Is Too Much Irrelevant Information and False Knowledge Clogging the Wheels of Society's Advance?

The other day, I was talking with an academic about the amazing amount of knowledge that we have in modern society and civilization. It truly opens doors to innovation, and things happen much faster. Consider if you will that back in the day when someone had an idea perhaps for a steam engine, it would take weeks to get a letter to the United States, or even around Europe to even explain the new concept to someone else. Then the other party would write a letter back and so on. Okay so let's talk about this shall we?

You see, I run a think tank, and it happens to operate online. I can come up with a new concept or original thought, and share it with one of the leading experts in the field within minutes. They can download the e-mail, perhaps take it with them to work, or sit in the coffee shop with a cup of coffee while they ponder the concept. Then they can shoot me a text message or e-mail on their iPhone giving me a couple of things to think about, or asking an additional question.

At that point I could easily send them back the answer by e-mail, and it will be sitting for them when they get home from the coffee shop, work, or dinner and a movie. These tools and the flow of information has increased the amount of innovation and the speed at which it comes to market (obviously).

However, there is a downside as well. Consider if you will that all the information ever recorded in the recent past is now online. Many of the old books and manuscripts have also been digitized by Microsoft, Google, and others, and it too is all online.

Then there are the political pundits, the political researchers, and those that have a need to drive their own agenda. All of this is also online, interspersed with politically correct talk, studies, opinions, and comments. We have a deluge of information; so much of it is irrelevant. It's just people communicating and talking about nonsense or nothing.

If we take all the irrelevant information and the false knowledge and we were to remove it from the Internet, along with all the duplication, how much would still be left? I would submit to you that we wouldn't need the over 1 trillion webpages we have today. But as it stands, it appears that we must sift through the deluge of irrelevance and false knowledge daily. I would contend that because of this, it is clogging the wheels of society's advance and forward progression. Therefore we may be regressing in our quest to speed up innovation at this point.

Strategies To Find Job Search Success in the New Economy

I read in the news that Apple announced it has sold over five million of its new iPhone 5, just three days after its launch and to sweeten Apple's products demand, more than 100 million of Apple's latest operating systems devices have been updated.

Apple's success is an important indication that the Internet has taken over the new economy. The latest trend of using social media to find job has moved to a dynamic speed. Savvy job seekers knows that they cannot solely rely on traditional means in looking for jobs.

Traditional job search includes strategies such as looking in the newspaper classified advertisements, searching through 'help wanted' notices on bulletin boards, going to recruitment or job agencies, and write in for jobs opportunities directly to the companies. All these traditional ways of job search involve an individual reacting to a job that has already been publicly offered.

Although, traditional methods are still necessary, creative, well-informed and socially Internet savvy job seekers will take a step further to stay ahead of their competition by creating an online presence to reach out to more prospective employers. That is because they know that more and more recruiters use the web as a place to search for talent and conduct employment background searches. This trend will set to increase over the years.

Here are 3 ways you can use social media to enhance your job search success:

1) Build your online presence on social network sites.

Make employers find you easily online and thus open doors to more job opportunities. Without an online presence, you will not appear to be as relevant as those who has and you will be passed over for more savvy applicants that have online visibility. Creating online presence include

    LinkedIn- A networking tool for professional connections. Also used to recommend job candidates, industry experts and business partners. Employers use LinkedIn as a search tool to find talent, and job seekers use it to leverage their network in support of their search.
    Twitter - Social networking and instant messaging that allows users to post 140- character updates. Employer can use twitter to post for job opportunities.
    Facebook - A social network that connects people, to keep up with friends and share ideas. Depending on their privacy level, some job seekers have successfully secured a job through their Facebook network.

2) Create a blog to demonstrate your expertise

Another good way to further boost your image and demonstrate your experience, expertise and passion in a particular field is to create an updated blog. Keep it professional, creative and update it with value add contents for readers. The articles that you post may include tips and advice on issues in your area of expertise, also be mindful that everything you write and post online is up for judgement.

3) YouTube and Pinterest Marketing

Internet savvy job seekers are making use of video marketing to promote themselves. This is a creative approach to job hunting that has become increasingly common in the social media arena. You could create a video resume, such as a short and traditional video that include a general rundown of your work experience, educational background and skills.

While Pinterest is not a networking platform, as it does not allow direct communication, it is becoming increasingly popular with businesses. It is a powerful tool to demonstrate your knowledge, organisational skills, and creativity to prospective employers. You can create boards which relate to specific skills-sets you have and use it as a portal to link to work you want to showcase - like an online portfolio.

4) Online Resume

In the new economy, it has changed the way employers review resumes, the Internet has also made it possible for job seekers to post their resumes online, on their own hosted web sites. This change is particular helpful to those persons whose resume presentation will be greatly enhanced by being able to take advantage of the graphics and interactive capabilities that an online resume on a personal web site can provide.

In a nutshell, in these times, a paper resume is not enough. It is essential to be creative and a well-designed electronic, or online version of your resume combined and linked to a strong social media profile, is usually ideal for a successful job search.

Innovation and Flexibility: Creative Thinking and Willingness to Respond to Changes Leads to Success

In the business world, as in the natural world, the ability to envision and create new things is one of the keys to success and survival. Likewise, the ability to be flexible and adapt to changes is a major factor in deciding between success and failure, winner and loser. The faster new ideas enter the marketplace, the faster change occurs. In fact, innovation and flexibility are directly linked in every conceivable way. Ideas can come quickly or slowly over time; they can be big ideas or small, good ideas or bad. Change occurs in the same way - directly influenced by the nature and scale of the idea which preceded and inspired it. We cannot stop change because we cannot stop the flow of inspiration which drives it. The best we can do is to learn to work within this mechanism to shape our outcomes by learning to shape our ideas and actions.

The secret to success in any particular endeavor, it seems, is to think about that endeavor in a certain way. Some of us are naturally predisposed to this way of thinking about the world and some are not. Some of us are taught at a young age to have this type of outlook while others are not. Some of us learn this way of thinking and being on our own yet most do not. Some people stumble across this reality while the vast majority of people simply stumble. In any event, success is based on what one knows, how one thinks and what they do with that information. We can't always ensure that what we know is true; and we aren't always free to do whatever we want with the information that does come to us. The one part of this success equation that we can control is not, "What we think;" rather, it is, "How we think."

The mental attributes most often alluded to by both titans of industry and spiritual teachers and prophets are the same: Imagination, Optimism and Willingness or Open-mindedness. To succeed in business, you can be first to market with something new, you can deliver the best product or you can sustain your operation longest. A fourth option - cheating - has been proven time and time again to produce the illusion of gain with a very different reality and outcome. Innovative and flexible thinkers can achieve success on all three levels by creating something new and then reacting creatively to the market's response. Some so-called innovators fall short of true or lasting success by sticking to their vision without conceiving that it could be even better with slight adjustments. This is true of practically all people who fail despite being possessed of genuine talents and gifts. Creative thinkers who lack the ability to adapt and grow are often referred to as, "One-shot wonders."

Creative thinking will help you get new products to market first if you are first to act. Don't assume that other people aren't trying to solve the same problem or create a similar product. Flexible thinking will help you adjust or adapt your designs and strategies to become the best - even if you weren't actually first. And if you were first, don't think people aren't busily trying to improve upon your design or product. They are; and you should be too. But, in this rush to be first and best, consider the tortoise and hare. Sustainability isn't just a new fringe religion; it's the new reality. If you focus on short-term gain, that's what you'll get; and it is likely that you may not be able to keep up in the long run - turning your story of overnight success into another cautionary tale of some forgotten somebody who created some forgotten something or other. The nature and quality of your thoughts will determine the nature and quality of your product, business and life. And, after all, isn't quality of life why we do any of it?

If you aren't a creative thinker, hire one. If you are stubborn and rigid, good luck. If you're stubborn and rigid and at least somewhat intelligent, you'll see the long-term benefit of hiring someone with an open and flexible mind to help make your decisions and operations more dynamic and vital. Innovation is not just a sound bite and flexibility isn't just for muscles anymore. These words represent ways of being in the world which, when mastered, can generate any measure of success and progress. History is a record of the innovators of our past. Some of them were madmen and criminals; but some of them have left lasting legacies of progress, success and humanity. To see what has come before and make it better is indeed a gift. To create something useful that has never existed before is also a gift. Taken together, creation and change describe life. When mastered and applied, innovation and flexibility define and guarantee success.

Micro-Tasking - A Productive Use of the Internet

Micro-tasks are components of a larger project. They are small and short-duration activities, conducted by numerous people, that add up to a larger result. Such tasks expand on ideas such as day-labor, cargo load boards, and contracted professional effort.Income from such tasks can be sufficient to afford an access device and then provide extra income within a personal earning endeavor. While such tasks bring in extra cash, they are typically insufficient for providing secure life-supporting employment in the expensive economies of developed nations. However, there is that potential in developing nations.

There are numerous types of work that fit the internet-based micro-task framework. Anything that can be digitized fits this mold. Micro-tasks include playing a role in:

    organizing large volumes of data
    describing what appears in pictures
    comparing pictures
    discovering information sources
    answering questions
    raising the visibility of a website
    collecting data from a website
    language translation
    information extraction from text
    reviewing written material
    transcribing audio recordings
    inputting data from handwritten forms
    extracting data from images
    flagging good and bad content
    categorizing things
    transcribing handwriting
    taking surveys
    writing articles
    digitizing forms
    tagging images and other content

The advantage to the worker is the ability to work whenever and wherever the worker likes. Companies gain a way to manage the expense of their contingent workforce. They also gain a means of creating, allocating, and paying for tasks as they arise. There is also the advantage of an immense global workforce. Micro-tasking websites make money by charging a fee to the task creator. Beware of sites that charge an up-front fee to the worker or that demand prior purchase of anything. NEVER pay to have a job.

My experience with these tasks is that, yes, money can be made, especially if you are diligent. However, the tasks can be mindlessly tedious. Being so small and short, the tasks easily take on the character of meaningless work, even if one is being paid. How much can one earn? A mature and experienced adult of my acquaintance reports he does micro-tasking two hours per day, five days per week. He earns about $100 per week. Over nine months he makes about $4,000. From articles I have read on the topic, this is typical.

At issue is just what access device is really needed. Some believe that a simple mobile phone would do. While this is technically feasible for some types of tasks, it is not productive for serious earning in the general case. Yet, an expensive device is not necessary. A reliable tablet with a good keyboard and mouse would do. There is a good chance that this could be accomplished for $100-$150, as will be shown later in this article. If the access and space are available, the income to provide the device can be earned.

Many micro-tasking sites are scams. But, there are a few that are legitimate. Such tasks do require a minimum education but usually not a college degree. Some require pre-training. Sometimes that training is offered as another task. Other times, it is part of a registration process.

You can earn part-time money from legitimate companies via micro-tasking. Use the resource link to explore these opportunities. None of them require a registration or membership fee.

You Can Master the Art of Innovation

We live in an ever changing world. Any casual observer can see that the pace of the change, we see all around us, is speeding up every day and so the best way to survive and to thrive, in this ever changing environment, is to commit to constantly innovate, evolve and grow.

Your commitment to consistent innovation is what will separate you from the followers and make you a true leader, path finder or trail blazer. You will become an achiever, who will stand out, someone who is a trend setter, rather than a trend follower. It is far better to be setting the standards of performance and achievement, which other people will follow than it is to be the person who is constantly trying to catch up.

Uncover how to Innovate once Again
Most of us are born creative and with an innate ability to innovate. At the age of two over 80 % of two year olds test as highly creative. By the time we reach the age of ten, only two percent of people test as creative and this then remains constant throughout our lives. What happens between the age of two and ten, which kills that creativeness and innovativeness in us? It is time to re-awaken your creative and innovative side and to start down the track of super achievement.

Innovation will help you in many ways:

    Innovation is what will help you to create real meaningful and sustainable progress in your life.
    Consistent progress is what will advance your life and business beyond the average.
    Constant innovation will put you ahead of the competitive herd and the status quo.

Innovation has Become a Requisite for Super Achievement
Gone are the days where innovation was reserved for the select few, such as Einstein, Edison and the Wright Brothers. The ever increasing pace of change has made it imperative that everyone, who wants to succeed and excel, must become an excellent innovator or they risk being side-lined, to become just part of the herd or a very small spoke in the wheel of life.

Believe you can Innovate or you Never Will
Innovation is not an event, it is a process. You must first open your mind and believe that you have what it takes to be an innovator. Have the courage to make the crucial mind-set shift and change your beliefs and philosophy. Innovating must become a way of life for you. Make a commitment right now to stop looking at the world and only seeing what is. Make the shift and make a new commitment to look at the world and to constantly search for what could be or in fact should be.

Keep asking a better quality of question
The quality of your life and business is dictated by the quality of the questions you are asking. Learn the art of always asking explorative questions. Questions that will help you unlock possibility and to allow you to constantly flex you innovation muscle.

When you are a true innovator you constantly see the potential within yourself and others. You look for the opportunity for what could be in every event, situation, process, experience or outcome. You are committed to constantly serve, guide, help and solve.

Learn the Art of Observation and Take Action
To become a great innovator you must start by becoming an excellent observer. Study people, your environment, how people operate and live, what they want and need and what challenges they face. As you observe, constantly look for ways to add value to the world and the people around you. As important as it is to come up with new ideas, being creative is not being a true innovator. A true innovator is a person who takes action and makes things happen. They are real implementers of ideas and new strategies.

Innovation is a Doing Word
Creativity is thinking of new things, which will make a difference in the world. Innovation is implementing these changes and making a real and lasting difference to the world. True innovators go way beyond creativity and they become the people that transform people lives. They are the people that turn creative ideas into real and meaningful progress. Innovation is converting creative ideas into marketable products, which will make everyone's lives better.

Have You Lowered Your Expectations?

Years ago I heard that to avoid being disappointed that I should not have expectations. While at a certain level this makes sense, there is a big part of me that screams out in rebellion. After all, if I don't have expectations, how will I reach my goals? How will I know when I'm where I want to be? How will I know if things are meeting my standards?

I think many people have come to lower their expectations so as, well, not to expect too much. This happens out of politeness, it happens out of convenience but mostly, it happens out of fear. After all, if we have expectations and they aren't met, all we're left with is one big disappointment. So lowering your expectations kinda seems like you can have your cake and eat it too, doesn't it?

Yet, when it comes to your image, this isn't exactly the truth. Lowering your expectations when it comes to your style and how you want to present yourself may lead to less disappointment, but it can also lead to a low self-worth, holding yourself small and encouraging everyone else around you to hold yourself small as well.

You were born to shine. Not just twinkle, but SHINE. Out loud. In the spotlight.

I know what you're thinking. Not me. I don't want any attention. I just want to blend in. Well, let me tell you that I used to be in your shoes... and that you're dead wrong.

Say what? You heard me. I can't let you go on like this. Lowering your expectations. Chipping away at your self-image and your self-esteem. Looking like something that, years ago would have made you cringe, but now you just chalk up to being 'too busy' to mess with or too tired to care about.

Yeah. Let' s see where that gets you.

Think of a beautiful rose. It bursts into full bloom without holding back. It gives it everything it's got and then some, the way it was created to be. You weren't created to hide, but to blossom into your full beauty and potential. I want to help you do just that!

Why am I calling you out? Because I care. Because I love you. And because I have been there and done that and it is SO not where you belong.

I'll say it again. You were born to shine. You were born to be not mediocre, or okay, or nice. You were born to be GORGEOUS! BEAUTIFUL! FABULOUS! With no apologies. Yes, you.

Why? Because when you hold yourself small everyone around you holds themselves small too. Out of politeness. Especially in the south. Because we don't want to out-do each other, but mostly because we feel that it's really, truly wrong to be in the spotlight, or to even want to be.

But I want to tell it like it is. Until you can love yourself enough to step into the spotlight, you are holding yourself and everyone around you small too.

When you can embrace your beautiful self, warts and all, and love every inch of you and present yourself in a way that enhances your beauty, you make God proud. He didn't create you to be mediocre and put yourself at the bottom of your list. When you don't take care of you, who will?

So SHINE, dammit! (I don't curse often, so please pardon my French) Raise your expectations. Hold yourself accountable and don't let yourself go. It doesn't take a king's ransome or all the time in the world to look good, or even your best. I'm not talking red-carpet ready, but a realistic version of yourself that's more than what you've been settling for.

Congratulations, You Are AWAKE

The question is, what has awakened in you because of this crisis? Does hope beat in your chest when you think of your future? Do you feel the sweet promise of tomorrow pulsing in you? Does everything you've taken for granted come sharply to clarity? Do you see your value? Do you feel the relevancy of your life? You now have the opportunity to become reacquainted with what makes you feel, as the numb shroud of your harried life falls away. Can you feel your passion? Can you begin to trace its origin?

You want to go back to feeling deeply, feeling good, and feeling better. It helps to quickly go to the root of your life challenges. It is better to treat yourself first as a whole person: the cause before the symptoms.

Instead of asking "Why me?" Why now? Why this?

Place that powerful Why behind what drives you to thrive.

Why do I want to live?
Why do I want to be happy?
Why do I matter?

Begin working with this powerful why and let it back you in living your best life now.

You will resemble, tomorrow the dominating thoughts of your mind today. Plant a seed for tomorrow wisely. Frame life in your mind nicely, seek and speak of the good. You have constructed your reality through the story you tell yourself.

Your mind has infinite capacity, you are responsible for taking control of the programming. Take the helm and also be compassionate with yourself this taking back of focus is a process that must be mastered.

Subconscious wants to feel safe and generally stirs clear of the unknown.It would rather replay a negative habit even though is it painful rather than experience something new.

Start filtering out negative scripts that no longer serve your highest good.

When it comes to manifesting your thoughts should be condemned or praised for there work.

Focus on your emotions and feel your way to your future reality. Choice by choice, reach for relief and let go of resistance. You want to change how you view and respond to life. Have your own back, deliberately look at the positive and you will become a master framer of life.

Simple And Funny Exercises To Boosting Your Brain Power

Boosting Your Brain Power

There are no quick-fixes if you want to increase your brain power - neither will there be a magic pill. If you really want to increase it you need to implement some strategies, which can stimulate your ways of thinking and reasoning. It will also be necessary to stimulate your different senses, as these are not only an integrated part of your body but also a significant part of your mind and perceptions.

In this article I will describe a few great strategies, which are only a fraction of the galore strategies you can adapt, however, these are a terrific beginning.

Brain Power Techniques

Challenge your senses - As human being we have often had the habit of only using a few of our senses such as hearing and seeing. What would happen if you for a change blocked these senses?

Undoubtedly you will discover that your brain works like hell to compensate for these missing senses to still solve daily mundane matters. Blocking these senses will force the brain to exercise, which often can do a lot for improving the brainpower, as the brain is to be treated as a muscle - the more you use it, the more fit it will be.

Try for example to blindfold yourself ( off course not when you are in the traffic, or other places where you can hurt others), and then eat you meal. Try to taste each single bite and describe it to yourself or your significant one, notice how you now have a new experience of the food you might have eaten many times before.

Try also to put earplugs in your ears - not connected to a music device, it has to block your hearing completely - then go for your usually walk and notice how you now are far more concentrated with your eyes. You will possibly discover - besides this being unpleasant - that you recognize a lot more colors and forms.

Try to combine ordinary objects - Another great exercise, which force you to think creative. take for example a chair and a pair of shoes and imagine how this chair could be a walking chair suddenly with a beautiful pair of shoes (most likely two pairs - unless you become very creative). Take for example a table and imagine what it could be if you turn it upside down - a raft perhaps.

The technique is to take a piece of paper and a pencil, then write down all the ideas you can get in a predefined time. Think of all crazy wacky forms and odd usage of your new invention. Now try to draw it, as to draw also sharpens your senses. Now finally write a report of your new item, how it should be used and whom should use it.

This is not only fun, but you can also implement it as a party game. establish some teams, and reward the most creative solution. Besides having fun you train your brain tremendously.

Blind Tasting - one of my favorite party games. Buy some cheap wines, buy some wine at an average price, and buy one expensive wine. Cover all the bottles - or boxes if so - and pour 2 cl of each wine in numbered glasses. Then the participants have to not only taste the wine, they also must describe the taste for each glass, and then point out which one was the expensive one.

Feel Your Way

Find the amazing power to ask better questions. Every thought begins with a question, anyway. You have a problem solving mind. It will endeavor to answer any problem you throw its way.

You can ask these questions in the shower, in rounds of three in 10 sets of questions around health, success. Love, kindness, abundance, joy, strength, communication, etc.

How can I... ?
What will I do that... ?
Wouldn't it be nice if... ?

Your brain is like the world's best super computer, it is programmed to answer questions. Any question you ask of it, it will endeavor to solve for it. By asking powerful questions of your problem solving mind you can lead your life to your aspiration. By asking "How can I... ?" you engage your mind to provide you with tangible steps. Through inquiring "What will I do that... ? Your mind will look to provide concrete answers to yield your sought after result. Request your mind to imagine by asking "Wouldn't it be great if... ?

Ask your limitless mind all your questions and then trust in faith not fear. Open your heart and believe in the possibilities of you. Be optimistic in that infinite energy that beats your heart and all hearts. Only lack of confidence will obstruct you. Have wonderful dreams and believe they will come true.

Your choice how you perceive the facts. Recognize with a deep inherency that you are valuable, you are here, right here right now. Try to bring your mind, body and emotions into harmony. Know that your substance is more than skin deep. Look at yourself with deep appreciation.

Trust in faith not fear. Seek the good in you and all. Think about your positive qualities and they will grow. Accept that you have to continually improve your way of thinking and feeling.

You will always find what you are looking for whether it be good or bad. Dominant thoughts become deeply emotional beliefs attracting like vibrations consistently enough to create physical evidence.

Your control starts with your awareness of how you feel in response to that automatic thought. Then moving your focus in a better direction starting with your next thought, make it feel better. The more you think a thought the easier it become to defer to it. Your thoughts become emotional in ¼ of a minute.

Creativity and Innovation As a Sense of Nationalism

There seems to be an attempt in the United States and other first world nations to create a resurgence of innovation and creativity. This is interesting because for so long we had worked on standardization in our education system, getting everyone on the same page, and marching in step. Now we see we are being beaten in the global marketplace, and we realize our greatest strength was our entrepreneurs, creativity, and innovation. Since we all agree on that, we are looking for more of it now.

Today, creativity and innovation has been rebranded almost as a sense of nationalism in the United States. We also see something similar had happened in Canada as they worked very hard to create a knowledge worker society, get everyone educated, and lead the world in scientific discovery. Much of Europe also attempted the same. As the Olympic Games of 2012 show a sense of pride and nationalism for sports, agility, and athletic ability we see how this can be such a strong bond.

When we compete as Americans for creativity and innovation in the marketplace of ideas, we see we have a stellar advantage due to our free-market system. You see, the free-market and capitalism rewards people with great ideas, who can solve problems and innovate, and sell their inventions and methods in our economy. All we have to do we show them the way, and let them compete in that same marketplace of ideas. That makes sense right?

It's almost as if creativity and innovation is an extra lever to reignite a sense of nationalism and pride. The United States has always been on the leading-edge of invention, problem solving, and having a can-do attitude. It is practically the spirit of America, and it still shines. Some might say that too much nationalistic pride is not a good thing, but maybe it is when it comes to an underlining theme of problem solving, innovating, and creating new products and services. Not to mention the fact that it will provide more jobs as well, something that our economy needs right now.

Education is also a nice arena to uplift a nation for nationalistic pride, and it doesn't hurt anyone else to compete for the most educated society. Luckily, America is quite good at all of these things, despite the detractors who might say that our society isn't as educated is theirs, the reality is; "sure it is, look everywhere, America is winning."

Promoting creativity and innovation as a sense of nationalism I believe is a smart play for a great team - Team USA. It doesn't hurt anyone else anywhere else in the world for us to do that. In fact, it might help them by setting the bar very high, and challenging them to do the same.

How to Improve Your Innovative Skills

Start by deliberate innovation practices

Don't wait for innovation to strike you as you go about your daily life. Innovation is a skill that needs you to practice it all the time. If you read these tips and make yourself a promise that when you wake up tomorrow you will try and do all of them, you will have started being innovative.

Challenge the ways things are done

This is a big one and is the easiest way to identify innovative people because they are always looking to see if things can be done better. They are always challenging the traditional way of performing and unfortunately fired from their jobs because of this.

Employers should embrace these people because it is only by challenging how things are done that we can do them better. If you hear anyone tell you "It has always been done this way." then you know this is an area that desperately needs some innovation.

Practice by looking at all the steps involved in the activity and see if any are wasted or done better with current technology.

Become a child again

Children have a great knack for getting to the heart of the matter quickly, and so can you. If you follow this simple technique.

When faced with an activity or task ask why it is done this way. Then for each answer they give you, ask why at least four more times.

This will drill down to the real reason why something is being done and surprisingly it is not always what you think. This type of questioning is useful in uncovering and removing the "always has" responses.

In some cases even giving the product or items to children and allowing them to play with it can highlight factors that adults miss.

Break your own routines and habits

To become innovative you need to freshen up your creative juices and experience new things yourself. This means you need to stop doing what you always do and apply the following practices in your daily activities.

    Change the way you go and leave work
    Travel to another nearby town for the day and just watch people do what they do
    Eat at different restaurants or dining rooms
    Find a recreational activity that you haven't done before and go do it this weekend
    Read a book that you normally would not ever read
    Open the dictionary to a random page and memorise at least five new words you did not know
    Join a social group that you wouldn't normally join and listen to their ideas

Overall innovation is about experiencing different and new ways of doing activities so you can see if any will cross over to your activities.

Get involved in learning for life and challenge yourself to do at least thirty new things every year.

Information supplied by Paul Baker

Over twenty years of business development & change management strategies successfully used in National organisations across Australia. The focus is on continuous improvement of business systems to stimulate growth through our principles of Initiate, Inspire, Innovate.

Customer-centric focus using our extensive experience in consumer behaviour and business process operations to find ways to help business owners manage their organisations.

Should Every Couple Have A Breeding Limit?

Should we exercise restraint in our breeding practices?

Should there be a limit on how many children we should each have?

Should we follow the policies of China with their one child per household limit? Two if you are from a single female bloodline...

Yes. Probably. Possibly.

I am well aware that many humans feel that the only reason we are here on earth is to procreate - to ensure that the human race survives.

I am also aware that most humans have a need to protect their genetic immortality - which is why the need to breed is so powerful.

Women who do NOT wish to breed often tell me that they are scorned when they express this view - as if they are wasting their time on this planet by not ensuring the survival of the species.

From where I stand, it appears that the best way for us to destroy this species is to keep on breeding at the rate we are.

I have often expressed my view that humans are the most efficient bacteria on this planet - and like any good bacteria we are destroying our host without regard for the consequences.

In fact, I would go so far as to argue that the best thing that could happen to this planet would be the destruction of human beings all together - if you were Mother Nature, you would agree, but as a human being you might think that this view is a little extreme... until you think about it. I did not say it would be the best thing for you, I said it would be the best thing for this planet.

Looking at this subject objectively, it is easy to see that the biggest problem the earth faces is over-population - it is also the biggest problem that humans face because the rapid growth of our species is not only destroying the environment, the water supply, the climate, the animals and the overall pattern of nature; it is destroying our ability to actually think about what we are doing and why we are doing it.

As much as we scorn China for imposing a one child per household rule, if we step back a little we can see that this idea is not so bad after all - it is just the consequences that have proven to be so devastating and disastrous.

With a population of over a billion, China has to do something to slow population growth - this is their duty.

The sad part of this rule is that most families want boys, not girls, in order that the 'family heritage' is preserved - and because of this, many baby girls are murdered or abandoned to provide the parents with the option to try again and hopefully 'procure' a baby boy.

As disgusting as this is, there is an explanation for this horrific behavior - the stupidity of society.

The stupidity of society can be further diminished into one word - marriage.

For, it is marriage that causes these families to murder and abandon their children - if it was not for the fact that marriage is what we base our heritage upon, if it was not for the fact that most women change their last name to their husband's last name thereby losing their identity and their ancestry, then these babies would not be so disposable.

It is marriage that creates the problem of needing a boy rather than wanting a girl.

If humans were not so hell-bent on their own importance, then the gender of a child would not matter.

Unfortunately, society teaches that a male heir continues the family tree and a female is only the transportation for that family name, heritage and importance - we have children being murdered to protect the ancestry of one family over another.

But if we actually took a moment to think about it, we would realize that a child is inherently more a part of its mother than of its father - the child is carried in the mother's belly, attached to an umbilical cord and dependent upon her for survival even after birth... The logic of a child taking it's father's name is illogical at best.

In the end, all of this boils down to ego, and stupidity.

It is not only stupid, it is sick.

If the children of the Chinese did not carry one name over another, then it would not matter whether the child was a boy or a girl.

If, for example, the child's name was an amalgamation of each parent's name, then the child would be a combination of each partner, not just a limb on the family tree of the male side of the family.

Nobody cares about your ancestry apart from your family - unless you are the member of a royal family, in which case some historians might care, along with some other people who refuse to live in the present and continue to look backwards for answers to current problems.

Do you care about my family history? I hope not. Because I do not care about yours (in the nicest way possible).

With this massive problem facing the human race which the human race is creating, perhaps we should have some limit on how many children each family is permitted - perhaps we should take action and deal with the reality of over-population rather than the fantasy, the history, and the fallacy of a family tree.

Whether we like it or not, each one of us, and every family unit is as messed up as the other - take your pick on which brand of lunacy you prefer...

Bearing in mind that every child born is an environmental disaster on its own, let's have a scenario where we put a limit on how many kids we can each have (especially if you claim to be an environmentalist).

Let's say the limit is 2.

In my experimental scenario, each family is allowed to breed twice - seems fair to me (of course it would, it's my scenario).

We do not really need more than 2 children in this day and age, it's not like the mortality rate is as high as it once was...

Now, stick with me here -

Let's say a couple has 2 children, both boys; and yet they want a girl (an understandable desire).

What's the solution when this couple has used up their 'quota'?

Solution - adopt.

If you already have 2 kids and you want more, then you have to adopt - you have to help a child in need without adding to the population problem.

Now this should not be a problem to any rational human - after all, parenthood is about raising a child, and raising a child is about nature and nurture. Every child on this planet is effected by its genetic make-up, but it is also severely effected by its upbringing, surroundings, opportunities and possibilities.

So, before you use the argument that you don't want to raise some kid whose parents you do not know - stop and ask yourself, "What's so great about me that I need to keep reproducing?" And then ask yourself, "If I am so great, then shouldn't I offer those benefits to a child in need, a child without parents, a child that is already here, before I create another environmental disaster?"

Think about that for a second, would you?

We have a massive environmental problem.

We have an enormous population problem.

We have millions of children without parents, homes, food and shelter.

Should we not deal with the problem at hand rather than reproduce, and thereby produce more problems we cannot handle?

Although I am not much of a fan of communism, and I do believe in freedom of choice, I am a proponent of insisting that the choices we make are made with an eye on the bigger picture - not just on the individual's point of view, wants, or stupidity.

Choices we make should always be made in consideration of others - if you are causing harm to others with your choices then you should reconsider your actions.

Ways to React When Someone Has Stolen Your Idea

Chances are that at some point in your life, someone is going to steal a great idea that you have. This happens to people from all walks of life and in various fields of work. Perhaps this has happened recently to you, and you're wondering about some of the ways to react.

Be Respectful

When someone has stolen your idea, it's easy to get upset. You may even feel angry or resentful towards the other person. While it's healthy to feel emotional over such a situation, it's not okay to attack them or be disrespectful in any way. Unfortunately some people react this way, which I do not recommend.

I'm a firm believer in the saying, "an eye for an eye makes the world go blind." It's important that you treat them with respect, no matter how grand or profitable your idea was. You should be the bigger person and accept what happened, granted that it's not grounds for a legal dispute.

Talking it Out Might Help

Depending on the type of idea you had, you can approach the person to discuss it with them. I don't know if you're concerned about a "million dollar idea" that was going to be a new invention or some kind of business idea at work that may land the other person a promotion. You're going to have to use some discretion when deciding whether or not you should talk to them. It's appropriate in some situations, and in others it's not. When in doubt, ask some trusted friends for advice.

If you decide to talk to the person involved, keep in mind they may not have realized they stole your idea. It's best to keep the approach neutral rather than confrontational. Your goal isn't to make them feel bad, change their mind, or reward you. By talking to them, you give yourself the opportunity to be heard and the other person a chance to be aware of your feelings.

Take Personal Responsibility

I think the most important thing for you to take away from this article isn't necessarily how to resolve the act of someone stealing your idea. This may not be something that's "fixable," as so to speak. How you react internally and continue to do in the future is what matters the most, not what the other person does or gains.

You may have lost the potential for your own idea to go far because you didn't speak up when you had the opportunity. Many people experience this at work. When it comes time for group meetings, professional evaluations, or brainstorming sessions, be sure to share your ideas with everyone openly and formally.

Don't hold back in fear of judgment, and don't be selective with whom you share your ideas. That's when others have the chance to use the idea for themselves or share what you've been thinking all along, which makes you feel like it was stolen. If you're concerned that someone will take your idea and run with it, document it first before telling anyone else.

Rejected Design

Clearly you have been rejected before, but the fear never leaves you. Why? The answer is Emotion. Often people can't control their personal emotion or how they feel towards a particular event. Pessimist in nature and demoralized after being rejected as all the time invested on the single project just vanish in thin air.

At that moment, the feeling of giving up sets in. As humans, we just can't stomach the fact that what's ours is ours, what's not ours we have to let it go, and that's my personal motto. It's the reality. The funny thing is, when we see others being rejected, we give them advice like a professional but often don't take our own advice. The reason why I am writing this is because we need to be aware that every single second, somewhere in this world someone just got rejected, even for the most unfair reason for instance biasness or worst, race. Sometimes, meritocracy just don't happen when you need it.

This is actually a blessing in disguise. As we often hear this cliche statement "getting rejected makes us stronger", it is true to some extend but only if you think so. The only people who get stronger over rejection are people with high level of self motivation. They have the drive because they are ambitious and they need to reach their goal/dream. Hence it is one way to overcome rejection, have a goal and stick to it. If you design for the sake of salary, it shows that you don't enjoy what you do. If you don't enjoy what you do, when you get rejected, it only encourage you to be more unhappy with the already deteriorating state you are in.

We need to know why we are rejected, might be due to lack of workmanship. Maybe the workmanship is excellent but the work does not meet the client's criteria.There is always an answer, or solution to everything. The worst thing you can do is to discard the rejected idea. It may be good to other client hence you never know when you need it. Just keep it to date even if it was rejected 3 years ago. At the end of the day, it's still your idea.

Keep it in your portfolio. All these rejected projects shows your capabilities and skills in the industry. If it is not good enough to be placed in your personal portfolio, well maybe you get the picture on why it was rejected in the first place. Improving your work is also a form of self-improvement so, keep the spirit high and do not get demoralized over rejection. Because you will be rejected again.

The Innovator: Passion, Pain, Process and the Purpose

All through the course of history, innovators and entrepreneurs have had reason to change the world by reaching into the invincible through their dreams to produce the tangible.

It has always been attributed to sheer passion- the drive that keeps the innovator going; even in the face of seeming impossibilities and stacked odds, the belief in possibility enhances eventual achievement.

Passion can be compared to the blood that flows in the vein; as long as it exists, the belief remains alive. Although it must said that whist passion can keep the momentum going, it would take more than passion to achieve the goal.

There would always be the low time, when everything looks bleak and blank; at that point the innovator must understand perspectives. A right perspective would be to figure out the experience as a process which does involve various high and low moments like anything ever progressive in life.

The process of innovation is never an easy one, as there are various stages involved: From the point of deciding to tow this path, to trying to work out a beginning point; with some many other things on the way before clawing your way to the top where you can finally shout Eureka.

The unique thing about innovation is the fact that the inventor has to figure our all of the logic in his mind, as it would not be possible to go and ask around on what to invent when it has never been done before; and people do not even know if they need it or not.

The same process would move from the point of conception, to trying out the idea before full implementation can be embarked upon. Even after implementation, the market would have to be convinced that there is a need for the product; a hurdle if scaled adequately could eventually signal successful achievement.

The process is never without its own pains as there would be times of frustration, lack of finance, self-doubt, seeming failure and brick walls. All of these would only go further to test how resilient the innovator can be. It is not wrong to fail, but it can be catastrophic if you do not learn from failure and pick yourself up.

Winning might be a destination, but preparation is the vehicle that gets you there, as it pictures the process involved. Never forget that the will to win is important, but the will to prepare is also extremely vital.

Again, passion is truly important, but an in-depth understanding of purpose gets you over the finish line. Purpose tells you that there is a much larger picture involved so backing out easily is not an option. A good understanding of purpose helps you put things in right perspective; encouraging you to find the flow of the fight and take control of it.

There would be storms and trials almost definitely. There might also be times of discouragement and doubt, but purpose gives you a sense of satisfaction even when it seems like there is no reward forthcoming. It might take time, but it only makes the victory much sweeter.

The wait can be trying, but the process must never be idle; seek information, find all the knowledge you can, do research, make yourself better, and prepare for the big break believing that it will eventually come. Remember the big stage is not a place for preparation but performance, the back-stage is adequate enough for as many trials as your preparation would allow.

In the midst of all of these, another very vital thing is the positive mindset. When we say we can then we can; whenever you think otherwise, it goes a long way to influence the outcome. Never deny reality, but remain optimistic; in the face of it all, do not chase the ideal but inculcate pragmatism. Keep finding a way to work around the problem as there is a solution somewhere in there; just stay the course and find it.
All through the course of history, innovators and entrepreneurs have had reason to change the world by reaching into the invincible through their dreams to produce the tangible.

It has always been attributed to sheer passion- the drive that keeps the innovator going; even in the face of seeming impossibilities and stacked odds, the belief in possibility enhances eventual achievement.

Passion can be compared to the blood that flows in the vein; as long as it exists, the belief remains alive. Although it must said that whist passion can keep the momentum going, it would take more than passion to achieve the goal.

There would always be the low time, when everything looks bleak and blank; at that point the innovator must understand perspectives. A right perspective would be to figure out the experience as a process which does involve various high and low moments like anything ever progressive in life.

The process of innovation is never an easy one, as there are various stages involved: From the point of deciding to tow this path, to trying to work out a beginning point; with some many other things on the way before clawing your way to the top where you can finally shout Eureka.

The unique thing about innovation is the fact that the inventor has to figure our all of the logic in his mind, as it would not be possible to go and ask around on what to invent when it has never been done before; and people do not even know if they need it or not.

The same process would move from the point of conception, to trying out the idea before full implementation can be embarked upon. Even after implementation, the market would have to be convinced that there is a need for the product; a hurdle if scaled adequately could eventually signal successful achievement.

The process is never without its own pains as there would be times of frustration, lack of finance, self-doubt, seeming failure and brick walls. All of these would only go further to test how resilient the innovator can be. It is not wrong to fail, but it can be catastrophic if you do not learn from failure and pick yourself up.

Winning might be a destination, but preparation is the vehicle that gets you there, as it pictures the process involved. Never forget that the will to win is important, but the will to prepare is also extremely vital.

Again, passion is truly important, but an in-depth understanding of purpose gets you over the finish line. Purpose tells you that there is a much larger picture involved so backing out easily is not an option. A good understanding of purpose helps you put things in right perspective; encouraging you to find the flow of the fight and take control of it.

There would be storms and trials almost definitely. There might also be times of discouragement and doubt, but purpose gives you a sense of satisfaction even when it seems like there is no reward forthcoming. It might take time, but it only makes the victory much sweeter.

The wait can be trying, but the process must never be idle; seek information, find all the knowledge you can, do research, make yourself better, and prepare for the big break believing that it will eventually come. Remember the big stage is not a place for preparation but performance, the back-stage is adequate enough for as many trials as your preparation would allow.

In the midst of all of these, another very vital thing is the positive mindset. When we say we can then we can; whenever you think otherwise, it goes a long way to influence the outcome. Never deny reality, but remain optimistic; in the face of it all, do not chase the ideal but inculcate pragmatism. Keep finding a way to work around the problem as there is a solution somewhere in there; just stay the course and find it.