Sunday, June 21

How Do You View Life's Disasters?

Thomas Edison work in the same laboratory from 1885 until it burned down in a fire in 1914. To be precise, 13 of Thomas Edison's laboratories burned down on the same day. Because the buildings were concrete it was assumed they were fireproof; therefore it was insured for only $238,000 even though there was more than $2 million worth of damage.

The next morning Edison stood outside surveying the wet ashes. He is quoted as having said, "There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew."

Can you maintain that kind of attitude in the midst of chaos and disaster? This was not an opportunity to "say something wise". Years upon years of hard work, top-secret experiments, and documentations was GONE. He didn't respond this way because he knew he would be quoted years later. He lost MILLIONS. But he chose to look at it from a different angle! "All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew."

3 weeks later he delivered his first phonograph.

How do you view life's disaster?

No comments:

Post a Comment