I used to feel a lack of purpose in my life for a long time, and all throughout my school
years, I was unable to see a way out. My friends did really well in school, they actually listened
and got good grades. But, I lacked interest in everything, and my future was a complete
mystery to me. I had no idea what I wanted to do, who I wanted to become or what I wanted
to achieve.
This lack of purpose for me eventually led to a bunch of problems like anxiety, depression,
and an overall feeling of being cast astray, as if I was lost at sea.
That is until I read Outwitting the Devil, by Napoleon Hill.
Outwitting the Devil was written a year after the publication of Napoleon Hill’s famous
"Think And Grow Rich" book, which still actually stands as one of the best self-development
books ever written.
I remember the first time I picked up this book. It completely changed my life. Even
today, it sits comfortably in the top five books I’ve ever read, and it’s always
been something I go back to reading every now and again.
Unlike "Think And Grow Rich", Outwitting the Devil was considered "too controversial" for
publication at the time by many people, including Napoleon Hill’s wife, and it remained unpublished
until 2011, long after Napoleon Hill’s death.
The book is mostly written as a Q&A between Napoleon Hill and The Devil himself, who claims
to influence 98% of the population.
He claims to do this through 6 major fears:
Fear of Poverty Fear of Criticism
Fear of ill-health Fear of Loss of Love
Fear of Old Age And Fear of Death
I mean ask yourself for a second: Are any of these fears actually present in your life?
Have any of these fears ever held you back from doing something which you know you should
do? The Devil claims this is from his doing.
For me when I was younger and had just finished school, I wanted to teach people the life-changing
things I read in self-help books. However at the time, the fear of criticism constantly
held me back from taking action. Actions I knew were in the direction of my goals and
dreams. I was worried what people would think of me. After all, who would listen to the
quiet, weird kid who just reads books and has no experience of the "real world"?
That was my rationalization anyway. I wanted to please everyone to a point where I would
stop myself from suggesting solutions to people who I saw struggling because I feared the
way that they would react to me.
The Devil suggests that when we fear things, we hesitate; we procrastinate and we make
excuses; we will find any reason not to move ahead on something because of our fears. And
when we let our fears get the better of us, we can easily begin to drift through the sea
of life with no compass or direction. This is referred to in the book as "The Habit of
Drifting".
Those who are stuck in the habit of drifting are referred to as "Drifters". Drifters allow
themselves to be tossed around in life as a passenger, allowing external influences
to dominate their minds and opinions. They actually lose the power to think and act independently,
and almost become robotic. They go nowhere because they are not using their brains to
think.
Now The Devil claims to introduce people into the habit of drifting through various avenues.
For example, early on in the book, The Devil explains that the school system is built on
the notion of creating drifters from an early age. Children are taught in schools, not to
use their minds, but rather to adopt the minds of others. Students are graded on their ability
to memorize and regurgitate information, not on their ability to become free thinkers and
unique problem-solvers.
I mean, think about it, what if there was a class in school which taught us how to think
for ourselves or a class which encouraged our individuality and uniqueness? How different
do you think the world would be today? How many more Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs
or Elon Musks would there be if we actually nurtured people’s uniqueness and creativity,
and adopted this practice into modern society?
But that’s not the only thing. The Devil then claims to influence us through various
other substances like:
Alcohol which corrupts our power of independent thought...
Cigarettes, which breaks down our power of persistence, our endurance and our ability
to concentrate... And unhealthy foods, which The Devil says
overworks our digestion organs, clogging up our bodies and making us slow and sluggish...
He then suggests that neglecting to think independently, along with the use of substances
like these, causes new habits to form. Bad habits. In fact any habit which causes one
to procrastinate, or to put off reaching a definite decision - leads to the habit of
drifting.
Over time, a drifter’s bad habits begin to enter the subconscious mind, meaning drifters
start to repeat these bad habits without even consciously being aware of it. If it is not
fixed, these habits can even become permanent. This is what The Devil calls "The Law of Hypnotic
Rhythm". A law which works both ways depending on our habits. For example if they're good,
we're propelling towards our goals and dreams, however if they're bad, we end up filled with
regret on our death beds wondering where the hell the time went.
So, we know The Devil’s tactics, but how do we outwit him?
To put it simply, become a non-drifter.
In the book, Napleon Hill forces The Devil to share everything with him, even the solutions
on breaking free from his control.
Now, The Devil goes on to say: A non-drifter is described as someone who is always engaged
in doing something definite, through some well-organized plan which is definite as well.
Someone who never blames others for his or her mistakes. Someone who knows exactly what
is wanted and is determined to get it, no matter how long it may take or what price
must be paid. Someone whose mind is an inspiration to all who come into contact with it, not
a mind which has been influenced. A mind used for all purposes.
How do you become a non-drifter? If you feel like a spectator in your life, or you're just
simply struggling with procrastination, there are 7 Principles from the book which I found
incredibly useful, which can be put into action straight away to help you stay on the track
of a non-drifter, far away from the habit of drifting.
1. Definiteness of Purpose
Choose a purpose, a big goal, a life mission, and move towards it relentlessly. When you
do something with purpose, you do it with determination. When your activities have a
purpose, you have an aim or intention in mind.
2. Mastery over Self
Discipline equals freedom. Be sure to say "yes" to the things that serve you, and have
the will to say "no" to things which don't. If you’re driven by impulse and self-gratification
all your life, you’ll go nowhere, like a drifter.
3. Learning from Adversity
Failures are just failures. We can either let them consume us, or we can use them as
lessons for our next trails and tribulations. It's up to us.
"Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater
benefit."
4. Controlling Environmental Influences
Remember, you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Who you
hang out with matters. The environment in which you work and live matters. Successful
people surround themselves with other successful people.
5. Time
Time can make drifting and negativity permanent, but it can also make positivity and wisdom
permanent. In an age of self-gratification and dopamine buttons in every app, it's easy
to forget the best things in life take time to manifest.
6. Harmony
In order for you to balance mental, spiritual and physical aspects of your life, you must
be the main actor. Put yourself first in situations and don't try to please everyone. If you focus
on trying to please everyone, you'll lose sight of your own purpose and values.
7. Caution
Always act, but always think before you act. Planning in advance is essential to becoming
a non-drifter. Think about it, if a football team failed to plan before a game, how much
more would it affect them out on the field? They'd probably lose, woudn't they?
Getting what you want from life requires positive thinking, a definite plan of action, and a
clear purpose.
By following these principles and making a conscious effect to implement as much of this
into your life, you give yourself back the power. The power to control your thought patterns
and habits. The power to build a better life. The power of self-awareness. The ability to
ignore or reject external influences which do not serve your purpose in life. The ability
to think for yourself.
"Remember that your dominating thoughts attract, through a definite law of nature, by the shortest
and most convenient route, their physical counterpart. Be careful what your thoughts
dwell upon."
Considering this book was written 80 years ago, I still think it carries a lot of weight,
and it made me realise that, although things have changed since then, people really haven't
changed that much.
Before I read this book, I used to think that motivation was the most important thing. I
was wrong. Motivation is a feeling. Motivation comes and goes. I mean, it’s great as a
temporary push towards taking action, but I feel it is discipline which is key to living
the life of a non-drifter.
Discipline is forever if mastered, and it is discipline which eventually breaks down
the barriers of old negative habits; the discipline of respecting yourself enough to saying "no"
to things which don't contribute towards your purpose.
And the discipline of saying yes to the habits which propel you towards it, laying the foundation
for new positive habits and, ultimately, a better, brighter future.