It's a remarkable illustration of the power of a DEFINITE DESIRE. Barnes won his goal, because he wanted to be a business associate of Mr. Edison, more than he wanted anything else. He created a plan by which to attain that purpose. But he BURNED ALL BRIDGES BEHIND HIM.
He stood by his DESIRE until it became the dominating obsession of his life-- and-- finally a fact.
When he went to orange, he did not say to himself " I'll try to introduce Edison to give me a job of some soft." He said "I'll see Edison , and but him in notice that I have come to go into business with him.
He did not say "I'll work there for a few months, and if I get no encouragement, I will quit and get a job somewhere else." He did say, "I'll start anywhere. I'll do anything Edison tells me to do, but before I'm through, I'll be his associate."
He did not say, I'll keep my eyes open for another opportunity, in case I fail to get what I want in the Edison organization." He said, "there is but ONE thing in this world that I'm determined to have, and that is a business association with Thomas A. Edison.

Barnes said " I'll burn all bridges behind me, and stake my ENTIRE FUTURE on my ability to get what I want."
He left himself no possible way of retreat, he had to win or perish!
That is all there is to the Barnes story of success on the battlefield. He was about to send his armies against a powerful foe, whose men outnumbered his own. He loaded his solders into boats sailed to the enemy's country, unloaded soldiers and equipment, then gave the order to burn the ships that had carried them.
Addressing his men before the first battle, he said, "you see the boats going up in smoke. That means that we cannot leave this shores alive unless we win! we now have no choice- we win or we perish! They won.

Every person who wins in any understanding must be willing to burns his ships and cut all his sources of retreat . Only by so doing can one be sure of maintaining that state of mind known as a BURNING DESIRE TO WIN, essential to success.
The morning after the great Chicago fire, a group of merchants stood on state street, looking at the smoking remains of what had been their stores. they went into a conference to decide if they would try to rebuild, or leave Chicago and start over in a more promising section of a country .
They reached a decision - all except one- to leave Chicago.
The merchant who decided to stay and rebuild pointed a finger at the remains of his stores, and said " Gentlemen on that very spot I will build the world's greatest store no matter how many times it may burn down."
That was more than fifty years ago. The store was built. it stands there today, a towering monument to the power of that state of mind known a BURNING DESIRE.
The easy thing for Marchal Field to have done, would have been exactly what his fellow merchants did. When the going was hard, and the future looked dismal, they pulled up and went where the going seemed easier.
Mark well this difference between Marchal Field and the other merchants, because it's the same difference which distinguishes Edwin C. Barnes from thousands of other young men who have worked in the Edison organization. It is the same difference which distinguishes practically all who succeed from those who fail.
Every human being who reaches the ages of understanding of the purpose of money, wishes for it. wishing will not bring riches .
But desiring riches with a state of mind that becomes an obsession, then planing definite ways and means to acquire riches, and backing those plans with persistence which does not recognize failure, will bring riches.
The method by which DESIRE for riches can be transmuted into it's financial equivalent, consisted of six definite, practical steps,
viz:

First. Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire . It's not sufficient merely to say "I want plenty of money." Be definite as to the amount. (there is a psychological reason for definiteness which will be described in a subsequent chapter).

Second. determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire. (There is no such reality as "something for nothing.)

Third. Establish a definite date when you intend to posses the money you desire.

Fourth. Create a definite plan for carrying out, your desire, and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action.

Fifth. write out a clear concise a statement of the a mount of money you intend to acquire, name the time limit for its acquisition, state what you intend to give in return for the money, and describe clearly the plan through which you intend to accumulate it.
Sixth. Read your written statement aloud twice daily, once just before retiring at night, and once after arising in the morning. AS YOU READ- SEE AND FEEL AND BELIEVE YOURSELF ALREADY IN POSSESSION OF THE MONEY.

It's important that you follow the instructions descried in the six steps. It's especially important that you observe, and follow the instructions in the sixth paragraph. you may complain that it's impossible for you to " see yourself in possession of money" before you actually have it. here is where the BURNING DESIRE will come to your aid. If you truly desire money so keenly that your desire is an obsession,
you'll have no difficulty in convincing yourself that you'll acquire it. The object is to want money, and to become so determined to have it that you CONVINCE yourself you'll have it