W. Clement Stone (1902–2002) was an American insurance salesman who turned positive-thinking self-help and philanthropist. A self-made billionaire and a political financier as well, he helped fund President Richard Nixon’s Watergate tactics.
Stone was born in Chicago, Illinois; his father died when he was just three, leaving the family penniless. At six, Stone hawked the Chicago Examiner around the streets to help his family pay rent. By 13, he owned a busy newsstand and, by 16, he had saved enough money to move to Detroit, where his mother was working as an insurance agent. He joined her firm and sold low-cost accident and life insurance policies door-to-door. He also became an aficionado of the inspirational writings of Norman Vincent Peale.
Stone became a successful insurance salesman and established a national network of sales associates. He found poorly educated people anxious to better themselves, made them practice a simple sales pitch, and sent them all over America. He built his own company, the Combined Insurance Co. (now part of Aon Corp.)
As the insurance business boomed, Stone turned to preach his philosophy of success to a broader world and started a “Science of Success” course. Advocating what he called “PMA,” Positive Mental Attitude, he founded the monthly magazine Success Unlimited and published several inspirational books such as Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude (1960; with Napoleon Hill,) and his autobiographical Success System That Never Fails (1962.)
An evangelical Christian, he donated enormous sums to the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of America and a range of national educational projects. His political contributions to the 1972 Nixon’s re-election campaign and his prior donation to the 1968 Nixon campaign were cited in Congressional debates after Nixon’s Watergate scandal as a justification for establishing campaign-spending limits.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by W. Clement Stone
To every disadvantage there is a corresponding advantage.
—W. Clement Stone
Topics: Optimism, Silver Linings, Blessings, Adversity, Mindsets, Positive Attitudes, Difficulties
Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.
—W. Clement Stone
Topics: Courage, Bravery
We have a problem. “Congratulations.” But it’s a tough problem. “Then double congratulations.”
—W. Clement Stone
Topics: Optimism, Positive Attitudes, Worry, Mindsets
To be happy, make other people happy.
—W. Clement Stone
You affect your subconscious mind by verbal repetition.
—W. Clement Stone
Truth will always be truth, regardless of lack of understanding, disbelief or ignorance.
—W. Clement Stone
Topics: Truth
Bondage is… subjection to external influences and internal negative thoughts and attitudes.
—W. Clement Stone
Topics: Freedom
If you are really thankful, what do you do? You share.
—W. Clement Stone
To solve a problem or to reach a goal, you don’t need to know all the answers in advance. But you must have a clear idea of the problem or the goal you want to reach.
—W. Clement Stone
Topics: Goals, Ideas
When you do the wrong thing, knowing it is wrong, you do so because you haven’t developed the habit of effectively controlling or neutralizing strong inner urges that tempt you, or because you have established the wrong habit and don’t know how to eliminate them effectively.
—W. Clement Stone
Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star.
—W. Clement Stone
You can always do what you want to do. This is true with every act. You may say that you had to do something, or that you were forced to, but actually, whatever you do, you do by choice. Only you have the power to choose for yourself.
—W. Clement Stone
When we direct our thoughts properly, we can control our emotions…
—W. Clement Stone
Topics: Self-Control
Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement.
—W. Clement Stone
Everyone who achieves success in a great venture, solves each problem as they came to it. They helped themselves. And they were helped through powers known and unknown to them at the time they set out on their voyage. They keep going regardless of the obstacles they met.
—W. Clement Stone
Topics: Obstacles, Difficulty
So many fail because they don’t get started — they don’t go. They don’t overcome inertia. They don’t begin.
—W. Clement Stone
Topics: Failure, Action
If there is something to gain and nothing to lose by asking, by all means ask!
—W. Clement Stone
Topics: Questions
Sales are contingent upon the attitude of the salesman — not the attitude of the prospect.
—W. Clement Stone
Topics: Shopping
No matter how carefully you plan your goals they will never be more than pipe dreams unless you pursue them with gusto.
—W. Clement Stone
Topics: Bravery, Courage
Tell everyone what you want to do and someone will want to help you do it.
—W. Clement Stone
Topics: Cooperation
I think there is something, more important than believing: Action! The world is full of dreamers, there aren’t enough who will move ahead and begin to take concrete steps to actualize their vision.
—W. Clement Stone
Topics: Action, Vision
Keep your mind on your objective, and persist until you succeed. Study, think and plan.
—W. Clement Stone
Your most precious, valued possessions and your greatest powers are invisible and intangible. No one can take them. You, and you lone, can give them. You will receive abundance for your giving
—W. Clement Stone
When life hands you a lemon, squeeze it and make lemonade.
—W. Clement Stone
Topics: Life
There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. That little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.
—W. Clement Stone
Thinking will not overcome fear but action will.
—W. Clement Stone
Topics: Action, Thinking
If you employed study, thinking, and planning time daily, you could develop and use the power that can change the course of your destiny.
—W. Clement Stone
Topics: Planning
Self-suggestion makes you master of yourself.
—W. Clement Stone
Topics: Confidence, Self-talk
All I want to do is change the world.
—W. Clement Stone
You, too, can determine what you want. You can decide on your major objectives, targets, aims and destination.
—W. Clement Stone
Topics: Goals, Government
You are a product of your environment. So choose the environment that will best develop you toward your objective. Analyze your life in terms of its environment. Are the things around you helping you toward success — or are they holding you back?
—W. Clement Stone
When thinking won’t cure fear, action will.
—W. Clement Stone
Topics: Anxiety, Fear
Try, try, try, and keep on trying is the rule that must be followed to become an expert in anything.
—W. Clement Stone
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
Bill Gates American Businessperson
Jack Welch American Businessperson
Ted Turner American Businessperson
Robert Kiyosaki American Businessperson
Michael Dell American Businessperson
Andrew Grove Hungarian-born American Businessperson
John D. Rockefeller American Industrialist, Philanthropist
Jeffrey Immelt American Businessperson
Lee Iacocca American Businessperson
Anne M. Mulcahy American Businessperson