Greg Voisen
Welcome back to Inside Personal Growth. This is Greg Voisen, the host of Inside Personal Growth. And joining me from what is Virginia? What's the city again, Don, it's wise. That's what I thought I just wanted to make sure I had you in the right spot is Don green and Don doesn't probably need a lot of introduction, because he's been on the show many times and you have 39 books to your personal authorship, is that correct, Don? Well, that's what it says out there on the big Google internet is 39. So whatever that number is, it's a lot and he is the executive director of the Napoleon Hill Foundation. And for my listeners, if you've never been to the website, go to naphill.org. That's where you can learn about the courses. You can learn more about the books you can learn about the foundation, and Don is a consummate learner. And I'm gonna let the listeners know a little bit about you, Don. He's an American business entrepreneur, having built successful Savings Bank, a real estate enterprise and a host of other small and successful businesses in southwest Virginia, prior to late his career with Napoleon Hill Foundation, which has been for quite some time. As the CEO of Napoleon Hill, Don has energized the works, and flamed the authors and hosts new books and noted authors demonstrating how the principles of the late Mr. Hill worked to advance the individual and network and other areas around the globe. He's demonstrated unique determination to expand the knowledge of Napoleon Hills work, motivational work, and moreover, Don is a new global social entrepreneur. He's become one of the leading evangelists for entrepreneur self-help through and propel utilization of Napoleon Hill's key keys to success and thinking grow rich. I could go on and on and on about Don, we were gonna learn more about him here myself, but he has been a mentor to me, and somebody that I honestly respect and I with tremendous admiration. And I think every author out there, many of the people that are in the personal growth and self-help arena, know Don Green. And so don, that kind of leads me to this. And in the introduction of the book, you briefly explain the history of Napoleon Hill. Can you tell us a bit about the history and how you became involved as the executive director, just prior to popping on here, you were telling me a little bit about the story in W Clement Stone. And I thought that was interesting, because I didn't know that connection myself. So tell the listeners a little bit about it. Yeah, Gregor,

Don Green
My dad was an underground coal miner. And we didn't have a lot. We didn't have running water and a house since I was in high school. We didn't have a bathroom. And I also was in high school. So it, but I had a good work ethic I got from my family, but I love to read my mom. But she said, if you don't quit reading so much, you're gonna go blind. And I laid the book down a little wall. But you don't just read everything. I read biographies. And I got inspired. We didn't we didn't have books in our home by the Bible. But we had a tremendous library and effect is a supportive, and we have not offices local, really, really good for a rural area, in fact, is our top nine books by and the little lazy, just retired from the library, and of those nine branches, retired. She was in my class when I taught it back in 1990s. So I should have been retired to that guess. But I'm just loved to read. And of course, I read he'll and he was from this area, and of course, those of even more. And not only did I read these books and read his books, I tried to read everything that he ever said read just like your now your that book, you mentioned how to write it down, I got part of it. Because where you send me the book or not, I'm gonna order that book. If someone I respect matches a book, I'm gonna read that book. They can cause I'm still learning. And I might pick something out of it. I'm sure I will, that I can use some time. But anyway, I read those books and read those books. And I've just I was inspired. I was, I think I was making 75 cents or maybe $1. One summer. Mom didn't know what we was doing. Me and my two brothers, but this man hardest to pull steel out of mines in West Virginia. And it's about a three hour drive from here and he gives us his truck. He gives us riches and We took the rails apart into mines, which a rusted mine shut down. And he bought the mines out steel was very valuable. I think it was about $300 a ton. And so we had a ranches WD 40. And when he couldn't that would work. We had a hacksaw, we sold the bolts off, that connected over big rails. But one day in particular, I remember Gosh, this is hard work is about 40 inches, which means you couldn't stand up. It's what my dad did. And it just something said, you know, they guys do this kind of work and make a living. But damn guys you read about in books are using their mind, they don't want to get rich. And I will just read and just guess dreamed or whatever it might go some of them, which was outlandish crazy. But

Greg Voisen
having W Clement Stone play into the picture. You were telling me, you wrote a letter and you got invited to go to Chicago. And I think this is a fascinating story for the listeners.

Don Green
Yeah. And if you come here to show you some time, I'll show you the letter he sent me he sent me and I framed it. But I spoke to historical society in town, Virginia, which is within five miles of where he was born. And what I thought of two things that stands out one, they didn't pay me and they paid me. But they're about 20 people and they didn't know who basically didn't know who Napoleon Hill was. So it's about a 15 minute drive. So when I got back home at night, I took a pan off my kids not staying and I wrote a letter to the to the foundation. They weren't Northbrook, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, I think. And I told him what I was doing. And now I have to tell him I was a bank president I didn't really know. But I was chairman, the board of the local nonprofit hospital, President Chamber of Commerce, on the border, the banks are doing all kinds of I had plenty of things to do. But they answered my letter and invited me to a board meeting. And this is where I say is and we got a quote from Napoleon says, if your shields don't come in, maybe you didn't send one out? Yeah. Well, I'll say is it an art at all? All they went out and said You want him? It's for each frameable. But they invited me and I went and I was anxious to meet Mr. Stone. The fact is, we don't have a lot of flats. So I probably got at least a couple of hours or so. Or maybe more. But I knew who I was meeting. And I would watch it for him and he traveled usually with two people. I think it was a helper and a nurse. But they are even back then. But he had that little mustache. Yeah. And members, gold cufflinks. And I'm so anxious to meet him that I wait till he sat down before I did it because I want to sit next to him to make sure I heard

Greg Voisen
for my listeners, if they don't know and they can look him up. He was the founder of a combined insurance company. And they used to have a sales force people that went out across the United States selling supplemental policies. It first started because I've read the story about him when there was a car accident and it was an and his mother was involved as well in the whole thing. But you know, this book, Napoleon Hills secret is really a combination. You know, Don Green has been the executive director for how many years now done 43rd Year 23 years. And he's been so ingrained in all of this content, that this particular book that I'm holding up here, and I want all my listeners to see it is the book that if you're going to get any book, get this book, really I mean, this is my plug for this. And the reason is, is because as I was going through it, I was really realizing that Dawn has put in the entire teachings if you've never written if you've never read Think and Grow Rich, obviously that's one of the books you should get. You can get it from the foundation as well. But there's so many books about Napoleon Hill's teachings. Why did you write this book and why do you believe that the secret is so important for people to understand or I shouldn't say that secrets? This says a secret but there there's probably more than one.

Don Green
Well, yeah, I guess I guess there really are. What I thought is important because you know going back when I did the 37th edition of thinking Grow Rich a lot of copies that they can reach out to her and I told her attorney I will go into thick and rich I would take his personal copy, not t 37 First Edition and say print this exactly. I don't want it edited and warranty added to it. I won't if you look up his first edition Oh page 111, you look up my new book on 111 that we're gonna print, it'll be exactly the same. And I even had him redesigned to cover. When the book comes out initially, it had up at the top for men and women who resent poverty. So we get so many questions of why he wrote the book. And people and people says, It's not about money. Well, it is about money because it's during the Depression. He said, he wrote the book, for the May is a men and women who are living in poverty and in fear of poverty. Which is, which is which is tough situation to be in, but a lot of people will never, never escape it. So that's what he was trying to do was to get them to do it. So we went back and printed a saying book, the cover looks as much like as good. But we added that statement that was on original copies for men and women who resent zip poverty. But in his book that Greg in his book Thinking Grow Rich, the word action effect is as my work and title use an action to achieve success. And then we played around with the human X, who owned Kate Newsmax cable, and Uzbeks magazine, they the printer, and they said it was it they um, that was so excited about it. They thought what I was talking about was Napoleon Hill sacred, which is action. You know, usually people will say that the best ideas in world but ideas in himself were absolutely worthless. If you wouldn't take the action, do it, you know, you can think Oh, you want to, but they can do it either. It says thinker, rich. But there's also there's also it's stamps to riches. You know what he says? What do you want? Next one is What do you plan to give to entitle, you'd watch a wall, that seems people want to skip that they know they won't a lot of money, they want this or they won't that. But you know, no matter what it is you want to accomplish it. For example, if you're a little boy comes along, and he's 10 or 1214 years or longer, and he wants to be a doctor, he's got to start making plans for it. He can't just keep thinking about a doctor. He's got to finish school, he’s got to make decent grades. He's got to take biology in the sciences, whatever you want. That's the plan. Again, you see execution or the action. And, and so many people and what I know what holds them back is fear. Basically, it's fear of criticism, said, Greg, what do you think you mean, you have your mind? Are you crazy, you don't know about putting a magazine together, just forget it. Your people are gonna make fun of you, you're gonna fail, and then you're gonna look like an idiot. And so you listen to those people and you you're kind of looking behind your seat who's watching you, you know,

Greg Voisen
it's a lot on about a PMA positive mental attitude. And it's also a lot in your chapter called dreaming big and small. You speak about the power of imagination. And you know, they're probably and I think I've told you this before, when I was seven years old, I got to meet Walt Disney. And to me that was like, there was a person who, honestly, you know, I didn't get to spend much time with him is very short. I got to shake his hand and say hi. But I was so taken by what he had created the world he had created through this imagination. You said Imagination is a skill. A lot of people don't think that. It's like driving a car and learning multiplication. You said in the book, what is the secret to developing both our synthetic and creative imaginations? If you as you said it in the book?

Don Green
Well, we did a did an interview last night on imagination. And of course, most, all of the most all of the things come about as synthetic imagination No, we're simply taking something and improving on it, making it better, making it more accessible making it cheaper or making it last longer or deputation to it and of course the creative is taking something other of all innocence envisions the photographs the only one that could be actually labeled as creative because nothing like it ever exists. And he had this imagination of and it can be done and he drew the plans out on enveloped and told to God you do this you do this you do this it worked the first time I tried it and it was but he even like synthetic because he already knew that electricity put to a wire heat would go trouble I was gonna just go and didn't last. So here's only any and he understood that if you put something in a vacuum we removed it, it was already a vacuum to remove them oxygen practically 100% that it would slow down to the burning rate

Greg Voisen
that fell on that what the filament wouldn't burn out.

Don Green
He tried string she tried bamboo he tried to ever kind of metal you can think of before he come up with a filament that would burn for hours and costs basically lit up the world with that one thing with that with that one thing, it basically lit up the world. And well, I

Greg Voisen
think Nikola Tesla as well, you know, I mean, you look at Edison, you look at Tesla, you look at all these, these great inventors that we can point out. And in the end, you know, Tesla died penniless, and in a hotel somewhere. And I think it was mainly because of the competition. Now you've got a car called a Tesla. Who would have ever thought and now you know, the actually we this thing that we carry around that everybody carries around, it probably wouldn't be if it hadn't been for Tesla. And I think some of those imaginations and you say fire up imagination and envision this everywhere that you go you meet people who respond to you with enthusiasm. And I think this is a key, you said just a second ago, go do this, go do that. All these people that come into your life. They're important. And it's important to treat them right? And then what can our listeners do to create what Hill termed a pleasing personality? Speak with us about how we've inhibited ourselves so that we can be like, have this great pleasing personality so that people around us would be magnetized to us?

Don Green
Yeah. So Greg, it is extremely important that we develop that. And I think it's starts off with of course, with a positive mental attitude. And, and, and with a desire to help others and follow up at the same time. You can't have imagination. If you have negative feelings, no words, you need to be at peace with yourself. You can't sit here and despise your competitors. espouse you're, and then but then says, Yeah, I want to be great. I think you've got to have you got to have an open mind. Kind of like a kind of like a small child. And of course at what then happens if we had the imagination of a child is it will be unbelievable. Yeah, it would be financed parents, they tend to over protect. The kid comes up to you says toil very rules. I've been reading this book about so and so went to Harvard. I like to go to Harvard. Are you gonna tell the kid are you crazy? You know how much it goes to Harvard? We don't have that kind of money in the dream basically dials in the kid and said, we should say to the kid was you really want to go to heart? Yeah, I want to go to the heart rest of our soul. And so when I want to go to Harvard, and he said that now a job is how can we get you to Harvard, and start? Well, and

Greg Voisen
I think you mentioned something earlier, Don, I think frequently that is because of the fear that the parents might hold. In other words, the fear that they might not be able to afford it, whatever fears they're talking about. And I was listening to a story last night that was so compelling. NASA had a contest for fourth graders, in this fourth grader in our town, just adjacent to me, have this whole thing drawn out. And there was a guy from NASA sitting on the floor with him. And whoever wins the competition gets to go to NASA, they get to actually go and take a tour. And this young man is in contention. But you should have heard him done. You should have heard him talking about how you would make the spacecraft and it would drill a hole in this ice thing. And they literally could get out and he's going to explore a new planet. And I was sitting there and just in awe of a fourth grader, right? Who had all these drawings, they were all laid out on the floor. Talk about imagination, right?

Don Green
Greg as I've used an example, in fact is it kind of goes back to banking buddy involvement, you can take an elementary, and I helped a young lady to school and a related couple of divorces and I have to get through college, she could kindergarten she loves small kids. Now you can be a real creative as a teacher, you can get a bunch of Play Doh, and you can you can make apples and fruits and bananas and low dogs and cat animals and so forth name kids, you can hold her attention. But if you really want to get them involved, you go round each one of them today is to give them a hand and flow do let them work on it and let your imagination form and that's how they do it they got to happen they got to have an involvement. They will get bored listen to for a while, but if you involve them in that thing, and ask them if they can come up with they will. They will surprise you. And they will some of the lesson like learning but in banking. We had to do a budget and banking and So Greg would be my loan officer. And I'd say, I'd tell Greg, Greg, I expect you to increase our standing by $5 million. By the end of this this quarter. Greg's probably having 10 said, yeah, he's guys getting a big salary. Let Go ahead, go ahead and do it. But if I asked Greg, Greg, you're in charge of the loan house standing alone now. And we're doing well, how much do you think we could increase the loan outstanding? Nine times out of 10, Greg will give me a better number than happy now Greg is a part of it. He's, I'm not dictating to him, Greg is part of it. And he wants to be a part of the team and he wants to get results. I don't know why that's hard to teach or whatever. But you're not much of a leader. If you go around, say you're gonna do this or do this, you're gonna do this. You're what it is. You can't stand over and watch them. They're gonna You can be walking. But yeah, he's making a big shout out and go ahead, you thinking do it. Go ahead. But

Greg Voisen
I think I think Don Robert Greenleaf, who would talk the Greenleaf methods of leadership goes way back, you, I'm certainly you know, him. But you know, most leaders, and it still happens today, I see it, they believe everybody works for them. The reality is you inverse the model. And you're working for them, just what you're saying, you're basically saying, hey, what can I do to help and serve you? Meaning Greg, in this example, that you were using right there. And, you know, you speak about in the book, who's in charge of your life, and this is a great example, what we were just talking about, you state that until we can make sure we're choosing what must be done and when to do it, that we are going to have a hard time reaching our goals. Now, a much of what he'll talked about was aims and goals and how to reach them, and so on, speak with the listeners about what he'll call the power of personal initiative. Because this is a very important element. I mean, when you say the secret or secret. The if, if you are 100%, responsible for where you are today, nobody else, just like you, you wrote a letter to W Clement Stone, and you took the action. Write it, you had the initiative, you said, this is my personal initiative, I'm gonna write this letter. And nothing happens unless you take that initiative. So talk about that.

Don Green
It's very important. And I could I'll use will I'll use one out loud, but it simply means seeing something that needs to be done and to go and do it. That would be untold that I've received the Sam Walton award one year. And that's the only award I ever question. Well, he did it because they're an Oregon, so we're in a little town. And so I actually got to touch with him. I got to Sam Walton, business ward. And it was for community service. I got to Sam Walton book, I got a Sam Walton Walmart cap. And, of course, being a Walmart stockholder, but they hadn't moved me get new ward. So I asked him and say it was do the work that I did the nominations I got coming in. But Sam told us stories, he liked to visit all of his stores, and he visit one of his stores and he's with the manager, and there was some junk or something other trash around where you go out to checkout and he told the manager, he said, that needs to be cleaned up. And he said, all we gotta got does that he'll come by for a while and clean it up. Say I'm just turned around and walked towards the back and asked him for a broom and employ for a broom and a little for and Sam goes and does it itself. Now do you think he talked that guy listening personal initiative, if that guy's IQ was as high as 40, he should have known that way when something needs to be done, I don't need to wait till somebody comes to mind, it needs to go ahead and be done be done. It separates of people that are average. And those people that rank way above average is seeing something you know that that needs to be done and go ahead and go in and do it and without being told. And of course, the old says was they stupid kind of people that will never make it. One of them won't do what you're told me. And the other group won't mail for much as can only do what they are told. And so we have to separate ourselves from that. And it's not it's not

Greg Voisen
I think, I think Don it's also seeing what needs to be done. In other words, being aware that that pile of dirt or whatever it was, was there and making sure that it was cleaned up every day ahead of time, whatever it is, but again, I have seen many times in various establishments, and I'm not gonna mention any names. But you know, it's like the workforce misses the most apparent things. And then sometimes I do bring it to their attention, right? I say, hey, you need to, there's something wrong over here. Um, you guys should get it fixed, or you should do something about it. But I don't know, when you instill this behavior, let's call it a behavior, let's call it something that I stand for a value, which would be cleanliness, right, in this case with the, with Walmart to actually have that, and, and that's the personal initiative we're talking about with it that people need to get right.

Don Green
Absolutely. It will, it will get you promoted. Think of the theory of compensation. Ralph Waldo Emerson, who was one of the people that he'll read. And he said, that if you do, if you do that, if you're a decent person, hey, Steve, you're doing more than what you was actually required of you, that your employer will recognize you. And if not, some other employer will recognize I've only applied for one job and my love one job. And it was in finance, it was in the finance industry. $1.50 an hour, but they call me hotshot, I worked my butt off. And they furnished us with books and courses in economics and marketing for which we didn't have to pay for which I thought was absolutely wonderful. And I just knew good as anything. And I have a letter somewhere another one time from with a finance company, that I was our youngest manager district. And as they call me hotshot, because it because it basically I wasn't smartest person on the planet. But I had initiative and could see things that need to be done. And they call it creativity, or whatever. But just seeing with your vision of what can be done, what's possible, and make an application of it and it will play rewatch it may take a while, may not.

Greg Voisen
But well. I mean, one thing I know about you from the time that I've known you is that there isn't anybody that could read as many books as you do and do all the work that you've done without being curious. And I think there's something to be said for having a curious mind and turning that curiosity into a purpose, and then adding goals to that purpose, to achieve something because it's okay to be curious, it's okay to have many different interests. But then if you if your purpose is around something, and you define it, and you come up with these goals, and then you come up with the interim goals, meaning the proximal goals, that's important. And I want to ask you this question about the analogy of physical fitness. And you talked about in the book, all the magazines that promise that will improve our physical fitness, right? Well, there isn't, there isn't one magazine that's going to improve my physical fitness is going to be me that's going to take action. To do that, I know that you then ask the reader to question their mental fitness. And I think that's where I'm going with this question of like, who's in charge, speak with the listeners about mental fitness and the principle of concentration. Because, you know, focus, focus is free. And you know, that when you concentrate, and you get focused, and you get laser focused, that's when you accomplish something. But oftentimes, you have to explore the curiosity of what's out there to find the thing you love. Right? In other words, what is this one thing I love? We often know, and I don't know about your situation, but, you know, I have two children that are now in their 40s. And they've tried many of them many different things. And then when they found that one thing, boy did I see huge acceleration, right? They got extremely focused and did really well at it. And I don't think there's anything wrong with that. What do you think?

Don Green
No, I don't either. I mean, we learn by doing well, sometimes I know I have I learned more sometimes when things didn't work. Then when they when they did, we learn lessons? And the I think the trouble Greg is when people so called fail at some no they quit, but you have to learn to life IT failures as lessons, it doesn't mean that you've been defeated, it means this didn't work. We've got to try no different approach. Now if you and I was gonna leave Virginia and go to Florida, we would know that we go we're gonna be traveling south. But if we've gone down Interstate 26, and we get down going through Tennessee or North Carolina, during snowstorm, sometimes that roads blocked, and I can remember when it used to be a long time it would be for days it where they could clear it so my baby slides and, and whatever, but we were not going to clear it. We simply turn around and go and take an alternate route. And I think so many times people have said, you’ve not you've not failed until you quit. And you have to look at it. I wish I could take some lessons you don't have time to listen to. Do I mean I remember when one will sell an art? I got really good up, oh, and sell Norte and I went to this big auction. And I got about 10 or 12 Russian paintings which it was a guy that did a movie set for war and peace. And I've done really well with money later money. I just don't think it was the theater Merlin's the only Kenyans they serve you wine cheese, people dress fancy and so forth. No, my name is Anna booth and got them pictures now. And then things start sell some of them so for less than what I paid for. And I said, Don, are you stupid or what all I had done was put a minimum price. And if it didn't sell, I'd say my pay it back. But it was a process. But I didn't quit. The next time I shipped some off, I had to determine what I wanted for the minimum price or didn't sale. But, you know, I didn't quit it never come up before. Things always bought more than what I imagined. And I said to him, he sold himself through Sotheby's. And I just loved the process because I was giving the money away. It wasn't a money thing. It just a process of doing it but didn't have one I did that one is and I said, Why don't you look stupid, but I didn't let it bother me. I thought it's kind of funny. I didn't lose my shirt or nothing. But I didn't get the money that I thought I would just pay to get an old, some old but but anyway, it was lesson learned.

Greg Voisen
But it's experience. You know, I think a lot of these things you have to do to get as what's termed many times, there's emotional intelligence, it's actually experiential intelligence. And you know, you're somebody at like, me, I'm going to be 69 and a few months. You you learn from experience and wisdom comes when you get older, and you've had these experiences. And you know, you have this chapter on creating harmony. And I think this is a great segue to this, and you speak about the importance of cooperation. You know, I think early in our lives, a lot of times ego takes over. But as we age, we realize how important cooperation is, and a cooperating attitude. You mentioned that it's not something that can be turned off and on, it's something that we must maintain, has to be maintained. And I agree with you on that. 100%. How would you invite the listeners to inspire personality and a mindset of cooperation? Because, you know, you you said it earlier, 10 minutes ago, I can't look bad at the competition. You can't, you know, look at these people and say, Oh, well, they're doing better. And I'm going to do something to you know, get back at them or whatever it might be. That's not the way the world works. It never was and never well, right.

Don Green
No, absolutely. I have a I have a young gentleman who set this thing up this program for for us and he's 26 years old. He's been here 12 years, I hardier many eighth grade. I started at $10 an hour, 20 hours a week, eighth grade. Now, mind you, because I knew his mother taught computer science and his sister had worked with me for six years three in high school during college was a pharmacist. And both of them were kids of an underground coal miner. And he would tell him on pot can I work for Don CeCe work for Don Whatcom I work for? I said, I said, I can't work until these 14 week he turns 14, get a work permit? And and so they told me so would you give Zane some lessons on finance? What do you have time and said he don't really have any don't really have anybody. And so I told him, I remember the first day, I said Zane cooperation is one of the things we work with. We got all these foreign publishers, they keep development. And they want to last in the books most time for as little amount of advance and we get advance on everybody. Because we don't know where they're going for him or not. We can't run over and check all the books and so forth. So we demand a advance on every book that we sell. And I said they of course I want to pay as little as they can. We want as much as we can. But what I want you to know is we have to cooperate and consider where they're coming from, what country what our economy is, and so forth. And now said, just remember 50% of something is better than all of nothing.

Greg Voisen
That's that's, there's a statement you made because part of the pie is better than the whole pie if that's what you're gonna give as what we used to say. And if you have enough of those, let's just call them deals going like you do with various publishers and things. That all adds up in the end. And that's what you have to look at is you know, we have to cooperate to get anything done in this world. I wish that some of our governments today we're doing a better job at co While operating, that would be a really nice thing to see. But you know, to switch the gear a little bit, you have this part in the book that Napoleon Hill said, time and money are precious resources, but few people striving for success, ever believe they possess either one and access time or money. And I know one thing that's extremely precious to guys like you and I, is we start to as you age, look at time. We know our finitude at some point is coming, we're not going to be on this in this physical earth forever. And we try and do as much as we can to optimize that amount of time that we're spending and do it in the right way. I know I have a nonprofit that gives money to Ukraine and gives money to it was out this weekend handing out gift cards to the homeless. You know, that nonprofit of mine is the whole reason I do this show. I literally and my listeners know that. I walk around and I find homeless people and I ask them their story and interview him and I put them on a video. And I think that time is very time well spent. And you speak with the listeners if you would about managing resources. And you say there's three styles of approach to managing resources you call it in the book, you said, engineers, improvisers, and theorists. And I thought that that's a really great way to categorize people that are trying to manage resources. And when I say resources, we're talking about time and money, because those are probably the most important resources you have. So talk with our listeners about that if you have done well,

Don Green
all of them are important. And we can, we can call it creating a legacy in different manners. I don't I don't have Bill Gates's money, or Elon Musk is money. But I do have some things that I can offer the lessons that I've learned a lot. Today I'm having lunch with one of the students and a professor, one of the students wanted to meet me, she had took an art course. And she wanted to be able to go make presentations to the, to the local high school classes and so forth, about the importance of the material that she had learned. And she wanted to meet with me and have conversations. So there's a lot of ways we could contribute. And you mentioned you craning and when you get through, you could send me up send me a link or something or takes away it is I love what Ukraine effect is. We have lost the book in Ukraine just recently.

Greg Voisen
Do you? Do you have books in you in Ukraine?

Don Green
Oh, yeah. I've just lost them now. Witness? We've done sir. Oh,

Greg Voisen
God. Thank God, I praise you. Thank you for doing that. How many do you have over there now?

Don Green
I could I'd have to look at the LF look and see how many how many. We get one for new cars. We've got about 500 publishers. But we Lawson's in Belarus. Estonia am like Macedonia, you aren't so much like Macedonia, country, but it's the old Greg it's the oldest country in the world. And I'm not thought not not gonna teach the Bible. But in Corinthians, Paul, after crosses crucified, he had a call to go to Macedonia, and and to evangelize, and probably no doubt spread Christianity to I don't think we'd have Christianity exists today without Paul. But people come and visit me. Now, I'm not going to make a lot of money from Macedonia. But I think I'm doing a service. And when that when that book comes in, and that's what you see on the shelves, there are all foreign books, we got a sampling of different countries, because we asked for to, I still get a thrill out of getting a book from Macedonia or Ukraine or somewhere. And the only thing I can tell I open it up. And it's got our copyright name, and I'm sure it should have. And our attorney asked for our copyright to be shown in front of the book. And he Oh, we got chicken if it got copyrighted. And you don't pull me away I just get boxes get for i

Greg Voisen
It's interesting. You say that because I'm working on an initiative and I'll talk to you about it later. But real quickly, we know that all of Ukraine is going to have to be rebuilt afterwards. And all these small business people who are really want to start working to do that. And I'm working with a man in Poland. Now. That's how my money gets filtered. I'm buying bicycles for the kids that literally are displaced from Ukraine. And they ended up in apartments in Poland, and but they come with nothing. And so I've made a great contact in Poland. I've known this man from very long, and he's buying bicycles and things for the kids. And the important thing is is that you know, They were trying to do something to impact someone else's life. And I want to go back to this because people out there have time and they have money. And you can, you know, I just gave money to the Mercy Ships, because I think they're doing good work. There's a lot of charities we can give money to, but we also can give time. And I think the most important thing, one of the precious resources was, you know, because you've been a executive director of your own found of the Napoleon Hill Foundation. But you've also done other charitable work is, you know, they call it time, talent and treasure, right. We always say that, and I think it is time is one of the most precious resources you have, but it's also one of the most precious resources you can give. Right?

Don Green
Absolutely, absolutely. I mean, for example, my mother lived to be in her nannies grew up during the Depression. And, and they we ate well, but she lived alone for about 15 years. My dad was an underground coal miner and crippled up, she lived alone. But she didn't just hop up. She finished her nursing homes, and that she was always helping someone. They had a sewing club, that they made quilts and things they raised money to send for foreign missions. And she was a lot of he had a schedule of visiting a nursing home and she was still driving, which is 90 or 90 years old. Wow. But she had the she had to she had to Tom and for example, I know. She had a neighbor that worked in the mines and he got injured, he got on opiates. Then he sold them and they got him. He served I believe 80 months. The neighbors mom thought was shun him cause the gun he's passed away. He's gone. But But Charlotte, what did she do? she bakes a cake and texted him she know what kind of cake she is. She took her cheek took a cake. And and of course mama did 6am And he said Miss greets and now we can I could do make it without you. And she said in she told him she told him never if you won't see me again said you're gonna have to get on your knees and ask forgiveness. And she and she talked to him just like she would want her children. And she did she did those things in and one time she was probably 85 My younger brother was in business a Winchester and he came in we went out in summertime we sat on the porch and she said well I got till you boys together said I've been thinking about getting a new car and my younger brother said wow Bob said Blomstedt at one you got what he said last year and I said Mom You got domains I said what do you want get a new car will want I gots kind of little and I thought if I got a station wagon I can take more people to church.

Greg Voisen
Now you go that's a wonderful

Don Green
vehicle and

Greg Voisen
and we should get her a van you need to get her a man right? She could

Don Green
she could take a few more before she can get her get her get her record forget.

Greg Voisen
We do live in a world where there is this need for compassion right now and understanding and you know, I was listening to the story about the devastation that tornado tornadoes and Mississippi here all these people's houses are ripped up and yet there's a lady walking through the piles and it says on her shirt because they this was on national news last night. Something barbecue BBQ. And so literally she fed 400 people the first night 400 people the next morning, 600 people the following afternoon and she was out. Actually talking to the people in the piles of the rubble saying barbecue, we're gonna we're gonna have a big barbecue over here, we're gonna feed you right. So here this person is from, I think she was part of a church or an organization they didn't actually say but the shirt was a big red shirt and said something about barbecue and I was like, this is just fantastic to see people come together in time of need and help other people out just like you see going on and Ukraine and so on. And on you know, your book here, this book, everybody go out and get this and you know what, get more than one copy because you can give this away. This is a book that you really should give away as a as a gift to somebody to read. And I'm sure if you go to the Polian Hill website and I can't sit make for certain, but Don autograph this copy, and I'm certain that my listeners he wouldn't be opposed to autographing a copy for him and getting it out to you if you bought it through the found nation the book is filled with sage advice obviously wisdom for anyone wanting to live a fulfilled life. That's what this is about but there but I always ask my authors at the end with three bits of advice we do believe listeners with that they could apply to their life today that would change something for them or an improve something for them one on to their personal success and to on a mental level of them feeling more fulfilled and more purposeful in their life about what's going on. Because that's the bottom line all this right.

Don Green
Yeah Greg Yandina book with Jim so Wallach off the hook. It was leaving a legacy and I think they got that wrong and you're you're a perfect example that we always said well he left a legacy he left a legacy What's the matter you can't live one I want to see some good if it's happening while I'm here. Send the kids to school and a different things are gonna do I don't want to put down leave the money and say well let's go so the history schools that walking while I'm still here, we're gonna we always equated to you talked about heaven. But to the degree that you do is you know, those stories a little boy stolen starfishes back and and water on the bed? Did Sunday's millions of them said you can't save them all. He said it matters when one's out throw back. So no, we can't we can't help all those people in Chrome and Ukraine. But the little kid gets a bicycle. You made a difference in his life. So yeah, one time one time one time one and we all look at that thing is not thinking, you know, the poem says we should plant trees, under whose shade we'll never enjoy, where to do things today that for those that follow us, and I had a I had a wise mentor lived to be 96. He was chasseur to college. And he was on my bike board. And we had offices up in Harrisonburg, Pennsylvania places and one of the trustees had a plane and he plowed the guys. Dock I call him. He didn't he didn't like to fly. So that time was with me was just so valuable. Of course, my wife always said a shared recording. Well, it's kind of hard to record some of your driving. But remember, in one of the things he said, Don, he said, I like to add it what you're giving money to for the kids. He said a lot of people want to remain put on a building. But he said you know how the college are now he's Chancellor, he's got to charge. He said, they'll put your name on a building. And if you're dead, somebody else comes along, they'll take your name off, and for some money, they'll put somebody else's name on it. But he said that what you give to those kids, it goes into their minds, and they can pass it along to ones that follow them. It makes all the difference in the world. So I've don't crave to have my name splashed around over to I have enough regulations while I've been here, but I don't crave something like that. But to know that I feel hundreds and hundreds of kids go to school. And then a guy did a book on me he interviewed 101 people. And Zane my sister said to her what were students. And it was not a book to be sold. It's just a book he composed. And it was a it was a wonderful book of advice from 101 different people. I never told him who to interviewed you almost say done for you as

Greg Voisen
well, you know what I do? I think I'll put this up at the blog, you'll download, I got a magazine article that came out about Don. And this isn't just about the accolades for Don's folks. But this is about the man that we're speaking with here on the Zoom call and all for all of you listening on audio, the recognition that the university and the Napoleon Hill Foundation a gave to the University of Virginia, and then mount of proceeds that you've given for scholarships is just amazing. And I just want to commend you, Don, for the work that you've done at Napoleon Hill. And also the gifts you've given to the university in the way so that you can educate more kids. And I love what you said, because you know, you can you can lead a man to water but you can't make him drink, right. And but you want to teach somebody how to fish. And so the point is, is that you're a great teacher, and this book is got all the lessons in it that people really need to know they don't need to go much further and you can get it both from the Knaphill website. You can also get it from Amazon obviously. Whatever you do, get it get yourself more than one copy here but it's a buy a copy for you and buy one for your best friend and give it to your best friend. Don it's been an honor and a pleasure having you on inside personal growth again, it always is. And this time we're doing it with the video. So this will be up on YouTube for all my listeners, they know where the channel is. And any parting words?

Don Green
Mr. Hill? Yeah, we will, we will put it out. But you know, I absolutely love what I'm doing. And we don't discuss my age, but I've had my 82nd birthday. So I absolutely love what I'm doing. I was murdered 54 years of my wife's advice to my only child, my daughter said, Don't let your daddy quit work, he wouldn't live 15 minutes. And I said, I'll come make it a week, probably.

Greg Voisen
You're like me? I mean, people have asked me when I'm gonna retire. And I'm like, I'm not because I don't have intentions of that. As long as I can be of service and continue to do what I do. That's what I do. And I think that's important. And I, you know, money isn't everything. But it is important for you while you're growing yourself and raising your family to make certain and Donald say this, he was a banker. And I look at, you know, Silicon Valley Bank and these banks that have faltered, there's nothing wrong with our banking system. There's nothing wrong with our monetary system. The only thing that's wrong is that people don't save enough. Okay, in other words, put enough away so that they can have a comfortable retirement, and this is me speaking, but at the same time, do good with that money. Do do something positive with that money. Open up your own foundation, like I haven't had it since the 90s. But actually do something where you can make an impact in the world and Don, Don Green is a perfect example that somebody who's doing good every day. He's got the kindest heart. And, again, go get this book one of 39 Okay, so, Don Greene, thank you so much for being on inside personal growth.

Don Green
Thank you, Greg. Good. Sometime another we'll discuss it. I wrote a book, not just promoted called millionaire mindset. There was 100,000 book, it's only for uses of money, only for uses of money. And people just don't get it. They just don't get it. Why is that and this reporting, so people will plan their vacation, he'll say, I'm targeted Beach, let's call them out. I thought you liked the beach. They'll plan from 111 vacations and Nixon before decide where they're gonna go and where they're gonna rent a condo or where they're gonna stay at Hilton or whatever. And, and Elon even proposed all this stuff is, but why don't they prepare for their love? Right? Real good. 120 years ago, I think he said, it's not that people were planning to fail. They simply failed to plan,

Greg Voisen
right. And now that we're all living longer, you actually can run out of money. So you might want to start putting way more earlier than ever before. But this isn't a show on finance, but it kind of is on finance because Napoleon Hills spoke a lot about all of these things that we're discussing. And the foundation if you go to the foundation, Knaphill dot o RG, you're going to find courses, you're going to find content, you're gonna find books, you're going to find all these things that would definitely make an impact on your life for the positive and make you make your life more rewarding and fulfilling. Thank you Don green for being on inside personal growth

Don Green
Was my pleasure. I just love doing it and maybe again for too long.

Greg Voisen
We will.