October 21, 1961
Today is Friday, October 21, 2011.
I want you to come back with me to Saturday, October 21, 1961, 50 years ago to the day — a full half a century. That's a long time. You might not have even been born at that time, I wasn't. And if you were, you were probably fairly young. John Kennedy was the President of the United States. The Cold War with Russia was in high gear. And gas cost 40 cents a gallon. Things have sure changed.
However, on that Saturday morning in Toronto, Canada, in the Proctor household, not much was changing. That Saturday was much the same as every Saturday had been for a long time. I did a little research and found it was a typical fall morning. It was clear and the temperature was in the low 50's. Bob Proctor was just an ordinary guy, doing an ordinary job. He was a fireman at the local fire station. He had more debt than the annual salary he was being paid. In his own words at the end of every month he felt he was winning if he was able to pay the rent on his small apartment and had $2 left over for gas.
I've picked his brain on many occasions attempting to figure out what was going on in his mind at that time. And it seemed he had no big dreams. In fact, in his own words, he didn't have any dreams at all. He was like the vast majority of people, struggling to make ends meet.
But later that typical fall day his life would change dramatically.
Think and Grow Rich
It was on that Saturday that Bob Proctor was introduced to Napoleon Hill's book Think and Grow Rich. A very successful business man, Ray Stanford, steered Bob to this book and in doing so became one of Bob's most cherished mentors of his life. If Ray Stanford were still alive it would be interesting to ask him if he had any idea that this stumbling high school drop-out would become a human resource consultant to some of the largest corporations in the world and to millions of people and one of today's most revered transformational leaders.
As I take a look from where I sit, as the President and CEO of Bob Proctor's LifeSuccess Group of Companies, I am absolutely amazed at the difference between where he was 50 years ago to this day and where he is now. It has become very clear to me why he really believes that anyone can accomplish anything if they have a strong enough desire and are willing to accept some guidance; everything else will follow.
It is such a simple idea to grasp but so very difficult to believe. But Bob Proctor can get you to believe this Truth. He communicates and teaches the truth regarding our creative potential so powerfully that he got me and countless others to believe it and truly understand it … he causes a person to see an expanded version of their true self and makes you want to go after it with full abandon.
Bob picked up Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich that fall day and proceeded to follow it to the letter, reading it day in and day out, then finding supplemental reading and records and mentors from Earl Nightingale, Leland Val Van dewall, Dr. C. Harry Roder, and others; he formed the habit of always studying personal achievement material from two perspectives – how do I change my life with this powerful information and how do I teach this to others to help them change their life?
In just a year's time his life had changed dramatically, not just in small incremental ways, but dramatically. From that point on Bob was obsessed with discovering WHY his life had changed. He had given the same book to friends and family members and saw no change whatsoever in their lives, so he knew it had to be more than the spark of Hill's book.
When Bob Proctor first started to read Think and Grow Rich, I've heard him say numerous times that he really didn't believe that what Napoleon Hill was talking about could actually happen to him or for him. But, fortunately, he not only picked up Think and Grow Rich, he also sat down for the first time with someone who, as he put it, really believed in him and tried to convince him that he could do everything Napoleon Hill suggested. Ray Stanford saw in Bob Proctor far more than Bob saw in himself, and Ray got Bob to trust in his belief in Bob. Thank goodness he did.
A Man of Vision
This study and mentoring awakened something powerful in Bob and changed him from a loser to truly one of the world's greatest assets … a man of vision. It set his imagination on fire; he envisioned the most beautiful picture of building a global company dedicated to helping people live the life they are truly meant to live. That picture kept coming to the surface of his mind, it became an obsession and then it became a physical reality 43 years ago when he established his company LifeSuccess Productions to take to the world the rich philosophy that he had inherited. Bob frequently quotes Stella Mann saying "if you can hold it in your mind you can hold it in your hand" and that is precisely what he did.
I know I have only had a glimpse of what has really happened in Bob's life over the last 50 years but when I take a look at where he was and then realize today that he has earned the respect of business leaders all over the world, his company reaches into over 90 countries today, he consults with the heads of multi-million dollar organizations, he's helped millions of people on every corner of the globe re-evaluate who they are and what they are capable of doing and his company has earned millions of dollars. I can really see the power in persistent, consistent dedication to self- study and service to others.
The Secret
After diligently applying himself to his business, teaching the LifeSuccess programs to some of the largest corporations in the world for approximately 38 years, Bob and his Philosophy were absolutely rocketed onto the World stage in 2006 with the movie phenomenon The Secret, and he was ready.
It's been estimated that 200 to 300 million people globally have been impacted one way or another with The Secret. I don't believe there's a country on the planet where Bob Proctor is not recognized and respected for the work he does. He openly states that every day he is grateful to Rhonda Byrne for first visualizing and them making the movie The Secret.
A Rich Lineage
Now let's take a look at the rich lineage that Bob Proctor is a part of — It dates back to 1853 with Andrew Carnegie.
Andrew Carnegie
Carnegie came from a family that was materially very poor BUT philosophically very rich. He completely applied all of himself to everything he got involved in and at the time of his death on August the 11, 1919 he was the wealthiest man in the world.
Carnegie spent half of his life making money, and the other half giving it away. He gave away $350 million. A further $125 million dollars was placed in the Carnegie Corporation to carry on his good work. Keep in mind – that was in 1919 when a million dollars was a lot more than it is today.
11 years earlier, in 1908, Carnegie formed an opinion in his mind that it was a tragedy that individuals like himself who had accomplished so much with their life would go to their grave with all the valuable knowledge they had gathered still locked up within them.
He felt this information should be organized so it could be passed on to future generations. And he began searching for the individual to do this great work.
Napoleon Hill
It was at that time that he met a young journalist who had been fortunate enough to gain a 3 hour interview with him. That journalist's name was Napoleon Hill.
Hill was in his early 20's when he met Carnegie and needless to say, he was more than a little bit nervous, going to interview the wealthiest man in the world for 3 hours — He must have done a very good job though — He impressed the old Scotsman sufficiently, that at the end of the interview, Carnegie said "This interview is not ending, it's just beginning."
Carnegie invited Hill to his home, where Hill ended up staying for 3 full days. During that 3 day period, Andrew Carnegie shared with the young journalist his philosophy for success in life. This was later to be called the Laws of Achievement.
At the end of the 3 days, Carnegie said to Hill, "I'm going to ask you a question." And I want just a No or a Yes answer."
Carnegie said, "Now Napoleon, you have a pretty good idea of what it's taken me to do what I have done — My question to you is: Would you dedicate the rest of your life to an idea for which you would probably receive no material compensation for at least 20 years?"
Although Hill did not know it, Carnegie held in his hand under the desk a stop watch. He decided that Hill must answer him within 60 seconds. In 25 seconds Hill answered in the affirmative. He said "Yes I will."
Carnegie told him that he wanted him to write the Laws of Achievement, which Hill went on to do.
Carnegie introduced Hill to 500 of the world's most accomplished individuals. Hill found in his research that there was a golden thread running through their lives – they all believed in the Elements of Success and in their own way, applied them.
From The Laws of Achievement written in 1937 came the book Think and Grow Rich.
At the time of Hill's death in 1970, it had sold in excess of 20 million copies. Think and Grow Rich is the most successful book of its kind ever written. It contains the Philosophy of Achievement that Hill obtained by interviewing over 500 successful men and women: Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Henry Ford, just to name a few.
Hill was an advisor to Presidents of the United States and today many of the world's greatest leaders are quick to give credit to the education they received from Napoleon Hill's life's work.
Earl Nightingale
In 1938 -39, when it was obvious to most thinking people that there was about to be a World War, Earl Nightingale was 17 years old. He joined the United States Marine Corp and was one of only 12 surviving marines on the American battle ship USS Arizona when it was bombed in Pearl Harbor. Earl was blown into the water but he survived and became one of the greatest broadcasters in the world.
When the war came to an end, Earl was a serious student of Napoleon Hill's great work. He began talking about this information on the radio. And he quickly became the most listened to man in the history of the broadcasting industry.
Earl spent his entire life searching for the meaning to life. Earl tells the story of how on New Year's Day of 1951, he was driving in his car when a feeling came over him that caused him to pull over and stop. He said it was like an "illumination," and he said he suddenly realized what he had been searching for since he was a boy — that We Become What We Think About. He said, that was in every good book that he had ever read, all the great teachers had taught that — and suddenly it stood out like a neon light in his mind – We Become What We Think About … As we sow, so shall we reap.
In 1956, Earl Nightingale produced a spoken-word record called The Strangest Secret, and it quickly sold over a million copies — Earl had broadcast Hill's great work to millions.
The Baton is Passed to Bob Proctor
It was at this time that Bob Proctor was handed Napoleon Hill's book Think and Grow Rich and Earl Nightingale's record The Strangest Secret.
Shortly after Bob began to study these two pieces of valuable information he was wise enough to be aware that he had tapped into a lineage that possessed riches beyond belief.
He immediately began to research and study Carnegie. At the same time he was very heavily involved with Napoleon Hill's great work AND listening to Earl Nightingale's recordings every day for hours at a time.
Starting with nothing but a used floor machine, a couple of buckets and mops, in a matter of less than 5 years Bob Proctor had a building maintenance company that operated in Canada, the United States and England.
It was around 1967 that Bob realized the maintenance of buildings was almost incidental relative to what he was really doing – You see, he had unconsciously put Education as the Foundation of his business and was busy teaching cleaners the truth about their potential and how to set and achieve goals.
In Bob's own words, he said "I was raised to believe that you'll never do well in business without a formal education and that you can't earn a lot of money unless you're really smart." "I didn't feel I was very smart, but I was earning over a million dollars a year. He explained, "I had never attended high school yet I built a company in three different countries." He continued, saying, "I came to know that most of the information I had been raised with was not accurate. I wanted to know Why I changed. I decided to leave the cleaning business and go and work with Earl Nightingale. That is when my real education began in great depth. I felt I was drinking right from the fountain of knowledge. Bob goes on to say, "That is when I decided that I would spend the rest of my life studying the work of the masters and understanding the basic elements of life."
Bob Proctor not only enjoyed the benefits of working with and being mentored by Earl Nightingale but he was also mentored by Earl's partner Lloyd Conant. The 7 years of studying the material of Carnegie, Hill and Nightingale every day, and applying it in his own life, paid off – Bob Proctor quickly rose to the top of the Nightingale – Conant Corporation.
It was through Earl Nightingale and Lloyd Conant that Bob Proctor was introduced to some of the wisest people in the world. Daily he worked at putting the puzzle together, asking himself what he had done to change the course of his life from going nowhere to truly enjoying the fascinating life that he was living. And because that's what he was looking for, that's what he discovered.
Bob Proctor's Big Discovery
It took Proctor approximately 9 years working with some of the best in the world to put the pieces of the puzzle together and become aware that we are all conditioned genetically — and then environmentally — and the conditioning in our subconscious mind, commonly referred to as the paradigm, is what controls our life — And regardless of the information we may gather, and the degrees we may collect, IF the Paradigm is Not Changed, a person's life will stand virtually still. That is the very reason why so many supposedly well-educated people are walking the streets and cannot find work, are getting the same results year in and year out. Bob clearly states that your paradigm (subconscious conditioning) was not formed overnite, nor will it change overnite. After understanding this basic truth regarding personal achievement and how paradigms control us Bob designed a year-long coaching program where he works with participants every week for a year. Ever since, he has been sharing this with millions of individuals around the world. Over 90 countries have participated in this ground-breaking program and have experienced tremendous success.
Bob Proctor is one of the world's top business consultants. He and his team have put material together that has raised the sales in some of the largest companies in the world by 100's of millions of dollars. His results are nothing short of astronomical. He is charismatic and insightful, with a deep voice and ages of wisdom, you WANT to listen to him, you WANT to learn from him, and you WANT to become all you can be because of him. He changes lives.
Bob Proctor has spent the past 50 years – a full half century — sharing this wonderful information. He is known around the world as the Grandfather of the Personal Development Industry. No one has studied, applied and taught the elements of success more effectively. He is unmatched in his ability to transform corporations and individuals by getting the individuals to take control of their subconscious mind and — subsequently their actions — to produce the results they want.
Winning is Giving
Bob has adopted the philosophy of his good friend Jane Willhite who teaches that giver's gain. I am not certain who the author is, but there is an article entitled "Winning is Giving" and it describes Bob Proctor perfectly when it says:
Winning is giving your best self away
Winning is serving with grace every day
You'll know that you've won when your friends say it's true
I like who I am when I'm around you.
You look for the best in the others you see
And you help us become who we're trying to be.
Let's all say a heart-felt word of gratitude today for Bob Proctor and his 50 years of persistent, consistent dedication to self-study and service to others. The world is a better place because of him.
Sandy Gallagher, J.D.
President/CEO, LifeSuccess Group of Companies
Brought to you by: Lawyer Asad
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