The Birth of DESIRE

My brother Rob had the idea the other day to read "Think and Grow Rich" together. I also know he suggested it to other leaders we work with. He said, "I'm going back to what I know works for me. Reading T.A.G.R. over and over and having a Depth focus (strategic structure for most leverage in community building) which builds total belief and gets results. Let's do it together!" I thank him for his humility, his hunger and his friendship. I'm grateful to have such rich associations with Rob and Kenyon and others like them on our leadership team.

Going through my tattered, note ridden copy, I've picked up some more nuggets on The Inner Voice. I truly believe this to be the key in Mastering today's chaotic Context, seeing through the confusion and uncovering one's destiny.

"The whole course of things goes to teach us faith. We need only obey. There is guidance for each of us, and by lowly listening, we shall hear the right word." Emerson

Napoleon Hill , in the timeless classic "Think and Grow Rich", explains that the starting point for all achievement is DESIRE, but I would add that a righteous desire can only be birthed from our inner guidance system, otherwise known as the blessed impulse or the inner voice. As Emerson states, we listen for the right word, or flash, or hunch as it's communicated through pictures in our mind's eye and this leads to an increase in desire to make this idea into reality.

It was a father's desire that his son, born with no ears, would one day hear and speak as any one else. Mr. Hill left himself no other option but to commit to that desire, which then transferred through his thoughts and actions to his son. This then took over in the form of conviction in the son that he would not only overcome this challenge but that the challenge itself was actually an advantage. He taught his son that every adversity brings with it the seed of an equivalent advantage. Then, through persistence and learning, the son came upon a hearing device that introduced him to a whole new world of sounds. With this device, the son not only learned how to hear and speak, but he figured out a way to market this new product to the hearing impaired all over the world. This course of action would change the lives of many, many people by introducing them to a new world of sound that was thought of as all but closed off to them before.

Read the following example of how Napoleon Hill's son, like his father, also learned to listen to the inner voice. [I love the irony of the boy that can't hear who acquires the skill of listening].

With the sudden discovery of this new electrical hearing device, Napoleon Hill's son wrote an enthusiastic letter to the manufacturer describing his experience. The company then invited him to come see their factory in New York. "When he arrived, he was escorted through the factory, and while talking with the chief engineer, telling him about his changed world, a hunch, an idea, or an inspiration - call it what you wish - flashed into his mind. It was this impulse of thought which converted his affliction into an asset, destined to pay dividends in both money and happiness to thousands for all time to come."

In my life I have seen this to be true:
-The inner voice, through whatever means of inner communication that fits the individual, births the desire.
-The desire drives a commitment.
-Commitment leads to conviction.
-Conviction causes persistence.
-Persistence leads to learning.
-Learning enables results.
-And through results we gain understanding.

Now to bring it back to the beginning of the loop, as our understanding grows, and our vision broadens, the inner voice can then communicate ideas that will expand our capacity for understanding even further. This is a virtuous cycle of improvement that if followed, will lead to your destiny.

Keep moving Forward.

Rusty Robson