The Power of Imagination

Helix Nebula (sometimes called the "Eye of God")

GOTCHA! SPACE PHOTO!

The human imagination is very powerful. In truth, all of us have the ability to be "mini-creators." Human beings have the power to take something as fleeting and non-existent as a thought and turn it into something that can be felt, seen or heard...almost as if creating something from nothing. Even as you read this blog, you have witnessed the process of creation. I turned my fleeting thoughts into actual text you can read and react to (...and laugh at sometimes ;) ). Who knows what power this creation ultimately has though? But...that is the wonder of creating things...the wonder of a new frontier.

Unfortunately, we are increasingly living in a world where people can't let their imaginations run wild anymore. We're taught from a young age to stop daydreaming, do our work, learn our manners and please everyone. We are not machines.

I repeat: We are not machines.

Imagination is the essence of artists but also the entrepreneur. Most people dream from time to time...but they never create. What separates an entrepreneur from the rest is that he/she takes those dreams and creates a reality out of them. Most people simply "climb the ladder", climbing to heights that have already been predetermined by other people they don't know.

Entrepreneurs build their own ladders, so they can go as high as their dreams can take them.

Look at all the biggest businesses out there. Every single one of them started out as a fleeting, non-existent thought. If nothing was done, they would have never existed...doomed to die with their creator in a graveyard of dead dreams and broken hopes.

So I say to those of you who are entrepreneurs or aspire to be one:

Let your imagination run wild and create something from nothing.

How to find inspiration for your future venture

Artist: Bruce Clarke

"Whether you believe you can do something or not, you are right." - Henry Ford

As you may have read in the post before, one of the first steps you need to do before starting a business is to think about what interests you first.

The next few posts are going to expand on each and every step. Today starts with finding inspiration. There are a number of ways to do this:

1. One of the best ways I've found is to learn from the example of entrepreneurs who have already made it. Publications like Inc. Magazine are a great source of success stories. In fact, these success stores can often trigger a creative spark and allow you to think of a great idea you never thought of before.

2. Talk to people! Whether it be friends, co-workers or people you meet at networking events or parties. Often times, people are glad to give you ideas...usually because they don't want to do it themselves! Obviously, I'm not saying you should steal ideas from others, that's not cool. Make sure you're not stealing an idea that someone is already working on. Although we live in a jungle, that doesn't mean you have to be one of the apes in it.

3. Sit in silence and just let your imagination run wild. You'll be surprised what your mind can conjure up when you allow yourself to silence your thoughts and distance yourself from un-needed distractions. When you put yourself in the right mindset, you'll find that ideas will come to you rather than the other way around.

4. Closely observe your surroundings. Usually in the chaos of everyday life, we forget to just step back, take a deep breath and notice what's going on around us. You may overhear your friends or even complete strangers say golden things like "God, I wish xyz could be done better" or whatever. Not only that, you may find how things could be done better in the very industry that you work in (if you work at a job).

5. Learn new skills. By expanding your capabilities and horizons, you will most likely develop a great idea....or finally be able to execute on an idea you already had.

6. Approach someone you know who has a great idea and offer to help. You don't always have to be the one who thinks of the idea. If you think an an idea is great, be part of its success! It's much like someone who becomes an entrepreneur through franchising. You don't have to be a grand visionary, you just need to have the determination. Like Edison once said, it's 99% perspiration, 1% inspiration.

7. Keep reading this blog...unless of course my mentioning of taking a dump in your boss' top drawer didn't already give you a business idea related to human resource counseling or waste management ;)

Stay tuned for the next episode. We'll discuss how to organize your ideas and focus on the best one.