1. Someone I have been learning more about…
I have always been intrigued by Nikola Tesla. “Tesla invented, predicted or contributed to development of hundreds of technologies that play big parts in our daily lives — like the remote control, neon and fluorescent lights, wireless transmission, computers, smartphones, laser beams, x-rays, robotics and, of course, alternating current, the basis of our present-day electrical system.” (energy.gov) This guy was incredibly brilliant. The well-known Tesla automobile utilizes Nikola Tesla’s induction motor. There is a lot of mystery surrounding what he was up to at the end of his life, with many of his writings and drawings having gone missing. There is a series called The Tesla Files that was put out in 2018 that is loaded with fascinating facts and history, as well as theories about some of the mystery surrounding Tesla. It can be watched for free on Amazon Prime or The History Channel. (There are 5 episodes.) I loved it! Many question how Tesla was able to be so forward-thinking, and Albert Einstein referred to him as “the smartest man in the world.” One of Tesla’s biggest quests was to provide wireless energy to the entire world for FREE. You can imagine how that would ruffle the feathers of big business tycoons, such as J.P. Morgan, and competing inventors, such as Thomas Edison. Check out the 30-second trailer below…
2. Concept I spent some time thinking about this week…
There are many things we do not even try because we think they would be “too hard.” I’m trying to remind myself that MOST things worth doing in life are hard. Doing hard things is what earns us the things we want most in life, builds self-esteem, and brings us great pride. If I tell myself something would be, or is, too hard, I try to catch myself. I then remind myself that it would be hard… but unlikely too hard. Too hard means that it can’t be done… or is more than I want to commit to. Hard means I need to do more work, spend more time, increase my risk, sweat more, and maybe even bleed or go through more pain. Don’t miss out on the greatest potential achievements of your life by not even trying because you let yourself believe that something is too hard. Admit that it will be hard, but because it is hard… it is worth doing. Hard vs. too hard. Two VERY different things!
3. Proverb I came across this week (three times)…
There is a Japanese proverb “Nana korobi ya oki” which translated means ‘Fall down seven times, get up eight’. I had never heard of it until this week… then I heard it three times… from three different sources. The first was a tattoo with symbols defining this proverb. Then I heard it in a podcast I was listening to. And then I read it in a book I’m reading. That was enough for me to indicate I should take note. It relates to resilience, and no matter how many times you get knocked down (and we ALL get knocked down), you get up again. All heroes get knocked down, but the ones we read about, respect, and admire get up… again… and again… and again.
