I TOOK A WALK WITH NAPOLEAN HILL…  

It’s become part of my routine to walk (and, on occasion, even jog) and listen to audio books in the morning. It started with a walk with Brian Tracy and listening to him on the topic of Self-Discipline and his book, No Excuses: The Power of Self-Discipline. I loved my walk with him so much that I bought his book and I am sure I will listen to the audio again. 

These walks are inspiring, and I have found that I enjoy exercising more because of the company that I keep.

Whenever I spend time with someone that I think is insightful and inspirational, I feel the need to take time to reflect. That’s how My Morning Walk journal (or blog) was born. 

This is an excerpt from my reflections on the first chapter of Think & Grow Rich. In his book, Napoleon Hill shares a variety stories in sections with titles like The Inventor and the Tramp, Sly Disguises of Opportunityand A Fifty-Cent Lesson in Persistence in his book. Like a fable, the stories are meant to make you take pause and learn a valuable lesson. The one that struck a chord with me on this particular day was Three Feet From Gold.

“One of the most common causes of failure is the habit of quitting when one is overtaken by temporary defeat. Every person is guilty of this mistake at one time or another.”  – Napolean Hill 

The story shared in the Three Feet From Gold section of Chapter 1 is about a man name R.U. Darby that was smacked by “the fever” in the gold-rush days. Darby made his way west and indeed, he found gold. He borrowed money and went about the business of mining his fortunes. After some marginal success, Darby ran into issues with his equipment. It wasn’t long after that the treasured vein of gold ore disappeared. He decided to quit. Darby sold his equipment to a junkman for a couple of hundred dollars and moved on.

But the story does not end there. That junkman later came back to the mine and did further research. After bringing on a Consultant, it was determined that Darby had stopped just three feet shy of the real bounty! In the end, Hill points out that the junkman made millions because he knew enough to look for expert counsel before abandoning hope.

Why did this story ring loudly for me? 

They say, in life, you get messages as you are ready to receive them. In fact, Hill is clear on this point even early in his book.

Lately, I have talked to several people that had started and stopped a particular marketing initiative before they could see the fruits of their labor. This was true when I recently spoke to someone that had invested $800 in online advertising. He quit when he didn’t see results. What he didn’t realize is that in his market, it takes a minimum of $1,000 to see the return on investment. Instead of investing what was needed, he gave up – and wasted $800.

Perhaps, if he had worked with someone with more expertise in the field of marketing (a Consultant), he would have known how close he was to success and gone the extra mile. Or perhaps he would have re-directed the $800 to a more viable initiative, if that were all he could truly afford.

While I point out the marketing connection in Three Feet From Gold, I am not beyond seeking expert advice either. Having your own business is hard. There are many facets that you need to deal with, and it is impossible to be a skilled at them all. The pace does not stop or slow down for the learning curve either. Three Feet From Gold confirmed that my decision to hire a business consultant was a good one.

Thank you for the insight, Mr. Hill. I look forward to walking with you again tomorrow.

What have you learned from the occasions in life when you gave up too soon? Would you have done things differently if you had a consultant? I’d love to hear your story…