Recently I’ve read a great book ‘Think and Grow Rich’ by
Napoleon Hill, I have no words to explain about the power of this book! It
reveals some of the greatest secrets of successful people, how they convert
their dreams into a reality. Anyone who desires to become rich or successful in
life, then this book is a MUST read. When you read this book, you’ll be exposed
to some mysterious power just like I’ve experienced. However, the book was
written long years back, the knowledge and wisdom in this book is eternal and
powerful beyond measures.
In this post, I would like to share one great lesson I’ve
learned from the book-Think and Grow Rich, which I thought everyone must be aware
of. It’s about developing a BURNING DESIRE to win. If you develop this quality,
then no obstacles can stop you from achieving your dreams.
To understand the power of BURNING DESIRE, let us analyze
three great stories. These are not merely stories, but the events really
happened in the past and etched on the historical stone of accomplishments.
The man who desired to become the business partner of Thomas Alva Edison
Edwin C Barnes desire was not a hope! It was not a wish! But
it was a keen pulsating DESIRE, which transcended everything else. It was
DEFINITE. As he was going to Thomas A Edison’s office, while sitting in the
train, his mind was at work. He saw himself standing in the presence of the
great inventor. He heard himself asking Mr. Edison for an opportunity to carry
out the one CONSUMING OBSESSION of his life, a BURNING DESIRE to become the
business associate of Thomas A Edison.
Barnes did not get his partnership with Edison on his first
interview. He did get a chance to work in the Edison’s offices, at a very
nominal wage. He was content to start in the most mental work, as long as it
provided an opportunity to take even one step toward his cherished goal. Five
years passed before the chance he had been seeking made its appearance. During
all those years not one ray of hope, not one promise of attainment of his
desire had been held out to him. But something important was happening in
Barnes’ mind. He was constantly intensifying his DESIRE to become the business
associate of Edison.
To everyone except himself, he appeared only another normal
cog in the Edison Business wheel, But in his own mind, HE WAS THE PARTNER OF
EDISON EVERY MINUTE OF THE TIME, from the very first day that he went to work
there.
When the opportunity came, it appeared in a different form, and
from a different direction than Barnes had expected. Opportunity often comes
disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat. Probably this is the
reason why most of us fail to recognize opportunity. Mr. Edison had invented a
new office device, at that time it was known as the Edison Dictating Machine
(later known as the Edi-phone). Edison’s salesmen were not enthusiastic and
interested over the machine. They didn’t believe it could be sold without great
effort. Barnes saw his opportunity. It had crawled in quietly, hidden in an
awkward looking machine which interested no one but Barnes and the inventor.
Barnes knew that he could sell the Edison Dictating Machine. He suggested this
to Edison, and promptly got his chance. In fact he sold it so successfully that
Edison gave him a contract to distribute and market it all over the nation. Out
of that business association grew the slogan, “Made by Edison and installed by
Barnes.”
Finally, Edwin C Barnes again stood before Edison, in the
same office where he first met the inventor. This time his desire had been
translated into reality! He was in business with Edison. THE DOMINATING DREAM
OF HIS LIFE had become a reality.
It is a remarkable illustration of the power of a BURNING
DESIRE. Barnes won his goal, because he wanted to be a business associate of
Mr. Edison, more than he wanted anything else. He created a plan by which to
attain the purpose. He BURNED ALL THE BRIDGES BEHIND HIM. So that he cannot
step back, no matter what happens, He left himself no possible way of retreat,
he had to WIN or PERISH!
If we develop such a kind of ‘DESIRE’, then nothing can stop
us from achieving what we want in life.
Burn our ships
A long while ago, a great warrior faced a situation which
made it necessary for him to make a decision which insured his success on the
battlefield. He was about to send his armies against a powerful foe, whose men
outnumbered his own. He loaded his soldiers into boats, sailed to the enemy’s
country, unloaded soldiers and equipment, and then gave the order to BURN the
ships that had carried them. Addressing his men before the first battle, he
said, “You see the boats going up in smoke. That means that we cannot leave
these shores alive unless we win! We now have no choice-we win or we perish!
And they won.
It was another example of a burning desire mind set. Anyone
who goes for accomplishing great things in life must be willing to burn his
ships and cut all sources of retreat.
Another great story is as follows
The Chicago fire
The morning after the great Chicago fire, a group of
merchants stood on State Street, looking at the remains of what had been their
stores. They went into a conference to decide if they would try to rebuild, or
leave Chicago and start over in a more promising section of the country. They
reached a decision all except one-to leave Chicago.
The merchant who decided to stay and rebuild pointed a
finger at the remains of his store, and said, “Gentlemen, on that very spot
I’ll build the world’s greatest store, no matter how many times it may burn
down.”
The store was built. It stands their today, a towering
monument to the power of that state of mind known as a BURNING DESIRE. The easy
thing for Marshal Field to have done would’ve been exactly what his fellow
merchants did. When the going was hard, and the future looked dismal, they
pulled up and went where the going seemed easier.
From the above three stories, we can clearly understand the
difference between ordinary people and extraordinary people. Extraordinary
people always have a burning desire to win and succeed, no matter what happens
along the way. It is the same difference which distinguishes practically all
who succeed from those who fail.
As the saying goes “Obstacles are those frightful things
that you see, when you take your eyes off from your goals.” To develop a
burning desire, we must always focus on our goals, not the obstacles along the
way. People, who develop a burning desire, understand that the obstacles and
failures are in fact stepping stones to their success. They believe that every
failure makes them stronger and in every problems there is an opportunity
hidden, when unleashed can create astounding results of success.
So anyone who develops this powerful state of mind is
guaranteed to succeed in his/her life. In order to avoid retreat, we must burn
all the sources behind us, so that we’ll be having no choice other than to win
or perish! This is the greatest secret of all achievements and success.
No comments:
Post a Comment