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How many people do you know who can claim over 1,000 patents for
inventions? Or started over 100 companies? Amazingly, one man, Ohioan
Thomas Alva Edison, did both! He is chiefly known as the inventor of the
incandescent light bulb and phonograph, but what impresses most people
who have studied Edison's life is not so much a
specific achievement, but rather his fortitude. It is his boundless
determination that inspires most. It is that same dungaree work ethic
that made all his accomplishments possible. Thanks to his wordsmith
wizardry too, Edison's legacy to the ages includes
many aphorisms: pithy little zingers that either inspire or lead to deep
self-exploration. Let's explore one of those "zingers" today,
and look for ways to use it in your writing and speaking to motivate and
influence.
Ric Moxley — Editor
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Opportunity is
missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like
work.
— Thomas
Edison
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Key Point
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Ouch!
It is difficult to sidestep the impact of this quote by Thomas Edison.
Haven't we all wished for that "knock on the door from Ed
McMahon," so to speak? Those who take Edison's advice and
undergird their dreams with their own blood, sweat, and tears will open
a dozen doors of opportunity while the rest of us wait for the first
door of opportunity to open.
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Marketing
Value
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Professional basketball players polish their skills by
shooting hoops hundreds or even thousands of times daily. Two things
happen as a result. First, such daily repetition produces physiological
changes in the brain, hardwiring patterns of success: melding the
mind-body connection in such a way that success happens frequently and
subconsciously. Second, even if no change were to ever occur in their
brains, they would successfully throw the ball through the hoop more
often than those of us who are not throwing hundreds or thousands of
times daily!
To
find your opportunity for success in sales, be as dedicated to calling
on prospects as a basketball player is to shooting hoops. It's a lot of
work, and sometimes unpleasant. But daily repetition will inevitably
bring more sales. And more sales will hardwire your brain for success.
Don't believe me: believe the man with more than 1,000 inventions to
his name.
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In
Speaking . . .
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No matter what one's position on the social or financial
ladders of life, it seems there is always someone else on a higher
rung. In this quote, Edison makes it clear — in surprisingly few words
— that we will most surely discover our successes not by complaining
about our relative lack of opportunities but by focusing instead on our
own tasks. When speaking to your team on themes such as goal-setting,
focus, commitment, integrity, or fortune, instill a healthy attitude
toward the opportunity at hand with Edison's subtle reproach, that most
opportunities will be overlooked by those who don't recognize that
"it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."
If
you use the quote in a speech, consider speaking first about Edison, at least
briefly. This way, you can be sure they understand how relevant to
success these words are, spoken by the man who recognized and leveraged
more opportunities each year than most of us do in a lifetime. An
excellent resource for researching the man and his accomplishments is
the book At Work With Thomas Edison: 10
Business Lessons from America's Greatest Innovator, by Blaine McCormick.
Anyone in company leadership positions will benefit from these business
lessons inspired by the words and actions of Thomas Edison. Consider
making it a gift to you and to the people on your team.
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In Writing . . .
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In a formal annual employee evaluation, you may need to
deal with the awkward challenge of inspiring an associate who is not
carrying his or her weight. If the associate feels slighted, compared
with the recognition or advances made by others, let the "wizard
of Menlo Park" speak
for you! Use Edison's words — and
properly credit him for them — to remind the associate that advancement
and recognition go to those who leverage opportunities through their
hard labor and determination.
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Beyond the
Workplace . . .
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I have one teenager and one preteen child. If you have
children — particularly of this same general age range — I believe you
may find this quote as valuable as I have. Teens and preteens often
view advice from parents with circumspect, if not complete disregard.
Quoting someone famous (and, ideally, someone respectable they are
already familiar with from their history lessons) can have a greater
impact than trying to deliver such a work ethic message in your own
words. If you look on our refrigerator, you will find this quote front
and center.
Children
have aspirations. They need aspirations. And we want to encourage them,
of course. What better way, than to use the example of Thomas Edison, a
man known for accomplishing so much by determination and perspiration?
Without another word beyond this quote, you can light the path to
greatness for your children. Thank you for that, Mr. Edison.
Help your children discover the character and achievements
of Edison; give them the book Thomas A. Edison: Young Inventor, by Sue Guthridge,
from the Childhood of Famous Americans book series, geared specifically
for youthful readers. You can purchase the book at Amazon by
clicking here..
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What is
Your Favorite Quote?
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Is there a quote that has either served you
inspirationally in the workplace or has been valuable in your speech or
in writing? Write and tell us about
it. We may feature your quote in a future issue to
inspire others.
Also, please write and tell us how
our weekly quotes have enhanced your writing and speaking. Your
feedback helps us tailor our quote selections to your needs and often
inspires others as well.
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Let
WriteWorks Help
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Are you searching for the right turn of phrase and not
sure if you've got it? When your words need to count, count on
WriteWorks. We wordsmith proposals, presentations, articles, reports,
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