Contemplating the new century, my mind wandered back to the
turn of the last century. I thought about some of the great men
and women who made a profound impact on society by putting their
dreams into action. I think you can observe a lot about the future
from looking at the past.
Let's step BACK 100 years (or there abouts) and reflect on the
accomplishments of those who dared to dream. Most of these
dreamers had to overcome incredible obstacles before their ideas
would make it to the world stage. But each and every one of these
people have had an affect on your daily life.
10,000 Failures precede Success
Most famous people are known for just one great feat or discovery.
Not so with Thomas Edison. He is personally responsible for over
1,000 patented inventions. Many of those discoveries have evolved
into products that we take for granted as a part of our everyday
lives. The most famous of course, is the incandescent light bulb.
This discovery/invention required 10,000 recorded experiments
before Edison could use it.
Edison liked to make bold statements about his plans and then
fulfill the statement. His belief in himself was so strong that he
publicly promised a minor invention every 10 days and a major
"big trick" item every 6 months. History records that he lived up
to his word.
Committed to an Asylum
Guglielmo Marconi believed that messages could be sent through
the air. This idea at the time was so absurd to most people that at
one point his friends had him committed to an asylum. His vision
was clear enough, and strong enough to withstand the ridicule and
embarrassment. He KNEW that it could be done. On Dec 12, 1901
he finally was able to prove it to the world. He had a telegrapher tap
the letter "S" from Cornwall England. Meanwhile, Marconi was 2700
kilometers away in St John's Newfoundland with his new receiver
and kite antenna. With the success of this experiment Radio and
later TV were born.
Nobody Showed Up
Orville and Wilbur Wright dreamed of being able to soar above
the earth like the birds. The closest way to achieve this at the
time was with an air balloon. On Dec 17, 1903 they demonstrated
their heavier than air flying machine at Kitty Hawk NC. You would
expect there to be a lot of interest from the press and general
public for such a momentous occasion. "Not many were willing to
face the rigors of a cold December wind in order to see another
flying machine not fly," the Wrights later recalled. But it did fly,
and there were enough spectators watching to get the word out to
the world. A new industry was born.
Jailed for Equality
Emmeline Pankhurst believed that women should be treated and
respected as equals to men. In 1903 she founded The Womens
Social and Political Union. Mrs Pankhurst had to endure being
arrested and jailed several times. While in jail, she often would go
on hunger strikes to further her ideals.
Her big dream was finally realized in 1928 when women in Britain
were granted full voting rights. A few weeks later, on June 14th,
she died. Her dream however, lives on. While there is still much
room for improvement, womens rights have come a long way,
thanks in large part to Emmeline Pankhurst.
From a Nobody to a Nobel Prize Winner x2
Marie Curie overcame the stigma of being a woman in a field
(science) which was almost exclusively populated by men. Not
only did Madame Curie excel at her chosen profession but she
will always be remembered as the person who discovered radiation
and thus x-rays. She also enjoyed the honor of being the first
women to receive a Nobel Prize in 1903, and again in 1911.
Failed Twice Before Belting the Earth
In 1896 an engineer with the Edison Illuminating Company in
Detroit, built his own self-propelled, gasoline powered vehicle
- the Quadricycle. It wasn't the first one, but it was the one that
inspired Henry Ford to dream about 'belting the earth' with
automobiles. He eventually left his job with Edison and attempted to
establish an automobile manufacturing plant.
In 1903, after two previously unsuccessful attempts, he formed
The Ford Motor company. In 1908, the first Model T rolled off his
assembly lines. By 1918, half of all cars in America were Model
T's.
We could go on and on about ordinary people who would not
accept mediocrity and instead will be written about for hundreds of
years. I would love to talk with you about Andrew Carnegie,
Napoleon Hill, Albert Einstein, Amelia Erhart, Alexander Graham
Bell, George Eastman and many, many others who acted on their
dreams. The ideas that they brought forth are a big part of modern
day life for us.
Each of them all started with a dream that consumed them and
would not let go. Most of us at some time have big dreams, but
allow them to dissipate. Circumstances and life in general tend
to get in the way.
You may not have the vision of Thomas Edison, but your Dreams
and goals can still impact the people around you. Let's resolve to
dream BIG dreams and to take big action towards their fulfillment.
About the Author
Chris Small is a cyber entrepreneur and host of the very successful
'World Deal Center'. His main website is
http://www.WorldDealCenter.com/
You are invited to sample some of Chris's other articles by going to
http://www.worlddealcenter.com/reports.htm.