Sean Rasmussen

So, then, just how did Henry Ford achieve what every brilliant engineering mind in his organization insisted was impossible? How did that “uneducated”, brilliant mind succeed where his engineers only failed?

“The engineers went ahead. There was nothing else for them to do, if they were to remain on the Ford staff. Six months went by, nothing happened. Another six months passed, and still nothing happened. The engineers tried every conceivable plan to carry out the orders, but the thing seemed out of the question; “impossible!”

At the end of the year Ford checked with his engineers, and again they informed him they had found no way to carry out his orders.

“Go right ahead,” said Ford, “I want it, and I’ll have it.”

They went ahead, and then, as if by a stroke of magic, the secret was discovered.

The Ford determination had won once more!”

That’s It, Determination

That’s it. Nothing mysterious, just sheer determination. Henry Ford refused to accept the impossibility of things. He refused to let other less determined people tell him that what he believed in could not be done. And so we know that determination is one of the absolute keys to successful wealth creation.

I will see you back here every Monday and Thursday for the continuation of the Mindset Mastery series.

Sean Rasmussen
Success Communicator
SeanRasmussen.com © 2004 - 2008

To illustrate our last few discussions, Napoleon Hill offers proof in the form of an anecdote about Henry Ford, his visions and tenaciousness.

“The following anecdote is just one example of the “secret” to Ford’s success; the “secret” to wealth creation exemplified by all successful men and women who think and grow rich.

Early in the age of the automobile, Ford decided to produce his now famous V-8 motor. He chose to build an engine with the entire eight cylinders cast in one block, and instructed his engineers to produce a design for the engine. The design was put on paper, but the engineers agreed, every one of them, that it was simply impossible to cast an eight-cylinder gas engine block in one piece.

Ford said, “Produce it anyway.”

“But,” they replied, “it’s impossible!”

“Go ahead,” Ford commanded, “and stay on the job until you succeed no matter how much time is required.”

This is the point where most men would fail to even try because they couldn’t perceive the possibility of such a monumental task. Ford left his engineers no option (save quitting him). And so they went on to tackle the task even they thought impossible. But Henry Ford pushed them to achieve it. We’ll read more about the outcome in later posts. For now, stop and think a minute—how far back in time would we now be if the greats like Henry Ford didn’t exceed the vision of the average man?

I will see you back here next week for the continuation of the Mindset Mastery series.

Sean Rasmussen
Success Communicator
SeanRasmussen.com © 2004 - 2008

You can find examples of modern persistence that has paid off (as well as, no doubt, failure to persist that didn’t) in many of the world’s most loved authors.

“This same persistence is what often brings us the greatest modern authors. The best-selling authors of our time do not become famous only because of their superior writing talents. They also excel because they persevere until their works are published. They refuse to take ‘no’ for an answer. Nearly every well-known author—Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, John Grisham, and so many more—had their works rejected numerous times before being published and made rich for their efforts. (Rowling’s famed first Harry Potter novel was rejected eight times before being published; since then, the Potter series has made J.K. Rowling the richest writer in history.)

If you stay sharp and pay attention, you’ll see exactly what strange power came to the rescue of the child; you’ll get a glimpse of this power in the next chapter. Somewhere in the book you will key in on an idea that reveals this same irresistible power to you, and then you will be able to use it to your own advantage. The awareness of this power may come to you in the first chapter, or it may flash into your mind later on. It may come in the form of a single idea. Or, it may come as a part of a larger plan or purpose. Again, it may prompt you to look back into your past experiences of failure or defeat, and teach you some lesson you missed before, a lesson that allows you to regain all you lost through defeat.”

When you put your finger on this power, you’ll have an indispensable tool that will guide every decision you make from that day forward, and you’ll see why you’ve not become wealthy before being conscious of this power and the Secret revealed in this book.

I will see you back here Monday and Thursday every week for the continuation of the Mindset Mastery series.

Sean Rasmussen
Success Communicator
SeanRasmussen.com © 2004 - 2008

We’ll pick up the story of Darby’s Uncle and the young tenant-farmer’s girl where we left off…

“Darby held his breath. He was certain he was about to witness a murder. He knew his uncle had a fierce temper. He knew that colored children were not supposed to defy white people in that part of the country.

When the uncle reached the spot where the child was standing, she quickly stepped forward one step, looked up into his eyes, and screamed at the top of her lungs, “my Mammy’s gotta have that fifty cents!”

The uncle stopped, looked at her for a minute, then slowly laid the wood on the floor. He put his hand in his pocket, took out half a dollar, and gave it to her.

The child took the money and slowly backed toward the door, never taking her eyes off the man whom she had just conquered. After she had gone, the uncle sat down on a box and stared out the window into space for more than ten minutes. He was contemplating, with awe, the whipping he had just taken.

Mr. Darby, too, was doing some thinking. That was the first time in his life he had seen a colored child deliberately master an adult white person. How did she do it? What happened to his uncle that caused him to lose his fierceness and become as docile as a lamb? What strange power did this child use that made her master over her superior? These and other similar questions flashed through Darby’s mind; but he did not find the answer until years later, when he told me the story.”

No doesn’t always mean no

You might be finding it difficult, just as Darby did, to put a name to the power Napoleon Hill refers to here. Regardless, at least take away this fact that Hill is working hard to bring to light—that ‘No’ doesn’t always mean ‘No’ if you have the courage and persistence to see a thing through, and refuse to be bullied by powers who seem bigger than you. Add this to your list of small lessons that will complete the whole of the Secret.

I will see you back here Monday and Thursday every week for the continuation of the Mindset Mastery series.

Sean Rasmussen
Success Communicator
SeanRasmussen.com © 2004 - 2008

While researching this book, Napoleon Hill interviewed over 500 highly successful men; men that have now gone on to become icons of capitalistic history and success. As part of his research, he talked with them about facing temporary defeat head-on, and about what delineates success and failure.

“More than five hundred of the most successful men in United States history, icons of American Capitalism and success, told the author their greatest success came just one step beyond the point when defeat had overtaken them. Failure is a swindler with a keen sense of irony and cunning. It takes great pleasure in tripping a person when success is just within reach.”

Failure is a master manipulator—but only if your let it win by giving in to temporary defeat.

More Then One Road

The men Hill interviewed may have found success in that step beyond defeat, but their success was not only rooted in the better business turn around the corner. These men also found success because working through adversity and possible defeat teaches you something; it teaches you that there are more roads to success, and that if you have that definiteness of purpose, if your persist in your goals, you will find a road that leads you on to success…to wealth! And you will also learn that you can do whatever you put your mind to when you back your thought with determination. From that point on, every roadblock is easier to overcome because you’ve learned two essential lessons:

1. Temporary defeat is not failure—it’s TEMPORARY! You can succeed, you just have to find another way, and

2. You personally possess the skills and brain power to seek alternate routes to success and wealth creation

Now that’s some powerful knowledge indeed.

I will see you back here Monday and Thursday every week for the continuation of the Mindset Mastery series.

Sean Rasmussen
Success Communicator
SeanRasmussen.com © 2004 - 2008