"Thomas Edison's 3 Secrets of Persistence"
by Randy Gilbert
In this article you will discover 3 incredible secrets
that will teach you "Proactive Persistence. " These
secrets will make you truly unstoppable in any
pursuit.
If there is one trait that sets apart those who have
accomplished great things, it is tenacity. Louis
Pasteur said, "Let me tell you the secret that has led
me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my
tenacity." Persistence is a trait that every person,
especially those in business must have.
Thomas Edison is a perfect example of a person with
proactive persistence. When he reached experiment
9,999 he was asked by a reporter, "Sir, are you going
to fail 10,000 times?" Edison confidently replied, "I
have not failed at each attempt; rather I've succeeded
at discovering another way not to invent an electric
lamp."
Before I go on with the story of Edison, let me first
tell you that I love jellybeans. I go crazy in a candy
store that sells just about every variety known to
man. I know that my kids love me a lot, because one
year for my birthday they gave me a BIG jelly bean jar
and a BUNCH of jelly beans. I would like to say they
lasted a long time, but that wouldn't be telling the
truth.
I don't know if Thomas Edison was as fond of
jellybeans as I am, but let me tell you how he would
have used his jar once it was empty.
------------ --------- --------- --------- ------
Secret #1 - You Must Fail Systematically
------------ --------- --------- --------- ------
The first secret behind Thomas Edison's persistence is
that he KNEW his inventions would work because he
discovered a system that would eventually make them
work. He holds the record on the number of U.S.
patents because he learned how to fail systematically
without labeling himself a failure.
Edison set up a method of testing each possible
solution and eliminating all of the ones that didn't
work. As more ways didn't work he got more excited,
because he knew that he was getting closer to finding
the solution that would work.
So what does failing systematically have to do with a
jellybean jar? If Edison had a jellybean jar he would
have filled it with his "idea-beans" - LOTS OF THEM!
Idea-beans are the alternative ways for solving a
problem.
Thomas Edison kept replenishing his idea-bean jar,
until he found the solution that would light up the
room.
------------ --------- --------- --------- -------
Secret #2 - Rid Yourself Of LAZY THINKER-itis
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------
Thomas Edison was not a lazy thinker. He was known to
sit for hours thinking of ways to make his inventions
work. He remained persistent, even after many failed
attempts, because he never ran out of idea-beans.
When most of us try to solve a problem we come up with
the requisite 2 or 3 alternative solutions. If all
three don't work, we give up. HOW SAD!. Maybe the
fourth idea would've worked; but, we will never know
because we were too lazy to think of it. We give up
because we run out of idea-beans.
Thomas Edison didn't stop at 3 alternatives, or 4 or
5. No he didn't even stop at 10,000. Edison had
proactive persistence because he rid himself of LAZY
THINKER-itis. He kept filling his idea bean jar so
that it was never empty.
"So Dr. Proactive, how do I rid myself of LAZY
THINKER-itis? " I'm glad you asked, that brings us to
Secret #3.
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -
Secret #3 - Use Proactive Thinking Techniques
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -
Rid yourself of LAZY THINKER-itis by using proactive
thinking techniques such as Mindstorming. I learned
Mindstorming years ago from Brian Tracy, one of the
most gifted teachers I've ever had. If you use it, you
are guaranteed to come up with more ideas than you
will ever be able to implement.
Mindstorming is similar to group brainstorming, but
you perform it alone. It goes like this. Take a piece
of paper and write at the top of it your pressing
problem. Then number the lines 1 through 20.
Write on each line one way of how you might solve the
problem. The first few will come fairly quickly and
seem obvious; just put them down. You will begin to
experience more difficultly as you work on the last 5
to 7. Often these are the ideas with the most promise.
There are further explanations to mindstorming plus
other thinking techniques outlined in SUCCESS BOUND.
Use these types of exercises regularly and you will
begin to feel unstoppable because your mind - and your
idea-bean jar - will be full.
Then, when you have a solution that doesn't work out,
you'll be able to look at the situation in the way
that Thomas Edison did and congratulate yourself for
finding another way that didn't work. You'll have
gained an attitude of proactive persistence.
All articles by Randy Gilbert are reproducible without
further permission so long as the following by-line is
used after each one.
------------ --------- --------- --------
Randy Gilbert, a.k.a. ‘Dr. Proactive, the Master Life
Builder’
Author of "SUCCESS BOUND" Host of “The Inside Success
Show”
Creator of Life Builder Teleseminars -
Copyright © 2001-2004 Randy Gilbert. All rights
reserved.
Feel free to pass this article in its entirety to
anyone you wish.
by Randy Gilbert
In this article you will discover 3 incredible secrets
that will teach you "Proactive Persistence. " These
secrets will make you truly unstoppable in any
pursuit.
If there is one trait that sets apart those who have
accomplished great things, it is tenacity. Louis
Pasteur said, "Let me tell you the secret that has led
me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my
tenacity." Persistence is a trait that every person,
especially those in business must have.
Thomas Edison is a perfect example of a person with
proactive persistence. When he reached experiment
9,999 he was asked by a reporter, "Sir, are you going
to fail 10,000 times?" Edison confidently replied, "I
have not failed at each attempt; rather I've succeeded
at discovering another way not to invent an electric
lamp."
Before I go on with the story of Edison, let me first
tell you that I love jellybeans. I go crazy in a candy
store that sells just about every variety known to
man. I know that my kids love me a lot, because one
year for my birthday they gave me a BIG jelly bean jar
and a BUNCH of jelly beans. I would like to say they
lasted a long time, but that wouldn't be telling the
truth.
I don't know if Thomas Edison was as fond of
jellybeans as I am, but let me tell you how he would
have used his jar once it was empty.
------------ --------- --------- --------- ------
Secret #1 - You Must Fail Systematically
------------ --------- --------- --------- ------
The first secret behind Thomas Edison's persistence is
that he KNEW his inventions would work because he
discovered a system that would eventually make them
work. He holds the record on the number of U.S.
patents because he learned how to fail systematically
without labeling himself a failure.
Edison set up a method of testing each possible
solution and eliminating all of the ones that didn't
work. As more ways didn't work he got more excited,
because he knew that he was getting closer to finding
the solution that would work.
So what does failing systematically have to do with a
jellybean jar? If Edison had a jellybean jar he would
have filled it with his "idea-beans" - LOTS OF THEM!
Idea-beans are the alternative ways for solving a
problem.
Thomas Edison kept replenishing his idea-bean jar,
until he found the solution that would light up the
room.
------------ --------- --------- --------- -------
Secret #2 - Rid Yourself Of LAZY THINKER-itis
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------
Thomas Edison was not a lazy thinker. He was known to
sit for hours thinking of ways to make his inventions
work. He remained persistent, even after many failed
attempts, because he never ran out of idea-beans.
When most of us try to solve a problem we come up with
the requisite 2 or 3 alternative solutions. If all
three don't work, we give up. HOW SAD!. Maybe the
fourth idea would've worked; but, we will never know
because we were too lazy to think of it. We give up
because we run out of idea-beans.
Thomas Edison didn't stop at 3 alternatives, or 4 or
5. No he didn't even stop at 10,000. Edison had
proactive persistence because he rid himself of LAZY
THINKER-itis. He kept filling his idea bean jar so
that it was never empty.
"So Dr. Proactive, how do I rid myself of LAZY
THINKER-itis? " I'm glad you asked, that brings us to
Secret #3.
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -
Secret #3 - Use Proactive Thinking Techniques
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -
Rid yourself of LAZY THINKER-itis by using proactive
thinking techniques such as Mindstorming. I learned
Mindstorming years ago from Brian Tracy, one of the
most gifted teachers I've ever had. If you use it, you
are guaranteed to come up with more ideas than you
will ever be able to implement.
Mindstorming is similar to group brainstorming, but
you perform it alone. It goes like this. Take a piece
of paper and write at the top of it your pressing
problem. Then number the lines 1 through 20.
Write on each line one way of how you might solve the
problem. The first few will come fairly quickly and
seem obvious; just put them down. You will begin to
experience more difficultly as you work on the last 5
to 7. Often these are the ideas with the most promise.
There are further explanations to mindstorming plus
other thinking techniques outlined in SUCCESS BOUND.
Use these types of exercises regularly and you will
begin to feel unstoppable because your mind - and your
idea-bean jar - will be full.
Then, when you have a solution that doesn't work out,
you'll be able to look at the situation in the way
that Thomas Edison did and congratulate yourself for
finding another way that didn't work. You'll have
gained an attitude of proactive persistence.
All articles by Randy Gilbert are reproducible without
further permission so long as the following by-line is
used after each one.
------------ --------- --------- --------
Randy Gilbert, a.k.a. ‘Dr. Proactive, the Master Life
Builder’
Author of "SUCCESS BOUND" Host of “The Inside Success
Show”
Creator of Life Builder Teleseminars -
Copyright © 2001-2004 Randy Gilbert. All rights
reserved.
Feel free to pass this article in its entirety to
anyone you wish.