What Box?^®

Never before in the history of man have so many had so much. Based upon Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, much of the world has moved past the basic needs, even the social belonging stage, and are now entering the self-actualization stage. This top of the pyramid stage of Maslow’s theory is where people start focusing on creativity, innovation, and meeting the needs of a changing world through new inventions, processes, and delight factors.

Richard Florida, best-selling author of the Rise of the Creative Class, believes that creative people are driving global progress in the new economy. Some of the places that encourage creativity, self-actualization, openness to diversity, and innovation, the creative powerhouses of our society, include San Francisco, Austin, Dublin, Manhattan, and Singapore.

As more and more people enter the self-actualizing stage of their lives, the possibility of a greater creative force is emerging. When people have all of their needs met and are able to focus on being and thinking more creatively, they have the power to reach for their full potential, live their purpose in life, and make a difference in the world.

How are you making the most of your creativity?

With so many people utilizing more of their creativity to develop new ideas and processes, the question becomes “How can we focus on the best ideas the ones that make the greatest difference and transform them into reality?” This is the creativity challenge. We are up to our eyeballs with creative people thinking that they have the best way to do something, or have the most creative solution to whatever the challenge may be. I know that you have, at one time or other, experienced this kind of creative challenge and, in all likelihood, the challenge to come up with new creative solutions is being presented to you every day.

“Good ideas are not adopted automatically. They must be driven into practice with courageous impatience.” Adm. Hyman G. Rickover

The reality is that each of us has the potential of coming up with new and creative ideas every day. So many ideas, in fact, that we could never realistically expend the energy necessary to make them real or integrate them into our work or personal lives. Think about it for a moment. If you are focused and interested in finding a solution to a problem in your community, you reach out and engage others in making it happen, amazing change can take place. It takes the creative initiative of a group of people that are totally committed to making real change happen, to make it a reality. Think about the mother who initiated “Mothers Against Drunk Drivers.” Her creative spark ignited an entire community of people who fight against drunk driving, a movement that has spread nationwide.

So what can we do?

I have learned that if any idea of great meaning is going to become real, I must focus on the most important creative solutions or ideas and enroll the right people to support the endeavor. We need to use our creative thinking to take the idea off the drawing board and into our society. Our creativity is not just about thinking up a new idea or innovation; it is about making it happen. We have all heard it before, “Actions speak louder than words or ideas.”

“Once a new idea springs into existence, it cannot be unthought. There is a sense of immortality in a new idea.” Edward De Bono

This means that we must take the necessary steps to create a plan of action if we are to see any of our creative ideas become more than an idea. This is where the real creativity and energy is needed. This is where the real sweat, intestinal fortitude, and creative drive takes place. No small task, that is for sure. Hey, if it were easy everyone would be working to turn their creative ideas into reality.

Today, everyone wants their creative idea to be the one that is chosen, the idea that everyone embraces. This is not realistic. It takes a lot of resources to make any idea a reality. There has to be a plan and, in most cases, a team of people working together towards the end goal.

Generating many creative ideas and solutions is easy. The creativity challenge is to prioritize the best ideas and then focus creative energy on the manifestation process. Sometimes this means that the original idea may not be the right idea and that the lessons and experiences learned while working on one idea actually uncover something of even greater meaning. Being open and creative to your idea and other people’s ideas will support greater opportunities to innovate.

Focusing and prioritizing your ideas and those of others will support turning an idea into meaningful change.

What idea are you committed to and how are you meeting the creativity challenge?

Let me know what you think.

Dear Sean,

Labor Day is just around the corner. How do you celebrate Labor Day and why do you think it is an important holiday to celebrate in our country?

Laboring in Bernice

Dear Laboring,

Labor is the backbone of a successful society. I believe it is important to celebrate the fruits of labor past and present. In order for any idea or endeavor to succeed there must be hard and smart work behind it. My own celebration of Labor Day will likely involve the planning of my next endeavor along with taking time to relax, reflect and enjoy the waters of beautiful Grand Lake.

Keep on keeping on,
Sean

Remember the only boxes that exist are the ones you create for yourself.

In today’s media rich, advertising heavy, celebrity driven, never good enough society, it can be hard to be yourself. It seems that more and more people are trying to act like someone else, look like someone else, or live their life like someone else. In other cases, it is safer to conform to the perceived norms of the people we “choose” to associate with, work with, or play with, and as a result, we are prevented from truly being ourselves.

“Your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself.” Richard Bach

Are you being yourself?

There have been times in my life that I have wanted to be like other people. There have been people I have collaborated with who were able to articulate their ideas better than I, and I have thought, “Boy, I would like to be more like that person.” There have been people in my life who were more sophisticated and who were able to command attention with ease and grace and I have thought, “I really want to be like that person.” At other times, while in a depressed phase of my life, I have thought so poorly of myself that I wanted to be like anyone but myself.

What I have learned over time is that the more I attempt to be like someone else, the less likely I am to be successful, to attract people, to reach my full potential, and to live my life with purpose and meaning. When I am preoccupied in being like someone else, I am not myself and I lose the uniqueness of being me. It is this uniqueness that makes each of us different and one of our greatest strengths. Being yourself will allow your uniqueness to shine through, one of your single greatest strengths.

Let’s face it. It can be challenging to be yourself. When I am in a conference room filled with stale pale males it can be easy to get caught up into the energy of being like the rest and conforming to their ways of thinking and ways of acting. It just seems to be easier, or worse yet, almost natural to conform and fall in line. In some cases someone might even take the intimidation path and work to make sure no one attempts to speak up and be themselves.

Here is the thing. When you know that you have a different idea, your own unique idea, and you do not share it or speak up, you are not only doing yourself a disservice, you are doing a disservice to the entire group. When you are being yourself you have a greater potential to inspire new thinking and challenge the status quo.

It takes practice to be yourself. It can also be scary. Being yourself could mean you will be different from others: you may have different ideas; you may think differently; you may behave differently and people might talk about you. How great is that! You will be different, because very few people in the world today are being themselves.

“While an original is hard to find, he is easy to recognize.” John L. Mason – An Enemy Called Average

Do you know what it means to be yourself anymore?

When I am myself people sometimes refer to me with the words weird, crazy, whacky, childish, over-the-top, different, wonderful, powerful, special, talented, creative, mysterious, eccentric, and, one of my favorites, artistic. For many years I tried to be like someone else that I wanted to emulate. During those times when someone would say that I was artistic, a little whacky, or eccentric I took this as a bad thing, because I did not see myself that way. I saw myself as something else and someone who was definitely not eccentric or artistic.

The more we try not to be something the more we become it. The more I fought not being artistic and eccentric the more I became it. Once I let go and said to myself, “I know that I am these things” I learned to embrace my uniqueness, and as a result, the more effective and balanced I became. This opened the door to an understanding of my life’s purpose and gave me a greater ability to fulfill my potential as a human being. I let go of the fear of being myself, embraced my own uniqueness, and in the process, I became more comfortable with myself. There is tremendous power in being comfortable with who you are, knowing who you are, and in being yourself, being someone, rather than something.

“How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone.” Coco Chanel

Being yourself means that you may not be able to pursue the career you currently are engaged in. You may move to another city. You may move out of the country. You may create new friends. Without a doubt, being yourself will enable you to come closer to discovering and living your life’s purpose.

Being yourself means that you will do what you want to do and not what other people want you to do. Being yourself means that you are not influenced by what other people think, you are influenced by what you think. Being yourself means that you will “choose” what is important to you and act on those choices. The scary thing is if you don’t choose what you want to be, someone else will make that decision for you. Being yourself means that you will be different, stand out, and act as your own person.

In today’s competition for talent and differentiation not much could be more important than being yourself. For yourself, for your family, for the community, and for the world you are needed to be yourself. Like so many things written in What Box? it takes practice, persistence, and fortitude to be yourself. There is no silver bullet, no easy button, and no other person can do it for you. No one can do it but you.

“Sometime in your life you will go on a journey. It will be the longest journey you have ever taken. It is the journey to find yourself.” Katherine Sharp

The time is now! Are you ready to begin the journey to find yourself?

Let me know what you think.

Dear Sean,
Creating balance in my life is very difficult given the large number of commitments I have to family, friends, work, and volunteer activities. I have no time for me. What can I do to create some time for myself?
Looking for Balance in Tulsa

Dear Looking for Balance,
The commitments of life can be very taxing. It is important to realize that if you are not taking care of yourself then you are not as able to take care of others. It is important to take inventory of your commitments and prioritize what is most important to you. This means taking a hard look at what to keep and what to let go of. I like to schedule relaxation time into my life. If I do not I would not have this vital time. Recharging your batteries is critical if you are going to be productive with your family, friends, work and volunteer activities. Make sure to schedule at least a few hours every week to make time for nothing but you. This will make all the other activities that much more enjoyable and creative. Taking time for yourself, relaxing and creating balance is some of the most important work you can do. You can do it! Keep informed on your progress.
Keep on keeping on,
Sean

Remember the only boxes that exist are the ones you create for yourself.

One of the best things about living on and around Grand Lake is that you get to meet a lot of great people. Since Kristen, my wife, and I have moved here to Grand Lake we have had the great privilege to grow meaningful relationships with many Grand Lakers. All of these relationships and the promise of future ones help to inspire greater meaning in my life for which I will always be grateful.

There is one relationship in particular that has been very special to me. This is a relationship that has been built over the years through conversations about how to improve Grand Lake, discussions about the history and the latest happenings around the Lake, and talking together about personal passions and music trivia over the ever present vodka cranberry with a twist of lime. Whenever I have been able to carve out even just a couple hours of time the first place I like to drive my boat is directly over to Estle Mooney’s place. Ever since discovering Mooney and his Sunset Bar & Gill I have always looked forward to spending some quality time with this Grand Lake legend.

Mooney was a true original. His eccentric nature was a magnet for me. New ideas and inspirations are always a guaranteed outcome of time together. More than one What Box? inspiration has come out of introspective dialogue while watching the sunset in Mooney’s loft. Time with Mooney is precious and few.

This last week was one of those special weeks where I had been able to carve out some time to head to Mooney’s. The anticipation was even keener as I had friends visiting the lake from out of town that I wanted to introduce to Mooney’s Sunset Bar and Grill and to Mooney himself, the host with the most. Mooney just has a way to put a smile on your face.

Doing what I do every weekend before getting started, I pick up the latest Chronicle of Grand Lake and start reading about what had been going on and what was going to be going on. As I turned each page in anticipation of what I would be reading next in no way was prepared for what I was about to read. There it was in print, “An Era Passes.” I had to read it five times before I could fully grasp what the words were saying. My friend and yours had passed away and was now “dancing with the angels.” I was shocked. I was flabbergasted. I was feeling pain in my heart and I started to cry.

The loss of someone special can affect people differently. For me Mooney’s passing meant that one of my favorite experiences of living on Grand Lake had ended. There is no way to replace the special times we shared. There is no way to recreate the Mooney smile. There is no way to bring back Mooney’s unique way of looking at life. There is no way to bring back the extraordinary man that was Mooney.

All weekend I was left with an empty hole in my heart. Knowing that Mooney would not have wanted me to spend time in despair or sadness I followed through with my planned journey to Mooney’s Sunset Bar & Grill with friends in tow. And there sitting in Mooney’s place with everyone holding the signature vodka and cranberry juice with a twist of lime in hand we made a toast to the one, the only and timeless Mooney.

“When a child is born, all rejoice; when someone dies, all weep. But it makes just as much sense, if not more, to rejoice at the end of a life as it does at the beginning. For no one can tell what events await a newborn child, but when a mortal dies he has successfully completed a journey.” Talmud

My memories and Polaroid’s of Estle Mooney will last me a lifetime. He was a Grand Lake original and someone I am proud to have been able to call my friend.

Whenever I would leave Mooney at his doorway, sunset in the background, I would give him a great big hug. He never really seemed to get comfortable with this. And I would say to him, “I love you. See you again soon.” I guess again does not always come, at least how I had thought of it.

Life is so short, make sure to let those you love know you love them. “Mooney, I love you. See you again next time around.”

Let me know what you think.

Remember the only boxes that exist are the ones you create for yourself.

Back in 1995 when I was involved in the founding and running of technology companies at the epicenter of the Internet revolution in Silicon Valley I would share my insights about the coming Creative Age whenever I was interviewed by the media. At that time not everyone embraced this idea because we were at the very beginnings of our transition from the Industrial Communication Age into what is only now more clearly being defined and understood as the Creative Age. With the accelerated pace of change the transition from one economic engine into another has happened faster and faster and now the Creative Age is here. It is hard to believe that only 10 years ago most of the world had not yet experienced sending their first email or buying a product on the Net. Just think about how much has changed in this short period of time.

So what does this Creative Age mean to us and our future?

In 1995 only about 10% of the population was working in creative industries such as science, entrepreneurialism, entertainment and advertising. Today, just 10 short years later, approximately 50% of our population in the United States is working in creative industries, and in some countries this number is getting close to 75%. Creativity is touching every aspect of our lives. Think about the car you drive. Think about the restaurants where you eat. Think about the clothes you wear. Think about the kitchen you cook in. Think about the furniture you sit on. Think about anything you consume or bring into your life. It’s not so much about whatever you consumer or bring into your life that attracts you as much as the design, experience or positive emotions they generate.

At an ever increasing pace, everything that we consume in our lives is coming from creative people meeting and exceeding the demands of a growing population. Thomas Edison, the greatest inventor of our time, is a wonderful example of someone who not only utilized his own creativity to invent things that had never been thought of before, but he also surrounded himself with equally creative people to help make his creative visions a reality. Edison was a rare individual in his day who blazed a creative path that we are running down today. Edison said, “There is a better way to do it – find it.” Now we are surrounded by “Edisons” all over the world expanding and stretching their creative skills.

Here is the challenge – many people are scared to death of the process of change that is generated and used by creative people. More and more of us are happy with the way things are and do not see a need to embrace creative people and the productive gains of their creative energy. Embracing change is one of the greatest challenges we face as humans. Change is accelerating at an ever increasing pace and if we do not learn to embrace, or at a minimum accept, the changes taking place globally we will in all likelihood wake up one day and say to ourselves, “Was I sleeping? How did we get so far behind?” The world has learned from American creativity and has now embraced it with open arms. We are not the only open and creative country on the planet anymore.

If we are going to stay globally competitive and move away from the homogenization of our cities and communities we must overcome. We must expand our membership into the creative experience. Back when my Grandfather was a young man returning from WWII he was willing to do whatever it took to increase the quality of life for his family. He was relentless and highly creative in his pursuit of a better life for his family, friends, and community. Today we have become a more complacent and lazy nation. We have lost our edge and the rest of the world has not only caught up but they are starting to take the creative lead.

“The cynic says, ‘One man can do anything.’ I say, only one man can do anything. One man interacting creatively with others can move the world.” John Gardner

Someone somewhere out there is working harder and longer than you on the next invention, book, ad campaign, event, or even fundraiser. The time is now to tap the creative potential sitting idle inside of all of us. Your creativity, our collective creativity, is quite possibly our single greatest gift. How are you using your creativity to make a positive difference?

“Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” Thomas Edison

If history is any lesson, and it usually is, we can and will overcome this challenge and embrace the Creative Age with open arms and the gusto that has made our country one of the greatest in history. We need to turn this ship around and get serious about expanding and exercising our creativity as individuals and a nation. This means thinking different about how we go about interacting, relating, and doing business with ourselves and the world.

Never before in history have there been so many opportunities and challenges for us to learn and grow from. It is going to take creative minds working together to maximize these opportunities and overcome the challenges at hand. For the first time in history we can align our growth as humans with our creative and economic growth potential. What an amazing thought.

When you are living a creative life you are working with the natural flow of all living things and coming closer to living a more satisfying and purposeful life.

And what could be more important than that?

Let me know what you think.

Dear Sean,

I read your article on inspiration the other week. Very interesting. I have always wanted to learn how to fly. I would love to be inspired to go for this life long dream. The thing is that I am very afraid of going up in a small plane. How does being afraid of something prevent inspiration from taking place and how can I move past my fear?

Looking for Inspiration in Grove

Dear Looking for Inspiration

The perception of fear prevents people from doing so many things that they dream of. The perception of fear prevents innovations from reaching reality. I emphasis the word “perception” here because your fear of going up in a small plane is a perception that something will go tragically wrong. In fact flying a small plane, especially when piloted by an experienced pilot, is one of the safer things you can do in life. Riding in an elevator is more risky statistically then flying in a plane. When you face your fears new thinking takes place and you are able to open your mind to the power of inspiration. Flying itself is a tremendous way to gain inspiration. When you face your fear of flying in a small plane and let the moment go inspiration will hit and a dream will be fulfilled. Go for it. There is no time like the present. Let me know what inspirations you experience from your flight.

Keep on keeping on,
Sean

Until next week, remember the only boxes that exist are the ones you create yourself.