On her first birthday, Grace discovered the magical food known as chocolate. I believe it has healing properties and should be consumed for medicinal purposes. Yesterday as I was enjoying my Dove chocolate candy with caramel filling, I paused to read the inspirational message printed inside the foil wrapper. Inspirational messages seem to be a new trend, and motivational quotes and posters are all over Facebook. I guess I’m not the only one who needs encouragement now and then.
I’m sure you’ve heard it said, “Don’t let your past dictate your future.” But that’s far easier said than done. We’re all shaped by our experiences, and we learn a lesson in each and every life event. But sometimes we come to the wrong conclusions. When I find myself burdened by memories of all my failures, I think about Thomas Edison.
When Thomas Edison was interviewed by a young reporter who boldly asked him if he felt like a failure, Edison replied: "Young man, why would I feel like a failure? And why would I ever give up? I now know definitively over 9,000 ways that an electric light bulb will not work. Success is almost in my grasp." And shortly after that, and over 10,000 attempts, Edison invented the light bulb.
At least that’s how the story goes. Anyway, I admire the unwavering determination it represents. Thomas Edison was told he was stupid as a schoolboy, but his mother believed in him and invested herself in his education. If Edison had believed the teacher who thought that he was a waste of time, he would have never persevered over the challenges he faced as an inventor and the world would have missed out on his contributions.
I don’t want to give up after 9,000 failures. I don’t want to believe that who I am today is all I can ever be. I want to be more. I want to make a contribution through my written words.
So, being in need of more inspirational messages, I guess I’ll just have to eat a few more chocolates…
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