Whatsapp Message The Governor of North Carolina once complimented Thomas Edison on his creative genius. "I am not a great inventor," countered Edison. "But you have over 1,000 patents to your credit," the Governor stated. "Yes, but about the only invention I can claim is absolutely original, is the phonograph," Edison replied. "I'm afraid I don't understand," the Governor remarked. "Well," explained Edison, "I'm an awfully good sponge. I absorb ideas wherever I can and put them to practical use. Then I improve them until they become of some value. My ideas are mostly the ideas of other people who didn't develop them themselves." Edison was a lifelong learner. He stayed open, hungry for knowledge, and teachable. And to succeed, you must too. To know whether you're teachable, ask yourself: (1) Am I open to other people's thoughts and ideas? (2) Do I listen more than I talk? (3) Am I willing to cha...