Inspiration

3 Essentials to Achieve Anything Worthwhile

A sure path to get what you want

If a well-known person from American history gave you advice on achieving what you want, would you take it? What if he was also one of the greatest inventors who ever lived?

Let’s look at what this gentleman called “The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile…” and how they can change your life!

The three great essentials

Is it possible to learn from someone with only a few months of schooling whose mother taught him reading, writing, and arithmetic? Yet he became one of the most prolific inventors in history! He developed the light bulb, sound recording, the motion picture camera, and many other significant inventions that impacted the world.

This person was none other than Thomas Edison, one of the most recognized names in history. To say he achieved many worthwhile things is a vast understatement.

Let’s look at the three things Edison claimed were “The great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile.” His exact words were:

“The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense.” Thomas A. Edison (1847–1931)

Hard work

“There is no substitute for hard work.” Thomas A. Edison

One of my favorite Edison quotes is about work and opportunity. He knew a great deal about each and proved it in his life. His words were:

“Opportunity is often missed because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

Few people have worked and seized opportunities like Edison; undoubtedly, he had a tremendous work ethic. According to the History Channel, Edison received 1,093 patents (singly and jointly). Of these, 389 were for electric light and power, 195 were for the phonograph, and 150 for the telegraph. He also received many other patents for the telephone, rechargeable storage batteries, motion pictures, fluoroscopy, mining, chemicals, and more. And this was only in America! Edison held another 1,239 patents worldwide, primarily in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.

If only more people had Edison’s attitude toward work. Another favorite quote showing this attitude is:

“The First 40 hours of work per week are for survival. Everything after that is for success.”

Working hard was part of who Edison was, and it is widely recognized his work ethic was a significant factor in his many achievements. If there were anyone I would want a lesson from in achieving something worthwhile, it would be him!

Stick-to-itiveness

Few people have been as determined as Thomas Edison. Every school child has heard how it took him 10,000 attempts to develop the incandescent light bulb. He had a completely different view of failure, as shown in these words:

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

He didn’t look at making mistakes as bad but knew they were necessary and good, as each brought him closer to success. He even stated once that:

“I never view mistakes as failures. They are simply opportunities to find out what doesn’t work.”

Edison’s ideas of what it took to achieve something worthwhile took tenaciousness to the next level. He had made it a habit to do what others would not do, as he states in this quote:

“The successful person makes a habit of doing what the failing person doesn’t like to do.”

What Edison had is what psychology has identified as a growth mindset. You can learn more about this mindset by reading A New Way to Live.

Common sense

The third of Edison’s great essentials to achieving something worthwhile is using common sense. Without wisdom and sound common sense, no one could have accomplished even a tiny portion of what Edison did in his 84 years. I love such jewels as:

“What you are will show in what you do.”

And this:

“Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

And this one as well:

“Restlessness is discontent and discontent is the first necessity of progress. Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure.”

You will often hear wisdom comes from common sense, knowledge, and insight. Edison had plenty of each!

As noted by other Americans from his time, including Henry Ford and Thomas Watson of IBM, he knew that thinking was hard work. This last quote speaks to common sense as much as any of the other things he said:

“Five percent of the people think; ten percent of the people think they think; and the other eighty-five percent would rather die than think.”

Final thoughts

Edison is, without question, one of the most celebrated and inspirational people in America’s history. His success is a direct result of his three great essentials. His achievements have been some of the most worthwhile in the world, so if you want to achieve something worthwhile, apply his three great essentials in your life.

I leave you with some final words of wisdom from this remarkable man. Use them well in your life, and you will no doubt achieve much!

“Success is based on imagination plus ambition and the will to work.”

BillAbbate| LinkedIn |Twitter| Medium| Facebook| AmazonAuthorPage | NewsBreak | Truth

Bill Abbate Leadership Writer and Editor in ILLUMINATION

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