BRIAN TRACY

THE
UNIVERSAL LAWS
OF SUCCESS
AND
ACHIEVEMENT
REFERENCE GUIDE
IMPORTANT
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 THE
UNIVERSAL
Y AND OU
LAWS

By Brian Tracy

©MCMXCII
Nightingale-Conant Corporation
www.nightingale.com
1-800-525-9000
1
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 SECTION 7
THE LAWS OF MONEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
SECTION 1
THE LAWS OF SUCCESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 SECTION 8
THE LAWS OF WEALTH CREATION . . . . . 23
SECTION 2
THE LAWS OF ACHIEVEMENT . . . . . . . . . . 6 SECTION 9
THE LAWS OF SELLING . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
SECTION 3
THE LAWS OF HAPPINESS . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 SECTION 10
THE LAWS OF BUSINESS . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
SECTION 4
THE LAWS OF SECTION 11
LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS . . . . . . . . . . 11 THE LAWS OF LUCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

SECTION 5 SECTION 12
THE LAWS OF ECONOMICS . . . . . . . . . . . 14 THE LAWS OF SELF-FULFILLMENT . . . . . 34

SECTION 6 A GUIDE TO THE EXERCISES . . . . . . . . . 37

THE LAWS OF NEGOTIATING . . . . . . . . . 17

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 INTRODUCTION
Since the dawn of history, mankind has stood in awe of the seemingly unknowable secrets of the

universe. The mysteries of life have taunted those who dared seek solutions, remaining obscure and,

apparently, unsolvable.

Yet the search for truth continued.

What is the universe? A random collection of events? The collision of accident and blind luck? Or is it

random at all? Are the separate threads of our existence actually part of an intricately woven carpet, albeit

one over which we mortals often manage to stumble?

The greatest thinkers of every age — philosophers, poets, scientists — have prospected for the truth and

contributed to our understanding of “the way things work.” Yet their contributions have never been pulled

together; the pieces of this giant jigsaw puzzle have never been available in the same box. Even if they

were, how many of us could truly understand all their genius had uncovered?

I have combined, refined, and condensed many of their findings into twelve categories I call The

Universal Laws of Success and Achievement. This is my personal compilation of the laws and precepts that

pertain to achieving success in life.

These laws are not offered as dicta to be used to plan every aspect of your life or by which to make all of

your decisions. Rather, consider this a treasure chest of knowledge, a “greatest hits” collection of wisdom.

From the ancient philosophers to contemporary sages, from the emotional realm to pure economics, this is

a sampler of answers to the very same questions you face each day.

This Reference Guide is offered as a study aid to you in your quest for the Universal Laws and the

understanding of how they apply to you. Each law and its accompanying parts is presented here, followed

by a written exercise that will help you synthesize what you have learned from these audios. These

exercises will enable you to focus on your beliefs, dreams, and desires — the starting points on your search

for success. For a majority of the exercises, there are no right or wrong answers — just honest ones.

And honesty is one of the most universal laws.

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 SESSION 1

THE LAWS OF

SUCCESS
THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT THE LAW OF EXPECTATIONS
We live in an orderly universe in which everything Whatever you expect with confidence will have a
happens for a reason. There are no accidents tendency to materialize in your life

THE LAW OF MIND THE LAW OF CONCENTRATION

Thoughts objectify themselves. In other words, Whatever you concentrate on and think about
you become what you think about every day repeatedly tends to become a part of your inner
and outer life
THE LAW OF MENTAL EQUIVALENCY
Create in your mind an accurate mental THE LAW OF HABIT
equivalent of exactly what it is you desire Virtually everything you do is automatic
Good habits are hard to form but easy to live with
THE LAW OF CORRESPONDENCE Bad habits are easy to form but hard to live with
As within, so without: your outer life will tend to
be a mirror-image of your inner life THE LAW OF ATTRACTION
Whatever your attitude is, people will reflect it back to you As a living magnet, you inevitably attract people,
Your relationships will mirror your attitude and your events, and circumstances into your life that
personality harmonize with your dominant thoughts.
Your health will be reflective of your attitude This is the “granddaddy” law from which all other laws in
Your external world of material accomplishment will every field flow. It has been variously called the “Law of
exactly correspond to your internal world of Sowing and Reaping,” the “Law of Action and
preparation Reaction,” the “Law of Compensation,” and the
“Socratic Law”
THE LAW OF BELIEF
Whatever you believe becomes your reality
THE LAW OF CHOICE
You are always free to choose the content of your
THE LAW OF VALUES conscious mind, but in so doing, you are choosing
every other part of your life
What you truly value and believe is only and
always expressed in your actions
THE LAW OF OPTIMISM
THE LAW OF MOTIVATION A positive mental attitude goes hand-in-hand with
success and happiness in virtually every
Everything you do is triggered by inner desires,
dimension of life
urges, and instincts

THE LAW OF SUBCONSCIOUS ACTIVITY THE LAW OF CHANGE

Change is inevitable, so learn to live with it, rather
Whatever thought or idea mixed with emotion you
than against it
hold in your conscious mind will be accepted as a
command by your subconscious mind
Given the proper commands, your subconscious mind
will trigger your reticular activating system
Your subconscious mind also controls your body
language and your tone of voice

4
 WHAT DOES SUCCESS MEAN TO YOU?

You might think that’s an easy question to answer, but think about it again. Is it really that easy? Everyone
probably has a general idea of what success means, perhaps including wealth or not having to work ever
again. The reality, however, is that a poorly defined idea will get you on the fast track to nowhere.
However, you will be turning onto the road to success when you identify specifically what it means to you.
So, sharpen your pencil and get ready to write. Make sure you’re in a quiet place where you won’t be
disturbed or interrupted. About thirty minutes will do.
The following list of words are positive aspects we generally desire to create in our lives. Beside each word,
write down your definition. Never mind what others might say or what you think you’re supposed to say.
Be as specific as possible, using as many details from your life as you can.
Remember: you can’t find the thing you’re searching for unless you know what it looks like.

Success:

Wealth:

Health:

Happiness:

(To interpret your answers see page 37.)

WHEN SUCCESS SEEMS A SHAKY PROSPECT

• Review your personal definitions of success and happiness. We tend to start feeling shaky when we measure our growth
against someone else's standards or definitions. Remember that it’s your happiness!
• Write your personal definitions of success on 3x5 cards and tape them to a bathroom mirror. When you start your day,
you’ll start by reading what you believe to be success.

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 SESSION 2

THE LAWS OF

ACHIEVEMENT
THE LAW OF CONTROL THE LAW OF APPLIED EFFORT
You feel positive about yourself when you feel you All things are amenable to hard work
are in control of your own life All great success is preceded by a long period of hard work
You need to understand that change is inevitable in a single direction toward a clearly defined purpose
Controlled change tends to lead inevitably to greater The harder you work, the luckier you get
achievement than uncontrolled change To achieve more than average you must work longer and
To take control of your life you must begin by taking harder than average
control of your mind
THE LAW OF OVER-COMPENSATION
THE LAW OF RESPONSIBILITY You must continually be looking for opportunities
You are completely responsible for everything you to go beyond the requirements of your job
are and have and for everything you become and
achieve THE LAW OF PREPARATION
Since you are always free to choose what you think and Effective performance and efficient achievement
what you do, you are where you are and what you are
are preceded by painstaking preparation
because of your own conduct and your own behavior
Do your homework
Responsibility begins with you taking full and complete
control over the contents of your conscious mind and Action without thinking is the cause of every failure
your dominant thoughts If it’s not worth doing, it’s not worth doing well
No one is coming to the rescue — you have to take
control of your own life THE LAW OF FORCED EFFICIENCY
The more things you have to do in a limited space
THE LAW OF COMPENSATION of time, the more you will be forced to work
You’re always fully compensated for whatever you efficiently on your most important tasks
do, positive or negative There will never be enough time to do everything you
want to do
THE LAW OF SERVICE You must determine the most valuable use of your time at
any given moment
Your rewards in life will always be in direct
proportion to the value of your service to others
All fortunes begin with the sale of personal services THE LAW OF DECISION
If you wish to increase the size of your rewards, you must Every great leap forward in life is preceded by a
increase the quality and quantity of your service clear decision that leads to action
Everyone works on commission Act boldly and unseen forces will come to your aid
Act as if it were impossible to fail, and it shall be
Just do it

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THE LAW OF CREATIVITY
Every advance in human life begins with an idea
in the mind of one person
Your ability to generate constructive ideas is, to all intents
and purposes, infinite
Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can
achieve
Imagination rules the world
Imagination is more important than fact

THE LAW OF FLEXIBILITY

Success is best achieved when you are clear about
the goal but flexible about the process of getting
there
The experience of resistance and frustration is often an
indication that you are doing the wrong thing
You are only as free in life as the number of developed
options you have available to you
Crisis is change trying to take place
Errant assumptions lie at the root of every failure

THE LAW OF PERSISTENCE

Your ability to persist in the face of inevitable set-
backs and disappointments is your measure of
your belief in yourself and your ability to succeed
Persistence is self-discipline in action
Never give up, never, never give up

7
 SETTING YOUR GOALS

The very act of setting a goal sends your life off in a particular direction. Goals give you the knowledge that
your life is self-determined. They give you power and purpose and make you part of a step-by-step plan
toward the attainment of your ultimate aspirations
Write down and re-evaluate your goals on a consistent basis. Many of us start fresh lists of goals at New
Years, on vacation, or duringa long weekend. Yet we forget the list when our regular routine rolls around
once again.
Always keep your goals in mind. Get ready, now, to think

FOUR GOAL-SETTING EXERCISES

Dream List: Imagine you have no limitations — to your finances, your education, your relationships.
Anything you write down is possible.

Ideal Life Style: Where would you live if you could live anywhere? How would you live? What kinds of
close relationships would you have?

Six Months to Live: Imagine you learned you have just six months to live. What would you do? Where
would you go? Who would you spend your time with? Would you change any aspect of your life?

Worries: Write out a list of worries and problems currently in your life. Next to each, write the ideal
solution and how you can attain it.

(To interpret your answers see page 37.)

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 SESSION 3

THE LAWS OF

HAPPINESS
THE LAW OF INTEGRITY THE LAW OF REVERSIBILITY
Happiness arises as a by-product of your choosing Just as your feelings determine your actions, your
to live your life consistent with your highest values actions determine your feelings
and aspirations
When you set goals and ideals that are worthy of you and THE LAW OF VISUALIZATION
you strive to achieve them, you will experience
Ideas and images tend to awaken emotions and
happiness and satisfaction
feelings that correspond to them
Whenever you choose to live consistently with the very
best that is in you, you will automatically experience
happiness and joy
THE LAW OF PRACTICE
Whatever mental or physical activities you repeat
THE LAW OF EMOTION and reinforce often enough become new habits of
thought and behavior that eventually become
Human beings are 100% emotional in everything
automatic and unconscious
they think, feel, and decide
You are motivated by two major types of emotions, those
of love or desire and those of fear or loss
The content of your emotional life is largely determined by
the thoughts you dwell upon most of the time
If you deliberately choose to think positive, loving,
uplifting thoughts, you can create and maintain your
own happiness in spite of what is happening around
you

THE LAW OF HAPPINESS

The quality of your life is largely determined by
how you feel at any given moment
How you feel, the quality of your emotional life, is largely
determined by how you talk to yourself
The way you interpret events to yourself determines your
emotional response to those events
The fastest way to take control of your emotions is to look
for the good in any given situation you are facing

THE LAW OF SUBSTITUTION

You can keep yourself positive by substituting a
positive thought for a negative thought

THE LAW OF EXPRESSION

Whatever is expressed is impressed and whatever
is impressed is expressed

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 WHEN HAPPINESS SEEMS JUST OUT OF REACH

We sometimes forget that happiness needs to be tended to, that it’s not something that just happens — or
doesn’t. One effective way to generate deep satisfaction and boost your self-esteem at the same time is to set
goals that are worthy of you and set out to achieve them.
You can begin by filling out the following chart. In the blank space next to each year, write down one or
two major goals you want to see actualized in your life. On the lines below each, list two or three concrete
steps you can take right now to start realizing that goal. For example, if this year you want to learn Italian
so that next year you can travel to Italy, your concrete steps for this year might be: check Italian language
tapes out of the library; set aside one hour each night to listen to tapes; make a set of flashcards for
memory test.

MY HAPPINESS — THE NEXT 5 YEARS

Year One:

Year Two:

Year Three:

Year Four:

Year Five:

(To interpret your answers see page 38.)

• Another suggestion: buy a small notebook and label it “My Happiness.” Keep track of all your goals, dreams, and
aspirations.

10
 SESSION 4

THE LAWS OF

LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

THE LAW OF COMMITMENT THE LAW OF SELF-ESTEEM
The level of commitment is the critical element Everything you do in life is either to increase or to
that determines the long-term health and protect your self-esteem and sense of personal
happiness of a relationship value and worth
You will tend to be happiest with a person with whom
THE LAW OF VALUE you feel good about yourself
Love is a response to value; you always love in Everything you do to raise the self-esteem of another
another what you most admire and respect causes your self-esteem to go up and make you like
yourself more
When you love and respect a quality or virtue, you tend to
love and respect another person who appears to have it You can make more friends in a couple of days by
becoming genuinely interested in others than you can
In a love relationship, you tend to love and be more
in a year trying to get others interested in you
compatible with another person who possesses
qualities you admire and which are complementary to
your own THE LAW OF INDIRECT EFFORT
Men and women seek balance and completeness by You get almost everything in your relationships
finding another who appears to be a completion of with others more indirectly than directly
themselves The more you appreciate and thank others, the more
appreciative they will be of you
THE LAW OF COMPATIBILITY The fastest way to impress another person is to be
People are more compatible together when they impressed by him/her
are most similar in beliefs, attitudes, values, and If you want to gain the approval and respect of others, the
ambitions surest way is to give them your approval and respect in
advance
THE LAW OF COMMUNICATION
The essence of a happy relationship is good THE LAW OF REVERSE EFFORT
communication between the two people, but men The harder you “don’t try” in a relationship the
and women communicate differently easier it tends to be
Men are direct, women are indirect The harder you do try, the less natural you are and the
Never assume you understand what the other is thinking more difficult is the relationship
and feeling; if you have any doubt at all, you probably Every relationship has its own timing; if you try to hurry
are completely wrong about what is going on it up or slow it down, you merely create resistance and,
often, chaos
THE LAW OF ATTENTION Sometimes the very best thing to do in a difficult situation
with another person is the opposite of your natural
You always pay attention to and are most
tendency
interested in what you love most and value
You tend to ignore what you do not value
Sincere, attentive listening to another is the highest form
of love and sensitivity
Listening builds trust, which is the foundation of all
lasting relationships.

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THE LAW OF CONTROL
You are happy in a relationship to the degree to
which you feel that you have a sense of control
over what is happening
You can increase your sense of control by asserting
yourself and taking deliberate action to direct or to
change the relationship
You can often assert control in a relationship only by
walking away

THE LAW OF IDENTIFICATION

You are dominated by everything and everyone
with which you yourself become identified
You can dominate, direct, and control things only to the
degree to which you can dis-identify yourself from them
Attachment and identification cause you to lose
perspective and control over your emotions
Detachment and dis-identification are the keys to peace of
mind and happy relationships

THE LAW OF FORGIVENESS

You are mentally healthy and mature to the degree
to which you can freely forgive those who you feel
have hurt you in any way

THE LAW OF REALITY

Deal with people as they are, not as you want
them to be
To be happy, you need to accept that people are what they
are and that they are not likely to change
Unconditional acceptance of another is the key to a happy
relationship, a good friendship, and the kind of gift that
parents can give to a child

12
 DO THE LAWS OF LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS SHINE IN YOUR LIFE?

As children we absorbed, like thirsty sponges, all the love we could get. The more we were offered, the
more we soaked in. As we grew older, love seemed to become more complicated. Today, adult relationships
are even more complex, and many relationships are plagued by a lack of commitment from both of the
individuals involved.
Are you selling love short? Let’s take a brief look at your thinking about love. Answer the following
questions by filling the blanks with the letter of the response nearest your own.

1. If I give 100% in a relationship ____________________ .

a. I always get taken to the cleaners
b. I’m happiest when that effort is reciprocated by the other individual involved
c. I’m afraid I’ll be rejected

2. If I were engaged to be married ____________________ .

a. I’d make certain there was a signed pre-nuptial agreement
b. I’d be worried the marriage might fail
c. I’d be looking forward to many years of committed, faithful love

3. Long-term happiness in a relationship depends upon ____________________ .

a. financial security
b. who obeys whom
c. a high degree of peace and harmony

4. Good communication in a relationship means ____________________ .

a. saying what you want
b. keeping one’s differences to oneself
c. never assuming what the other person is thinking

5. Listening ____________________ .
a. is something only women are good at
b. builds trust in a relationship
c. isn’t as important as talking

6. If someone hurts me ____________________ .

a. I try to hurt them back
b. they’re lucky if I ever speak to them again
c. I usually manage to forgive them

(To interpret your answers see page 38.)

13
 SESSION 5

THE LAWS OF

ECONOMICS
THE LAW OF AMBITION THE LAW OF TIME PREFERENCE
Every act you engage in is an attempt to improve Because your time is your life, and you value your
your conditions in some way life, you always prefer now to later in the
For you to take action, three things are necessary: you satisfaction of any desire
must be dissatisfied with your existing condition; you When given the choice between a reward today or the
must be aware of a greater satisfaction toward which identical reward at some future time, in the absence of
you can move; and you must believe there exists a way extenuating circumstances, you will prefer to take it
for you, by acting, to get from where you are to where now rather than later
you want to be You are inherently impatient in the achievement of any
When you are dissatisfied and see a state of greater goals; this tendency toward impatience is neither
satisfaction, but you do not see how any action of positive or negative
yours will get you there, you will refrain from acting
If you are completely contented or if you feel completely THE LAW OF VANITY
hopeless, you’ll refrain from acting to improve your
You are egotistical and self-centered and you place
condition
a high value on your appearance, opinions,
choices, relationships, and the way you are treated
THE LAW OF MINIMUM EFFORT by others
You always seek to get the things you want with
the least possible expenditure of effort THE LAW OF IGNORANCE
You cannot consciously choose a harder way to
Every act you engage in is characterized by a
accomplish something if an easier way is available to
you to accomplish the same result
degree of uncertainty with regard to the outcome,
because you can never know everything there is to
All human beings are inherently lazy in that they follow
the path of least resistance in all things
know about anything

THE LAW OF EXPEDIENCY

THE LAW OF MAXIMIZATION
People always strive to get the things they want
You always seek to obtain the highest possible
the fastest and easiest way possible without regard
return for your expenditure of time, money, or
to secondary consequences
resources
People are naturally and normally lazy, greedy, ambitious,
When given a choice between more and less, all things
vain, ignorant, and impatient
being equal, you will always choose more in order to
maximize your situation People strive to achieve security, comfort, leisure, love,
respect, and fulfillment the fastest and easiest ways
The desire for more is automatic and instinctive and
possible
applies to all human desires and fulfillment
Government programs fail predominantly because they
are administered by people who are motivated
primarily by the Law of Expediency

THE LAW OF DUALITY

There are always two reasons given for doing
anything
People always give the socially acceptable reason for what
they do

14
THE LAW OF SECONDARY CONSEQUENCES THE LAW OF SUBJECTIVE VALUE
For everything you do there will be direct The value of any goods or services is completely
consequences and there will be secondary personal; it is determined by what a person is
consequences willing to pay for it
The consideration of secondary consequences is the All prices are educated guesses about how much people
hallmark of wisdom will pay to consume the entire supply produced
The ignorance of secondary consequences is the hallmark All sales at reduced prices of merchandise or services are
of stupidity and the primary cause of failure admissions by the vendor that the initial asking price
was too high
THE LAW OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES Only the person being asked to pay is in a position to
The ultimate consequences of many actions are determine what something is worth
far worse than if nothing had been done in the
first place THE LAW OF MARGINALITY
Negative unintended consequences always occur when It is what the last customer will pay for the last
any action depends for its success on violating the Law item that determines the price of the whole supply
of Expediency The market clearing price is the price in which all
customers will satisfy their needs and all sellers will sell
THE LAW OF CHOICE all their products or services
Every human action is a choice and the choice is It is the behavior of people on the margin that determines
based on the values of the individual economic activity
Your values are always demonstrated in your actions
You always choose what you most value
THE LAW OF ECONOMIC SUBSTITUTION
Every action you take, or every action you decline to take, Whenever goods or services increase in price,
implies the choice and a statement about your values customers seek out substitutes that will yield them
and beliefs the same satisfaction at lower prices

THE LAW OF THE EXCLUDED ALTERNATIVE

Whatever you choose to do, you are
simultaneously rejecting or excluding all other
choices at that moment
Every choice implies a rejection of all other choices
Every choice you make tells what you truly believe and
value

15
 ARE THE LAWS OF ECONOMICS WORKING FOR YOU?

Economics is an expression of human behavior that applies to all men and women of all ages and ethnicity.
It affects the price of bananas at the corner market, as well as the billions of dollars of our budget deficit.
With such a profound influence, the laws of economics must be understood in order for you to integrate
them successfully into your daily life.
Measure your current standing at successfully integrating the laws of economics into your life. Check the
box in front of appropriate responses below.

1. In the past, I have invested in a certain make of automobile in order to boost my personal
prestige, rather than buying one that met my needs.
yes sometimes no

2. I’d rather dip into my savings account to buy something I want, rather than making my budget
more austere in order to afford it later on.
yes sometimes no

3. While working on projects, I’ve knowingly taken “short cuts” when it did not appreciably alter my
work’s results.
yes sometimes no

4. A pleasure delayed is a pleasure increased as far as I’m concerned.

yes sometimes no

5. I’d rather know that I’m wearing a designer outfit than that I’d saved a few dollars on a
“lesser” one.
yes sometimes no

6. If I disagree with someone, I make sure they know about it.

yes sometimes no

7. I’m always sure that my decisions are correct ones.

yes sometimes no

8. In the middle of something, even if I feel I’ve made a mistake, I go on, just to bring it to
completion.
yes sometimes no

9. If it’s a choice between meeting my goals and not stepping on toes, I always choose to meet my
goals.
yes sometimes no

10. My idea of a perfect weekend is one with nothing to do.

yes sometimes no

(To interpret your answers see page 38.)

16
 SESSION 6

THE LAWS OF

NEGOTIATING
NIERENBERG’S LAW THE LAW OF TIMING
The aim of negotiating is to enter into an The timing on a negotiation can have a major
agreement such that both parties have their needs impact on its outcome
satisfied and are motivated to fulfill their The more urgent the need, the less effective the negotiator
agreements and enter into further negotiations The person who allows him- or herself to be rushed will
with the same party in the future get the worst of the bargain
The Pareto Principle apples to a negotiation in that the
COVEY’S LAW last twenty percent of the negotiation will contain
In every ongoing negotiation, you should aim for a eighty percent of the issues and items of the negotiation
win/win solution, or no deal
Both parties must feel they have won and had their needs THE LAW OF TERMS
satisfied The terms of payment can be more important
To reach a win/win agreement, seek a third alternative than the prices or almost any other factor
that may be different from the initial positions of either You can agree to almost any price if you decide on the
party terms
Never jump at the first offer
COHEN’S LAW
Everything is negotiable THE LAW OF PREPARATION
Established prices are a best-guess estimate of what the Fully eighty percent of your success in any
customer will pay negotiation will be determined by how well you
Any written price was written by someone and can be prepare in advance
changed by someone
Geneen’s Rule: Get the facts!
Do your homework; one small detail is all you need to
DAWSON’S LAW succeed in a negotiation
You can always get a better deal if you know how Check your assumptions; always ask, “What are my
If you want a better deal, ask for it assumptions and what if I was wrong?”
Whatever the suggested price, react with disappointment
and despair THE LAW OF REVERSAL
Always imply that you can do better elsewhere Putting yourself in the situation of the other
person first enables you to prepare and negotiate
THE LAW OF FOUR more effectively
In any negotiations there are usually four main
issues to be decided upon THE LAW OF POWER
Eighty percent of the negotiation will revolve around these The person with the greater power, real or
four issues imagined, will get the better deal in any
Of the four main issues in any negotiation, one will be the negotiation
main issue and three will be secondary issues No one will negotiate with you unless they feel you have
the power to help or hurt them some way
Power is a matter of perception; it is in the eye of the
beholder

17
THE LAW OF DESIRE
The person who mosts want the negotiation to
succeed has the least bargaining power
No matter how badly you want it, appear neutral or only
mildly interested
The more you can make the other party want it, the better
deal you can get

THE LAW OF RECIPROCITY

You are strongly motivated to pay people back for
anything they do for you
The first party to make a concession will be the party who
wants the deal the most
Every concession you make in a negotiation should be
matched by an equal or greater concession by the other
party
Make small concessions on small issues so you can ask
for reciprocity or large concessions on large issues

THE “WALK AWAY” LAW

You never know the other person’s final price and
terms until you get up and walk away
The power is on the side of the person who can walk
away without flinching
Walking out of a negotiation is just another way of
negotiating

THE LAW OF FINALITY

No negotiation is ever final
If you are not happy with the existing agreement, ask to
reopen the discussion
Use zero-based thinking on a regular basis by asking
yourself, “If you had to do it over again, would you
agree to the same terms?”

18
 WHERE DO YOU SIT AT THE BARGAINING TABLE?

The Laws of Economics and the Laws of Negotiating are closely related to each other. For example, when
you are in the process of negotiating, you want to get the most in return for the least effort expended. Test
yourself on how well you understand the finer points of negotiation.

1. What is the aim of negotiation?

2. What is a win/win solution? Should you settle for any other kind?

3. In a negotiation, how do you tell what’s negotiable and what isn’t?

4. Name three specific techniques that will get you a better deal.

5. How can time impact the outcome of a negotiation?

6. Why can terms of payment be more important than price?

7. What role does preparation play in the success of a negotiation?

8. How does role-playing help prepare a more effective negotiation?

9. How does perception of power influence a negotiation?

10. How does the desire for success affect bargaining power?

(To interpret your answers see page 38.)

WHEN YOU’RE BEATEN AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE

• Between appointments, listen again to Session 6 on the Laws of Negotiating.
• On index cards, write down the particular laws that immediately apply to your negotiating situation.
• Review the meaning and application of a win/win situation.
• Write notes after each negotiation — what worked, what didn’t. Do any patterns emerge? Learn from your experiences.

19
 SESSION 7

THE LAWS OF

MONEY
THE LAW OF ABUNDANCE THE LAW OF SAVING
There is an ample supply for everyone who really Financial freedom comes to the person who saves
wants it ten percent or more of his or her income
throughout his orher lifetime
THE LAW OF EXCHANGE Pay yourself first
Money is the medium through which people Take advantage of tax-deferred savings and investment
exchange their production of goods and services to plans
others Once you start a savings program, never use the money
Money is a good measure of the value that people place on for anything but financial accumulation
goods and services
Your labor is considered a factor of production or a THE LAW OF CONSERVATION
service by everyone else It’s not how much you make, but how much you
The amount of money you earn in a competitive market is keep that will determine your financial future
the measure of value that others place on your
contribution PARKINSON’S LAW
Money is an effect, a result, not a cause Expenses always rise to meet income
To increase the amount of money you are getting out, you Financial success comes from violating Parkinson’s Law
must increase the value of the work that you are
If you allow your expenses to increase at a slower rate
putting in
than your income, and you save or invest the
difference, you’ll become financially independent in
THE LAW OF CAPITAL your working lifetime
Your most valuable asset, in terms of cash flow, is
your physical and mental capital, your earning THE LAW OF THREE
ability There are three legs to the stool of freedom:
Your most precious resource is your time savings, insurance, and investment
Time and money can either be spent or invested Your savings should be liquid and be sufficient for two to
One of the best investments of your time and money is to six months of normal expenses
increase your cash flow You should carry sufficient life and health insurance
against an emergency
THE LAW OF TIME PERSPECTIVE You should invest ten to twenty percent of your income
The most successful people in any society are throughout your life until your investments make more
those who take the longest time period into than you do
consideration when making their day-to-day
decisions.
Delayed gratification is the key to financial success
Self-discipline is the most important personal quality for
long-term success
Sacrifice in the short-term is the price you pay for security
in the long-term

20
THE LAW OF INVESTING THE LAW OF ACCELERATING ACCELERATION
Investigate before you invest As you begin moving toward your goal of financial
The only thing easy about money is losing it freedom, it begins moving toward you at an
Don’t lose money accelerating speed
If you think you can afford to lose a little, you’re going to Nothing succeeds like success
end up losing a lot Fully eighty percent of your success will come in the last
Only invest with experts who have a proven track record twenty percent of the time you put in, as long as you
of success in handling money persist

THE LAW OF COMPOUND INTEREST

Investing your money carefully and allowing it to
grow at compound interest will eventually make
you rich
One dollar invested at three percent at the time of Christ
would be worth half of the money in the world today
The key to compound interest is to put money away and
never touch it

THE LAW OF ACCUMULATION

Every great financial achievement is an
accumulation of hundreds and thousands of small
efforts and sacrifices that no one ever sees or
appreciates
The momentum theory of success states that as you
accumulate savings, you develop momentum that
moves you more rapidly toward your goal
By the yard it’s hard, but inch by inch, anything’s a cinch

THE LAW OF ATTRACTION

As you begin accumulating money, you magnetize
this money with the emotion of desire and you
become a money magnet
A prosperity consciousness, one that works, prepares for
and expects prosperity, attracts money like iron filings
to a magnet
It takes money to make money

21
 WHAT DOES MONEY MEAN TO YOU?

Is money a means to an end? Is it the end-all and be-all of your life? Do you wish, hope, and pray you’ll
have money someday?
What you believe about money will determine how much you get — and how much you keep. If you are
afraid the Laws of Money only operate for someone else — someone who is already successful — by
answering the following questions, you might discover what’s holding you back.

1. List three reasons why you want to make more money.

a.
b.
c.

2. List three fears you have about lack of money.

a.
b.
c.

3. List three obstacles between you and financial freedom.

a.
b.
c.

4. List three ways you could improve your skills or work habits to increase your talents.
a.
b.
c.

5. List three ways you could invest your time more wisely.
a.
b.
c.

(To interpret your answers see page 38.)

22
 SESSION 8

THE LAWS OF

WEALTH CREATION
THE LAW OF CREATIVE EMULATION THE LAW OF BOOTSTRAPPING
The key to achieving wealth is to study and Entrepreneurs who start with too little capital are
emulate those who have already acquired it before usually more successful than those who start with
you too much
What one person has done, others can do as well The most important resources in a new business are
If you ask the experts for advice, they’ll give it to you energy and imagination
You become what you most admire Skill, knowledge, and experience develop in inverse
proportion to the amount of capital available
THE LAW OF DESIRE
THE LAW OF COURAGE
The motivation to acquire riches is an intense
burning desire for financial success Your willingness to risk both failure and
If you want it badly enough, no one will be able to
disappointment is a measure of your desire to be
convince you that it’s not possible rich
No guts, no glory
Desire is only expressed in your actions; it’s not what you
say but what you do that counts There is nothing to fear but fear itself
The more often you affirm your goal and visualize it as a Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain
reality, the more intense will be your desire
THE LAW OF RISK
THE LAW OF PURPOSE There is a direct relationship between the level of
Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all risk and the likelihood of loss
riches If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is
A person with a clear purpose will make progress on the Success in entrepreneurship and wealth creating is the
roughest road result of avoiding risk in the pursuit of profit
The primary reason why people don’t become rich is that Entrepreneurs take calculated risks but they are not
it never occurs to them gamblers

THE LAW OF ENRICHMENT THE LAW OF UNDUE OPTIMISM

All lasting wealth comes from enriching others in An unwarranted expectancy of success can lead to
some way, from adding value and retaining part of it both the success and failure of a new business
Your current income is a measure of how much you are venture
enriching the lives of others Your true time period to break even will be three times
longer than your best estimate
THE LAW OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP Whatever your budget, it will cost you twice as much as
More people become wealthy by starting and you expect
building their own successful businesses than by Murphy’s Law: Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong
all other ways combined
Find a need and fill it THE LAW OF PERSISTENCE
Wherever there are needs unmet or problems unsolved, If you persist long enough you must and will
there are opportunities to create wealth inevitably be successful
Most fortunes come from selling established products or The entire process of wealth creation is just one important
services in established markets to established lesson after another
customers and doing it just a little bit better You stay in business and achieve success as long as you
continue to earn enough money to pay for your
mistakes

23
 WEALTH CREATION: FANTASY OR REALITY?

Do you really want to be rich? Or do you, like millions of Americans, only fantasize about the easy life
while really thinking that it’s not virtuous to have wealth? What does the little voice in your mind tell you
about wealth and success? Check the box in front of appropriate responses below.

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

1. You can be just as happy being poor as being wealthy.

True False

2. Financial success is achieved at the unwanted expense of others.

True False

3. The voice of reason says don’t try to achieve anything extraordinary.

True False

4. By listening to those who’ve given up on their dreams, you’ll give up, too.
True False

5. Having definite purpose is the first step to acquiring wealth.

True False

6. Because something might fail is reason enough to delay undertaking it.

True False

7. When I hear of innovative business or money-making ideas, I often say,

“Why didn’t I think of that?”
True False

8. If I believe in an idea, I often dig in my heels against the opposition of others.

True False

(To interpret your answers see page 39.)

ALWAYS KEEP THE FOLLOWING POINTS IN MIND

• The achievement of one person is inspiration to another
• Asking for advice is the cheapest investment you can make
• Winners help others win

24
 SESSION 9

THE LAWS OF

SELLING
THE LAW OF SALES THE LAW OF PROBLEMS
Nothing happens until a sale takes place Every product or service can be viewed as the
Products and services are sold, not bought solution to a problem, the fulfillment of a need, or
Customers need to be asked to buy the resolution of an uncertainty
Eighty percent of sales are closed after the fifth call or Customers buy solutions, not products or services
after the fifth closing attempt The more pressing the problem or need, the less price-
Fifty percent of salespeople quit after the first call in a sensitive will be the customer and the easier will be the
complex sale, and fifty percent of the salespeople fail to sale
ask for the order even once in a simple sale
Ask and ye shall receive THE LAW OF PERSUASION
The process of selling is to convince the customer
THE LAW OF AMBITION that he or she will be better off with the product
How high you rise is determined by how high you than he or she would be with the money necessary
want to climb to buy the product
Commit to being the best in your field The customer always acts to satisfy the greatest number of
unmet needs in the very best way at the lowest possible
To achieve high sales goals, you have to set them in the price
first place
Proof that others similar to the customer have purchased
You can’t fly with the eagle if you continue to scratch with the product already builds credibility, lowers resistance,
the turkeys and increases sales
Salespeople who don’t use testimonials have skinny kids
THE LAW OF NEED
Every decision to purchase a product or service is THE LAW OF RISK
an attempt to satisfy a need or relieve a
Risk is inherent in any investment of time, money,
dissatisfaction
or emotion
Before selling anything to anyone, the salesperson must be
You’re successful in sales to the degree to which you can
clear about the need he or she is attempting to satisfy
position yourself as the low-risk provider of your
Sales success comes from fulfilling existing needs, not product or service
creating new ones
The primary psychological obstacle to buying is the fear of
The more basic the need, the more basic the sales failure, the fear of making a mistake in a purchasing
presentation decision
The more complex the need, the more sophisticated and Everything you do in a sales interview either raises or
subtle the sales presentation lowers the perception of risk and the fear of failure
The obvious need is often not the real need upon which
the product will be purchased

25
THE LAW OF TRUST THE LAW OF PERSPECTIVE
The trust bond between the salesperson and the The way that you are viewed by your customers
customer is the foundation of a successful sale: determines your income
the higher the level of trust between you and your When you are viewed by the customer as working for him
prospective customer, the lower will be the fear of or her, you will be in the top ten percent of your field
failure and the perception of risk Top money earners in sales are viewed as consultants,
You can build trust in a sales relationship by asking helpers, counselors, and advisors to their customers,
questions aimed at the real needs of the customer that not as salespeople
your product or service can satisfy
Successful salespeople listen twice as much as they talk THE LAW OF PREPARATION
No one ever listened themselves out of a sale The best salespeople prepare thoroughly before
Listening builds trust every call
The salesperson with the best knowledge of the real
THE LAW OF RELATIONSHIPS situation of the customer will be the most likely to
make the sale
Success in selling is determined by the ability of
Sales professionals plan their questions in advance
the salesperson to form a quality relationship with
the customer The one with the best notes and the best preparation, wins
The customer wants a relationship first
In complex sales, the relationship continues after the sale THE LAW OF PERVERSE MOTIVATION
The relationship is more important than the product or Everyone likes to buy but no one likes to be sold
service The best salesperson is perceived as the person who helps
the prospect get what he or she wants and needs
THE LAW OF FRIENDSHIP Top salespeople are teachers who show their customers
how products work to satisfy their needs
A person will not buy from you until he is
convinced that you are his friend and acting in his
best interest

THE LAW OF POSITIONING

The customer’s perception of you and your
company is his reality and determines his buying
behavior
Every element of dress, product, packaging, printing, and
promotion creates a perception of some kind
Top salespeople position themselves as the preferred
suppliers of their products and services

26
 SUCCESS AND THE LAWS OF SELLING

The Laws of Selling state that everyone is always selling something to someone. The ability to persuade and
influence others is central to a successful, happy life. The question is: How high do you want to climb?
Your answers to the following statements may reveal the possible heights to your success.

1. Each year I _________________.

a. decide how much I want to earn in the next 12 months
b. earn a varying income; some years are good — others bad
c. take whatever commission percentage is offered to me

2. Each year I _________________.

a. try to make a better sales effort
b. hope for more clients
c. figure how much I’ll need to sell to reach my income level

3. Each year I _________________.

a. break down my annual sales goals into monthly, weekly, and daily goals
b. hope for a raise in my base salary
c. watch others promoted before me

4. My day is _________________.
a. planned down to each hour
b. sometimes hectic, sometimes not
c. spent talking with other salespeople

5. To keep myself focused at the office, I _________________.

a. stay away from those who are unmotivated
b. take many breaks throughout the day
c. stroll around and see what ideas other people have

6. When approaching a potential customer, I _________________.

a. prepare for the worst and the worst usually happens
b. prepare for the worst and I am usually surprised by my success
c. can’t imagine I’ll be turned down

7. My customers think _________________.

a. I’m organized, caring and responsive
b. I’m more than a bit of a pest
c. they’ve met me before but aren’t certain

(To interpret your answers see page 39.)

27
 SESSION 10

THE LAWS OF

BUSINESS
THE LAW OF PURPOSE THE LAW OF QUALITY
The purpose of a business is to create and keep a The customer demands the very highest quality
customer for the very lowest prices
Profits are a measure of how well a company is fulfilling Quality is what the customer says it is and is willing to
its purpose pay for
Profits are a cost of doing business, the cost of the future Quality refers both to the product or service and the way
that it is sold, delivered, and maintained
THE LAW OF ORGANIZATION Companies are financially successful in direct proportion
A business organization is merely a to their quality ranking, as customers perceive it
conglomeration of people brought together for the
common purpose of creating and keeping THE LAW OF OBSOLESCENCE
customers What is, is already becoming obsolete
Tomorrow will be different from today
THE LAW OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION Continuing innovation and improvement are essential to
The customer is always right survival
All customer satisfaction comes from people The best way to predict the future is to create it
The best companies invariably have the best people
The key role of management is to achieve the maximum THE LAW OF INNOVATION
return on investment in human resources toward All breakthroughs in business come from
satisfying customers innovation, from offering something better,
cheaper, faster, newer, or more efficient in the
THE LAW OF THE CUSTOMER current marketplace
The customer always acts to satisfy his or her
interests by seeking the very most goods at the THE LAW OF CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS
very lowest price Every business has approximately five to seven
Customers are both demanding and ruthless; they will critical success factors, the performance of which
reward highly those companies that serve them best, determines the success or failure of the enterprise
and allow to fail those companies that serve them Every individual has critical success factors which
poorly determine his or her success
Customers always behave rationally in pursuing the path
of least resistance to satisfy their most pressing needs
Proper business planning always begins with the
customer as the central focus of attention and
discussion

28
THE LAW OF THE MARKET THE LAW OF SEGMENTATION
The market is where buyers and sellers of Companies must target specific customer groups
products and services meet to set prices and or market segments if they are to achieve
determine the allocation of money, labor, natural significant sales
resources, and all factors of production Many companies fail because they are targeting the wrong
The efficient market thesis says that in a free market, market with the wrong product in the wrong way
resources will be allocated with complete efficiency and The ideal market segment contains those customers for
prices will accurately reflect supply and demand to that whom the product’s competitive advantage satisfies the
moment most pressing needs
The free market is the most efficient way for millions of
people to have their needs met at the lowest possible THE LAW OF CONCENTRATION
cost
Market success comes from concentrating single-
The freer the market is from government interference, the mindedly on selling to those customers for whom
greater will be the supply and variety of goods and
the product’s area of differentiations is the most
services and the greater will be the prosperity of the
people valuable and important
One of the best high-profit strategies is to dominate a
specific market niche with the best product available
THE LAW OF SPECIALIZATION for those customers in that niche
To succeed in a competitive marketplace, a Concentration in high-profit market segments with high-
product or service must be specialized and profit products gives the highest return on sales, return
excellent at satisfying a clearly defined need of the on investment, and return on equity
customer
Companies fail when they no longer specialize or serve a THE LAW OF EXCELLENCE
sufficient number of customers in a cost-efficient way
The market always pays excellent rewards for
excellent performance, excellent products, and
THE LAW OF DIFFERENTIATION excellent services
A product must have an area of uniqueness that The market pays average rewards for average performance
makes it stand out from its competitors in some and below-average rewards for below-average
way if it is to succeed in the marketplace performance
The determination of a unique selling proposition is the
beginning of all advertising and sales
To survive and thrive in the marketplace, a product or
service must have a competitive advantage, something
that makes it superior to competing products and
services

29
 THE ROLE OF THE CONSUMER IN THE LAWS OF BUSINESS

Why do so many business ventures — whether cottage industries or steel-girded corporations — fail? The
most important component of the Laws of Business is also the most often overlooked, forgotten, or
misunderstood. This component is not mysterious, but it can be fickle or the opposite — loyal and true.
Always demanding, sometimes ruthless and always to be satisfied — the Customer.

REMEMBER

• The Customer will act to satisfy his or her interests by seeking the most for the very least price

• The Customer will want his or her desires satisfied promptly with no concern for long-term
consequences

• The Customer will reward those companies that serve him or her best

• The Customer will ruin those companies that serve him or her poorly

• The Customer will pursue the most direct path to meet his or her pressing needs

• The Customer will always know what is in his or her best interest

• The Customer will be the central focus in all proper business planning

30
 SESSION 11

THE LAWS OF

LUCK
THE LAW OF PROBABILITY THE LAW OF OPPORTUNITY
There is a mathematical probability of the Your greatest possibilities will come from the most
occurrence of any event which can be deduced common situations
with considerable accuracy from observation, Opportunities usually come dressed in work clothes
measurement, and experience A wise person will create more opportunities than he finds
You can increase the probability of an event occurring by Opportunities are like buses: there will always be another
increasing the number of the events one along
Probability increases with persistence or
You are your own umpire in the game of life You need not be stampeded into acting at a rate of speed
with which you are uncomfortable
THE LAW OF CLARITY
The clearer you are about what you want and THE LAW OF ABILITY
what you are willing to do to get it, the greater is Luck is when preparedness meets opportunity
the probability that you will experience luck The greater your ability in any area, the more luck you
Intensely desired goals activate your reticular cortex and will experience in that area
make you aware of opportunities you might have It’s not enough to be in the right place at the right time;
otherwise overlooked you must be the right person in the right place at the
The more you want something, the more alert you will be right time
to your chance of achieving it when it comes.
THE LAW OF INTEGRATIVE COMPLEXITY
THE LAW OF ATTRACTION The person with the widest variety of knowledge
You inevitably attract into your life the people, and skills in any area will tend to experience the
ideas, circumstances, and resources that most luck in that area
harmonize with your dominant thoughts The more you know, the more you grow
What you want, wants you The wider the net you throw, the bigger will be your catch
What you are moving toward is moving toward you
THE LAW OF ASSUMPTION
THE LAW OF EXPECTATIONS Incorrect assumptions lie at the root of every
You can increase the amount of luck in your life failure
by continually expecting lucky things to happen The continuing assumption that you could be dead wrong
You should look for the opportunity in every situation is the key to getting it dead right
Whenever God sends you a gift, he wraps it up in a Questioning your assumptions will enable you to see
problem possibilities that you might not have dreamed of
You get what you expect, if you expect it long enough

31
THE LAW OF TIMING
There is a tide in the affairs of men which, when
taken at the flood, leads on to fortune
Timing is everything
Eighty percent of success is just showing up
The more often you try, the more likely you will triumph

THE LAW OF ENERGY

The greater your energy and enthusiasm, the more
likely you will be to recognize and respond to luck
Alertness enables you to see roses where others see only
thorns
Presence of mind and speed of action can turn ordinary
events into stepping stones to success
When the night becomes darkest, the stars come out

THE LAW OF RELATIONSHIPS

The number of people you know and who know
you will determine your luck as much as any other
factor
Most luck comes with hair on top
Chance remarks can change the direction of your life
When the student is ready, the master will appear

THE LAW OF EMPATHY

If you can see the situation through the eyes of the
other person, your perspective can reveal unseen
possibilities
Walk a mile in other person’s moccasins
If you can see John Jones through John Jones’ eyes,
you can sell John Jones what John Jones buys

32
 THE LAWS OF LUCK ARE NO ACCIDENT

Why is it that successful people tend to feel lucky and to be lucky? Why do unsuccessful people describe
their own set of circumstances as a streak of “bad luck”? What role does luck play in your life? This is
nothing to be complacent about. Whether you dream of losing weight or topping the sales chart, clarity will
increase your odds of getting lucky and doing just that
Find out below just how clear you are!

1. List the five most important things you want in life.

a. b.

c. d.

e.

2. For each of the things listed above, list the five things you’re willing to do to attain that goal.
Label each of the headings with your goals.

a. b.
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.
5. 5.

c. d.
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.
5. 5.

e.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

(To interpret your answers see page 39.)

33
 SESSION 12

THE LAWS OF

SELF-FULFILLMENT
THE LAW OF GROWTH THE LAW OF TALENTS
If you’re not growing, you’re stagnating Your greatest opportunities lie in the development
and exploitation of your inborn talents and
THE LAW OF PRACTICE abilities
Whatever you practice over and over again, often You are a genius
enough, becomes a new habit Jesus: “Oh good and faithful servant, you have been
You can develop any habit, pattern of action, or behavior faithful over small things, I will make you master over
you desire by practicing it in your mind repeatedly many”
prior to the situation that requires it If you work on your gifts, they will make way for you
The more relaxed you are when you visualize a new Learn no useless subjects or skills
behavior, the more rapidly it is accepted by your
subconscious mind and the more rapidly you begin THE LAW OF EXCELLENCE
acting consistently with your mental picture
The quality of your life will be determined by the
You must launch new behaviors and habits strongly;
never allow an exception before the new habit is fully
depth of your commitment to excellence more
entrenched than by any other factor
Every day in every way practice getting better and better
THE LAW OF ACCUMULATION Get good, get better, be the best
Every great life is an accumulation of hundreds It’s not the will to win that counts as much as the will to
and thousands of efforts and sacrifices that others prepare to win
never see nor appreciate
or THE LAW OF OPPORTUNITY
No worthwhile effort or sacrifice is ever lost Within every setback or obstacle there lies the
seed of an equal or a greater benefit or
THE LAW OF INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENT opportunity
Master and excellence in any field is the result of The more confidence you have in your ultimate ability to
succeed, the more boldly you will act on opportunities
countless efforts of self-development over an
when they arise
extended period of time
Just as your feelings dictate your thoughts and actions,
Paderewski: “If I don’t practice for even one day, I know
your actions have a reverse effect and create your
the difference. If I don’t practice for two days, the
thoughts and feelings
critics know the difference. And if I don’t practice for
three days, the public knows the difference.”
Longfellow’s Law: “Those heights by great men won and
THE LAW OF COURAGE
kept were not achieved by sudden flight. But they, while If you confront the thing you fear, then the death
their companions slept, were toiling upward in the of fear is certain
night.” Seize the day
Act as if it were impossible to fail and it shall be
THE LAW OF SELF-DEVELOPMENT
You can become whatever you want in life if you
will learn what you need to know in order to
achieve it

34
THE LAW OF APPLIED EFFORT
All great achievement is preceded and
accompanied by hard, hard work
Try harder
Work all the time you work

THE LAW OF GIVING

It is more blessed to give than to receive
The only gift worth giving is that which includes the giver
as part of it
The more of yourself that you give without expectation of
return, the greater will be your return, often from the
most unexpected source
Whenever you give or do something nice for another
person, you trigger within that person the desire to
reciprocate your action or kindness
A simple rose given at the right time can be worth a dozen
given too late

THE LAW OF AFFIRMATION

Whatever you repeat to yourself often enough will
eventually be accepted by your subconscious mind
as a fact and will become a part of your beliefs
The most powerful words of all are the ones you say to
yourself and believe
The most powerful affirmation is a visualization
With affirmation, both verbal and visual, your potential is
unlimited

THE LAW OF OPTIMISM

A positive mental attitude is closely associated
with success in virtually every area of life
You think, feel, and act the way you do because of the
way you interpret experiences and events to yourself
Every thought, feeling, word, or action you engage in is a
choice made by you for which you are totally
responsible

35
 DON’T GET DISCOURAGED WHEN SUCCESS MEANS TRY, TRY AGAIN

Success and self-fulfillment aren’t lightning bolts that crash down from the sky and suddenly awaken you.
Self-fulfillment takes persistence and that persistence comes from structure in your life
The Laws of Self-Fulfillment underscore the importance of practice. When the practice of a new behavior
or action becomes second nature, that new behavior is actualized in your life. Your self-actualization is
dependent upon your growing and changing. This means that through practice you can learn the behavior
of waking up early in the morning or of setting the next day’s goals each night before you go to sleep.
Use the following exercise to develop a list of new behaviors you wish to practice. After you’ve written your
list, rank the behaviors as they are most important to you. Finally, write the reason for desiring your new
behavior

New Behavior: Rank:

Reason:

New Behavior: Rank:

Reason:

New Behavior: Rank:

Reason:

New Behavior: Rank:

Reason:

New Behavior: Rank:

Reason:

(To interpret your answers see page 39.)

WHEN YOU BEGIN TO THINK OF YOUR OWN LAWS

As I said earlier, the Universal Laws of Success and Achievement represents my personal collection from a
lifetime of reading and learning. Some may apply directly to your life, while some may not. You probably
have your own set of laws that you haven’t recorded. But I encourage you to do so. No set of laws to live by
are complete until you add your own. These may be laws you have learned from experience, or laws you
have found from other sources. Here’s a law I live by, that I don’t consider “universal”: Always write the first
sentence of the next page before you finish writing for the day. This allows me to start again the next
morning without wasting time trying to figure out what I had been planning to say next. I have dozens of
little laws like that which facilitate my daily success, and I’m sure you do, too. I suggest you start keeping
track of them. These laws will be most useful to you if you keep an on-going list of them in your notebook,
where you will have ample room to develop and evolve them. Don’t forget to include on your list those laws
you read in other places — as well as those I’ve provided you in this collection.

36
 A GUIDE TO THE

EXERCISES
WHAT DOES SUCCESS MEAN TO YOU? (PAGE 5)
Chances are you found this more difficult to answer than you’d expect. It’s easy to say, “I want to be
successful” or “I want to remain healthy.” The tough part comes when you begin to list specifics. The way
to score this exercise is to give yourself one point for each concrete definition you wrote. For example, if
next to Success you wrote, “Be CEO of my company by the time I’m 50; enjoy going to work each day;
never be bored,” give yourself five points — one each for CEO, your own company, age 50, enjoyment, and
lack of boredom.
The higher your score, the more focused you are on your goals and the more likely you are to achieve them
— or to recognize them if you’ve already achieved them. Any score under twelve points could certainly
stand improvement. If you don’t know what you want, how can you ever achieve it? The questions in this
exercise lie at the very heart of your quest for a better life.

SETTING YOUR GOALS (PAGE 8)

The Dream List exercise is similar to the one above. Specificity is important. Also, do most of your dreams
fall into a single category? If so, this is a strong indication of what you find most important in life. If your
answer listed “enough money to live comfortably,” followed by four or five examples of “dream”
relationships, it shows quite clearly what you value most highly.
Your Ideal Life Style response will tell you how long, how hard, and how creatively you will have to work to
meet your goals. Rent isn’t cheap in the south of France. But if your idyll is a small cabin in the woods near
your hometown, your dream may be easier — or at least less costly.
With Six Months to Live, what would you do? It’s a question I hope you never have to face, but for our
purposes, it’s useful to scout out the areas in which you’ve procrastinated. With all of the demands of
everyday life, it’s easy to put off what may seem non-essential. With limited time, however, it may surprise
you what now becomes essential, what you now deem really important. Will you finally sit down and read
War and Peace? Will you experience April in Paris the way you’ve always wanted? Will you patch up that
feud with your difficult sister? Whatever your response, why wait to do it until you know your time is
running out? If they’re things you've always wanted to do, things you’ve always meant to do, they’re
obviously important to you — so do them now!
The trouble with Worries and Problems is not that we don’t know their solutions, but that we don’t know
how to get to solutions. This exercise was your chance to map out your path to that solution. Solving a
problem step by step is easier than leaping from it to the solution directly, a leap that can often be long and
perilous. If your problem is that you hate your job, there are several steps or sub-goals you can take toward
finding a new one: update your resume, start searching the ads, networking, saving every penny you can in
case you need to quit your current job before you secure a new one. By taking the path to a solution of
your problem one step at a time, you’ll make the ultimate goal seem that much less impossible — and will
actually bring it quite a bit closer to reality!

37
WHEN HAPPINESS SEEMS JUST OUT OF REACH (PAGE 10)
After deciding what happiness means to you (see previous exercises), this one helps you plot short-term
markers along the path. Once you decide on a concrete goal, it is vital to take smaller, individual steps in
order to achieve it. Of course, it’s also important to stick to your plan. The best map is useless if you never
take your car out of the garage.

DO THE LAWS OF LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS SHINE IN YOUR LIFE? (PAGE 13)
Far be it from me to tell you what love is. Needs vary from individual to individual; a relationship that
works perfectly for two people might be a living nightmare for two others.
The key here is the word work. From a casual professional connection to the most complex of love affairs,
relationships take effort. With the best of them, it comes naturally and is mostly unseen. But even if you
aren’t aware of the effort, you should be familiar with the machinery: the gears, pulleys, and switches
moving relationships along. Commitment, communication, forgiveness. These are a few of the components
keeping a relationship’s engine humming. Alas, there is no complete owner’s manual for love.

ARE THE LAWS OF ECONOMICS WORKING FOR YOU? (PAGE 16)

The Laws of Economics apply, not only to money, but to time and effort as well. The first law listed, the
Law of Ambition, is extremely important: “Every act you engage in is an attempt to improve your condition
in some way.”
Review your responses in this exercise. It is up to you to judge whether your actions do, in fact, improve
your life in a way you feel is worthwhile. If a prestigious car or a designer outfit improves the way you look
at yourself, then that may very well outweigh the extra costs involved. If your idea of a perfect weekend is
one with nothing to do, but you also believe that time spent doing nothing is time wasted, then you need to
straighten out this discrepancy in your thinking.
This exercise offers you another chance to get a glimpse of the real you and what is truly important to you.
It’s up to you to decide if that’s the way you want to be — and to take the steps necessary to make any
adjustments.

WHERE DO YOU SIT AT THE BARGAINING TABLE? (PAGE 19)

At some level, we are negotiating almost every moment of our lives. Whether it is with customers,
employers or loved ones, negotiation is a fact of life. This exercise is a very straightforward study guide on
some of the finer points of the art of negotiation. You may have to do this one several times, after each
review of the Laws of Negotiating. Once you know these laws, you’ll be ready to take your place at the head
of the bargaining table.

WHAT DOES MONEY MEAN TO YOU? (PAGE 22)

Goals, goals, goals. Keeping them in mind, striving for them — it’s an ongoing process. Like recognizing
your goals, recognizing things that might block your path to them is vital.
The first part of this exercise once again asks you to put your dreams into words; the final four parts help
you define obstacles you might encounter. These parts show you areas in which you need to work.
Remember: identifying a problem is the first step toward solving it.

38
WEALTH CREATION: FANTASY OR REALITY? (PAGE 24)
Before you can emulate a wealthy person you admire, before you become an entrepreneur, you must decide
for yourself if the Law of Desire pertains to you: “The motivation to award riches is an intense burning
desire for financial success.” Do you have that burning desire? It’s okay if you don’t, and just as valid if you
do. There may be some compromises and sacrifices along the way, no matter what you discover about
yourself.
This exercise helps you get to your feelings. If the poor are just as happy (or unhappy) as the wealthy, are
the sacrifices worth it to you to create wealth? If you believe that success is achieved at the expense of
others, but don’t much mind, is there anything that can stop you from reaching your financial goals? These
questions are starting points in your search for your true self.

SUCCESS AND THE LAWS OF SELLING (PAGE 27)

A surprising large number of people who attempt to answer the five questions in this exercise will find that
they don’t really have any answers. The same may be all too true for the other exercises in the book. This
underscores a major roadblock to reaching our goals: we don’t know ourselves well enough to know what
we want or need. Even questions as seemingly simple as those about the way we work cause us to draw a
blank.
Spy on yourself during the course of a work week. Are you spending your time to its best advantage? Are
you communicating with the people who can help you get ahead?

THE ROLE OF THE CUSTOMER IN THE LAWS OF BUSINESS (PAGE 30)

Repeat after me: the Customer is always right, the Customer is always right, the Customer is always right.
Enough said.

THE LAWS OF LUCK ARE NO ACCIDENT (PAGE 33)

Once again, an exercise that gives you the opportunity to plot your course to your goals. Like a ship captain
who divides a long voyage into day-long trips until he finally reaches his destination, you, too, can make
the long haul to your dreams seem shorter by breaking it into individual steps.
You’ve noticed I’ve said the same thing in several different ways during the course of this reference guide.
You can take that as a clear indication that this is a key aspect of goal-attainment — and one that you
should never lose sight of.

DON’T GET DISCOURAGED WHEN SUCCESS MEANS TRY, TRY AGAIN (PAGE 36)
If you don’t like where your old behavior has gotten you, maybe you should change your behavior. There’s
nothing like a good, new habit to help you feel like a brand new you.
Spending too much time going out at night? Think of things that will keep you in and, perhaps, improve
you in some way — read literature, learn a new language, invite a group of friends over for some
interesting conversation. You say your temper’s too short for your own good at the office? Try counting to
ten before you respond to a perceived affront. If that doesn’t work, there are always larger numbers to
count to. Are you spending too much? Visit a financial planner, contribute to your company’s 401(K) plan,
don’t buy any new clothes for a few months.
This exercise helps you define your new behavior by allowing you to describe what is wrong with the old.

39
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THE UNIVERSAL LAWS
OF SUCCESS AND
ACHIEVEMENT

PERSONAL GUIDE

By Brian Tracy
i

THIS INFORMATION WILL BE USEFUL

TO YOU IN MANY WAYS:

1. You will make an immediate impact on

your life by using this during breaks,
while waiting in line, and any other
time you have a free moment.

2. These instructions will help direct you

before crucial times in your life. If you
are about to make an important sale,
refer to the Law of Selling. If you are
about to negotiate an important deal,
refer to the Law of Negotiating. It’s that
simple and helpful.

3. Use this when you have to make an

important decision. You’ll find an
answer to any problem in what follows.

4. Make notes on index cards of these

laws, or print them out, and take these
with you to important meetings.

©MCMXCVIII Nightingale-Conant
 1

–––––––– SESSION 1 ––––––––

THE LAWS OF SUCCESS
1 LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT. This is an
orderly universe. There are no accidents.
Everything happens for a reason. For every
effect there is a set of causes.
NOTE: This is the “granddaddy” law from which
all other laws in every field flow. It has been vari-
ously called the “Law of Sowing and Reaping,”
the “Law of Action and Reaction,” the “Law of
Compensation,” and the “Socratic Law.”

2 LAW OF MIND. Thoughts objectify them-

selves. You become what you think about.

3 LAW OF MENTAL EQUIVALENCY. To achieve

success in any area, you must have a clear
image of that success in your mind — a mental
picture of your idea of success.

4 LAW OF CORRESPONDENCE. Your outer life

will mirror your inner life. There is a
direct correspondence between your experiences
and your thoughts and attitudes.

5 LAW OF BELIEF. Whatever you believe ...

deeply ... becomes your reality.

6 LAW OF VALUES. What you truly value and

believe in is reflected in your actions, even
though your words may say otherwise.
2

7 LAW OF MOTIVATION. Everything you do is

triggered by inner desires, urges, and
instincts; many are subconscious.

8 LAW OF SUBCONSCIOUS ACTIVITY. Your sub-

conscious mind alerts you to things around
you consistent with your dominant desires and
concerns.

9 LAW OF EXPECTATIONS. What you expect

with confidence tends to materialize.

10 LAW OF CONCENTRATION. Whatever you

concentrate on, and think about repeated-
ly, becomes more a part of your inner life, and
consequently your outer life.

11 LAW OF HABIT. Virtually all we do is auto-

matic, the result of habit. Habits that move
us away from our goals must be changed.

12 LAW OF ATTRACTION. You are a living mag-

net. You attract people, events, and cir-
cumstances that harmonize with your dominant
thoughts.

13 LAW OF CHOICE. You are free to choose

what you think about, and therefore free
to choose all other parts of your life.

14 LAW OF OPTIMISM. A positive mental atti-

tude goes with success and happiness.
Optimism makes you cheerful and pleasant,
and more likely to succeed.
 3

15 LAW OF CHANGE. All things are changing;

nothing is fixed. If you don’t take advan-
tage of change, you’ll be the victim of change!
–––––––– SESSION 2 ––––––––
THE LAWS OF ACHIEVEMENT
NOTE: All off the Laws of Success apply to
achievement as well. In addition, the following
laws apply.

1 LAW OF CONTROL. You feel positive about

yourself to the extent you feel you are in
control of your life.

2 LAW OF RESPONSIBILITY. You are fully

responsible for everything you are, every-
thing you have, and everything you become and
achieve.

3 LAW OF COMPENSATION. Whatever you put

in, you will get out — you will always be
compensated in full for whatever you do.

4 LAW OF SERVICE. Your rewards in life will

be in direct proportion to the value of your
service to others.

5 LAW OF APPLIED EFFORT. All things are

amenable to hard work; in fact, the harder
you work, the luckier you get.
4

6 LAW OF OVER-COMPENSATION. Always put

in more than you take out or you’ll never
take out more than you’re getting now. Do more
than you’re paid for to get paid more for what
you do.

7 LAW OF PREPARATION. Perfect performance

comes from painstaking preparation. Real
pros take more time than others to prepare.

8 LAW OF FORCED EFFICIENCY. The more you

take on, the more efficient you’ll be. While
there’s never enough time to do everything,
there’s always enough to do the important
things.

9 LAW OF DECISION. Every great leap forward

springs from a clear decision to act.
Furthermore, if you act boldly, unseen forces
will come to your aid.

10 LAW OF CREATIVITY. Every advance begins

with an idea in one person’s mind.
Whatever a mind can conceive and believe, it
can achieve.

11 LAW OF FLEXIBILITY. Success is best

achieved when you are clear about the
goal but flexible about how to get there.
Inflexibility can lead to missed opportunities.
 5

12 LAW OF PERSISTENCE. Your ability to per-

sist despite setbacks and disappointments
affirms your belief in yourself. Persistence is the
iron quality of success.
–––––––– SESSION 3 ––––––––
THE LAWS OF HAPPINESS
1 LAW OF INTEGRITY. Happiness is a by-prod-
uct of choosing to live your life consistent
with your highest values and aspirations.

2 LAW OF EMOTION. We are 100% emotional

in everything we think, feel, and decide.
Since we control our thoughts, we are all as
happy as we make up our minds to be.

3 BASIC LAW OF HAPPINESS. The quality of

your life is determined by how you feel at
any given moment. Happiness springs not from
events, but how you interpret those events.

4 LAW OF SUBSTITUTION. Your mind is like a

garden — unless you cultivate flowers,
weeds will flourish. To keep your mind positive,
substitute positive thoughts for negative
thoughts.

5 LAW OF EXPRESSION. Whatever you express

with conviction triggers thoughts, ideas,
and actions consistent with those words.
Therefore, pick your words carefully.
6

6 LAW OF REVERSIBILITY. Feelings usually

determine action. But action can determine
feelings. You can make yourself cheerful by
smiling, laughing, and singing out loud.

7 LAW OF VISUALIZATION. Images tend do

awaken the emotions that go with them.
Picture yourself when you were happy and opti-
mistic, and the feelings will follow.

8 LAW OF PRACTICE. If you practice feeling

cheerful or optimistic, you will form the
habit of being cheerful and optimistic.
–––––––– SESSION 4 ––––––––
THE LAWS OF LOVE AND
RELATIONSHIPS
1 LAW OF COMMITMENT. Critical to the long-
term success of any relationship is the level
of commitment. Relationships with conditions
attached are usually short lived.

2 LAW OF VALUE. Love is not blind. You are

attracted to people who have qualities you
value.

3 LAW OF COMPATIBILITY. People are compati-

ble with each other only when they share
the same values, attitudes, ambitions, and beliefs.
 7

4 LAW OF COMMUNICATIONS. Since good com-

munication is essential to good relation-
ships, bear in mind that men and women com-
municate differently. Men are direct, women
indirect.

5 LAW OF ATTENTION. You pay attention to

what you most love and value. Attentive
listening builds trust, the foundation of a loving
relationship.

6 LAW OF SELF-ESTEEM. You tend to be hap-

piest with someone who makes you feel
good about yourself. In addition, raising the
self-esteem of another makes you like yourself
more.

7 LAW OF INDIRECT EFFORT. You get more out

of relationships indirectly than directly.
The fastest way to impress others is not to act
impressively, but to be impressed by them.

8 LAW OF REVERSE EFFORT. Trying hard in

relationships tends not to work.
Relationships work best when you don’t try at
all.

9 LAW OF CONTROL. Relationships are happy

when there is a mutual sense of control.
Too much control in one person’s hands, or
none at all, leads to unhappiness.
8

10 LAW OF IDENTIFICATION. Only by not iden-

tifying with your relationship — by
detaching and viewing it at arm’s length — can
you enjoy it fully and act effectively with it.

11 LAW OF FORGIVENESS. You are mature and

healthy to the degree that you can forgive
freely. Inability to forgive leads to guilt, resent-
ment, anger, and unhappiness with others.

12 LAW OF REALITY. Don’t try to change oth-

ers or expect them to change. Be real and
deal with people as they are. Unconditional
acceptance of others is the key to happy rela-
tionships.
–––––––– SESSION 5 ––––––––
THE LAWS OF ECONOMICS
1 LAW OF AMBITION. Everything you do is an
attempt to improve your condition. As long
as there is discontent and the capability to
improve, you will try to do so.

2 LAW OF MINIMUM EFFORT. You always try

to get what you want with the least effort.
In other words, we humans are basically lazy.

3 LAW OF MAXIMIZATION. You always try to

get the most for your time, money, effort,
or other resources. In other words, we humans
are basically greedy.
 9

4 LAW OF TIME PREFERENCE. You always pre-

fer earlier rather than later in the satisfac-
tion of any desire. In other words, we humans
want instant gratification.

5 LAW OF VANITY. You place a high value on

your appearance, opinions, choices, rela-
tionships, and how you’re treated by others. We
humans are egotistical, self-centered, and vain.

6 LAW OF IGNORANCE. There is a degree of

uncertainty in everything you do. We never
know for sure how things will turn out.

7 LAW OF EXPEDIENCY. People always try to

get what they want as fast and easily as
possible without regard to secondary conse-
quences. It’s called “the path of least resist-
ance.”

8 LAW OF DUALITY. There are two reasons

given for doing anything — the one that
sounds good, and the real reason.

9 LAW OF SECONDARY CONSEQUENCES.

Everything you do has a direct conse-
quence followed by a secondary consequence.
Considering the secondary consequences is the
hallmark of wisdom.

10 LAW OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. The

results of many actions are often worse
than if nothing had been done at all.
10

11 LAW OF CHOICE. Every human action is a

choice — one based on your dominant
values at the moment. Even taking no action is
a choice.

12 LAW OF THE EXCLUDED ALTERNATIVE.

Every choice implies rejection of all other
choices. It also tells what you truly believe in at
the moment.

13 LAW OF SUBJECTIVE VALUE. The values of

goods or services are personal — what
someone is willing to pay. The buyer ultimately
determines the price.

14 LAW OF MARGINALITY. Price is determined

by what customers at the margin — those
who can buy or not buy or even buy elsewhere
— are willing to pay.

15 LAW OF ECONOMIC SUBSTITUTION. When

prices increase, customers seek substi-
tutes that offer similar satisfaction at lower
prices.
–––––––– SESSION 6 ––––––––
THE LAWS OF NEGOTIATING
1 NIERENBERG’S LAW. The aim is to enter
into an agreement that satisfies both par-
ties, motivates them to fulfill their agreements,
and conduct further negotiations in the future.
 11

2 COVEY’S LAW. You should aim for a

win/win solution — or no deal. In other
words, if both sides can’t win, forget it.

3 COHEN’S LAW. Everything is negotiable —

and that means everything.

4 DAWSON’S LAW. You can always get a better

deal if you know how. First, if you want a
better deal, ask for it; second, always flinch
when a price is quoted.

5 LAW OF FOUR. Eighty percent of any nego-

tiation will resolve around only four issues,
three of which will be secondary.

6 LAW OF TIMING. Timing is a critical aspect

of any negotiation. For example, the more
urgent your need is to close the deal, the less
effective you’ll be.

7 LAW OF TERMS. Terms of payment can be

more important than price or any other
factor. You can usually agree to almost any price
if you can adjust the terms.

8 LAW OF PREPARATION. Eighty percent of

success is determined by your preparation.
Before negotiating, you should get the facts, do
your homework, and check your assumptions.

9 LAW OF REVERSAL. Put yourself in the

other person’s position to prepare effec-
tively. With a good feel for what the other person
wants, you can better get what you want.
12

10 LAW OF POWER. The person with the

greater power, real or imagined, gets the
better deal. There are 10 kinds of negotiating
power; a very big one is indifference.

11 LAW OF DESIRE. The one who most wants

the negotiation to succeed has the least
bargaining power. Bargaining strength comes
from your indifference and the other person’s
desire.

12 LAW OF RECIPROCITY. People want to pay

you back for what you do for them. By
making small concessions, you may be able to
get large concessions in return.

13 THE WALK-AWAY LAW. You never know the

final price until you get up and walk
away. This is the supreme expression of indiffer-
ence (see Law of Power above.)

14 LAW OF FINALITY. No negotiation is ever

final; you can always ask to re-open it.
And remember: successful negotiation paves the
way for future negotiations (see Law 1, page 10).
–––––––– SESSION 7 ––––––––
THE LAWS OF MONEY
1 LAW OF ABUNDANCE. There is an ample sup-
ply of money for all who want it. To get
your share, decide to be rich, and obey the
Laws of Cause and Effect as they apply to
money.
 13

2 LAW OF EXCHANGE. Money is the medium

for exchanging goods and services. It
replaces barter. What you earn in an open mar-
ket shows the value others place on what you
do.

3 LAW OF CAPITAL. Your most valuable asset

is your earning ability. It’s physical, it’s
mental — it’s your capital. And your most pre-
cious resource is your time.

4 LAW OF TIME PERSPECTIVE. The most suc-

cessful people make their day-to-day deci-
sions by considering the longest time period.
Delayed gratification is the key to financial suc-
cess.

5 LAW OF SAVINGS. Financial freedom comes

to those who save 10 percent or more of
their income all their lives. The way to do this is
to “pay yourself first.”

6 LAW OF CONSERVATION. It’s not how much

you make but how much you keep that
counts. Successful people save lots in prosper-
ous times to have a financial cushion for bad
times.

7 PARKINSON’S LAW. Expenses always rise to

meet income. It happens to most people.
It’s why most people aren’t rich. To be rich, you
must flout this law.
14

8 LAW OF THREE. Financial security is like a

three-legged stool: it rests on savings,
insurance, and investment. You must tend to all
three to become financially independent and
secure.

9 LAW OF INVESTING. Investigate before you

invest. Spend as much time studying an
investment as you do earning the money you put
into it. Never let yourself be rushed.

10 LAW OF COMPOUND INTEREST. Allowing

money to grow at compound interest will
make you rich. The key to making this work is
to put it away and never touch it.

11 LAW OF ACCUMULATION. Great financial

achievement is an accumulation of hun-
dreds of small efforts. You should build a
momentum to your savings plan and let noth-
ing get in its way.

12 LAW OF ATTRACTION. As you accumulate

money to you begin attracting more
money to yourself. Thinking about money as
you save makes you a magnet; you attract more
money into your life.

13 LAW OF ACCELERATING ACCELERATION. The

faster you move toward financial free-
dom, the faster it moves toward you. It’s an off-
shoot of the Law of Attraction: what you want
wants you.
 15

–––––––– SESSION 8 ––––––––

THE LAWS OF
WEALTH CREATION
1 LAW OF CREATIVE EMULATION. To achieve
wealth, study and emulate those who have
achieved it before you. And ask their advice too.
You don’t have to re-invent the wheel.

2 LAW OF DESIRE. To achieve wealth, you

need strong motivation — you must want
it badly. And, if you do, nothing can stop you.

3 LAW OF PURPOSE. Definiteness of purpose

is the starting point of all wealth. You
must define what you want and the steps you
will take to get it.

4 LAW OF ENRICHMENT. All lasting wealth

comes from enriching others in some way.
The more value you can produce, the more you
will be able to retain.

5 LAW OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP. The surest

road to wealth is to start and build a suc-
cessful business of your own — and deliver
products or services at least 10% better than the
norm.
16

6 LAW OF BOOTSTRAPPING. Entrepreneurs

who start with too little capital are more
likely to succeed than those with too much.
More important than capital are energy and
imagination!

7 LAW OF COURAGE. Willingness to risk fail-

ure is a measure of your desire to be rich.
To succeed faster, double your failure rate. In
other words: “No guts, no glory!”

8 LAW OF RISK. There’s a direct relationship

between level of risk and likelihood of loss.
Successful entrepreneurs analyze risk carefully
and avoid it as much as possible.

9 LAW OF UNDUE OPTIMISM. Excessive opti-

mism works two ways: it leads both to
success and failure. Make provisions for your
costs and problems as being greater than you
foresee.

10 LAW OF PERSISTENCE. If you persist long

enough you must inevitably succeed.
Persistence is self-discipline in action — it is also
a measure of your belief in yourself.
–––––––– SESSION 9 ––––––––
THE LAWS OF SELLING
1 LAW OF SALES. Nothing happens until a sale
takes place. Selling keeps production lines
humming and the economy rolling. People don’t
buy — they are sold.
 17

2 LAW OF AMBITION. Commit to being the best

in your field. To achieve high sales goals,
you must set them in the first place. And you
must associate only with other ambitious sales-
people.

3 LAW OF NEED. Every buying decision is an

attempt to solve a problem or fill a need. To
meet problems and needs, successful sales peo-
ple must put themselves in their prospects’
shoes.

4 LAW OF PROBLEMS. People don’t buy prod-

ucts or services — they buy solutions to
problems. To sell you must solve a problem, fill
a need, or resolve an uncertainty.

5 LAW OF PERSUASION. To sell, persuade cus-

tomers they’ll be better off with your prod-
uct than with the money it costs... and that your
product meets their needs better than any other.

6 LAW OF RISK. Inherent in any investment of

time, money, or emotion is risk. To sell,
position yourself as the low-risk provider of
your product or service.

7 LAW OF TRUST. A trust bond between seller

and buyer is the foundation of a sale. The
higher the level of trust, the lower the percep-
tion of risk.
18

8 LAW OF RELATIONSHIPS. Sales success

depends on the seller’s ability to form a
quality relationship with the buyer. And remem-
ber, the relationship continues long after the
sale.

9 LAW OF FRIENDSHIP. Before buying, people

must be convinced you are their friend act-
ing in their best interest. Successful salespeople
are good friend-makers.

10 LAW OF POSITIONING. Customers’ percep-

tions of you and your company determine
their buying behavior. This is positioning.
Everything affects it — packaging, promotion,
how you sell.

11 LAW OF PERSPECTIVE. How you are viewed

by your customers determines your
income. Salespeople who are regarded as
“working for the customer” are the very top
earners.

12 LAW OF PREPARATION. The best salespeople

prepare thoroughly for every call. They
fully understand the prospect’s position and
problems, and ask the right questions.

13 LAW OF PERVERSE MOTIVATION. Everyone

likes to buy, but no one likes to be sold.
The very best salespeople are perceived as help-
ing their prospects get what they want or need
most.
 19

–––––––– SESSION 10 ––––––––

THE LAWS OF BUSINESS
1 LAW OF PURPOSE. The purpose of a busi-
ness is to create and keep a customer. This
takes precedence over making a profit. Profits
will follow when customers are created and
kept.

2 LAW OF ORGANIZATION. A business organi-

zation is a group of people brought togeth-
er for the sole purpose of creating and keeping
customers. Again, the main purpose overrides
all else.

3 LAW OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. The cus-

tomer is always right. Successful business-
es actually have an obsession about customer
satisfaction.

4 LAW OF THE CUSTOMER. Customers always

seek the very most at the lowest possible
price. Proper business planning demands that
you focus on the self-interest of the customer.

5 LAW OF QUALITY. Customers demand the

very highest quality for the very lowest
price. Quality is whatever the customer thinks it
is. And the customer decides how much it’s
worth.
20

6 LAW OF OBSOLESCENCE. Whatever is, is

already becoming obsolete. Change pre-
vails — it’s unavoidable. A successful business
adapts quickly; even better, it helps create change.

7 LAW OF INNOVATION. Breakthroughs come

from innovation — offering something
better, cheaper, faster, newer, or more efficient.
All you need to break through is one good idea.

8 LAW OF CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS. Every

business has five to seven critical success
factors that determine its success. Usually they
are based on the personal performance of
employees.

9 LAW OF THE MARKET. The “market” is

where buyers and sellers meet and set
prices. A prosperous economy needs this mar-
ket to function freely, with no outside control or
interference.

10 LAW OF SPECIALIZATION. To succeed, you

must specialize and be excellent or cost-
efficient at satisfying a specific customer need.
Not doing either sets the stage for failure.

11 LAW OF DIFFERENTIATION. A product or

service must be different in some unique
way to be successful. This difference should be
perceivable and promotable.
 21

12 LAW OF SEGMENTATION. Companies must

target specific customer groups or market
segments to succeed. The days of one product
for everybody are gone forever.

13 LAW OF CONCENTRATION. Market success

comes from aiming at customers who
most value your uniqueness. Marketing beyond
this core group is inefficient and wasteful.

14 LAW OF EXCELLENCE. The market pays

excellent rewards for excellent perform-
ance, excellent products, or excellent service. This
applies across the board to both employees and
companies.
–––––––– SESSION 11 ––––––––
THE LAWS OF LUCK
1 LAW OF PROBABILITY. To increase the
chance of an event occurring, increase the
number of events. In other words, the more
times you try, the more likely you’ll succeed.

2 LAW OF CLARITY. The clearer you are about

what you want and will do to get it, the
more likely you’ll be lucky and get it. Clarity of
desire is a magnet that draws good luck to you.

3 LAW OF ATTRACTION. You attract into your

life the people, ideas, and opportunities
that harmonize with your dominant thoughts.
Again, your thoughts can attract the luck you
need.
22

4 LAW OF EXPECTATIONS. You increase the

amount of luck in your life by expecting
lucky things to happen. This is another instance
of thoughts being magnets, attracting luck to
you.

5 LAW OF OPPORTUNITY. Your greatest possi-

bilities will come from the most common
situations. In other words, your lucky break or
opportunity may be lurking right under your
nose.

6 LAW OF ABILITY. Luck is what happens

when preparedness meets opportunity.
The more ability you have in any field, the more
“lucky” opportunities that field will yield.

7 LAW OF INTEGRATED COMPLEXITY. Those

with the widest variety of knowledge and
skills in an area will have the most luck in that
area. The most knowledge equals the most luck.

8 LAW OF ASSUMPTION. Incorrect assump-

tions lie at the root of every failure.
Indeed, just assuming you could be wrong
opens you to possibilities and lucky breaks you’d
otherwise miss.

9 LAW OF TIMING. There is a tide in the

affairs of men which, taken at the flood,
leads on to fortune. Timing is everything —
with preparation you’ll know when the time is
right.
 23

10 LAW OF ENERGY. With greater energy and

enthusiasm, you’re more likely to recog-
nize and respond to luck. This is another aspect
of being prepared to recognize and seize opportu-
nities.

11 LAW OF RELATIONSHIPS. The more people

you know, and who know you, the luckier
you’ll be. Most lucky breaks and opportunities
come from people, not from events.

12 LAW OF EMPATHY. When you look at a sit-

uation through the eyes of someone else,
you find unseen possibilities. This is one more
way to recognize luck when it comes your way.
–––––––– SESSION 12 ––––––––
THE LAWS OF
SELF-FULFILLMENT
1 LAW OF GROWTH. If you’re not growing,
you’re stagnating. Change is the only con-
stant in life. Embrace it and grow with it; then
you won’t be bowled over by it when it occurs.

2 LAW OF PRACTICE. Whatever you practice

over and over becomes a new habit. Giant-
step growth and ultimate fulfillment comes
from shedding old habits and creating new ones
when needed.
24

3 LAW OF ACCUMULATION. A great life is an

accumulation of thousands of efforts and
sacrifices unseen by others. Again, small short-
term sacrifices lead to enormous long-term
gains.

4 LAW OF INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENT.

Mastery and excellence come from countless
efforts of self-improvement over a long time.
Again, time and dedications are the ultimate
key.

5 LAW OF SELF-DEVELOPMENT. You can

become whatever you want by learning
what’s necessary to achieve it. Yes, you can
“bootstrap” yourself up by learning and applying
yourself.

6 LAW OF TALENTS. You are a genius! Each

one of us has a unique combination of
gifts and talents that, if properly applied, makes
us unstoppable.

7 LAWS OF EXCELLENCE. Vince Lombardi

said it best: “The quality of your life will be
determined by your commitment to excellence
more than any other factor.”

8 LAW OF OPPORTUNITY. Within every setback

or obstacle lie seeds of equal or greater
benefits or opportunities. Setbacks can be learn-
ing experiences and/or spurs to greater effort.
 25

9 LAW OF COURAGE. If you confront the thing

you fear, then the death of fear is
inevitable. The greatest single obstacle to self-
fulfillment are fears combined with ignorance.

10 LAW OF APPLIED EFFORT. All great achieve-

ment is preceded and accompanied by
hard, hard work. If success eludes you, try hard-
er. And when at work, work all the time — don’t
loaf.

11 LAW OF GIVING. You achieve real meaning

and purpose when you feel you are serv-
ing. And when you give, give of yourself — and
give without thought of getting something in
return.

12 LAW OF AFFIRMATION. What you say to

yourself often enough is accepted by your
subconscious as true. Affirmations should be
made positively, often, with feeling, and be fully
visualized.

13 LAW OF OPTIMISM. How you think, feel,

and act stems from how you interpret
your experiences. Optimistic interpretations cre-
ate optimistic attitudes — and optimum achieve-
ments.
 Phone: 1-800-525-9000
or visit our website at
www.nightingale.com

or for our UK clients

Phone: 01803 666100 •
nightingaleconant.co.uk.

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