It's ironic that on the eve of Ted Ciuba's recent launch of his "The New Think And Grow Rich" that I heard another internet marketer, Matt Bacak say in a teleseminar that the original "Think And Grow Rich" should be tossed out and not in favour of an updated version. However, Bacak was not totally denouncing this legendary book which many have said has deeply influenced their lives and helped them to strike it rich. For instance, W Clement Stone, a multi-millionaire and mentor to America's Success Coach, Jack Canfield said,

"One of the most important days of my life was the day I began to read Think and Grow Rich."

International best-selling author of "You Were Born Rich", Bob Proctor, also credits this book to contributing to his phenomenal success. And here I was listening to Bacak suggesting that the title of this classic should at least be re-worked to "Act and Grow Rich".

Somehow it doesn't have the same ring to it but I do understand where he is coming from. There is a lot of talk about developing a wealth mindset in order to successfully accumulate wealth and I believe this to be absolutely fundamental. However, Bacak's point was that many people stop short here. They don't follow through. They don't take ACTION. I agree with this as well.

However, I also think that if this is the case then there's a piece missing in their personal success puzzle, that somehow the mental conditioning or, I should say, mental re-conditioning has not been thorough enough. If it had been, they would take action. They would do the steps needed to create the results they desire in their life.

It's kinda like the chicken and egg theory. If you believe that everything begins as a thought or an idea, then it follows that thought must precede any action whether it leads to poverty or wealth. Therefore, Napoleon Hill's book, though outdated in some areas, and Ted Ciuba updated, "super-charged" version are apt in their titles.

So why is success so elusive for so many people? Let's take a look at what constitutes success. There are many definitions for success but one of my favourites is that of Earl Nightingale:

"Success is the progressive realisation of a worthy ideal."

Bob Proctor, describes an "ideal" can be described as an idea that you fall in love with. Herein lies the first clue as to why so many people do not succeed. They simply are not "in love" with or committed to the idea of the thing they say they want. It would be nice to achieve it but if not, no big deal.

Commitment is important for other reasons. Without it you will not have the mental stamina to withstand the potential opposition, ridicule and rejection that your idea might receive and you will most likely abandon your idea at the first hurdle.

Another reason why success can be elusive is because we do not fully understand the creative process. We over-rely on our physical senses. We believe in that which we can see, hear, smell, taste and touch.

"Faith is to believe what you do not yet see; the reward for this faith is to see what you believe."
St Augustine

It is a difficult concept for many to accept that we are creative thinking centres. We forget that everything around us, everything, existed first as thought - an idea. Note I the phrase "existed first as thought" because when you can hold an idea or thought in your mind you have created your thing on the first plane of existence.

This brings me to my next point as to why sometimes we do not succeed. It is our ability to hold consistent thoughts. Many people's minds are a battleground of conflicting thoughts and ideas. Such a state creates turmoil; not only in that person's mind but also in their body eventually resulting is disease for a diseased body is simply a body which is not at ease. Such inner turmoil also leads to an inability to take effective action.

Anyone who has ever meditated will appreciate that holding a single thought in one's mind is a challenging task. However, meditation is one way in which to develop your mental fortitude.

"Because you counter the majority of your thoughts with opposing thoughts, you believe that you are not powerful. When you no longer split your flow of energy with contradictory thoughts, you will know your power."
Abraham-Hicks

Dr Robert Anthony, author of The Secret of "Doing Without Doing" says that we just don't comprehend the power of our thoughts and so we focus on our actions with the result that,

"If you analyse it, 90% of most people's actions are spent trying to compensate for inappropriate thought."

It's like we are trying to get our own way through force and the Universe mocks us when we do so. However, when we work with Universal Laws then our progress becomes virtually effortless. The things, people and resources that we need are drawn to us.

Dr Robert Anthony reminds us that action is the last step in the process of creation.

"Actions are necessary, but they are the last component of the creation processes. Actions cannot be used effectively to initiate results, because initiation of the function of BEING, then thought, then action."

Matt Bacak was right we do need to take action but when we do so without investing in thinking about what we desire and developing the right mindset for what we desire then we end up doing a lot of work with little to show for it.

When you can fully align yourself with the vibrational energy of being rich which is achieved through thought, then the actions you need to take will be shown to you. The hard work lies in the thinking.

So it would appear that to think and grow rich is in no sense nonsense!