Napoleon Hill, the Founder of “The Science Of Success”

I do not know how or when I came across Napoleon Hill’s writings. Perhaps it was fate or divine intervention and purpose. Like I said, this book is God inspired. However, this one particular quote was a good fit in what I wanted to convey to the reader. It also piqued my mind. I could honestly relate to what Mr. Hill was saying. I reference Napoleon Hill's quote throughout the book to draw an analogy between shackles on the mind and the self imposed limitation people set up in their mind.

It was Napoleon Hill, the Founder of “The Science Of Success”, of who caught my attention when he said; “Most people condemn themselves to prison all their lives despite the fact that they carry the keys to their prison without knowing they possess them. The prison consists in the self-imposed limitations they set up in their minds, or permit others to set for them. The keys consist in the power everyone has been given by the Creator to take full possession of the mind and to direct it to the solution of all problems, the accomplishment of all desired ends.” Allow me to add to Hill’s thought provoking quote. I will conclude that the strongest chains are not those that are wrapped around the body, but those that are wrapped around the mind.



Napoleon Hill hit the nail on the head when he proclaimed, “the prison consist in the self-imposed limitations they set up in their minds.” What Napoleon Hill called “prison”, I refer to as shackles. Imagine iron shackles on the mind. Literally, there are people who of there own condemnations are imprisoned. Many folk today are trapped in their self imposed prison. They are imprisoned by what they think and believe about themselves and the world around them. Figuratively speaking, there are people living with shackles on their mind. They are the suburban housewife hooked on prescription drugs, the assembly line worker with a gambling habit so bad he cannot retire, the college student so depressed he flunks out of school, the manager fired because he was caught on the job surfing pornographic web sites, the brother and sister who have not spoken for years because of a falling out and an overweight school teacher is in and out of the hospital because of obesity related illnesses. They are also the people who sing in the church choir, serve on the leadership and advisory board, teach Sunday school, are a missionary and an officer in the church; they even preach in the Lord’s pulpits every Sunday morning proclaiming that Jesus is Lord. These are the people with shackles on the mind.

A shackled mind is enslaved to unrealistic fears, destructive behavior and negative thoughts. A shackled mind is held hostage by depression, addictions, attachments, obsessions, guilt, un-forgiveness and sin. However, an unshackled renewed mind releases negative and defeating behavior, creates sound decision-making. It promotes behaviors and thinking patterns that sustain success and releases past hurts. In our present age the prevailing winds tell us that far too many people are living with shackles on their minds.

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