Imagine the patience Thomas Edison must have had.  He reputedly failed 10,000 times before he perfected the incandescent bulb.  For 13 years he feverishly worked on it.

Of course, he didn’t invent the light bulb, he merely worked on perfecting an earlier idea.  And, he didn’t work alone either, he had a whole team of engineers experimenting with a variety of ideas. But every time an idea didn’t work.  He made notes and moved ahead.  As he’s famously quoted “I have not failed.  I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”  He stayed motivated trying one thing after another until it did work.  If Edison can push through for 13 years, we should be able to push through a season of mental slumpery. (more…)