5 Secrets of Thomas Edison’s Success

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Most of us know the story of Thomas Edison, his inventions and their relevance in our world today, several years after his death.

Did you know he arrived New York from Boston (USA) friendless, and heavily in debt due to his failed experiments in Boston? I stumbled on an old interview of his in which he shared the principles that caused him to succeed in life and business.

I have decided to share those principles with you, as they are still very true today as they were back then, and they help you immensely in your journey to success:

1. Being broke and hungry is a blessing

When Thomas Edison was asked if he believed hunger, and lack can compel a person to achieve success, he said “It certainly makes him keep a sharp look out. I think it does push a man along.”

I totally agree with this statement. I too believe being broke and hungry is a blessing, as it pushes you to go the extra-mile to do anything legitimate to change your situation. (see The power of broke book by Daymond John)

So rather than complain about your present state, let it be the fire that you need to drive you to success.

2. Be willing to put in long hours on your goals

How hard do you work on your dreams and goals? I find that most people lack the ability to spend enough time working on their dreams and goals. Folks working 8am – 4pm or 9am – 5pm will only earn you a living in most cases. If you want to build your business and bringing huge success, you must be willing to work longer than 5pm.

Thomas Edison said, for 15 years he worked for 20 hours a day. Now while that may be going to the extreme, that was how much time he had to give in order to be who he is to us, and carved his name in the tablet of immortality.

How Are We to Think About The Difficulties We Meet in Life?

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Most people regard the difficulties they encounter as great misfortunes, and they are right. But that isn’t completely true about difficulties, that aren’t the only way to see them. In fact there is a better way to think about difficulties.

Difficulties are often, when rightly used, often great blessings in disguise. And this is how you should always see and think about them. Most people complain about having to meet with difficulties in their start-ups, relationships, or early years in marriage. But on the contrary they ought to be thankful.

Because every difficult we face cause us to think outside the box, enables us to reach for that part of our minds that we have allowed to grow weeds, spur us to travail, become more resilient and resourceful.

Think about those giant trees in your parks, like that giant oak tree or any other tree that has been standing since when you were a little kid going to school or playing with your friends. The tree hasn’t lasted this long, grown that big and strong just because the ground was fertile, NO!

Podcast Episode 15: Develop the Tenacity of Purpose

Tenacity of purpose is a great quality that is required if you want success at any level. Unfortunately so many people lack this quality and as a result they miss their goals even when they are positioned and equipped to realise them.

If you are about to startup a business or venture into something new, then you should take a listen on this inspiring episode. It may just make all the difference for you between success and failure, especially as reports say 95% of most business startups fail between their 1-3 years.

I encourage you to listen, and also share this episode with someone you may know.

You Are Not Here to Only Make a Living

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Is this life all about getting money and acquiring material success? Is there nothing better that the scramble for more money, the acquisition of assets and being ranked among the wealthiest in your neighbourhood, community, city, state, nation or the world?

Is there nothing better more valuable to struggle for? Surely there’s as the bible says a good name is better than many riches. Unfortunately our schools and today’s culture have taught us to focus on developing this coarse side of man, while the God-side, the moral remains underdeveloped.

Economists, statisticians and analysts have been be able to estimate the assets and liabilities of individuals to come up with their net worth but no one has been able to estimate the real wealth that inheres in fine character, and a well refined life which brings love, joy, and peace into every home and person it encounters wherever it goes.

It is really amazing to find men and women both young and old pay such a huge price for things that are not worth the while, then they throw away the valued and lasting ones, in their quest for that which will fade and perish.

Do You Know a Purposeless Life Leads to Failure?

Do you have a definite purpose in life? A lot of people don’t. They just take whatever life brings to them. They work on the first job that becomes available, date the first girl/guy that says ‘yes’ to them.

Too many people are drifters. Drifting from job to job, relationship to relationship, from one failed marriage to the other, from one city to the other…in search of a better life.

Unfortunately, life expects you to have a clearly defined purpose. If you don’t know where you are going, how will you know if or when you have arrived?

The life you are living in this moment is the one you have created. If you don’t like it, it simply means you didn’t take the time to define how your future should look like.

In this video, I shared on why you must have a clearly defined purpose, and how that affects your success in life.

Take a moment to watch it, and also share it with others you know. Let me know your thoughts.

Having a Bad Day? God’s Got You

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We all have our discouraged days, when things do not go well. Your children come back home failing lessons at school even after studying hard and having really done their best, in fact you even helped them through their studies. Or as a mother you fail in your household work; the children are so hard to control.

Or maybe you have been wronged or angered and try as you could, you having difficulty being gentle, kind and patient with the world around you. Or maybe you return home after a long day at work, unhappy, disturbed, defeated or discouraged. You have done your best, but you feel that you have failed.

Life is not always easy for anyone who strives to live at their best. Work is hard; challenges are heavy; responsibility is great. Life’s competition is fierce, there are people trying to pull at you from every corner.

It is hard to live blissfully amid the irritations that touch continually at most tender points. It is hard to live lovingly and charitably when you see so much inequity and wrong, and sometimes you must yourself endure hate and injustice from people around you.

Called to Be Faithful

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Are you waiting on God to do your work for you? Look God is waiting for you to start. Even God cannot do our work without us, without our skills, our faithfulness. Every one of us has been called to do our work faithfully no matter what it is.

Unfortunately today, most people are neglecting their callings/work/skills/talents/business because they think it is too small for them. Look no matter what you are doing, God has called you to that work; whether you are a carpenter, mechanic, hair stylist, driver, care giver, writer, blogger, speaker etc. you are required to be the best you can be at what you do. God expects you to do the very best work you can possibly do in your line of work.

So whenever you do careless, dishonest, imperfect, slighted work, you are robbing God. The bible says, whatever work you do, you should do it as you are doing it unto God and not unto man. How faithful are you to the work you are doing now? Faithfulness requires that you do the best you can always in everything we do.

Podcast Episode 14: How to Conquer 5 Most Causes of Failure

Failure is something everyone tries to avoid, yet quite too often we find ourselves failing.

A lot of people who fail seems to not understand what causes them to fail, because according to them they did everything to have succeeded yet they don’t

In this episode, I share 5 of the most causes of failure and how to conquer them and be on your way to success, whatever your definition of success is.

I encourage you to listen, download and share this message to others, and also share your thoughts with me.

You Too Can Be Like Christ to Someone

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In the New Testament Bible you find so many wonderful tales of the powerful touch of Christ when he was on earth. Wherever he went we are told of how he laid his hand, left a blessing, healed the sick, comforted the sad, and gave the troubled peace.

But Christ isn’t physically present with us anymore. He lives with the Father above. But what about his touch? Everyone longs for the touch of Christ; we yearn for it in our prayer meetings, in churches, at home, at work, at school, every day we cry for that special touch of Christ.

While Christ is still touching lives in our midst, there is another way in which his touch is felt in human lives; through us. He himself said, “As the Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” God has ordained you and I to save the world, to heal, help, comfort, lift up and build up others.

We have been called and ordained to be as Christ in the lives of the people around us but too often we fail in this responsibility as, we too expect God to come down and save the world when we are his human agents and instruments.