Ideas Spring Forth

I miss the brainstorming sessions we used to engage in before my retirement. It was fascinating how the group could come up with ideas at the drop of a hat. The process was free-flowing with open-mindedness of primary importance. No idea was too trivial nor outrageous for initial consideration. After all, some of the best concepts and inventions in history have come out of left field.

After everyone present had contributed at least one suggestion or idea, the moderator reminded us of our objectives so as to keep us within guardrails as we went about the process of elimination. Then we discussed the most viable, realistic options while not entirely dismissing outlandish ones. By group consensus, we eventually decided upon one or a combination of ideas. Most of the time, those decisions ended up being good.

Many times, the decisions were radical. They required a certain amount of courage by management and staff for implementation. They also needed a judicious amount of patience so we could determine whether or not to continue utilizing the fresh ideas.

I’ve often wondered about the wellspring of ideas. Is necessity the mother of invention as the old proverb claims? Are our ideas the direct result of our material state in some other way? I do know from experience that it is best that I do not analyze the process of idea generation in detail because paralysis by analysis is one of my downfalls. It’s too easy to get caught up in the fine points.

“In the realm of ideas, everything depends on enthusiasm… in the real world all rests on perseverance.”–Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Goethe was on to something important. One must have a stake in the outcome of a plan or scheme. Whenever we stand to gain in some way, our levels of enthusiasm increase. When we combine the desire to accomplish the outcome with the means to do so, we are more likely to come up with ideas about how to finish the objective.

If we are fortunate to have like-minded “team members” working in conjunction with us, a sort of informal brainstorming occurs spontaneously. In the best cases, fine-tuning on the fly occurs with the result of a more sophisticated final result. The primary objective must always take precedence so that conflicting notions do not create chaos.

Many times when I work on something alone, the mind adlibs immediate short-term solutions to try until I can either consult with someone who knows more about the task or until I can hire the people to do it correctly. Importantly, I never adlib solutions regarding dangerous things like electricity, plumbing, nor easily combustable fuels. I leave solution ideas and work to people who have been educated and trained to do them. They are better able to think on their feet with safe, practical ideas and solutions.

One takeaway from the concept of brainstorming is that ideas are plentiful and cheap. The main objective is to find workable, executable ideas. While pie in the sky fantasies are enjoyable to generate, one must extend the fantasies with new thinking about how to practically implement them in helpful ways that do not complicate the original problems. One must not only think things through to a workable solution, but one must experiment and try them in real world scenarios.

How do we come up with original ideas? One must follow a path of the courageous, independent thinker. Be unafraid to explore the frontiers of the mind and the world. Be skeptical of conformity and dogmatism. Don’t be afraid to challenge convention with controversy. Be willing to seek out unfamiliar concepts that challenge one’s own status quo.

As we steer through the often hazardous waters of the rest of our lives, we can choose to open ourselves to collaboration. We might have the good fortune to encounter one or more people who are as outrageous as ourselves. Find a cohort and fellow traveler who challenges and inspires the mind. Spend quality time with that person. Life changing ideas will emerge naturally from the process of sharing. The give and take of life is a powerful catalyst for fresh ideas.

Ciao

The Blue Jay of Happiness quotes 13th century Sufi mystic, poet, and scholar, Rumi. “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there.”