Marie Curie was a woman of firsts. She was a pioneer. Born in 1867 to Polish parents, Marie Curie was the first woman to teach as professor in the University of Paris, and also the first woman to win a Nobel Prize for her work in the field of radioactivity. Even the now commonplace term “radioactivity” was coined by Curie.
Curie founded institutes in Paris and Warsaw which still exist today as research centres. Curie was a woman who believed in the power of education and received more than one high degree.
If that’s not impressive enough, not only was she the first woman to win the Nobel prize, but she also won it a second time in 1911
Her IQ is estimated to be about 180 which is obviously in the gifted range. Every man and woman can learn a lot from Curie’s life and the lessons from it.
Say no to perfection
“Have no fear of perfection; you’ll never reach it.”
One great way to sabotage your own progress is to put pressure on yourself for everything to be perfect. Perfectionism is not necessarily always a good thing. Especially if you are racing against time. Just learn that sometimes good enough is good enough.
Prioritize
“Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas”
Be the person who does not sit around watching reality shows, but works on self-improvement instead. Since we all have limited time in a day, make sure that you prioritize the right things that will give you results and lead you to progress and success. Wasting your own time on trivial things is the biggest disservice you can do to yourself.
Don’t be afraid of hard times
“I was taught that the way of progress was neither swift nor easy.”
If you are having a hard time, then know that you are on the right path. Doing great things is not easy, and once you make peace with that, you will learn to appreciate the pain that comes with sticking to your path of choice. Hard times make us stronger and more than that, the harder the path the more creative you get to overcome the hardship. So in essence hard times make you a more refined and interesting person.
Persevere
“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves.”
The first step is expecting hardships will come your way, and then the second step is to persevere in the face of hardship. If you really love something, then lose sleep over it, work 16 hours a day, keep going and don’t stop until you reach your goal. If you have gone through hard times already and are halfway there, then you owe it to yourself to go all the way and achieve your goal.
Believe in yourself
“We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.”
The biggest enemy of success is self-doubt. Sometimes our gifts come so easy to us, that we take them for granted, or think that it comes easy to everyone else. But if someone has ever pointed out to you that you have special talent in a specific thing, believe in what they are saying. Believe in yourself.
Be confident
“First principle: never to let one’s self be beaten down by persons or by events.”
As they say these days: Haters gonna hate. The same people who beat you down for various reasons are the ones who are later proud to be associated with you once you succeed. Sometimes these are our loved ones, our friends and family or strangers. Just remember, everyone has a right to their opinion, but you also have a right to live your life the way you want it. So when you get negative feedback, learn to let it go.
Believe in the power of one
“You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals.”
A lot of times, people do not start a project or initiative because they can’t find enough partners, or they are alone, but you must believe that even one individual, one act of kindness, one vote, one dollar or one smile can make a difference.
Keep improving yourself
“Each of us must work for his own improvement, and at the same time share a general responsibility for all humanity.”
If you stop improving yourself, then the world will pass you by. Especially in this day and age, where change has become the norm, you must continually strive to improve your knowledge, skills and abilities. Self-learning and growth is every human’s responsibility. So keep reading, learning, enrol in some courses to keep you up to speed.
Don’t waste too much time on looks
“I have no dress except the one I wear every day. If you are going to be kind enough to give me one, please let it be practical and dark so that I can put it on afterwards to go to the laboratory.”
The most successful people in the world, including the likes of Mark Zuckerberg, approach clothes in a very simple way. People tend to buy on type of clothing item in the same colour. The amount of time that not having to choose your outfit in the morning can save you is enough to do something productive during that saved time. Clothes are meant to cover your body and protect you from the environment. That being said, wear what you feel comfortable in. You do not need to conform to anyone else’s standards but of your own comfort levels and style statements.
