Me, Myself, And I: Great Connections Start Within
Editor's Note: This is a continuation of our core conversation on "Great Connections Lead to Great Ideas." Yesterday, Mark Silver wrote about the power of surrendering to wherever the talking is coming from. In today's post, Andrea Lee reminds us that great connections start within.
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In a discussion about connections, conversation and great ideas, a lot can be said about the importance of other people. I’d prefer to focus on you. How well do you know yourself, in all the little nooks and crannies of self that constitute you? Could you get to know yourself better? Is a more considered connection to yourself worthwhile pursuing? Answer: more so than another speed-networking event, in my opinion. In fact, I think we spend far too little time connecting to ourselves before trying to connect with the coveted others who might lead to the magical business breakthrough. A great connection to yourself is a solid place to start if you’re looking for great ideas that are uniquely you. You might think you know yourself fairly well. If so, try asking yourself these questions: What emotions are you repressing, in the effort to fit in, be ”˜good’ or even hide from yourself? What point-of-view have you only whispered, rather than spoken firmly, or shouted from the rooftops? What fear are you experiencing, and what is it saying to you? More importantly – how can you listen to it more precisely? A conversation is happening inside you, right now. If you’re anything like me, actually MANY conversations are happening inside me. My job is to connect with those, and to the degree that I do, I get great ideas, and even better, know which ones to act on. Answer the questions above and see what connecting you can do within yourself. Therein lie some great ideas with very honest roots. Given that connecting with yourself is a fundamental building block to great ideas, is there some easy way to do this aside from the navel gazing? Again, the answer is a clear yes. In addition to getting to know yourself in this moment, how about becoming an active partner in creating your future self? When you connect with great ideas – the very accessible output of people you admire, including cool thinkers – you will generate more great ideas. Ask yourself this:
If you become most like the 5 people you hang around with, what is the state of your brain based on the 5 things you read most often?
The barrier to entry to improve your answer is so low, it’s a blessing, because anybody can do it. Read things outside your comfort zone to get out of the box ideas. Use these ideas like peanut butter to your chocolate and find peanut butter cup ideas. Use the more challenging ideas as flintstones to spark more of your own. Without another idea, yours might not be sharp, or challenging enough to break through the noise in the market. In response to reading this article, or others in this series, what would YOU write? Because knowing Charlie, he is planning to feature lots of new thinking in future Core Conversations. Maybe next time you’ll be writing, instead of reading, at this blog. I have a date in my calendar to regularly read An Intuitive Explanation of Bayes' Theorem. It hurts my brain and I like that! The big stretch it represents makes me think new things every time. What’s something you can read right now that’s completely out of your normal field of vision? Go on ahead, connect with it now. Then listen to the conversation inside, and watch your ideas improve. More about Andrea: Andrea J. Lee is an Entrepreneurial Futurist with her finger on the pulse of the entrepreneurial spirit. Throughout her life, Andrea has done one thing – help those she loves make money. Not once, but twice, she has helped reinvent the coaching industry beginning with her book ”˜Multiple Streams of Coaching Income’ and then she went on to architect the Pink Spoon Marketing craze. Along the way, her company was named by Seth Godin and Fast Company Magazine as one of the extraordinary 'Bull Market' companies helping their clients stand out and prosper. She now thrills to helping 5, 6, 7 and 8 figure entrepreneurs become Wealthy Thought Leaders by harnessing the power of innovation to drive income. Her next Wealthy Thought Leader Event is going to be from April 19-21, 2011. (Interesting aside: Charlie was voted the "Wealthy Thought Leader of the Future" at the first Wealthy Thought Leader Event.)
Tomorrow we'll hear from Adelaide Lancaster on how to use other peoples' handprints to help shape your business.