What is in your Hands?
The Lord said to Moses, ‘What is that in your hand?’ ‘A staff,’ he Moses replied” (Exodus 4:2, NIV)
Failure: A recipe for success
Failure is the state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, and may be viewed as the opposite of success — Wikipedia
The greatest glory in living lies not in never failing, but rising every time we fall — Nelson Mandela
A Recipient of Failure
It took 5,127 prototypes and 15 years to get it right. — Sir James Dyson
An inventor’s path is chorused with groans, riddled with fist-banging and punctuated by head scratches. Stumbling upon the next great invention in an “ah-ha!” moment is a myth. It is only by learning from mistakes that progress is made.
It’s time to redefine the meaning of the word “failure.” On the road to invention, failures are just problems that have yet to be solved.
For me, it started with a vacuum. When my bagged vacuum lost suction, I came up with the solution — cyclone technology. But having an idea is just the beginning. With a few rudimentary materials I mocked up the first prototype. Crude, but it worked (sort of).
From cardboard and duct tape to ABS polycarbonate, it took 5,127 prototypes and 15 years to get it right. And, even then there was more work to be done. My first vacuum, DC01, went to market in 1993. We’re up to DC35 now, having improved with each iteration. More efficiency, faster motors, new materials.
It’s a never-ending process that is enormously rewarding, and endlessly frustrating.
There are countless times an inventor can give up on an idea. By the time I made my 15th prototype, my third child was born. By 2,627, my wife and I were really counting our pennies. By 3,727, my wife was giving art lessons for some extra cash. These were tough times, but each failure brought me closer to solving the problem. It wasn’t the final prototype that made the struggle worth it. The process bore the fruit. I just kept at it.
When it comes to failure, I’m trumped by Edison who famously said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Those 10,000 detours resulted in the Dictaphone, mimeograph, stock ticker, storage battery, carbon transmitter and his joint invention of the light bulb. In the end, 10,000 flops fade into insignificance alongside Edison’s 1,093 patents.
But not many of us go it alone as inventors.
Passion
Passion is an intense emotion compelling feeling, enthusiasm, or desire for something.
What’s your passion? What drives you?
Only Believe!
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! (Philippians 4:13)
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent – Eleanor Roosevelt (First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945)
Just found this piece from a presentation I did at a youth church summit in 2013, thought I share it.
