First of all, for those who don't know, WD-40 stands for Water Displacement 40 and was originally developed by a man named Norman Larsen to repel water and prevent corrosion, but also has many other uses. What you may have not known is the meaning of the name. The 40 in WD-40 represents the 40th formula. It took Norman 40 attempts to result to a successful formula, which ultimately created a very successful product.



Before I go into the meaning of this let me tell you another true story about a man named Darby who years ago went to Colorado during the gold rush to find his fortune. He was going to dig and grow rich. So he staked his claim, bought a pick and shovel and went to work ...

After weeks of digging he finally struck gold. He decided to go back East, borrow the money from family and friends, purchase the necessary machinery and equipment and with a few family members, went back to the mine. Darby brought in the first load that would take care of his debt and now he was ready for the killer profits. Then something happened, the vein of gold disappeared. They desperately kept drilling, but to no avail. Finally, they decided to quit.

They sold the machinery to a junkman for a few hundred dollars and went back home. The junkman called in an engineer to do a little calculating. The engineer discovered that the project had failed because the owners were not familiar with fault lines. His calculations were that the gold vein would be found just three feet away. Long story short, the junkman took millions of dollars of gold from the mine as he knew enough to seek expert advice before giving up.

As you can see, these two different stories come to different conclusions. In the WD-40 example Norman did not give up even after 39 attempts, and created a successful formula after the 40th try. In the gold mining story Darby made a very bold attempt indeed, and even did make success, but by quitting he lost out on millions of dollars in profit.

So what should we take from these stories? One of the most common causes of failure is to quit when you've experienced temporary setback or defeat. Every person is guilty of this at one time or another in their lives. Always remember that you can not fail unless you give up!

The first time you attempt something you need to expect it to be tough. Expect it not to work. But this should not be the end. The first day is always the hardest, just like when you start to exercise after being out of shape for a long time. Your first day running would be the hardest and unfortunately many people would give up after the first day. Make yourself struggle until you make it.

We can also learn from the junkman in the gold mining story. As I said earlier, he knew enough to seek expert advice. Many people's lives are changed just because they take enough initiative to reach out to people who are in a place they want to be. Look at the people who are already successful and follow their lead. Ask them for help, do exactly what you are told to do, and don't give up! Doctors go to school for seven years, yet some people give up after their first week of trying to make money online. Does this make any sense at all?

I'm going to leave you with this thought. Would you rather quit and stay unhappy at your job the rest of your life (maybe 40 years), or invest some more time in learning how to experience the huge benefits and joy of working for yourself? You probably already spend 40 hours per week dedicated to your job, so can't you invest even a few hours per week to work towards a better future? It seems logical to me! Take gradual steps towards your goal, that's all it takes. I wish you much success in overcoming your failures.