Conventional thought

You want to do something different than what you've been doing.
It's a bit risky.
Your first thought is to see what others have done.
What others have tried.
Where others have failed.
So you won't.

We've been taught that failure is a bad word.
No one should strive for failure.
It means you have to repeat the lesson.
It means you have to start from scratch.
It means you're not moving forward in a world that is whizzing you by.

Failure is NOT a bad word.
It's a reset.
It's a lesson.
It's a teaching opportunity.
If you pay attention.

Your homework in learning what others have done, succeeded or failed is only part of an answer still uncovered.

Where others have succeeded becomes conventional thought.
It becomes common.
It becomes what you believe to be the "KNOWN".

If you've had a baby, you remember the minute you understood your baby's whimpers and whines is the day the baby changes his routine. When you get used to waking up for 3am feedings is the night the baby sleeps through the night.

Robin Williams character is Dead Poet's Society says it best.

"Just when you think you know something, you have to look at it in another way. Even though it may seem silly or wrong, you must try."

Conventional thought has been proven wrong many times.

Conventional thought says there is no one dependable in the workforce who wants to work for minimum wage so you have to inport labour from others countries.
Not true, if you can't find the right people, check your job ad and your management style. People is not the problem, you and your ad are. You're attracting the wrong people.

Conventional thought says you need money to make money.
Not true. You need customers to make money. You need a great product to make customers. You need hard work, persistence and innovative thinking to make a great product. And you need to be a bit insane to even start.

Conventional thought says money doesn't grow on trees.
Isn't money really paper, made from ummm trees?

Conventional thought says you need to go to school, get good grades, get a job so you can retire.
Zuckerberg, Jobs, and Gates are just a few smart people who never finished university. I know kids making millions with barely a high school diploma.

Conventional thought isn't all bad.
It's the safe route.
It's the one with the fewest obstacles.
If you don't have the guts, conventional thought is your best bet.
But don't expect too much from it.
When a path has been beaten down to the dirt, the greatest riches are removed by previous travellers.
The greater the safety, the lesser the opportunity.

The road less travelled is not safe.
It may lead to a dead end.
It will be interesting, exciting and dangerous.
However, if you can come out the other end, still in tact, you will find your riches.

Jump on a desk.
Look at things from a different perspective.
Ask a child what he thinks. They will surprise you with their innocent view of the world.
Talk to a homeless man.
Don't do what everyone else has done before you.
It's been done. The garden has been picked.
There's not much left for you.

The wild pastures are waiting for you to discover them.
If you're willing to get past some of your conventional thoughts.