Elias Howe and Invention of the Sewing Machine Needle

Elias Howe, was an American inventor who wanted to refine the concept and design of sewing machines of the 1800s. He struggled with the key component of an automated stitch until it came to him in a dream. Howe’s original idea was to follow the model of the ordinary needle, and have the eye of the needle located at the heel. This did not work for what he wanted to accomplish.

In his dream, he was being chased and attacked by cannibals with spears that had holes in their tips. It was after this dream that he realized that the needle in his invention must have a hole in the tip to put the thread through it, which lead to an innovative, efficient, and functional design used in modern day sewing machines.

The Virtue of Patience

Patience gives us time to think and affords us the needed calmness of the mind to see how things may play out in our lives, before we are poised to act.

In business schools, it is taught to avoid signing business deals in haste, but rather “sleep on it”. We can literally do that.

Most of us have been in trouble for responding to a heated debate or discussion before we have given ourselves time to cool down; and consequently ended up embarrassing ourselves. In such cases it is a good idea to wait until we cool off, and better yet, sleep on it.

Sleep On It

Typically, software engineers report that when they encounter a challenge that is stubborn, such as finding a bug, it is best to take a break as it will increase the odds of them finding the bug faster and with less frustration.

While faced with more serious decisions of in lives, what if we actually waited until the next day, after we have had a good night sleep filled with dreams before making a decision?

Sigmund Freud, the 19th century psychologist who analyzed and studied dreams, saw dreaming as a reflection of the unleashed id; which represents our unfulfilled desires. Today, science has shown that dreaming, among other things, is also the act of our brains working out and solving problems from our waking lives.