The Power of a Creative Idea: Let’s Read for a Better 2020

I was bumping through life, not really aware of the importance of financial and creative literacy. Then when my husband quit his job to start his business, and we found ourselves under $100,000 worth of debt, I was startled into asking questions.

“Why am I educated with a UCLA degree but have no financial education?”

I ran to my library, remembering that my aunt gave me some random book about financial freedom. Slowly drawing the book off the shelf, I opened it. This revealed a whole new way of seeing life and seeing my financial and creative abilities.

I was awakened.

INVEST IN SELF EDUCATION

Now that I am qualified to teach on financial and creative wellness, I often have people who are in need of direction that want to meet with me.

I have met with many on my own time but now that my book is published, I first give them the book to read. I tell them, “Finish this book and then let’s have a talk.”

I do not see many of them again.

It pains me that getting through a few pages is stopping many people from living a full life. If you’re not willing to read 200 pages that will allow you to have access to new ideas that could open up possibilities, why am I going to spend two hours of my priceless time to help you if you won’t even read for yourself?

This is now the gate keeper of who I meet with. On the other hand, I have had people devour my book or a book I suggested and I am overly eager to meet with them to discuss the ideas or even more advance concepts. This is a highlight of my week. Their excitement drives me to invest even more in their growth.

THE POWER OF IDEAS

We can no longer ignore ideas. Ideas are powerful. Everything comes from ideas. So if you find yourself in an environment where the quality of ideas are low, you’ll have to go outside to find high level thinkers and one of the best way to do that is through books.

There is no secret to success. They have all been written down. The only problem is – people don’t read.

THE ALPHABET: THE FIRST ABOLITIONIST

This painting by Eastman Johnson was done after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued in 1863. It is titled, The Lord is my Shepard.

But if you look closely, he isn’t in the Psalms, where that verse is located, he’s in the front of the Bible, most likely in Exodus, where the freedom story is.

This shows us what Harper Weekly noted upon the release of this powerful work, “The alphabet is an abolitionist. If you wish to keep the people enslaved, forbid to teach them to read.”

It was the law to not allow enslaved people to read. That law has now been taken down but you would never know it. There still are so many people, of all races, who now choose not to read beyond what what is required for a test.

If you don’t read, you are clicking your own chains on your own wrists preventing your own freedom. Creativity is founded upon the freedom to connect ideas form various disciplines to form new ideas. If you are not adding to your collection of ideas, you are in fact, adding to your collection of chains of ignorance. You deserve better for 2020.

Let’s end 2019 with a new excitement to have access to creative ideas and concepts that will help us start the new year with a new mindset.

You can do this.

Here’s my book list from a previous blog

The Selfie Vs. The Shelfie