Born poor? Wonderful!

BORN POOR? WONDERFUL! by Napoleon Hill

You were born poor? Wonderful! So were Abraham Lincoln, and Thomas Edison, and Andrew Carnegie, and Henry Ford.You have something in common with the truly great! Had you been born with a silver spoon in your mouth, you would have been deprived of the opportunity to make yourself strong and resourceful through the necessity for struggle. For struggle—as the biologists, sociologists, philosophers, and historians know—is the prime way of life. It’s nature’s system of sorting out the strong from the weak, of making sure that Man, as well as the animals and plants is constantly improved. In that sense, it is the will of the Creator driving us toward perfection. Anyone can overcome poverty through determination and faith. Sure, the fight will be a hard one. But the rewards will be so much more appreciable. Your attitude will have a strong bearing, however, on how hard the struggle will be. Accept it as a challenge, rather than a curse, and you find the fight much easier. There is no obstacle that can prevent you from achieving financial success if you approach it with a positive mental attitude, with the full knowledge that any stumbling block can be turned into a stepping stone to greater heights of achievement. Is lack of education holding you back? There are night schools, adult education classes, public libraries, and correspondence courses—all available at little or no cost—that can help you win an education quickly. Do you suffer from a physical handicap? Your city, county, and state have rehabilitation centers which will minimize the disability or impediment and help you realize your dreams of achievement.
All things are possible for the person with determination and courage. The journey of 1,000 miles begins with but a single step. Only you can take that first step. Decide now, this instant, on exactly what you want to achieve. Write down the goal. Commit it to memory. Keep it always before you. Then map out step-by-step the exact course you plan to follow in making it come true. Once you have done this, you are ready to take that first step toward success. You cannot, however, ever expect to stumble your way to a higher station in life. You must have a purpose and a plan, plus the determination to carry them to fruition.

Remember, none of us is doomed to permanent poverty. Unless we doom ourselves.