What If?

My second favorite thing to do while traveling is to stop in locally owned bookstores; invariably, I find a gem.

My latest find is a children’s book called What Do You Do With an Idea? by Kobi Yamada. It’s a wonderful story about a small child who has an “idea” and not a clue what to do with it…and the journey begins. Up and down, through doubt and belief, from concept to fruition, the two travel together.

As the backflap of the book says, “What do ideas become? Big things, brave things, smart things, silly things, good things. Things like stories, artwork, journeys, inventions, communities, products, and cures. Everything you see around you was once an idea. So, what will become of your idea? Now that’s up to you.”  This book is destined to become one of my favorites when I am stuck.

We spend a lot of time rushing about and filling our plates to the brim. The “bored space” we experienced as children is now easily filled from external sources … TV, social media, gaming, and more. It allows our brains to go on autopilot … kind of like a drive home one night when you don’t remember how you got from point A to point B. Your brain clicks back on when you reach your destination. Imagine if you had noticed the one thing that would have sparked your interest, kicked your imagination into gear, and generated a new idea.

Remember what fun it was to create? There are so many opportunities around you where you can make a difference. Turn off that external source and power up the internal drive. Have some fun sparking new ideas. The only limit is you.

This Week’s Challenge: 

The fact is we are constantly thinking of and acting on ideas. So, think about something a bit out of the ordinary. When you catch yourself doing something routinely, question whether there’s a better—perhaps a more fun or fulfilling way—to do it. If there is, consider doing it the new way. The more often you do this, the easier it becomes. Anthony Robbins said, “Don’t be afraid of new ideas. Be afraid of old ideas. They keep you where you are and stop you from growing and moving forward. Concentrate on where you want to go, not on what you fear.” The world needs your ideas and your action. Take a small step each day and soon you will be (figuratively) walking on the moon. Why? Because you are filled with ideas that can rock your world!