You've probably heard the phrase "Every problem is an opportunity."
Beyond that quote lies the fact that someone can see an opportunity that others might not, allowing them to figure out how to fix the problem. Often this is because they've managed to 'think differently,' a variation of the phrase long ago popularized by Apple as the core idea in a brilliant advertising campaign:
Think different. The very phrase conjures up ideas of finding solutions to problems, and has long been the core focus of many a big mind:
- "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." - Albert Einstein
- "Problems are nothing but wake-up calls for creativity." - Gerhard Gschwandtner (a sales guru)
- "If you want something new, you have to stop doing something old." - Peter F. Drucker
- "The person who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The person who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever seen before." - Albert Einstein
- "The most successful people are those who are good at plan B." - James Yorke
Always have a plan B - that's where you will discover the magic - because it implies that you are always thinking differently!
Creative problem-solving should be your mantra - it's the ability to solve problems or identify opportunities when conventional thinking has failed. It's your ability to see opportunities when others see challenges. It's your ability to see a trend as a path forward rather than a barrier that's in the way. It's your mindset of openness that permits you to go beyond the normal line of thinking into something completely different. It's the fact that your imagination will allow you to ask the questions that others refuse to dare to ask.
It's the reality that you refuse to accept the status quo because you believe the status quo should be shattered.
When faced with an intractable problem, turns things around. When you focus your engine of creativity on an idea rather than the problem, you might find some really unique and innovative solutions to that intractable problem.
Think different.
Futurist Jim Carroll believes that diversity is the root of all creativity.
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