Every life is a story. Every story has a theme or purpose. In writing, sometimes an author develops a theme and then writes. Other times a theme emerges when the work is complete. In my study of Thomas Edison, who is famous for inventing the lightbulb, phonograph, and motion picture camera, a theme emerged as if it was pre-planned.

I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. – Thomas Edison

Perseverance

That famous quote may be the definition of what it means to press through and not give up on a goal.  As an inventor holding over 1,000 patents to his name, he wasn’t throwing idle numbers around. Can you feel the fight in these words? He indignantly refused to accept any try as wasted time, and he recognized the value of each forward step.

I’d love to know where he got his grit. As a child, Thomas came down with scarlet fever, had recurring middle ear infections, and suffered hearing loss. Life didn’t come easy for Edison, but he didn’t let that stop him from inventing.

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

Oof! If you google Thomas Edison quotes, you’ll find he talks straight about hard work. During his young life, he sold newspapers and candy on trains. He worked for over 3 years as a telegraph operator before launching his career as an inventor. Through these years, he did experiments – that sometimes got him into trouble – and continued to try again and again.

The value of an idea lies in the using of it. – Thomas Edison

Just as we look for the theme or point of a story, Edison looked for the usefulness of the invention. He didn’t use his mind and talents to create idly and be cool. Thomas was a man who saw the needs of his generation, and worked adamantly to bring to fruition inventions that helped to meet those needs.

The result of that perseverance?

He drastically changed the world.

So, inventors, we’ve got work to do. Hike up your sleeves, or put your overalls on. And if your idea doesn’t work the first time, don’t give up!

Invent your story.

This is my second post that studies the lives of inventors. You can learn something useful (that may flip your value system) about Albert Einstein at: What You Didn’t Know You Have in Common with Albert Einstein.

I learned a lot about Thomas Edison on Wikipedia and found the cool quotes in this post at BrainyQuote. If you want to learn more about Edison, these sites a great place to start!

(sources include but not limited to: encyclopedia.com, wikipedia.com)

Until next time,

Invent your story