225
Have you ever been a teacher? If you think about it, you probably have taken on that role at some point in your life. Whether you are teaching a child to tie her shoes, offering to help a tourist find the right subway line, or explaining an algebra problem to a classroom full of students, you are a teacher.
When you bring new and useful information to someone who needs it, you are lifting them up. How does that feel? Maybe one of the reasons it happens so often is because it benefits the teacher as much as the student. It is not a purely selfless act. Think about the last time you helped someone or taught them something new. When the light bulb went on and you saw it in their eyes, didn’t you feel great?
Scott went to the county jail once a week to talk to men there about his experience with alcoholism and his recovery through the program of Alcoholics Anonymous. Every time he left that dingy, sad place he felt almost overwhelmed with happiness. It wasn’t just because he was relieved not to be one of the prisoners. It was because by simply telling his story he could offer hope to people who had lost it. It wasn’t much. It never caused him pain, and it was hardly an inconvenience. He took one hour a week to lift someone up, and in turn his own soul soared.
Try lifting someone up today and observe how it makes you feel. Every time you teach, every time you offer compassion and understanding, every time you reach out your hand to lift someone up, you are doing the same for yourself.
226
For the next few days we will be talking about the transition from innovation to organization. It’s important to cultivate creativity, but that creative thought is meaningless if it never moves from your head into the real world. Many of us are geniuses in our minds, but that doesn’t count for much if the thoughts in your head never see the light of day. So what’s the process? The quote above explains it very well. There are a number of steps:
1. Have an innovative thought.
2. Organize that thought.
3. Make plans.
4. Transform the plans into reality.
First your imagination gives you a unique thought. Then, you have to organize that crazy idea into something that makes sense. The best way to do that is to spit that idea out of your head by drawing pictures, writing about it, or recording your thoughts. Once you have it on paper, your next move is to create plans around making it happen. Build your blueprints. Finally, when you are satisfied that you’ve completed the preparation, turn your plans into reality. Success is taking steps to craft your crazy innovative thoughts into real, tangible items.
227
There are thousands of gurus out there who will tell you about the essential skills you need to achieve success. You get to choose which of their ideas will help you the most as you organize your innovations into actionable items. Take a look at the quote above and the quote from Day 226 as two examples of suggestions to help you turn your ideas into realities.
Now you get to practice being the guru. How can you organize your life so that you are better at turning your ideas into real actions that will help you achieve success? Come up with your own unique game plan using these quotes as templates. Write your own steps for success.
Your assignment does not end there. You have to try out your new plan to see if it works. Take one of your crazy ideas, and walk through the steps you have created to turn it into reality. Give yourself at least a month to make this happen, but make sure your deadline, whatever it is, is clear. What milestones can you set along the way that will help you gauge whether or not you are on track?
You are now getting into the nitty gritty of achieving success. You may not get this process right the first time, but don’t be discouraged. This is extremely rewarding work if you are up for the challenge. Be willing to tweak your process when you find parts that do not quite work, and you will be rewarded for your continual improvements. Good luck!