How To: Outsmart “The Devil”
“The only thing you have complete control over in you life are your thoughts…doesn’t that seem significant to you?”
Favorite Quotes
“Your only limitation is the one which you set up in your own mind.”
“Failure is man-made circumstance. It is never real until accepted by man as permanent.”
“You are entitled to know that two entities occupy your body. One of these entities is motivated by and responds to the impulse of fear. The other is motivated by and responds to the impulse of faith. Will you be guided by faith or will you allow fear to overtake you?”
“All forms of fear extend the space the devil occupies in the mind.”
“Every adversity (failure) brings with it the seed for advancement.”
“The first duty of every human being is to himself. Every person owes himself the duty of finding how to live a full and happy life.”
“Remember that your dominating thoughts attract,
through a definite law of nature, by the shortest and most
convenient route, their physical counterpart. Be careful what
your thoughts dwell upon.”
I’ve honestly thought of the perfect solution for y’all amid this COVID-19 crisis. My schedule has gotten so busy it’s almost impossible to SIT DOWN and read as much as I’d like to. So this year my compromise was integrating audiobooks. As apart of my typical “New Year, New Me” regimen where I acknowledge all the BS I excused in the previous year, I readily devise a plan to not repeat the same mistakes moving forward. The first one I tried was Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill. I was blown away with this read and it was more fulfilling that I expected it to be. Self development and self reflection are such integral parts of my life and should be in yours as well. So if you’re stuck in “quarantine” now is a great time to dedicate to YOU and I suggest you start here.
The most astonishing thing about this book is that it was written in 1938 but not published until 1970 due to the anticipated controversy of the subject it addresses, organized religion. Even though this world has come quite a long way accepting differences, religion still is one of the most highly debated concepts. So I encourage you to read this book not to look for a debate but to honestly feel the truth in the words. I’ve always been one of those people whose mind could not be changed, swayed, or altered unless I felt the validity of your opinion. That remains true til this day. When I was younger I recall this trait being deemed undesirable and was not to be encouraged. I was always being told not to contradict my “authority figure” be it your parents, the pastor, or your school teacher as it was considered rude or insubordinate. This book teaches me that it was neither, it was me moving with definiteness of purpose, using my choice to practice freedom of thought and more importantly not drifting with a crowd just because it was common practice. While there were so many gems in the book the most important things that stuck with me are the eternal belief in self and fulfilling your purpose, controlling my thoughts and actions, and to live by faith not by fear. With those things you’ll remain positive and continue to live your heaven and not your hell in the present.
Highlights
The Alternative to Negativity
Napoleon Hill’s book teaches you how God ( positive energy) and the Devil (negative energy) work and coexist in the average human’s physical life and the way to follow the path of God to escape the Devil’s grasp. In this book Devil narrates common misconceptions and practices that lead to “him” controlling your life. If you take this quiz and you answer yes to any these things, I encourage to make this read your next goal:
Do you know your purpose in life?
What are you afraid of?… is it more than one thing?
Are you in good health?
Are your common associations filled with gossip, drinking, and excessive spending?
Are you undisciplined in any area or multiple areas (finances, fitness, nutrition, sex… smoking?)