The Invisible Mentor

Archive for the ‘Creativity’ Category

What kind of books do you enjoy reading? And how many books do you read each month? How do you carve out the time to read?

A few years ago I read that it’s important to read a book each week, and I took the information to heart. Every month I would diligently read four books until I decided to raise the bar. Now I read about eight books a month, and I read broadly. But this month I am struggling because there is a lot going on in my life.

Since the beginning of June 2009,  I have managed to only read  The Dip by Seth Godin and I really enjoyed it. I have started Cluetrain Manifesto and I am hoping that I will complete it this weekend so that I can review it for this blog. As I write this blog I realize that I have to be much easier on myself, because my reality is that I have already read over 60 books since the beginning of 2009.

Why do I read so much? Reading gives me pleasure and I love to learn new things. And the more I read, the more creative I am. I also use books to mentor me, is that a surprise considering the name of this blog? When appropriate, I apply the information to my work and life.

What are you reading now?

If you do not read books, perhaps you could start reading a book a month and start off reading up on a topic that you are interested in. Are you interested in golfing, health and fitness or history? Start there, and you could even start with a novel. Well written novels often have life lessons that you can learn from. I have found that to be true for me.

Happy reading!

5 Novels That I Really Enjoyed in the Past Year

Away: A Novel, Amy Bloom

The Tenderness of Wolves: A Novel, Stef Penney

Gilgamesh: A New English Version, Stephen Mitchell

The Outcast: A Novel (P.S.), Sadie Jones

The Courage Tree, Diane Chamberlain

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We are socialized to think and act a certain way. And, we often put self-imposed barriers around ourselves. To break free, let’s start making small changes, simple shifts in our mindset.

Take a few minutes to read and think about the Martin Luther King quote below.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

What’s your interpretation of the quote? Let your mind wander! There are no right or wrong answers, they are your thoughts, let them take you wherever.  Break those self-imposed chains to your thinking, and step beyond your boundaries. For once, think without borders.

Isn’t it freeing?

Let me share a piece of me with you. When I think of the Martin Luther King quote, I think that I am my brother’s keeper, and that my actions will impact others.

I also think that we are all connected, which leads my mind to the Butterfly Effect, a concept where a butterfly flapping its wings in one region, could trigger a tornado (or some other act) in another region.

My mind then roams to The Hundredth Monkey principle, where after a certain point, new information (or learned behaviour) introduced, ceases to be new and is in the collective consciousness.

Just for today, start with the Martin Luther King quote, and let your mind take you wherever. You never know what great ideas you’ll generate simply by giving yourself permission to think without borders.

What are your thoughts? Do you dare to think without borders?

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Your destination in life is important. The route you take to get to your destination is sometimes important. But as you journey through life, it is important to enjoy yourself and be aware of your surroundings. Take time to engage all your senses, reflecting on what you see, hear, taste, smell and feel. Are you really experiencing what you think you are experiencing, or is it an illusion?

 Stop for a minute!

 Are you truly happy with the life you are living? Are you living your life on your own terms, or are you living the life that others expect you to live? And most importantly, are you living up to your true potential? Are you the absolute best that you can be?

 These are a lot of questions, and I provide no answers. It’s not my job to give you the answers. My role as the Invisible Mentor is to assist you to be the best that you could possibly be by unleashing your inner genius. My role is also to heighten your awareness and raise your level of consciousness.

 Let’s play the Game of Ones

1.  What is one thing that you could effortlessly do to change your life for the better? Do it now.
2.  What is one book you have always been meaning to read but haven’t got around to reading it? Make a commitment now to read at least 15 pages each day until you’re finished.
3. What is one film you have been meaning to watch? Watch it now.
4.  What is one course that you have always wanted to take? Enrol today!
5.  Which friend have you been meaning to call, but have been too busy to do so? Call her now!
6.  What is one whimsical thing that you have always wanted to do? Do it now.
7. What is one thing that you really enjoy doing – that will not harm you, or another – but haven’t done it in a while because you simply haven’t had time? Give yourself the pleasure and do it now.

 What is your contribution to the Game of Ones? What changes could you make?

 Now that I have taken you all over the place to change your reference point, I will bring you back to where we started. What is your true destination in life? What is the best route that will take you there? Who would you like to accompany you on your journey? When will you begin this important journey?

 “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” says Lao-tzu the Chinese philosopher.

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Photo Credits: Avil Beckford

Benjamin Franklin said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”

The main purpose of the Invisible Mentor blog is to offer you a guiding hand through the information it provides. On a more basic level, its intent is to unleash the latent genius within you. After interviewing people for my book Tales of People Who Get It, a recurring theme that was apparent is that to be successful, you have to be focused, learn continuously and have passion. A few days ago, we talked about focus (You Can Only Walk Down One Road At A Time) and today we will talk about knowledge (learning).

What does Franklin’s quote mean to you? 

 For me, the quote means to plant the seed of knowledge, to learn continuously: read broadly, take courses, observe people, try new things, experiment, be prepared to fail, brainstorm, collaborate… This quote also reminds me of Jim Rohn‘s book, The Seasons of Life, see book review Planting to Reap Full Rewards: A Book Review of The Seasons of Life by Jim Rohn. In the spring farmers plant their crops, water and nurture them in the summer, harvest the crops in the fall, and rest the land in the winter.

 Plant your seeds of knowledge, creating your body of knowledge.  Continuously build on the knowledge, connecting the dots and taking care of what you know. Test yourself to ensure that you remember the important stuff. Whenever you need the information you harvest it, and you take a rest and reflect on the information. So, in Connecting the Dots When There Are No Dots, let’s add Graham Wallas‘ 4-Step Creativity Process: Preparation, Incubation, Illumination, Verification/Implementation into the mix.

1. What type of information will allow you to perform your job better?
2. What type of information will allow you to navigate your career to the next level?
3. What type of information will allow you to significantly improve your life?

Based on the answers to the questions above, gather the relevant information (preparation). Take a break when you feel as if you have collected enough information (incubation). Mull over the information and start making connections among disparate pieces of data. At some point you will have an aha moment where you get an idea (illumination). Test the idea then implement it (verification/implementation).

 When I started to write this post I had no idea that this is where I would end up. Who would have thought that thinking about a Benjamin Franklin quote about knowledge could lead to generating new ideas.

 Again, what does ”An investment in knowledge pays the best interest” mean to you? Start with the quote and end with an idea, and fill in the dash, all that in-between information.

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How do you step beyond the boundaries? Have you ever read an article that is not within your area of specialty simply to get a different perspective? Have you ever looked to other industries to identify processes and methods that you can use to solve challenges and problems?

 Otto Lilienthal, the King of Gliders studied birds in flight to understand human flight. The Wright Brothers: Orville and Wilbur Wright who invented the airplane, studied Lilienthal’s research papers because they believed they could improve his designs, as well as correct the weaknesses in aviation theory. The Wright Brothers had also observed birds in flight to understand how they restored their balance.

 After reading  Practical Experiments for the Development of Human Flight by Otto Lilienthal, I was able to connect the dots when there appeared to be no dots and here is what I discovered which is relevant to all.

• Most inventions are perfected over time (practice makes perfect)
• Success often comes after experimentation: trial and error (we learn from our mistakes)
• Break down goals into bite-size pieces (little successes build on each other to become a huge success)
• Practical experience is equally, or more important that theoretical experience (TEST, TEST, TEST)
• Take calculated risks to mitigate losses (the bigger the risk the greater the reward)
• Technologies of tomorrow will improve inventions of today

For me, testing is very important: test you ideas, test your solution, test everything to see if they work or do what they are supposed to do. After you have read Practical Experiments for the Development of Human Flight, what are your impressions and is there any way you can use the information, directly and indirectly? What aspects of nature can you transport to your work and life to innovate? Whenever you have time, visit Magportal.com and read an article that you wouldn’t normally read, and connect the dots from that article to a project that you are working on. Let’s make an effort to connect the dots when there are no dots.

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