He was six years old, selling newspapers on the streets of Chicago, when his mother told him to always think positively.
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Who W. Clement Stone was
W. Clement Stone built Combined Insurance Company of America into a multibillion-dollar enterprise and became a major philanthropist. He co-wrote Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude with Napoleon Hill.
The struggle
Stone was born in 1902 in Chicago. His father died when he was three, leaving the family destitute. At six he began selling newspapers to help his mother. She encouraged him to maintain a “positive mental attitude” no matter how hard things were.
He left school at thirteen to work full-time. He sold newspapers, then insurance policies. By sixteen he had his own agency. By twenty he was a successful insurance salesman in Detroit.
He had no formal education, no wealthy connections, and no safety net. He had a system and an attitude.
The turning point
In 1919 Stone borrowed $100 and started Combined Insurance in Chicago. He trained agents to sell with enthusiasm and persistence. He believed that attitude was a skill you could practise.
The company grew through the Great Depression and beyond. Stone became a philanthropist, funding civic programs, youth organisations, and the Napoleon Hill Foundation. He gave away hundreds of millions of dollars.
“There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude.”
The principle
Your mindset is not decoration. It is a working tool. Stone’s “positive mental attitude” was not wishful thinking. It was the discipline to keep moving forward when circumstances were negative.
Apply it today
You cannot always control what happens to you. You can control your next action and your next thought. When facing rejection or difficulty, ask: what is the useful response? Then act on it.
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