Archive for January, 2009

IdeaStarter #13 Yes We Can

Posted on January 20th, 2009 by by Barbara

Although I’ve lived through numerous Inauguration Days in my life, I don’t recall any previous ceremony generating the kind of excitement that today’s celebration has. Even the ramp up to this day has been filled with incredible enthusiasm.

Rick Steves …

IdeaStarter #12 Catch the Virus

Posted on January 19th, 2009 by by Barbara

Think about an older person that you know, one you would describe as youthful. What’s the distinguishing characteristic of this lively elder? I’m guessing that curiosity about anything and everything is what stands out.

It’s the same quality that makes …

Ideas from Everywhere: Roundup Week 3

Posted on January 17th, 2009 by by Barbara

This past week, the Ideafest focused on the importance of inspiration. Not  surprisingly, all sorts of inspiring things kept popping up including this e-mail from Julie Fewster who lives in Northwich, Cheshire UK:

I took a look at Inspiration Station 

IdeaStarter #11 More Options, Please

Posted on January 16th, 2009 by by Barbara

Another barrier to building an inspired business is what I call Either/Or Thinking. Too often, that’s simply a manifestation of scarcity thoughts. Consider conventional career guidance that encourages us to believe we must have a Single Lifetime Career. In this …

IdeaStarter#10 Ask Idea-generating Questions

Posted on January 15th, 2009 by by Barbara

Yesterday I mentioned that “How you gonna do that?” is a question that stops the idea flow. I’ve always been annoyed by cynical queries, but  it wasn’t until I read The One Minute Millionaire by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert …

IdeaStarter #9 Immune to the Idea Virus?

Posted on January 14th, 2009 by by Barbara

Although this week we’re looking  at ways to nurture inspiration—the grandparent of ideas—it’s equally important to consider the factors that shut off creative thinking. As Dr. Phil likes to point out, you can’t solve a problem you don’t acknowledge. What …

IdeaStarter #8 Go Gather

Posted on January 13th, 2009 by by Barbara

One of the most popular ideas from Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way is her suggestion to schedule regular Artist Dates to stimulate fresh thinking. In Simple Abundance, Sarah Ban Breathnach recommends the same notion which she calls taking Creative …

IdeaStarter #7 Motivation vs. Inspiration

Posted on January 12th, 2009 by by Barbara

At last night’s Golden Globe Awards, Steven Spielberg spoke eloquently about the need to nurture inspiration and not make decisions based on what’s easy or popular. I don’t hear people talking about that much. No wonder inspiration is dismissed or …

Ideas from Everywhere: Roundup Week 2

Posted on January 10th, 2009 by by Barbara

It felt like an entrepreneurial cyclone hit this week. Besides all the intriguing resources I’ve collected, there was much rejoicing all around me. The week began with learning that yes, indeed, there will be a revised and updated version of …

IdeaStarter #6 Create a Garden for Your Mind

Posted on January 9th, 2009 by by Barbara

Look up from the computer you’re reading this on. What do you see? Reminders of places that inspire you? Books worth rereading? Does it matter?

You probably know what I think the answer is to that last question—and I’m not …