Some of the greatest minds of our time were thought to be mad men by their peers and their communities. Nikola Tesla was no exception.
He made some pretty outlandish claims during his time on earth, one of which was the prediction of wireless communication: the internet.
During his experimenting, he learned many valuable life lessons that he went on to share with the world.
Today, we continue to look to the masterful creator for ways to be more creative and purposeful in our lives.
Here are 7 lessons from the great Nikola Tesla that will help you live a more meaningful life..
1) Don’t Pay Attention to What Others are Doing
Rather than focusing on what the world can take from us, we need to focus on what we can put into the world. Despite countless claims that his work had been stolen, Tesla continued to work on his inventions.
If we all just did what makes us happy instead of worrying about everyone else, we might be living a very different kind of life right now.
2) Looking Inwards Helps You See Clearer
Reflection is an important part of being your authentic self and being true to what you want in life. If you take the time to reflect on yourself, your strengths, your weaknesses, and what you want in life, you will be better equipped to work for it.
3) It’s Okay to Be Ahead of Everyone Else
If you’ve ever been told that you are mad, or that your ideas won’t work, you might feel jaded or have the notion that giving up is easier than trying to convince those around you that you are right.
Tesla reminds us that real creators are okay with people not accepting their ideas. People develop and discover at different levels, and it can be hard to feel like you are alone in your pursuits. But don’t give up. Be proud of what you are capable of and what you dream about.
4) Never Stop Learning and Reading
While the internet is full of information and ideas, reading books is still one of the most enjoyable ways to learn new things. Rather than sift through articles and journal publications, reading stories and ideas and tales of how things were done can ignite real creativity in people. Just keep reading and always look to learn new things.
5) Be Patient and Push On
Patience goes a long way with creative types. Some writers wait weeks, months, or even years for the ideas to come to them. Painters struggle to get the colors just right, and inventors toil away night after night trying to get their contraptions to work. Don’t worry about how long it will take to achieve your dreams, just keep working on them.
6) Never Stop Creating
No matter what anyone says — even you — don’t stop making things. The world needs more of what you can offer and while it seems futile sometimes, your creativity is changing the world in ways we can’t imagine. Tesla reminds us that we have a responsibility to use our talents to help make the world better.
7) Money Isn’t Everything
In today’s modern world, people are looking for business ideas and million dollar inventions everywhere. Tesla encourages us to create for creation’s sake. If there are rewards to be had, great; but if not, creation can be reward enough.
All of us have dreams about what we’d like to do, who we’d like to be and where we’d like to go in life. But most of us are never able to make these dreams a reality. Now
