NAPOLEON HILL: A SHORT STORY EXERPT AND BRIEF REVIEW OF HIS BOOK — OUTWITTING THE DEVIL

“When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal." 

Napoleon Hill, author of "Outwitting The Devil," is a famous philosopher and an eminent entity in the domain of self-help gurus. He's also the author of "Think and Grow Rich," marked as one of the international bestseller of all time. 

In his book — Outwitting the devil — Hill explains how a visionary purpose of creating and publishing a certain project, at a peak in his career, eventually and unfortunately began to fall out of motivation, focus, and grace.

Due to heaviness of pressure and sheer despondency, he lost hope and belief which almost confounded him to a state of constant alienation. But fortunately for him, everything changed and took a good turnout the moment he found his "other self."

A major crisis that led to the murder of Donald Mellett, a journalist, friend, and potential business partner, got Hill's life threatened. The honesty of Mellett in revealing a controversial truth has made the suspicious underworld character, Mellett's murderers, to factor Hill as a dangerous journalists' ally — a false implication.

Hill afterwards received a strange, unknown call, eloquently noticing and warning him that his life was in danger. Immediately he got the tip, he made a decision to relocate from the city he was to West Virginia, where he would be staying with a relative for the purpose of safety. 

Although this particular issue that threatened Hill's life had long politically been resolved — Mellett's murderers were caught and put behind bars — Hill had a hard time recollecting himself. His initial energy, gumption, zeal, and purpose were slipping off the board.

"I felt like a burden to my relatives," he said. "Anyone in my shoes would feel the same. And infact, anyone, as I was, will be as a burden to whomever they come across."

"Looking into the mirror," he continued, "I often say hurtful, disparaging words to myself of which I wouldn't dare mention in this book." 

However, after many days of his inert and helpless state of mind, he was determined to take responsibility, finding solutions to his problem. 

Making a claim in subsequent pages, he stated that every problem has their own solution, and that sometimes, these solutions can be found inches inwards of those problems.

He went for a lone, long walk, musing and seeking solutions from within. The extent of his dead seriousness is evident in his determination not to leave the hill-top public school building, where his lone, long walk had led him, until he finds substantial solution to his nagging problem. 

And guess what? He did! He discovered the peculiarity of his "other self."

Here is a quick description of this "other self." 

It is an embodiment inside of every soul that has the potential of awakening the creative and practical self. It is a self within the self that, if given the chance to take full control, can proffer concrete solutions and answers to the bugging-questions of the mind. It is goal oriented and purpose driven. 

According to Hill, his "other self" gave him workable instructions that will prepare and nudge him back into his purpose. He followed the instructions to the letter despite how challenging and grandiose it seems. 

But in the end, it paid off!

He was able to get back on track and publish one of his life's influential work, "The Philosophy of Achievement," in the shortest time possible. He was able to make his dream come true — with the aid of his uncle, acquaintance, and some co-workers, as suggested by his "other self." He was able to get out of the mud of uncertainty and tread upon the plain of purpose and meaning.

The inspiration for his work had initially came to him while in an interview meeting with Andrew Carnegie, who, seeing the curiosity in the mind of Hill about the secrets behind successes and failures, asked that he gather the opinions of hundreds of people who have been called successful and likewise those who have been termed as utter failure.

[Hill admits that during his own down time, he felt worse than the whole failure stories he had gathered.]

In his moment of gaining clarity though, he hacked into the secret web of the devil. 

They had a one-on-one interview, which is, in the best of description, forceful and witty.

Hill managed to squeeze out the inconsistent factual truth from the devil and formulated a lasting solution for those who wish to practically and literally outwit his subtle deceit.

It was indeed a long conversation, and it serves as the entire backbone with which he used to stack multiple of ideas and philosophical dialogue.

"Outwitting The Devil." Written in 1938 and published in 2011. (Time frame interval is due to some specific reasons known to him, his family, and foundation.)

If you're looking to enhance your forthrightness on the ground of reality, truth, and definiteness of purpose, then I recommend that you read this book. It is indeed life-changing, full of secrets, and advises on how to get one step ahead of a major adversary — the devil. 

I can testify of its greatness and practicality. Napoleon Hill is truly an amazingly inspiring soul. He's unique and will forever be known across the span of time.

Dear readers, you are no different! You too can possibly become your best self and see that your dreams come true. You can ward off the challenges and difficulties and see them as passing and temporary. And ultimately, you can influence the world.

Do not confuse temporary defeat as permanent failure.

In the light of truth and clarity, you can keep on glowing and work with headway vision towards your goals and purpose. 

And definitely, if you're consistent and diligent, the infinite intelligence of the universe will reward you your cause, claims, and desires, in effect with their material equivalent. 

Dear readers, thanks for reading. I do hope to see you at the top, and I also hope this leaves a spark in you.

Peace!