“Truly, ‘thoughts are things,’ and powerful things at that, when mixed with purpose, persistence and a burning desire for their translation into riches or other material objects.” – Napoleon Hill
Edwin C. Barnes had a burning internal drive to go into business with America’s most famed inventor, Thomas Edison. He was lacking in a few areas though, he had no invention to pitch, no particular skills of use, and he didn’t have the amount of money to pay his rail fare to Orange, New Jersey.
Nevertheless, Barnes made his way to the train station, hopped onto a freight train and squatted his way to East Orange.
One of the chief characteristics of Barnes’ desire was that it was definite. He wanted to work with Edison, not for him. Consider this man’s determination amidst his circumstance. He had no money, no guarantee he’d even get to meet the legendary inventor, nothing promising to offer, and absolutely no hint of a reason to believe that Edison would take him on in any capacity. In reality, all Barnes did have was desire.
Barnes arrived in Orange and managed to talk his way into meeting Edison. Upon meeting the young man, Edison says, “He stood there before me, looking like an ordinary tramp, but there was something in the expression of his face which conveyed the impression that he was determined to get what he had come after. I gave him the opportunity he asked for, because I saw he had made up his mind to stand by until he succeeded.”
Barnes did not get his partnership with Edison on his first interview. He did get a chance to work in the Edison offices, at a very nominal wage. Barnes made a point to showcase his more intangible attributes to Edison any chance he could. His unrelenting mindset was: “I came here to go into business with Edison, and I’ll accomplish this end if it takes the remainder of my life.”
Adopting this mindset guarantees only two outcomes to life: one, that you will obtain that which you desire, or two, you will die in the pursuit of that which you desire. Months passed and still, his goal went unrealized. He was constantly intensifying his desire to become the business associate of Edison.
Edison had just completed work on a new office device, at the time named the Edison Dictating Machine. He was having trouble getting his salesmen to take on the invention. In this struggle, Barnes saw his opportunity. He believed that he could sell the machine and approached Edison with a plan. Upon reviewing the strategy, Edison gave him his chance. Barnes took full advantage and went on a roll, selling the Ediphone.
This business venture earned Barnes lots of money, however, more importantly, he accomplished something much greater in discovering the awesome power of thought.
Story from Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
