Thomas Edison overcame adversity many times in his life. A classic example of this occurred in 1914, when a fire ravaged the phonograph factory at his West Orange, New Jersey complex. The 67 year-old Edison lost approximately $5 million that night – the equivalent of $75 million today. His son Charles raced to his father’s side, thinking the sight of the blazing factory would be too devastating for him. Instead, Charles was amazed to see his father smiling. He told his son, “Go get your mother! She’ll never have a chance to see anything like this again in her entire life!” Edison then called a meeting with his key staff members and immediately began organizing the recovery campaign. He urged his team to focus on rebuilding the phonograph factories in a way that “took advantage of the latest improvements in factory design.”
Edison’s response to the fire demonstrates his irrepressibly optimistic nature. As biographer Dr. Paul Israel describes it, “Where others might see disaster and failure, he was always optimistically looking for opportunities and seeing the possibility of new directions for improvements.”
The phrase “Made by Edison, Installed by Barnes” was developed out of a relationship sought after by a young man named Edwin Barnes. With no money, no contacts and no natural reason to be offered a job, let alone a partnership, Barnes was so determined to meet Edison that although he had no money, he traveled on the freight train as “blind baggage.” Edison recounts how this young man showed up looking like a mere tramp. Yet in Barnes’ eyes Edison saw a certain insatiable desire to obtain his goal, so he hired him to sweep the floors. Though a long way from his sought after goal, Barnes swept those floors with intensity, unwilling to lose the chance not only to work for Edison, but to meet his influential friends.
Barnes literally thought himself into relationship with Edison. He was not willing to give up on his idea of partnership with this great inventor. His opportunity came two years later, and as is typical with opportunity, it slid in the back door disguised as defeat. Edison had invented a new dictating machine, and not one of his current associates saw its potential. Except for Edwin Barnes. Barnes saw the potential of this machine to revolutionize the lifestyle of the business executive, and he set about developing his business plan. So thorough was his plan that Edison could not deny him the opportunity, and Barnes made millions on his first partnership deal.
His success can be attributed to these key habits that he consistently exhibited with great intensity:
- He knew what he wanted to accomplish;
- He used the power of imagination to circumvent poverty and other difficulties;
- He was willing to start at the “bottom” in order to gain know-how and exposure;
- He created and seized opportunity;
- He maintained a dogged determination to bring his goal to reality;
- He worked long hours with concentrated focus for many years to get exactly what he wanted;
- He talked relatively little and produced big;
- He was not deterred by ridicule, criticism, setback, or obstacles.
Is your dream transferable? Who else will benefit from the majestic view of your dream? Is it motivational? Do you get excited about your dream? If you get excited others will also!
The following questions will help you clarify your dream by crafting a vision statement that identifies your destination, your purpose and your values. Remember these words: Transferable, Memorable and Motivational.
- Does your vision statement identify your destination? Where are you going?
- Does your vision statement define your purpose? Why do you exist? What greater good will your vision serve
- Does your vision statement convey your values? What principles guide your decisions or actions on your journey?
- Can your vision be easily captured by your audience?
- Is your vision memorable? Use action words and succinct sayings to convey your thoughts. Avoid clichés or overly used statements.
- And remember this. Is your vision motivational? Ask that question. It should be inspiring. If no one is excited about your vision you may not be effectively communicating.
Three things to remember as you continue moving forward with your dream:
Be Tenacious—toward your goal, tenacity is a firm grip on the future you have seen with the eye of your faith and in the heart of your imagination.
Be Gracious—not everyone is with your on your journey! Certainly many won’t believe and some will even question your motivation! Be gracious. You will win them over in the long run, and even if you don’t, the fruit of your actions will prove the wisdom of your decisions. With your actions, remember never to sweat the small stuff that goes wrong or the small distractions from the faithless around you. Stay with God; stay on principle; stay focused; be gracious. Today you can decide: I will be gracious to those who stand in the way of my dream! I will not allow the voice of negativity to halt my dreams!
And last: Be Spacious—make room for others. Include those you want to take along with you on the journey. No one likes going it alone! Dream big enough to include others in your dream. When others realize there is room for them they will join the team. Ask yourself, Who can I include? Are you living in a desert or near the vast ocean of abundant possibility? You may be in a desert, but can you see the Oasis!
Go to my website and download your free “LIVE YOUR DREAM” worksheets! http://bit.ly/1KOOCxR
For the next two days we will learn the importance of instilling vision in others. I want to look briefly at three words: Magnetic, Magnanimous and Majestic.
Is your vision MAGNETIC? Is it attracting interest from others? Is it drawing resources to you?
Regardless of your socio-economic status, the world around you has extra resources looking to be employed, and your vision will provide a roadmap for those resources and people to travel along.
Ask yourself, What am I attracting to my vision? Is it what I want? Is it what I am expecting?
Your second word: MAGNANIMOUS. Are you generous of spirit? It will take quite a bit of generosity of spirit, time, and talent to get you to your destination. The word magnanimous means to be royal in nature, noble in character, and capable of gracious behavior. Are you forgiving, charitable? Learn to think like nobility. You will need these characteristics when friends, family, and those you have trusted fail you on the pathway to your dream.
The result of being magnanimous is that you won’t sweat the small stuff…that’s what happens when you know who you are and when you know where you are headed. And you are made for royalty! You are made for DESTINY!
The third word: MAJESTIC. Is your dream memorable? This word asks, “What value will my dream add to others and to society?”
IS your dream quantifiable? What great results do you anticipate? How many people will you help? How much income will it generate? What great issue in society are you addressing?
Personally, I have a goal to feed and educate 12,000 children daily to improve the lifestyle of one billion people through education and training. I want you to think about your goals and then quantify them—be specific!
Go to my website and download your free “LIVE YOUR DREAM” worksheets! http://bit.ly/1KOOCxR
The blessing of the Lord makes you rich and He adds NO SORROW with it. There is no negative effect of God’s blessing. No regret, remorse, fear, anxiety, or defiled conscience in God’s wealth plan!
Embrace these scriptures as your contract with your Creator:
“But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your ancestors, as it is today.”
Remember that it is the Lord your God who GIVES YOU POWER to become rich.
“But YOU WILL RECEIVE POWER when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
You are unstoppable with these powers at work in your life!
Scriptures: Prov. 10:22, Deuteronomy 8:18 NIV, Acts 1:8 NIV
What new thoughts have you embraced on this way of prosperity? What principles of wealth do you know?
– God has given us Power (or ability) to obtain wealth.
– The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it.
– The Lord has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.
– The Lord will open to you His good treasure.
– The Lord shall command His blessing upon you in all that you set your hand to.
Take an ACTION step today! Look for an idea to bless someone! Think on this idea! Rehearse the idea and then YOU make the idea a reality! Remember, if God is for you who can be against you?
Scriptures: Deuteronomy 8:18, Proverbs 10:22 NIV, Psalm 35:27, Deuteronomy 28:12, Deuteronomy 28:8, Romans 8:31
Quote: “All achievement, all earned riches have their beginning in an idea.” – Napolean Hill
Napolean Hill knew something of success as he interviewed 500 of the leading business people in the early 20th century. In his book “Think and Grow Rich,” Hill identifies the key characteristic necessary for development of true riches – it’s summarized in one word: THINK.
Have you ever studied the importance of your thoughts to this degree? Have you ever considered how important your mind is? Have you ever pondered just how powerful an idea or thought can truly be? Why not get busy today and think your way to the top, and open a door to a new tomorrow!
The COST of your dream? Face the reality that you may need to raise the funds to acquire your dream, you may need a new education, you may need to find legal assistance to initiate your idea!
You might say, “I don’t have enough money to fulfill my vision!” Believe it or not, that’s not a new thought—most dreams begin with very little! MONEY FOLLOWS VISION! It’s not the money in your pocket that counts, but the value of the idea in your mouth that will open the door to opportunity!
It’s not what you have or what you know, but often it’s the WHO that you will meet that will make a dream a reality! Ask yourself: Who do you know? Who can you get to know? http://bit.ly/1bKt3BS
