I walked into the cutest gift shop about a month ago. I’ve been getting out and exploring our town more, and this adorable shop sits on the corner of “Main Street.” In the windows, they have beach-house style pillows, decor, gifts and books displayed in such a perfect inviting way. I walked in and I’ve since been back three times. Where we live, there are constantly people moving away. I know it’s like that at most duty stations but here, the average orders are anywhere from seven months to twenty-four months so the frequency of friends moving away feels much quicker than our other stations. I was looking for a gift for our friends to take with them to their next city, a gift that they would remember California by. This particular gift shop happened to have so many items that fit the bill.
As I headed up to the check out, a children’s book caught my eye, in capital letters it read, “WHAT DO YOU DO WITH AN IDEA?” by Kobi Yamada. There was a bright gold sticker on it too which obviously meant it was special. A closer look would tell me that it had won the “Independent Publishing Book Award.” I opened up the first page to read this book and had that moment where I truly felt this book was written for me. Do you ever feel that way about a book? I instantly felt, “I’m so glad we found each other!” Now ever since I took this book home, I’ve told other friends about how much I love it and they all look at me like “duh, we have that book, it’s great.” Well, it was NEW to me and I discovered it at just the right time. You see, lately I’ve been talking about ideas a lot. Maybe you’ve noticed from all of my blog posts. This book may have been written for children but it’s principles still apply for everyone. I’m going to break down a few of the key principles so that you know, what to do with an idea too. I hope you love it as much as I do.
“One day, I had an idea. ‘Where did it come from? Why is it here?'”
Your idea is a gift. You have been given so many special talents and life experiences. You are intelligent and clever. Maybe you’ve kept your idea to yourself and right now, it’s just you and your idea. Maybe you’re not sure what to do with it. We have a choice with our idea. We can push it aside and pretend it’s not there. Or, we can water it, and let our idea grow and see where it takes us. Your idea is here because you are special. You are unique, you have ambition, you have something inside you that wants to see where this idea can go.
“But there was something magical about my idea. I had to admit, I felt better and happier when it was around.”
Do you smile just thinking about your idea? Can you imagine what your life would be like if your idea took flight? What would you feel like if you actually got to see what happened with your idea? Imagine if your idea made a larger impact on the world. Imagine what it would look like for your family if your idea came to life. Imagine the sense of fulfillment you would feel from going for it! You know you can do this.
“I showed it to other people even though I was afraid of what they would say. I was afraid that if people saw it, they would laugh at it. I was afraid they would think it was silly. And many of them did. They said it was no good. They said it was too weird. They said it was a waste of time and that it would never become anything. And at first I believed them. I actually thought about giving up on my idea.”
Have you ever had this happen to you? Have you ever shared an idea with the people you love most only to have them tell you 101 reasons why it will never work? We’ve all been there. Not everyone will understand your idea. Many will not have a clue what you’re even talking about, let alone be able to help you with it. DON’T GIVE UP on your idea. Work at it and make it even better. This idea was given to you, it is special, just like you. Stop worrying about what other people think. If you want to test out your idea, find someone that is the ideal fit for the problem you’re trying to solve or the need you are fulfilling. If you want constructive feedback, go directly to the people you want to help and get their insight first.
“Then one day, something amazing happened. My idea changed right before my very eyes. It spread its wings, took flight and burst into the sky.”
Before you know it, your idea will change into a flourishing business. Keep at it. Growing your idea can take time. But, just like the wise man Lau Tzu says, “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” If every day, you take one step further with your idea, you will watch your idea grow and grow. You will feel more confident in your idea, you will get to the point where you can’t imagine your life without your idea. It will be amazing to see the people you are helping, the needs you a fulfilling and the difference you’re making because you decided to water your idea and make it grow.
“And then I realized what you do with an idea…You Change the World.”
You have the ability to make the world a better place because of your idea. People will read the words you write, people will buy the products and services you sell, people will listen to the words you say. You’ve been given a gift of an idea. Don’t keep it to yourself. Share it with the world.
Recently, I’ve received so many emails from military spouses asking me how to take what they know, their ideas, and turn it into a business. As a result of all of your emails, I decided to create BASIC TRAINING, which is my fast-track program to helping you refine your ideas and transform them into products and services that can be sold from anywhere. BASIC TRAINING answers the question, “WHAT DO YOU DO WITH AN IDEA?” For more details, you can check it out here.
To Your Success,
