Greatness is a result of an Idea!

September 23, 2009 by Milton Kamwendo
Filed under: Unleashing Greatness 

I remember about fifteen years ago picking up a book written by Dale Carnegie called, “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living”. The book had been printed in 1948, but it had such a profound effect on my life. I remember thinking that I would like to motivate and help people like Dale Carnegie. I did not know that this simple idea incubated and fertilised over time could bring me to this day. 

Respect Your Ideas
Every idea passes through a phase where it is weird, unrealistic and could easily be thrown into a rubbish dump. Some of us are not willing to hold on to an idea when we are laughed at and lampooned. When always want to be “normal”. No “normal” person ever brought any radical change in anything, anywhere! When some radical African minds caught the idea of self determination and independence, Ian Douglas Smith, then Prime Minister of Rhodesia vowed that this would never happen, “not in a thousand years!” Always respect your ideas; they are the seeds of destiny.

You are the only one who sees what you see, hears what you hear and feels what you feel. Never be shocked when people do not share the same enthusiasm as you have or dream the same dreams that you dream. Respect your ideas enough to protect and pursue them.

Capture Your Ideas
Ideas are like fire sparks. They have a great potential but they are highly perishable. If you do not capture an idea it will usually slip away, disappear and die.

Most great people usually carry a note book to capture some ideas when they first surface. Dominic Benhura, the renowned Zimbabwean Sculptor, also uses this technique to capture ideas. He keeps stacks of note books and when an idea streams through his mind he normally will sketch it in a note book. When he now wants to sculpt he picks his note books, develops one of the ideas a little further and then starts working on stone.

Nurture Your Idea
Ideas are like babies they need to be nurtured and protected until they can be left to walk on their own. You must develop your idea and take care to whom you expose them. This is the importance of having mentors. A good mentor will not impose his or her ideas but will help you develop your own.

An undeveloped idea will usually look foolish. Nurture your idea by developing yourself, learning and putting a structure to your thoughts. Be under no illusions this is not a one day job. At times it may mean having to go back to school. At times it will mean having to take a low paying job because you want to acquire some skills before launching your business. At times it will mean enduring humiliation. At times you may have to be prepared to die for your idea. Nurture your ideas. Incubate them. They are realities and wonders waiting to be born.

Act on Your Idea
Nothing changes until we start taking action. An idea is merely a promise of the future until you start taking action. Any new idea is always like new shoes – a little uncomfortable but good for you. Our progress is usually not help back by the lack of ideas but by the lack of action. Action is the cure for fear. Fear is always False Evidence Appearing Real! Your fears will never be cured by some old grandmother’s prescription. Only action is the best known cure for fear. Dare to take action and make your idea happen!

To your greatness,

Milton Kamwendo

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Comments

One Response to “Greatness is a result of an Idea!”

  1. Jairus Mutebe on September 24th, 2009 9:21 am

    Great article. I’m encouraged not to be discouraged with my weird ideas.

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