Change Your Life In 19 Minutes by Earl Nightingale

The three key elements to remember and practice daily for personal growth and success are as follows:

1. Cultivate a Positive Attitude: Your attitude towards others and life in general will significantly impact their attitudes towards you and the opportunities that come your way. Embody a positive outlook and approach life with optimism. This proactive stance is often perceived as 'luck' by others, but it's fundamentally the application of cause and effect—positive actions lead to positive outcomes.

2. Practice Deliberately: Just as a golfer dedicates time to perfect their swing, dedicate time to cultivating your new attitude and mindset every day. Consistency and regular practice in maintaining a positive attitude and focusing on your goals will refine your character and enhance your ability to achieve success.

3. Engage in Thoughtful Reflection: Spend a few minutes each morning in thoughtful reflection, contemplating your goals, the actions required to achieve them, and ways to improve your contribution and service. This practice not only sets a positive tone for the day but also ensures that you remain focused on your objectives, encouraging a habit of continuous thinking and innovation.

By integrating these three key elements into your daily routine, you're not only working towards achieving your financial goals but also towards becoming the person you aspire to be, ensuring that your rewards in life will be in exact proportion to your contribution and service.

From the earliest writings of humankind, it has been clear that society has always been divided into the haves and the have-nots. As a child during the Great Depression, I was consumed with a desire to understand the invisible barrier that separates the haves from the have-nots. Being among the have-nots, I sought to understand why only a small fraction manage to be well-off financially in a country where success is ostensibly available to everyone. For example, upon examining the Statistical Abstract of the United States, published by the Bureau of the Census, I recently discovered that merely 10% of men in this country aged 65 and over have annual incomes of $6,000 or more. Over 80% of all men aged 65 or older have annual incomes under $4,000, only 7.6% have incomes between $7,000 and $10,000 a year, and a scant 3.7% earn $10,000 a year or more.

A man begins his working career in his twenties, sometimes even earlier. He is fortunate to live in the free world, having more than 40 years to achieve financial success in the richest country on Earth. Yet, according to these statistics, only about ten out of a hundred will be financially secure by the time they reach 65, and only about four out of a hundred will be financially comfortable. Now, why is this the case?

Let me explain how to find out for yourself. Conduct your own survey. Walk down your street on any Saturday or Sunday and ask the man of every house two questions. The first question is, "What are you currently doing to increase your income?" This essentially asks how much they aim to earn. After you've processed the bewildered responses to that question, ask the second question: "How much money do you plan to be worth by the age of 65?" When the awkward silence becomes too much, thank them and move on to the next house. Ask 50 men, 100, a thousand, until you are thoroughly convinced that the reason men do not make more money during their working lives, and the reason they are not financially independent by the age of 65, is simply because they rarely, if ever, engage in any constructive thinking on either subject. It is that simple.

Regrettably, the reason it's so easy to earn far more money than the average man in this country is that very few are approaching it in the correct manner. This is a race with too few participants to worry about crowding; the few who are truly in the race can all be winners. Some will finish ahead of others, but even the person who finishes last in this race will be financially secure. Most people, more than 90%, aren't even in the race. To prove it, ask yourself the two survey questions.

Up until you started listening to this message, what were your plans for increasing your income? How much do you want to earn, and how much money had you decided you would be worth by the time you're 65? You see, people who earn large incomes aren't necessarily lucky, nor are they crooks, as those without money so often claim. They don't necessarily have more brains or talent than their friends and neighbors, nor are they privy to secret knowledge, and very few had the advantage of wealth from rich parents or grandparents. Most of the people earning large incomes today started in the same position as you and I and most other people. The only difference between the men who earn large incomes and those who earn small incomes is that those earning large incomes decided to earn more. They are the individuals who made it their business to earn more.

A woman who doesn't think about baking an apple pie for dinner tonight will never think of looking up the recipe for apple pie. Without the decision to make pie, there's no motivation to check the recipe. A man who does not think about driving his car to St. Louis, Missouri, or Nacogdoches, Texas, will never obtain roadmaps showing the way to get there. And a man who never decides to earn more money will never think of learning how, or look up the rules for earning more money. You see, people do what they make up their minds to do. So, rid yourself of the ancient superstition once and for all that people who earn big money are special, lucky, have inside information, started with money, knew someone, are smarter, or anything else. These are excuses that can be disproved a thousand times. The prevalence of such excuses is because men who fail to make the financial grade are seldom honest enough to admit they didn't truly try and keep trying. To justify their lack of success, they concoct and spread these old excuses. Remember, we are all self-made, but only the successful will admit it individuals who are not financially successful are seldom honest enough to admit that they really did not try and persist. In order to justify their failure and to remain complacent, they concoct and disseminate these old excuses. We are all self-made, but only the successful are willing to acknowledge it.

On a visit to Charleston, South Carolina, a city I had never visited before, I engaged a taxi to tour the historic old town. I was particularly eager to see the battery where the infamous shot was fired on Fort Sumter. As we drove along this picturesque route, overlooking some of Charleston's oldest and finest homes, I remarked to my cab driver on the beauty of these residences. He agreed, noting that some homes have 40 rooms, and then paused before adding that every one of them is owned by a crook. This is a common justification among the have-nots for their situation in life. I refrained from commenting, believing I had no right to challenge his perspective. This is a free country, after all, where everyone has the unalienable right to be as mistaken as they wish to be. As Thomas R. Lounsbury, the American scholar and educator, stated, we must regard with deep respect the human mind's infinite capacity to reject useful knowledge. My taxi driver, like many others worldwide, has been deluding himself, holding himself back, and rejecting the world's wealth and abundance for centuries. Knowledge is accessible to everyone; we can choose to heed those qualified to instruct us, or we can persist with the obsolete hindrances passed down by those who are no more knowledgeable than we are. Interestingly, the truth about those magnificent homes along the drive is that they were erected by individuals who made significant contributions to the city of Charleston.

In just a moment, I will share the formula for becoming wealthy, but before I do, I want to remind you of something. Before a jet pilot commences his takeoff from an airport, he meticulously reviews a checklist, item by item. This is not only a legal requirement but also a necessary precaution, as he cannot afford to entrust such a critical task solely to his memory.

He possesses another checklist that he scrutinises just as rigorously before he begins his descent at his destination. He performs this ritual unfailingly, every time he takes off and lands. I believe that living successfully is as vital as flying an aeroplane, which is why each of us also needs a checklist. This is why one is included with this cassette.

We require a checklist to review, item by item, before we commence our day in the morning and before we retire at night. Therefore, I recommend you affix this checklist to your bathroom mirror to ponder upon as you brush your teeth in the morning and again as you prepare for bed at night. Contemplate each item and its significance. Here is the first item: it's the formula for attaining wealth, and it also elucidates your current financial position, whether you're earning six thousand a year or six hundred thousand. It applies to every adult, employed or unemployed, from the wealthiest to the poorest and everyone in between. Here it is: our rewards in life will always be in exact proportion to our contribution and our service. This formula, once internalised, can provide a slight sense of superiority, realising that you might be the only person within a mile who comprehends it. You can even include it as a question in your survey if you seek proof.

If you desire another iteration of this principle, here it is as it relates to one's employment: the remuneration you receive from your employer will always directly correlate to the nature of your work, your proficiency in it, and the complexity of replacing you. You may wish to note down this formula in both its forms and reflect on it until it becomes as familiar to you as your own name. The reason it's not explicitly detailed on your checklist is that you might prefer not to disclose your strategies to everyone. The checklist is only valuable to someone who understands the true meaning of the words within it. You now possess the formula, and as you ponder its significance, its meaning will become increasingly clear to you. To apply this formula effectively, two rules must be adhered to. Together, this formula and the two accompanying rules serve as your guide or blueprint for earning all the money you truly desire. Now, let's examine item number two on your checklist, and I am earnest about your placing this checklist on your mirror. You'll notice it's designed to be easily attached.

Item number two is the gold mine. The Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Archibald MacLeish, in his play "The Secret of Freedom," wrote that the only thing about a man that is truly human is his mind; everything else can be found in a pig or a horse. These are potent words, but you will not encounter a more accurate statement in your lifetime. The key to success for every individual lies in their mind—the gold mine between their ears. A single idea has the potential to make you wealthy, and a multitude of good ideas can steadily advance you in your work. And remember, ideas are free. Consider that nothing being done commercially today will not be improved upon significantly in the future.

The homes of next year and all that they contain will surpass this year's. Next year's vehicles, manufacturing processes, distribution methods, marketing strategies, sales techniques, and advertising efforts will all see improvements. Nothing is currently being executed as well as it must be in the future, and every innovation, every enhancement, will originate from someone's intellect.

Now, how many good ideas have you generated in the past year? If you persist as you have, where do you envisage yourself a year from now or five years from now? Every day, we pass by more opportunities than we could possibly exploit in a lifetime—let alone fifty lifetimes. Sinclair Lewis once wrote that you could blindfold a man, take him to any city in the country with few exceptions, seat him in a downtown area, remove his blindfold, and he would be unable to identify the city he's in. The streets, buildings, and businesses all bear a striking resemblance to one another. This uniformity persists because most businessmen are engaged in a game of 'follow the follower.' Upon entering a business, regardless of its nature, the first action a man takes is to ensure his establishment, both externally and internally, mirrors every other business of its kind nationwide. This mimicry stems from a lifelong habit of imitation, often without conscious thought.

For the same reasons that children dress alike in school, he seeks to blend in, not standing out from the crowd. Rarely does he critically assess all the businesses in his field to model his own on the most inspiring example; instead, he merely does what everyone else does. This simple process ensures his own mediocrity.

Whose rhythm are you following, if any, and for what reason? Remember, whatever your current occupation, it will be performed differently—quite differently—a few years from now. Never in human history have the opportunities been as vast as they are today. Yet, the vast majority will merely enjoy the benefits of progress rather than contribute to it. Which group would you prefer to belong to? If you wish to be a contributor rather than merely a beneficiary, heed the first rule listed on your checklist, which is the gold mine.

Therefore, engage in deliberate and purposeful thinking. Utilise the gold mine between your ears. Begin by dedicating a specific time each day for reflection. During the Depression, a lumber dealer in New York thrived while his competitors floundered. When queried about his success, he revealed that every evening upon returning home, he would isolate himself in a quiet room, sit in a comfortable chair, and contemplate how his business might operate ten years into the future, then strive to implement those ideas immediately. Rather than merely competing as others did, he was innovating. He engaged in the very activity for which humans are best suited. While a company might double in size at a 10% growth rate in less than eight years, an individual can enhance their effectiveness by 50% or even 100% a year or more. The experts inform us that each of us possesses a profound reservoir of potential—indeed, even genius—that we habitually fail to utilise. Let's begin now to delve into these deep, rich areas of pure net profit and utilise more of our true capabilities. Let's engage in thought.

The most effective method I've discovered to encourage oneself to think is to start rising a little earlier than you're accustomed to. Immediately, this grants you extra time that 95% of the men in this country are not utilising at all. Rising one hour earlier a day gifts you six and a half extra 40-hour weeks a year. Use this time in the morning to take a refreshing shower, dress, enjoy a fresh hot cup of coffee if that's your preference, and then sit down with a clean sheet of paper. At the top of the paper, write down your financial goal. This is the amount of money per year you intend to earn soon. Incidentally, you might prefer to keep this to yourself—it's nobody's business but yours. Then start to think about your goal and what it will mean to you and your family. See how many ideas you can generate to help you achieve that goal, ideas to enhance what you currently do for a living, ways to increase your contribution to match your income goal. Remember, jobs don't have futures; people do. Regardless of your field of work, it contains more than enough opportunity to last a lifetime.

You don't need to invent brand new ideas or revolutionary new methods, although you might well do so. Think of ways to improve what is currently being done. If you are to increase your income by the amount you've specified, you must find ways of enhancing your contribution, your service. The key to this is located in your mind, in that gold mine between your ears. Aim for five ideas every morning and jot them down, keeping these sheets in a special idea file. Many, perhaps most, of your ideas will be of no value, but some will be very good, a few excellent, and occasionally, you will come up with something truly outstanding. Five ideas a day equates to 25 a week, assuming you don't think on weekends, which totals more than a thousand ideas a year. One idea can propel you towards the income you're aiming for. The law of averages is so heavily in your favour, you simply can't miss.

Cultivate a sense of expectancy, believing that the goal you're aiming for is a certainty, and that it's only a matter of time before it materialises. Henry Ford didn't start making cars until he was 45. A friend of mine founded a new company at 65, and it's now thriving with annual sales of more than 300 million dollars. It's almost never too late. Try to focus your thoughts on your area of work or whatever you're most interested in. To think effectively and profitably, you must discipline your thinking, keeping it controlled and concentrated in one field. Specialise.

Now, for the final item on your checklist, labelled as 'Attitude'. Attitude has been described as the most significant word in the language. William James noted that the greatest discovery of his generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind. This revelation suggests that we become what we think about. Consider your total environment as a reflection of yourself as a person. If you feel your environment could use some improvement, you need only to enhance your attitude, and your world will gradually transform to mirror the changes within you.

How can you change your attitude starting now? Begin to act as the person you most aspire to be. That is, if you were already in possession of your goal, how would you conduct yourself in all your affairs? Start now, and continue tomorrow and the day after. Begin to act the part of the person you most want to become. You'll learn by becoming that person subtly, in little ways, in how you dress, how you speak, and the unfailing courtesy you show to every person you interact with. Start embodying the role of the person who. The German philosopher Goethe unveiled the secret when he proclaimed, "Before you can do something, you must first be something." When you adopt the behaviours of the individual you aspire to become, the possessions and successes that person would have tend to gravitate towards you. This phenomenon is merely cause and effect in action.

Exercise patience in your endeavours; constructing a skyscraper takes significantly longer than erecting a chicken coop. Build slowly, steadily, and with quality so that, once you achieve your goals, you retain them and remain at the pinnacle. Always approach so-called get-rich-quick schemes and sudden success stories with scepticism. Remember, the term 'attitude' is paramount. It is your attitude towards others that will shape their attitudes towards you. The individual who harbours a positive outlook towards life and the world is often deemed lucky by others. However, this isn't a matter of luck but rather the application of cause and effect. His commendable actions lead to equally positive outcomes.

There are three key elements to keep in mind and to practice daily. If you were to dedicate sixteen hours a day, seven days a week, to refining your golf swing, you would, in a relatively brief period, develop a polished, professional swing. Similarly, cultivate your new attitude every day, every moment. Additionally, dedicate a few minutes each morning to deliberate thinking, and you'll find yourself engaged in thought throughout the day. Remember the formula: our rewards in life will invariably be in exact proportion to our contribution, our service. Revisit the ideas in this message daily until they become as familiar to you as your own name and your current address. You'll notice that with each listen, you'll discover something new, an insight you hadn't grasped before. Thank you, and best wishes on your journey.