The story of Edwin C.Barnes ! Power of Desire and Lesson of Persistence.

This is the story of man who has desire to work with the partnership of great inventor Thomas A. Edison.

So , let’s start with his name,His name is Edwin C. Barnes.His discovery did not come about at one sitting.it came little by little,beginning with BURNING DESIRE to become a business associate of the great Edison. One of the Chief characteristics of Barnes’ desire was that it was definite.He wanted to work with Edison,not for him.observe,carefully,the description of how he went about translating his DESIRE into reality.

When this DESIRE,or impulse of thought,first flashed into his mind he was in no position to act upon it.Two difficulties stood in his way.He did not know Mr.Edison and he did not have enough money to pay his railroad fare to Orange,New Jersey.

These difficulties were sufficient to have discouraged the majority of men from making any attempt to carry out the desire.But his was no ordinary desire! He was so determined to find a way to carry out his desire that he finally decided to travel by “blind baggage“,rather that be defeated.(To the uninitiated,this means that he went to East Orange on freight train).

He presented himself at Mr.Edison’s laboratory and announced he had come to go into business with the inventor.In speaking of the first meeting between Barnes and Edison,years later,Mr.Edison said ” He stood there before me,looking like 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 had learned,from years of experience with men,that when a man really DESIRES a thing so deeply that he is willing in order to get it,he is sure to win.I give him the opportunity he asked for,because I saw he had made up his mind to stand by until he succeeded.Subsequent events proved that no mistake was made”

Just what young Barnes said to Mr.Edison on that occasion was far less important that that which he thought.Edison,himself,said so! It could not have been the young man’s appearance which got him his start in the Edison office,for that was definitely against him.It was what he THOUGHT that counted.

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,doing work that was unimportant to Edison,but most important to Barnes,Because it gave him an opportunity to display his “merchandise” where his intended “partner” could see it.

Months went by.Apparently nothing happened to bring the coveted goal which Barnes had set up in his mind as his DEFINITE MAJOR PURPOSE.But something important was happening in Barnes’ mind.He was constantly intensifying his DESIRE to become the business associate of Edison.

Psychologist have correctly said that “when one is truly ready for thing,it puts in it’s appearance.” Barnes was ready for a business association with Edison, moreover ,he was DETERMINED TO REMAIN READY UNTIL HE GOT THAT WHICH HE WAS SEEKING.

He did not say to himself,”Ah well,what’s the use? I guess I’ll change my mind and try for a salesman’s job.” But,he did say,”I came here to go into business with Edison and I’ll accomplish this end if it takes the remainder of my life.”He meant it! What a different story men would have to tell if only they world adopt DEFINITE PURPOSE and stand by that purpose until it had time to become an all-consuming obsession!

Maybe young Barnes did not know it at the time,but his bulldog determination,his persistence in standing back of single DESIRE,was destined to mow down all opposition and bring him the opportunity he was seeking.

When the opportunity came,it appeared in different form and from a different direction than Barnes had expected.That is one of the tricks of opportunity.It has a sly habit of slipping in by the back door and often it comes disguised in the form of misfortune,or temporary defeat.Perhaps this is why so many fail to recognize opportunity.

Mr.Edison had just perfected a new office device,known at that time,as the Edison Dictating Machine.Hi salesman were not enthusiastic over the machine.They did not believe it could be sold without greater effort.Barnes saw his opportunity.It had crawled in quietly,hidden in the a queer looking machine which interested no one but Barnes and the inventor.

Barnes knew he could sell the Edison Dictating Machine.He suggested this to Edison and promptly got his chance.He did sell the machine.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“.

The business alliance has been in operation for more than thirty years.Out of it Barnes has made himself rich in money,but he has don something infinitely greater,he has proved that one really may “Think and Grow Rich”(Book of Napoleon hill)must read!

How much actual cash that original DESIRE of Barnes’ has been worth to him,I have no way of knowing.Perhaps it has brought him two or three million dollars,but the amount,whatever it is,becomes insignificant when compared with the greater asset he acquired in the form of definite knowledge that an intangible impulse of thought can be transmuted into its physical counterpart by the application of know principles

Barnes literally thought himself into a partnership with the great Edison! He thought himself into a fortune.He had nothing to start with,except the capacity to KNOW WHAT HE WANTED AND THE DETERMINATION TO STAND BY THAT DESIRE UNTIL HE REALIZED IT.

He had no money to begin with.He had but little education.He had no influence.But he did have initiative,faith and the will to win.With these intangible forces he made himself number one man with the greatest inventor who ever lived.

Moral of the story : Who has burning desire and definite goal in his/her mind so he can achieve everything that he/she wants But he must have to learn how to be burning towards the Ambition of his ?, As we see in the story of Edwin C. Barnes,the opportunity never come so easily but it come with great efforts of DESIRE,PERSISTENCE and  PATIENCE,we learn that opportunity comes in different way than we expected, so always look for opportunity who knows when it comes!

This story is personally analyze by sir,Napoleon Hill.this story is particularly told by Thomas A. Edison to the Napoleon Hill when he had interviewing a successful people’s of America at that time.I’m very glad that I can brought this untold story to you and I hope you learned,Observe something from this story.