Can you remember the first time you really thought for yourself? A defining moment such as this either moves us forward into growth or keeps our feet firmly planted on the ground, unable to move forward and grow, and unable to think for ourselves. Imagine the world if Bill Gates accepted the fact that he did not actually have a product to sell to IBM and, instead of creating DOS (the first widely installed computer operating system) with the resources he had, simply walked away in defeat. Gates thought differently about his life. He thought about what was possible and what he was capable of achieving. People like Bill Gates and the late Steve Jobs both thought of possibilities, not limitations, which is why they are, and were, considered leaders in their profession. Leaders choose to use their mind in a way that opens doors for them. In its simplest form, this unique type of thinking is “thinking for yourself.”
“An educated man is not, necessarily, one who has an abundance of general or specialized knowledge. An educated man is one who has so developed the faculties of his mind that he may acquire anything he wants, or its equivalent, without violating the rights of others. –” Napoleon Hill
Think of the times in your own life when you have achieved success. You used your mind in a way that separated you from the naysayers and the people who said it could not be done. Thinking for yourself is more than an occasional activity. It is the acquired habit of a natural winner in life and it allows you to have doors fly open as you walk confidently forward on your life’s journey. Yet how many people think and apply their thoughts on a day-to-day basis?
Dr. J.B. Rhine of Duke University, the late founder of scientific research in parapsychology, declared, “Your mind is the greatest power in all creation.” You interpret the world around you according to how you see it with your mind’s eye. Imagine that your mind is equipped with mental muscles, just as your body is equipped with physical muscles. You already know how to develop your body’s physical muscles through exercise. To develop your mind, you need to develop your “mental muscles,” which we call here your “intellectual faculties.”
These intellectual faculties are imagination, memory, reason, perception, intuition and will. Just as you use your muscles in your body, either automatically or purposefully, you can also use your intellectual faculties without thinking (automatically) or purposefully. Thinking for yourself happens when you use your mind the way it was meant to be used: creatively, and with enthusiasm for your current life and the life you are creating.
This book will help you understand how your mind works so you can begin to use your intellectual faculties more effectively (purposefully) — and, in doing so, find freedom in all areas of your life. We talk about freedom in life because it is not limited or shaped by anybody. Freedom is what you decide. It is your freedom. The ultimate freedom has always been the freedom to think for yourself in a way that creates peace of mind as you live the life you choose to live. Bob Proctor says, “If I’m going to be free, I’ve got to be me. Not the me you think I should be, or the me my kids think I should be. If I’m going to be free, I’ve got to be the me I want to be!”
Everyone is equipped with intellectual faculties. We are born with them — and still only a small percentage of the population effectively employs their faculties in a way that enables them to make a better life for themselves and the ones they love. This is why the same small percentage of the population earns the most money.
Your mind is always busy, but don’t confuse mental activity with thinking. You have hundreds and even thousands of thoughts going through your mind every day. You must shift through these thoughts and purposefully direct them in a way that enables you to become the best you can be, regardless of your current resources or circumstances. If we let our thoughts run wild and uncontrolled by not using our ability to think on purpose, as we often do, then we are simply allowing somebody else’s thoughts to take over our mind.
Part of the reason for this is we often misunderstand the difference between mental activity and thinking. You may have gone to some of the finest universities in the world or attended workshops and seminars to improve your life or professional skills, and still know little about your ability to think.
Since we were small children, we have been programmed to value our knowledge of a certain subject according to a grade given to us, but we have not given any conscious attention to the importance of how we think and process this knowledge in our mind. We both enjoy and suffer from our thoughts. We are not aware of how we think or how to manage our thinking to enjoy a positive mental state and positive results in our lives. The awareness of how you really think will help you create a process for using your mind in an orderly way. The importance of understanding and mastering this process is crucial for your life. It is the real cause for every result and circumstance around you.
“We think in secret and it comes to pass, environment is but our looking glass.” ~ James Allen, seen as a pioneer of the self-help movement, from his 1902 book, As a Man Thinketh
Active, creative, and focused thinking requires applied knowledge and a heightened awareness. Understanding your intellectual faculties is your first step toward that applied knowledge and heightened awareness. Once you become aware of why you do what you do and why you interpret things the way you do, you begin to take responsibility for your life and to free yourself from the expectations of others. Each one of us has a desire to seek freedom. An individual with awareness seeks freedom through the ability to think independently. That desire to seek freedom is what led us to the creation of this book.
You hold in your hands the “how-to” book on thinking for yourself. The ideas in it can help you enjoy an abundant and happy life. Most people are not aware that their freedom in life comes from their ability to think independently. Only a few individuals grasp this idea. The ones who do understand it stand out significantly because of their accomplishments.
Our thinking determines the circumstances in our lives. Sometimes we cannot change the facts and circumstances, but we can always choose the way we respond to them. We can determine how much power we allow them to have over our lives.
In this book, we will talk a lot about thinking, so that you can fully understand the process you use when you think. You will understand the tools and mechanisms you unconsciously use while you mentally process information. This information will help you choose and create thoughts that lead to your desired outcomes. We sincerely wish that you will discover your ability to think by developing the intellectual faculties of your mind and to start thinking with definite purpose.
In doing so, you will fill your life with purpose-driven thoughts, habits and actions, thus creating new results, which will give you your desired freedom.