June 16
Passion
In his 84 years, Thomas Edison patented over a thousand inventions. He is most famous for inventing the light bulb, but made more money off the alkaline battery.
Edison was a bulldog, unwilling to accept failure as a final outcome to his efforts. Before he successfully invented the alkaline battery, he failed 9000 times! Edison credited his success to hard work. “Genius is one percent inspiration,” Edison said, “and 99 percent perspiration.” No one will debate the fact that Edison was a hard worker. He built a laboratory beside his vacation home in Fort Myers, FL and he is known for sleeping very little.
He was unstoppable. On his 80th birthday he announced the formation of a company to do research to develop rubber. He was relentless.
Why did he work so hard? Was it determination? Was it will power? Was it discipline? No. I believe the key to Edison’s success was his PASSION to invent. Determination, discipline and will power will only take a person so far, but passion is unstoppable!
Great people have passion-a force that consumes their lives and directs their energy. They are not always the strongest or the brightest of their peers, but they consistently outperform them. Their greatness cannot be explained by their education, privileges or talents, because their accomplishments always exceed their abilities. They are driven. Not by the spirit of competition or self-discipline, but by passion.
Passion leads people to places they wouldn’t ordinarily go to accomplish things ordinary people won’t. If Daniel wasn’t passionate about his faith, he never would have slept with the lions. If David wasn’t passionate about his God, he wouldn’t have walked into battle with a Giant carrying five smooth stones. And if Jesus wasn’t passionate about following the will of the Father, he wouldn't have journeyed from the Garden to the cross.
Passion doesn’t necessarily lead people into comfortable circumstances, but it does drive them to seize their destinies.
What are you passionate about?
Jim L. Wilson, Fresh Start Devotionals (Fresno, CA: Willow City Press, 2009).
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