Ideas can come from anywhere. They can hit you when you least expect it. Sometimes, they are nowhere to be found. What do you do when you have a good one?  Sometimes good ideas can be found on the way back from a bad idea.  The point is, all new ideas are fragile. They can be killed with a sneer or a laugh, or a disapproving glance.

It's my opinion that far too often an idea will get tossed aside before it can be properly worked and developed because somebody either gets frustrated too quickly or they don't respect the creative process.  Either way, my experience has been that if you want to develop breakthrough ideas, you must be willing to invest time and energy.

We all want the ideas to show up on the stage in the Armani suit  and “wow” the audience.  Unfortunately, most ideas show up in a pair of worn out overalls with a shovel in hand ready to start digging in the dirt.  It’s not nearly as impressive, sexy, good-looking or “ready for the show” as we had hoped.  That tricky step between overalls and the 3-piece suit is the difficult part...the hard work...and where most give up.  This should help to explain why mediocrity is so pervasive in our society today.

Michelangelo was once quoted as saying "If people knew how hard I worked to attain my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all." 

If you're someone who's job it is to cultivate ideas on a daily basis, and you care deeply about the end result, then you know how true the above quote is.

Enthusiasm,  determination, passion and inspiration. These are the ingredients that go into creating breakthrough ideas. So, I challenge you. Next time you need to come up with an idea, don't jump at the first thing that comes to mind. Let the creative process do it's work. Be willing to push the idea further. See where it leads. Then when you have it to a place where you're ready to say 'eureka'!  push it a little further.  You just might be surprised by the results.

Just do me a favor, be anything but mediocre.