It was a cold December night in West Orange, New Jersey. Thomas Edison's factory
was humming with activity. Work was proceeding on a variety of fronts as the
great inventor was trying to turn more of his dreams into practical realities.
Edison's plant, made of concrete and steel, was deemed "fireproof". As you may
have already guessed, it wasn't! On that frigid night in 1914, the sky was lit
up by a sensational blaze that had burst through the plant roof.
Edison's 24-year-old son, Charles, made a frenzied search for his famous
inventor-father. When he finally found him, he was watching the fire. His white
hair was blowing in the wind. His face was illuminated by the leaping flames.
"My heart ached for him," said Charles. "Here he was, 67 years old, and
everything he had worked for was going up in flames. When he saw me, he shouted,
'Charles! Where's your mother?' When I told him I didn't know, he said, 'Find
her! Bring her here! She'll never see anything like this as long as she lives.'"
Next morning, Mr. Edison looked at the ruins of his factory and said this of his
loss: "There's value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God, we
can start anew."
What a wonderful perspective on things that seem at first to be so disastrous. A
business failure, divorce, personal dream gone sour ... whether these things
destroy an individual depends largely on the attitude he or she takes toward
them. Sort out why it happened, and learn something from the blunders. Think of
different approaches that can be taken. Start over.
Rubel Shelly The FAX of Life
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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