Inspiration: Pick Yourself Up, Dust Yourself Off, Start All Over Again
This economy is enough to get anyone down. But others have been through this before and lived to tell the tale. How we inspire ourselves to get up and try again - even when it seems we're not making any headway - is key to making a success of our lives.
So, first, how about a little musical interlude?
Now, here are some interesting perspectives on failure from a man who had real reason to know, as his many experiments and consistent learning from failed attempts led him to register 1,200 patents in his lifetime, from electric power and sound recording to motion pictures and storage batteries.
Thomas Alva Edison was, in a way, the first blogger. At age 14 he convinced 300 train commuters to subscribe to a newspaper he created from teletyped news releases received at the train station at which he had worked since age 12. Called the Weekly Herald, it contained timely updates about the hot topic of the day: pre-Civil War debates between Lincoln and Douglas. This little newspaper was the first ever to be type-set, printed, and sold on a train!
His legacy includes some very inspiring quotes:
"Be courageous. I have seen many depressions in business. Always America has emerged from these stronger and more prosperous. Be brave as your fathers before you. Have faith! Go forward!"
"I have not failed. I've just found 10, 000 ways that won't work."
"His genius he was quite content in one brief sentence to define; Of inspiration one percent, of perspiration, ninety nine."
So, despite those failed attempts, those bad days, those leads that don't pan out, let's work up a sweat and get back out there!
And now, if, like me, you were a bit disappointed that Ginger and Fred sang but didn't dance in the video above, here's that incredible, light-on-your-feet dance to accompany the music. Enjoy!
Inspiration: Pick Yourself Up, Dust Yourself Off, Start All Over Again
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