If My Mind Can Conceive It and My Heart Can Believe It, Then I Know I Can Achieve It

Jesse Jackson? Napoleon Hill? Muhammad Ali? Armand J. Gariepy? Ralph L. Berry? Tennyson Guyer? Orlando K. Fitzsimmons? Anonymous?

Dear Quote Investigator: A popular collection of affirmations have been constructed with these three rhyming words: conceive, believe, and achieve. Here are three examples:

(1) Achieve anything you can conceive and believe.
(2) Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.
(3) If my mind can conceive it and my heart can believe it, then I know I can achieve it.

The first two statements have been attributed to self-help author Napoleon Hill, and the third has been credited to political activist Jesse Jackson. Would you please explore this topic?

Quote Investigator: This family of expressions has been evolving for more than one-hundred years. The earliest instances used just two of the three words.

Statements 1 and 2 above were used by Napoleon Hill’s self-help organization in 1952 and 1954, respectively. Statement 3 was employed by Jesse Jackson in 1978.

The following items with dates present an outline of the evolution:

1906: What man can conceive, man can achieve (Anonymous)
1928: Those who believe they can achieve the object of their definite chief aim do not recognize the word impossible (Napoleon Hill)
1937: The mind could produce anything the mind could conceive and believe (Napoleon Hill)
1952: Learn how to achieve anything you can conceive and believe (Napoleon Hill Advertisement)
1954: Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve (Napoleon Hill Associate)
1955 Jan: You can achieve anything that your mind can conceive providing you believe it (Armand J. Gariepy)
1955 Oct: Whatever you can believe you can conceive and achieve (Attributed to Napoleon Hill)
1956: Anything you can conceive or believe, you can achieve (Ralph L. Berry)
1958: Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve (Napoleon Hill)
1959: Three little words: conceive, believe, achieve (Tennyson Guyer)
1978: If my mind can conceive it and my heart can believe it, then I know I can achieve it (Jesse Jackson)
2001: If my mind can conceive it and my heart can believe it, then I can achieve it (Attributed to Muhammad Ali)

Below are selected citations in chronological order.

In 1906 the book “Metamorphose” by Orlando K. Fitzsimmons contained an anonymous motto using the words “conceive” and “achieve”. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:^[1]1906, Metamorphose: Involving Regeneration of Individual and Race, and Also the Solution of the Great Problem of Poverty by Orlando K. Fitzsimmons, Chapter 12: The Rationale of the New, Quote Page … Continue reading

The motto of the new Order is: WHAT MAN CAN CONCEIVE, MAN CAN ACHIEVE.

A separate QI article about thematically similar sayings using “conceive” and “achieve” is available here.

In 1928 Napoleon Hill published “The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons” containing the following passage with “believe” and “achieve”:^[2] 1928, The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons by Napoleon Hill, Lesson Two: A Definite Chief Aim, Quote Page 66, The Ralston University Press, Meriden, Connecticut. (Verified with scans)

The “doers” are the “believers” in all walks of life. Those who BELIEVE they can achieve the object of their definite chief aim do not recognize the word impossible. Neither do they acknowledge temporary defeat. They KNOW they are going to succeed, and if one plan fails they quickly replace it with another plan.

In 1937 Napoleon Hill published “Think and Grow Rich” containing the following passage with “conceive” and “believe”:^[3]1937 Copyright, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, Fourth Indian Edition, Chapter 15: How To Outwit the Six Ghosts of Fear, Quote Page 368, D. B. Taraporevala Sons and Company, Bombay, India. … Continue reading

Men with negative minds tried to convince Thomas A. Edison that he could not build a machine that would record and reproduce the human voice, “because” they said, “no one else had ever produced such a machine,” Edison did not believe them. He knew that the mind could produce ANYTHING THE MIND COULD CONCEIVE AND BELIEVE, and that knowledge was the thing that lifted the great Edison above the common herd.

In 1952 Napoleon Hill’s organization offered a course in Salem, Illinois based on his book “Think and Grow Rich” and his success principles. The newspaper advertisement used an expression with “achieve”, “conceive”, and “believe”:^[4] 1952 April 17, Mt. Vernon Register-News, (Advertisement for Class With Napoleon Hill, On Think and Grow Rich), Section 2, Quote Page 2, Column 2, Mt Vernon, Illinois. (Newspapers_com)

Enrollment for the first six-weeks course will close Monday night. Bring your wives and friends — and learn how to achieve anything you can conceive and believe.

In 1954 Joseph Green, a staff member of Napoleon Hill Associates, spoke in Waukesha, Wisconsin. His lecture title used the three words:^[5] 1954 June 4, Waukesha Daily Freeman, Chicago Author Will Be Speaker, Quote Page 9, Column 5, Waukesha, Wisconsin. (Newspapers_com)

His subject at an open forum will be “Whatever the Mind Can Conceive and Believe, the Mind Can Achieve.”

In January 1955 Armand J. Gariepy, President of Sales Training International, delivered a speech in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and he made the following remark:^[6] 1955 January 24, Intelligencer Journal, ‘Ceiling’ Unlimited For All, Sales Expert Declares Here, Quote Page 18, Column 3, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. (Newspapers_com)

“You can achieve anything that your mind can conceive providing you believe it,” he said, but hastened to add that you have to believe it for decades not just over the weekend.

In October 1955 a woman in Kansas gave Hill credit for another instance of the saying:^[7] 1955 October 14, The Manhattan Mercury, Two Part Program For XFW Club, Quote Page 8, Column 2, Manhattan, Kansas. (Newspapers_com)

Mrs. Bessie Adams read a magazine article on Faith written by Napoleon Hill. Mr. Hill said “Whatever you can believe you can conceive and achieve, and that faith is the master key with which we may unlock the door which separates our earthly destinies from the eternal source of power of the universe.

In November 1955 an article from the United Press news agency also credited Hill with an instance:^[8] 1955 November 9, Mason City Globe-Gazette, Author of Success Theories by Marion Manion (UP), Quote Page 16, Column 1, Mason City, Iowa. (Newspapers_com)

Napoleon Hill, whose “Science of Success” has spread throughout the world, is a living example of his pet philosophy that “whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.”

In 1956 professional wrestler Wild Red Berry (Ralph L. Berry) used an instance:^[9] 1956 October 9, The Salt Lake Tribune, Sports Mirror by John Mooney, Quote Page 21, Column 1, Salt Lake City, Utah. (Newspapers_com)

Red never misses a chance to visit a hospital “I have a philosophy which I preach,” Red adds. “It goes like this—anything you can conceive or believe, you can achieve”

In 1958 a newspaper in Rocky Mount, North Carolina reported on a speech delivered by Napoleon Hill at the local Rotary Club meeting:^[10] 1958 January 14, The Evening Telegram, Rotarians Hear Noted Speaker, Quote Page 7, Column 7, Rocky Mount, North Carolina. (Newspapers_com)

According to Dr. Hill, whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.

In 1959 public relations executive Tennyson Guyer energized volunteers with a speech in Dayton, Ohio:^[11] 1959 February 25, Journal Herald, YWCA Volunteers Push Drive Into High Gear by William A. Heck (Journal Herald Staff Writer), Quote Page 1, Column 2, Dayton, Ohio. (Newspapers_com)

“I want to give you three little words: conceive, believe, achieve. This campaign has been conceived; now you’ve got to believe in it, and you will achieve.”

In 1960 “Chicago Sunday Tribune” published a piece titled “Get Ready To Succeed!” by Napoleon Hill and W. Clement Stone which included the following passage:^[12] 1960 June 19, Chicago Sunday Tribune, Section: Chicago Sunday Tribune Magazine, Get Ready To Succeed! by Napoleon Hill and W. Clement Stone, Start Page 37, Quote Page 39, Chicago, Illinois. (ProQuest)

The first great advantage is that your subconscious mind begins to work under a universal law: “What the mind can conceive and believe—the mind can achieve.” Because you visualize your intended destination, your subconscious mind is affected by this self-suggestion. It goes to work to help you get there.

In 1978 the “Shreveport Journal” of Louisiana recorded a memorable line in a speech delivered by Jesse Jackson:^[13] 1978 August 23, Shreveport Journal, Jackson Stirs Up Audience of 3,000 by George Sylvie (Journal Education Writer), Quote Page 3A, Column 2, Shreveport, Louisiana. (Newspapers_com)

But what brought the house down was: “If my mind can conceive it and my heart can believe it, then I know I can achieve it because I am somebody.”

Those were the final words Tuesday of the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s closing address to parents, students, teachers and the rest of the Shreveport community.

In 1983 “A Treasury of Days: 365 Thoughts on the Art of Living” from Reader’s Digest included the following entry:^[14]1983, A Treasury of Days: 365 Thoughts on the Art of Living: Reader’s Digest Words of Gold, Edited by Dee Danner Barwick, Day: May 30, Quote Page 42, A Reader’s Digest / C.R. Gibson Book: … Continue reading

If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it.
THE REV. JESSE JACKSON

In 2001 a columnist in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin attributed the saying to famous boxer Muhammad Ali:^[15] 2001 December 29, The Daily Tribune, Turning New Year’s resolution into action by Kerry Singh, Quote Page 7A, Column 6, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. (Newspapers_com)

As Muhammad Ali said, “If my mind can conceive it and my heart can believe it, then I can achieve it.”

In conclusion, this family of expressions evolved over time. Napoleon Hill crafted and popularized affirmations using the three words conceive, believe, and achieve by 1952. Jesse Jackson deserves credit for constructing a distinctive version using the word heart in 1978. The attributions to Muhammad Ali occurred later and only provide weak evidence.

Image Notes: Public domain illustration from geralt at Pixabay depicting arrows of multiple colors pointing upward at an angle.

(Great thanks to Steve McCrea whose inquiry led QI to formulate this question and perform this exploration. Many thanks to Barry Popik for his pioneering work on this topic.)