Have you ever had someone “rattle your cage” lately? You know, the kind of wake-up call that makes you rethink everything. If you’re familiar with Napoleon Hill’s timeless classic Think and Grow Rich (written in 1928), you probably know it’s recommended by many aspiring entrepreneurs. Yet, despite its widespread popularity, it hasn’t created the global impact that one might expect from a book of its nature. It makes you wonder, are we really thinking?
This brings us back to the famous quote by French philosopher René Descartes: “Cogito, ergo sum” — “I think, therefore I am.” Think about that for a moment. Does it mean that if we don’t think, we don’t exist? On a deeper level, the statement holds profound meaning. But on a surface level, many of us merely think we exist. Most people aren’t truly thinking — they are simply following patterns. Society, as we know it, is just an illusion, a conditioned reality. It’s like the “emperor has no clothes” scenario — it only seems real because everyone participates, but at its core, it’s all a façade.
Conditioned “thought” isn’t true thinking. If we act out of automatic responses to conditioning, we will inevitably remain poor — or in debt, which is essentially the same thing. The reason most people struggle financially isn’t because they lack intelligence, but because their minds are shaped by patterns, not genuine thought.
Take, for example, how people spend their time and money. If you think it’s more important to watch the Super Bowl than to engage with your own life, you’re choosing to remain stuck. If you think smoking a $40 carton of cigarettes is “cool” or necessary, you’re setting yourself up for poverty. If you believe that the country is a “democracy” (it’s actually a republic, but most are conditioned not to know the difference), you’re likely limiting your perspective. If you believe the government is looking out for you, or that a job — any job — is the answer to your problems, you’re missing the bigger picture. The list goes on.
Many people stay poor because they’ve been conditioned to believe that business is inherently evil, that network marketing is a scam, or that others, like friends and family who have never achieved success, know better. They may say things like, “You get what you pay for,” or “The grass is always greener on the other side.” They’re trapped in beliefs that limit their potential.
Even if you’re a woman or a person of color who feels they can’t succeed, ask yourself why you’re trying to make it in someone else’s world. Making it “there” is a struggle for most people, regardless of gender or race. True success comes from realizing that “here” — your mind — is where you have the power. If you use your mind, you can think and grow rich, but only if you free yourself from the shackles of conditioned thought.