Ever since Napolean Hill’s Depression-era book “Think and Grow Rich” was published in 1937, an endless stream of garbage has followed. If we don’t take Hill too literally, we can give him credit for trying to get a depressed populace to realize that this too shall pass. Economic downturns are cyclical, and eventually, the U.S. would enjoy a recovery. Perhaps I am being too generous with this interpretation; Hill’s book did sell more than 20 million copies, many to people who were looking for a quick and easy fix. But in the context of that very difficult time, we can give Hill a pass for reminding Americans of their can-do attitudes and boosting their self-confidence.
To be fair, there are some “millionaire mindset” suggestions that do have value: becoming goal-orientated; living within or below your means; using extra money to invest in yourself or the stock market, and so on. Never stop learning is also solid advice. Self-evaluation is a positive step. But unfortunately, these seem to be the exceptions to the rule of adopting a millionaire mindset.
But no, just thinking or believing does not mean that you will achieve it, and that includes becoming a millionaire. Doing, on the other hand, at least gives you a shot at it. Yes, you can become rich — but only if you meet or create great demand for a real service or product.
In a famous conversation that never took place, F. Scott Fitzgerald was supposed to have told Ernest Hemingway “The rich are different from you and me.” To which Hemingway’s famous response was “Yes, they have more money.”
Neither man discussed the millionaire mindset. They were too smart to bother.
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
James Greiff at jgreiff@bloomberg.net
Article Appeared @https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-04-06/calling-trump-s-bluff-and-blowing-things-up