Tag-Archive for ◊ Thomas Edison ◊

06 Nov 2010 When Failure Is Real
Author:  |  Topic: Failure  | Tags: , ,  | Leave a Comment

This may seem like a strange title today. Am I suggesting that failure is not always real?

Well, yes. Too many people give up too soon and call a trial that did not work a complete failure. (I know that you are not one of these folk right?).

Why so many people give up:

  • Their vision is not strong enough.
    Your vision, your life purpose (or your WHY) will always keep you pressing forward when you face those little failures.
  • They are not focused on their long term goals.
    I am sure that you have heard of the quote: I may have lost a battle, but I have not lost the war.
    Focus on the “war” (your long term goals). The short term goals sometimes may need to be adjusted.
Charles C. Noble pointed out, “You must have long-range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short-range failures.”

Thomas Edison had a LOT of short term goals go wrong, but here is what he did about them: Edison saw EVERY failure as a result. Therefore every “failure” in his eyes was a success. He had successfully discovered something that did not work! He was focused on success!

I know that we live in an instant society, but remember real success is not instant.

There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. ~ Colin Powell

What failure is not:

  • Failure is not trying something only to find that it does not work. (According to Thomas Edison that is simply getting a RESULT).
  • Failure may mean you may have lost a battle, but it does NOT mean you lost the war.
  • Failure is not falling down. It is staying down.

What failure is:
Supposing you have tried and failed again and again. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call “failure” is not the falling down, but the staying down. ~Mary Pickford

Conclusion:

  • Real failure is finding something that does not work and camping there.
  • Real failure is falling down and not making the effort to get up and try again.

BUT that definition of real failure is for the losers! You are not one of those.

Here is the champion’s definition of failure:
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” – Henry Ford

JillWhat is your definition of failure today?

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31 Aug 2010 Edison Made History Today
Author:  |  Topic: Famous Quotes, Success Secrets  | Tags: , , , , ,  | Leave a Comment

Edison's KinetoscopeIn 1887, on August 31st, Thomas Edison made history! He received a patent for his “Kinetoscope” and moving pictures were born!

The life of Edison is an incredible story. He had numerous patents on all sorts of inventions.

He is quoted as saying: To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk”.

Well he was a master at turning a “pile of junk” into something that would change society for ever.

He was a genius, yet not in his eyes. At least not the way we would define genius.

Edison defines genius saying: Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.

The top three secrets to the success of Thomas Edison:

He would not give up:

If I find 10,000 ways something won’t work, I haven’t failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.

A what point would you have given up? After the 10th try? Perhaps you would keep going until you had tried 100 times?

He saw every “failure” as a success:

Results! Why, man, he said, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won’t work.

Where you and I may come to a place of frustration because all we see are failures and no results,

Edison saw EVERY failure as a result. Therefore every “failure” in his eyes was a success. He had successfully discovered something that did not work! He was focused on success!

Edison was not afraid of hard work.

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

So many people do miss opportunities because they are looking for an easy solution. Most truly successful people will tell you that there is no easy solution.

So to sum up: Three keys to Thomas Edison’s success:
1. He would not give up. He was relentless in his pursuit of success.
2. He was so focused on success that even “failure” looked like success to him.
3. He was not afraid of hard work. Hard work is a PART of the process and journey.

JillAre you relentless in your pursuit of success in your life today?


What action can you take on this article that will make a difference in your life? Please share your thoughts here
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