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The “Egg” That Cracked the “Nuts”: The Nikola Tesla Story
By Tolulope A. Adegoke
“A hero can be anyone…anyone who can show courage when faced with a problem. A hero is someone who is willing to help others in his or her best capacity.” – Ricky Martin
Last week article was titled “Take Responsibility and Shine!” there in, we explored the principles and strategies for becoming a paragon of greatness. We have savoured the process of transitioning from the ditch to the peak, from grass to grace, from nothing to something, from the cross to the crown, from shame to fame, from story to glory, from the valley to the mountain, from the ground to the sky, from tests to testimonies and from Zero to HERO!
Now, we must get to the more practical aspect of illustrating the principles we have discussed so far by examining the lives of some carefully selected heroes (you may also call them trailblazers and game-changers) across the world who are making extraordinary impacts, due to their decision to harness their potentials for the good of mankind. As an added advantage, we shall be learning directly from them as they recount their experiences and offer timeless tips on attaining greatness.
Nikola Tesla was born on July 10, 1856, in what is now Smiljan, Croatia. He was one of five children, which included siblings Dane, Angelina, Milka and Marica, in the family.
Tesla’s interest in electrical invention was spurred by his mother, Djuka Mandic, who invented small household appliances in her spare time, while her son was growing up. Tesla’s father, Milutin Tesla, was a Serbian priest and writer. He often pushed for his son to join the priesthood. But Nikola’s interests lay squarely in the sciences. He studied at the Real Schule, Karlstadt, the Polytechnic Institute in Graz, Austria, and the University of Prague. Thereafter, during the 1870s, he moved to Budapest, where, for a time, he worked at the Central Telephone Exchange. It was while in Budapest that the idea for the induction motor first came to him, but after several years of trying to attract interest in his invention, Tesla decided to leave Europe for America at the age of 28.
In 1884, Tesla arrived the United States with little more than clothes on his back and a letter of introduction to famed inventor and business mogul, Thomas Edison, whose DC (Direct Current)-based electrical works were fast becoming the standard in the country. Edison “hired” Tesla, and the two men were soon working tirelessly alongside each other, making improvements to Edison’s inventions.
However, several months later, the two parted ways due to a conflicting business-scientific relationship, attributed by historians to their incredibly different personalities: while Edison was a power figure who focused on marketing and financial success, Tesla was commercially out-of-tune and somewhat vulnerable. Tesla discovered and invented the AC (Alternative Current)-based electrical works. He informed his boss (Edison) about it, but Edison ignored it because he saw the Alternative Current as an impossible invention. Besides, he considered that even if it was possible, it would not be safe for public consumption due to its massive voltage and current.
Rather than encouraging Tesla and finding means of putting resources together to advance the AC, Edison was so engrossed with the financial success of his DC invention that he was blinded to the future possibilities of the so-called ‘impossible’ AC of Tesla. This was why Tesla was left with no other choice than to part ways with his boss.
After parting ways with Edison, Tesla kept on working on his invention. He saw possibilities in it and saw the timely need to chase his dreams. He wrote several letters to potential investors (businessmen) across the United States for funding. He eventually received funding for the Tesla Electric Light Company and was tasked by his investors to develop improved arc lighting. After successfully doing so, however, Tesla was forced out of the venture and for a time, had to work as a manual labourer – a zero – in order to survive.
Fortunately, his destiny was re-launched in 1887, when he was able to find more interests in his AC electrical system and funding for his new Tesla Electric Company. Setting straight to work, by the end of the year, Tesla had successfully filed several patents for AC- based inventions.
Tesla’s AC system eventually caught the attention of American engineer and businessman, George Westinghouse, who was seeking a solution to supplying the nation with long-distance power. Convinced that Tesla’s inventions would help him achieve this, he, in 1888, purchased Tesla’s patents for $60,000 in cash, as well as stocks in the Westinghouse Corporation. As interest in an Alternating Current System grew, Tesla and Westinghouse were put in direct competition with Thomas Edison, who was bent on selling his DC current to the nation. A negative press campaign was soon waged by Edison, in an attempt to undermine interest in AC power.
Tesla, on his part continued his work and would patent several more inventions during this period, including the Tesla coil, which laid the foundation for wireless technologies and is still used in radio technology today.
Unfortunately for Thomas Edison, the Westinghouse Corporation was chosen to supply the lighting at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and Tesla conducted demonstrations of his AC system there. Two years later, in 1895, Tesla designed what was among the first AC hydro-electric power plant in the United States, at the Niagara Falls. The following year, it was used to power the city of Buffalo, New York, a feat that was highly publicised throughout the world. With its repeat successes and favourable press, the Alternating Current system became the preeminent power system of the 20th century, and it has remained the worldwide standard ever since.
Nikola Tesla, therefore, can be said to have transited from being a zero to being a HERO! He did not give up on his dream despite all odds. He did not let his dream end up as a dream; rather, he pushed through, relentlessly empowered his potentials (zero), and planted his ‘seed’ in the fertile land of the United States of America. He discovered his strength and worked on his weak points, even in the midst of storms. He weathered the storms, discovered his actual location (fertile land) and moved out of his comfort zone to the land where God showed him, just like the biblical Abraham. He then carved a niche for himself! Even when Tesla got to his promised land (United States), he encountered greater storms (giants) which came in form of relegation, frustration, intimidation, disappointment, delay and lack, among others; yet he surmounted all in turning his dreams into reality! Tesla worked and walked his way indefatigably into the future against all odds, with his dreams intact, well empowered, then, emerged a global HERO even above his former boss, Thomas Edison. Tesla chased excellence, then success chased him! He knew financial prosperity would eventually locate him after he had done his own part of the deal, by perfecting his gifts and skills to excellence (the law of zero to hero).
I tell you, friend, you too can rise from your present level to an exceedingly glorious and influential one. This is the will of God for you.
Dr. Tolulope A. Adegoke is an accredited ISO 20700 Effective Leadership Management Trainer
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
The importance of timing cannot be overemphasized. Timing is everything in life. It is critical to one’s success. You can lose your money and get it back in many folds. You can even lose your health and get it back all things being equal, but when you lose time, you can hardly get it back again.
The importance of timing can be seen in crops. Every crop has a season, a good farmer won’t plant maize when it’s time for oranges, nor will he plant pears when it’s the season for mangoes.
Time is very instrumental to the success and failure of anyone. Imagine having a meeting or interview at 9:00am and you arrive at 10:10am, it will take the grace of God to be interviewed. As an employee, apart from one not being able to diligently do his job, one of the fastest ways for an employee to lose his job is by being late to work.
When I was in New York Law School studying Taxation law, I did a course titled, the Problem of Timing. During the semester, I learnt about cash and accrued income. Let me do some academic exercise here. In cash income, just like the name entails, one is paid in cash as soon as the work is completed. It’s just like going to the market to make a purchase. One can either pay directly with cash or with debit or credit card. But Accrued income refers to revenue a company has earned by providing goods or services, but for which payment has not yet been received, one will have to do the work first before getting paid. This is applicable when one works in either a public or private organization where one is paid either weekly, bi-weekly or at the end of the month depending on the stipulated mode of payment.
It’s important to note that before the money is paid either in cash or accrued, one would have earned it. It’s just like one learning g before earning, and one will have to update to upgrade. These are just the practical principles that will work with life.
In the same way, in life there’s a seed time and harvest time. It’s a universal principle of life. Whether as a parent, entrepreneur, student or employee. As a parent, if you don’t train your kids very well, they will grow up to reflect the opposite of what you desire. As an entrepreneur when you invest in your business, you will get the reward in due time. As a student, if you take your studies seriously, your grades will improve, and as an employee, you stand to get promotions and opportunities when you add value to your work. In summary, one will have to put in the work before recognition comes on.
To understand how seedtime and harvest work, imagine where parents tend to like one child more than others just because they see potential in him, or he’s smart, hardworking or even creative. They fail to understand that every child is different and as such their timing can be different. Some kinds take time to develop.
I personally believe there’s something so unique about each individual which God has deposited in everyone of us. It’s just a matter of time for it to manifest. Your timing of manifestation is different from your siblings and colleagues.
Personally, I didn’t mature fast with my contemporaries. Overtime, I have seen much improvement in my personal and professional life. Maybe because I have added value to my work with the assistance of mentors and good friends, or God had to humble my colleagues and mentors . Why do I say this? During my formative years, I had little or nothing to show for it. I was looking at my contemporaries as mentor and seeing my mentors as small gods whose feat is unattainable, but now, the reverse seems to be case as I have developed capacity some of my colleagues are yet to attain, while I have even surpassed the achievement of my some of my mentors in some quarters.
In all these, they are all surprised how it happened. Some are yet to comprehend or articulate the feat. It’s just like watching a film where everyone slept and woke up to see the game and tides have changed. The secret behind it is the seed time and harvest time. I was probably learning the trade while in the wilderness, and when the training season matured and ripe enough to be harvested, I became attractive to almost everyone who loved the seed I was producing.
There are litany of examples of people, who have been in the wilderness during the seed planting season. Let’s take a case study of Joseph in the Bible, his journey to stardom took a little twist. Despite the travails he experienced in the hands of his siblings who sold him, his experience while in the jail, and with Portiphar’s wife, who tried to seduce him; they were all set ups for success. The moral here is Joseph seed time and harvest time was quite different, it wasn’t a smooth journey. Ordinarily, one would have cursed his siblings or his friends who were with him in prison and forgot him after they were released. But at the end of time, everything worked out for his favor. Joseph’s seed days were his dark days while in the wilderness.
Another inspiring story of note was that of Pastor Ibukun Awosika, the former board Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria. She once shared a pathetic story during her formative years of being in business. According to her, she sojourned for about 15 years. She cried because lines were not adding up for her and she wouldn’t do what her contemporaries were doing to get opportunities. At a point in her business, it appeared like she was in a race of own life because everything seemed to be against her, but at the appropriate time, lines began to fall in place for her. Appointments, business opportunities, favours and goodwill began to fall in place for her. Again, she had a fair share of seed time.
An interesting question I would like to ask you is, what’s your seed time? Have you ever been in the wilderness when you appeared to be fixed? It’s unfortunate many people are not willing to pass through the storms or experience seeds and harvest time. Amidst all these, one must do some work before they get opportunities. However, before such opportunities will come up, one will have to plant the seed.
In conclusion, seed time and harvest time is critical in the journey of life. Take a seat and determine what seed you would like to sow and what you’ll like to harvest.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny Design Your and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
By Eric Elezuo
The Senate has suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghen for six months over her sexual harassment accusation and other disputes against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
The Senate also withdrew her salaries for the period of the suspension, as well as her security details.
The chamber however, soft-pedaled on the salaries and allowances of her aides, who it was argued would not have any source of livelihood within the period.
Globacom is welcoming new customers on its network with the introduction of the e-SIM. The e-SIM activated in any Gloworld shop or Dealer outlet comes with an introductory free 5GB data when the customer buys a data plan of N1,500 or more.
Customers already on other networks can now join the Glo network with e-SIM as an additional SIM. Existing Glo customers can also enjoy this “SIM-less” freedom.
With the e-SIM, customers no longer have to worry about space for a physical SIM on their phones. The e-SIM is a software-based digital chip built directly into smartphones or wearable devices, thus eliminating the need for a physical SIM card for customers.
The use of e-SIM enables customers to have seamless switching between phone numbers without a physical SIM. It is ideal for upwardly mobile people who travel frequently. The e-SIM also guarantees security, as unlike physical SIM, it is harder to remove from devices. It is also eco-friendly and reduces plastic waste.
Globacom’s launch of the e-SIM enables enables it to cater to high-net-worth individuals and enterprise customers, and it also reinforces the company’s commitment to providing seamless and future-ready services to its customers.
A customer seeking to activate the Glo e-SIM needs to check the compatibility of the mobile handset by dialling *#06# on his or her phone. If an EID number reflects on the mobile screen, the device is e-SIM compatible.
“The customer can then proceed to the nearest Gloworld shop or Glo Dealer outlet to migrate to e-SIM. The process takes only a few minutes and the customer can thereafter begin to enjoy the use of an e-SIM”, the Marketing Department disclosed.
