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.