two things alone will get you. There are plenty of examples all around, every day.

Where Does Hard Work And Honesty Get You?

Let me say unequivocally now that working hard and being honest are important life traits. These two characteristics are not to be banished, simply built upon and added to. Along with them you would need also traits such as positivity, a wealthy mindset, motivation, action, and dedication.

If working hard and being honest by themselves were enough to build wealth, we would have very few poor people in the world. In my experience, most people are hard working and honest, but that alone has not allowed them to get ahead and create wealth. To do that, more needs to be added to the mix. Hard work and integrity are excellent foundations, but more needs to be added to the mix to solidify that footing.

Sean Rasmussen
Success Communicator
Aussie Internet Marketer © 2004 - 2009

One of the great benefits of wealth creation is that it is an endeavour which can be undertaken on your own. You, independently and with just the power of your mindset and attitude, can create wealth. You, all by yourself, have everything that it takes to create wealth. But just having what it takes and having the potential to go it alone does not mean that you have to.

A Time For Everything

As with so many things, creating wealth is one of those things that is so often made easier by the guidance, help, and support of others. When you reach out and accept the help of others you gain valuable information and insight, support and motivation, ideas and examples, or even something as simple as a sounding board to bounce ideas off of for brainstorming and planning.

Obviously there are many ways in which you can benefit from the connection with others throughout your journey to wealth. The beauty part of it, too, is that you can involve or reach out to others as much or as little as you want—you are in control of your life, time, wealth creation path, and all that goes into it.

Multiple Wealth Creation Resources

There are an abundance of wealth creation resources that will educate, help, and inspire you along the way. This blog and my other investment, money-making, and wealth creation blogs are just one such example. There are also books and seminars and courses for developing wealth. My journey started very simply with resources like these, at the very beginning with just a few books (Robert Kiyosaki and Napoleon Hill, Wallace Wattles being among my most recommended wealth creation authors). Another source not to be overlooked, particularly for brainstorming, motivation, and support, are wealth creation forums and membership sites.

While in your local circles you may find yourself quite alone on the path to creating wealth, online you never are. Take advantage of these priceless resources and get the support you need to build wealth and achieve the life of your dreams.

Sean Rasmussen
Success Communicator
Aussie Internet Marketer © 2004 - 2009

In one of our posts last week I quoted that pioneering wealth-creation writer, Napoleon Hill. If you recall the quote referenced the only real limitation to wealth and success, that being our imagination. The limits we place on our own imagination and belief in ourselves are the only things that limit our ability to create wealth.

With that said, today I’d like to bring to light a different type of limitation, and one that can very effectively work in your favor. Everyone has a place in their lives and in their wealth creation plans for these types of limits.

Limit Outside Control

The limits I am referring to are the outside controls, influences, and roadblocks that we allow to be placed in our paths. In other words, the amount of time, life, energy, and focus that we allow other people and entities to take from us, and thus away from our plans and goals to build wealth.

Too often, and I see this a lot in the types of people who create wealth (many of them being generous souls who want to help others—which is commendable, but can get out of hand), we let other factions control our lives. We let them control our time schedules, what we do, how we do it, and we let them control all the energy and time that we have reserved for ourselves, for creating wealth of our own. It does not take long for this to become an all-encompassing power that leaves us with virtually no time left to attend to building wealth and achieving the financial freedom and life freedom that we desire.

An Exercise In Irony

The truly ironic thing about this is that if we were better at taking the time and focusing on what is most important for our well-being, we could build into our lives fairly easily the freedom of time and money that would allow us to give more freely of ourselves, and be able to be of more assistance to those whom we choose to help along.

Most of the time limitations are not something we want to build into our plans to create wealth; but there does certainly come a time when this is warranted, and if you are to be truly successful you will need to build this essential skill. It doesn’t mean you need to grow hard-hearted and never help another, but it does mean you need to set you as a priority to achieve the most fulfilling, truest, most balanced life for you and for all of those who you will choose to help now and in the future.

Sean Rasmussen
Success Communicator
Aussie Internet Marketer © 2004 - 2009