This is the first edition of a series covering each of YouAre's values. These simple axioms are the foundation of YouAre. They are non-negotiable for us. We believe this is simply the way we should live and go about our business. We hope you enjoy while finding comfort, inspiration and maybe a laugh or two along the way.
Where do ideas come from? We all have them. Some carry positivity or negativity, while others are somewhere in between. The world is full of so much noise these days, it can be difficult to parse between your own ideas and someone else's opinion. We believe that refining the skill and wisdom necessary to form your own ideas is more critical than ever before.
This is where ideas are the lifeblood of hope was formed. An idea cannot start in two people's minds at once. They are the ultimate gift to an individual, creating something from nothing in the ever mysterious way of the mind. Multiple people can claim they had an idea first, but the truth is always that some individual sparked first.
We find incredible beauty in this idea. A single idea built the Empire State Building. An idea put human flight in motion. An idea saw blockchain spring to life in the form of bitcoin and created trillions in wealth. An idea lifted a single mother out of poverty. An idea rejuvenated a neighborhood. An idea gave individuals freedom.
Yes, monumental effort must take place beyond the idea itself to make real impact. But effort without an idea is futile. Yes, many people are often required to carry out the vision from an idea, but only one can create the spark.
The wonderful thing about ideas is that we all have them. Each of us is capable of creating something unfathomable with a simple thought. We must embrace this reality and remember that ideas are the most precious thing humans possess.
There is a wonderful quote about ideas that often enters our mind in conversation:
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.
- Eleanor Roosevelt
There may be no single quote that more affects conversations or the relationships we seek than this quote. Time and time again it jumps out and proves itself true.
Practical application:
It's been said that when you have an idea, you have 10 minutes to write it down before it is lost forever. As the world's attention span continually decreases, our feeling is that this might be more like one minute. Write your ideas down to make sure you have something to come back to when you have time!
Another mental model that is useful is to be cognizant of your conversations. Are you finding yourself constantly talking about events, or perhaps even just talking about other people? While these can be fun and entertaining, they rarely provide value or create opportunity. Steer your conversations with your friends and family towards new ideas. You'll quickly find that it sets you apart in many ways.
Find community that fosters and welcomes ideas. Stay away from relationships that always trend towards cynicism or immediate rejection of new ideas. It's absolutely critical that you surround yourself with idea-loving people. You'll soon find that talking about events or people simply does not interest you as much as it once did.