“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.