The significance of surprises, coincidences and mistakes cannot be ignored or undervalued in our lives. They create opportunity to think creatively and solve problems. Fear and frustration constrict our brain from creating. So send those boogers on their way.
Today, I felt impressed to share with you some of my favorite, remarkable stories of things that didn’t go as expected but turned out pretty, darned good and even world changing. All are true stories and you will recognize the products and probably even use some of them.
- A Russian chemist, who forgot to wash his hands upon returning home from work, picked up a dinner roll & took a bite. It was sweet. As was each item he ate. He realized what was happening chemically and SACCHARINE, the artificial-sweetener (Sweet N Low) was invented. (See, good things could come from not washing your hands)
- A restaurant in Saratoga Springs had a very hard to please patron who 3 times sent back his thickly cut French style potatoes. The third time, the frustrated chef, George Crum, sliced the potatoes as thin as he could, over fried them and covered them in excessive salt. To his surprise, the patron loved them and ordered another round. The POTATOE CHIP was created. (Who knows what good can come of frustration)
- Percy Spencer was testing a new vacuum tube when he noticed the chocolate bar in his pocket was melting….welcome to the world… the MICROWAVE.
- Charles Goodyear, a struggling businessman had no commercially successful products and his family was starving. After throwing stuff in the air, he invented vulcanized rubber- RUBBER CAR TIRES.
- Ruth Wakefied was baking cookies at her Inn on Toll House Road, when she ran out of bakers chocolate. She replaced it with pieces of a chocolate bar and hoped it would melt, but it did not. And boy are we glad they didn’t – Thanks to her, we have the #1 cookie, CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES and Toll House Cookies. Yum!
- QUININE, the malaria medicine was discovered by a sick Andean man drinking water at the foot of a Quina Quina tree.
- Even VIAGRA was an unexpected discovery. It was intended to be a heart medication. It helped other things instead. 🙂
- Finally, a walk in the mountains brings about unexpected events too. Enter George de Mestral and his dog, who upon returning home from a walk in the Alps noticed burrs stuck to his clothes and the dog. Looking closer, he saw seeds covered in small hooks. He didn’t realize it, but he was about to invent a revolutionary new fastening system called VELCRO.
“The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that most heralds new discoveries, is not “Eureka!” but, “…that’s funny…”.
Sciencealert.com
Scientists have long said that “the best innovations come from the unexpected.“
Keep in mind that all of these inventions were unexpected and none of these accidental discoveries would have happened without the person realizing its value.
I believe, in this new day we are living, there is arising from the unexpected, opportunity. Opportunity for creative minds to think creative thoughts. Opportunity for needs that arise to be met with new and better solutions. Opportunity for long standing problems to be solved. Opportunity for old ways of education, shopping, selling, serving, to be improved.
Therefore, let us recognize the value of these unexpected times and allow our brains to be freed to create, discover and even fail.
Your experience just might lead to a wonderful new discovery. Really!
Cheers to you.
(Please drop me your thoughts, or comment below. I love reading them.)
Under Debra’s Palm 