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The Law of Intentionality: Have you ever heard of Edwin C. Barnes? John Maxwell, the author of the 15 Laws of Invaluable Growth, says that growth doesn't just happen, we have to be intentional about it. His statement reminded me of a story I read when I was a teenager about a man named Edwin C. Barnes. Have you ever heard of him? His story is one of the best examples of intentional action to achieve a desired outcome. It became my blueprint for fast-tracking my way to the top! In his book “Think and Grow Rich,” Napoleon Hill tells the story of a man named Edwin C. Barnes who made up his mind that he was going to go into business working with Thomas Edison — whether Edison liked it or not. Despite having no money and no relationship with Edison, Barnes hopped a freight train and managed to get an audience with the famous inventor. Hill recounts that first meeting... Mr. Edison said, “He stood there before me, looking like an ordinary tramp, but there was something in the expression on his face which conveyed the impression that he was determined to get what he had come after. I had learned, from years of experience with men, that when a man desires a thing so deeply that he is willing to stake his entire future on a single turn of the wheel to get it, he is sure to win.” Barnes had no money to begin with. He had but 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 with the greatest inventor who ever lived.” It should be noted that it took Barnes five years of nonstop effort, hustle, and tenacity to get his chance to finally work side-by-side with Edison. Hill notes… Barnes did not say, “I will 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 will start anywhere. I will do anything Edison tells me to do, but before I am through, I will be his associate.” He did not say, “I will 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 am determined to have, and that is a business association with Thomas A. Edison. I will 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! The story of Edwin C. Barnes had such an impact on me that I have used his approach three times in my life to take my professional life to the next level. The first time was back in 1989 when I aspired to become a martial arts school owner like my mentor. He wasn’t aware of it, but I had already decided that I would work my way to win a seat at his boardroom table. At the time I was the janitor, but it didn’t take me long to work my way into a position as the new member enrollment director and even invited to move into his home so I could shadow him and learn the ropes as his “apprentice.” It sounds a lot like Edwin Barnes' story, doesn’t it? The second time was in 2006 when I met my next mentor. I reached out to him initially via email to let him know that I was interested in learning from him. He responded with a question. He asked, “What are you currently reading?” I responded and said, The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell. I included one of the takeaways I got from the chapter I was reading at the time. Mr. S. and I immediately connected by exchanging emails about what we had learned from this book and many others over the next 12 months. Eventually, I not only became his apprentice, but he invited me to partner with him on a new venture. The third time was in 2020 during the Covid shutdown. While I had time on my hands, I decided to take my speaking and presentation skills to the next level. To be the best, my thinking is that you must learn from the best. I had always wanted to connect with Tony Robbins, so I took the opportunity to see if I had what it took to become a world-class speaker and auditioned for a spot on Tony Robbins’ elite speaking team. It took six months of hard work and perseverance to make it happen. Tony didn’t know it at the time, but I had already made the decision and would not be denied. So, I will leave you with a few questions…
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