Sean Rasmussen

I suppose there are lots of words you could use to describe what Napoleon Hill calls definite purpose. A very applicable term would be persistence. Persistence is a key to financial success.

“How many people out there today have stopped just inches away from their goal because of some roadblock, some hurdle? How many people give up on fantastic business ideas because the first bank they approached turned down their loan application? How different would the lives of those people be if, rather than accept defeat first-off, they steeled themselves to rejection, thanked the Bank President for his effort, and instead sought an alternative investment route—Investment Capitalists, private investors, local Community Development programs—the list of possibilities goes on and on.

How often have we heard stories from the entertainment industry about the singer or actor living in near-poverty, packing their bags for home who stayed just one more day, and on that day got the fateful call from the record executive or casting call that catapulted them to stardom, fame, and fortune?

“Before success is found in any person’s life, that person is sure to be faced with more than his or her share of temporary defeat, and quite possibly some failure. When defeat overtakes somebody the easiest and most logical thing to do is to quit. And that is exactly what the majority of people do.”

Temporary Defeat

It’s true. Most people just quit in the face of what seems like hopeless temporary defeat; in fact, most of us are probably guilty of doing just that. The lucky among us learn early and limit the effect failure has on us. Those are the ones who build wealth early in life, but regardless of age, it is never too late to turn your financial life around. Any man or woman can be rich in their lifetime.

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

The Darby’s had reached it—the turning point in their financial success. Do you think they made the right decision? We know that if they followed the secret to wealth creation, had a definite purpose based in definite thought, they did. Alas…

“Finally, they decided to quit.

“They sold the machinery to a junk man for a few hundred dollars and took a train back home. Now, some “junk” men are ignorant, but not this one! He called in a mining engineer to look at the mine and do a little calculating. The engineer advised that the project had failed because the owners were not familiar with “fault lines.” His calculations showed that the vein would be found just three feet from where the Darbys had stopped drilling! And that is exactly where it was found!

“The “Junk” man took millions of dollars in ore from the mine, all because he knew enough to seek expert advice before giving up.

“Most of the money used to buy the machinery was raised through the efforts of R.U. Darby, who was then a very young man. The money came from his relatives and neighbors, because they had faith in him. He paid back every dollar of it, even though it took him years to do so.”

Admirable of Mr. Darby to do so, but what would have been more admirable would have been not throwing up his hands in the face of temporary defeat. If he had followed the principles outlined by Napoleon Hill and in this book, he wouldn’t have. If he’d known the secret to wealth creation, he wouldn’t have.

What About You?

Does any part of this story mirror any cross-roads in your own life? I hope for your sake it does not, but odds are that it does; it seems all of us have been ‘there’ at one point or another. But don’t despair; past failure does not predetermine future failure. You have the opportunity to learn from your mistakes and take your new found knowledge from this book, and turn your poorly decided past into great future success and wealth, just as Mr. Darby did.

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

Picking up where we left off with Darby and his Uncle, let’s see what happens next.

“The first car of ore was mined and shipped to a smelter. The returns proved they had one of the richest mines in Colorado! A few more cars of that ore would clear all debts. Then they would make a killing in big profits.

“The drills went down as the hopes of Darby and his Uncle excitedly went up! Then something happened. The vein of gold ore disappeared! They had come to the end of the rainbow, and the pot of gold was gone! They drilled on, desperately trying to pick up the vein again–to no avail.”

Journey To Wealth Creation

These are the times that every one of us is destined to face on our journey to wealth creation. These times are the true test of our ‘metal’ so to speak. And what you choose to do in times like these is what separates you—makes you the one who succeeds to go on to build great wealth, or makes you fail and continue to struggle in financial stress.

Let’s remember what Napoleon Hill said was one of the biggest reasons people fail to get rich…”…they quit when faced with temporary defeat.”

So did Darby and Uncle let temporary defeat put an end to their success? We’ll find out soon enough…

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

Once you have decided on your definite purpose, you should have a good idea of what form of wealth creation you will be undertaking; but sometimes things happen for reasons not yet known, and opportunity presents itself in ways we wouldn’t have predicted. To an extent, it was thus with Barnes’ “break”.

“When the opportunity came, it appeared in a 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 very 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 (which was later called the Ediphone). His salesmen were not enthusiastic over the machine. They did not believe it could be sold without excessive effort. Barnes saw his opportunity. It had crawled in quietly, hidden in a queer looking machine which no one showed an interest in except Barnes and the inventor.

“Barnes knew he could sell the Edison Dictating Machine. He suggested this to Edison, and was quickly given the chance. And he did sell the machine. In fact, he sold it so successfully that Thomas Edison gave him a contract to distribute and market it all over the U.S. Out of that business association grew the slogan, ‘Made by Edison and installed by Barnes.”

Perhaps your opportunity will appear exactly as you expect, and perhaps not. Your job in either circumstance is to be open to all opportunities, and seize those that present themselves to you as you apply the principles of success revealed within this 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

Success comes most often in life when you are ready for it; now, that means when you are really ready, which is not always when you think you are ready. Barnes’ success came at that point in time when he was really ready, after he had taken steps to situate himself in the path of success.

“Psychologists have noted, accurately, that when a person is truly ready for something, it will appear.

“Edwin Barnes was ready for a business association with Edison; moreover, he was determined to stay ready until he got what he was after.

“He did not say to himself, “Ah, what’s the use? Maybe I should just try to get a salesman’s job.” But, he did say, “I came here to go into business with Thomas Edison, and I will be his business partner if it takes the rest of my life.” And He meant it! What a different story all people would have to tell if only they would adopt a definite purpose, and stand by that purpose until it had time to become an all-consuming, yet powerful, obsession!

“Maybe young Barnes did not know it at the time, but his bulldog determination, his persistence in maintaining and focusing on a single desire, destined him to mow down all opposition, and bring him the opportunity he was seeking.”

Persistence will lead to fulfilled goals

You have already put yourself in the path of success by coming here and reading the Mindset Mastery ebook or posts; and as long as you stay by your definite purpose to become wealthy with our help, and persist until you reach your goal, you will succeed to know great wealth and comfort. There is no doubt in that, once you know how to proceed towards wealth.

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