INTRODUCTION
An idea is when a thing is conceived in someone’s mind with a drive toward a particular purpose or goal. Ideas are great. Anybody can have an idea. Everybody can say what they feel about something. But not everybody has the capacity or will to implement it. “The world is going globalized and only the globalized are beneficiaries.” It is easy to talk and think. But it is not easy to do. We need to change our mindset from “what do you think” to “what can you do”? Ideas are conceived from circumstances and problems. They come because needs have to be filled. The course of filling these needs lead to implementation of ideas. Problems or circumstances are not meant to jettison ideas, but to propel us towards birthing our ideas to solve social problems and other problems. Thomas Edison was afraid of the dark, and conceived a great idea to solve that particular problem. He was inspired to invent the light bulb. After this invention, people seemed less interested. He decided to install the bulb where people can see it. People saw it and believed that it was a great innovation. That day marked a turning point in his life and a change in the world. From this short story, we have seen that ideas go with circumstances and problems. But, we need the ability to use the circumstances as our instrument to put us on the world map as champions.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
Experience is the best teacher: the more we live, the more we learn. I taught in a small private school that is still developing. Present and past staff complained bitterly about the management. This made most of the staff carefree – they didn’t contribute to the growth of the organization. When I started working for the organization, it became a different ball game entirely. Firstly, I registered in Edge Business School for business and entrepreneurship training. Subsequently the training was completed, and I resumed fully in school. Having learnt a lot of business skills and strategies, I came back to school to implement them. I started by observing the loop holes and how to fill them. You will agree with me that internet brings change into the business world today. Any business without internet will likely not survive. I sold the Idea of internet to the owners of the school; they accepted but did not implement it. I started thinking of how to implement it. While I was in a meditation mood, I conceived a thought. I had bought an Android phone that can share the internet to other systems through a wifi hotspot. During break time I observed that the students play games with phones and tablets that can access the internet. After the break, I called for a meeting. I told them about the importance of the internet and phones. I told them that phones are not just designed for games and making calls – there are other things phones can be used for, such as using it to access the world and learn just anything you set your mind to. I made them understand that they can also use phones with internet to do their assignment, research and prepare for classes. The following day, I taught them how to connect to internet through the Wi-Fi Hotspot. They got connected and were able to access the internet. I taught them how to use the internet. Subsequently it became their culture; their learning styles changed. The reflection of the new innovation made the management to install internet in the computer laboratory. The positive impact of this innovation had put smiles on parents’ faces. It also attracted more pupils and students to the school.
SOME PROBLEMS OF BIRTHING IDEAS
Saving the Best for Last:
Some people save their best shot for future. Starting small however leads to great opportunities. If you do small things in a big way, bigger things will come. Saving your best for last is a principle that will not work in birthing ideas. Everybody knows good things, but not everybody can achieve good things.
The only way to achieve good things is to start where you are. Dreaming big dreams will be realized by shooting first at the smaller dreams. Ideas are meant to be planted like seeds and be allowed to go through processes to bring forth good fruit.
“The road to success is bitter but the end is sweet.”
Dependant on Certificate:
In Africa, Nigeria precisely, many graduates see certificates as the end to the journey of success. We have many graduates with marvelous ideas, but they depend so much on their certificates. Most times they were misled by their lecturers/teachers with many theoretical ideas without implementation.
I suppose lecturers and teachers should focus more on empowering their students rather than just teaching. They need to gear their mind towards specialized knowledge, personality development and entrepreneurship. All these put together will propel students to birth ideas, and make them use their talents for a successful life. However, it will also help to curb social problems. Most great men did not depend on certificates for a better life, which is why they were able to birth their ideas. An educated person is not just the person with a degree or certificate, but the person who has developed his or her mindset to achieve anything without hurting others.
“Knowledge is only potential power. It becomes power only when and if it is organized into definite plans of action and directed to a definite end.”-Napoleon Hill.
HOW TO BIRTH IDEAS
Take A Bold Step:
Taking a bold step comes in different forms. It could be making a decision immediately, making people invest in your idea or making people help you to achieve your goal. As a teacher, I gave my students liberty to express themselves always. A girl, Bose, in JSS1 was not doing well in the class. I always perceived the willingness to know, but I could not comprehend why she was not performing well. There was a time she approached my colleague and I for private lessons, which was the idea of her mother to see if it would help to improve her academic performance.
We charged her mother the fee for a private lesson. But she could not afford it. Subsequently we did not get a further reply from her. There was a day I gave them an assignment on letter writing. The topic was “write a letter to your father to inform him about the things you need in school.” I was dumbstruck when I read Bose’s letter. She said, “I want a private lesson teacher.” That single step caused a turn around in her life. I was touched by that single statement. We told her that we would commence the private lesson without collecting any money from her mother. Bose improved; It was quite fulfilling and a very big achievement for me.
If You Fail Try Again:
Failure is not the end of the world. Failure is the teacher that teaches people how to succeed. Many great men you know that are successful today, succeeded because they failed before and leant the lessons and decided to grow and abide by the rules and principles of success. You cannot give up because you failed ones. “Failure is just a trial that tries potential great men and inventors to bring out the best in them.” People use failure as an excuse for not succeeding. “No excuse for failure.”
Olu Jacob is a renowned and prominent Nigerian actor. When he received an award, he said, “If you fail try and try again until you succeed.” This statement came out of his troubles and problems when he was struggling to become a prominent actor in Nigeria. He said that he went through many obstacles, difficulties and trials, but he never gave up. He continued failing and trying until he succeeded. “Obstacles, problems and trials are the ingredients that make life sweet.” Failure is the sign that ideas and goals will materialize if given the best shot. Failure does not mean the end of the world, but the beginning of greater things. To birth your idea, you have to walk through the woods and come out taller than the trees.
“The breakfast of champions in not cereal, it is obstacles.”-John Mason.
CONCLUSION
Henry Ford is correct, all said and done. Ideas come from imagination and meditation. If you can think about it, you can do it. It cannot happen just immediately. It takes process because life is a process. If you have vision that you never work on, they are guaranteed to never come to reality. I believe so much in action. Action speaks louder than voice. Taking action has really made the world better.
“You cannot build a reputation on what you are going to do.” -Henry Ford.