Just a quick plug on bestbookbits consulting. If you have been thinking about starting or growing a YouTube channel or Podcast show, writing your first book or creating your first course. I consult creators all around how to monetize their passion and creative dreams. Book a free consult with me here to find out how we can work together so you can start making money online now.
Download the PDF Summary here
FOLLOW US HERE > |YouTube |Spotify | Instagram | Facebook | Newsletter | Website
Three Feet from Gold: Turn Your Obstacles Into Opportunities! by Sharon L Lechter & Greg S Reid
This remarkable business allegory tells a fascinating story in presenting the key principles of Napoleon Hill’s revolutionary bestseller Think and Grow Rich. While you follow a struggling young entrepreneur through a life-changing series of encounters with some of today’s foremost business leaders and inspirational figures, you’ll find encouragement and motivation to believe in yourself, discover your own Personal Success Equation(TM), and to never give up. You are just three feet from gold! A century ago Napoleon Hill began the research that ultimately resulted in his extraordinary bestseller Think and Grow Rich. Since its publication in 1937, with more than 100 million copies sold worldwide, the book has inspired generations of men and women to turn their dreams into reality with its wise and effective principles of self-motivation, leadership, service, and achievement culled from Hill’s interviews with visionaries of his day. Now, a hundred years later, in Three Feet from Gold, a young entrepreneur whose life is falling apart finds himself retracing Hill’s steps after a serendipitous encounter with a powerful businessman who sees the young man’s potential and sets him on a challenging journey of personal, spiritual, and financial growth. Sharon L. Lechter–co-author of the #1 New York Times best-seller Rich Dad Poor Dad–and Greg S. Reid– a successful author, and in-demand motivational speaker–have given us more than the story of one man’s dogged pursuit of success. They deliver an effective equation for accomplishing goals that calls for combining passion and talent, taking action with the right association, and above all else, having faith that you are on the right path.
Introduction
The author reminds us of the story told by Napoleon Hill in “Think and Get Rich” about the gold diggers who abandon their quest just three steps away from a gold mine! This lesson is the central pillar of Three feet from gold: do not give up on the road to success.
The purpose of this book is to renew the hope and courage at the center of Napoleon Hill’s work.
Like Hill, the author questions leaders of our generation on how they persevered and went on to enjoy success.
How did these people avoid giving up?
We follow Greg, going through turmoil on his quest for success.
Editor’s note: the characters of Jonathan Buckland, Mia and David are fictional.
Chapter 1: Running on empty
Greg gets in a taxi, is unpleasant and condescending to the driver, and then realizes that the waiter from the restaurant he had just left, gave him the wrong jacket!
At first glance, he’s happy because he gets the better deal: his jacket was old and this one is new and much more expensive.
Greg aims to portray an image of the perfect, successful entrepreneur, when in fact the reality is quite different:
He runs a small marketing company… but is riddled with debt and not very interested in his work
He is in a relationship… but it’s floundering
And he puts on a show of happiness… but he is not happy
He gets home and finds a surprise: his apartment is empty, Mia, his girlfriend, has left him (he would have known if he hadn’t nonchalantly ignored the doorman’s warning).
Then, a business card falls from his “new” jacket. Jonathan Buckland, the city’s most high-profile businessman. Could this be Jonathan’s jacket?
Greg rejoices a second time and already sees a great opportunity. He says to himself that in the end it may just be his lucky day, the one where he meets Jonathan Buckland, which is worth much more than a mere jacket.
Chapter 2: The awakening
Greg goes to Buckland’s impressive offices (even for him, the important entrepreneur!).
When he enters the building, Greg remembers when, as a child, his father took him on a business trip, he was so happy then… what happened between then and now for him to end up so unfulfilled?
Greg exits the elevator, pushes a man waiting for the elevator out of the way and rushes to the front desk and asks for Buckland.
The person he pushed (and rebuffed) at the elevator was none other than Buckland himself.
Masterfully, the latter puts Greg at ease and thanks him warmly for his jacket!
A conversation follows between the two men about life, and one’s attitude towards it.
Buckland explains the concept of (the great) Charlie Jones to Greg: in 5 years’ time, you will be the same person, with two exceptions: the books you have read and the people you have met.
Greg reveals his glass half-full theory: a glass is half-full or half-empty according to how you look at it. Was the glass initially completely empty or completely full?
Enthusiastically Buckland notes down this sentence and tells Greg how important it is to always make a note when you hear an interesting thought.
Back home, Greg receives a gift that his doorman delivers. In fact, he thanks him and gives him a tip, which he hadn’t done for a long time.
Buckland has already sent him a gift: a plane ticket and the book “Think and Become Rich” by Napoleon Hill.
Greg will meet Don, President of the Napoleon Hill Foundation.
Just a quick plug on bestbookbits consulting. If you have been thinking about starting or growing a YouTube channel or Podcast show, writing your first book or creating your first course. I consult creators all around how to monetize their passion and creative dreams. Book a free consult with me here to find out how we can work together so you can start making money online now.
Download the PDF Summary here
FOLLOW US HERE > |YouTube |Spotify | Instagram | Facebook | Newsletter | Website
Chapter 3: Sowing the seeds
Don tells Greg the story of gold diggers who abandon their search very near a gold mine. The rest of the story is that another man buys the land where the exploration was taking place, hires an engineer to refine the search, and guess what? He swiftly discovers a gold mine, only three feet away!
The differences between this gold digger and the others are:
He was passionate about gold
He did not give up: he knew that failure was only a temporary step towards success
When he finds out about his buyer’s success, the first digger understands his mistake. He was never really passionate about gold but passionate about the insurance industry.
Consequently, he takes the lessons learned from his failure (and his successor’s success) and applies them to his field of choice, the insurance business, and was successful!
Don reminds Greg of the three essential steps that lead to success:
Seek expert advice when it is outside of one’s competence
Never give up when you are three feet away from gold
When you eventually encounter success, take people who need help under your wing. Share the lessons you have learned, with them.
Chapter 4: In a rut
On the way back, Greg realizes that, for everyone he knows who has failed, the reason is the same: giving up.
He remembers Don’s recommendations and draws a parallel with his own situation: he loves marketing and selling, however lately he has spent most of his time-solving accounting problems…
He notes the first sentence in his diary: “work your strengths and use your weaknesses”.
Then he meets Buckland again to share his experience with Don. Buckland asks him what he intends to do with Don’s recommendations. Greg tells him that he will use them right away and seek the advice of competent people and apply it to his business.
Buckland laughs and explains his vision of things: if Greg wants to write a book and asks his family and friends for advice, what does he think he will get? Only words of warning, yet these people have never written a book!
If Greg turns to a seasoned author, what will he get? Valuable advice.
Buckland’s message is as follows: “seek advice, not opinions or views.” Then pass them on when it’s your turn. ”
Advice is the fruit of wisdom and experience, which comes from an expert; while an opinion (or a view) is the result of individual or collective ignorance.
With Greg present, Buckland calls Ron Glosser, who runs a large investment fund, and asks him what advice has led to his success.
Ron’s response is immediate: “never make decisions in a rut.”
Ron explains that decisions must be made when you are at the top of a mountain, never in a valley. He says we have to let the storm pass: who makes good decisions when things are turbulent?
Ron goes on to explain that to achieve the objective, it is necessary to act “as if”; that is to say as if we had already achieved our goal. If we act “as if” we have already achieved this goal then it is more likely to materialize.
Buckland underlines Ron’s words by giving Greg his definition of a goal:
“A goal is a paper dream.” According to Buckland, every day we decide what meaning we give to our lives. Every day is a potential step towards our goal.
He tells Greg the inspiring story of a friend of his, Bill. Bill had lost everything: his friends, his money, everything, while he had previously enjoyed much success.
Except for one friend who sent him a Christmas card. This gave him the strength to start all over again, from nothing. He is now a talented author who shares his experience with conferences all over the world.
Instead of adopting “victimized” behavior, Bill was able to take a good look at himself and turn an initially unpleasant situation to his advantage: sharing with others how he made the best of it.
Just a quick plug on bestbookbits consulting. If you have been thinking about starting or growing a YouTube channel or Podcast show, writing your first book or creating your first course. I consult creators all around how to monetize their passion and creative dreams. Book a free consult with me here to find out how we can work together so you can start making money online now.
Download the PDF Summary here
FOLLOW US HERE > |YouTube |Spotify | Instagram | Facebook | Newsletter | Website
Do we want to help victims?
Chapter 5: Remarkable
David, Greg’s great childhood friend and brother-in-spirit calls him and leaves him nine messages, which irritates Greg. Due to David’s alcoholism, their relationship is tense and Greg feels helpless towards his brother.
Greg arrives in Las Vegas to meet another friend of Buckland.
When he sees the taxi queue and contemplates the wait, his first reaction is to complain.
Whilst queuing for a taxi he hears two women talking about San Diego, his hometown… it doesn’t take much for him to join the conversation!
Greg smiled as he learned that initially, the taxi queue was something negative. Then, it took a turn for the better and it allowed him to meet and chat with interesting people.
It became an opportunity only because he created it.
The two women are on their way to an awards ceremony for 18 to 40-year-old entrepreneurs. They have two different backgrounds:
One is a former Miss America that helps detect child predators online
The other is a teacher whose explosive approach is the subject of a film starring Hilary Swank.
With Greg they share their respective visions of success:
The first one believes that everyone can contribute to the world by sharing their story. Once a dream becomes reality it turns into a responsibility to the world
The second advocates focus on one’s “faith.” Perform only one task at a time and focus on the ultimate goal, not on temporary obstacles
In the taxi, Greg calls Mia for the umpteenth time but his ex-girlfriend still doesn’t pick up, so he leaves yet another message. He then realizes that he adopts exactly the same behavior as Mia when it comes to his brother David…
Chapter 6: The success formula
Greg meets another friend of Jonathan’s called Jack, creator of Velcro.
Jack used an amazing method to access his market: he sold his product to 5 industry leaders, who went on to sell them to their own customers. A total of 5 billion velcros have been sold worldwide.
Jack takes Greg’s notebook and writes down his equation for success:
(P + T) x A x A = success
P being passion
T being talent
A being Association, that is to say, working with the right people
A is also Actions
That said, how do you find your passion and talent and then connect them?
Jack explains his technique: take a sheet of paper and split it in half. Make a list of 10 passions on one side of the sheet, then 10 talents on the other.
First, find the why
Then, scratch them out one by one until there is only one on each side: the most important one. It is then a question of linking them to get to the why, the raison d’être.
Once these two are connected, good associations and the right actions will make success possible.
Chapter 7: Passion
Greg takes a plane again, this time to Atlanta, to meet another friend of Buckland’s.
On the plane, he meets a small female jockey who explains her path to success. She is curious to know more about Greg, who tells her that he is looking for his why and explains Jack’s method.
Greg makes a list of his passions and talents. In summary: he likes to write, he is a good salesman, he likes to be in contact with inspiring leaders, and enjoys sharing their successes.
The jockey now has a clear vision: Greg must write and share the stories of successful people!
A book publisher listens in and joins their conversation (this starts to feel like an airborne mastermind!).
The publisher shares his experience: after 22 years with no success, he published a bestseller, only 2 years ago. He knew this would happen, he did not simply “think” so. He was convinced of it.
Then he talks about the difference between “knowing” and “thinking”: knowing is being sure, being convinced. Thinking, however, is merely trying to convince yourself.
He draws a parallel with love; would you take the same approach:
knowing that your great love awaits you somewhere
or thinking that someone is waiting for you somewhere?
In the first instance, you are more likely to be composed in your quest and you will take closer and closer steps towards the person destined for you, but this would not apply in the second instance.
Chapter 8: Stop planning
Greg meets Truett Cathy, a business leader who made a fortune in the fast-food industry. This is the person who invented the chicken sandwich!
Greg asks him what his recipe for success is.
Truett, right off the bat: “stop planning”.
When you have the why, the how happens on its own, provided you don’t lose sight of the why.
He illustrates his conviction using a street: let’s say you want to get to the end of the street. Some people focus on the steps to get there. Truett looks around him, notes whether someone has left a skateboard or a bike lying around so that he can get there faster!
The most important thing for him is to keep the destination in mind. The path will emerge naturally.
He also shares his company vision with Greg: the main one is to focus on people rather than profit. Truett thinks that by looking after his employees, logically they in turn will look after the business. That’s what happened to him!
At the end of the chapter, Greg calls David, his alcoholic brother, and gets angry because he’s still drinking. Then Greg realizes that it is not his job to save him: he can only offer to help him, it is then up to David to seize the opportunity if he wants to.
Chapter 9: Guided by the goal
Greg remembers another good tip from Buckland: “Lots of people get good advice but few really benefit from it. Will you take advantage of it?”
Just a quick plug on bestbookbits consulting. If you have been thinking about starting or growing a YouTube channel or Podcast show, writing your first book or creating your first course. I consult creators all around how to monetize their passion and creative dreams. Book a free consult with me here to find out how we can work together so you can start making money online now.
Download the PDF Summary here
FOLLOW US HERE > |YouTube |Spotify | Instagram | Facebook | Newsletter | Website
He realizes something and leaves a message for his brother David, offering to help him if he wishes to go to rehab again. If that’s what he wants, Greg will support him.
Greg realizes that his company is not part of his why: he decides to sell it to his employees who greatly deserve it. This is part of the transmission logic expressed by Buckland.
He asks Don Green, President of the Napoleon Hill Foundation, if he can write a book with the support of the Foundation. Don Green receives dozens of similar requests a day, which he refuses every time.
But this situation is different: Greg made the effort to come and ask him in person, which changes things in Don’s view. He gives Greg a letter of recommendation, as Andrew Carnegie had done in 1908 for Napoleon Hill, for him to exploit as best he can.
Greg has no more money but does not lose sight of his goal; he wants to set up 7 meetings in the following months, with successful entrepreneurs.
He realizes that it is the most successful people who are most inclined to share their recipe.
Also he realizes that those who have “no time” for sharing, were ultimately trapped in the system, not really knowing who they were.
Thanks to Don Green, Greg goes to a charity event and talks to one of his sporting heroes. He asks him what distinguishes him from other boxers and his response is forthcoming: “better standards than the rest”. And he draws a parallel with a car: to have the most beautiful car you have to look after it, polish it, give it constant attention. He does the same with sport: he is the first to arrive, the last to leave, never loses sight of his goal.
Although he feels the blows he gets, he ignores them and instead thinks of those he inflicts. He uses all his energy for this.
As in life: do not focus on the setbacks but use your energy to recover and move forward.
And when the victory prevails, we forget those setbacks.
Chapter 10: Masterminds
Greg and Buckland go to Buckland’s mastermind session. It is a regular meeting of a group of 5 people. Buckland says that, in terms of salary, attitude, and lifestyle, we mirror the 5 people with whom we spend most of our time.
Greg and Buckland talk about Greg’s last meeting with Dave Liniger, founder of one of the most important real estate networks in the United States.
The message he gets from Dave is the following: proving oneself to be right. Not to others, even if that can be the initial inspiration. Knowing that we are on the right path, one’s own path, a productive path that leads to good things: Work leads? Opportunities? Other positive possibilities?
At the mastermind, the other 4 successful entrepreneurs share the following messages with Greg:
It is a thin line between success and failure
Decisions must be made based on vision, not on past events
Success depends on the number of “no’s” that can be endured without damaging motivation – or better still, that strengthens that motivation. Success is the reward that follows failures
Do not spend time with people who give up. On the contrary, spend time with people who pursue their dreams, energy binds people
Greg wanted to meet 7 people that month; that was the goal he had set himself. He believed in his why, had no idea how, and 4 people all came along in one go!
He flies off to meet someone new in the Fiji Islands.
Chapter 11: Fiji and much more
Greg has arrived in Fiji and he’s got an hour to kill before his mysterious rendezvous at 7pm.
He sits at a beach café and sees a man frantically writing.
Given his new habit, he engages the man in conversation and asks him what he does in life. It turns out that the man is John Hope Bryant founder of an NGO that is also an investment fund. He shares his secret: success is to go from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm. Us humans make mistakes, which is not to say that we are mistakes!
John is also a writer who is finalizing a speech that he is about to give.
For John, 10% of our attitude is determined by what life offers up, the remaining 90% by what we do with it. I draw a parallel with the world of work: If we are not happy in a particular job, then it is up to us to change that.
For John, every wealth creator must have two things clear in their minds: vision and mission.
Greg finally meets his last contact who is none other than Mia, his ex-girlfriend. They reconnect and Mia is impressed by the man he has become.
She tells Greg that David is going to rehab.
On his return, Greg warmly thanks Buckland for this caring conspiracy regarding Mia.
He realizes that one of the common denominators of the leaders he has met is that they all have a long-term loving relationship.
Greg sets a goal of finishing his book by the end of the year. He has meetings with publishers, in vain. He remembers a quote: “to get something going you need 2 bits of courage:
that of starting
that of not giving up”
Chapter 12: Believe in yourself
Greg endures failure after failure in the quest to get his book published. Mia suggests he calls one of his mentors to get some clarity.
Just a quick plug on bestbookbits consulting. If you have been thinking about starting or growing a YouTube channel or Podcast show, writing your first book or creating your first course. I consult creators all around how to monetize their passion and creative dreams. Book a free consult with me here to find out how we can work together so you can start making money online now.
Download the PDF Summary here
FOLLOW US HERE > |YouTube |Spotify | Instagram | Facebook | Newsletter | Website
He calls (the great) Charlie Jones who shares the story of Norman Vincent Peale, author of “The power of positive thinking“.
Norman almost dropped everything and threw away his first book’s manuscript in the trash; his wife spotted it, fished it out, and sent it to a publisher. The book was only published 25 times, but it gave him the strength to continue. He then wrote the bestseller “The Power of Positive Thinking” which is still published to this day.
His message is the following: everyone has been in a situation where they want to drop everything. The key is to take action despite the fear.
Charlie Jones recommends that Greg asks Don (President of the Napoleon Hill Foundation) to show him the letter that Hill sent to his wife while he was on the road and wasn’t yet successful.
It was a letter that asked his wife to encourage him, every day, twice a day. Because if he knew he was going to succeed, having someone else believing in him AND constantly telling him, was his fuel. If he had that encouragement then he would be able to keep going and bring in the bacon.
Greg talks to James, a specialist in PMA: Positive Mental Attitude. He tells him that Hill, broke and rejected by all the publishers at an event, only had a few dollars left in his pocket.
With his remaining money, he bought one night in a luxury suite at a swanky hotel and invited the publishers. When they saw the lavishness of the suite they figured that he knew what he was doing, that he did not need money, and instantly made him great offers.
James said to Greg: “we doubt our beliefs but we believe our doubts. Believe in yourself and the world will believe in you. ”
Chapter 13: Opportunities
Greg is full of self-pity and gradually takes on the attitude of a victim.
Don Green calls Greg and explains that he cannot wait for a sign to appear if he does not believe in it, in the first place. First, you have to believe in it and then spot the signs, not the other way around.
Greg has a call with Joe Dudley, another successful entrepreneur who used to be a salesman and was considered “slow” at school. His mother believed in him, she never stopped reiterating “you are slow, that’s a fact, but once you get something in mind it’s there for good”. He believed his mother and never lost sight of this. Today he runs a multinational cosmetics company. He shares the lesson he has learned: grab your advantage or someone else will. Yes, he was slow, but he remembers everything and he made this his strength.
He sets out his vision of success for Greg: becoming a work creator and not just a worker. Seek out your opportunity rather than wait for it to come to you.
David went back to drinking – disappointing for Greg and for him. Greg tells him to sleep, press the reset button the next day and not drink on that new day. One day at a time.
Chapter 14: Attitude
Greg tries to change his outlook in relation to events. He has to believe, him above all, for others to believe. He re-reads a note in his diary:
“If you want something to change, change the way you look at it”
Greg sets up a new meeting with the biggest publisher in New York. The meeting goes very well, he makes Greg an offer…very low for the book itself. He tells himself that he’s missing something in this challenge to get himself published but can’t see what it is.
Then he remembers that he has to look at things differently for them to change: he tells himself that getting an offer is an excellent start, which drives his motivation.
Then he remembers another quote: “highlight the positives, put a spotlight on the negatives”
He calls Charlie and asks him what’s missing for him to get published. Charlie explains that what he’s missing is a professional writer: someone who will help him embellish the book and the story, someone experienced.
Putting a spotlight on this weakness, makes him realize that he needs to hire someone with this missing competence.
Chapter 15: Association
Greg calls Don Green to share his conversation with Charlie and the idea of teaming up with an experienced writer.
Greg thinks this makes sense and that the most important thing is the message, not making his own mark. Don gives him a contact to call, Sharon Lechter, who notably worked on Rich Dad, Poor Dad and other successful books. In fact, Sharon was working with John Hope Bryant, the writer who was fine-tuning his speech on the island of Fiji!
Sharon agrees to work with Greg: She will rewrite the book so that the reader experiences it rather than just reads it.
Sharon advised Greg to interview more women so that the reader can identify with more leaders. Greg goes to Tennessee.
On the plane, keeping up tradition, he engages his neighbor in conversation. The man is wearing sunglasses, Greg thinks he might be a Hollywood star. Another airborne mastermind happens with other passengers. The man wearing sunglasses turns out to be a trainee astronaut (the only one in the world to be accepted on this program without a degree!) who wants to create a space elevator. Which seems mad! The man explains to Greg that he isn’t mad: he knows that it is the next likely progression in this domain. He draws a parallel with a better-known subject: “ If you knew you had the cure for cancer, what would stop you? It’s not a question of what allows you to progress, more a question of what might stop you in your tracks if you knew you could change the world?”
Greg answers “Nothing”.
Greg relates to this: he feels he can change the world by contributing his book. The disappointments and delays don’t matter; he won’t change his course.
He meets Debbi Fields, founder of a cookie empire. She had a mother who didn’t believe in her, who kept saying to her that she would fail. Instead of listening to her, she used it as motivation.
The message that Greg retains from this is: “Don’t let others get in your way. Turn adversity into your advantage, use their doubts as a catalyst”.
Debbi shares her vision of life: run on quicksand. If you don’t move, you sink. You have to keep moving, keep trying, carry on and not risk inertia through fear of what could happen. If you let this happen, you drown.
Chapter 16: The courage to change
Greg goes to a leader’s seminar, where he meets Frank Maguire, the speaker. He was one of the first FedEx affiliates.
The bit in the book “Think and Get Rich” that most resonates with Frank is the passage where the gold diggers give up just before discovering the gold mine.
For once, Greg wasn’t recommended by Buckland or Don Green. He approaches him to find out if he will be as helpful as the other personalities he has previously interviewed. The answer is yes, he is just as helpful.
“How can I help you” is always the helpful person’s opening question.
Frank shares his recipe for success: never give up. He talks about Kennedy and Colonel Sanders (the founder of KFC): who could have imagined their success apart from themselves? They are the ones who never stopped believing.
Just a quick plug on bestbookbits consulting. If you have been thinking about starting or growing a YouTube channel or Podcast show, writing your first book or creating your first course. I consult creators all around how to monetize their passion and creative dreams. Book a free consult with me here to find out how we can work together so you can start making money online now.
Download the PDF Summary here
FOLLOW US HERE > |YouTube |Spotify | Instagram | Facebook | Newsletter | Website
Once one has found one’s ‘raison d’être’, one must never give up.
Frank explains how he came to work with the founder of FedEx. Everyone thought he was mad, Frank knew that. The service launched and all was working well, then the fax machine arrived: FedEx was going to lose 50% of its turnover.
With each frustration that came about, the founder rolled up his sleeves and redoubled his creative efforts, and adapted.
Frank explains that if you visualize your success, you make it happen.
You have to stop pitying yourself and keep digging – gold is nearby!
Chapter 17: Not giving up
Greg is about to leave the seminar when someone tells him to stay: the talk coming up will be interesting. It will be about direct sales: how to sell something once to one person (directly) and get a percentage on what will be sold onward by that person.
Greg is reticent but then realizes that this format works in exactly the same way as the book he is writing: he wants to write it once and get paid in the future when people benefit from his work.
Chapter 18: The courage to succeed
Greg meets Genevieve Bos, founder of Pink magazine. Her market was a difficult one, the competition was dropping prices and margins were tight. Genevieve decides to look at things differently.
She decides to find sellers who would pay a license in order to sell their products abroad. As a result, she was able to secure foreign markets, to sell franchises of her business without having to sell the product. By then it was too late for the competition, when they realized what was happening.
Geneviève explains that she always tries to imagine the worst possible scenario and if she agrees with this potential situation, she goes for it!
Being aligned with the worst possible scenario.
She is talking about never letting errors define who we are.
As a woman, Geneviève thinks that one must not lose sight of one’s femininity when competing with men in the business world.
For her the key to success is faith. This is what will determine failure or success.
Chapter 19: The Rolodex approach
Greg, Don, and Sharon all recognize the common denominator of all the people Greg has interviewed: their wisdom as a result of understanding their why.
They do a test and call upon personalities outside the US to check their theory.
Every successful entrepreneur shares the reason for their determination: their why was far bigger than themselves, like a goal to accomplish for the world.
Don explains that one day he receives a complaint from a reader, about the publication date of Think and Get Rich: the reader feels this book is no longer relevant. Don replies by saying that it is like the law of gravity: some things don’t change.
Greg goes through another difficult time: he endures yet more refusals for his book and his finances are tight. He doesn’t understand why he doesn’t succeed whereas he is doing everything he can.
Then, in Don’s office, he reads personal notes made by Napoleon Hill about failure: it’s part of the journey, it will make the taste of success that much sweeter. Each failure will have its equivalent success; maintaining a PMA is essential to obtaining the latter.
Greg promises himself to proceed with a more positive attitude.
Chapter 20: A new beginning
It’s Buckland’s birthday. One of his friends explains that a leader will take others to places they would not otherwise have gone to themselves.
Two women talk about their backgrounds and the setting up of an NGO that helps orphans across the world. They are in line to win the Nobel Prize. For them, this would not be a victory for themselves, but for all those who fight to help children.
Greg takes note of the following message: “ do ‘as if’ and never believe ‘never’”. Let events and people surprise you in a positive way.
Greg realizes that listening to precious advice is one thing, applying it is quite another. Every leader he has met chose the kind of wisdom that suited them, internalized it, and applied in their life.
Greg also meets a famous footballer that had a film made about him. Before the film was made, he had to meet a writer who never showed up at the arranged lunch. After a three hour wait, the footballer goes out for some air and seeing a smiling postman, engages in conversation with him, thanking him for his smile during this hard day. The postman shares his story and the footballer his; the postman feels bad for the player, worried even: he decides to give him the writer’s address, as he had just delivered a letter to him 30 minutes earlier!
The player goes to the writer’s home and says to him with humor, “ we had a lunch meeting scheduled, you’re late!” And it worked.
The lesson he draws from this experience is: don’t give up five minutes before the miracle.
Chapter 21: The launch
The book publication is on the right track, Sharon’s expertise opens doors to the best publishers in the United States and the context of the economic crisis is favorable for the publishing of a book about hope: enthusiasm was the flavor of the day for the publishers.
Sharon contributes a variable to the success equation:
((P+T) x A x A ) + B = success
B equals Belief.
Don, Sharon, and Greg look for a publisher with the same belief as them.
They set up a meeting with Buckland in a month’s time, having said to themselves that they will have an offer by then. One month later, they don’t have one…but four!
They agree on which publisher to go with and choose the book’s title: “Three feet from gold!”
As a symbolic gesture, Buckland presents the jacket that initially brought them together, to Greg as a gift: the student becomes the teacher and starts the new chapter of his life.
Just a quick plug on bestbookbits consulting. If you have been thinking about starting or growing a YouTube channel or Podcast show, writing your first book or creating your first course. I consult creators all around how to monetize their passion and creative dreams. Book a free consult with me here to find out how we can work together so you can start making money online now.
Download the PDF Summary here
