I have been reading and studying Napoleon Hill’s “Success in 16 Lessons” for some time now. A very intriguing lesson is the twelfth lesson on concentration. Hill defines concentration as the act of focusing the mind upon a given desire until ways and means for its realization have been worked out and successfully put into operation. Or in other words, can you stay focused? The art of staying focused in this success lesson is to remain focused on your definite chief aim. Where do you want to be at the end of your life? This definite chief aim is the prize to stay focused on. Without absolute focus of the mind, success and happiness cannot be achieved.

The power of this particular lesson is what Hill calls the “Magic Key” of success. This “Magic Key” can unlock all of our desires. We can do or become anything we want to become with this “Magic Key”. Only the few ever took the time to learn of this “Magic Key” even though we all possess it. The “Magic Key” is the unwavering focus of concentration on your definite chief aim. Not only does our thoughts need to be positive and accurate but focused on the things we desire most. We are creators. Think about it this way, everything you see that is manmade started as an idea. Every building, chair, car, toothbrush and computer started as a simple idea in someone’s mind. Only the special few had the ability to concentrate past obstacles to achieve their idea into a real tangible object.

You can have anything you desire in life with this skill of controlling your thoughts. As Napoleon Hill wrote in his “Think and Grow Rich”, we all have this God given gift, if we just use it correctly. We become our thoughts. Even the Bible teaches in Proverbs 23:7 “for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he”. This to me personally is one of the most powerful lessons of the 16. We attract and become what we think about most often, so concentration and remaining focused on where we want to be is the “Magic Key” to fulfilling our own desires in life. No one nor nothing can stop us from becoming what we want to become, except our own thoughts.

The secret to success and happiness is summed up in this very powerful quote by Hill. He states “Until you have learned to be tolerant with those who do not always agree with you–until you have cultivated the habit of saying some kind word of those whom you do not admire–until you have formed the habit of looking for the good instead of the bad there is in others, you will be neither successful nor happy.” Think about the happiest person you know. Then think about the most miserable person you know. Then you realize how accurate this statement truly is by Hill.

Remember, change your thoughts and change your life beginning today.

“If you hesitate or turn backward while under fire, you’re not a fighter—you’re a quitter; and the devil himself, hates the person with a rubber backbone. He smells bad burning”—Napoleon Hill

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Tim Wilhoit is owner/principal of Your Friend 4 Life Insurance Agency in Nashville, TN. He is a family man, father of 3, entrepreneur, insurance agent, life insurance broker, salesman, sales trainer, recruiter, public speaker, blogger, author and team leader with over 28 years of experience in sales and marketing in the insurance and beverage industries.