“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Thomas Edison

Of all the “trying hard” quotes, the one above is my favorite. It’s so me. I have Thomas Edison beat because I have found more than 10,000 ways that haven’t worked. 

I’m not knocking trying hard. I’m also not suggesting we don’t do it. Even though I ended up exhausted and crazy from tying hard, I don’t regret one effort I made. Every bit of trying hard landed me where I am today, writing a book about how it didn’t work.

The example that comes to mind is the day my daughter decided she wanted to change banks and applied at one where a friend worked. Her friend pretty much promised her a position, but with no start date. 

That afternoon, another bank called my daughter for an interview. The process at the second bank involved a lengthy test that she preferred to avoid. But since the first offer wasn’t finalized, she set up an appointment with the second bank. 

“Even though I really wanted the job where my friend worked and I didn’t want to bother with the second bank,” she said, “something told me if I didn’t follow through with both banks, I wouldn’t get either job.”

We’ll never know if her hunch was correct because both banks offered her a job. The thing that struck me, though, was the extra effort she put in at the second bank gave her confidence that she’d land a job at the first bank. 

Does that make sense? It did to her and to me even though I think we both credited the wrong thing. We thought she got the job she wanted because she tried hard. I now think it was because she heard God and listened. After all, she said “something told me …” 

So, hang in here with me. Over the next few pages or chapters or at least by the end of the book, I’ll offer hope beyond these quotes … even though I like and have tried hard to live by most of them.  

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.” Unknown

“Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, only this time more wisely.” Henry Ford

“I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying.” Jeff Bezos

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.” Mary Anne Radmacher

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way.” Dale Carnegie

“Do or do not. There is no try.” Yoda

“Talk doesn’t cook rice.” Chinese Proverb

“A dream does not become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.” Colin Powell

“I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.”  Thomas Jefferson

“The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.” Vidal Sassoon

“You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” Jack London

“Fall seven times. Get up eight.” Japanese Proverb

I’d love to hear what you’re thinking so far. Maybe you’ll help me decide what to write about next. 

In This Together, 
Kim