How do I find a good idea?

First of all, unless your ideas are those of genocide or murder, they are already good. Everyone has those worthless shower thoughts where they make the weirdest stories or ask the stupidest questions. Sitting on the loo wondering about everything, from the dress that Miley wore that night to what is the meaning of life? All these thoughts and ideas are thrown out the moment you receive something materialistic to do. We do not let our minds wonder, and when we do, we fail to take it seriously and to turn it into a productive thought process.

We give too less importance to our brain and too much to our life, not realizing it is our thought process which will pave our path for a healthy, happy life. The race most people are stuck in, is no doubt important to cope with, but not at the cost of losing the race to oneself.

You are, first and foremost in a competition with yourself, you have to top yourself, not anyone else.

Then again, you are your best friend too. You are going to be there with yourself when no one else would. That is why it is important to make yourself a person you will respect.

To be in sync with yourself, you have to talk to yourself. To have intelligent conversation, you have to feed your brain. Build your mind. You might have come across the saying, Books are food for brain. Personally, reading is a long lost habit that I am trying to reinstate within myself, and it is honestly difficult to give time to it, but I see myself getting inspired and this is worth it and I am going to do it. This, though, is a topic for another blog.

Right now, we are talking about feeding your brain. How do you do this?

1) LEARN.

A person learns throughout his or her life, it may not be through books, but mostly practical experiences and learns street smartness. This is not enough. To be more than what you are now, you must push yourself. Throw yourself in unknown territories and make your standing ground stronger. Better said than done, I know, but this is something so yours, that you will figure out your path on your own. It can be achieved through activities, videos, workshops, reading, etc. Make an effort.

Knowledge is much more than your syllabus or curriculum. The mistake most of us, including myself, have made is to limit our knowledge, to give too much importance to school syllabus when it isn't enough, though important because it builds a foundation and so, must not be ignored.

2)MENTOR/TEACHER

Whoever said teachers are the most important entities in this world, couldn't have been more right. We are lost without someone to guide us, because our view becomes microscopic when we see our life from our perspective. No, I don't mean you rely on elders for answers, but rely on them for their wisdom. Ask when confused. Accept their advice and criticism with an open heart and LISTEN. Form your opinion with reference to the knowledge you have gained, not copied.

A teacher or a mentor is someone you respect and trust. Not trust them to give the right advice, but to have the right mindset to do so.

We all need a teacher, something or someone to believe in. That doesn't mean you are compromising your self-esteem or your self-confidence is low, instead it means you are humble and have humility. It means you are willing to make amends and grow.

3)COMMUNICATION

Your ideas will remain mere ideas unless you can't express them or practice them.

Your mind might be creative and open like a white canvas and millions of colors might be flowing into it. Yet, if you can't express it effectively, you may end up dropping it or executing it poorly, which can affect your self-perception negatively. Communication is an underrated skill which can be built from scratch. Being and extrovert or introvert has got nothing to do with it, your talents have nothing to do with it. You will grow as you communicate too. It builds a solid ground for your growth and takes you beyond the horizon. Steve Jobs, the revolutionary, his greatest skill was oratory. He could inspire millions with his words, inspire them to make a product so unique it would break the world.

Although, I might cover this in another blog, it is important you work on your communication, not only for the sake of making your ideas a reality, but also to help you grow as a person.

These are the skills and habits I am trying to inculcate in myself. Communicating, but doing it effectively, learning and seeking help. All these are important to make way for effective growth, and open the doors for ideas to explore and expand.