Day 96: Genius and dumbass…

Tommy was born on February 11th in Milan, Ohio. He was a very curious child, the last of Sam and Nancy. When Tommy was seven, his family moved to Michigan and enrolled him in the local school. Early on, one of his schoolmasters labeled young Tommy as “addled” – unable to think clearly, confused – a.k.a. a dumbass. Eventually they felt he was a distraction and not mentally equipped to handle school, so they expelled him and asked he never return.

When Nancy heard this she told the teachers that Tommy had more brains than all of them. Without hesitation, she took on the task of teaching him reading, writing and arithmetic and became the most enthusiastic champion of his life. Eventually Tommy mostly taught himself by reading on his own. His belief in self-improvement remained throughout his life.

Thomas Edison went on to invent the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and early versions of electric lightbulbs to name a few. He’s attributed to over a thousand patents and established the first ever industrial research lab. When his mom died many years later he said, “My mother was the making of me. She was true, so sure of me, and I felt I had someone to live for, someone I must not disappoint.”

What about you? Who are you betting on like Nancy did? There’s probably a young Tommy in your life who needs a champion.

And, have you claimed your Identity as the genius you are? Don’t be a dumbass and believe anything less. Remember, you can do more than you think…