Page 137 - 100 Ways to Motivate Yourself

clarity needed for self-motivation.

98. Read yourself a story

Abraham Lincoln used to drive his law partners to distraction. Every
morning he would come into his office and read the daily newspaper aloud to
himself. They would hear him in the next room reading in a booming voice.
Why did Lincoln do his morning reading aloud? He had discovered that he
remembered and retained twice as much when he read aloud than when he read

silently. And what he did remember, he remembered for a much longer period of
time. Perhaps it was because Lincoln was employing a second sense, the sense
of hearing, and a second activity, the activity of speaking, which made his
readings so memorable to him. Any time you have an opportunity to read
something that is important to you, try reading it aloud and see if you don’t make
twice the impression on yourself. When you discover something you want to
remember, and draw upon in the future, read it aloud.

Steve Hardison, one of the most successful business consultants I have ever
known, credits one origin of his success to a time when he was a struggling
young man without money or a clue about where he wanted to go. Then one day
he came across Napoleon Hill’s enormous book, Law of Success, and read the
entire volume aloud.

My favorite piece of writing to read aloud is Chapter 16 of Og Mandino’s
The Greatest Salesman in the World. Here’s a part of it, which you may now
read silently to yourself. However, if you want a real shot of adrenaline to your
spirit, I recommend you mark this page and when you’re alone, read it aloud like
Lincoln:

I will act now. I will act now. I will act now. Henceforth, I will repeat
these words again and again, each hour, each day, every day, until the

words become a habit as my breathing and the actions which follow
become as instinctive as the blinking of my eyelids. With these words I
can condition my mind to perform every act necessary for my success.
With these words I can condition my mind to meet every challenge.

99. Laugh for no reason