Welcome to the Inspirational Living podcast, brought to you in part by Book of Zen,

makers of wearable inspiration for a better world.

Today's podcast has been edited and adapted from the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, published in 1937.

Persistence is an essential factor of success in life, and the basis of persistence is the power of will.

Willpower and desire, when properly combined, make an irresistible pair.

People who achieve great success are sometimes known as ruthless.

Often they are misunderstood.

What they have is willpower, which they mix with persistence to ensure the attainment of their objectives.

Most people are ready to throw their arms and purposes overboard and give up at the first sign of opposition or misfortune.

Only a few carry on despite all opposition until they attain their goal.

The Steve Jobses, the Andrew Carnegie's, the Mahatma Gandhi's, the Thomas Settisons.

While there may be no heroic connotation to the word persistence, the quality is to the character of a person, what carbon is to steal.

Lack of persistence is a weakness common to the majority, but it is a weakness which may be overcome by effort.

The ease with which a lack of which may be overcome by effort.

The ease with which a lack of persistence may be conquered will depend entirely upon the intensity

of one's desire.

The starting point of all achievement is desire.

Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desires bring weak results, just as a small amount of fire

produces a small amount of heat. If you find yourself lacking in persistence, this weakness may be

remedied by building a stronger fire under your desires.

Great fortunes, be they figurative or literal, gravitate to those whose minds have been prepared

to attract them, just as surely as water gravitates to the ocean.

...