Hello friends . . . today I am sitting at home in front of my TV just indulged myself into CNN just to get me updated regarding the Super Tuesday. Moreover today is a public holiday in Malaysia for the Lunar New Year Festival. Then suddenly something struck my head and keep flashing about this interesting topic… “Innovation”.
It is a talent that everyone has, believe me this is true, but many think they do not. The power of innovation. If you have ever marvel at somebody's creative prowess, guess what, you can create and innovate too. It just takes time. Everyone is born creative. The box of crayons in kindergarten were not limited to those who possessed potential; because the truth is, everybody has potential.
You know how long it took to learn to ride a bike or drive or to never commit the same mistake again? It is the same with innovation. It takes a bit of practice and a lot of time before this mind function comes easily when called. Okay, let us go a bit further by exploring on how to bring innovation into your life, my life and everybody's life.
The rule is; Do not listen to what other people say. Follow the beat of your own heart. Allowing for the input of other people will only bring cacophony to the music you are trying to make. If you have an original idea, do not waste your time and effort trying to make people understand. They won't, believe me. And the help you will probably get comes in the form of negative feedback and this is always true in our community today. If all those geniuses listened to their peers, we would probably still be living in the middle ages.
Spend time on it. I cannot stress that enough, although, please do not mistake this tip to tell you to quit your day job entirely. Do not. This involves some tricky time management but with a little discipline you will be able to squeeze both in. Exercise. Take a walk. Jog a mile or two. Send all those endorphins (the stimulating hormone) coursing through your veins. Exercising certainly clears and relaxes your mind and allows for anything to pop up.
Record your dreams. Aren't some of them just the craziest things that your conscious mind would never have thought of? If you have had these dreams before, and I am sure have, this only shows you the untapped innovative power you have lying within. So jot down those notes. Those dreams may just create an innovative spark in you.
Find your own style. You can always tell a Van Gogh from a Matisse. You will know Hemingway wrote something by the choice of words on the paper. So it is the same with you. People will appreciate your innovation more because it is uniquely yours and that no one else would have thought of what you were thinking. That will let people see how valuable an asset you are.
Do not hide behind nifty gadgets or tools. You do not need the most expensive set of paints to produce a masterpiece. The same way with writing. You do not need some expensive fountain pen and really smooth paper for a bestseller. In fact, J.K. Rowling wrote the first book of the Harry Potter Series on bits of tissue. So what if you have got an expensive SLR camera if you are a crappy photographer? Who cares if you have got a super duper laptop if you can't write at all? The artist actually reduces the number of tools he has as he gets better at his craft: he knows what works and what doesn't.
Nothing will work without passion. What wakes you up in the mornings? What keeps the flame burning? What is the one thing that you'll die if you don't do? Sometimes people with talent are overtaken by the people who want it more. Think the hare and the tortoise. Ellen De Generes once said that if you're not doing something that you want to do, then you don't really want to do it. And that is true. Sometimes you just want something so bad you become a virtual unstoppable. And that is passion. Passion will keep you going.
Don't worry about inspiration. You can't force it; inspiration hits when you least expect it to, for those unpredictable yet inevitable moments you should prepare. An idea could strike you on the subway, yet alas, you poor unfortunate soul; you have no sheet of paper to scribble down a thought that could change the world. Avoid these disasters. Have a pen and paper within your arm's reach at all times.
I hope this post will help you bring more innovation into your life. Keep in mind that you are doing these things for your own satisfaction and not anybody else's. But soon enough they will notice, and everything should snowball from there. So keep writing, keep blogging and do not stop half way with what you have started few years, or few months, or few weeks back. I have seen people stop writing and blogging after few months. As I said earlier “it just take time”. You will never know when will the success formula will come. But you need to believe in yourself and not others.
Nothing is easy in this world but the path will be easier when one strive to succeed, have the will power to succeed and the innovation to be successful. You will never know, maybe your success is tomorrow, if you decide to quit today.
Hi Rosli!
I feel fortunate to have found another like minded person. I totally agree with you too:) If one is passionate about something and desire it so much then it’s definitely worth pursuing. I find myself getting better at tuning out negativities when I can’t avoid it altogether. It’s a bit draining at times. But then again if you think about it, there are always more people who are wanting for you to succeed. Once you’ve set your heart on a goal, do all that’s necessary to obtain it;)
Hi Rina,
Thanks for commenting and sharing. You have an awesome idea too via your blog and a strong determination to succeed. All the best and hope we could share ideas here.