10 Thomas Edison Quotes to Inspire and Motivate You One of the greatest inventors ever had a lot to say during his time.
By Rose Leadem
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Known for his hard work ethic, perseverance and ingenuity, Thomas Edison is one of the greatest, most recognized inventors of all time. From the light bulb to the phonograph, throughout his lifetime Edison held over 1,000 U.S. patents in his name, not to mention hundreds of others around the world.
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His major contributions to electricity and power, motion picture, sound recording and even the X-ray machine changed and molded the world that we live in today. Along with his many achievements, Edison's mindset and work ethic also propelled him to success.
There's a lot you can learn from this creative genius.
Check out these 10 quotes to motivate and inspire you.
On opportunity
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." -- Thomas Edison
On success
"Good fortune often happens when opportunity meets with preparation." -- Thomas Edison
On creativity
"To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk." -- Thomas Edison
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On hard work
"Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." -- Thomas Edison
On perseverance
"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." -- Thomas Edison
On failure
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." -- Thomas Edison
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On empowerment
"If we all did the things we are really capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves." -- Thomas Edison
On ideas
"I have more respect for the fellow with a single idea who gets there than for the fellow with a thousand ideas who does nothing." -- Thomas Edison
On success
"Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits." -- Thomas Edison
Related: 12 Quotes From Google's Larry Page on Drive, Success, Creativity and Hard Work
On mindset
"The man who doesn't make up his mind to cultivate the habit of thinking misses the greatest pleasure in life." -- Thomas Edison
