Napoleon Hill’s Burning Desire Explained
Napoleon Hill’s Burning Desire is an integral part of Hill’s success philosophy.
It’s so important that Hill starts the first lines of his magnum opus ‘Think and Grow Rich’ with the following lines,
“TRULY, THOUGHTS ARE THINGS—and powerful things at that when they are mixed with definiteness of purpose, persistence, and a BURNING DESIRE.”
But what exactly is a Burning Desire and how can you use it to manifest success and wealth?
In this article we will dive deep into Napoleon Hill’s Burning Desire concept through analyzing his work.
Edwin C. Barnes’ Burning Desire To Meet Thomas Edison
In Think and Grow Rich, Hill shares a story of a man named Edwin C. Barnes who desired to work with the legendary businessman Thomas Edison.
Thomas Edison was like the Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk of Barnes’ time.
Barnes was a common man who had a dream.
One day Barnes stumbles upon one of Thomas Edison’s factories and he is hit with a sudden burst of inspiration.
“He heard himself asking Mr. Edison for an opportunity to carry out the one CONSUMING OBSESSION OF HIS LIFE, a BURNING DESIRE to become the business associate of the great inventor.”
The moment was pivotal, and Barnes went from simply wanting to work with Edison to DECIDING he would.
He maintained the state of mind for several years whilst doing everything in his power to achieve the goal.
After some time Barnes eventually fulfilled his dream of meeting Thomas Edison.
They become business associates just as Barnes imagined many years prior.
Barnes’ Burning Desire set forth a series of events which led to the manifestation of the partnership.
He walked Neville Goddard’s ‘Bridge of Incidents’, encountering a series of unexpected events which slowly nudged him towards his goal.
Difference between a Desire and a Burning Desire
Before any manifestation can occur one needs to feel a burning desire to make the dream a reality.
The difference between a normal desire and a Napoleon Hill’s Burning Desire is the degree of the emotion.
“Barnes’ desire was not a hope! It was not a wish! It was a keen, pulsating DESIRE that transcended everything else. It was DEFINITE.”
One can only have a burning desire for things which are aligned with their life purpose.
You can’t trick yourself into obtaining a consuming obsession, it either comes to you or you find it.
Only this level of desire can attract the power of the subconscious mind.
We have all heard of stories of people who wished they could have better health.
They talk about exercising and eating healthily, but nothing ever happens.
Those same people when told they have developed diabetes tend to develop a Burning Desire to fix their health.
This type of Burning Desire happens naturally to ensure survival.
The other form of Burning Desire is self-generated.
You reach some pivotal moment in your life and make a decision to dedicate yourself to mastery.
Einstein did not have a desire to understand the relationship between time and space.
He had a burning desire to decipher the mysteries of the universe.
Michael Jordan did not have a desire to become a good basketball player, he had a burning desire to leave his mark on the sport at the greatest.
You will only have a burning desire for things which you feel called to do.
This is why change is difficult for things we are not interested in.
Napoleon Hill’s Burning Desire: 6 Steps to Turn Desire Into Riches
Below is the full blueprint of Hill’s success philosophy in 6 steps. These steps shows you how to use your Burning Desire to spark the creative power of the subconscious mind.
Step One: Definiteness of Purpose
Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire. It is not sufficient merely to say, “I want plenty of money.” Be definite as to the amount.
You can replace a monetary amount with any other goal you wish to obtain. Remember riches are not always monetary but Hill uses money as it’s a universal example.
Step Two: What will you give?
Second. Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire. (There is no such reality as “something for nothing.”)
Hill was a fan of Emerson’s Law of Compensation which states,
“The whole of what we know is a system of compensations. Every defect in one manner is made up in another. Every suffering is rewarded; every sacrifice is made up; every debt is paid.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson
You can’t expect something from nothing. Get real and clearly state what you are willing to do to attain your reward. Let’s say you wish to make $10,000,000 through your business. What are you willing to give to your clients in order to deserve such a sum of money?
Step Three: Have a clear date
Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money you desire.
Having a clear date will allow your subconscious mind to believe in the goal. It transforms goal from being a fantasy to something which is real.
Step Four: Create a definite plan
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.
This will give you some initial orientation and helps make the subconscious believe in the goal. Most people don’t make plans and just have empty wishes, the mind knows when you are bluffing and will not waste energy helping you. Hill also encourages us to take action even without having all of the desired information.
Taking action is key because the path will become clearer as you walk it, you can’t possibly know how you will achieve the goal from your starting point.
Step Five: Write a concise statement
Write out a clear, concise statement of the amount 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.
Summarize all of the work you have done into a small paragraph.
Step Six: Read your statement daily
Read your written statement aloud, twice daily, once just before retiring at night and once after arising in the morning.
Hill asks that we read the statement during the Hypnogogic and hypnopompic states. During these states our subconscious minds are susceptible to programming. As you proceed through your day your mind will solve problems and look for opportunities which will help you achieve your goals.
Hill often talks about how the subconscious is connected to Infinite Intelligence or what his inspiration Charles Haanel called Universal Mind. Trust in the process and the answers will come to you.
Napoleon Hill’s Son Blair Hill
One of the most popular examples of burning desire is Hill’s explanation of healing his son Blair Hill.
Blair Hill was born deaf with an underdeveloped ear and Hill was told he would be deaf and mute for his whole life.
Hill did not accept this conclusion and developed a burning desire to help the boy learn how to read and speak so he would develop normally.
Hill did not know how he would do it but decided that his son would be able to hear.
The problem was it took two to tangle,
“Somehow, I would find a way to transplant into that child’s mind my own BURNING DESIRE for ways and means of conveying sound to his brain without the aid of ears.”
As soon as his son was able to cooperate Hill started his mission of getting the boy to hear and speak.
He noticed Blair was able to hear a little bit, so he began to help build the boys hearing abilities through unconventional means.
Hill used music, bedtime stories, changed the way he spoke so his son could better understand the words and more.
The whole ordeal was difficult but fueled by his Burning Desire to help the boy.
With time Blair developed the same Burning Desire as his father and would push his limits in life and school.
Some 20 years later, Blair gained a position working at a prestigious hearing-aid company and would go on to help teach deaf people how to hear.
The Burning desire turned his disability into an advantage.
It became a tool to help thousands of people around the world.
A BURNING DESIRE has devious ways of transmuting itself into its physical equivalent. Blair DESIRED normal hearing. And he received it!
Developing a strong burning desire
Hill explains a few processes for building on your burning desire.
Remember, your burning desire is unique to you, and you can’t trick yourself into being interested in something your heart doesn’t care about.
However, if you do have a burning desire and you want to ensure that you succeed there are a few things you can do.
Burn the boats
Hill shares the popular parable of solders going to war and burning their boats when they get on shore.
They do this to remove the idea of surrender from their minds.
They either win the war or die from the audacious Ulysses Contract.
Hill explains how you need to eliminate all Plan B’s in order to develop the required faith to obtain your goal.
Having a Plan B creates a seed of doubt in your mind which can grow and sabotage your success.
Commit fully to your goal.
If you fail or decide to change course you can form another plan then.
Positive frame of mind
In his book, The Laws of Success: In Sixteen Lessons, Hill explains the importance of keeping a positive mental attitude in order to maintain your Burning Desire.
Hill explains his use of a ‘Gloom Chaser’,
“The “gloom-chaser” to which I refer is a hearty laugh. When I feel “out of sorts” or inclined to argue with somebody over something that is not worthy of discussion, I know that I need my “gloom-chaser,” and I proceed to get away where I will disturb no one and have a good hearty laugh.”
He forces himself to stay in a positive state by laughing.
This advice might sound ridiculous but some studies have shown that even forcing a fake smile can change your brain chemistry and mood.
The main idea is to do something to ensure you remain optimistic whilst working towards your goal.
Emotions such as fear, worry, doubt and anxiety when felt in excess will block your connection with the subconscious mind.
Summary
A Napoleon Hill’s Burning Desire is the first step needed to manifest your goal in the physical world. Once you have a Burning Desire you need a Definite Purpose which is facilitated by a tangible plan. You then work towards your goal consistently all whilst reminding yourself of the goal. You ignore negative impressions and fixate on your vision, soon what you see in your mind will be yours in reality.
Do this and promise you will be one step closer to living and dying well.