Part II

In Part I, we identified that Mr. Barnes possessed a burning desire to become a partner with Mr. Thomas Edison. He had conceived of the idea and now he needed a plan of action. Let’s see what Barnes did to make his dream become a reality…

The declaration of purpose

Mr. Barnes arranged to meet with Mr. Edison where he proceeded to make an unsolicited proposal related to going into business with him. Barnes had a definite chief aim, he came to the point quickly and he was extremely clear.

Mr. Barnes teaches us to be clear about what we want and not to be afraid to go directly to the person who can help us with our goals and make a request – without fear or trepidation.

What allowed Mr. Barnes to show up unannounced and propose partnership to a man who has the stature of a modern day Bill Gates or Donald Trump? Thomas Edison at the time was a larger than life figure who was honored and respected around world for his inventions.

Mr. Barnes was so determined to become a partner with the great Edison that he possessed the “No matter what…” attitude that nothing was going to stand in the way of him accomplishing his goal. Mr. Hill noted that Edison sensed Mr. Barnes’ determination, drive and initiative just by looking at the intensity in his eyes.

This is instructive for us today as well because it displays that we must be so filled with desire for our goals that it emits from our bodies to be seen by anyone we come into contact with. The bottom-line is that Barnes desired a business relationship with Edison and he would not be denied by anyone or anything.

Cut-off any chance of turning back

Mr. Barnes gave himself no way out – partnership or bust! Have you accomplished every goal that you have set for yourself? I bet if you think about it, you would discover that the reason you did not accomplish particular goal was probably because you gave yourself a way out, which means you held yourself back from releasing the full force of your energy and focus on accomplishing your goal.

Have you given yourself a way out of your current goals? The way out is usually disguised as a good excuse, a perfectly legitimate reason, a handicap, a situation or a circumstance.

His success was ensured even before he left

I was struck by one key insight. The insight is that before Mr. Barnes departed for New Jersey, he had already succeeded at his desire of becoming a partner with Mr. Edison. How, you may ask?

He succeeded because he had already made up his mind that he was going to work for Edison – it was a final decision and all of his thoughts were lined up to support that decision. His thoughts were established and the only remaining issue was to make reality match his thoughts – don’t miss that last statement. If you do, you miss, what I believe is the secret that Mr. Hill is talking about.

Where has this bulldog tenacity and relentless persistence gone for people today? Why do we give up so easily when the road gets a bit rocky? Why do we throw in the towel when our lips get a bit bloody in the boxing ring of life? Where is the endurance to go one more round?

I know one thing – Mr. Barnes’ thoughts won the business partnership with Mr. Edison even before he arrived in front of the brilliant inventor and businessman to ask – asking was just a formality.

Patience in the valleys of life

Are you surprised to learn that after Barnes showed up and made the offer, Mr. Edison actually made a counter-offer? His counter-offer was not the glorious partnership that Barnes wanted, but – Edison did offer Barnes a job. Barnes traveled all the way to New Jersey only to be offered a job – the one thing that he did not want and that he definitely didn’t go there to get. What would you do? Would you settle, take the job, and live happily ever after? I can hear you saying, “Well at least it is a steady job…”

Although Barnes did not get the partnership to start out with he stayed focused on his overall desire. I am sure you have heard the saying, “you can lose a few battles but make sure you win the war.” Well, Barnes lost the first battle but his mind was focused on the war and he was convinced that he possessed the strategy and the will to become the victorious commanding general in this battle to become a partner with Mr. Edison – he accepted the job while he regrouped his forces for the next major battle.

Mr. Barnes’ persistence kept him working for Edison over many, many months which was not his goal. Can you imagine the frustration that he must have felt to sit there everyday and realize that he had not fulfilled his desire – he was so close but yet so far. I think most people would have called it quits and left after a few months – except Mr. Barnes was not most people.

Mr. Barnes response was to intensify his desire for his major definite purpose. He turned up the heat on his desire – he wanted his goal even more.

What can we learn from Mr. Barnes?

• Communicate clearly and succinctly – ask for what you want

• Find out who can help you with your goals and go ask them for help

• Audacity is a required trait for every entrepreneur

• Develop the “No matter what” attitude

• Burn your ships to remove the chance of giving yourself a way out

• Your thoughts determine your results - If you think you’ve won – you have won – now, make reality match your thoughts

• When things don’t go as planned, stay focused, be patient and watch for your opportunity

This is Part II of the article titled The Secret of Think and Grow Rich. Be sure to watch for Part III of this article.