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MENLO PARK

 

The man

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t is said that curiosity kills the rat, but for him, curiosity set him on course to become one of the greatest inventors we know today. For him, curiosity was a way of life, so much that he often annoys his teachers with a barrage of questions. To this curious kid, we owe most of the technologies that make modern life modern today. By the time he died, he held 1, 093 patents covering the creation and/or refinement of devices in telegraphy, sound recording, motion pictures, light and so much more. Most of us may have known what this kid ended up becoming and the many things he invented. Especially that he tried many times before inventing the light bulb, but few of us know about the making of the man in Thomas Edison.

Menlo Park

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homas Edison was a game-changer and a change-maker; arguably, he was the greatest investor of our time. How did he do it? How did he achieve all the inventions credited to his name? What was his secret? The simple answer to this is Menlo Park. Edison constructed a laboratory at the top of a hill and he called it Menlo Park. It was in a sparsely populated rural area, where he and his team often isolate themselves to work far away from distraction, diversion and raucous noise of the normal life of the city. The environment and atmosphere at Menlo Park were serene and it enhances inspiration and creativity. Edison will work for days and weeks with his team on projects until achieved. His major inventions were conceptions and products of Menlo Park, this even earned him the title of “The Wizard of Menlo Park”.

Create your own Menlo Park

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e live in a world full of distractions, diversions and deviations. We are caught in a generation of cyber zombies as postulated by Robin Sharma in his book “The 5 AM Club’ where people are addicted to technology at the detriment of their creative productivity. Not only Thomas Edison, all through history, legendary men, titans and authorities in their fields and personal lives valued solitude and isolation. They understood what it means to deliberately stay away from the crowd as that grant them access to their true self and ingenuity. These great men and women all had their Menlo Parks.

Your Menlo Park is your place of isolation and solitude. Solitude is an attitude that shows the strength and the stamina of one’s aptitude. One must learn to stay alone, isolated from the crowd and their influence to gather and develop what it takes to stand out in the crowd. Yes, solitude is necessary for everyone who desires to be effective in the amplitude of the crowd.

Now more than ever

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hen was the last time you stayed alone away from the raucous noise of the crowd? When was the last time you meditated for a significant period over issues that have the magnitude to change or improve your life? Be reminded that an unexamined life is not worth living. Just like roots, they are invisible but hold and control every visible affair of the tree, so is solitude, it is very important for every life.

Now more than ever, if you desire to be legendary, an empire maker and a history creator, you MUST create your own Menlo Park. This is a place and time just for you. It may be your room where you intentionally turn off all the noise around you and switch on to your inner peace, or an opened field laced with nature, a library or any other provision that best serves this purpose. For the sake of your sanity and relevance in this insane world, having your own Menlo Park is not an option. This will enable you to capitalize on your mental focus, build your physical energy, calibrate your willpower and optimize your original gifts. 

The year is still fresh and young, I strongly believe to make the best of your life this year, you need to create your Menlo Park and spend quality time there at least four times a year – once after every three months. There you will gain peace and serenity, you will assess your life and gain access to the genius in you. There you will define how you will best serve the world with the value God has deposited in you.  

Don’t get busy being busy with life, don't be a stranger to yourself, create your own Menlo Park today. Who knows, you might be the Thomas Edison of our time.

Thank You for reading

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