If Apple thought all the good ideas were taken, they would never have invented the iPad.
If Elon Musk thought all the good ideas were taken, he wouldn't be revolutionalizing the car industry.
Most of us don't work for Apple or Elon Musk. But we all need good ideas in our lives.
Do you want to come up with some good ideas for your job or your business?
Yesterday we did a 10 minute brainstorming session for a yoga studio. The question was what could the company do to become more remarkable. There was one rule. No one could say that an idea was bad.
Here were some of the answers:
Do a cleanse as a value add.
Have a juicer and sell juices.
Have a Facebook page...
And the list went on, boring as hell.
Then one guy said: Offer yoga to lumbersexuals!
It made no sense but we weren't allowed to comment on the idea. A bunch of people giggled imagining grown men with full beards in yoga pants.
Then a couple more boring ideas hit the table, until someone said offer yoga dating.
Then another person said offer yoga glow in the dark sessions.
Then another person said beat the Guiness Book of World Records for the most people at once doing Yoga on the beach.
Every time someone laughed at an idea, we knew we were on to something. It might truly be a bad idea. At least it got our attention, we laughed and we wanted to know more. Wanting more, lowering inhibitions gave permission to others to be ridiculous.
It is in the ridiculous that the great ideas will emerge.
If the yoga girls are serious about opening this business, they have some work to do. But the worst thing they can do is be like every other yoga studio in the world. It's too hard to stand out. It's too hard to get noticed. It's too costly in time and money to wait for customers to figure out how good you are (if you are good).
These ideas are just ideas. The real work is in the execution.
The exercise demonstrated what can happen when people aren't limited by their inhibitions, their ridiculousness and negativity.
Be ridiculous. The answers are waiting for you there.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Source energy
I had coffee yesterday with a man who I've always respected from a far. He told me he wanted to talk. He detailed his plan in moving forward in his business. I sat there with great humility listening to this wonderful man asking me for advice.
As I watched and listened, a feeling came over me that it was not me providing advice to him. He was providing guidance to me. This great man is is a king among kings. He's not rich nor is he royalty.
It's his energy. He has a magnetic personality. His smile is pure love. Despite his business accomplishments I respect this man for who he is not what he has done.
I read a great quote this week that said in order to be great one must first be good.
Despite his greatness, he showed me that we are all fragile children looking and desiring to achieve our purpose.
This great man stood before me in humility and described his fears and dreams.
At an early age I was taught that emotion (mostly crying) demonstrated weakness and fragility. We learn to suppress those emotions over time.The hardening of time gives us the illusion that we become stronger. When in fact we are still scared fragile children.
Science has proven that color does not exist. Color is nothing more then a series of wavelengths. The length of the wave determines the color human eyes perceives. Sound does not exist. Sound is nothing more than vibration. When the vibration changes so does the sound a human ear perceives. Smell is an illusion. Smell is perceived by humans based on the reaction of different chemicals combining together.
Physics has proven that life is nothing but energy. No one has to be a quantum physicist to know that. When I apply energy to my woodstove I get heat. A live human has heat. When we die the heat gets removed. In the absence of heat, energy is no longer contained.
And all energy has a source. When I turn on the lights in my home, a nuclear reactor generates energy 400 miles away to make that happen. I don't understand nuclear energy. I've never seen the plant. But I know it exists when I turn on my lights.
People are bowls of energy. We didn't happen by accident. We were created. We are connected with translucent wires to each other. All of us independent but depend on each other. All of us connected to a power plant source.
The man I met yesterday was looking for advice for me yet he was the one who taught me an extremely valuable lesson.
We are not people. We are all just bowls of energy filled with fear, hope and desire...
As I watched and listened, a feeling came over me that it was not me providing advice to him. He was providing guidance to me. This great man is is a king among kings. He's not rich nor is he royalty.
It's his energy. He has a magnetic personality. His smile is pure love. Despite his business accomplishments I respect this man for who he is not what he has done.
I read a great quote this week that said in order to be great one must first be good.
Despite his greatness, he showed me that we are all fragile children looking and desiring to achieve our purpose.
This great man stood before me in humility and described his fears and dreams.
At an early age I was taught that emotion (mostly crying) demonstrated weakness and fragility. We learn to suppress those emotions over time.The hardening of time gives us the illusion that we become stronger. When in fact we are still scared fragile children.
Science has proven that color does not exist. Color is nothing more then a series of wavelengths. The length of the wave determines the color human eyes perceives. Sound does not exist. Sound is nothing more than vibration. When the vibration changes so does the sound a human ear perceives. Smell is an illusion. Smell is perceived by humans based on the reaction of different chemicals combining together.
Physics has proven that life is nothing but energy. No one has to be a quantum physicist to know that. When I apply energy to my woodstove I get heat. A live human has heat. When we die the heat gets removed. In the absence of heat, energy is no longer contained.
And all energy has a source. When I turn on the lights in my home, a nuclear reactor generates energy 400 miles away to make that happen. I don't understand nuclear energy. I've never seen the plant. But I know it exists when I turn on my lights.
People are bowls of energy. We didn't happen by accident. We were created. We are connected with translucent wires to each other. All of us independent but depend on each other. All of us connected to a power plant source.
The man I met yesterday was looking for advice for me yet he was the one who taught me an extremely valuable lesson.
We are not people. We are all just bowls of energy filled with fear, hope and desire...
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Limiting beliefs
I'm too old. It's too risky at my age.
I'm too young. No one will take me serious.
My business is slow in the summer because everyone is on vacation.
My business is declining because the economy isn't very good.
I'm too fat to be attractive to someone.
I'm too skinny to be attractive to someone.
I don't have enough money to start a business.
I have too much money to risk on a business.
I could go on. I hear them everyday. Excuses that limit our ability to be successful. The excuses get engrained into our belief system and as long as we believe these statements to be true, they are.
It's called a self-fulfilling prophecy.
What if we talked differently to ourselves?
What if we positioned these statements in a positive frame of mind?
Instead of saying what we can't do, what would happen if we asked ourselves the question, "How can we do it?".
It would mean that we have to take responsibility for our actions. It would mean that we are in control of our results.
And that may be scary for some of us.
Because the only reason we don't succeed is because we don't give ourselves permission.
I'm too young. No one will take me serious.
My business is slow in the summer because everyone is on vacation.
My business is declining because the economy isn't very good.
I'm too fat to be attractive to someone.
I'm too skinny to be attractive to someone.
I don't have enough money to start a business.
I have too much money to risk on a business.
I could go on. I hear them everyday. Excuses that limit our ability to be successful. The excuses get engrained into our belief system and as long as we believe these statements to be true, they are.
It's called a self-fulfilling prophecy.
What if we talked differently to ourselves?
What if we positioned these statements in a positive frame of mind?
Instead of saying what we can't do, what would happen if we asked ourselves the question, "How can we do it?".
And that may be scary for some of us.
Because the only reason we don't succeed is because we don't give ourselves permission.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Covalent bonds
Water molecules are created from the bonding of electrons from an oxygen molecule to electrons of two hydrogen molecules (H2O).
Oxygen wants hydrogen to make water.
Hydrogen wants and needs oxygen to make water.
If the bond is done in one way, it creates water.
If the bond is done differently, it creates hydrogen peroxide.
Humans need water to survive.
Hydrogen peroxide can be poison.
Bonds require interdependence.
Customers need products.
Businesses fulfills needs of the customers.
If the bond is formed properly under the right conditions, a loyal customer will be the result.
If there is no bond, the customer bounces around until she finds another business to bond to.
Businesses need loyal customers to survive.
Disloyal customers are the hardest to please and the most expensive to market to.
Poor attempts at bonding creates poison.
Done the right way, a bond will create magic.
Enterprises existence is based on creating the right covalent bonds.
Oxygen wants hydrogen to make water.
Hydrogen wants and needs oxygen to make water.
If the bond is done in one way, it creates water.
If the bond is done differently, it creates hydrogen peroxide.
Humans need water to survive.
Hydrogen peroxide can be poison.
Bonds require interdependence.
Customers need products.
Businesses fulfills needs of the customers.
If the bond is formed properly under the right conditions, a loyal customer will be the result.
If there is no bond, the customer bounces around until she finds another business to bond to.
Businesses need loyal customers to survive.
Disloyal customers are the hardest to please and the most expensive to market to.
Poor attempts at bonding creates poison.
Done the right way, a bond will create magic.
Enterprises existence is based on creating the right covalent bonds.
Monday, October 5, 2015
Marketing 101
There are two ways to deliver marketing.
The first way is to scream from the mountaintops, hoping someone, anyone will hear you. If enough people are looking for that product at that exact time, they may come to see you. You may get a sale out of it.
If you want attention, all you need to do is interact with lots of people. Someone is bound to be in the market at that particular time. But screaming isn't always the best way to get attention. I learned with my kids that whispering can have the exact same effect.
The second way is to deliver such a memorable story that potential customers think about you long after they hear the message. They don't have to be "in-market" to buy. But one day when they are, the message will still resonate enough for them to check you out. You'll get traffic and maybe even a sale.
Mass Media talks to everyone. If the message is poorly crafted, you will only talk AT customers who are "in-market" to buy when they hear the commercial. If the message is clear and remarkable, you talk WITH all customers who will someday be "in-market" to buy.
Talking AT people will be effective if you time it right. Talking WITH people will be always be effective.
The media doesn't matter as much as the message. Have a clear message and business will take care of itself.
The same thing works with dating. If you want a date, get a girl to laugh. She'll remember you for weeks.
The first way is to scream from the mountaintops, hoping someone, anyone will hear you. If enough people are looking for that product at that exact time, they may come to see you. You may get a sale out of it.
If you want attention, all you need to do is interact with lots of people. Someone is bound to be in the market at that particular time. But screaming isn't always the best way to get attention. I learned with my kids that whispering can have the exact same effect.
The second way is to deliver such a memorable story that potential customers think about you long after they hear the message. They don't have to be "in-market" to buy. But one day when they are, the message will still resonate enough for them to check you out. You'll get traffic and maybe even a sale.
Mass Media talks to everyone. If the message is poorly crafted, you will only talk AT customers who are "in-market" to buy when they hear the commercial. If the message is clear and remarkable, you talk WITH all customers who will someday be "in-market" to buy.
Talking AT people will be effective if you time it right. Talking WITH people will be always be effective.
The media doesn't matter as much as the message. Have a clear message and business will take care of itself.
The same thing works with dating. If you want a date, get a girl to laugh. She'll remember you for weeks.
Friday, October 2, 2015
You're so smart you have two brains
The brain is made of two hemispheres. In fact, they are very much two separate brains.
The left hemisphere is responsible for analytics, and logic. It breaks problems down into component parts. We learn and understand science, mathematics and reasoning in this part of the brain.
The right hemisphere is responsible for creativity. It's where we learn how to dance, sing, play a musical instrument, draw, paint and create stories. This area of our brain takes illogical pieces and puts them together to create.
In grade one, we all loved to draw and paint. Research has proved that all children at this age think of themselves as creative.
By grade ten, less than ten percent of them still feel creative.
What happens in nine short years?
Puberty probably plays a role as children try to conform. Creativity requires people to be a bit weird. Weird is not cool in high school.
I believe the suppression of our creativity has a lot to do with the educational system. As children progress through the system, creative classes which require right brain processes are replaced with logical, left brain analysis.
Art and music classes are reduced to one day per week, replaced with mathematics, sciences, history and social studies. By the time our children get into high school, these creative classes are abolished entirely.
Imagine a child quitting school in grade three. Her reading would be basic. Her ability to calculate simple math problems would be slow. She would know nothing about history or science unless she went out on her own to discover it.
That's what the system has done to the creative learning of our children. It has stunted it. It's still there. Unexercised, fat, and unhealthy, the right brain has gotten lazy.
The only way out of this rut is to exercise the brain to be creative again.
If you haven't tapped into your creativity lately, you're only using one of your brains. What a shame to have your other brain taking up so much space and not paying rent.
Women tap into the creative right brain more often than men. Intuition is the ability to see patterns in illogical events to know the logical result.
Don't mess with a woman's intuition.
The left hemisphere is responsible for analytics, and logic. It breaks problems down into component parts. We learn and understand science, mathematics and reasoning in this part of the brain.
The right hemisphere is responsible for creativity. It's where we learn how to dance, sing, play a musical instrument, draw, paint and create stories. This area of our brain takes illogical pieces and puts them together to create.
In grade one, we all loved to draw and paint. Research has proved that all children at this age think of themselves as creative.
By grade ten, less than ten percent of them still feel creative.
What happens in nine short years?
Puberty probably plays a role as children try to conform. Creativity requires people to be a bit weird. Weird is not cool in high school.
I believe the suppression of our creativity has a lot to do with the educational system. As children progress through the system, creative classes which require right brain processes are replaced with logical, left brain analysis.
Art and music classes are reduced to one day per week, replaced with mathematics, sciences, history and social studies. By the time our children get into high school, these creative classes are abolished entirely.
Imagine a child quitting school in grade three. Her reading would be basic. Her ability to calculate simple math problems would be slow. She would know nothing about history or science unless she went out on her own to discover it.
That's what the system has done to the creative learning of our children. It has stunted it. It's still there. Unexercised, fat, and unhealthy, the right brain has gotten lazy.
The only way out of this rut is to exercise the brain to be creative again.
If you haven't tapped into your creativity lately, you're only using one of your brains. What a shame to have your other brain taking up so much space and not paying rent.
Women tap into the creative right brain more often than men. Intuition is the ability to see patterns in illogical events to know the logical result.
Don't mess with a woman's intuition.
Thursday, October 1, 2015
My first love
She was 18 years old when I first met her. 18 years old, 3 months and 26 days and I loved her the moment I saw her. Don't tell me love at first sight doesn't exist because I'm living proof you're wrong.
She was tired and in pain. But she glowed, somewhat relieved. I didn't want to hurt her, but there was no other choice. It was a life and death situation. I chose life and in the process I hurt this precious woman so much that she didn't feel the pain anymore. All she felt was love for me, and I for her.
Today is her birthday. 18 years, 3 months and 26 days older than me. Happy birthday mom! I love you.
She was a child when she got married. Quickly got pregnant and had her first child before her 19th birthday. She wasn't allowed to drink, but she made decisions that forced her to quickly become an adult.
My mom has always been 18 years, 3 months and 26 days older than me, but for some reason, I have always seen her as old.
She isn't old. She's just older than me.
When I was 10 years old, she was still in her twenties, full of piss and vinegar, but I saw her as old.
When I got married at 25 years old, she was the same age I am now. And I thought she was old.
And today at she has brushed past the 60 and into a set of numbers she hasn't seen since she was a mid-teenager. She is now a dyslexic 16 year old, moving toward senior citizenship.
She's not old, even though I have always seen her as old.
Perspective only gives one opinion. That opinion is based on experience. And that experience is personal. The perspective we have is based on our own experiences. My mom looked old to me just like I look to my children.
She's a vibrant, funny, loving mother and I wouldn't trade her for anything. She's 18 years, 3 months and 26 days older than me. I love her more today than I did so many years ago.
Happy Birthday Mom! Hope you have a great dyslexic sweet sixteen birthday.
She was tired and in pain. But she glowed, somewhat relieved. I didn't want to hurt her, but there was no other choice. It was a life and death situation. I chose life and in the process I hurt this precious woman so much that she didn't feel the pain anymore. All she felt was love for me, and I for her.
Today is her birthday. 18 years, 3 months and 26 days older than me. Happy birthday mom! I love you.
She was a child when she got married. Quickly got pregnant and had her first child before her 19th birthday. She wasn't allowed to drink, but she made decisions that forced her to quickly become an adult.
My mom has always been 18 years, 3 months and 26 days older than me, but for some reason, I have always seen her as old.
She isn't old. She's just older than me.
When I was 10 years old, she was still in her twenties, full of piss and vinegar, but I saw her as old.
When I got married at 25 years old, she was the same age I am now. And I thought she was old.
And today at she has brushed past the 60 and into a set of numbers she hasn't seen since she was a mid-teenager. She is now a dyslexic 16 year old, moving toward senior citizenship.
She's not old, even though I have always seen her as old.
Perspective only gives one opinion. That opinion is based on experience. And that experience is personal. The perspective we have is based on our own experiences. My mom looked old to me just like I look to my children.
She's a vibrant, funny, loving mother and I wouldn't trade her for anything. She's 18 years, 3 months and 26 days older than me. I love her more today than I did so many years ago.
Happy Birthday Mom! Hope you have a great dyslexic sweet sixteen birthday.
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