A man who lived in the 1800s, Nikola Tesla, had many inventions still being used today. One such invention was an AC motor that he patented back in 1891 with George Westinghouse – fair to say it makes your home appliances work!
In this blog post, we look at some life lessons from Nikola Tesla and how we can implement them in our own lives too.
1. Failure is an option
As children, we are often told that if we try something and fail, the worst thing possible is to feel sad. The underlying message here is that failure is unacceptable and should be avoided at all costs. But there’s a problem with this; it doesn’t prepare us for eventualities in life, such as when things don’t quite go our way.
Nikola Tesla’s personal view on failure should be embraced, not avoided. He viewed any form of opposition as an opportunity to learn and improve his skills even further. This philosophy is clear throughout all his major inventions, which are still used today! So why not take a leaf out of Tesla’s book and learn to view failure as an opportunity and a gift?
2. A little nudge goes a long way
When you think about it, Tesla’s AC motor was essentially made by having two different poles of force working together, which allowed for the rotation of the unit. But how did he make such a complex invention? He came up with the idea by observing how an egg can be fried using just a spoon. It is that simple!
This story is particularly inspiring because it highlights that sometimes, all we need to move forward with important life decisions is just a little nudge. So if you’re ever stuck or unsure about your next steps in life or business, why not observe how others do it? You never know. The answer could be as simple as using a spoon for cooking an egg!
3. Passion is what makes life worth living
One of Nikola Tesla’s most popular quotes was that “Life is a great play with a wonderful part for everyone.” This quote demonstrates how we should all view life and our time on this planet. By seeing life as a play and ourselves as having a very important part, we realise that we should spend our time doing meaningful things. Doing what you’re passionate about will give you more energy than you can imagine!
4. Creativity is king
As well as being a scientist and inventor, Nikola Tesla was also an architect. He knew that creativity is important in all walks of life – something we can all learn from! Creativity doesn’t just have to be about coming up with new inventions; we can be creative in our work and home lives, too, using ideas to solve problems or generally be more efficient. If you find that you’re not very creative, then take a look at our post on becoming more creative.
5. Trust in yourself
Nikola Tesla had complete faith in his abilities and knew exactly what he wanted to achieve. He didn’t let others’ opinions get in the way of his dreams and was determined to make them a reality.
Of course, Tesla encountered a lot of ridicule from other people during his lifetime, but he never let this stop him from pursuing what he believed in – something we should try to emulate too! Have faith in your abilities, and don’t let naysayers dishearten you. You will face criticism, but you have to show that you are confident in what you do and stick to your goals!
6. A little hard work never hurt anyone
One example of Nikola Tesla’s sheer determination was learning English by reading the dictionary. He knew that learning new languages was integral if he wanted to reach his dreams, so he prioritised picking up this essential life skill.
Even as a child, Tesla knew that he had to work hard if he was going to achieve his dreams and didn’t shy away from hard work. We should all try to follow the saying “work smarter, not harder” because there are usually easier ways of doing things! By learning to work smarter, you’ll save yourself time and increase your productivity.
7. Never stop learning!
At the age of 83, when many people were looking forward to retiring, Nikola Tesla was still learning new things about science and spending much of his time in his lab working on other inventions. He knew that it was important to make time for learning in your life because our society is always changing, and you need to make sure that you keep up with the latest developments.
If there’s one thing we can learn from Nikola Tesla, it’s that it’s never too late to learn something new! Whether you’re a child or an adult, there is still so much knowledge out there to discover. Moreover, suppose you decide to take your learning into your own hands. In that case, you can do so in several ways, from reading books and watching documentaries to engaging in conversation with people who have different opinions than you.
8. The power of dreams
Nikola Tesla didn’t let anybody tell him that his dreams were too big or unrealistic. Instead, he dreamed of harnessing unlimited free energy for the world, and he made it his life’s mission to turn this dream into a reality.
Tesla believed that if you have a vision or a strong desire, your dreams are attainable so long as you want them. So even though Tesla died with his dreams unfulfilled, we can still learn from his work and everything he achieved during his lifetime.