Think and Grow Rich book - Chapter 1

Principle 1: Have a BURNING DESIRE to reach your goal, and you will be able to conquer that goal. 

The book outlines that when you have a definite, BURNING DESIRE to achieve a certain goal, the Universe will make that goal become a reality due to the energy that is transmitted through your thoughts. 

Think of it in a more practical way. Everything in the Universe is energy. Your thoughts are energy. Your actions are energy. Your BURNING DESIRE about a goal or thing, means that you are constantly having thoughts regarding that particular goal or thing and you are making certain actions to attain it. Therefore, the more you think about it and the more you are making actions towards that goal/thing, the more energy is transmitted in the Universe through your thoughts which make it aligned with your goal or thing. 

This is illustrated in the book through a story from a friend of Napoleon Hill. 

Napoleon Hill emphasises the fact that his friend had a BURNING DESIRE to work with Thomas Edison. Therefore, his friend, Barnes remained focused on his desire for months without changing his mind and as psychologists say, 'when one is truly ready for a thing, it puts in its appearance.'

Correspondingly, Barnes finally got his chance and seized it. He ended up working with Thomas Edison for more than thirty years. 

Principle 2: Never quit after a temporary defeat

This will become evident once you look at the Chapter on persistence in later blog posts. Every failure is a learning step towards success. As George Moore pointed out, "A winner is just a loser who tried one more time."