The motivation to succeed comes from the burning desire to achieve a purpose. Napoleon Hill wrote, "Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve."A young man asked Socrates the secret to success. Socrates told the young man to meet him near the river the next morning. They met. Socrates asked the young man to walk with him toward the river. When the water got up to their neck, Socrates took the young man by surprise and ducked(vt. 将……猛按入水) him into the water. The boy struggled to get out but Socrates was strong and kept him there until the boy started turning blue. Socrates pulled his head out of the water and the first thing the young man did was to gasp(vi.喘息) and take a deep breath of air. Socrates asked, "What did you want the most when you were there?" The boy replied, "Air." Socrates said, "That is the secret to success. When you want success as badly as you wanted the air, then you will get it.There is no other secret."A burning desire is the starting point of all accomplishment. Just like a small fire cannot give much heat, a weak desire cannot produce great results.成功的行动来自于那燃烧着的想要达成目的的欲望。拿破仑·希尔写道:"成功的意念能够到达个人的构想与信念所能到达的任何地方。"一个年轻人向苏格拉底询问成功的秘诀,苏格拉底让年轻人第二天早晨到河边见他。他们见面后,苏格拉底叫年轻人和他一起走向河里,当河水淹至他们的脖子时,苏格拉底出其不意地抓住年轻人并把其压入水中,那人想要挣出水面,而强壮有力的苏格拉底将他摁在水中直到他变得无力抗争,脸色发青。苏格拉底将他的头拖出水面,这个年轻人所做的第一件事就是大口喘息后,深吸一口气。苏格拉底问:"当你闷在水里的时候你最想要的是什么?"年轻人回答说:"空气。"苏格拉底说:"那就是成功的秘诀。当你像渴望空气一样渴望成功,你就能够获得它!没有其他的秘密了。"强烈的欲望是一切成功的起点,正如小火苗不能放出大量的热一样,一个微小的愿望也不能促成伟大的成就。
