Albert Einstein’s 5 secrets of success
by thelifecoach
Filed under Happiness & Success
Einstein was a brilliant physicist whose discoveries changed our understanding of the universe. Einstein was also one of the most admired people of the 20th century. In studying his life, I have found five secrets of his remarkable success:
1.) Work is very important, but you must also take time for relaxation and fun.
“If A equals success, then the formula is: A=X+Y+Z.
X is work.
Y is play.
Z is keep your mouth shut.”
Einstein may have said the above quote partially in jest, but regardless, it is filled with a great deal of wisdom. Einstein believed that balance was an important part of success. Yes, work is very important, but so is play. On one occasion, he wrote to a friend:
“I feel that you are justified in looking into the future with true assurance, because you have a mode of living in which we find the joy of life and the joy of work harmoniously combined.”
As a Nobel Prize winning physicist, you may be surprised to know that Einstein took time for relaxation and fun. He loved sailing and even purchased his own sail boat at age 50. He also enjoyed playing the violin.
2.) Live a life of integrity
In addition to hard work and time for relaxation, Einstein believed that good character was essential for true success. By character, Einstein was referring to qualities such as responsibility, trustworthiness, fairness and respect for others.
“Most people say that it is intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong: it is character.”
“Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character.”
“The most important human endeavor is the striving for morality in our actions. Our inner balance and even our very existence depend on it. Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity for life.”
3.) Be Persistent- Do Not Give Up In The Face Of Obstacles
Einstein spent years developing and testing his theories. He kept going in spite of set-backs and criticism.
“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.”
“I am thankful to all of those said ‘No’ to me. It’s because of them I did it myself.”
“It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”
“I think and think for months and years. Ninety-nine times, the conclusion is false. The hundredth time I am right.”
4.) Be Willing To Take Risks
He was not afraid of making a mistake. The important thing to Einstein was that he learned something from it.
“A person who never made a mistake, never tried anything new.”
“Every great cause is first championed by an aggressive minority.”
“There is only one road to true human greatness: through the school of hard knocks.”
5.) Be Creative and Original: Think outside the Box
In order to reach solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems, Einstein relied heavily upon his imagination.
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.”
“The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.”
To stimulate creativity, one must develop the childlike inclination for play and the childlike desire for recognition.
6.) Serve and Help Others
Einstein knew he had a responsibility to help others with his time and talents. He strove to make a difference in the lives of others:
“Try not to become a man of success, but rather to become a man of value. He is considered successful in our day who gets more out of life than he puts in. But a man of value will give more than he receives.”
“A life directed chiefly toward the fulfillment of personal desires will sooner or later always lead to bitter disappointment.”
“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.”
