Thoughts Are Things - From Chapter 1 of "Think and Grow Rich"

"Thoughts are things." This statement is the Law of Attraction in a nut shell, and Napoleon Hill starts off the most widely sold self help book in history with it. He also told us the story of Edwin C. Barns, "The man who 'thought' his way into a partnership with Thomas A. Edison.

This is a fascinating story that can teach us several lessons. Of course Napoleon Hill's point was, well ... thoughts are things.

Edwin Barns was just an every day guy who, one day, decided to go into business with some famous guy, whom he never met. Barns didn't have the money it took to get to Orange, New Jersey, where Edison's offices where located. But, he went anyway.

Right in the beginning of the story, we, not only see that Barns had already made a business deal with Edison in his own mind, we also see that Barns had some huge kahonas. How many people reading this blog have the guts to go to Michael Dell and tell him that you're his new business partner?

Although Napoleon Hill doesn't say it here, he shows us that courage and daring are huge parts of success.

When Edwin Barns got to Thomas Edison's office, Edison, in his words, thought Barns looked like a "tramp". But, he also said that he saw "something in the expression of his face which conveyed the impression that he was determined to get what he had come after."

So, Edison gave Barns a job in his offices, probably an office messenger of sorts, for very meager pay. Barns accepted joyfully and was determined to be Thomas Edison's partner, even if he had to wait the rest of his life. In the following months, he worked humbly, while enforcing his belief in the partnership.

Here is another subliminal lesson, and I think a pretty big one. This story and the next one shows us the power of patience. Patients is incredibly powerful. And we don't need to go far to see it's power.

Consider for a moment the present war on terror. How is it that a nation with nearly unlimited resources can be stifled by a rag tag crew of barley trained solders? The answer is patience. The fact is, from here on out, the winning side of any conflict will not be the nation with the most bombs but the nation with the most patience.

Barns used patience to his advantage. Considering how long some people have had to wait for their chance to succeed, Barns didn't have to wait long. As Napoleon Hill says, he only had to wait a few months. It was then, opportunity showed up discussed as the Edison Dictating Machine.

Apparently the only two who saw the potential was Barns and Edison. Edwin Barns immediately volunteered to sell it and did such a great job that Edison gave him a contract to sell his new invention all over the nation.

Yes, Edwin Barns did think himself into a partnership with Thomas Edison, but he also showed courage and daring as well as using the most powerful weapon at the human race's disposal; patience.

"A Word from the Author"

In the "A Word from the Author" section of Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill told the story of meeting Andrew Carnegie as a child. Mr. Carnegie began teaching him about the Law of Attraction immediately. Although Napoleon Hill never directly mentions the Law of Attraction in the entire book, with close careful study, we know that that is what he is teaching in Think and Grow Rich.

Napoleon Hill tells us about Mr. Carnegie's opinion about this law, which in our day and age makes perfect sense. He told us that Mr. Carnegie believed the Law of Attraction or "The Secret" should be taught in all public schools. I believe this makes perfect sense because I see a nation which is slowly drifting toward an entrepreneurial society. Without the proper business training, many of the businesses will fail. The ship will eventually right itself, as it always does, but there could be a steep price to pay for the entrepreneurial illiteracy which is coming our way.

Another thing that stuck out at me was Napoleon Hill's alluding to the use of patience when preparing. He wrote, "When he saw that I had grasped the idea, he asked if I would be willing to spend twenty years or more preparing myself to take it to the world." Imagine, in this day and age anyone planning to prepare for anything for twenty years. I don't know if the use of patience was more prevalent in his day and age, but that is a lesson we need to relearn.

"There is no such thing as something for nothing!" This statement is one that we must remember in light of the book and the movie, "The Secret." From what I understand, The Secret has been leading people to believe that with the Law of Attraction, all you need to do is think about what you want and you will have it. This sentence is a statement that is very important to remember. If we don't apply massive action behind the Law of Attraction, we will end up disappointed and losing faith. And as you will see, if you follow this blog, faith is one of the most important ingredients to the Law of Attraction.

With all of this said, I think the best way to start a study of Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich is by reading his last paragraph in his "A Word From The Author" section.

"As a final word of preparation, before you begin the first chapter, may I offer one brief suggestion which may provide a clue by which the Carnegie secret may be recognized? It is this - All achievement, all earned riches, have their beginning in and idea! If you are ready for the secret, you already possess one half of it; therefore, you will readily recognize the other half the moment it reaches your mind."

Ah-ha!

I was going to start my review of Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich today, but I had such an experience that I though I should share it with everyone.

This was an Ah-ha experience.

After joining Fortune Hi-Tech, I was a little worried that I would not have the proper training to do the Network Marketing in the way I wanted to do it. I don't want to bug my family and friends into a business they really don't want to be in and then subjugate them to people who demand that you get more and more people under you so you can meet your quotas, so you can get your bonus.

I understand where the sales techniques come from and I understand that the up lines want you to make money like they did, but I was a little uncomfortable with that type of sales technique. I'm uncomfortable with it, because it's not me. One point made in their training video, and it's a good point, is that if you are not excited about your product, the perspective recruit can tell.

Well, the reason I'm not comfortable with selling to people I know is, everyone I know, knows I'm not a sales man and any sales presentation I give to friends and family would seem disingenuous and I am not a disingenuous guy. Or I try not to be.

The mantra of the training I saw was close the sale and get people under you. But, all I knew was I wanted another way. I was feeling a little depressed, wondering what I had gotten myself into.

Then I thought of Talk Shoe, that internet radio sight with many talk shows. The Focus Society can be heard there as well as many other great informative shows. I did a search on Network Marketing and came across "The Network Marketing Nooner." It's a collection of 15 shows all about Network marketing. Kim "Mr. Kim B." Bolte interviews giants in the Network Marketing Industry and picks their brains to find out the best secrets.

He interviewed Suzanne "the MLM Mom" Fulford on one of the shows, and that is where I had my ah-ha. She told the story of how she got into the industry in the first place and how she was trying to sell the way the companies wanted her to sell. She talked about how she never had any success in it. She felt the way I was beginning to feel, because it seemed I was heading down this road.

Then she began selling her way. She began stressing Relationship Marketing and helping others get what they want. She didn't need to say any more. There it was. The Long-Talked-About-But-Rarely-Ever-Seen-Coveted-Golden-Ah-ha! That very moment, I knew, that is what I wanted! I want to help people! I want to make others lives better! That's it!

I have a dream of becoming a professional speaker, and with this way of thinking about the network marketing industry would not only make it more rewarding and easier for me, it would lead me into public speaking as well.

I, then, went through the rest of my day with a little bounce in my step and feeling a heck of a lot more positive. I still don't know where Fortune Hi-Tech is going to take me, but things are definitely looking up.

I'm excited about my future in the company, but I still have a lot to learn. Things such as marketing my web site, www.fhtmus.com/michaeld. Sorry, I just had to do it. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, I'm all ears!