When last we left Napoleon Hill he was just introducing us to a very important person in his life—his son. As you will recall, Hill’s son was born with no ears, motivating Hill to put the power of burning desire to the test in earnest.
Our Minds Set Our Only Limits
“Many years previously, I had written, “Our only limitations are those we set up in our own minds.” For the first time, I wondered if that statement were true. Lying on the bed in front of me was a newly born child, without the natural equipment of hearing. Even though he might hear and speak, he was obviously disfigured for life. Surely, this was a limitation which that child had not set up in his own mind.
“What could I do about it? Somehow I would find a way to transplant into that child’s mind my own burning desire for ways and means of conveying sound to his brain without the aid of ears.
“As soon as the child was old enough to cooperate, I would fill his mind so completely with a burning desire to hear, that Nature would, by methods of her own, translate it into physical reality.
Setting The Mind To The Goal
“All this thinking took place in my own mind, but I spoke of it to no one. Every day I renewed the pledge I bad made to myself, not to accept a deaf mute for a son.
“As he grew older, and began to take notice of things around him, we observed that he had a slight degree of hearing. When he reached the age when children usually begin talking, he made no attempt to speak, but we could tell by his actions that he could hear certain sounds slightly. That was all I wanted to know! I was convinced that if he could hear, even slightly, he might develop still greater hearing capacity. Then something happened which gave me hope. It came from an entirely unexpected source.
Rays Of Hope
Hill saw in his situation a spark of hope. It may have been an unlikely one, but it was there. If you look hard enough in any given situation, you can find one, too; a spark of hope to kindle a burning desire from. To find out what that spark was you’ll have to come back on Monday. Or again, download the book and read ahead yourself! I’ll be right back here the beginning of next week to continue the story and the lessons learned from it.
Sean Rasmussen
Success Communicator
SeanRasmussen.com © 2004 – 2008
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Bravo Sean – These articles should be broadcast nationally and into every home in Australia.
What a place it would be if people could all get hold of that ‘burning desire’ and put it to work for a better world.
Kudos
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Inspiring site!
Personal development makes for inner freedom +_+
Hi Sean,
I love this story about Napoleon Hill and his son. I’ve read that the mind can’t distinguish between a real and imagined event. So, If you can create a burning desire for what you want, and convince your mind that this is in fact already a reality; the mind will find a way to make it happen. How can it not? As far as the mind knows; your desire is fact. It just is.
So, I really believe our minds set our limitations but we control those limitations. It’s up to us to direct our mind to focus on our desires. We have to make it real for our minds. We have to make our mind believe that we are already being, doing and having our desires. Once that is achieved, we will create those desires in our lives.
This very personal story of Napoleon Hill is great.
It might have been only a very tiny ray of hope, but because he was looking out for anything that could help he was able to see it. And that’s what happens – if you look close enough you will find new things, new chances, new opportunities that otherwise you would have overlooked.
But you have to concentrate on your desire to do so.
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“Our only limitations are those we set up in our own minds.” I bet he realised it was easy to write those words, until life through a challenge in his way with the birth of his disabled son. His honesty at this point is really appreciated. It’s like he thought, “Oh shit, now I have to actually apply what I’ve been saying all these years. How on earth am I going to do that? I have to find a way…”
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