{February 2019} How to pursue BIG ideas
February 2019
Greetings inspired earthlings!
I just finished up a mural in Houston, Texas at a very popular smoke shop located in the Montrose area. I literally met the owner of the shop the very first day I arrived in Texas and was blown away by the synchronicity. You can see the making of the mural by following this YouTube link.
Did you know that much of the time, situations disguised as defeat or failure are actually steps closer to reaching your goal? Perception is a key component to success.
There was a man by the name of Edwin Barnes. Barnes had an idea one day that he would like to be partners with the great Thomas Edison. There were two things standing in Barnes’ way.
1. He had never met Thomas Edison
2. He didn’t have enough money to get to New Jersey where Thomas Edison lived
This would have been the perfect opportunity for Barnes to simply say, “This idea of mine isn’t sensible.” If Barnes told anyone this idea they would be sure to tell him the same. Better to pursue something with a greater success rate, they would retort. Barnes was determined, however, to make this happen. He hitched a ride on a freight train to meet with Thomas Edison; he walked right up to him and said that he wanted to be partners. Barnes did not get a chance to work with Edison upon that first meeting, but he did get a chance to work at the Edison offices for minimum wage.
What a different story people would have to tell if only they would adopt a definite purpose and stand by that purpose until it had time to become an all-consuming obsession. When Barnes’ opportunity came to work with Edison, it came in a different form and in a different direction than expected. That is one of the tricks of opportunity; it sometimes has the sly habit of slipping in through the back door. Mr. Edison had just perfected a new office device known as the Ediphone. Most salesmen did not believe it could be sold without great effort, but Barnes saw his opportunity. He knew he could sell that device, and sell that device he did. In fact, he sold it so well that Edison gave him a contract to market and sell it all over the nation. From that association came the slogan, “Made by Edison and installed by Barnes.” Barnes proved how effective blind determination can be. An intangible, impulsive thought can be transmuted to its physical counterpart by the application of known principles. Barnes literally thought himself into a partnership with Edison and into a great fortune. He had nothing in his favor except the capacity to know what he wanted and the determination to stand by that desire until he realized it.
Some of the best advice I was ever given was by John Pugh himself. He said, “Don’t ever become so attached to an idea that you pass by an opportunity in disguise.” Sometimes my ideas can be too real for me from the start and I am not able to see past my plan of action long enough to be open to alternate possibilities. I took that advice to heart and have been invited to John’s home to pursue a month long internship. If you remember, Mr. Pugh is the artist I worked with at the start of my journey in Minneapolis. He is very successful as a mural artist and I am honored to have been given this opportunity. Originally my goal was to paint six states in six months but I will be flexible with my plan to fit this in. I still plan on painting a mural in Louisiana for the month of February but will be taking the month of March off to study under John and grow as an artist. This is the point I was leading to in the story of Edison and Barnes. Sometimes opportunity slips in the back door and you have to be ready to invite it in. I will be literally scraping together cash for the plane ticket but these factors involved when following your dream, such as money, timing, etc. are trivial in the grand scheme. Never let something so fleeting like money determine your future. Set the intention, and live it. Everything else will fall in to place. The story of Edison and Barnes I pulled from the book “Think and Grow Rich” by Napolean Hill which I highly recommend.
I will talk to you next month
Best wishes
America