Sean Rasmussen

Napoleon Hill doesn’t tell us much about the fate of the Uncle, but he does continue the story of R.U. Darby and his ultimate success. How did this failure turn his life around and build wealth? By learning from his mistake, and learning the principles of the secret.

“Long afterward, Mr. Darby recouped his loss many times over, when he made the discovery that desire can be transmuted into gold. That discovery came after he went into the business of selling life insurance.

“Remembering that he lost a huge fortune all because he stopped three feet from gold, Darby turned that experience to his advantage in his newly chosen profession; his method was simple—Darby repeatedly told himself, “I stopped three feet from gold, but I will never stop because men say ‘no’ when I ask them to buy insurance.”

“Darby was one of a small group in the first part of the 1900’s, a group of less than fifty men, to sell more than a million dollars in life insurance annually. He owed his determination and success to the lesson he learned from his hastiness to quit in the gold mining business.”

Definite Thought

Finally, Darby learned the power of definite thought—the same power Edwin C Barnes knew and used to build his future, and his fortune, with Thomas Edison. Had Darby known that power of definite thought and definite purpose when he went mining, his wealth may have come years sooner. You have at least this elemental knowledge now and that small bit of information is power; power that you, too, can solidify and translate into tangible 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

This next passage needs little commentary from me; Napoleon Hill concludes Barnes’ story with a summation of the power of Barnes’ definite thought and purpose.

“The business alliance lasted more than thirty years. From that alliance, Barnes made himself a very rich man, in terms of money; but he did something infinitely greater than simply make himself rich—he proved definitely that it is possible for a person, even with limited financial resources, to “Think and Grow Rich.”

“How much actual cash that original desire of Barnes’ was worth to him, we have no way of knowing. It might have earned 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 physical reality by applying known principles.

“Barnes literally thought himself into a partnership with the great Thomas 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 it was realized.

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

Succeed, Build Wealth and Live Better

And there we have it—the man started with nothing but an idea and the determination to succeed. If you, too, possess these two simple things, you have all you need to succeed, build wealth, and live better.

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

It’s important to know that no one is saying that knowing and utilizing the secret, or following the thirteen principles and being definite in thought, means that you will get rich quick; your life can change in a relatively short period of time, but nothing worthwhile happens overnight. Like Barnes, building wealth takes initiative and planning, and a healthy dose of patience and follow-through.

“Barnes did not instantly become Edison’s partner at 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 Thomas Edison; but that work was 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 Edwin 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.”

The First Step To Wealth Creation

Putting yourself in line for success and wealth creation is an essential first step; nothing fruitful can happen if you do not take that first step, and place yourself in the path of possibility.

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