Just Quit Thinking Your Ideas Won't Work

Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

I’ve been drawn to focusing on “ideas” and dreams that people tell me about.  As we go through this recession I realize that it’s so important for people to believe in their ideas.

The Creative Class

When I look at the stats for this blog, there are about 20 people EVERYDAY that do a google search “quit my job without another one”, or some variation of that search term, and end up on this blog.  Even at a time when so many people are looking for jobs, many more are miserable in the ones that they have.

I’m beginning to really think that it’s not about the lower class, middle class and upper class – it’s all about the Creative Class –  that is wanting to emerge and is tired of being stifled in a boxed-in type of “job”.  I’m thinking that people are going to have to discover their passions, pursue their ideas in order to survive in the new world economy.

You might have to “create” your own job.  Create a service or product people need and want that you produce…from consumer to producer.

I’ve been thinking of what I can do to help people believe in their ideas, do something towards making them a reality and decided I wanted to make something – a product.

IDEA Jar ™

My crafts are typically all very unique quotations or encouraging words burned onto wood, but I went looking for something I could make that would be one product about ideas.

I ran across light bulb bottles.  I brought a couple of them to play with.  I just looked at them for a couple of days, just wondering what I would do with them.  The below is my latest design, still working on it, but I’m close to something that might actually be practical and artistic:

 

We all have ideas

We need to encourage ourselves &

each other to pursue them.

Today while still focused on ideas I ran across the below video.

It’s  Mr. Rogers re-mix: “You can Grow Ideas in the Garden of Your Mind”…the Lyrics are below

[Intro – spoken]

Hey Neighbor, welcome again to this neighborhood. I’d like to show you something. Do you know what this is? Well, maybe if I push this button. This is a cassette player with a little cassette in here. And there’s nothing written on it so we’ll have to play it to see what’s on it

[Verse 1]
Did you ever imagine things?
Are they scary things?
Did you ever imagine things
Things you’d like to have?
Did you ever see a cat’s eyes in the dark
And wonder what they are?
Did you ever pretend about things like that before?

[Hook]
Did ever grow anything in the Garden of your Mind?
You can grow ideas
In the Garden of your mind

It’s good to be curious about many things
You can think about things and make believe
All you have to do is think
And they’ll grow

[Verse 2]
Imagine every person that you see
Is someone different
From every other person in the world
Some can do things
Some can do others
Did you ever think about the many things you’ve learned to do?

[Hook]
Did ever grow anything in the Garden of your Mind?
You can grow ideas
In the Garden of your mind

It’s good to be curious about many things
You can think about things and make believe
All you have to do is think
And they’ll grow

[Bridge]
Did you feel like going like that? (hand snap)
Let’s give the fish some food
Mr McFeely, I didn’t order any whistles
(music break)
That’s what they call these slide things
Did you feel like going like that? (hand snap)
There are so many things to learn about in this world
And so many people who can help us learn

[Hook]
Did ever grow anything in the Garden of your mind?
You can grow ideas
In the Garden of your mind

It’s good to be curious about many things
You can think about things and make believe
All you have to do is think

You can think about things and make believe
All you have to do is think

And they’ll grow
Do you ever imagine

It Is What It Is...This Is The Way It Is

The Way It Is

There’s a thread you follow.

It goes among things that change.

But it doesn’t change.

People wonder about what you are pursuing.

You have to explain about the thread.

But it is hard for others to see.

While you hold it you can’t get lost.

Tragedies happen; people get hurt
or die; and you suffer and get old.

Nothing you do can stop time’s unfolding.

You don’t ever let go of the thread.

by William Stafford (1914–1993)

 This is how I have felt all my life…

pulled here and there by some invisible hand that moves me

From assignment to assignment.

From person to person.

From place to place.

From relationship to relationship.

From job to job.

From activity to activity.

From idea to idea.

From house to house.

From book to book.

From state to state.

From situation to situation.

Not really knowing…just going…trusting the path as it unfolds…just trusting the flow…

I don’t think it really ever will “end” though…I just don’t think that’s how it works

I think once you learn the process and recognize endings,

it just keeps on moving you on to another beginning

Maybe this is why Letting Go to Let Come makes so much sense to me

Opening/Closing 

Being/Becoming

Having/Losing

Losing/Finding

It’s How My Life Has Been Lived

It Is What It Is…This Is The Way It Is

by Ridea Richardson (1963 – I Wonder When)

Let Go of Being Angry When Others Hurt You

 

Relationships are like glass.

Sometimes it’s better to leave them broken

than try to hurt yourself

putting them back together.

~Author Unknown

Looking at that broken glass and broken heart…hurts…doesn’t it?  But this is how it is in love and in relationships…sometimes it hurts.  Sometimes you will get hurt and it’s  painful.

When we are in pain we start to blame others for “hurting us”.  Just like we have to let go of some relationships we have to let go of the anger we may feel towards the people who hurt us in those relationships.  Remember people don’t hurt you without hurting themselves too. Sometimes the way they treat you is more about how they feel about themselves then how they feel about you.

Still… it’s difficult to let go of anger once you’ve been hurt, because sometimes you just WANT to be angry… because you’re hurting…because someone…

~Said something to hurt you

~Did something to hurt you

~Didn’t do or didn’t say something and THAT hurt you

~Let you down

~Wasn’t there for you when you needed them

~Disappointed you

There are many ways that we can be hurt by others, and yes, it is painful.  But let that go for just a minute.

Let go of what they said, what they did, how they let you down, how they disappointed you and how you feel, just for a minute.

When you look behind the pain you feel, you begin to realize that pain (like love) is just a part of life.

Feeling this pain might be what allows you to move on – realizing that it’s a part of life and life is about growth.

This maybe when you’re suppose to move on – when you are in so much pain and the pain you feel is so intense that it cuts you open.

They may have done you a favor by showing you how they feel about you.  Maybe they spared you from YEARS of more pain. The universe may have supplied the answer that you have been seeking, by allowing this to happen, and helping you to let go of them and not trying to “fix it”.

Just be grateful for your life, your experiences, even the pain, and the hurt, and the anger that you might feel.

Everything will be alright — if you can let go –of trying to fix it — of trying to make it work out — maybe letting go of them and the anger you feel towards them is the way it is supposed to work out.

Ladies...Let Go of Any Love Relationship That Doesn't Make You Feel Like This!

 

At the end of the day, the type of connection that has to be apart of any lasting love relationship has to include someone who knows your heart…and is not trying to break it.

A man who makes you feel like you’re the only girl in the world.

This song when sang by Lianne La Havas is just so AMAZING because you can actually hear and “feel” the words the way she sings it.

 Does the below depict your love life?  If not, rethink it, rekindle it, rework it, or let go of what you have and let come a love life…that makes you feel like you’re the only girl in the world…

"Get Busy Living (Letting Go) or Get Busy Dying (Not Letting Go)"

 

Looking Up in Charlotte, NC

 

On my daily walk around the school building today

I happened to look up in the sky.

I saw an airplane so high up above the clouds.

I looked at the trail that it had made in the sky.

I didn’t have my phone on me and had to walk back to the car to get it to take the above picture, but the plane was long gone by the time I got back to that spot.

This made me think that we can get STUCK in our daily lives…daily problems…daily jobs…daily folks we talk to…daily stuff and

drift through life

– OR –

we can LOOK UP…

look beyond our daily lives, problems, jobs, folks, stuff and

REALLY live the life that we’ve imagined.

Really let go of what is …to allow what could be… to come into your life.

It’s a simple choice really…get busy living or get busy dying…

Life is Like a Rollercoaster Ride

Buckroe Beach Roller Coaster 1960’s

A friend, who is going through a transitional time right now, said he felt like he was on an emotional roller coaster.  

That made me think that life is like a roller coaster ride. 

When you are born you get on the ride of the living.  

During your life you go through the ups and downs.

There are months or years of lulls which are the straight-aways and then it’s either a small up and small down (small changes)  or a steep up (highs) followed by a deep downs (lows).  

There is always another high coming from the low,  you can count on that.  

Even though you might go through some  twists and turns before you get to the next high…you know it’s coming…so expect it.   (That’s how I feel about finances – if you’ve had money before you know what that high feels like and you know how to orchestrate  it to come your way again …it’s coming).  

Just like the roller coaster ride I went on my entire childhood at Buckroe Beach (pictured above), we all knew what to expect:

1. You knew you were going to be afraid, but you went on the ride because you wanted the thrill of the adventure.
2.  The roller coaster was the ride that had the longest line (the next longest was the bumper cars).  
3. EVERYONE wanted to get on the roller coaster – (Even though this roller coaster was old, rickety and was made of wood!!!)…still….you wanted to get on that ride.  
4. You wanted to be jerked around and scared out of your wits.  (Why? You felt alive on that ride!)
5. You would eventually come to the end of the ride and then what would you do? You’d get back in line to go again of course!  (Give it another go!)

 This is how life and life situations should be viewed.  

You know it’s a little frightening because it’s the unknown around every turn – health issues, money issues, relationship issues, issues of life and death…

…but, it’s okay…

just go with the downs (letting go)

and go with the ups (letting come)

  It will be fine and CAN be thrilling once you realize that it’s-just-a-ride.

Life is  just like a roller coaster…it’s just a ride.

One day it will end &

you’ll have to get off this ride called

YOUR LIFE…

Don’t let another second go by

Just raise your hands in the air

& ENJOY the experience of

this ride called Your Life 

with all the twists and the turns

& both the ups AND THE DOWNS!

 

 

 

 

Lost (Letting Go) & Found (Letting Come) in song...

 

Lianne La Havas says it best

Don’t let anyone make you unhappy

or break you or try to make you into someone you aren’t.

Let go of that relationship.

You know what it means to be happy!