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CHAPTER SEVEN

In which the young man gets

to know the value of self-image

THE BUTLER CAME INTO THE DINING ROOM carrying coffee and croissants, and the young man ate while the lesson continued.

“I’m going to ask you a series of questions,” said the millionaire, “to help you understand what happened to you during your few minutes of reflection.

“The first thing you must realize is that the amount you wrote down on that piece of paper means much more than you think it does. In fact, that amount represents almost to a penny what you think you’re worth. In your eyes, whether you are willing to admit it or not, you’re worth $75,000 a year. Not a penny more and not a penny less.” “I don’t see how you can say that,” said the young man. “The fact that I chose that particular amount means I’m levelheaded and have both feet on the ground. I just can’t see how I can earn more for the time being. After all, I don’t have a very high-paying job, or a degree, or anything in the bank.” “Your way of thinking is valid to an extent. In any case, I respect it. The only problem is, this attitude is the cause of your current situation. External circum-stances are not really very important. Keep this well in mind: All the events in your life are a mirror image of your thoughts. Your mind can’t grasp this principle if you continue to accept the widespread illusion that external factors determine your life. In reality, everything in life is a matter of attitude. Life is exactly as you picture it. Everything that happens to you is a product of your thoughts. So if you want to change your life, you must start by changing your thoughts. No doubt you consider this a bit trite. Many ‘rational’ individuals stubbornly refute this principle.

“But the truth is, all those who have accomplished great things in life, regardless of the field, have always ignored the objections raised by strictly ‘rational’ thinkers.

“This certainly doesn’t mean I’m against intelligence in any way. Quite the contrary. Reasoning and logic are essential in order to achieve success. But they aren’t enough. They must be instruments and faithful servants, nothing more.

“In most cases reasoning and logic become road-blocks in the way of great achievement, because great things are created only by those who have faith in the powers of the mind. Successful people never let circumstances bother them too much. When you come down to it, the circumstances facing great achievers in the past were just as difficult as — and often even more difficult than — those facing their contemporaries, but this simply caused them to reach even deeper to tap their inner strength. Those achievers firmly believed that they could accomplish great things. All those who became rich were deeply convinced that they could get rich. And that’s why they succeeded.

“But let’s get back to our piece of paper and answer this question: The $75,000 figure you wrote down was surely not the largest one that came to your mind, was it?” “You’re right. It wasn’t.”

“What was, then?”

“My head was crowded with so many numbers. . . .”

“For instance?”

“Well, $100,000.”

“And why didn’t you write it down?”

“I don’t know. I suppose it seemed totally out of reach.”

“It’ll remain that way until you believe you can reach it.

“Since you started with only $75,000, we’ve got a big job ahead of us; and if we don’t do it, it’ll take you a very long time to become a millionaire. So write down the highest figure that now seems achievable to you. Stretch yourself.” After a moment of reflection, the young man wrote down $100,000.

“Congratulations,” the millionaire responded quickly. “You’ve just earned $25,000 in a few seconds. Not bad, eh?”

“I haven’t earned it yet.”

“It’s as if you had. You’ve taken the biggest step. You expanded your self-image by considering you could earn $100,000 instead of $75,000. It’s not a major leap forward, but it’s progress all the same. Rome wasn’t built in a day, after all.

“Inside you lies a kind of Rome — as it does in every human being. The astonishing thing is that this city is both exactly as you picture it, and it’s also surprisingly flexible. The size of your city depends on the exact circumference you give it. By increasing the figure you wrote down, you expanded your city limits. Your inner Rome grew, and it’s just a beginning.

“All wise thinkers have said for ages that the greatest limitations are those man imposes on himself, and thus the greatest obstacle to success is a mental obstacle. Expand your mental limits and you will ex-pand the limits of your life. Explode your limitations and you will explode the limitations of your life. The conditions in your life will change as if by magic. I swear by experience this is true.” “But how can I find out what my mental limitations are?” the young man asked. “All this seems plausible, yet at the same time quite abstract.” “I’ve just explained how to find the boundary that corresponds to your self-image,” said the millionaire. “You translated it into concrete terms when you wrote down that number. It’s fascinating to see what each individual really thinks of himself. Each time someone does this exercise, a single figure immediately exposes his true self-image. He is confronted by his mental limitations, which will perfectly match the limits he encounters in life. Life will bow before the limits he sets for himself — whether he is aware of this or not. People who generally fail are the least conscious of these key principles of success and wealth. Successful individuals have become aware of this phenomenon and have done their utmost to work on their self-image.

“The easiest way to work on this self-image in the beginning is to take a blank sheet of paper and write down steadily increasing amounts. Let’s start our little exercise over again. Write down a much bolder fig-ure this time.” The young man thought for a few seconds and, squirming, wrote down $150,000, confessing that this was the maximum he could imagine earning.

“Maybe it’s the maximum you can imagine, but it’s definitely not the maximum you could actually earn. That’s a pretty modest figure. Some people earn it in a month, others in a week, even a day — every day of the year. However, let me congratulate you. You’ve made astounding progress: you’ve doubled your earnings and considerably extended your mental boundaries — not as much as I would like, but I don’t want to rush you. You have to start by setting yourself an objective that you consider bold but at the same time reasonable.

“The secret of any goal is that it must be both ambitious and within reach. But don’t forget that most people are overly conservative — they’re afraid to burst through their mental limitations. They’ve turned their mental limitations into a kind of habit. They’re used to going without. They’re convinced that’s what life’s all about. They’re scared to dream.

“You mustn’t be afraid of expanding your mental boundaries. What you can accomplish in an hour, merely by writing down a series of larger and larger numbers, is amazing. You’ve managed to double your goal within a matter of a few minutes. Later on, when you’re alone, do the next exercise. Sit down in the privacy of your own room and write out the course of your financial destiny. This is how to do it. Write: In six years to the day I will be a millionaire. This is the practical application of my secret to becoming an instant millionaire. You’ll probably object to the fact that it’ll take you six long years to become a millionaire. I agree, but it’ll take you only a second to activate the secret key that will ensure your financial destiny and fortune.

“As for me, I started out with some cash that an old millionaire lent me — equivalent to about $25,000 in today’s dollars — and it took me precisely five years and nine months to make my first million. Ever since then, I’ve made it prosper by using the same formula over and over, with ever-increasing numbers. This formula has always made some people laugh, and that’s not going to change. However, the ones who laugh aren’t rich!” The young man shook his head pensively. He was half convinced. But it all seemed a bit too easy.

“Obviously,” continued the millionaire, “this formula is effective for those who want to become some-thing other than millionaires. After all, not everyone cherishes that ambition. And that’s precisely the beauty of this secret. It works equally well for any dream — from the most modest to the most extravagant. It can make you an extra $5,000 a year or double your income in a year — something that’s totally feasible, by the way.

“So, if you don’t mind, go and spend some time in your room while I go back to my precious roses, and write the sentence I gave you: In six years to the day, I will be a millionaire. I will therefore be a millionaire on, and then write the month, the day, and the year. Make sure you take note of every impression that comes into your mind, no matter what it may be. You’ll find some paper in the desk. Remember one thing: As long as you aren’t used to the idea of becoming a millionaire, as long as it isn’t an integral part of your life and thus of your innermost thoughts, nothing can help you be-come a millionaire.

“Go now and reflect on my formula or affirmation, as you may wish to call it. Let it become your guiding principle during the next six years.”