“Why didn’t I think of that?”
I often hear people ask this question. I have even asked it of myself a few times. Most of us have wished that our ideas were more creative at one point of another. The truth is that most of us have more creative ideas than we give ourselves credit for.
One of the reasons that we don’t always recognize the value of our ideas is that we are too quick to tell ourselves that our ideas are no good or stupid. We often dismiss them before they fully form in our minds. We come up with all sorts of reasons why our ideas are worthless.
“That couldn’t possibly work.” “That would cost too much.” “I don’t know how to do that.”
Do any of these sound familiar? What do you tell yourself when an idea pops into your head?
Our self talk of why something will not work can be endless if we’re not careful. But if we can shut down our internal naysayer, we may surprise ourselves with the good ideas that spring forth. After all everything that exists started with an idea. The clothes that you are wearing right now started with an idea. Google, Facebook and Twitter grew out of an idea. Even this post originated with a single idea.
So let’s free our minds and give ourselves permission to see how many ideas we can come up with. Remember, just because something has not been done, or does not seem possible at first glance does not mean that it cannot be done. It is out of the arena of the new that great innovations are born.
Think about it. What would life be like if the Wright brothers never thought that man could fly? I cannot imagine how many times Orville and Wilbur Wright must have questioned whether they would really be able to fly, or how many people must have laughed at them when they talked about men flying. But neither their failures, nor other peoples’ jokes deterred them. They continued to brainstorm and to tweak their flying machine until it literally took off.
You may still be thinking that you cannot come up with any ideas, but starting your flow of ideas is simpler than you may think. The best ideas often start with a what if question. I’m sure that somewhere along the way, the Wright brothers asked, “What if man could fly?”
A few months ago I asked myself a what if question.
“What if I commit to writing regularly instead of just thinking and talking about writing?”
What was the result of my what if question? I now write more, and writing more led to a more consistent blogging schedule and several good ideas for a couple of other writing projects.
Still think that only other people have good ideas? Maybe it’s time for you to ask yourself some what if questions. I challenge you to unleash your creativity and start generating ideas. Even if none of the ideas are anything that you want to follow through on, you will still benefit, because tapping into your creativity allows you to connect more with who you are.
I would love to hear about how you unlock your creativity and start your flow of ideas.
Happy brainstorming!
“The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas.” – Linus Pauling
Blessings.
See. Live. Enjoy.
16 Comments
agreed doubting yourself is crippling!
Brian,
You summed up the message well. “Doubting yourself is crippling!” Thank you for commenting.
Blessings.
I really enjoyed reading this post. I look forward to reading more.
Thank you Kristin. I’m glad that you enjoyed this post. There is more to come. Blessings.
Great post! I needed this today. I have so many ideas swirling in my head that I can’t even sleep at night. Recently, I’ve become more confident in executing some of them, but I have plenty of room to grow
Nina Renee,
Thank you for sharing. It’s sound like you’re ready to take action on some of your ideas. I look forward to hearing more about them as you develop them. Blessings.
“So let’s free our minds and give ourselves permission to see how many ideas we can come up with.”
Excellent post and I agree with you on this matter.
Thank you Elizabeth. Blessings.
It’s hard for me to start one of those good ideas unless I’m caught up on life and I never seem to be so those ideas once again get bumped to the back burner. This is what I am working at in me at the moment. Great post.
You make a good point. The demands of life and other time challenges can push our creative and brainstorming time to the back burner. This is an ongoing challenge for many of us. Thank you for sharing. Blessings.
Neat post! I always feel others have more faith in me than I do myself
Thanks Madhu. I think that others sometimes have more faith in us than we have in ourselves, because they can see our gifts from a perspective that we cannot. Others can see the uniqueness in the things that we do that we take for granted. For example it is clear from your blog that you have a wonderful ‘eye’ when it comes to photography. You may not be able to fully see your gift the way that your readers do. This is one of the reasons that it’s important for us to encourage each other. Blessings.
Now I know why I’m crippled, it all that doubt
. Thanks Wyletter, for many years I have said that very thing, “Why didn’t I think of that” , in essence what you are saying is the thoughts you are having do something with those, who know where they may grow if you take them further than your head. Take action, tell someone, give birth to them, put wings on them but for your sake don’t just keep them to myself. Got it.
LeRoy you summed the message up nicely. “Take action, tell someone, give birth to them, put wings on them but for your sake don’t just keep them to myself.” Thank you for sharing. Blessings.
Cool post. I think you answered your own question with your closing quote: “The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas.” – Linus Pauling
I keep note pads everywhere. I’m scribbling notes in restaurants, meetings, watching TV, even in church (really). In the car and while running, I carry an old cell with recording capabilities. Because, for me, running is stress relieving, and euphoric, I get a lot of ideas then (did I say running, I meant plodding!). Anyway, often I am talking into the phone while shuffling along and I can only imagine what people are thinking as they see this.
Keeping a mindset that every sensory experience every day is an opportunity to discover a creative idea is a huge benefit for me …hence the need for the note pads and recording device.
I enjoy your insights, thanks!
Paul,
Thank you for sharing your insight. I have a habit similar to yours. I most often use the notes app on my phone to save my ideas, but when I only have a few seconds to get something down I turn to the voice recorder app. Just in case I’m some place that I can’t pull out my phone, I also keep a small note book and pen with me at all times. You never know where inspiration and ideas will strike. Blessings.